Kaveh and CK's Screening Room

Fall film festival season is here, and we're here to celebrate in the Screening Room! In this month's episode, special guest Keyvan Jalinous joins hosts Kaveh Jalinous and Cortlyn Kelly to discuss their experiences at the first three fall film festivals – Venice, Telluride, and Toronto. The three discusses the energy of each festival before sharing the best (and worst) films they saw.

Hosts: Kaveh Jalinous, Cortlyn Kelly.

Special Guest: Keyvan Jalinous.

In a departure from the usual episode structure, hosts Kaveh Jalinous and Cortlyn Kelly discuss their methods of film-watching and film criticism, including: the setting in which they watch movies, the types of movies they watch, and their experience with post-lingering thoughts. The two then discuss their method in action using Jordan Peele's 'Nope,' a film they both recently re-watched, as a live case study.

Hosts: Kaveh Jalinous, Cortlyn Kelly.

The biggest movie weekend in a long time has just passed, and two of the most anticipated movies of the past couple years, Greta Gerwig's 'Barbie' and Christopher Nolan's 'Oppenheimer,' have finally landed. To celebrate, hosts Cortlyn Kelly and Kaveh Jalinous enlist special guest Keyvan Jalinous to discuss both films, revealing which film they enjoyed and which film they weren't fans of.

Hosts: Kaveh Jalinous, Cortlyn Kelly.

Special Guest: Keyvan Jalinous.

June is wrapping up, and hosts Kaveh Jalinous and Cortlyn Kelly have a lot to discuss in the Screening Room. The two first talk about June's hottest releases – namely, Celine Song's 'Past Lives' and Wes Anderson's 'Asteroid City.' They then pivot to quickly discussing the new season of 'Black Mirror,' before finally sharing their top five films of the year (so far).

Hosts: Kaveh Jalinous, Cortlyn Kelly.

It's May, and hosts Kaveh Jalinous and Cortlyn Kelly are here to discuss everything that's happened in the past month at the cinema! They first talk about the month's biggest blockbusters: 'Fast X,' the newest film in the long-running, globe-trotting series, and 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,' the newest MCU outing. After quickly discussing the Cannes Film Festival, they then pivot to talking about several films Cortlyn saw at this years Chicago Critics Film Festival, including some of the year's best films (so far) that are coming to your cinema very, very soon.

Hosts: Kaveh Jalinous, Cortlyn Kelly.

We've rebranded! Welcome to the new podcast, 'Kaveh and CK's Screening Room,' hosted by Kaveh Jalinous and Cortlyn Kelly. We'll still be covering the same topics–cinema, the industry, and the future–but, this time, there's two of us! In this premiere episode, hosts Kaveh Jalinous and Cortlyn Kelly first introduce themselves before diving into 10 movies you've likely never heard of that you need to check out.

Hosts: Kaveh Jalinous, Cortlyn Kelly.

The Academy Awards are back! To celebrate, host Kaveh Jalinous is joined by special guest Keyvan Jalinous to discuss this year's nominated films, and predict the winners for the 15 categories in this year's telecast. They discuss their reasoning for each of their selections, as well as what other nominees could potentially come through and take the gold home. 

Host: Kaveh Jalinous. Special Guest: Keyvan Jalinous.

In this week's episode, host Kaveh Jalinous is joined by special guest Keyvan Jalinous to begin the first half of their Oscar coverage. Before that, the two quickly discuss the newest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' (PLEASE NOTE: THIS DISCUSSION INCLUDES SPOILERS FOR THE FILM). After, they pivot to discussing the 10 films nominated for Best Picture at this year's Academy Awards, ranking the films in order of personal preference. 

Host: Kaveh Jalinous. Special Guest: Keyvan Jalinous.

The screening room has re-opened in 2023! After an accidental hiatus, Kaveh Jalinous is back to discuss all things Sundance! To start, he outlines what the festival experience was like in its first-ever hybrid format before diving into the films he saw, mentioning eight films that he thinks will be hits when they have their wide releases. Highlights include Raine Allen-Miller's 'Rye Lane', William Oldroyd's 'Eileen', and more.

Host: Kaveh Jalinous.

In one of the biggest episodes of the series' history, host Kaveh Jalinous is joined by special guest Cortlyn Kelly for two tasks. Firstly, the two discuss and debate James Cameron's long-awaited 'Avatar: The Way of Water,' the 13-year-awaited sequel to 'Avatar,' the highest grossing film of all-time. Then, the two pivot into talking about their favorite films of 2022, mentioning everything from horror-comedy-action blockbusters to films about donkeys. The episode also includes a long discussion about their (unexpectedly) mutual favorite film of the year. 

