Cereal At Midnight

There's a moment in Michael  when a 25-year-old Michael Jackson is confronted in his bedroom at the Jackson family home by his overbearing, abusive father, Joseph. Recognizing that Michael has outgrown the family band, the patriarch and architect of the Jackson 5 wants the newly-crowned "King of Pop" to tour with the Jacksons one more time so he can capitalize on his son's success and keep the gravy train going. When Michael hesitates, Joseph says (I'm paraphrasing) "what do you want to do, surround yourself with people who will only say yes to you?" The scene then holds for a few moments without anyone speaking. The implication is clear: that's exactly what Michael wants. This is the only moment in the entire film that features any sort of objectivity about Michael Jackson and hints that he may have been complicit in the eventual decline of his career amid controversy and medical issues that were caused, in part, by heavy prescription drug use given...

  I would love to say that Old Shatterhand (1964), the first movie included in Eureka's Karl May at CCC box set, is a classic. For me, it falls in line with most other Euro Westerns in having beautiful cinematography and good characters, but not a lot for those characters to do.  Old Shatterhand slightly predates Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars by about six months. As such, it lacks all of the pop opera sensibilities that would very soon come to dominate the Euro Western format. Instead, this film seems to be chasing big Hollywood spectacle in the tradition of earlier 1960s westerns like The Magnificent Seven , with widescreen vistas and an emotional orchestral score.  The problem is that the characters don't really have anything to do. Trying to summarize what the movie is actually about is a challenge. It follows the relationship between a German traveler who has befriended an Indian Chief, Winnetou, in the American West. There are some bad guys who hurt people, ...

Eureka's new box set is a massive one--with seven movies, roughly half of which are directed by Robert Siodmak, and all starring former Tarzan actor Lex Barker. Let's unbox and explore it together! Order from: Eureka https://eurekavideo.co.uk/movie/adventure-calls-karl-may-at-ccc-limited-edition-box-set/ DiabolikDVD https://diabolikdvd.com/product/adventure-calls-karl-may-at-ccc-le-eureka-4-disc-boxset-blu-ray-preorder/ Amazon https://amzn.to/4dYlJVS

Jon Spira, the filmmaker behind The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee and Elstree 1976, stops by Cereal At Midnight for a discussion about the difference between "good" and "likable" and why unpopular movie opinions are not a bad thing. Warning: This episode contains a some spoilers for Project Hail Mary. JonSpira.co.uk @videojon on Instagram and Twitter Download the audio version of this episode everywhere your get your podcasts! **************************************************************** 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 **************************************************************** Commentaries:  https://www.cerealatmidnight.com/p/commentaries.html **************************************************************** Need collecting storage solutions? Use code CAM15 to save 15% on your orde...

In this Members Exclusive episode, I show off my latest vintage thrifting pick ups and recount the tale of my 140-mile Laserdisc Road Trip. Plus, a bonus UNSCRIPTED rant! You can also watch this video on Patreon

Get all the details and order yours at ViaVision.com.au **************************************************************** 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 **************************************************************** 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 **************************************************************** When shopping on Amazon, please use Cereal At Midnight's affiliate link to support the channel:  https://amzn.to/3LAgnlt **************************************************************** Movie Review Archive...

In the biggest video of 2026 so far, I'm talking about nearly FIFTY new 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD titles from all over the world: Criterion, Arrow, Synapse, Kino Lorber, MVD, Warner Archive, Universal, and many more! Shop the Movie Zyng Warner Archive sale at https://moviezyng.com?bg_ref=JcqW32GPIC **************************************************************** 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 **************************************************************** 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 *************************************...

Max Allan Collins, the award-winning mystery writer behind ROAD TO PERDITION and QUARRY, stops by Cereal At Midnight for a discussion about his own indie movie career and the films he's written, produced, and directed over the last few years.  More with Max: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLms82QIo-B9mwJkpG3AjDT-fJJBF3c0_Y **************************************************************** 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 **************************************************************** 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_...

I bought a stack of brand new, sealed Laserdiscs! **************************************************************** 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 **************************************************************** 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 **************************************************************** When shopping on Amazon, please use Cereal At Midnight's affiliate link to support the channel:  https://amzn.to/3LAgnlt **************************************************************** Movie Review Archive:...

