Cereal At Midnight

Not too long ago, I heard an interview with Oscar-nominated filmmaker James Mangold in which he described "plot" as the enemy of storytelling. Of course, plot is required in any story, but Mangold explains that it can also be a barrier to exploring the characters, their motivations, and their relationships. You want your story to have just enough plot to give your characters momentum, then to stay out of the way and let your characters thrive. Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning contains so much plot that frequently draws the story to a complete and total halt. The first major action scene in the movie occurs at close to the 90-minute mark. In the entire 169 minute film, there are two major action scenes and two big set pieces--one on a submarine, and another with prop planes. The rest of the movie--the other half--is simply characters running from point A to point B and then delivering exposition when they get there. You see, in order to stop something terrible from h...

In my first Imprint video of 2025, we're digging into Bewitched, UFO, TV Movies, and more Carry On films on Blu-ray! https://viavision.com.au/ **************************************************************** Commentaries:  https://www.cerealatmidnight.com/p/commentaries.html **************************************************************** Need collecting storage solutions? Use code CAM15 to save 15% on your order at  https://bit.ly/t3lshopCAM  and see how it works here:  https://youtu.be/GX0fTq_VYs4 **************************************************************** Become a Member and unlock exclusive and ad free videos, early access, and much more at  Patreon.com/CerealAtMidnight  or through YouTube Memberships at  https://www.youtube.com/@CerealAtMidnight/membership **************************************************************** When shopping on Amazon, please use Cereal At Midnight's affiliate link to support the channel:  https://amzn.to/3LAgnl...

Dustin Morrow is a filmmaker, an author, a college professor, and the co-host of THE LONG REWIND, an 80s movie podcast!  DustinMorrow.com https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-long-rewind-an-80s-movie-podcast/id1736860763 https://www.youtube.com/@TheLongRewind **************************************************************** Commentaries:  https://www.cerealatmidnight.com/p/commentaries.html **************************************************************** Need collecting storage solutions? Use code CAM15 to save 15% on your order at  https://bit.ly/t3lshopCAM  and see how it works here:  https://youtu.be/GX0fTq_VYs4 **************************************************************** Become a Member and unlock exclusive and ad free videos, early access, and much more at  Patreon.com/CerealAtMidnight  or through YouTube Memberships at  https://www.youtube.com/@CerealAtMidnight/membership **************************************************************...

In this episode, I showcase the haul from a vintage media hunting expedition! Thanks to all the channel Members for making these videos possible! You can also find this video on Patreon:  Patreon.com/CerealAtMidnight   **************************************************************** Commentaries:  https://www.cerealatmidnight.com/p/commentaries.html **************************************************************** Need collecting storage solutions? Use code CAM15 to save 15% on your order at  https://bit.ly/t3lshopCAM  and see how it works here:  https://youtu.be/GX0fTq_VYs4 **************************************************************** Become a Member and unlock exclusive and ad free videos, early access, and much more at  Patreon.com/CerealAtMidnight  or through YouTube Memberships at  https://www.youtube.com/@CerealAtMidnight/membership **************************************************************** When shopping on Amazon, please use Ce...

Celluloid Dreams returns! Label founders Guido and Lucas Henkel discuss the details of their new 4-disc release of the giallo classic SHORT NIGHT OF GLASS DOLLS, plus share their insights on the current boutique Blu-ray business. ******************************** https://www.celluloid-dreams.net Short Night of Glass Doll at Amazon https://amzn.to/44xjaFq The Case of the Bloody Iris at Amazon https://amzn.to/45cPPOJ Short Night of Glass Dolls at DiabolikDVD  https://diabolikdvd.com/product/short-night-of-glass-dolls-celluloid-dreams-4-disc-4k-uhd-blu-ray-preorder/ The Case of the Bloody Iris at DiabolikDVD https://diabolikdvd.com/product/case-of-the-bloody-iris-celluloid-dreams-4k-uhd-blu-ray-preorder/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552600199555 https://x.com/CelluloidDrms https://www.youtube.com/@CelluloidDreamsUSA https://bsky.app/profile/celluloid-dreams.bsky.social https://www.instagram.com/celluloiddreamsusa ************************************************************...

