Cinebuds

With Milwaukee Film getting ready to celebrate 414 Day by screening the Song Sung Blue documentary at the Oriental Theatre, we're taking a timely jump back to our conversation with a key player in the 2008 film about local musical couple Mike and Claire Sardina. Enjoy.#####After coming down from our Hugh Jackman interaction at the Song Sung Blue premiere at the close of 2025, we pulled back the curtain on the Milwaukee connections that inspired the recently released biopic.For that, we called in local filmmaker Jimmy Sammarco, who was instrumental (pun very intended) in the original Song Sung Blue documentary that brought the story of musical couple Mike and Claire Sardina — aka Lightning & Thunder — into the spotlight back in 2008. In his role as director of photography, he saw the ins and outs of the whole production, including a bombshell cease-and-desist order from Sony Music and an unlikely savior from one of the godfathers of grunge.

The Oscars are the Super Bowl of movies. We’re not talking about the prestige of winning, although that certainly lines up. We’re talking about how the wider world swoops in once a year to make predictions, rubberneck at the spectacle of it all and maybe even watch the actual event itself.Obviously, Dori and Kpolly are not “the wider world.” They’re unpretentious, welcoming, discerning film lovers who want everyone to join them in the fun of cinema (and in the theater itself, because watching movies in theaters is the best). So, with the Academy Awards coming up this Sunday and everyone in full-tilt prediction mode, our duo wanted to jump on board and offer a few picks of their own.This isn’t an exhaustive list. While Dori and Kpolly are as excited as anyone about discovering who will win for “Achievement in Production Design,” they stick to the big categories in this episode. Yes, most of them revolve around the showdown between One Batter After Another and Sinners. But does F1 make an appearance? You bet it does!

We use the phrase “action star” to describe the massive talent at the center of this episode, but Michelle Yeoh has demonstrated over the course of her remarkable career that she’s so much more than that.In fact, her career as a performer didn’t start with scripts or stunts. She was more focused on pirouettes and pliés as a classically trained ballet dancer, getting all the way to London’s Royal Academy of Dance before a spinal injury set her on a path to the big screen (but not before becoming a literal beauty queen).Dori and Kpolly get into Yeoh’s off-screen activities — even touching on her humanitarian work and activism — as they give her the star treatment for this episode. It’s a well-deserved spotlight considering everything Yeoh has accomplished across her 40-year career, from performing her own stunts despite zero marital-arts training to winning Best Actress for Everything Everywhere All at Once at the 2023 Academy Awards.That’s just one of the Yeoh-centric movies you can check out at the Oriental Theatre throughout March as Milwaukee Film presents its irresistibly titled “Just Say Yeoh” series. You’ll hear our dynamic duo discuss all four movies in the series, a handful of her other memorable roles and the other releases you should catch at the Oriental this week.#####Cinebuds is sponsored by Joe Wilde Garage Door Company.

When Emily Brontë shared Wuthering Heights with the world back in 1847, the response to the book was … let’s just say mixed. Critics used words like “sickened” and “unsettling” and “a compound of vulgar depravity and unnatural horrors” to communicate how unnerved they were by such a scandalous work (something that only got worse when they discovered it was written by [gasp] a woman!!!).In that context, the release of the 2026 film version of Wuthering Heights and subsequent reactions have been pretty tame — or maybe just as loud for more prosaic reasons, like not being faithful enough to the source material. Those purists are represented in this episode, as are the non-bookish types, because this is a packed-house Cinebuds featuring our two hosts and a pair of guests: Radio Milwaukee’s Zoey Knox and Bianca Camiro.Our special visitors went through the arduous vetting process of talking out loud about how excited they were to see this movie, with Dori near enough to hear them. That being settled, they took their assignment VERY seriously. Like, there was a post-screening sitdown and at least one Notes app involved.And what did our intergenerational reviewers decide? The word “vibe” was used a lot, and there was a fair amount of discussion over whether book people need to lighten up when they go to see a movie adaptation (yes, they do). There was also a general consensus that Wuthering Heights is a must-see movie. Now, whether it’s a good movie? Not quite as much agreement on that one.#####Cinebuds is sponsored by Joe Wilde Garage Door Company.

