For decades, aspiring filmmakers have used short films as tools for learning their craft. Constrained by tiny budgets, small casts, and limited options for shooting locations, they produce complete stories ranging from five to thirty minutes in length. Visually, the films present like rough cuts. But artistically, they reveal the tendencies of these future auteurs. You might have heard of a few of them: George Lucas, Tim Burton, Quentin Tarantino, Jean‑Luc Goddard. In this episode, we explore the short films of famous directors, so you can appreciate the humble beginnings of these filmmaking giants.

Have you made a short film? Leave us a comment telling us about it!

For future updates, subscribe to our podcast wherever you listen, and for email updates on all things COTC, subscribe to our website using the link below:

https://www.cupofteacritiques.com/subscribe

References

Chaisson, Chris. “Why and How Short Films are Made.” Cup of Tea Critiques, 2022. https://www.cupofteacritiques.com/crumpets/why-and-how-short-films-are-made.

O’Donnell, Rory. “Starting Small: The Early Short Films of Great Directors.” ELFS Japan, 2019. https://elfsjapan.com/blog/starting-small-the-early-short-films-of-great-directors/.

Stefansky, Emma. “10 Great Short Films by Famous Directors.” Screen Crush, 2023. https://screencrush.com/short-films-by-famous-directors/.

“When 15 Famous Directors Made Films with Almost No Money,” n.d. [Film] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhno3dI4W6w.

Send us a text

SUBSCRIBE

Footer

We hope you enjoyed listening as much as we enjoyed sharing. Join us again for another deep look with a deep brew!

• Stay in touch on all things COTC by subscribing on our website at cupofteacritiques.com.
• Follow us on Letterboxd at COTCritiques.
• Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at CUPOFTEACRITIQUES.
• For comments and questions, email us at hello@cupofteacritiques.com.

You may remember movies like The Mummy, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Raiders of the Lost Ark. These family‑friendly films incited a sense of adventure and stirred the imagination. So, what happened to them? They seem to have disappeared from the movie landscape over the last generation or so. In this episode of the podcast, we take a deep dive into adventure films and explore the demise of this exciting subgenre on the big screen.

Be sure to leave us a comment about your latest adventure!

For future updates, subscribe to our podcast wherever you listen, and for email updates on all things COTC, subscribe to our website using the link below:

https://www.cupofteacritiques.com/subscribe

References

Millington, Ceridwen. The Death of the Adventure Movie. Flipscreened. (2022 June 27). https://flipscreened.com/2022/06/27/the-death-of-the-adventure-movie/

Molumby, Deirdre. Whatever happened to the action‑adventure movie? entertainment.ie. https://entertainment.ie/movies/movie-news/whatever-happened-to-the-action-adventure-movie-490312/#:~:text=Action%20adventure%20movies%20have%20in,by%20a%20feeling%20of%20freshness.

The Problem with Adventure Movies Today [Film]. (2022). Like Stories of Old. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MtMdAmoZK4.

Send us a text

SUBSCRIBE

Footer

We hope you enjoyed listening as much as we enjoyed sharing. Join us again for another deep look with a deep brew!

• Stay in touch on all things COTC by subscribing on our website at cupofteacritiques.com.
• Follow us on Letterboxd at COTCritiques.
• Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at CUPOFTEACRITIQUES.
• For comments and questions, email us at hello@cupofteacritiques.com.

Let’s say you’re not a vegan and there is suddenly no meat available because the animals were stricken by a virus and died. We recently saw a screening of director R.T. Thorne’s 40 Acres that presents such a scenario and gives us a glimpse of what could happen when we don’t have something we have taken for granted. This got us thinking about how other films have imagined post‑apocalyptic existence and how some of the stories (perhaps many of them) seem quite conceivable. Join us on this week’s episode of the Cup of Tea Critiques Podcast as we dive into 40 Acres and other imaginings of post‑apocalyptic life.

