Spending St. Patrick's Day with CIRCLE OF FRIENDS We get together for our second holiday special for the greatest holiday of all: watching Ms. Minnie Driver on the prowl. Unfortunately for us the dating scene as presented by the film CIRCLE OF FRIENDS is a harsh landscape for our favorite actress as she is met with a duplicitous Alan Cumming (not a…

1995 Holiday Special #1 In our first holiday special of 1995 at the Sober Cinema we tackle the most romantic film of all time with the least romantic perspective: beaten down, bitter middle-aged men who hate the genetic lottery that Ethan Hawke won. (DEAD POETS SOCIETY awkward phase does not count.) However personal growth is achieved by pretty muc…

On January 13, 1995 Jada Pinkett battled baldness. Only this time the follicle challenged leading lady had to contend with the sass of one Mr. Billy Zane making his bald debut in TALES FROM THE CRYPT: DEMON KNIGHT. And at least he was having fun with his hairless freedom in this delightful genre film that one host can't stop saying enough good thin…

On January 11, 1995 Tyra Banks licked a nipple. And Kristy Swanson had her first lesbian experience with Jennifer Connelly... which is really setting the bar very high for women and presents no hope for men moving forward. In this discussion one host questions the other owning a DVD copy of this fine film from auteur John Singleton while answering …

A preview of what is to come... thirty years later at the movies. Here is but a taste of what we have planned for a week to week rewatching of the releases at the cinema for the year 1995. If you don't care for trailers for podcasts (and why would anyone really?) let the record show that this is mainly to have audio evidence that one host completel…

Since not even Google Assistant will scan the content of this podcast, consider this a safe space for your hosts to prefer the comedic stylings of A.I. assisted dating in the new HBO Max original SUPERINTELLIGE to the endless complaining of one Theodore Trombley as seen in the Academy Award winning HER. Also one host trains the other two on how to …

Grandpa Jairo officially joins the show to defend himself against impotence. That's the episode. Also it's the ten year anniversary(ish) of Ed Zwick's LOVE & OTHER DRUGS. You may not know who Mr. Zwick is, nor should you care because in this film about Viagra coming to market (that's where Grandpa Jairo comes in) we get a glorious bounty of sex sce…

We get our act together from the De Palma trash for a more serious minded thriller in Steve McQueen's WIDOWS. This includes playing "which of the WIDOWS has the best scowl and/or would go on a date with me?" and to answer such pressing questions about this very important heist movie we bring on David Giannini who continues to hate any and every mov…

Noted buzzkill of lesbian activity everywhere, our guest David Giannini of A PODCAST DIRECTED BY joins the show to continue being an absolute downer at what is most assuredly the best film of 2002 in Brian De Palma's FEMME FATALE. That is of course if your favorite movie podcast hosts could hold onto the thread with Rebecca Romijn doing a stripteas…

We are joined on this episode by Elizabeth Taylor enthusiast Derek Stewart of THE GRAND GESTURE to discuss sex positive attitudes and overly enthusiastic car chases being a dangerous but titillating combination for the sixty year anniversary of BUTTERFIELD 8. Support what we do with bonus content and early episodes on Patreon Listen: Apple Podcasts…

Five years after its critical success and box-office failure one of your hosts is still waiting on Verizon to deliver his new iPhone but at least he got to enjoy Michael Fassbender as STEVE JOBS. We try to keep the penis talk to a minimum however our lead character makes that difficult with his massive ego and god complex. We found all of this char…

Thirteen years ago the world was introduced to the sweetest romance a man can have with a sex doll in LARS AND THE REAL GIRL. On this episode we celebrate what society deems socially acceptable and somewhat cute AS LONG AS the quirky character looks like Ryan Gosling. Also we lament the lonely feeling that comes over a man when he sees an unwanted …

We object to the public medical examinations conducted by Sir (questionable) Anthony Hopkins in THE ELEPHANT MAN and wonder if getting naked would have turned the tables on all those jerks in this 1980 David Lynch film. Our conclusion? Yes. Most definitely, yes. Support what we do with bonus content and early episodes on Patreon Listen: Apple Podca…

One year later the joke is on us because Todd Phillips' JOKER has not improved. So instead we talk about kinky sex in a refrigerator (take that, Indiana Jones!) and how the only people that like clowns are those who still prefer death and apparently the Academy Awards. Listen to our latest episode with a booming soundtrack of JOCK JAMS and then dan…

Small town life suits us just fine. Nobody bothers us. Nobody listens to this podcast. We are basically carbon copies of Viggo Mortensen. Penis and all. Enjoy the fifteen year anniversary of A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE! Support what we do with bonus content and early episodes on Patreon Listen: Apple Podcasts/Podbean/Spotify Facebook/Instagram/Twitter: @…

There's just nothing like the sass of John Turturro. But heaven knows that we try. We remain the only podcast with the GUTS to challenge Kevin Spacey to fisticuffs, think that Jon Polito would make for the best boss, and question the misanthrope nature of Gabriel Byrne. Also a little bit on Andy Richter's family history as a Swedish-German. This is…