Host: Kaveh Jalinous. Special Guest: Cortlyn Kelly.

In a quiet time for cinema before the release of James Cameron's 'Avatar: The Way of Water,' host Kaveh Jalinous takes 25 minutes to talk about eight films from this fall movie season that haven't been mentioned or dived into on the podcast just yet. The list includes everything from blockbuster hits, such as Ryan Coogler's 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' to underrated gems, like James Gray's 'Armageddon Time.'

Host: Kaveh Jalinous

Inspired by the star-studded cast of one of last weekend's new releases, 'The Menu,' host Kaveh Jalinous is joined by special guest Cortlyn Kelly to discuss all things ensemble films. The two track the film style throughout the years, talking about the elements necessary for making a good ensemble film as well as the ever-changing connotations of the term. The two then turn to giving their top five rankings of ensemble films, highlighting multiple decades and genres of film along the way.

Host: Kaveh Jalinous. Special Guest: Cortlyn Kelly. 

Vacation has ended, and the Screening Room is open once again. For the new episode, host Kaveh Jalinous is joined by special guest Leily Jalinous to discuss Ol Parker's 'Ticket to Paradise,' a new entry in the 2022 romantic renaissance lineup staring icons George Clooney and Julia Roberts (note: slight spoilers included in the discussion). After, the two discuss Parker's previous film, 'Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again' and they try to pick their favorite character from the franchise using a March Madness-style bracket. 

Host: Kaveh Jalinous. Special Guest: Leily Jalinous.

This year's Palme d'Or winner, 'Triangle of Sadness,' is finally out in theaters. Host Kaveh Jalinous discusses the film – highlighting its three act structure, intense and prolonged sequences, and brilliant performances. Afterwards, he is joined by special guest Julian Trejo-Bax to discuss the best satire films. The two discuss what makes a satire work before diving into their personal top five rankings.

Host: Kaveh Jalinous. Special Guest: Julian Trejo-Bax.

A new documentary about David Bowie, "Moonage Daydream," is finally in theaters now after lots of anticipation and acclaim. To celebrate the release of this wild, beautiful and enchanting documentary, host Kaveh Jalinous recruits two music aficionados – music journalist Lily Moayeri and musician Laurence Schroeder – to discuss the film. After that, the three pivot into talking all things music documentaries, highlighting what makes a music doc successful and mentioning their five favorite films (each) in the process.

Host: Kaveh Jalinous. Special Guests: Lily Moayeri, Laurence Schroeder.

This week in the Screening Room, host Kaveh Jalinous does more than just recap his experiences at the Venice Film Festival. Instead, he is joined by Cortlyn Kelly, who attended this year's Telluride Film Festival, to discuss the energies, lineups, and audiences of the two infamous fall film festivals. Then, the two go through their festival rankings, highlighting films they expected to love, films they were surprised to adore, and films they were saddened to dislike in the process. Host: Kaveh Jalinous. Special Guest: Cortlyn Kelly.

In the season four premiere, host Kaveh Jalinous and special guest Keyvan Jalinous discuss David Leitch's 'Bullet Train,' the newest release in the slow second-half of this summer's blockbuster season. The two discuss the film's action sequences, (attempted) humor, and giant actor ensemble. The two then pivot to discussing their favorite action films that take place on the train tracks! Host: Kaveh Jalinous. Special Guest: Keyvan Jalinous.

Host Kaveh Jalinous is joined by special guest Keyvan Jalinous to explore an element of film that hasn't been deeply explored on the podcast yet: music for film. The two run through the scores (Keyvan picking the even-numbered years and Kaveh picking the odd-numbered years) they deem to be the "most essential" of the last 12 years. In the process, they highlight some of the best blockbuster film scores, independent film scores, and practically everything in between. There's a catch, though: the two don't know which scores the other is picking until they're on air... Host: Kaveh Jalinous. Special Guest: Keyvan Jalinous

We're midway through 2022, and to celebrate, host Kaveh Jalinous looks back at the films that have released throughout the first six months of the year. He highlights his top five favorite films – highlighting both incredible blockbusters and unforgettable indies – and talks briefly about some honorable mentions that capture the wide range of films that have graced cinemas (and streaming services) this year. Host: Kaveh Jalinous.

