Thu, Jan 20, 2022
Marking two decades of The Matrix franchise and the release of the fourth film in the series - The Matrix Resurrections, CinePunked ponder the deeper meanings of Lana Wachowski's new film, including its religious and binary symbolism, and the blurring of lines between what's real and constructed.
Tue, Feb 8, 2022
CinePunked's Robert and Neil take a trip to Free City to explore the themes of free will and social revolution that lie hidden in the code of Ryan Reynolds vehicle Free Guy, and its parallels to the computer game world of The Matrix, and the altered reality of The Cabinet of Dr Caligari.
Wed, Feb 16, 2022
Have you ever stayed awake for three days and start hallucinating? If you have, you might just tap into the mindset behind Jean Cocteau's influential avant-garde film Le Sang d'un Poète (aka. The Blood of a Poet). CinePunked look to the stars for guidance as they step through Cocteau's mirror.
Tue, Mar 1, 2022
Concluding their Orphic journey, Robert and Neil follow Jean Cocteau into the underworld for his cinematic farewell Testament d'Orphée - a complex, meta-layered film mixing poetry, time-travel, fact and fiction and the complexities of legacy. Will Neil make it through? Does any of it make sense? And how will the experience change the CinePunked team?
Mon, Mar 21, 2022
Prompted by a screening of Eric Steel's 2006 documentary The Bridge, about those who choose to end their lives at San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, the CinePunked team engage in a frank and sensitive panel discussion examining the issues raised by the film, in particular the wider topic of suicide and mental health struggles. For the conversation, Robert JE Simpson and Dr Rachael Kelly are joined by Stuart McChesney - a volunteer with the Community Rescue Service in NI.
Tue, Mar 29, 2022
Sergei Eisenstein's film Battleship Potemkin is often hailed as one of the best films ever made. It tells the story (based on a real-life incident) of the crew of a Russian battleship mutinying in 1905, leading to a bloody confrontation in the streets of Odessa. CinePunked gather to assess its value to a modern audience and pick apart the propaganda from the truth.
Sat, Apr 9, 2022
Marking the 110th anniversary of the Titanic disaster, the CinePunked team assemble to discuss the definitive screen version of the incident - Roy Ward Baker's 1958 film A Night to Remember. Gathering just outside of Belfast, where the ship was built, Robert, Rachael and Neil consider the legacy of the night, Belfast's relationship with the story, generational trauma and just what we'd do if faced with the same situation.