Frank Tarzi returns to Cereal At Midnight to talk about cinematic roots, new developments at Kino Lorber, and the current state of physical media! Download the audio version of this podcast everywhere you get your podcasts! This is Frank's fifth appearance on Cereal At Midnight. Find them all here:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLms82QIo-B9mZDTUUYwn2pMj3ELth-Jjn **************************************************************** Commentaries:  https://www.cerealatmidnight.com/p/commentaries.html **************************************************************** Need collecting storage solutions? Use code CAM15 to save 15% on your order at  https://bit.ly/t3lshopCAM  and see how it works here:  https://youtu.be/GX0fTq_VYs4 **************************************************************** Become a Member and unlock exclusive and ad free videos, early access, and much more at  Patreon.com/CerealAtMidnight  or through YouTube Memberships at  https:...

In this collection update video, we're unboxing the latest Steelbooks from Lionsgate Limited, PLUS new Vestron Video, He-Man/Masters of the Universe, and Ultraman releases! **************************************************************** Commentaries:  https://www.cerealatmidnight.com/p/commentaries.html **************************************************************** Need collecting storage solutions? Use code CAM15 to save 15% on your order at  https://bit.ly/t3lshopCAM  and see how it works here:  https://youtu.be/GX0fTq_VYs4 **************************************************************** Become a Member and unlock exclusive and ad free videos, early access, and much more at  Patreon.com/CerealAtMidnight  or through YouTube Memberships at  https://www.youtube.com/@CerealAtMidnight/membership **************************************************************** When shopping on Amazon, please use Cereal At Midnight's affiliate link to support the channel...

JOSH JABCUGA: Matt, this is our third interview for Cereal at Midnight. Last time we talked, almost three years ago , your novelization of William Malone's Scared to Death   was published.  Since then, Vinegar Syndrome Press put out a lavish edition of your novel Madman , which is based on the screenplay of the rather notorious movie. Next up, on May 20th, your novel Feeders , which is already garnering early buzz and strong word of mouth, is being released by Gallery Books. This is your tenth novel , and if I'm not mistaken, the first being released by a major publisher. First off, congrats on the milestone and all your success. Without spoilers, what can you tell us about the genesis of Feeders ? MATT SERAFINI: Thanks, Josh. Always appreciate the conversation, my friend. You are correct that Feeders is my tenth book and my first with a traditional publisher, Simon & Schuster’s Gallery Books. It’s been a blast to work with them.  And it’s funny, when y...

In 2024’s Deadpool and Wolverine , the Merc with the Mouth greets his old Weapon X brethren with the quip: “Welcome to the MCU, by the way. You’re joining at a bit of a low point.” It’s a moment of self-awareness from a character who constantly breaks the fourth wall, but Marvel has been doing this more and more over the last few years, acknowledging the fact that these movies, which once felt fresh and exciting, have now become routine.  So it actually doesn’t come as much of a surprise that Thunderbolts* sees our anti-heroes taking on the ultimate big bad, depression itself. Okay, sure, that depression manifests itself through the actions of a powerful entity that’s new to the MCU, though rooted in Marvel comics history. But in a lot of ways, Thunderbolts* mines the same existential ennui that has made Matt Reeves’ The Batman a favorite among Millennials. In the latest MCU adventure, our characters sigh deeply and speak about how they’re simply going through the motions. It’s ...

