Popcorn Culture

A Ridley Scott film comes with certain expectations: epic scale, larger-than-life characters, and lots of bombast. Napoleon certainly ticks all the boxes. The movie reunites Jaoquin Phoenix with the director, in the titular role as the famed French commander who ascends to the throne, and the plot examines his story through his relationship with the woman who is said to be his one true love, Josep...

Based on the book of the same name, this prequel to the phenomenally successful Hunger Games franchise tells the story of 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth), years before he becomes the dictator of Panem. Snow is assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler) from District 12 as the 10th annual Hunger Games quickly approaches. We discuss The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and how it add...

Loki, Morbius, Sylvie and the TVA return for another round of time-hopping, reality-altering shenanigans, following the events of the critically acclaimed first season. While not as bombastic as its predecessor, Season 2 sheds new light on our timeless characters in arguably one of the best stories in a post-Endgame MCU. We review the second season of Loki and discuss the titular character's glori...

Every decade of filmmaking has its own mores and boundaries of what's acceptable, or okay to say and do. But in recent times. we've seen people revisiting some classics and pointing out some problematic storylines or behaviours, as well as major studios making a point to - at least on the surface - highlight diversity and inclusivity. But that hasn't come without pushback as well, particularly fro...

Neither Phase Four nor Five of Marvel's releases have been hugely popular among fans and moviegoers, so the question is: where will The Marvels land? Featuring Brie Larson's Captain Marvel, Teyonah Parris' Monica Rambeau, and Iman Vellani's Ms Marvel, and with a plot that hinges on their powers becoming entangled with one another, The Marvels is a movie that comes with a fair amount of baggage, bu...

The latest from David Fincher sees him returning to well-trodden ground: an action thriller about an assassin (played by Michael Fassbender) who gets involved in an international manhunt after a job goes badly wrong. Some have said this is one of Netflix's best films this year, and with the talent of both Fincher and Fassbender (and bonus Tilda Swinton), the odds are good. We review it and discuss...

From films that crawl at a snail's pace, to movies where lots of things happen but somehow none of it matters, there's a lot to explore when it comes to what makes a cinema visit simply... boring. In this episode, we talk about some of our favourite (and least favourite!) boring movies, and try to unpack what makes them tick.  Image credit: IMDb See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informa...

Described as a science fiction romance, this movie revolves around controversial new technology that allows couples to test their relationship for true love. But what happens when you find yourself in love with more than one person? The cast is packed with interesting names, including Jessie Buckley, Jeremy Allen White, Riz Ahmed, and Annie Murphy. We review the film.  Image credit: IMDb See...

We missed out on reviewing Shahrukh Khan’s latest megahit when it was in the cinemas, but we’re all locked and loaded for the big streaming release. Jawan sees the King Khan pairing up with buzzy Tamil director Atlee Kumar, for a movie that is big on action and drama, with a bunch of hit songs that have become viral hits - and a story that revolves around a mysterious vigilante who seems out to pr...

Some films - and shows - come with crazy high expectations, whether it's because it's an epic culmination of decades-long buildup (Avengers Assemble, The Rise of Skywalker), the reunion of major stars and directors (De Niro and Pacino, anyone?), or just the latest blockbuster from a serious filmmaker (Oppenheimer). And frankly, sometimes those expectations are met and exceeded - but other times, i...

Based on the ultra-popular 2014 videogame, Five Nights At Freddy's tells the story of a security guard (Josh Hutcherson) who starts working the night shift at Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria. Things get crazy when the restaurant's mascots come to life and have violent ideas of their own. We review Five Nights At Freddy's and discuss its quirky horror vibes, the state of videogame adaptations, and if thi...

To millions of people around the world, Matthew Perry will always be Chandler (Muriel) Bing: king of sarcasm, transponster, one half of Mondler, and the love of Joey Tribbiani's life. And it was a mark of how many lives he had touched when news of Perry's death on October 28, 2023, at the age of 54, resulted in a huge outpouring of tributes and grief. Offscreen, Perry was open about his struggles...

From the more than 21 hour runtime of Amra Ekta Cinema Banabo (purportedly the longest non-experimental feature film ever made) to the more common, but still challenging 4 hour duration for the extended versions of the Lord of the Rings films, many movies pose a challenge to film lovers. In essence: how long is too long? When does a film's runtime become a turn-off? When is it justified? In this S...