When Catherine O’Hara died late last month, it was a sizable blow to the entertainment world. Whether it was on television or in movies, she brought a quality that was very particularly “her.” While that’s a tough thing to wrap up in just one episode, Dori and Kpolly give it a shot — with a little help from the Radio Milwaukee family.Fellow O’Hara appreciator Jon Adler joins our familiar cinema-loving duo to craft a retrospective that’s both heartfelt and hilarious, much like the woman herself. We trace her journey from waitress to Gilda Radner understudy at Second City to a member of the groundbreaking troupe at SCTV. We dive into her most beloved performances, from the pretentious Delia Deetz in Beetlejuice to the frantic Kate McCallister in Home Alone to her understated performance as Mickey Crabbe in A Mighty Wind. Of course, no discussion would be complete without covering her turn as Moira Rose in Schitt’s Creek (yes, the enchiladas make a cameo).So join us as we fold in the cheese and have a good airplane cry while paying tribute to a true comedy legend.#####Cinebuds is sponsored by Joe Wilde Garage Door Company.

Brrr, it’s cold out there! ❄️ On this episode, Dori and Kpolly lean into the freezing Wisconsin temperatures by discussing their favorite harsh winter movies. Forget the cozy blankets; for the full experience, the hosts suggest cracking a window while you watch these "could be worse" cinematic picks.The duo dives into bone-chilling thrillers like A Simple Plan and the iconic horror of The Shining. You’ll hear fun facts about Jack Nicholson’s pre-filming cheese sandwich diet, the 60 doors destroyed for the "Here's Johnny" scene, and the 900 tons of salt used for snow. They also explore the snowy landscapes of Fargo, the alien terror of The Thing, and the unusual quest in Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter.If the frostbite is getting to be too much, Dori offers a brief reprieve with the quaint charm of The Holiday, while Christopher brings the laughs with the horror-comedy Werewolves Within. From the ice planet Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back — featuring the Norwegian mountain ski team as extras — to Liam Neeson battling wolves in The Gray, this episode covers it all.Grab some matzo ball soup, huddle close to your speakers, and join the misery as we celebrate the best of winter cinema!#####Cinebuds is sponsored by Joe Wilde Garage Door Company.

Last February, having just inherited the title of Black Lens programmer at Milwaukee Film, Ty Williams absolutely nailed his selections for a series showing off the range of Black stories that have come to the big screen over the years.Now, he’s putting that UW-Milwaukee film degree to good use once again. This time, however, he pulled in his picks around a particular theme. “Afrofuturism: Fates Beyond Fiction” includes six works — two short films and four full-length features — that jump from comic books to sci-fi horror to just plain weird.As you’ll hear Williams explain in this episode, what unifies his selections are how they “focus on the concept of dreaming a better future or a different world than the one we live in now.” That comes across in a bunch of different ways during the series, including the bad-assery of Wesley Snipes in Blade, the code-switching absurdity of Sorry to Bother You, and the messianic star turn by music legend and generally far-out dude Sun Ra in Space Is the Place.You’ll get to hear Williams and our trusty co-hosts talk about how he put together the full lineup, as well as how generally awesome the theater staff are at the Oriental and Downer theaters, and whether the third movie in a trilogy is ever the best one.#####Cinebuds is sponsored by Joe Wilde Garage Door Company.

Grab your tissues and your popcorn (but maybe chew quietly) because the Cinebuds are back to talk about some of the season's biggest buzz films.Dori and Kpolly start with a dive into the beautifully heartbreaking Hamnet from visionary director Chloe Zhao. They explore this historical-fiction tale of William Shakespeare’s family, featuring stunning performances by Jesse Buckley and Paul Mescal, plus a breakout turn by young Jacob Jupe. Be prepared for a symphony of sniffles as the hosts discuss how this film masterfully tackles love, grief and the special sauce that comes from a filmmaker’s personal connection to the material.Then, it’s time to talk about the Oscars’ biggest oversight: Korean dark comedy No Other Choice. Despite rave reviews and a Golden Globe nomination, this "will he get away with it" thriller starring Lee Byung-hun was surprisingly snubbed by the Academy. Plus, the buds share some deep cuts to add to your queue, including the horror-comedy Dust Bunny and a vintage Lucille Ball thriller, Lured.#####Cinebuds is sponsored by Joe Wilde Garage Door Company.