Duck your head out of the storm shelter and leave us a comment with a list of post‑apocalyptic films that you found compelling!.

For future updates, subscribe to our podcast wherever you listen, and for email updates on all things COTC, subscribe to our website using the link below:

https://www.cupofteacritiques.com/subscribe

Send us a text

SUBSCRIBE

Footer

We hope you enjoyed listening as much as we enjoyed sharing. Join us again for another deep look with a deep brew!

• Stay in touch on all things COTC by subscribing on our website at cupofteacritiques.com.
• Follow us on Letterboxd at COTCritiques.
• Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at CUPOFTEACRITIQUES.
• For comments and questions, email us at hello@cupofteacritiques.com.

Did it make you afraid to go into the water? Maybe you remember the frenzy around the blockbuster movie, Jaws. This month is the 50th anniversary of its release, and we are celebrating with personal remembrances and our thoughts on Jaws’ contribution to both movie and mainstream culture. Grab and brew and join us. Don’t worry; you won’t have to go into the water!

Leave us a comment with the title of your favorite shark movie.

For future updates, subscribe to our podcast wherever you listen. For email updates on all things Cup of Tea Critiques, subscribe to our website using the link below:

https://www.cupofteacritiques.com/subscribe

References

Gallagher, Charlotte. “Something in the Water.” British Broadcasting Company. (27 July 2024). https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckmmgxvp7dgo.

Geraets, Nell. “Since Jaws, we’ve been obsessed with shark movies. What makes them so compelling?” The Sydney Morning Herald. (2023 August 3). https://www.smh.com.au/culture/movies/since-jaws-we-ve-been-obsessed-with-shark-movies-what-makes-them-so-compelling-20230721-p5dq6u.html.

Send us a text

SUBSCRIBE

Footer

We hope you enjoyed listening as much as we enjoyed sharing. Join us again for another deep look with a deep brew!

• Stay in touch on all things COTC by subscribing on our website at cupofteacritiques.com.
• Follow us on Letterboxd at COTCritiques.
• Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at CUPOFTEACRITIQUES.
• For comments and questions, email us at hello@cupofteacritiques.com.

Ever hear of “hate-watching?” It is the tendency to watch movies and television shows that do not appeal to you. Some go beyond lacking appeal to making you cringe every time you see them. Indeed, occasionally you watch the shows just for the sake of mocking them. Psychologists say that this strong negativism makes us happy and even strengthens bonds among friends and community. In this week’s episode of the Cup of Tea Critiques Podcast, we take a deep dive into “hate-watching” and passionately discuss the shows we have a strong disdain for but watch anyway!

Leave us a comment with a list of the shows that you hate-watch.

For future updates, subscribe to our podcast wherever you listen, and for email updates on all things COTC, subscribe to our website using the link below:

https://www.cupofteacritiques.com/subscribe

References

Mark Travers. A Psychologist Explains Why We ‘Hate-Watch’ Cringe TV. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/traversmark/2023/09/22/a-psychologist-explains-why-we-hate-watch-cringe-tv/

Send us a text

SUBSCRIBE

Footer

We hope you enjoyed listening as much as we enjoyed sharing. Join us again for another deep look with a deep brew!

• Stay in touch on all things COTC by subscribing on our website at cupofteacritiques.com.
• Follow us on Letterboxd at COTCritiques.
• Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at CUPOFTEACRITIQUES.
• For comments and questions, email us at hello@cupofteacritiques.com.

Have you seen the new John Wick movie, From the World of John Wick: Ballerina? Ana de Armas plays the lead and she is a badass in the film! It got us thinking how rare it is to see women presented as the lead in action movies. While they are prevalent in ensemble casts of action productions like Fantastic Four, X-Men, Game of Thrones, and name any Avengers feature you like, women are rarely featured as the focal point in these releases. Also, where we brand productions as “the next Tom Cruise movie,” the new Vin Diesel flick,” or even “Guy Ritchie’s upcoming release,” we rarely brand features led and directed by women. Join us on the podcast as we discuss the social dynamics and industry factors that contribute to these phenomena. Did we miss anyone? Leave us a comment with your own favorite action stars!