Scorsese, Deniro, Dicaprio - these three names alone would be a draw to watch most films. But Killers of the Flower Moon also promises much more than that: a story informed by tragedy, history, and collaboration with the Osage Nation, a great ensemble cast, and a mammoth running time (206 minutes). In this review, we get into Martin Scorsese's latest offering and talk about whether this might be h...

"You talkin' to me? I said, you talkin' to me?" In this Throwback, we go all the way to 1976's Taxi Driver, where those iconic lines were delivered by Robert Deniro's Travis Bickle. This also marked the second of the eventual eight movies that Martin Scorsese and Robert Deniro would collaborate on, over both their long careers, and set a number of themes that would continue to fascinate Scorsese:...

Those Mickey Rooney scenes from Breakfast at Tiffany's. Those wife jokes from Everybody Loves Raymond. The racial politics of Crash. Movies and TV shows are very much a product of the time they were made in, and some just don't age well as values and sensibilities evolve over time. On this week's Supercut, we talk about the films and shows that haven't aged well, and the ones that have stood the t...

We've had quite the journey with Otis, Eric, Maeve, Aimee, and gang, as we watched them grow from awkward teenagers with raging hormones into... slightly less awkward near-adults with raging hormones. The show has garnered a lot of praise for its portrayal of modern teenagers coming of age, and particularly for its sex-positive, inclusive storylines. In the fourth and final season, Otis (Asa...

It might not be mentioned in the same breath as other era-defining movies, but back in 1999, American Pie was THE definitive coming-of-age movie, with a huge cult following amongst teenagers - so much so, it spawned a number of (unmentionable) terms that have become ubiquitous today, not to mention a three sequels and a bunch of spinoffs. The sex comedy centers on a group of five high school boys...

In honour of the ineffable chemistry of Steve Martin and Martin Short, we imagine the pairings that we'd most like to see on-screen. From the frankly unhinged (think Nicolas Cage and Adam Sandler, or Jack Black meets Succession), to sweet romcom couples (Shah Rukh Khan and Drew Barrymore anyone?), nothing's off-limits!  Image Credits: IMDb See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Steve Martin and Martin Short are back as the podcasting, murder-solving detectives in the third season of Only Murders In The Building. This time, it's a new case, with new clues, on a much bigger stage. We review the third season of (what started as) one of our favourite pandemic shows to see if this new mystery is juicy enough, and funny enough, to keep us invested. Image Credits: IMDb See omny...

It's a trope as old as time - three incompetents, in this case actors played by Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Chevy Chase, are mistaken for heroes and now have to save a Mexican village from a gang of ruthless bandits. It's Galaxy Quest, it's Wild Hogs, it's a dozen other movies. However, despite negative reviews, Three Amigos has always had a cult following as a genuinely hilarious movie starri...

With The Creator still on our minds, we’re taking the opportunity to once more celebrate some of our favourite versions of the future as seen through the eyes of filmmakers and showrunners. From the bleak dystopia of Handmaid’s Tale, to the less-bleak dystopia of Wall-E, we talk through some of our picks, and explore whether we prefer an optimistic or pessimistic imaginary future. Image Credits: I...

A film that's coming in with a fair amount of hype, The Creator is directed by Gareth Edwards (of Rogue One and Godzilla fame) and is set in a future that's been deeply affected by a war between humans and artificial intelligence, focusing on a hunt for the creator of a mysterious weapon that may destroy all mankind. With some critics deeming it one of the best films of 2023, we dive in and d...

Wes Anderson returns for a second Roald Dahl adaptation, with The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar - a fantasy short film that offers Anderson's signature stylistic and storytelling flourishes, melded with one of Dahl's sweetest tales, pun intended. As you'd expect, it also has a stacked cast, with Benedict Cumberbatch, Ralph Fiennes, Dev Patel and Ben Kingsley all making appearances. We discuss if...

Description: No One Will Save You is described as a sci fi-horror-thriller - so of course we had to watch it out of sheer curiosity. The story revolves around Brynn (Kaitlyn Dever), a woman living in exile in her childhood home, when the house is suddenly invaded by aliens. We review it, because we just had to. Image Credits: IMBd See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.