It's been four years since the cultural reset that was Beyoncé's Homecoming Coachella performance, and three years since the documentary covering the concert released on Netflix. To celebrate, host Kaveh Jalinous is joined by special guests Sasha and Leily Jalinous to play a new variation of their typical competition. After discussing 'Homecoming' for a bit, the three three are tasked with each picking five Beyoncé songs from her entire discography, hoping to craft the perfect setlist that captures the various facets of both her career and her artistic talent. Make sure to stay tuned to @kavehjalinous on Instagram, because this Sunday, there will be a poll for you to pick who came up with the best setlist! Host: Kaveh Jalinous. Special Guests: Leily Jalinous, Sasha Jalinous.

The best film of the year (so far) has arrived! To celebrate the nationwide release of Daniels' newest film, 'Everything Everywhere All at Once,' host Kaveh Jalinous is joined by special guest Keyvan Jalinous to discuss the multiverse-spanning action-comedy. Among many other things, the two talk about the film's intricate set pieces, excellent performances, and well-communicated themes (without spoilers!). The two then pivot to highlighting eight movies that are chaotic yet good, spotlighting both well-known and less-known flicks to watch. Host: Kaveh Jalinous. Special Guest: Keyvan Jalinous.

The 94th Academy Awards are upon us, so naturally, host Kaveh Jalinous is joined by special guest Keyvan Jalinous to make some predictions. The two name their guesses for the winners of all of the show's most prominent categories and discuss their thoughts on the planned ceremony as a whole (spoiler alert: they aren't fans). Host: Kaveh Jalinous. Special Guest: Keyvan Jalinous.

One of the most anticipated films of 2022, Matt Reeves' 'The Batman,' has finally arrived in movie theatres worldwide. To celebrate, host Kaveh Jalinous teams up with Laurence Schroeder to discuss practically everything related to the film – including the film's direction, cinematography, music and performances, among many other things. The two then veer into spoiler territory to discuss the future of DC Films presented by Reeves' film (with a spoiler warning tag right before in the episode). Then, they discuss the IP of 'Batman' as a whole, tracing the character's history through film and ranking the six most recent 'Batman' performances. Host: Kaveh Jalinous. Special Guest: Laurence Schroeder. 

In a spin-off of their "film festival" episodes of Season One and Two, host Kaveh Jalinous teams up with special guests Sasha and Leily Jalinous for a new game. In "Picking Teams," they go back and forth, choosing actors under 35 years of age and explaining the reasoning behind their decisions. Make sure to follow @kavehjalinous on Instagram, where a poll will be released this Sunday (February 20th, 2022) to determine who picked the best team. Host: Kaveh Jalinous. Special Guests: Sasha Jalinous, Leily Jalinous.

The first major film festival of 2022, the Sundance Film Festival, has come and gone. Host Kaveh Jalinous discusses the 19 films that he saw at the festival, ranking them from worst to best. The list includes mini-reviews of some of the festival's most hyped films, like Kogonada's "After Yang," to some of the festival's smaller films, such as Alika Maikau's "Every Day in Kaimukī." Host: Kaveh Jalinous

A new 'Scream' film is upon us, and to celebrate, host Kaveh Jalinous has gathered special guests Laurence Schroeder and Keyvan Jalinous to discuss. They first talk all about the new film (with spoilers), covering everything from the film's reveals to the meta nature of the storytelling. They then pivot to coming up with a unanimous ranking all five 'Scream' films from best to worst, discussing each film's strengths and weaknesses along the way. Host: Kaveh Jalinous. Special Guests: Laurence Schroeder, Keyvan Jalinous. 

In the premiere episode of Season 3, host Kaveh Jalinous is joined by special guest Natalia Trejo-Bax as the two discuss all things musicals. The two first discuss the new Spielberg adaptation of 'West Side Story' before exploring the different connotations of the musical genre and how the genre has changed through time. They then venture through their top five favorite musicals (each), discussing why they love each of these films so much. Host: Kaveh Jalinous. Special Guest: Natalia Trejo-Bax.

In the chaotic fall film season of 2021, the latest entrant has arrived: Paul Thomas Anderson's newest film 'Licorice Pizza!' Since the film is only playing in a few theaters at the moment, host Kaveh Jalinous first discusses his (spoilerish-free) thoughts on the film [with a more detailed discussion to follow in a later episode]. Then, he pivots to highlighting three underrated streaming services – MUBI, Shudder, and The Criterion Channel – and what makes them so great and worth the subscription price. This episode is the season finale of Season Two, so a special thanks to everyone who has listened and joined the screening room thus far! Host: Kaveh Jalinous. 

