Travis Hopson of Cinema Royale reviews Renny Harlin's THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 1, the first of a new trilogy in the horror franchise. The film stars Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez. After their car breaks down in an eerie small town, a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues…

Travis Hopson of Cinema Royale review BACK TO BLACK, with Marisa Abela starring as tragic blue singer Amy Winehouse. Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson, the film also stars Eddie Marsan, Jack O'Connell, and Lesley Manville. BACK TO BLACK is in theaters now. The extraordinary story of Amy Winehouse’s early rise to fame from her early days in Camden thro…

Travis Hopson of Cinema Royale reviews FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth, directed by George Miller! As the world fell, young Furiosa is snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers and falls into the hands of a great Biker Horde led by the Warlord Dementus. Sweeping through the Wasteland, they come across the Ci…

Travis Hopson of Punch Drunk Critics review John Krasinski's imaginary friends film IF, starring Ryan Reynolds, Cailey Fleming, and featuring the voices of Steve Carell, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and more. IF is in theaters now! From writer and director John Krasinski, IF is about a girl who discovers that she can see everyone’s imaginary friends — and…

Travis Hopson of Punch Drunk Critics reviews Chris Pin's directorial debut, the L.A. noir POOLMAN. Pine co-wrote, directed, and starred in the film alongside Annette Bening, Danny DeVito, Jennifer Jason Leigh, DeWanda Wise, John Ortiz, and more. Poolman tells the story of Darren Barrenman (Pine), a native Los Angeleno who spends his days looking af…

Travis Hopson of Punch Drunk Critics reviews KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, directed by Wes Ball and starring Owen Teague, Freya Allen, Kevin Durand, Peter Macon, and William H. Macy. Set several generations in the future following Caesar’s reign. Apes are the dominant species living harmoniously with one another, and humans have been reduced t…

On the latest episode of Cinema Royale, me and Joblo.com‘s Chris Bumbray talk about The Fall Guy. Ryan Gosling falls hard for Emily Blunt, and who can blame him, as a down on his luck stuntman who must brave the criminal underworld to find a wayward movie star, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson. How does the film compare to the ’80s classic TV show? W…

Travis Hopson of Punch Drunk Critics reviews BOY KILLS WORLD, a hyper violent revenge flick that's part THE RUNNING MAN, part THE RAID. Stars Bill Skarsgard, Famke Janssen, Jessica Rothe, Brett Gelman, Andrew Koji, Michelle Dockery, Isaiah Mustafa, Yayan Ruhian, and Sharlto Copley! Skarsgård stars as "Boy" who vows revenge after his family is murde…

Travis Hopson of Punch Drunk Critics review Luca Guadagnino's steamy tennis love-triangle romance, CHALLENGERS, starring Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O'Connor. Opens in theaters on April 26th! From visionary filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, Challengers stars Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy turned coach and a force of nature who makes no…

Travis Hopson of Punch Drunk Critics reviews ABIGAIL, the horror comedy from Radio Silence starring Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton, Giancarlo Esposito, Angus Cloud, Alisha Weir, Kevin Durand, and William Catlett. After a group of would-be criminals kidnap the 12-year-old ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure, all they hav…

Travis Hopson of Punch Drunk Critics reviews Zack Snyder's epic space opera sequel, REBEL MOON-PART 2: THE SCARGIVER, starring Sofia Boutella, Michiel Huisman, Ed Skrein, Djimon Hounsou, Anthony Hopkins, and more! Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver continues the epic saga of Kora and the surviving warriors as they prepare to sacrifice everything,…

Travis Hopson of Punch Drunk Critics reviews Alex Garland's nightmarish political thriller CIVIL WAR, starring Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Cailee Spaeny. From filmmaker Alex Garland comes a journey across a dystopian future America, following a team of military-embedded journalists as they race against time to reach…

Travis Hopson of Cinema Royale reviews the Zellner Brothers' Bigfoot comedy SASQUATCH SUNSET starring Jesse Eisenberg and Riley Keough. In the misty forests of North America, a family of Sasquatches—possibly the last of their enigmatic kind— embark on an absurdist, epic, hilarious, and ultimately poignant journey over the course of one year. These …