The majority opinion seems to be that Project Hail Mary  is a near-perfect cinematic experience. "The first truly great movie of 2026," reads the headline from various cinematic pundits and online outlets. There's an adoration associated with it that we rarely see post-pandemic. It seems to work for just about everyone, but I find myself in the minority in thinking that the movie is momentarily pleasing but ultimately fails to fly. I think part of its success is that it's entirely inoffensive, carefully crafted to appeal to the widest market possible with 1) a main character who reflects the weariness of our current times but rises above it, 2) a cute (and marketable) alien sidekick, and 3) a story that has lots of emotional twists. It's the kind of thing general movie audiences eat up. Because the average person only goes to the movie theater four or less times per year, they want those experiences to pack in everything they want in a single package: big visuals,...

Vince Guaraldi Trio band members Seward McCain (bass) and Jim Zimmerman (drums) reunite to discuss the brand new anniversary double soundtrack release of It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown and Charlie Brown All Stars! Plus, a peek behind the scenes of this newly-discovered music and a celebration of Vince Guaraldi, who left us 50 years ago.  Order the vinyl and CD at https://amzn.to/47aRzuc Find a record store near you at https://recordstoreday.com/ Order the Ultimate Peanuts Specials Collection at https://amzn.to/4cTZ7VV More with Jason and Sean Mendelson: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLms82QIo-B9lmqbxQClQkATvm7zAXF4fe **************************************************************** 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 **************************************************************** Commentaries...

Unboxing new arrivals from Imprint! viavision.com.au **************************************************************** 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 **************************************************************** 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 **************************************************************** When shopping on Amazon, please use Cereal At Midnight's affiliate link to support the channel:  https://amzn.to/3LAgnlt **************************************************************** Movie Review Archive:...

Kino Lorber Collection Update! **************************************************************** 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 **************************************************************** 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 **************************************************************** When shopping on Amazon, please use Cereal At Midnight's affiliate link to support the channel:  https://amzn.to/3LAgnlt **************************************************************** Movie Review Archive:  CerealAtMidnight....

There's no shortage of revisionist monster movies these days, with both Guillermo Del Toro and Luc Besson bringing beloved Gothic literary classics ( Frankenstein and Dracula , respectively) back to the big screen in recent months. Now Maggie Gyllenhaal--quite a name herself--throws her hat into the ring with The Bride ! (The exclamation point is perhaps included to distinguish this 2026 movie from the 1985 movie starring Sting and Jennifer Beals.) This is Gyllenhaal's second feature film as writer/director and by far her most ambitious to date.  The logline of this movie is simple: what if Frankenstein and his Bride were dropped into 1930s Chicago and had a crime spree akin to that of Bonnie and Clyde? Because this movie was made at Warner Bros. and not at Universal, we're not quite in  Boris Karloff and Elsa Lanchester territory here, though there are nods. Instead, this is the Frankenstein of Mary Shelley's original novel, erudite and civilized--until he isn't. ...

Funny, sweet, and a movie that reveals an increasing insanity as it unfolds, Hoppers —like last year’s Elio —is a Disney/Pixar movie for people who complain that Disney is out of new ideas and everything is a sequel or franchise film. Hoppers is unlike anything we’ve seen before in this particular field or genre, which opens the door to lots of surprises. Thankfully, the trailers have kept most of the movie’s secrets unrevealed. Best experienced on a massive screen, and be sure to stay through the end credits—ALL the way to the end. Pixar movies continue to remind us, in delightfully-entertaining ways, that a better tomorrow is up to us today. I’m grateful that for all their sequels, Pixar continues to take major swings on new ideas.

