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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.

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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

Time to finish the job! In the epic conclusion to the Cinegeeks Cinemalaya Review Extravaganza 2025, Roy & Angela cover the final six films, and this episode is packed.

They discuss two more unanimous masterpieces with Open Endings and Padamlagan, break down the flaws in Bloom Where You Are Planted, Warla, and Republika ng Pipolipinas, and have their most heated debate of the festival over Paglilitis. You don't want to miss this one.

(00:00) Start

(03:11) Bloom Where You Are Planted

(11:25) Warla

(23:16) Paglilitis

(38:17) Republika ng Pipolipinas

(49:53) Open Endings

(1:08:38) Padamlagan

Our Cinemalaya 2025 Review Extravaganza begins! In Part 1, we break down four of this year's most talked-about films.

We discuss the surprising charm of Child No. 82, the missed opportunities of Cinemartyrs and Raging, and why Habang Nilalamon ng Hydra ang Kasaysayan is an absolutely essential, must-see masterpiece.

(00:00) Start

(04:03) Child No. 82: Anak ni Boy Kana

(25:57) Cinemartyrs

(37:22) Raging

(51:27) Habang Nilalamon Ng Hydra Ang Kasaysayan

Dwayne Johnson breaks the mold in The Smashing Machine.

Paul Thomas Anderson turns the screws in One Battle After Another.

In this week’s Cinegeeks episode, we’re joined by Smash of @smashthatscreen to dig into both films with fresh eyes and hot takes - we dive into two very different rides, one bruised and human, one wired and propulsive. From a real-life MMA legend’s fight outside the cage to a father racing the clock, we’re unpacking performance, craft, and the punches that land after the lights come up, with Smash jumping in on the big swings, the quiet moments, and the stuff that lingers.

What’s Inside:

• The Smashing Machine - Johnson’s Mark Kerr transformation, Safdie’s raw direction, and why the fallout hits harder than the fists

• One Battle After Another - Paul Thomas Anderson’s propulsive rescue odyssey, Leonardo DiCaprio’s desperate father turn, and Jonny Greenwood’s score turning the screwsListen now and tell us which film hit you harder.

Roy and Anj also talk about their experience re-watching Avatar: The Way of Water during its limited time rerelease at SM Cinema's IMAX with Laser in this week’s Post Credit Pick!

Kilig, chaos, and that first-love freefall: the Cinegeeks dive into Minamahal: 100 Bulaklak para kay Luna.They lock in on the leads: how Andres Muhlach stays sincere and a bit awkward in all the right ways, and how Ashtine Olviga turns quiet beats into moments that hit, a true breakout you can feel.They ask if the film nails that high school to early college kind of love: the mixed signals, the late night chats, the dumb bravery that makes you leap before you look.

From villain school to colonial voyages, the Cinegeeks take you on a double feature this week!

First off, they dig into Kontrabida Academy, Netflix’s new Filipino satire where kontrabidas finally take center stage and the idea of power gets flipped into something sharp, funny, and surprisingly heartfelt.

Then they shift gears with Lav Diaz’s Magellan, a three-hour historical slow burn led by Gael García Bernal about the man famous for kickstarting the colonial era in the Philippine Islands.

Two very different films, one packed episode.

TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Start

(02:10) Kontrabida Academy

(42:35) Magellan