Travis Hopson of Punch Drunk Critics reviews Ben Brewer's creature feature/coming-of-age film ARCADIAN starring Nicolas Cage, Jaeden Martell, and Maxwell Jenkins. In a near future, normal life on Earth has been decimated. Paul and his two sons, Thomas and Joseph, have been living a half-life – tranquility by day and torment by night. One day, Thoma…

Travis Hopson of Cinema Royale review Dev Patel's action flick MONKEY MAN, directed, written, and starring Patel. Produced by Jordan Peele. Inspired by the legend of Hanuman, an icon embodying strength and courage, ‘Monkey Man’ stars Patel as Kid, an anonymous young man who ekes out a meager living in an underground fight club where, night after ni…

Travis Hopson of Punch Drunk Critics reviews DOGMAN, Luc Besson's oddball revenge thriller starring Caleb Landry Jones and a kennel's worth of canine co-stars. The incredible story of a child, bruised by life, who will find his salvation through the love of his dogs. DOGMAN opens in theaters on March 29th. Subscribe to Punch Drunk Critics on YouTub…

Travis Hopson of Cinema Royale reviews GODZILLA x KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE, the latest chapter in the blockbuster Monsterverse! The film stars Rebecca Hall, Dan Stevens, Brian Tyree Henry, and Kaylee Hottle. Adam Wingard once again directs. The epic battle continues! Legendary Pictures’ cinematic Monsterverse follows up the explosive showdown of “Godzi…

On the latest episode of Cinema Royale, it’s brawling brutes and bustin’ ghosts! Joblo.com’s Chris Bumbray joins the show because there’s nobody else I’d want to talk to about Road House, a remake of the stone cold bare-knuckle classic starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Conor McGregor! With Doug Liman behind the camera, does this film come out swinging t…

On the latest episode of Cinema Royale, I’m joined by fellow film critic Karen Peterson to talk about Sydney Sweeney’s religious horror, Immaculate! Is it good enough to help us forget that Madame Web is a thing that happened barely a month ago? We talk about the film’s very clear agenda, how far it goes in emulating the genre’s tropes, and a VERY …

Travis Hopson of Cinema Royale reviews THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAGICAL NEGROES starring Justice Smith, David Alan Grier, An-Li Bogan, and Drew Tarver. THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAGICAL NEGROES is a fresh, satirical comedy about a young man, Aren, who is recruited into a secret society of magical Black people who dedicate their lives to a cause of utm…

Travis Hopson of Cinema Royale reviews Rose Glass's queer crime romance LOVE LIES BLEEDING starring Kristen Stewart and Katy O'Brian. The film also stars Ed Harris, Dave Franco, Jena Malone, and Anna Baryshnikov. From Director Rose Glass comes an electric new love story; reclusive gym manager Lou falls hard for Jackie, an ambitious bodybuilder head…

Mario Van Peebles Talks With Travis Hopson of Punch Drunk Critics about his return to the Western genre, OUTLAW POSSE! He talks about his love of Westerns, why telling Black stories in the genre is important, and passing the torch to his son, Mandela. OUTLAW POSSE is open in theaters now. Subscribe to Punch Drunk Critics on YouTube: https://www.you…

Travis Hopson of Cinema Royale creviews Denis Villeneuve's DUNE: PART TWO starring Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Austin Butler, Rebecca Ferguson, and Florence Pugh. DUNE: PART TWO opens in theaters on March 1st.By Travis Hopson

In this episode of Cinema Royale, my partner in crime Tim Gordon joins me to lend his expertise on Bob Marley: One Love, the musical biopic on the legendary reggae star. Why has the film received so much backlash from longtime Marley fans? We talk about the choice that all filmmakers must make when doing a biopic on a music superstar. Do you work w…

On this week's episodes of Cinema Royale, we're delving into the Spider-Verse! Not the good Spider-Verse of Sony's animated Miles Morales movies. But the crappy Spider-Verse where Madame Web dwells alongside Morbius and Venom 2 and probably Kraven the Hunter. Yes, we're talking Madame Web with my home Chris Bumbray of Joblo.com! We need to hash out…