It’s no secret that Nicolas Cage has been getting even better with age and that this current era of his career has been filled with wild surprises and unconventional risks . The Surfer is—and I say this with no hyperbole—one of the best films Nicolas Cage has ever made. This is a wild ride.  Cage plays a father who has returned to Australia, the country of his character’s birth, where he plans to buy the house he lived in as a boy. The house overlooks the beach and an endless ocean, the perfect place to raise his own son, surfing the same waves that he surfed as a child before life took a tragic turn and he had to leave paradise. But there are cracks in the dream: the house may be lost to a higher bidder, and even worse, a distance grows between Cage and his son that seems irreparable. Worst of all, the beach is guarded by a gang of toughs who have a “you don’t live here, you don’t surf here” policy, and they’re willing to guard their waves with violence. These roughnecks are led ...

In this spotlight of every new release from Kino Lorber and all other partner labels, we're checking out SEVEN new 4K releases, film noir from the dark side of cinema, and new titles for every genre: horror, western, war, comedy, drama, and documentary. **************************************************************** Commentaries:  https://www.cerealatmidnight.com/p/commentaries.html **************************************************************** Need collecting storage solutions? Use code CAM15 to save 15% on your order at  https://bit.ly/t3lshopCAM  and see how it works here:  https://youtu.be/GX0fTq_VYs4 **************************************************************** Become a Member and unlock exclusive and ad free videos, early access, and much more at  Patreon.com/CerealAtMidnight  or through YouTube Memberships at  https://www.youtube.com/@CerealAtMidnight/membership **************************************************************** When shopping...

Chances are, you haven’t heard of The Family Affair. The UK band only released one album in 1968, and their solitary single, “Hanging Around,” apparently didn’t make much of a dent in the charts. The record has since become a bit of a collector’s item for sunshine pop aficionados and completists. Now the self-titled album from The Family Affair has been reissued on both vinyl and CD by Morgan Blue Town, allowing musicologists a fresh chance to discover these tunes from nearly 60 years ago.  In an era defined by one-hit-wonders, The Family Affair didn’t even have the luxury of a hit. Their only single, “Hanging Around,” was recorded on July 28, 1967 at EMI Studios in London. To put things in context, The Beatles had just released Sergeant Pepper in May of 1967 and the British charts were chockablock with genuine hits that have stood the test of time: “Purple Haze” by Jimi Hendrix, “Bernadette” by The Four Tops, “Waterloo Sunset” by The Kinks, “Itchycoo Park” by Small Faces, and “R...

In this PHYSICAL MEDIA SUPER SHOW, we're checking out a stack of new 4Ks, Blu-rays, and limited edition Steelbooks from 88 Films, Arrow, Eureka, Celluloid Dreams, Lionsgate Limited, Sony, and more! **************************************************************** Need collecting storage solutions? Use code CAM15 to save 15% on your order at  https://bit.ly/t3lshopCAM  and see how it works here:  https://youtu.be/GX0fTq_VYs4 **************************************************************** Become a Member and unlock exclusive and ad free videos, early access, and much more at  Patreon.com/CerealAtMidnight  or through YouTube Memberships at  https://www.youtube.com/@CerealAtMidnight/membership **************************************************************** When shopping on Amazon, please use Cereal At Midnight's affiliate link to support the channel:  https://amzn.to/3LAgnlt **************************************************************** Movie Review Arc...

Sinners is a tour de force from Ryan Coogler, the director of  Creed  and Black Panther. The movie takes the viewers on a magical mystery tour of music and horror that spans 24 hours in Clarksdale, Mississippi during the early 1930s. The film is so vast and ambitious in its scope that it's almost impossible to fully wrap one's arms around it in a single viewing. Against the setting is the segregated Deep South at a time when racial tensions were high, we meet two brothers (twins, both played by Michael B. Jordan) who have taken their future in their own hands and tried to forge a path for themselves outside of the law. But that's just part of this tale, which is also about the blues and the rich history of American folklore and occult beliefs that have been bleeding into one another for hundreds of years. African traditions meld with those of Ireland, with Native American culture adding seasoning, too.  At the center of the story is a burgeoning bluesman (Miles Caton), th...