When Baz Luhrmann's Elvis hit the screen back in 2022, it accomplished a couple of things. First, it made an overnight star out of actor Austin Butler. Second, it reminded everyone how Elvis Presley had changed the world. Unfortunately, these achievements were accompanied by quite a few fictions, because, hey...biopics lie. A lot. Now, nearly four years later, Baz is back with EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert , a film that's part concert, part behind-the-scenes rehearsal, part documentary. It's as if the entire project is an apology from Mr. Luhrmann for his past transgressions against Mr. Presley--a man who I'm still not sure Baz even likes. (I suspect the filmmaker may simply be drawn to the drama of this great American tragedy.) But my oh my, EPiC is indeed epic, and it's at its best when Baz steps out of the way and allows Elvis to tell his own story. The film, which runs 100 minutes, is composed entirely  of archival footage of Elvis during his residency at the ...

Maria Montez was the Queen of Technicolor, and for a few years during the she was one of the biggest movie stars in the world.  **************************************************************** 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 **************************************************************** 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 **************************************************************** When shopping on Amazon, please use Cereal At Midnight's affiliate link to support the channel: https://amzn.to/3LAgnlt ******************************************************...

  In this Members Exclusive episode, I chronicle the final days of a book store that's closing its doors forever.  You can also watch this video on Patreon.

This month in discs, from labels all over the world! **************************************************************** 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 **************************************************************** 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 **************************************************************** When shopping on Amazon, please use Cereal At Midnight's affiliate link to support the channel:  https://amzn.to/3LAgnlt **************************************************************** Movie Review Archive:  CerealA...

With RETURN OF THE MALTESE FALCON, private investigator SAM SPADE is back! Author Max Allan Collins tells us everything we need to know about bringing Dashiell Hammett's iconic detective back to bookshelves everywhere.  Listen to the audio version of this episode everywhere you get your podcasts! Get your copy of the book here: https://amzn.to/4ac0bCF More with Max Allan Collins: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLms82QIo-B9mwJkpG3AjDT-fJJBF3c0_Y **************************************************************** 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 **************************************************************** Commentaries:  https://www.cerealatmidnight.com/p/commentaries.html **************************************************************** Need collecting storage solutions? Use code CAM15 to save 15% ...

I've rarely seen a movie work so hard to undercut itself as the new Anaconda  movie does. The premise is fair enough: a group of pals (Jack Black, Paul Rudd, Thandiwe Newton, Steve Zahn) who used to make films together as children find themselves at various crossroads, including a dead-end job, an acting career going nowhere, and divorce. In an attempt to reclaim their former joy, they set out to make a new Anaconda movie that pays homage to the 1997 original while allowing them to dust off the no-budget amateur filmmaking techniques that they first honed as young movie buffs. On paper, this should be an echo of Tropic Thunder , serving as a self-aware satire of a video store staple while also allowing the audience to look back on the late 1990s with nostalgia and affection. See Jurassic World: Rebirth. Unfortunately, the movie has no idea what to do with any of this and constantly works against its own premise. Is it a warm-hearted story about friendship? A juvenile slapstick thro...

Eisner Award Hall of Fame recipient Don McGregor has spent more than 50 years in comics, writing for Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, Topps, Eclipse, Warren, and many more. Without his foundational work on Black Panther, the blockbuster Marvel movies would not exist. In this interview, Don discusses his career and what's next.  *Note: the video version of this podcast episode is a Cereal At Midnight Members Exclusive.  Listen to the audio version  here , or wherever you get your podcasts! **************************************************************** 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 **************************************************************** Commentaries:  https://www.cerealatmidnight.com/p/commentaries.html **************************************************************** Need collecting storage...

First Book review video of 2026! See it on YouTube or on Patreon .

Every time I watch a movie that's based on real events or real people, my defenses go up. Biopics, seemingly by their very nature, are often fictions, making superheroes out of people who are far more interesting in reality because their lives aren't sanitized or sanctified by screenwriters. Somewhere in the middle of Song Sung Blue , I decided I was being served up a string of tall tales. Surely nobody went through as much triumph and tragedy as the real Mike and Claire Sardina, better known by their stage name, Lightning and Thunder. When the end credits rolled and I saw that the film was based on a 2008 documentary of the same name, I knew I needed to see that  film to unravel just how much of the story I'd just been told was actually real.  As it turns out, many of the events presented in the movie really happened. Sure, the Neil Diamond tribute act called Lightning and Thunder never soared quite to the heights that the Hollywood film would have us believe, and it goes ...