On September 22, 1995 the world was unaware that there was soon to be a new contender for the greatest buddy cop comedy of all time... and perhaps that's because this a very misleading description of David Fincher's SEVEN. However before all of the apocalyptic imagery and speechifying from another movie-of-the-week serial killer we do get a lovely …

An iconic performance from Jack Nicholson in FIVE EASY PIECES opened fifty years ago on September 12, 1970 and when you are talking about a genuine classic piece of cinema like this you must mention: Nicholson's hair may be flanked but it's not dead yet and neither are we! Sex positive love interests must never be dismissed even if they lack in bow…

Many people (okay, probably just Grandpa Jairo) have tried to interfere with one host's love for Nick Nolte in A WALK IN THE WOODS since it stormed cinemas five years ago on September 2, 2015. They have failed. And this podcast definitely won't put a stop to it as we revel in this American hero's love of booze, big women and pancakes. Read that aga…

On August 21, 2019 some idiot listened to his family of dorks and decided to play games with his new bride... and didn't even have a proper gaming chair to Twitch. As a country we have to come to terms that we will never understand the rich and probably should stop trying. We start with READY OR NOT where this great woman just wanted to have sex on…

On this episode you will be thankful to make a twenty year anniversary trip back into THE CELL with Jennifer Lopez and Vince Vaughn as opposed to entering the minds of your hosts which include a lot more T & A but definitely not the hair stylings of one Vincent D'Onofrio. Truly an episode where the listener picks the poison. Enjoy! Support what we …

For the fifteenth anniversary of THE SKELETON KEY we mainly talk about Kate Hudson's butt and the integrity of the movie channel STARZ. Support what we do with bonus content and early episodes on Patreon Listen: Apple Podcasts/Podbean/Spotify Facebook/Instagram/Twitter: @sobercinema Follow your hosts on Letterboxd for sneak peaks at film criticism …

On August 4, 1995 the world thankfully ignored a film with Russell Crowe dancing in the buff and fingering Denzel Washington in a dystopian future that is almost as bad as the world we currently live in. Enjoy our episode on VIRTUOSITY! Support what we do with bonus content and early episodes on Patreon Listen: Apple Podcasts/Podbean/Spotify Facebo…

Twenty-five years ago on July 28, 1995 the world watched as America's sweetheart Sandy B. was terrorized by a man who hunts sharks with a silencer and creeps on the ladies with the even deadlier weapon of a Dell. Thankfully we can learn from the early days of the internet by perusing this time as archived by the fine folks over at r/sandrabullock. …

There once was a time (specifically July 9, 2010) when the world... well, the world largely ignored the release of a feature length documentary on a public freakout video. However now may be the time for WINNEBAGO MAN as kids everywhere flock to The Youtube and The Twitch and ignore great art such as two old friends talking around selected films an…

Adrien Brody will beat you up. Or so they tried to convince us ten years ago with the release of PREDATORS on July 9, 2010. Your hosts were puzzled and upset. Nothing has changed. Support what we do with bonus content and early episodes on Patreon Listen: Apple Podcasts/Podbean/Spotify Facebook/Instagram/Twitter: @sobercinema Follow your hosts on L…

With JAWS hitting a little too close to home about the dangers of opening up too soon we decided to go with a different movie for our Fourth of July watching. One that reflects a more positive aspect of our lives. A promotion for our future rebranding of this podcast (since @jackshack is taken) as THE REGINA HALL POWER HOUR. Your two favorite hosts…

We congratulate ourselves on managing to talk about such sacred cinema in Steven Spielberg's JAWS by immediately turning to a forgotten released five days later in the Paul Newman starring THE DROWNING POOL. This sequel to a 60s P.I. film confuses us... as does our tragic quest to get ahold of the Twitter handles @jackshack or even @jerkshack. Also…

In the age of COVID-19 one host just has to accept that he can excuse the Mayor of Amity Island because the man has fantastic hair and is a snappy dresser. The other host would like to talk about nipples. Also this JAWS movie is a masterpiece and has been since its release on June 20, 1975. What new material do you want from us here? Enjoy your hol…

On the nineteenth and twentieth of June in the year of our Lord 1980 the coastal elites got their chance to see young adults (really young) discover sex for the first time in THE BLUE LAGOON. This uncomfortable bit of marketing a fourteen year old Brooke Shields in a state of undress would soon make its way to the flyover states... and be just as f…

Relive the college rave days of one host in GROOVE and find that some things were always uncomfortable stroke material but stroke material nevertheless for the other host in GONE IN 60 SECONDS. These movies turn twenty years old! We honor them! Support what we do with bonus content and early episodes on Patreon Listen: iTunes/Podbean Facebook/Insta…

Dusty old farts discuss a time when grappling solved disputes, heaving bosoms were a sign of physical fitness and men were just meaner. Like when your father challenges you to perform moves from NBA JAM in real life and you disappoint him repeatedly we are here to disappoint you by attempting to talk about classic cinema in THE ASPHALT JUNGLE and N…

