Film talk with dirt under its nails.
Cinepunx treats movie criticism like a long conversation after a screening: funny, messy, informed, and willing to wander. Recent episodes move from Ringo Lam and Jackie Chan to Mikey and Nicky, 1990s thrillers, skate movies, and new releases without sanding down the banter.
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Cinepunx is a film conversation show with the pauses, detours, and rough edges left intact. That is part of its appeal. Josh Alvarez and Liam O'Donnell do not rush past the life stuff before getting to the movie; they let the life stuff explain why the movie matters that week. A break between episodes can become a discussion of grief, travel, ER visits, chicken wings, or simply the difficulty of remembering which conversation happened in person and which happened on mic. Then, often abruptly, the show locks onto cinema. Recent episodes cover Mikey and Nicky, Midnight Run, Running on Empty, Ringo Lam's City on Fire and School on Fire, Jackie Chan, Rad, Gleaming the Cube, Cat Chaser, Night Eyes, and a new movie round-up. The range is wide, but the sensibility is consistent. Cinepunx likes movies as objects, memories, scenes, arguments, and excuses to talk about culture. Hong Kong action can lead into John Woo and Tsui Hark as entry points before Ringo Lam gets his turn. A Jackie Chan episode can start with a joke about Iron Eagle and still make space for why the topic has somehow gone untouched on the main show. A guest appearance can become a running relationship, especially when Chris Reject is described as a multi-time guest who razzes the regulars. Music and punk-adjacent history keep bleeding into the film talk, most clearly when Justin Pearson appears and the discussion turns toward hardcore, regional scenes, and personal influence. The tone is informal. The opinions are not casual. Cinepunx works because the speakers sound willing to be funny, wrong, corrected, and genuinely moved in the same stretch of conversation. It is not a polished lecture series. It is also not empty banter. The show sits in the middle: fast, affectionate, argumentative, sometimes unruly, and usually smarter than its first joke lets on. For listeners who want film writing in audio form, it may feel too loose. For listeners who want movie talk with memory, texture, and a little friendly combat, it lands exactly there.
Made for: Cinepunx is for film fans who like art-house, cult, action, and genre conversations delivered through loose banter rather than formal criticism. It especially suits listeners who enjoy movie talk tangled up with music scenes, friendships, and personal history.
What sets it apart: The show keeps the pre-review mess because the mess is often the point: missed schedules, old screenings, regional memories, and guest dynamics become part of the criticism. It feels less like a verdict machine and more like a long-running conversation that happens to know a lot about movies.
Cinepunx is an ongoing conversation about film, art, and culture between knuckleheads. Join Joshua Alvarez and Liam O’Donnell who, along with their menagerie of guests, discuss their passions in cinema and music. With enough taste to be interesting and enough disgrace to be fun, Cinepunx builds it up to break it down, pointing fingers and drinking coffee, discussing both firestorms and camera angles for your enjoyment.
Based on 5 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Josh Alvarez and Liam O'Donnell make film criticism conversational, specific, and willing to let disagreement sharpen the judgment.
Cinepunx turns movie criticism into an open-ended conversation between Josh Alvarez, Liam O'Donnell, and their guests. Their discussions move easily from Nicolas Cage's commitment in lesser films to blockbuster pacing, franchise fatigue, nonlinear storytelling, and the slippery…
Nicolas Cage's paycheck years give you an argument about effort that outlives the movie.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A loose guest hang that settles into a clear movie conversation about scale, visuals, and runtime.
Josh Alvarez and Liam O'Donnell spend this episode in loose guest-hang mode with Evan in the room, opening with a playful stretch about y'all, guys, and the awkwardness of gendered language.
A loose Cage conversation that turns career chaos into affectionate, sharply specific film talk.
Episode 196 frames Nicolas Cage as more than a running joke about paychecks, and the discussion gets real mileage out of that tension. With Matty King alongside Josh Alvarez and Liam O'Donnell, it moves from Cage's wilderness years to the later stretch that has kept him in the…
A loose, funny discussion of My Winnipeg that keeps the uncertainty intact.
My Winnipeg is handled less as a puzzle to crack than as a film to live with, which suits Cinepunks when the movie is this hard to pin down. Josh Alvarez and Liam O'Donnell keep things loose and funny, letting the balance between real detail, invented detail, and lived…
A loose, funny bi-coastal hangout that turns a polarizing movie into a lively argument.
