Episodes

  • Let it Ride
    Mar 7 2024

    It's the Season One finale of Cinema Reels where Jessica Welman, along with John Cook and James Ross, head to the race track in a Richard Dreyfuss classic, as the trio breakdown the 1989 film, Let it Ride, directed by Joe Pytka,

    Aside from John re-evaluating his top ten favourite films for the 100th time in the series, the three offer their initial thoughts on the film, the use of actual horse racing footage, Robbie Coletrane's performance and, as always, how closely was the experience of gambling on horse racing portrayed in the film.

    Host: Jessica Welman
    Guests: John Cook & James Ross
    Producer: Anaya McDonald
    Editor: James Ross

    A nosy cab driver gets a hot tip on a race horse and wins big, but he can't seem to stop gambling. Will he go broke or walk home with a pretty penny?

    Released: 1989
    Director: Joe Pytka
    Writers: Jay Cronley & Nancy Dowd
    Stars: Richard Dreyfuss, Teri Garr, David Johansen & Robbie Coltrane

    Make sure to follow Cinema Reels on LinkedIn here to keep up-to-date and follow us whichever platform you get your podcasts.

    Show More Show Less
    47 mins
  • The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
    Feb 22 2024

    The Cinema Reels trio take a different path in the latest episode as they move away from full length feature films and look towards its shorter form counterpart.

    Jessica Welman, along with John Cook and James Ross, breakdown The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, directed by Wes Anderson, and an adaptation of Roald Dahl's novel "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More".

    With a run-time of 37 minutes, the trio offer their views of Wes Anderson's style and how it has been incorporated in the film, their stand-out, or not so, performances, as well as reflecting on how truly accurate the casino scene is represented.

    Host: Jessica Welman
    Guests: John Cook & James Ross
    Producer: Anaya McDonald
    Editor: James Ross

    Chronicles a variety of stories, but the main one follows Henry Sugar, who is able to see through objects and predict the future with the help of a book he stole.

    Released: 2023
    Director: Wes Anderson
    Writers: Roald Dahl & Wes Anderson
    Stars: Ralph Fiennes, Benedict Cumberbatch & Dev Patel

    Make sure to follow Cinema Reels on LinkedIn here to keep up-to-date and follow us whichever platform you get your podcasts.

    Show More Show Less
    38 mins
  • Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
    Feb 8 2024

    Cinema Reels hits the road again as Jessica Welman, alongside John Cook and James Ross, head back to Las Vegas to review Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

    Host: Jessica Welman
    Guests: John Cook & James Ross
    Producer: Anaya McDonald
    Editor: James Ross

    An oddball journalist and his psychopathic lawyer travel to Las Vegas for a series of psychedelic escapades.

    Released: 1998
    Director: Terry Gilliam
    Writers: Hunter S. Thompson, Terry Gilliam, Tony Grisoni
    Stars: Johnny Depp, Benicio Del Toro & Tobey Maguire

    Make sure to follow Cinema Reels on LinkedIn here to keep up-to-date and follow us whichever platform you get your podcasts.

    Show More Show Less
    41 mins
  • Rain Man
    Jan 25 2024

    Cinema Reels heads back in time to the 80's as Jessica Welman, John Cook and James Ross, review Barry Levinson's 1988 film Rain Man.

    Rain Man, American dramatic film, released in 1988 and starring Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman, that was a hit with both critics and audiences and won four Academy Awards, including that for best picture, as well as two Golden Globe Awards, including that for best drama. The trio discuss Hoffman's Oscar winning performance, their views on Tom Cruise in general and the infamous counting cards scene.


    Host: Jessica Welman
    Guests: John Cook & James Ross
    Producer: Mollie Chapman
    Editor: Mollie Chapman

    After a selfish L.A. yuppie learns his estranged father left a fortune to an autistic-savant brother in Ohio that he didn't know existed, he absconds with his brother and sets out across the country, hoping to gain a larger inheritance.

    Released: 1988
    Director: Barry Levinson
    Writers: Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass
    Stars: Tom Cruise, Dustin Hoffman,Valeria Golino, Bonnie Lynn Hunt

    Make sure to follow Cinema Reels on LinkedIn here to keep up-to-date and follow us whichever platform you get your podcasts.