The death of a public figure can hit pretty hard because we feel like we know those people. For many of us, the feeling runs deeper with the passing of an artist or creator whose work has embedded itself in our daily lives.Milwaukee Film’s currently running “In Memoriam” series stirs up those emotions by honoring people from the film world who we lost in 2025 — instantly recognizable figures, like Diane Keaton, Robert Redford and Bob Uecker; as well as those who might be better known by true cinephiles, like Kramer vs. Kramer director Robert Benton and German character actor Udo Kier.“As we reflect on the year in film, we take a moment to remember luminaries we lost in 2025 and to honor them through viewing films where their creativity is on display,” Milwaukee Film artistic director Cara Ogburn said in a release. “Think of this as an awards montage where you get a bit longer to reflect and honor those we’ve lost in the past year through revisiting or discovering exemplary work from their careers.”In this episode of Cinebuds, Dori and Kpolly cover the series in depth and share the impact some of these famous names had on their journey to becoming the movie-loving people they are today.

In the final days of 2025, the Milwaukee music community --- and the wider world --- lost a truly wonderful human being. Will Bush was half of Immortal Girlfriend, the music project he shared with his brother Kevin. Their collaborations were undeniable, and their love of pop culture in general extended well beyond the songs they created together.Back in August of 2024, we invited Will and Kevin Bush to join an episode of Cinebuds as part of our Musician Series --- conversations with musically inclined folks that explored the more tuneful side of the movie industry. Our chat checked that box in a big way and ventured into cinema in general and the brothers' affection for professional wrestling.The Radio Milwaukee family, and the Milwaukee community as a whole, misses Will every day. We're proud to share this episode with you again in his memory.#####Cinebuds is sponsored by Joe Wilde Garage Door Company.

We ended 2025 on a high note (or a Hugh note?) with our review of Song Sung Blue, featuring a cameo from multitalented global superstar/song-and-dance man Hugh Jackman. So what better way to start 2026 than by pulling back the curtain on the Milwaukee connections that inspired the recently released biopic?For that, we called in a special guest: local filmmaker Jimmy Sammarco. He was instrumental (pun very intended) in the original Song Sung Blue documentary that brought the story of musical couple Mike and Claire Sardina — aka Lightning & Thunder — into the spotlight back in 2008. In his role as director of photography, he saw the ins and outs of the whole production, including a bombshell cease-and-desist order from Sony Music and an unlikely savior from one of the godfathers of grunge.#####Cinebuds is sponsored by Joe Wilde Garage Door Co.

There are so many “firsts” on this episode, we’re honestly not sure what to do with ourselves.Let’s start by telling you (in case you skipped the headline) that we’re reviewing Song Sung Blue, the based-on-a-true-story of real-life Milwaukee couple Mike and Claire Sardina, also known as Lightning & Thunder. Their Neil Diamond tribute act — with occasional departures into ABBA, Patsy Cline and others — played stages around the area for nearly 20 years, eventually catching the attention of writer/director Craig Brewer.Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson came on board his project to play the lead roles, with Jackman in particular embracing it in a huge way. That brings us to our first “first,” which saw the Oriental Theatre host a premiere for Song Sung Blue (reportedly at Jackman’s request) and give us a chance to attend our very first Hollywood-ish event.In addition to Dori, Radio Milwaukee social media strategist Zoey Knox elbowed her way to the edge of the red carpet, which was appropriately blue for the occasion. So of course we invited Zoey for her first Cinebuds appearance to share her thoughts on the movie, as well as what it was like for her and Dori to interview (sort of) the one and only Hugh Jackman!!!You’ll hear that admittedly brief but still wonderful chat in the full episode, which also includes our hosts’ reaction to this very Milwaukee tale. Some quick highlights: Hudson really nails her portrayal of Claire Sardina, she and Jackman clearly have legit singing chops, and the general uplifting-ness of the story make this a perfect release for the holiday season.Get all of the details in this episode, and make sure you check in with us after the holiday break for another perspective on Song Sung Blue from filmmaker Jimmy Sammarco, whose 2008 documentary of the same name was instrumental to the biopic hitting theaters this Christmas.#####Cinebuds is sponsored by Joe Wilde Garage Door Company.