For future updates, subscribe to our podcast wherever you listen, and for email updates on all things COTC, subscribe to our website using the link below:

https://www.cupofteacritiques.com/subscribe

References

Sarah Cassway, Alexa Solomon, and Caroline Walton. Gender Representation in the Film Industry. George Washington University School of Engineering and Applied Science. https://eda.seas.gwu.edu/showcase/2020-Spring/gender_representation_in_film.html.

Send us a text

SUBSCRIBE

Footer

We hope you enjoyed listening as much as we enjoyed sharing. Join us again for another deep look with a deep brew!

• Stay in touch on all things COTC by subscribing on our website at cupofteacritiques.com.
• Follow us on Letterboxd at COTCritiques.
• Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at CUPOFTEACRITIQUES.
• For comments and questions, email us at hello@cupofteacritiques.com.

Consider for a moment your go-to movies or television shows. You know, the ones you stream decades (or perhaps just a year or two) after their release and they still make you laugh, make you cry, or just stir something inside you. Would you consider these works to be “classics” and, if so, why? The answers often spur intense debate because the subject is personal. In this episode, we discuss what makes a classic and expound on it with plenty of cinema that exemplifies it.

So, what are your criteria for a film industry classic? Send us a note to let us know!

For future updates, subscribe to our podcast wherever you listen, and for email updates on all things COTC, subscribe to our website using the link below:

https://www.cupofteacritiques.com/subscribe

References

David Rubin and Jacqueline Stewart. Academy Conversations 2020: What Makes a Movie a Classic. Turner Classic Movies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGLXg8u7RFc

Hare, Breeana. (2019 July 5). What Makes a Movie a Classic? CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/05/entertainment/movies-what-makes-a-classic

Send us a text

SUBSCRIBE

Footer

We hope you enjoyed listening as much as we enjoyed sharing. Join us again for another deep look with a deep brew!

• Stay in touch on all things COTC by subscribing on our website at cupofteacritiques.com.
• Follow us on Letterboxd at COTCritiques.
• Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at CUPOFTEACRITIQUES.
• For comments and questions, email us at hello@cupofteacritiques.com.

Last fall, COTC reviewed the Peacock series, Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist, starring Kevin Hart, Taraji P. Henson, Terrence Howard, Samuel L. Jackson, and Don Cheadle. The series is based on a true story about a robbery that occurred at a party after the Muhammad Ali‑Jerry Quarry fight in Atlanta in 1970. Big afros, platform shoes, and even plaid suits abound in this story. Seeing the eight‑part series took Terry and I back to our days as children, and Brandon and Chris began to reminisce on films that reminded them of their own childhoods. In this episode, we discuss nostalgia and throwback films. How do these productions make us feel and how do filmmakers pull it off?

Throwback films are meant to spur feelings of nostalgia in us. Which films do this for you and how so?

For future updates, subscribe to our podcast wherever you listen, and for email updates on all things COTC, subscribe to our website using the link below:

https://www.cupofteacritiques.com/subscribe

References

Nostalgia. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/nostalgia#:~:text=Nostalgia%20is%20a%20longing%20and,a%20coherent%20sense%20of%20identity.

The Psychology of Nostalgia. University of Florida. (8 January 2025). https://online.aging.ufl.edu/2025/01/08/the-psychology-of-nostalgia/

Send us a text

SUBSCRIBE

Footer

We hope you enjoyed listening as much as we enjoyed sharing. Join us again for another deep look with a deep brew!

• Stay in touch on all things COTC by subscribing on our website at cupofteacritiques.com.
• Follow us on Letterboxd at COTCritiques.
• Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at CUPOFTEACRITIQUES.
• For comments and questions, email us at hello@cupofteacritiques.com.