At long last, Pablo Larraín's highly anticipated 'Spencer' has arrived. Host Kaveh Jalinous first discusses the film, highlighting its horror film-reminiscent elements, Kristen Stewart's powerful performance as Princess Diana, and Jonny Greenwood's beautiful and unsettling score. He then pivots to recommending six biopics that transcend the limitations of the subgenre, using a variety of different film techniques to stand out and crafting stories that are as unforgettable as they are incredible. Host: Kaveh Jalinous. 

After almost a year of delays, the long-awaited and much-anticipated 'Dune' adaptation from Denis Villeneuve is here! To discuss, host Kaveh Jalinous enlists the help of special guests Cortlyn Kelly and Keyvan Jalinous to unpack everything about the film, including but not limited to: the ensemble's performances, Hans Zimmer's electric score, the faithfulness to Herbert's source material, and the experience watching the film in IMAX's 1.43 aspect ratio. After, the three discuss and rank Villeneuve's seven most popular films (per Letterboxd), discussing his extraordinary skill as a director as well as his extensive career. Host: Kaveh Jalinous. Special Guests: Cortlyn Kelly, Keyvan Jalinous. 

The screening room has reopened! While it's been a while since the last episode released, host Kaveh Jalinous is back to discuss the 21 movies he saw at this year's New York Film Festival, which ran from September 24th to October 10th. He highlights a variety of films, including those he watched to review for Under The Radar Magazine and those he went to for fun. He runs through the list from his least favorite film to his favorite, highlighting some of the year's biggest and most anticipated films including Wes Anderson's "The French Dispatch" and Apichatpong Weerasethakul's "Memoria," among many others. Host: Kaveh Jalinous.

The fall movie season is upon us!! To celebrate what is looking to be an absolutely incredible slate of films, host Kaveh Jalinous is joined by special guest Keyvan Jalinous. Firstly, they discuss the new James Wan horror film, "Malignant," in cinemas and streaming on HBO Max right now. They keep the discussion relatively spoiler-free, and try to refrain from discussing the film's wild final act (0:14). Then, the two pivot to sharing the lists they made (five films each) of movies that they can't wait to see this fall. The movies included range from small, independent films to big blockbusters, all hopefully coming our way within the next few months (14:45). Host: Kaveh Jalinous. Special Guest: Keyvan Jalinous.

In this very special episode, host Kaveh Jalinous is joined by special guest Jude Nelson, a film student specializing in editing and post-production. The two talk all things editing, with Jude first answering some of Kaveh's questions to the two discussing three movies each that they think have incredible editing (and explaining why). The two cover a variety of different topics, including the recent Oscar winners for Best Editing, the impact of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in both editing and filmmaking, and some of Jude's work so far. For people looking to learn more about how a movie transitions from a collection of shots to the final product we see in theaters today, this is an episode you won't want to miss. Host: Kaveh Jalinous. Special Guest: Jude Nelson.

Queue up Muse, get out those baseball bats, and pick a team! Since all five films of 'The Twilight Saga' have recently been added to Netflix, 'KJSR' is here to dive deep into all things vampires and werewolves. In a very special episode, host Kaveh Jalinous is joined by guest Keyvan Jalinous as the two discuss the chaotic madness that is the 'Twilight' series. They talk about each of the films, discuss the franchise's unexpected significance, and power rank some of the most prominent characters in the series. They may not be able to come up with one-liners as incredible as the ones in the series, but they sure do try. Host: Kaveh Jalinous. Special Guest: Keyvan Jalinous.

In honor of the just-finished Cannes Film Festival and the recent Toronto International Film Festival lineup release, the Screening Room is throwing another film festival of its own! In this episode, host Kaveh Jalinous is joined by Sasha Jalinous and Leily Jalinous, where the three discuss the  'coming-of-age' sub-genre in cinema. The three each construct a film festival lineup consisting of four coming-of-age films – including classic films, underrated gems, and everything in between. Make sure to tune into the episode by this Sunday (7/25), where a poll on the KavehJReviews Instagram account, @kavehjalinous, will task you with deciding who has the best lineup of 'coming-of-age' films!  Host: Kaveh Jalinous. Special Guests: Leily Jalinous, Sasha Jalinous.