Special episodes happen on the regular around here, but this one is something extra special: our live recording right after a screening of the 1988 holiday classic, Scrooged! We gathered an amazing audience at the Oriental Theatre to watch the movie and have a chat about Bill Murray’s performance as Frank Cross, the youngest network president in television history who’s got a long night ahead of him.Does this four-decades-old film still hit? We tackled that question, along with some fun facts about Murray's acting hiatus after Ghostbusters and his on-set conflicts with director Richard Donner. You'll also hear us dive into why this is a "very pro-therapy movie" and debate who should play the Frank Cross role if the movie were cast today. Our audience was eager to share their opinions as well and compete in Bill Murray trivia for truly impressive prizes. including an IBC towel and an autographed (possibly broken) VHS player! Grab some popcorn and enjoy this fun, chaotic celebration of an '80s holiday favorite.#####Cinebuds is sponsored by Joe Wilde Garage Door Company.

This week, our cinematic buddies tackle Guillermo del Toro's latest masterpiece: the new Frankenstein film currently streaming on Netflix. It's a movie he wanted to make since he was 8 years old, and we explore how this master of dark genre handled the classic Mary Shelley story.Dori and Kpolly discuss the film's unexpected body-horror elements and how it manages to balance the unsettling effects with a powerful focus on the humanity of the creature. You'll also learn about the creature’s casting evolution — from initial plans for Doug Jones and Benedict Cumberbatch to the final role played by Jacob Elordi — and how del Toro's choices shaped his take on the original story.Stick around until the end for our hosts' latest recommendations, including Being Eddie, the new documentary about comedy legend Eddie Murphy. And don't forget to join Cinebuds at the Oriental Theatre at 7 p.m. this Thursday, Dec. 11, for a screening of the holiday classic Scrooged followed by a LIVE taping of the podcast!#####Cinebuds is sponsored by Joe Wilde Garage Door Company.

The divide between people who review things for a living and regular folk has existed since before Robert Green called Shakespeare “an upstart crow” back in 1592. The years since have brought us Mozart (“too many notes”), Psycho (“falls quite flat”) and Taylor Swift’s discography, post-folklore.It sounds like we can add Wicked: For Good to the list. The second half of the movie based on the Broadway production based on the 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire has put critics on one side of the yellow brick road and fans on the other. Fortunately, we have just the duo to close that gap.Dori and Kpolly step into this episode relatively fresh from seeing the final chapter of the green-and-pink saga, and play out the internal struggle of critic vs. fan for your listening enjoyment. Despite imbibing Wicked: For Good with a side of critical pans and outright distaste, our duo’s take is a horse of a different color. Listen to their full report, and make sure you stick around until the end for more recommendations and special details about the Cinebuds Live event coming up Dec. 11. Actually, we’ll just give you that second part now: If you haven’t gotten your ticket for the very exciting screening of Scrooged and live taping of the podcast at the Oriental Theatre, go to the Milwaukee Film website and enter the creative code “SCROOGED” at checkout for $3 off.#####Cinebuds is sponsored by Joe Wilde Garage Door Company.

Milwaukee Film’s annual “Season’s Screenings” holiday movie series just got underway this week, and if you're listening to this episode on its release date, that means you’ve only missed one of the 22 selections that will run at the Oriental Theatre between now and Jan. 1 (if you really love The Holiday, you can always fork over $3.99 to stream it). With our resident Milwaukee Film-ite Kpolly, it seemed silly not to use this opportunity to dig into the topic of holiday movies. It won’t surprise you to learn that both of our hosts find this part of the calendar cinematically delightful. It’s kind of hard to argue with them, considering how un-genre-specific these movies are. Traditionalist? You’ve got White Christmas and It’s a Wonderful Life. Romantic? Bridget Jones’ Diary and When Harry Met Sally. Holiday hater? Krampus and Christmas Evil. Prefer straight-ahead comedies? Planes, Trains and Automobiles and Scrooged.Speaking of the Bill Murray-starring take on A Christmas Carol, only one entry in this year’s “Season’s Screenings” has an interactive element, and it happens Dec. 11 with what we’re calling “Scrooged with Cinebuds Live”! Because we believe in delivering on things promised in titles, everyone in attendance at the Oriental Theatre will enjoy a screening of the movie and a live taping of Cinebuds immediately following.So if you’ve ever fancied the idea of hearing your voice on the podcast, this is your big chance. We’ll even sweeten the deal by knocking $3 off your ticket, since you’re clearly a devoted Cinebuds fan if you’ve gotten this far down the page. Just enter the code “SCROOGED” when you check out on the Milwaukee Film website, and you’ll see the discount applied.#####Cinebuds is sponsored by Joe Wilde Garage Door Company.