Travis Hopson of Punch Drunk Critics talks with BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE director Reinaldo Marcus Green about his new biopic on the reggae legend. BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE is open in theaters now.By Travis Hopson

Travis Hopson of Punch Drunk Critics review horror-comedy LISA FRANKENSTEIN starring Kathryn Newton and Cole Sprouse, directed by Zelda Williams from a Diablo Cody script. Focus Features releases it into theaters on February 9th.By Travis Hopson

Travis Hopson of Punch Drunk Critics reviews Stone Age horror OUT OF DARKNESS, directed by Andrew Cumming and starring Chuku Modu and Safia Oakley-Green. In theaters on February 9th.By Travis Hopson

Travis Hopson of Punch Drunk Critics reviews Mads Mikkelsen in THE PROMISED LAND, Nikolaj Arcel's sweeping historical epic of conquest and ambition. In theaters now. Subscribe to Punch Drunk Critics on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PunchDrunkCritics1 Follow Punch Drunk Critics on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/pdcmovies Follow Punch Drunk Cri…

Travis Hopson of Punch Drunk Critics and Cinema Royale reviews Matthew Vaughn's spy comedy ARGYLLE starring Bryce Dallas Howard, Henry Cavill, Sam Rockwell, John Cena, Samuel L. Jackson, Dua Lipa, Bryan Cranston, and more! ARGYLLE is in theaters now! Subscribe to Punch Drunk Critics on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PunchDrunkCritics1 Follow Pun…

Ian McShane chats with Travis Hopson of Punch Drunk Critics and Cinema Royale about his new film AMERICAN STAR, a personal project in which he gets to take on the hitman mantle for himself. He also discusses comparisons to his character in JOHN WICK, making a truly independent movie, and more. AMERICAN STAR opens in theaters and VOD on January 26th…

The 2024 Sundance Film Festival is wrapped, the Punch Drunk Critics have returned from Park City, and with all of the awards handed out, it’s time to talk about the best movies we saw there this year. Joining this episode of Cinema Royale is fellow critic Cortland Jacoby, who attended the festival with me once again. We’re going to pick our favorit…

Jason Statham has been pretty awesome for more than two decades, but is The Beekeeper his best movie yet? To talk about Statham’s latest occupational ass-kicker movie, which should be a loose-knit trilogy with The Transporter and The Mechanic, is my action homie Chris Bumbray of Joblo.com! Of course, we talk about The Beekeeper and what makes it so…

Black stories take the spotlight in this episode of Cinema Royale! I’m joined by Jamie Broadnax of Black Girl Nerds to talk about two of the biggest films of the year! First is Ava DuVernay’s Origin, a stunning adaptation of Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, starring Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor. Next up is a film that people have …

On today’s episode of Cinema Royale, the Snyder House Rules! Okay, well, that’s a bit silly but we are talking about two movies with a Zack Snyder connection, so he definitely rules THIS episode. Chris Bumbray of Joblo.com joins me to talk about Snyder’s massive space epic, Rebel Moon-Part One: A Child of Fire! Snyder’s anticipated Netflix film beg…

AMERICAN FICTION star Jeffrey Wright talks with film critic Travis Hopson about his Oscars-worthy performance in the acclaimed literary satire. He gives his thoughts on the movie's criticisms of the publishing world and the entertainment industry, plus the connection he feels to his character, Monk Ellison. AMERICAN FICTION is in theaters now and e…

The Iron Claw is based on the real-life story of the Von Erich family, considered royalty in the business of professional wrestling. Led by their taskmaster father, Fritz von Erich, they ruled the Texas-based wrestling scene throughout the ’80s with a combination of athletic physical ability, charisma, and showmanship. Zac Efron stars as the eldest…

You’re tuned in to Cinema Royale, and this week it’s three three three big movies, one with Oscar aspirations, one a historical epic of dubious accuracy, and another a holiday actioner with zero dialogue. I’m joined by Chris Bumbray of Joblo.com to talk about Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein biopic Maestro, plus Ridley Scott’s Napoleon starring J…