    Show More Show Less
    43 mins
  • Casino Royale (1967)
    Jan 11 2024

    Cinema Reels goes down the 007-route with a wacky twist as Jessica Welman, John Cook and James Ross, review the 1967 film Casino Royale, which is loosely based on the 1953 novel of the same name by Ian Fleming.

    The film that had five directors attached to it, the trio review how the narrative unfolds, stand-out performances, with James particularly showing his age when it comes to performances in this movie, and looks closely at the baccarat scene.

    Host: Jessica Welman
    Guests: John Cook & James Ross
    Producer: Mollie Chapman
    Editor: James Ross

    Casino Royale sees Sir James Bond is called back out of retirement, following the death of M, to stop SMERSH. In order to trick SMERSH and Le Chiffre, Bond thinks up the ultimate plan: every agent shall be named James Bond. One of the Bonds, whose real name is Evelyn Tremble, is sent to take on Le Chiffre in a game of baccarat, but all of the Bonds get more than they can handle.

    Released: 1998
    Director: John Huston, Ken Hughes, Robert Parrish, Joe McGrath & Val Guest
    Writers: Wolf Mankowitz, John Law & Michael Sayers
    Stars: Peter Sellers, Ursula Andress, David Niven, Woody Allen & Ronnie Corbett

    Show More Show Less
    48 mins
  • Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
    Dec 14 2023

    Cinema Reels heads to the East End of London as Jessica Welman, John Cook and James Ross, review Guy Richie's directorial feature-length debut film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

    Initially considered gambling heavy by the three, the trio soon realise how wrong they were, give their thoughts on backing Nick Moran's character Eddy in a game of poker and their overall thoughts on the film.

    Host: Jessica Welman
    Guests: John Cook & James Ross
    Producer: Mollie Chapman
    Editor: James Ross

    When four friends end up losing money to a gangster in a card game, they are forced to choose a crooked path to clear the debt and save themselves.

    Released: 1998
    Director: Guy Ritchie
    Writers: Guy Ritchie
    Stars: Jason Statham, Nick Moran, Dexter Fletcher, Jason Flemming

    Make sure to follow Cinema Reels on LinkedIn here to keep up-to-date and follow us whichever platform you get your podcasts.

    Show More Show Less
    53 mins
  • The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas
    Nov 30 2023

    Jessica Welman, John Cook and James Ross, head to Bedrock to review the The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas, a prequel to the 1994 film, directed by Brian Levant.

    The three J's offer differing views on the film while also looking more closely at the Stone Age version of Las Vegas in the film and round off the episode in providing their opinions on if Viva Rock Vegas is better or worse than Marin Scorsese's Casino.

    Host: Jessica Welman
    Guests: John Cook & James Ross
    Producer: Mollie Chapman
    Editor: James Ross

    In this live-action prequel to The Flintstones (1994), the Flintstones and the Rubbles go on a trip to Rock Vegas, where Wilma Slaghoople is pursued by playboy Chip Rockefeller.

    Released: 2000
    Director: Brian Levant
    Writers: William Hanna, Joseph Barbera & Deborah Kaplan
    Stars: Mark Addy, Stephen Baldwin & Kristen Johnston

    Make sure to follow Cinema Reels on LinkedIn here to keep up-to-date and follow us whichever platform you get your podcasts.

    Show More Show Less
    50 mins
  • Casino
    Nov 16 2023

    Following on from the first two episodes of Cinema Reels, Jessica Welman, John Cook and James Ross, return to offer their analysis of Martin Scorsese's 1995 film Casino.

    While lauded as a "must-see" film, the trio sit down to evaluate the true representation of Las Vegas, former home to our very own Jessica, accuracy surrounding the gambling and offering our fresh takes on the film.

    Host: Jessica Welman
    Guests: John Cook & James Ross
    Producer: Mollie Chapman
    Editor: James Ross

    In early-1970s Las Vegas, low-level mobster Sam "Ace" Rothstein gets tapped by his bosses to head the Tangiers Casino. At first, he's a great success in the job, but over the years, problems with his loose-cannon enforcer Nicky Santoro, his ex-hustler wife Ginger, her con-artist ex Lester Diamond and a handful of corrupt politicians put Sam in ever-increasing danger.

    Released: 1995
    Director: Marin Scorsese
    Writers: Nicholas Pileggi
    Stars: Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci

    Make sure to follow Cinema Reels on LinkedIn here to keep up-to-date and follow us whichever platform you get your podcasts.

    Show More Show Less
    55 mins