Popcorn Culture

The adaptation of a beloved book onto the screen is exciting... but also has the potential to go so wrong. In this Supercut, we discuss all the important questions about book adaptations, such as: What makes an adaptation work? Are some books just unfilmable? Can you call yourself a true fan if you've only watched the movie? And, is the book always better than the movie?  See omnystudio....

Based on the acclaimed 1929 novel by Erich Maria Remarque, All Quiet On The Western Front is a German epic anti-war film set in the tail end of World War I. It follows the life of a German soldier, whose hopes of becoming a hero are shattered when faced with the harsh realities of war. The film's been gathering excellent reviews since its release; we review it and talk about whether it lives up to...

Thirty years after its release, Bram Stoker's Dracula still seems to have very few contenders when it comes to matching its adaptation of the original bloodsucking creature of the night. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Gary Oldman, Anthony Hopkins, Winona Ryder, and Keanu Reeves, the movie was packed with prestige, and attracted both praises for its gothic horror vibe and criticism f...

We've all looked at a highly successful, critically acclaimed film and wondered what all the fuss is about, right? Avatar is the biggest film of all time, but is it worthy of that title? Citizen Kane is... just okay? No Country For Old Men is kinda boring. And Black Panther is good but, is it a 10/10? From hot takes on Christopher Nolan's filmography to shrugging at Nomadland, we're talking about...

Shazam! 15 years after he was cast as Black Adam, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has finally (finally!) released the film that he claims will change the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe. Well, did it? Also starring Pierce Brosnan as Doctor Fate, Black Adam is the story of a slave-turned-demigod who vows to unleash his signature brand of brutal, vengeful justice on the world... unless the Justice S...

Nine weeks after reviewing the first episode, we return to King's Landing to re-review our thoughts on this season of House Of The Dragon as a whole. Did we love-hate the characters as much as we thought we would? Were the time-jumps too jarring? And let's be honest, how many people did we want Dracarys'd on the show? We discuss the ups and downs of this Game Of Thrones spinoff, as well as our exc...

From 3-hour-long epics to shows that have episodes that stretch beyond 60 minutes - how long is too long? When does it stretch the patience of the audience, and when is it a rewarding way to tell a complex story? In this Supercut, we try to answer that question (and yes, discuss watching 12 hours of Lord of the Rings).  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Attempting to tell the story of a great war, and of Galadriel's quest for revenge against the enemy Sauron, Rings of Power brings together several different story strands and characters, including a mysterious Stranger, harfoots, an elf-dwarf friendship, and the building of a forge. All for the cool reported price of one billion dollars. We review the season now that it's freshly concluded and dis...

Based on the epic Tamil novel written by Kalki Krishnamurthy, Ponniyin Selvan: I is the first of two films directed by Mani Ratnam. This long-awaited adaptation has taken a circuitous road to the big screen - in this review, we talk about the experience of watching this film, and whether it manages to capture the complexities of its origin story. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...

From Sam Rockwell and Stanley Tucci, to Toni Collette and Regina King, some actors just don't get the shine they deserve - even though they've got an amazing roster of roles. This Supercut, we discuss the perennially under-appreciated actors, and share some of our favourites.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David O' Russell's latest comes, predictably, with a stacked cast featuring, just to name a few, Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Anya Taylor-Joy, Zoe Saldaña, and Timothy Olyphant. Set in 1930s, the plot is inspired by the Business Plot, a 1933 political conspiracy in the US, and tells the story of three friends who witness a murder, end up becoming suspects themsel...

Every so often, a movie comes out of nowhere and gathers enough buzz to break into the mainstream. Such is the case of French action drama Athena, which received a warm reception at various festivals before making its way to Netflix. The film, directed by Romain Gavras, revolves around the tragic killing of a young boy from the community of Athena, which sparks a larger conflict involvin...