To bowl and gain the respect of the few or to be taunted by Adam Sandler in the more popular sport of prison football while suffering through his idea of comedy in a good old fashioned wet willy. This is the lot of SOBER CINEMA "celebrating" fifteen years of the bowling documentary A LEAGUE OF ORDINARY GENTLEMEN and the football "comedy" THE LONGES…

Twenty-five years later we are still fantasizing about bickering with the sweaty likes of Denzel, Viggo, The GOAT Steve Zahn... and occasionally even the magnificent ass that is Gene Hackman. Basically we just want to go back to the glorious back to back weekends of May 12 and May 19, 1995 when CRIMSON TIDE and DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE gave every …

Two things we love in life are horses and shirtless men. We also love Scarlett Johansson but NOT the underage version we find in THE HORSE WHISPERER. This is something Sam Rockwell needed to hear again twenty-two years ago as his little indie film LAWN DOGS went up yet another western epic from Robert Redford. And since Mr. Rockwell is presumably o…

We somehow manage to get into a discussion on bondage in film... and that's even with a brief mention of the Rosie O'Donnell comedy on the subject. But we ARE NOT discussing that film, instead the sexy Antonio Banderas is a man who loves a good Walkman, wigs, and some ropes in the bedroom, the latter of which would be required to watch YET ANOTHER …

For Earth Day we got back in touch with nature by not leaving the house and watching a double feature of DisneyNature's MONKEY KINGDOM and Tippi Hedren's costly mistake ROAR. Five years ago we had no desire to run around with ugly and elitist monkeys, nor did we want to wrestle with lions and tigers... and even with the world shut down, we still do…

We just want to have fun with a champion cat roaming town to town to get electroshocked and fight trolls in CAT'S EYE. And when that doesn't do it for us we go to the greatest troll in cinematic history: Helen Hunt in GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN. It's been thirty-five years since both these films announced themselves with much dance from Sarah Jess…

We talked about two movies everyone hated and we hate you too. Support what we do with bonus content and early episodes on Patreon Listen: iTunes/Podbean Facebook/Instagram/Twitter: @sobercinema Follow your hosts on Letterboxd for sneak peaks at film criticism GENIUS: Jared @jgdotson Mike @projectingfilm…

Our love of Sam Rockwell and hatred of Pete Davidson lead us to the obvious podcast pairing of the two previous Sundance Film Festival darlings in LAGGIES and BIG TIME ADOLESCENCE. And while we are just one of the millions covering these films this week on movie podcasts as opposed to something more off-topic like OUTBREAK or CONTAGION, the reactio…

We spent our St. Patrick's Day weekend like most responsible Americans during this time of disease, famine and doomsday titillation... by drinking to excess in isolation and watching BLACK CHRISTMAS. This third version of the story failed at the box-office during it's titled holiday season with the hopes that one day SOBER CINEMA would feature it d…

By Michael Denniston, Jared Dotson, and Josh Dotson

By Michael Denniston, Jared Dotson, and Josh Dotson

On October 30, 1998 the world celebrated Edward Norton as The Sorry Nazi in Tony Kaye's (??) AMERICAN HISTORY X and twenty-one year laters during the publicity tour for the November 1, 2019 release of his film MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN the world asked Edward Norton to apologize for being Edward Norton. Dave Giannini of A PODCAST DIRECTED BY joins the sho…

Finish out the summer with us as we present two films that came out at the start of summer in 2016 as Blake Lively battled a shark in THE SHALLOWS and Elle Fanning battled jealous supermodels. Both proved to be bloody affairs with very pretty people on June 24, 2016 but only one became a modest little hit... while the other fell more into the SOBER…

Jack Nicholson's passion project of over a decade finally came to pass as WOLF released in theaters on June 17, 1994. If you just happened to be some combination of an idiot and a soulless, lifeless husk whose own mother regretted your very existence then you probably skipped the good time that is The Jack Wolf and watched GETTING EVEN WITH DAD ins…

For our fiftieth episode we celebrate the old and the cursed as Sam Elliott faces the prospect of death in THE HERO and Tom Cruise, being Tom Cruise, kicks around the notion of living forever in THE MUMMY. Both films released two years ago on June 9, 2017 and while both have their merits... clearly SOBER CINEMA has outlasted their legacy. This is u…

As we near our fiftieth episode there may be some of you (hopefully very few as we don't have many listeners to begin with) contemplating breaking up with us. That would be a mistake. Let us take you back thirteen years when THE BREAK-UP starring Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston presented this particular unpleasant event in a humorous light. If th…

America's favorite movie star is back with a charming action adventure film just before Memorial Day weekend... Mel Gibson, of course. Don't worry we'll get to Keanu Reeves for the anniversary of JOHNNY MNEMONIC next year. For now we're celebrating twenty-five years since the western MAVERICK took the box office crown for the weekend of May 20-22 i…

On May 6, 2011 the world accepted a fallen god in Chris Hemsworth... just Chris Hemsworth not THOR. But that was the big movie at the box office while another new release SOMETHING BORROWED placed fourth for the weekend. And while the latter film has a very competitive blonde in Kate Hudson, this romcom's charms of scheming and lying were just not …