Random Acts of Cinema
@randomactsofcin.bsky.social
Every week Charlie and Mike watch a random film from the Criterion Collection.
For whatever reason, ever my time Mike tries to do a W.C. Fields impression it turns into a Cagney impression.
November 4, 2025 at 3:48 AM
For whatever reason, ever my time Mike tries to do a W.C. Fields impression it turns into a Cagney impression.
This week a modern musical classic! It’s Hedwig and the Angry Inch!
October 28, 2025 at 2:40 AM
This week a modern musical classic! It’s Hedwig and the Angry Inch!
Frankenhiemer returns to podcast with a… weird art film? Sort of. All of the paranoia, threatened masculinity, mid-century gloss, and decaying middle-class domesticity of The Manchurian Candidate remain, but the potboiler-thriller plot is replaced with… vibes.
October 21, 2025 at 4:10 AM
Frankenhiemer returns to podcast with a… weird art film? Sort of. All of the paranoia, threatened masculinity, mid-century gloss, and decaying middle-class domesticity of The Manchurian Candidate remain, but the potboiler-thriller plot is replaced with… vibes.
This week- Lizzie Borden’s docudrama/dystopian/feminist/way ahead of its time (but at the same time very much of its time) Born in Flames
October 15, 2025 at 6:46 PM
This week- Lizzie Borden’s docudrama/dystopian/feminist/way ahead of its time (but at the same time very much of its time) Born in Flames
We return to Monte Hellman’s examination of American masculinity with a James Taylor and Dennis Wilson-starring road movie. Two nearly silent racers ramble across the American southwest, acquiring a disreputable father-figure, a notably underage girl, and a supporting cast of American weirdos.
October 1, 2025 at 3:15 AM
We return to Monte Hellman’s examination of American masculinity with a James Taylor and Dennis Wilson-starring road movie. Two nearly silent racers ramble across the American southwest, acquiring a disreputable father-figure, a notably underage girl, and a supporting cast of American weirdos.
We look back at the Akira Kurosawa kidnap picture/crime procedural High and Low! And maybe discuss the recent remake a little too.
September 23, 2025 at 3:22 PM
We look back at the Akira Kurosawa kidnap picture/crime procedural High and Low! And maybe discuss the recent remake a little too.
Tavernier topples the poisonous heart of European colonialism. Whether our hapless police chief chooses inaction, or succumbing to his own selfish impulses, everything and everyone around him rots due to the fundamental moral corruption of racism. But it’s a comedy.
September 15, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Tavernier topples the poisonous heart of European colonialism. Whether our hapless police chief chooses inaction, or succumbing to his own selfish impulses, everything and everyone around him rots due to the fundamental moral corruption of racism. But it’s a comedy.
This week we discuss the first of many Zatoichi movies! Hell yeah!
September 9, 2025 at 4:20 AM
This week we discuss the first of many Zatoichi movies! Hell yeah!
Hungarian director Marta Meszaros adds unprecedented depth, humanity, and a whole other meaning to the question asked in countless groan-worthy bumper stickers: “Who adopted who?” Also, there some pretty great woodworking scenes!
September 3, 2025 at 5:18 AM
Hungarian director Marta Meszaros adds unprecedented depth, humanity, and a whole other meaning to the question asked in countless groan-worthy bumper stickers: “Who adopted who?” Also, there some pretty great woodworking scenes!
William Friedkin directs this 2000s political courtroom drama starring Tommy Lee Jones and Samuel L. Jackson! Join our Patreon to enjoy the latest episode of Are You Friedkin Kidding Me?!?!
September 3, 2025 at 5:17 AM
William Friedkin directs this 2000s political courtroom drama starring Tommy Lee Jones and Samuel L. Jackson! Join our Patreon to enjoy the latest episode of Are You Friedkin Kidding Me?!?!
Poverty. Betrayal. Heroin. Death. But, like in a really funny and clever sort of way that’s just a real pleasure to watch. Spend some time with some of your best Scottish friends! Director Danny Boyle fully inhabits, then redefines 90s cinema, in this groundbreaking international phenomenon.
August 26, 2025 at 3:04 AM
Poverty. Betrayal. Heroin. Death. But, like in a really funny and clever sort of way that’s just a real pleasure to watch. Spend some time with some of your best Scottish friends! Director Danny Boyle fully inhabits, then redefines 90s cinema, in this groundbreaking international phenomenon.
Kon Ichikawa’s An Actor’s Revenge! An unexpected surprise for the uninitiated.
August 18, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Kon Ichikawa’s An Actor’s Revenge! An unexpected surprise for the uninitiated.
How Kate Got Her Groove Back! It’s David Lean’s Summertime!
August 11, 2025 at 6:24 PM
How Kate Got Her Groove Back! It’s David Lean’s Summertime!
It’s time for another Friedkin Fill-In from our Patreon podcast, Are You Friedkin Kidding Me?!?? In this ep we dive into the 90s erotic thriller… Friedkin style!
August 5, 2025 at 6:28 PM
It’s time for another Friedkin Fill-In from our Patreon podcast, Are You Friedkin Kidding Me?!?? In this ep we dive into the 90s erotic thriller… Friedkin style!