Marilyn in her white dress, John Wayne in his hat, Rajinikanth in his sunglasses - what are the ingredients that go into making cinematic icons, well, iconic? In this Supercut episode, we try to unpack that and answer why some of these stars continue to burn so bright.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Based on Joyce Carol Oates' bestselling fictional take on Marilyn Monroe's life, Blonde is a psychological biopic drama that garnered a lot of controversy even before it came out for a variety of reasons: the casting of Ana de Armas in the central role, its graphic content, and the central question - did we need another film about this tragic film icon? We try to answer that in this review. ...

Described by some critics as 'near perfection', Some Like It Hot has a lot going for it - it's directed, produced and co-written by Billy Wilder, it has both Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis - and of course, it has a sparkling Marilyn Monroe performance. Ahead of reviewing Blonde, we look back to a movie that's often been regarded as one of Monroe's bests, and discuss what it's like watching it 63 year...

Description: From Paris and New York, to Tokyo and Seoul, cities have always featured in a huge way in film and television, sometimes even becoming a main character in its own right. In this Supercut, we talk about our favourite cities on screen and the movies and shows that manage to capture the spirit of a place.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Edgar Wright's latest film went to previously unexplored territory for him - a psychological horror drama film that ties the experience of two newcomers to London and Soho, separated though they might be by decades. Starring Thomasin McKenzie, Anya Taylor-Joy, Matt Smith, and Terence Stamp, it's also the final onscreen appearance of Diana Rigg. In this episode of Stuff We Missed, we talk about the...

Described as his most personal film, Belfast is written and directed by Sir Kenneth Branagh, and explores the coming-of-age of a young boy in Belfast during The Troubles. Starring Caitríona Balfe, Judi Dench, Jamie Dornan, Ciarán Hinds, Colin Morgan and Jude Hill, the film received very warm reviews and a lot of awards buzz. We discuss our experience of watching this film, and how it captures a ci...

Whether we’re talking about anthropomorphised animals like Donald Duck, pets like Marley, or the kind we’d rather avoid (ahem, Bruce) - animals on film or TV are almost a foolproof formula. So we’re dedicating this week’s Supercut to discussing everything from the cute n’ cuddly to the frankly terrifying, and share some of our favourites.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jordan Peele's back with his patented blend of creeping dread and searing social commentary, in his latest film Nope. Starring Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer, the movie is being described as neo-Western science fiction horror, and tells the story of two African American siblings who own a horse ranch, attempting to capture evidence of a UFO. We review the movie, and talk about whether it delivers...

Jean-Luc Godard, widely considered one of the best film directors of all time, passed away recently at the age of 91. We pay tribute to him and his legacy by throwing back to the movie that introduced him as the genius he went on to be hailed as, 1960's Breathless. In the movie, petty thief Michel (Jean-Paul Belmondo) impulsively kills a policeman while stealing a car. He hides in his girlfriend P...

From Anubis to Zeus, depictions of gods and myths are a-plenty on screen. In this Supercut, we dive into some of our favourites, and discuss why the old stories have offered such abiding on-screen fodder.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a fair amount of back and forth, uproar and Thor memes mourning the lack of a release in Malaysia, Thor: Love and Thunder has finally arrived on our shores, quietly showing up on Disney+ as a streaming option. We review this latest entry into the MCU canon (and Taika Waititi filmography), and discuss whether it's worth the wait.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A 1999 remake of a 1932 film, The Mummy packed a lot into its 2-hour runtime: zany comedy, all the trappings of a classic action-adventure film, and a great pairing in the form of Brendan Fraser's American adventurer Rick O'Connell and Rachel Weisz's scholarly librarian, Evelyn Carnahan. All that - and of course, mummies and pyramids. In this episode, we take it back to the movie that kickstarted...

From talking animals to fantastical kingdoms to magical races of beings, fantasy as a film and TV genre is so wide as to have spawned multiple subgenres. Yet at the heart of it, is a fascination with imaginary worlds and everything that might occur in them. In this Supercut, we discuss the fantasy genre onscreen, and geek out about some of our favourites.  See omnystudio.com/listener for priv...