It’s always preferable to have our usual dynamic duo piloting the podcast. But when that’s not the case, it usually means we’re making room for some special guests. For this episode, we’ve got two who know their way around movie making and are using that knowledge to make a positive impact on all of Wisconsin.Writer/director Nathan Deming, who hails from the northern reaches of the state, is smack dab in the middle of an ambition project to create 12 films set in Wisconsin, with each taking place in a different month (January and February are already a wrap). Jeffrey Kurz is a Racine native and former studio exec at Miramax Films. Both are involved with Action! Wisconsin, a statewide group pushing to make Wisconsin friendlier for film and television production.It’s not just movie types involved, either. In addition to the many people involved in film production — from directors to technicians — the coalition includes city governments, hotels, restaurants, small-business owners and educators. Their goal: to create jobs, lift local economies and promote tourism across the state.They scored a big win earlier this year, when Wisconsin legislators passed and Governor Tony Evers signed into law the creation of production incentives and a state film office. You’ll hear from Deming and Kurz about how that victory happened, how filming in Wisconsin can be a win for everyone and a few personal stories from their own movie-watching histories (including the ones that made them cry).#####Cinebuds is sponsored by Joe Wilde Co.

When is a concert film not a concert film?It's an existential question that's particularly fitting for this episode, as we focus on a movie that is literally about death. And also new-wave-slash-electronic-music legends Depeche Mode.The unfortunate intersection between those two subjects is the death of the band's keyboardist, Andy Fletcher, in 2022 and subsequent release of 2023 album Memento Mori. During that difficult time, remaining members Dave Gahan and Martin Gore went on tour to support the record and invited Mexican director to Fernando Frias capture their performances in Mexico City in September of 2023.Combining the footage with "interpretive interstitials and archival material," Frias delved into his culture's relationship with death and came away with Depeche Mode: M. On this episode, Kpolly leads our own delving with a specialized crew representing the two major sides of the movie: On the music front, we called in 88Nine program director, DJ-about-town and big Depeche Mode fan Kenny Perez. To reinforce our cinematic cred, we got 88Nine on-air personality and multidisciplinary artist (with an emphasis on film) Paula Lovo. You'll hear what all three of them had to say about the documentary, how well it connected to the culture and whether it'll hit with people not quite as familiar with the band (like Paula). Plus, there's a quick detour into favorite concert films, first movies and — perhaps in response to all the death talk — laugh-out-loud comedies.#####Cinebuds is sponsored by Joe Wilde Garage Door Company.

In this episode, we take a very special trip … to the Bizarro World.Imagine a place that is the opposite of the Cinebuds universe. A place where the two main characters are awful to their very core. A pair of people who hate everything, including each other. A couple who are … gulp … married.The duo at the center of Roald Dahl’s novel-turned-Netflix-movie The Twits are truly the Bizarro version of Dori and Kpolly, who are notoriously nice and do not hate indiscriminately and are definitely NOT married. They do, however, manage to disagree about The Twits movie adaptation in their own agreeable way. Maybe you’re more like Dori and will have trouble disconnecting the plot from certain real-world events or find the Twits “a little bit too much.” Maybe you’re more like Kpolly and will deeply dig the "really impressive" animation and creative plot additions to the source material. Find out for yourself by listening to the episode in full and checking out The Twits on Netflix.#####Cinebuds is sponsored by Joe Wilde Co.

The only thing more plentiful than Halloween candy is Halloween watchlists. Our favorite fall holiday (you heard us, Thanksgiving) was celebrated for the first time more than 2,000 years ago, possibly to recognize the first batch of Circus Peanuts ever manufactured.Fun fact: They haven’t needed to make any more, because no human being has ever actually eaten a Circus Peanut. We’ve just been passing around the same ones for two millenia.That’s also a lot of movie-making time, enough for the catch-all “horror” genre to split off so many subgenres. Slasher. Monster. Folk. Body. Even comedy. But that still wasn’t specific enough when Dori and Kpolly set off to give you their recommendations for this film-friendly time of year. So our scions of the cinema picked two pretty granular categories — "'70s Scares"  and "Mild Frights" — and sprinkled their picks throughout this episode.#####Cinebuds is sponsored by Joe Wilde Co.