Category Archives: Podcasts

Franchise Detours: ‘The Matrix Reloaded/Revolutions’ [ENCORE] (feat. Jackson Smith of Nightfall Entertainment)

Exactly one year before The Matrix Resurrections‘ release, Jackson Smith of Nightfall Entertainment joined Close Watch — then the Crooked Table Podcast — to discuss The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions.

Now Franchise Detours looks back at that epic three-hour conversation. We’ll discuss why The Matrix sequels are underappreciated, where the trilogy sits within cinema history, and look forward to what comes next.

SYNOPSIS

The Matrix Reloaded:
Freedom fighters Neo (Keanu Reeves), Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) and Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) continue to lead the revolt against the Machine Army, unleashing their arsenal of extraordinary skills and weaponry against the systematic forces of repression and exploitation. In their quest to save the human race from extinction, they gain greater insight into the construct of The Matrix and Neo’s pivotal role in the fate of mankind.


The Matrix Revolutions:
In a dystopia overrun by robots, Neo (Keanu Reeves), mankind’s greatest hope, is trapped in a limbo world. Meanwhile, the majority of the planet’s population remains in a state of suspended virtual reality. The few humans who are cognizant of the grim realities of the world desperately try to hold off their mechanical enemies long enough for Neo to escape and save the day, but things turn disastrous when all-powerful computer program Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) arrives in the flesh.

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Franchise Detours: ‘The Matrix’ [ENCORE] (feat. Freddy Yaniz)

In 2019, Freddy Yaniz joined Close Watch — then the Crooked Table Podcast — for an in-depth discussion of The Matrix. Now, with the release of The Matrix Resurrections, Franchise Detours looks back at that chat.

In this special encore episode, we discuss the profound impact The Matrix had on us personally, how its legacy has impacted Hollywood, and why the movie continues to inspire fans more than two decades after its release.

SYNOPSIS
Neo (Keanu Reeves) believes that Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) — an elusive figure considered to be the most dangerous man alive — can answer his question: “What is the Matrix?” Neo is contacted by Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), a beautiful stranger who leads him into an underworld where he meets Morpheus. They fight a brutal battle for their lives against a cadre of viciously intelligent secret agents. It is a truth that could cost Neo something more precious than his life.

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Close Watch Episode 10: ‘The Mummy’ (feat. Catherine Gonzales of Latinx Lens)

The Dark Universe might have been dead on arrival, but 1999’s The Mummy remains just as beloved as ever. More than two decades later, fans continue to revisit Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz’s sweeping adventure.

On this episode, Catherine Gonzales of Latinx Lens joins the show as we talk about the film’s influence on modern blockbusters, its iconic cast of unforgettable characters, and how well it holds up by today’s standards.

SYNOPSIS
The Mummy is a rousing, suspenseful and horrifying epic about an expedition of treasure-seeking explorers in the Sahara Desert in 1925. Stumbling upon an ancient tomb, the hunters unwittingly set loose a 3,000-year-old legacy of terror, which is embodied in the vengeful reincarnation of an Egyptian priest who had been sentenced to an eternity as one of the living dead.

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