People keep asking me “Where is your Freelance review”? You seriously thought I was going to sit down and write a review of this? There was no way I was going to spend more time writing a review than they actually spent writing Freelance. The only way I was going to review it was by talking it out with my homie, Chris Bumbray of Joblo.com, like the…

Finally! This week’s episode of Cinema Royale is all about Martin Scorsese’s Native American crime saga Killers of the Flower Moon! Sorry for the delay in getting to this one but I was at a film festival all last week and on death’s doorstop all of this one! Be that as it may, this was long overdue, and joining me to talk about the film is fellow P…

On the latest episode of Cinema Royale, I’m joined by Citizen Dame and Variety writer Karen Peterson on a trio of recent films. First up is the outback thriller The Royal Hotel starring Julia Garner, Jessica Henwick, and Hugo Weaving. Then we go back to the 1980s with the sci-fi slasher comedy Totally Killer starring Kiernan Shipka! And while we di…

Travis Hopson of Punch Drunk Critics reviews Garth Davis' sci-fi romance FOE, starring Oscar nominees Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal! Host: Travis Hopson Subscribe to Punch Drunk Critics on YouTube: / @punchdrunkcritics1 Follow Punch Drunk Critics on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/pdcmovies Follow Punch Drunk Critics on Facebook: https://www.faceb…

In lieu of a normal episode of Cinema Royale, I'm giving my thoughts on Gareth Edwards' phenomenal, ambitious sci-fi film, THE CREATOR, which in my eyes is destined to become a classic of the genre. Host: Travis Hopson Subscribe to Punch Drunk Critics on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PunchDrunkCr... Follow Punch Drunk Critics on Twitter: https:…

On this week’s Cinema Royale, it’s war on two vastly different fronts! First, Paul Dano gathers the people in a battle against the wealthy elite in the rousing Gamestop stock film, Dumb Money! Then, Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, and Megan Fox team up for one last mission in Expend4bles! Joining me to lament the demise of The Expendables franch…

It’s Denzel vs. the Mob!!! You know we’re gonna be down for this one! On this week’s episode of Cinema Royale, I’m joined by my homie Chris Bumbray of Joblo.com to praise Denzel Washington and Antoine Fuqua’s The Equalizer 3! Look, we love these movies, no b.s., and watching Denzel murder the mafia and eat pasta is pretty much perfect for us.But we…

The long-awaited premiere of Ahsoka, featuring Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano, has finally arrived! I’m joined by Black Girl Nerds founder Jamie Broadnax to give our thoughts on the first two episodes of the anticipated Star Wars series that brings together storylines from Star Wars Rebels, The Mandalorian, and more! All of this and more, including …

There’s a new superhero on the DC block! On this episode of Cinema Royale, we’re talking Blue Beetle with my good friend The Movie Mom, Nell Minow! Is Blue Beetle the film that ends the super-powered slump that DC has been trapped in? With a strong emphasis on faith, family, and of course big comic book-style action, Nell is the perfect person to h…

It’s the summer showdown to end all summer showdowns. It’s the cinematic rumble we’ve all been waiting for. Barbenheimer is here!! On this week’s Cinema Royale, I’m joined by fellow Punch Drunk Critic Cortland Jacoby to talk about Barbie vs. Oppenheimer! Is it Barbie’s Dream House, or Oppenheimer’s…nuclear wasteland? Plus, in honor of the stars of …

There won’t be anyone leaping off of skyscrapers or jumping off of mountains, but on this episode of Cinema Royale we’ll be talking about someone who does. Mission: Impossible-Dead Reckoning Part 1 finds Tom Cruise returning as Ethan Hunt for the seventh explosive action flick in the franchise. And I’m joined by my pal Chris Bumbray of Joblo.com to…

It’s time for one last chase by the giant boulder, one final tumble into the snake pit, one last crack of the whip, one last serving of chilled monkey brains! We’re talking Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny on this week’s episode of Cinema Royale, and joining me is my homie Chris Bumbray of Joblo.com.How does Harrison Ford’s last time in the fe…