Family is back! In this episode, host Kaveh Jalinous first breaks down the chaotic yet entertaining mess that is F9, the newest film in the ever-growing Fast & Furious franchise (0:12). After, he discusses six different action movies – some old and some new, some big-budgeted and some underrated – that are much better than the new box office hit and 100% worth a stream (12:57). Host: Kaveh Jalinous. 

In a special new episode, host Kaveh Jalinous is joined by Natalia Trejo-Bax to talk about all things Pixar! Firstly, the two discuss the newest and slightly underwhelming film from the hit animation studio, Luca (0:12). They then pivot to discussing the studio as a whole, with the help of a tier chart. Following the classic tier chart structure, they each place two movies from the studio in the 'S' (or Super) tier, 'A' tier, and 'B' tier; and one movie each in the 'C' and 'D' tiers (24:04). Host: Kaveh Jalinous. Special Guest: Natalia Trejo-Bax. 

We're back! In the Season Two premiere episode of Kaveh J.'s Screening Room, host Kaveh Jalinous is joined by special guest Keyvan Jalinous. The two first discuss the newest movie to hit theaters and HBO Max this weekend, "The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It" (0:14). Later, they pivot to talking about their favorite movies (and television show) of the year so far, highlighting both movies that have already mentioned in previous episodes and new movies that are definitely worth a watch (12:00). Host: Kaveh Jalinous. Special Guest: Keyvan Jalinous.

The season finale is here! In this episode, host Kaveh Jalinous is joined by sisters Leily Jalinous and Sasha Jalinous in the podcast's first on-air competition. The goal: to each assemble a film festival lineup of five different films that are both "guilty pleasure films" – movies that are liked and rewatched constantly without shame – and comedies (from 2000 and beyond). While the parameters may seem broad initially, that is definitely not the case, as the three clash over all sorts of different movies trying to truly craft the best lineup. Make sure to tune into the episode by this Sunday, where a poll on the KavehJReviews Instagram account, @kavehjalinous, will task you with deciding who has the best lineup of 'guilty pleasure' comedy films! Host: Kaveh Jalinous. Special Guests: Leily Jalinous, Sasha Jalinous.

In this special episode, host Kaveh Jalinous explores the complex world of Studio Ghibli. Starting with the history of the studio, he goes through some of their hit films, including six of his (many) favorite Ghibli films. To conclude, he discusses the importance of the studio in the modernizing animation world and explains why the films of Ghibli – in particular, the films of Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata – are the perfect films to watch and enjoy in the spring and summer seasons. Host: Kaveh Jalinous.

In this emergency episode, host Kaveh Jalinous is first joined by special guest Natalia Trejo-Bax as the two discuss the chaotic ceremony, and results, of this year's Academy Awards, which aired last Sunday (0:11). After that, Kaveh is joined by another special guest, Keyvan Jalinous, as the two discuss their predictions from last week's episode and talk about where they (and where the ceremony) went so incredibly wrong (23:33). This is part two of KJSR's two-part Academy Award coverage. Host: Kaveh Jalinous. Special Guests: Natalia Trejo-Bax, Keyvan Jalinous.

Host Kaveh Jalinous is joined by Keyvan Jalinous as the two run through 17 of the 23 categories for this year's Academy Awards, happening on April 25th. The two spell out their predictions for each of these categories, highlighting which films have a strong chance of taking home gold on Sunday night and which films might have more of a struggle. This is part one of KJSR's two-part Academy Award coverage, with a post-ceremony show planned to release in one week – so stay tuned! Host: Kaveh Jalinous. Special Guest: Keyvan Jalinous.

In a very special episode, host Kaveh Jalinous is joined by three special guests – Leily Jalinous, Sasha Jalinous, and Natalia Trejo-Bax – as the three discuss one of the most incredible concert films of the 21st Century: Beyoncé's 'Homecoming.' The four discuss aspects of both the performance itself and the documentary in general, highlighting just how influential Beyoncé's work has been over time and how 'Homecoming' truly represents just how incredible the artist's career has been, among other things. Host: Kaveh Jalinous. Special Guests: Leily Jalinous, Sasha Jalinous, Natalia Trejo-Bax.

Welcome to Kaveh J.'s Screening Room, a podcast covering the film industry from all angles. With all types of episodes ranging from reviews of new releases to exploring the future of the cinema industry, join host and film critic Kaveh Jalinous as he covers it all – with the help of some special guests. Weekly episodes at 12P.M. E.S.T. on Thursdays, unless otherwise noted.