Cinepunx episode 194 settles into a loose, opinionated hangout, starting with time-zone confusion and the first official bi-coastal recording before it moves into a sharp debate over a polarizing movie.
A loose opening gives way to a sharper, mostly frustrated take on The Marvels.
Cinepunks opens on holiday scheduling jokes and a loose, good-natured stretch about lining up a Christmas guest. It takes a minute to find its stride, but the back-and-forth has enough warmth and easy timing to carry the opening.
Solo-narrated video essays decoding film and TV endings, symbolism, and cultural meaning.
Kim Masters and Puck's Matt Belloni break down Hollywood's dealmaking and executive shake-ups.
Story analysis with jokes still attached.
Film culture, festival heat, awards nerves.
Messy horror talk with real teeth.
Josh and Liam start with a language detour.
Hosts Josh and Liam welcome returning guest Chris Reject for episode 213 of their movie podcast Cinepunks, joking about the episode's unlucky number and their dynamic.
The hosts of Cinepunks discuss their return to recording after a break, their personal interactions, and their preparation for analyzing the 1976 film 'Mikey and Nicky'.
The hosts of CinePunks return after a hiatus to share personal updates including a vacation, family tragedy, health issues, and schedule conflicts.
The hosts introduce Episode 208 of Cinepunks, discussing their excitement for the show and planning to cover The Shining in a future episode.
The hosts introduce a guest, Justin Pearson, and discuss his influence on their music and film tastes.
Josh and Liam discuss two Hong Kong action films, City on Fire and School on Fire, exploring the work of director Ringo Lam.
Josh and Liam welcome guest Evan Volela to discuss the Iron Eagle film series and Jackie Chan movies.
Josh and Liam discuss the new movie 'Sinners' and their excitement about it, warning listeners to watch it first before listening.
Hosts Joshua Alvarez and Liam O'Donnell banter about episode number 202 and catch up on personal life before diving into film discussion.
Josh and Liam introduce guest Sam Deegan, discussing his book release and screening, and their personal connection.
The hosts celebrate their 200th episode by welcoming guests for a roundtable discussion about film and culture.
Josh and Liam discuss plans for their 200th episode, considering reaching out to famous guests or bringing back regulars.
The hosts catch up after a break, discussing their 10-year anniversary event and life delays.
The hosts reflect on the longevity of their film discussion podcast and its evolution over time.
Josh Alvarez and Liam O'Donnell mark episode 196 with Matty King on the show, then spend a good stretch of the hour on Nicolas Cage, treating his career like an ongoing test of how far an actor can go and still keep people talking.
Josh Alvarez and Liam O'Donnell open loose.
Josh Alvarez and Liam O'Donnell kick off the first official bi-coastal episode of Cinepunks.
Hosts Josh and Liam welcome guest Dan Scully to discuss their shared love of movies and a recent screening of The Beekeeper.
Hosts Josh and Liam discuss a recent medical emergency and transition into their ongoing film and culture conversation.
Hosts Josh and Liam introduce episode 185, discussing recent movies they watched and Josh's experience with COVID-19 quarantine.
Cinepunks opens with a joke about being absurdly early for Christmas planning.
Josh and Liam catch up on life events and preview upcoming film discussions.
Josh and Liam apologize for the long hiatus and discuss their struggles to record regularly, touching on summer schedules and personal commitments.
The hosts and a guest discuss the 1990 film 'Without You, I'm Nothing' and the context of Sandra Bernhard.
Josh and Liam introduce their podcast episode, reminiscing about past episodes and friends, setting a casual tone for film discussion.
The hosts and a guest discuss their shared love for the band Markman and reminisce about a recent gig.
The hosts of Cinepunx catch up after a recording hiatus due to COVID reinfection and busy schedules, setting up their discussion of the film 'In the Mood for Love'.
This episode features an interview with returning guest Mike Paulshock, a rock musician, discussing filmmaker Greg Araki and his film 'Nowhere' (1997).
The hosts discuss their recent viewing of the newly released film John Wick Chapter 4 in this episode of the Cinepunx podcast.
The hosts introduce episode 170 of Cinepunx, discussing their recording schedule and previewing an analysis of the classic musical film Singin' in the Rain.
Hosts Josh and Liam banter about episode numbering and a mutual friend before diving into film and culture discussion.
Hosts Josh and Liam introduce guest Chris and banter about the show's ad reads and his accomplishments.