A special treat for everyone this week! Straight from our Patreon pod, Are You Friedkin Kidding Me?!?! In this episode we discuss William Friedkin’s 1990 horror film, The Guardian!
July 29, 2025 at 12:27 AM
A special treat for everyone this week! Straight from our Patreon pod, Are You Friedkin Kidding Me?!?! In this episode we discuss William Friedkin’s 1990 horror film, The Guardian!
Fresh off of his iconic Dracula, director Tod Browning returns to his roots with a domestic drama/crime film cast almost entirely with side-show performers with little-to-no screen acting experience. The viewers are asked - and very much confronted with the question of - who are the REAL freaks?
July 22, 2025 at 1:49 AM
Fresh off of his iconic Dracula, director Tod Browning returns to his roots with a domestic drama/crime film cast almost entirely with side-show performers with little-to-no screen acting experience. The viewers are asked - and very much confronted with the question of - who are the REAL freaks?
Director/Writer/Star Albert Brooks reawakens an early shared film trauma of your two loyal hosts. Can this Uber-Boomer satire of drop-out idealists living in Reagan's America be salvaged? Might it even be... good?
July 14, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Director/Writer/Star Albert Brooks reawakens an early shared film trauma of your two loyal hosts. Can this Uber-Boomer satire of drop-out idealists living in Reagan's America be salvaged? Might it even be... good?
The thriving, dynamic 1980s New York Ball Room scene is revealed to an unsuspecting world in Jennie Livingston’s groundbreaking documentary. Dan Connell joins us again to discuss this iconic film.
June 30, 2025 at 5:51 PM
The thriving, dynamic 1980s New York Ball Room scene is revealed to an unsuspecting world in Jennie Livingston’s groundbreaking documentary. Dan Connell joins us again to discuss this iconic film.
Bergman takes us on a journey into the past, to revisit youthful summer love. But don’t worry: this is all seen through the memory of an emotionally detached beauty left unable to find meaningful emotional attachments following a pointless tragedy. But, maybe it does all of this in an uplifting way?
June 23, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Bergman takes us on a journey into the past, to revisit youthful summer love. But don’t worry: this is all seen through the memory of an emotionally detached beauty left unable to find meaningful emotional attachments following a pointless tragedy. But, maybe it does all of this in an uplifting way?
Our Patreon podcast, Are You Friedkin Kidding Me!?!? is back! This month we discuss William Friedkin’s 1997 remake of 12 Angry Men.
June 18, 2025 at 6:52 AM
Our Patreon podcast, Are You Friedkin Kidding Me!?!? is back! This month we discuss William Friedkin’s 1997 remake of 12 Angry Men.
Director Apichatpong Weerasethakul weaves a mind-bending 'exquisite corpse'-style tale narrated in Mysterious Object at Noon
June 16, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Director Apichatpong Weerasethakul weaves a mind-bending 'exquisite corpse'-style tale narrated in Mysterious Object at Noon
Lions! Tightropes! Clowns! Charlie Chaplin’s last true silent film brings the big top to the big screen. Hijinks ensue.
June 9, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Lions! Tightropes! Clowns! Charlie Chaplin’s last true silent film brings the big top to the big screen. Hijinks ensue.
Les Visiteurs du Soir
But is it an allegory? Made under Nazi occupation, French filmmaker Marcel Carné created magical medieval fantasy about the devil and his minions who invade a castle full of beautiful, disillusioned lovers and wreak havoc. Maybe they can… love the devil away?
But is it an allegory? Made under Nazi occupation, French filmmaker Marcel Carné created magical medieval fantasy about the devil and his minions who invade a castle full of beautiful, disillusioned lovers and wreak havoc. Maybe they can… love the devil away?
June 2, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Les Visiteurs du Soir
But is it an allegory? Made under Nazi occupation, French filmmaker Marcel Carné created magical medieval fantasy about the devil and his minions who invade a castle full of beautiful, disillusioned lovers and wreak havoc. Maybe they can… love the devil away?
But is it an allegory? Made under Nazi occupation, French filmmaker Marcel Carné created magical medieval fantasy about the devil and his minions who invade a castle full of beautiful, disillusioned lovers and wreak havoc. Maybe they can… love the devil away?
A sexy 80s minor league baseball movie with a major league cast! One of us loves it! The other thought it was okay.
Listen to find out who!
Listen to find out who!
May 28, 2025 at 5:38 AM
A sexy 80s minor league baseball movie with a major league cast! One of us loves it! The other thought it was okay.
Listen to find out who!
Listen to find out who!
We are Random Acts of Cinema. You subscribe to our podcast. Prepare to listen. Fairy tales get that inimitable Reiner-treatment in this nostalgic classic picked for Mike's birthday enjoyment. Prepare for the "leads" to take a back seat to a supporting casts that exceeds all reasonable expectations
May 19, 2025 at 8:29 PM
We are Random Acts of Cinema. You subscribe to our podcast. Prepare to listen. Fairy tales get that inimitable Reiner-treatment in this nostalgic classic picked for Mike's birthday enjoyment. Prepare for the "leads" to take a back seat to a supporting casts that exceeds all reasonable expectations