Cinema Junkie

Satisfy your celluloid addiction and mainline film 24/7 with Cinema Junkie’s Beth Accomando. So if you need a film fix, want to hear what filmmakers have to say about their work, feel like taking a deep dive into a genre, or just want to know what's worth seeing this weekend, then you've come to the right place. You can also find Beth's coverage of other arts and culture events here.
Ways To Subscribe

WorldBeat Cultural Center celebrates Threads of Freedom

Escape to Arcade Monsters

From the World of John Wick: You want action? Yeah.

SD Fringe top pick: 'Smile'
-
Meet The Glamorous Victim, The Lady Sleuth. The Redeeming Angel and more as Cinema Junkie explores the diversity of women in film noir.
-
Looking beyond just the usual suspects of the femme fatale for Noir-vember
-
Celebrate Noirvember with an exploration of film noir with TCM host and the Czar of Noir Eddie Muller.
-
Cinema Junkie takes on another mission, this time to explore the world of spies presented in the film and television adaptations of John Le Carré's books. Previously on Cinema Junkie we looked at the fantasy world of Ian Fleming’s James Bond and now we move on to the grittier, more realistic world of John Le Carré’s spies of the Cold War and beyond. Joining Cinema Junkie once again are spy aficionados Gary Dexter and Jeff Quest, both are regular contributors to Shane Whaley's Spybrary Podcast . Quest also runs spywrite.com, which is dedicated to spy fiction and non-fiction. We look to the early attempts of depicting what spies do in Hitchcock films such as "The 39 Steps" and later the film adaptations of Graham Greene's novels such as "Our Man in Havana." Then we discuss the many adaptations of Le Carré's books, and how he put his real world experiences working in intelligence to a different use than Fleming did. Also listen to Cinema Junkie Bond. James Bond. Part One and Part Two. Enjoy Geeky Gourmet videos about James Bond themed food and spy drinks.
-
Cinema Junkie speaks again with espionage aficionados and Spybrary Podcast contributors Gary Dexter and Jeff Quest (of spywrite.com) to look at the evolution of female characters across nearly six decades of films, and to assess what makes a good Bond and what each of the six actors in the Eon Productions' official 25 007 movies have brought to the role. We also discuss producer Barbara Broccoli's contribution to the franchise and where it might go after "No Time To Die." Please check out part one of the podcast where we have a spoiler-free review of "No Time To Die."
-
Cinema Junkie Beth Accomando goes on a special mission with spy aficionados Gary Dexter and Jeff Quest to explore the cinematic and literary universe of James Bond 007. Get a spoiler-free review of "No Time To Die" and then enjoy part one of an in-depth and geeky exploration of the fantasy spy world of Ian Fleming's James Bond.
-
Earlier this month Marvel delivered its first Asian superhero in its cinematic universe with "Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings." But it’s been a long hard road getting to this point in Hollywood. For the latest episode of Cinema Junkie, I speak with Brian Hu, artistic director of the San Diego Asian Film Festival, about the evolution of Asian images on screen from the stereotypes of yellow peril to Shang Chi.
-
The new "Candyman" has a lot to unpack for a 90-minute horror film. It cleverly continues the story of the original 1992 film that boasted Tony Todd in the title role but it is also a stunning reimagining of the character through a Black lens. The new film was directed by Nia Da Costa and co-written by Da Costa and Jordan Peele.
-
This weekend choose between Cassandro the Exotico or Agatha Christie's famous detective at the cinemas.
-
The free, family-friendly event celebrating Afrofuturistic art, film, writing and thinking takes place at Jackie Robinson YMCA in Mountain View.
-
The four-day film festival kicks off Sept. 7 in Balboa Park and will celebrate and uplift the broad spectrum of the LGBTQ+ community through movies at a time of growing anti-LGBTQ+ legislation across the U.S.
-
This weekend choose between zombie mayhem or a "final girl" taking on a creepy perpetrator.
-
Can "The Untitled Unauthorized Hunster S. Thompson Musical" capture the fear and loathing of the pop culture icon?
-
The latest entry in the DC universe offers a genuinely fun time. DC's "Blue Beetle" introduces audiences to Jaime Reyes and his origin story.
-
A cottage teetering on the edge of a roof, a 180-ton granite bear, and a 560-foot slithering snake are just some of the commissioned art on the UC San Diego campus that inspire discussions of what makes art.
-
KPBS Midday EditionDostoevsky's epic novel about murder, morality and suffering is now a 90-minute comic romp at The Globe.
Beth Accomando is taking a short break from film reviews and arts coverage to create a six-part video podcast called Stripper Energy. Check it out!