The Cinegeeks Podcast is powered by RØDE and is a production of Nerd Heard Studios.

We are kicking off a new chapter of the Cinegeeks Podcast with a gratitude episode! In this episode, we look back at 2025 so far and talk about the things we are most thankful for:

• The movie premiere we are most grateful we got to attend

• The event invite that really meant a lot to us

• The Cinegeeks community members who kept us going when things got wild

• The brand new direction for the podcast and how this film thing suddenly feels very real

If you have ever liked a post, shared a clip, showed up at a screening, or just quietly listened on your commute, this episode is our little thank you to you.

Connect with Cinegeeks

Instagram: @CinegeeksPod – https://www.instagram.com/cinegeekspod/

Facebook: Cinegeeks Podcast – https://www.facebook.com/cinegeekspod

Threads: @cinegeekspod – https://www.threads.net/@cinegeekspod

TikTok: @CinegeeksPH – https://www.tiktok.com/@cinegeeksph

X (Twitter): @CinegeeksPod – https://x.com/CinegeeksPod

Bluesky: @cinegeekspod.bsky.social – https://bsky.app/profile/cinegeekspod.bsky.social

Letterboxd: @cinegeekspod – https://letterboxd.com/cinegeekspod/

YouTube: Cinegeeks Podcast – https://www.youtube.com/@CinegeeksPod

Website: https://www.cinegeekspod.com

Email: cinegeekspod@gmail.com

What's up, Cinegeeks!

We have a massive episode for you today as we are joined by our good friend, the one and only Smash of SmashThatScreen! Together, we're tackling two of the year's most anticipated films.

First, we dive into the wicked world of Park Chan-wook’s 'No Other Choice.' We discuss how this savage dark comedy starring Lee Byung-Hun stacks up against the director's legendary filmograpy, and compare its powerful themes of economic desperation to another modern South Korean masterpiece: Bong Joon-ho’s 'Parasite.'

Then, we come home to discuss the monumental finale to TBA Studios' historical trilogy, 'Quezon.' Directed by Jerrold Tarog, this 'Bayaniverse' epic sees Jericho Rosales take on the towering and complicated legacy of President Manuel L. Quezon. We explore how the film portrays him not as a flawless hero, but as a charismatic, brilliant, and deeply flawed political operator.

It’s a stacked conversation, and you won't want to miss Smash's insights. Tune in!

(00:00) Start

(02:30) SMASH REPORT: KinoFest 2025 & JFF 2025

(16:23) Quezon

(51:15) No Other Choice

We're clearing out our watchlist with a massive movie round-up! This week, we're catching up on four of the most talked-about films of the moment, and they could not be more different.

First, we plug back into the grid with TRON: Ares. Is this long-awaited sequel a stunning audio-visual masterpiece powered by a Nine Inch Nails score, or is it all style and no substance?

Next, we answer the call for Black Phone 2. The franchise takes a huge swing, moving from contained psychological horror to a full-blown supernatural slasher. Does this new direction work, or should The Grabber have stayed on the line?

Then, we lighten the mood with Aziz Ansari's directorial debut, Good Fortune. With a high-concept "life-swap" plot and a cast featuring Keanu Reeves as an inept angel, Seth Rogen, and Ansari himself, is this the charming comedy of the year?

Finally, we tackle a heavy one: the German documentary RIEFENSTAHL. We discuss this complex, challenging portrait of Leni Riefenstahl—Hitler's infamous propagandist filmmaker—and the new archival material that dismantles her lifelong "apolitical artist" myth.

Join us as we break down what's worth your time (and what isn't) in our latest episode!

(00:00) Start

(02:41) TRON: Ares

(21:26) Black Phone 2

(36:32) Good Fortune

(49:27) Riefenstahl