Sonic Cinema

Sounds, Visions and Insights by Brian Skutle

We are taking a break from one series to return to another. It’s been a few years, but my “Established Classics” series is back. For those who may not remember, this is a series where we look at movies from Hollywood’s Golden Age- from the late ’30s to 1960- and look at whether they hold […]

Categories: News, News - Podcast

As we’ve gone through this series, many of the topics have been more inspired by the larger atmosphere around the United States during Trump Administration II. This episode, however, had a very specific inspiration in the recent UFC cage fight on President Trump’s birthday- and part of his celebrations for America’s 250th anniversary. The idea […]

Categories: News, News - Podcast

In the discussion of fascism and authoritarianism in cinema (and in real life), it’s impossible to not discuss conspiracy theories. Over the past few years, conspiratorial ideas is almost hat in hand with the politics of the time. In our latest exploration of fascism in cinema, come down the rabbit hole with my guest, Ben […]

Categories: News, News - Podcast

Earlier this week, the 2026 Atlanta Film Festival wrapped up its 50th iteration with its virtual festival. What was great? What was noteworthy? What was the experience. All will be discussed in this episode, and for the topper, I present an interview with filmmaker Costa Karalis, who made one of my favorite films of the […]

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As I started to look to 2026, I knew there was still more to cover in this series beyond what we hit upon in the five episodes last year in discussing authoritarianism in cinema. One of the richest genres doing that was science fiction which, coincidentally, is what led to my emphasis on the genre […]

Categories: News, News - Podcast

In this mini-episode of the podcast, I thought I’d talk briefly about my favorite genre of all-time- science fiction. My history with the genre, why my love has only deepened, and why it’s being covered so heavily this year on Sonic Cinema. I hope you enjoy! The end piece is “Weightless Waltz in F,” from […]

Categories: News, News - Podcast

It is that time of year again- the Oscars. This episode features the things you’ve come to expect over the years- a category by category breakdown with awards watcher Amanda Spears, followed by my 10 Best Films of the year. I hope you enjoy! My retrospective on 2025 can be read here. Read Brian’s Thoughts […]

Categories: News, News - Podcast

A few months ago, we discussed three films about the press speaking truth to power. What happens when the powerful pervert media for profits? As it enters The Criterion Collection this week, Sidney Lumet’s satirical look at television news- 1976’s “Network”– feels like a documentary of the times we live in now. Joining me to […]

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What could be more romantic than two Gen X white guys talking about Alfred Hitchcock’s most romantic film before Valentine’s Day? I’m sure plenty of things, but this is what you get from the Sonic Cinema Podcast this year. My frequent guest, Phil Fasso, returns for the third time in five months to discuss Cary […]

Categories: News, News - Podcast

This is an episode my guest and I have discussed doing for a couple of years, and with the release of a new film with the subject of the episode, it made sense. The topic is Academy Award nominee Rachel McAdams, who has shown herself to be a versatile performer in a variety of films […]

Categories: News, News - Podcast