Popcorn Culture

As we enter the summer blockbuster season and prepare for CGI overload, we're throwing back to 1963 and the visual effects spectacular of its time - Jason and the Argonauts. Jason, a man in search of a magical Golden Fleece, gathers Greece's best warriors and goes off on an adventure, battling hydras, giants, and a skeleton army along the way. Classic, cinematic fun. In this episode, we discuss th...

Fresh off the 2023 Academy Awards, we sit down to discuss its highs and lows, and of course both the big wins and major snubs.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

65 boasts an impressive (if offbeat) premise and line-up of talent: it comes from the writers of A Quiet Place, stars Adam Driver... and is about a pilot who crashes on an unknown planet, which turns out to be our very own planet Earth, but during the Cretaceous period, which means to survive, he needs to battle both the prehistoric elements, and of course its creatures. We discuss this high-...

We last checked in on The Last of Us at the halfway mark, and at the time, gave it rave reviews. Now that the first season is done (with Season Two in the pipeline), we discuss the series, and whether it lived up to the hype and promise not just of its beginning, but also of its origins, the critically acclaimed and much-beloved videogame duology.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy info...

From the palpable tension in every second of Uncut Gems to the unwavering sense of danger in Saving Private Ryan, some of the best movies are also some of the most stressful to watch... and rewatch. In this episode, we discuss some of our "favourite" stress-inducing films and TV shows and wonder why we willingly put ourselves through these situations.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

In Adonis Creed's (Michael B. Jordan) third outing, he needs to put his career and family life on the line when a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy, Damian (Jonathan Majors), resurfaces to prove himself. We review the movie and talk about whether the Creed franchise still packs a punch.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yes, chef! In this episode, we finally get around to reviewing the critically acclaimed, award-winning half-hour drama series, The Bear. A young chef named Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) leaves the fine dining world to save his family's sandwich shop, only to find that managing an eclectic group of kitchen staff while balancing family drama and running a business is causing him to spiral out of contro...

With the big-screen reissue of Titanic for its 25th anniversary, that had us thinking - what other movies would we like to have the opportunity to watch (or re-watch) in theatres? We discuss some of our picks, and why we've chosen them, and open up the discussion to our listeners as well!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nik Amir Mustapha's Imaginur explores memory, identity and time, through the story of Zuhal (Beto Kusyairy) who turns to hypnotherapy to help cure his panic disorder. However, his life is shortly turned upside down as strange events and encounters follow, and he is unable to find the line between reality and fantasy. We talk about what it's like watching this film and its non-linear appr...

A bear gets into bricks of coke and goes on an all-out rampage in the Georgia forest, terrorising innocents and creating a trail of chaos in an attempt to feed its newfound addiction. We review one of the wildest movies of the year and discuss if its blend of comedy, action, and gore lives up to its positively ridiculous plot. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

31 films and 8 series down (and who knows how many more to go), the Marvel engine is chugging along and busier than ever. In this Supercut, we look back at the Phases that have come our way, and discuss how these films have shaped and affected the industry and the landscape of cinema, for good or ill. We also discuss our favourites, alongside the ones that just didn't work.  See omnystudio.co...

The latest installment of the MCU, and the first in Phase Five, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantamania, sees Scott Lang and Hope van Dyne, along with Hank Pym, Janet van Dyne, and Lang's daughter, Cassie, go on a new adventure exploring the Quantum Realm, on a journey that leads them to a showdown against Kang the Conqueror, played by Jonathan Majors, in a role that's been much-tipped as the next...

A surprise hit from 1989, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids set a high watermark for the admittedly niche genre of comedic science fiction. Telling the story (and misadventures) of what happens when zany scientist and inventor Wayne Szalinski accidentally shrinks his kids - and his neighbour's- and they have to find their way back to safety. Years on, we discuss whether this film holds up to scrutiny,...

Whether you enjoy movie monsters, action adventures, sci fi thrillers, historical dramas, or war epics, chances are at least one Steven Spielberg movie will count amongst your list of favourites. An incredibly prolific filmmaker with a five-decade long career, Spielberg has given us some of the biggest, most beloved blockbusters of all time - ET, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, take your pick! - and...

Directed by Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans is a semi-autobiographical movie inspired by Spielberg's own adolescence and how he fell in love with filmmaking. In the movie, the fictional Sammy Fabelman (Gabriel LaBelle), discovers the power of cinema alongside uncovering difficult truths about his family. The film also stars Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, and Seth Rogen. We review the "film about fi...

Looking past the blonde bombshell persona, Pamela, A Love Story re-examines and reframes Pamela Anderson's legacy, starting from her beginnings as a small-town girl all the way to her ascent into becoming an international sex symbol. Along the way, the documentary also asks complex questions about fame and how women, in particular, are viewed by the public eye. We review the film and talk about al...

From the kitschy joy of The Flintstones, to the sweeping gowns and lavish trappings of period dramas, historical films and shows have an appeal uniquely their own. In this episode of Supercut, we talk about some favourites who have done it well, and what they get right. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Based on the critically acclaimed videogame duology, The Last of Us S1 has been garnering more praise with each passing episode and is being called one of the most faithful adaptations of any source material. With nine episodes this season, each over an hour long, we decided to check-in at the halfway mark and give our thoughts on HBO's newest watercooler sensation. From Pedro Pascal's portrayal o...

A comedy set in medieval times with a slightly bizarre plot, Catherine Called Birdy is about a daughter (Bella Ramsey) who decides to thwart her destitute father's plans of marrying her off to a wealthy family. The film, directed by Lena Dunham, has been gaining buzz since its release late last year. We check out the new-to-streaming comedy and discuss Lena Dunham's filmmaking style, the continuin...

Our Supercut this week is based on a very simple question, first begun in Kermode and Mayo's Take - if you could be in any movie, or in a single scene, what would it be? We discuss some of our picks, and ask listeners for theirs! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Described as a buddy comedy, You People is about a new couple and their families contending with cultural clashes, societal expectations and generational differences. It also boasts a stellar behind-the-scenes lineup (Kenya Barris and Jonah Hill co-wrote the script), and a pretty impressive ensemble cast, including Hill, Eddie Murphy, Nia Long, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, David Duchovny and Rhea Perlman....

Movies and TV shows can awe and entertain, but they can also inspire and influence, and most of us could point to at least one movie or TV show that taught us a life lesson or two - whether it’s to “Just keep swimming,” or that “...words and ideas can change the world.” On this week’s Supercut, we talk about the lessons we’ve learnt from the things we’ve watched. See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...

To mark the Year of the Rabbit, we’re throwing back to one of the Chinese New Year classics: It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World, starring beloved Hong Kong cinema names like Bill Tung, Lydia Sum, and Eric Tsang. The madcap comedy revolves around a family struggling to make ends meet when they suddenly win the lottery. We review the movie and talk about the joys of revisiting Asian holiday classics. ...

Following on the buzz of Ke Huy Quan's awards run for his comeback role as Waymond Wang in Everything Everywhere All At Once, we celebrate actors who've staged impressive comebacks from controversy and career lulls, and ask: who's next? Who's going to make it big, once again?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A grizzled inspector played by Sam Rockwell, a host of suspects and a murder mystery set in 1950s London - what's not to love? Despite its stacked cast, including Saoirse Ronan, Adrien Brody, Ruth Wilson, and David Oyelowo, See How They Run flew under our collective radar and barely made a dent at the box-office. In this episode, we check out the stylised caper on streaming and decide for ourselve...