Popcorn Culture

Minari, directed by Lee Isaac Chung, tells the story of a Korean family who migrate to Arkansas in search of their version of the American Dream. This warm, intimate family drama has been gaining Oscar buzz and has been heralded as part of an increasing push towards more representation and diversity in the film industry. We review the film and discuss its impact in the context of where Hollywood i...

Once, a small mouse separated from his family and sporting a signature blue hat and red jacket, looked up at the moon and sang 'Somewhere Out There' - and that became one of the most memorable scenes from Don Bluth's 1986 classic, An American Tail. In this episode of Throwback Tuesday, the gang discuss this film with its themes of family and immigration and why it's become such an integral part of...

The Bride, John Wick, Maximus Decimus Meridius - few things make for a compelling story like a quest for vengeance. On this week’s Supercut, we discuss revenge flicks - served cold, hot, or with a heaping side of the crazy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Director/writer Emerald Fennell and star Carey Mulligan have been generating plenty of awards-season buzz with Promising Young Woman. The candy-coloured black comedy thriller tells the story of Cassie Thomas (Mulligan) who seeks to avenge the death of her best friend. We review the movie and discuss how it uses a specific visual language and storytelling technique to comment on the #MeToo age. See...

The sight of a bloodied Uma Thurman in a yellow jumpsuit brandishing a katana has become the stuff of pop culture legend, and there are few films that execute the idea of revenge as potently and stylishly as the Kill Bill duology. We throw back to the Quentin Tarantino classic, and discuss its iconic visuals, the intense violence, and how its story - both on- and off-screen - has aged. See omnystu...

From Mad Max to Blade Runner, dystopias and post-apocalyptic ruins may be common in films about the future, but they're not the only depictions of the world to come. Some movies and TV shows take place in utopias, while others happen in familiar spaces, many decades from now. We talk about our favorite, and least favorite, versions of the future in pop culture, what makes these imaginative concept...

Based on the classic novel of the same name by Aldous Huxley, Brave New World imagines a society in which monogamy, family, money, and history are strictly prohibited in an attempt to maintain peace. What could possibly go wrong? In this episode, we discuss the faithfulness of this adaptation, as well as its not-so-ideal utopia. We also explore other offerings on Astro's International Series On-De...

In this episode of Throwback Tuesday, we check-in with police captain John Anderton, played by Tom Cruise, circa 2054. In what sounds like a routine weekend for the actor, PreCrime's ability to predict and prevent murders using technological clairvoyants puts Anderton in a tough spot... when the to-be criminal turns out to be him! We review 2002's Minority Report while discussing its frightening a...

Love stories and tales of friendship are heartwarming and inspirational in their own right, but there's something about a good rivalry (even enmity) that can make for tremendous cinema. We explore the various facets of on-screen rivalries, frenemies and outright enemies and how they enrich the stories we watch. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Love stories and tales of friendship are heartwarming and inspirational in their own right, but there's something about a good rivalry (even enmity) that can make for tremendous cinema. We explore the various facets of on-screen rivalries, frenemies and outright enemies and how they enrich the stories we watch. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The massive showdown that's been a few movies in the making, Godzilla vs Kong does exactly what it says on the tin - delivering ground shaking fights between two Titans (both of whom have decades of cinema and iconography behind them too). We discuss whether this lives up to the hype, and what it says about the larger cinematic universe that they've been building. See omnystudio.com/listener for p...

An iconic theme, a fin slicing through the waves, blood churning through the waters... and 3 men on a boat. All these elements come together for one of the great summer blockbusters: 1975's Jaws, directed by a young Steven Spielberg. In this episode of Throwback Tuesday, we look back at the movie that spawned an enduring fear of sharks, and set a benchmark for thrillers and creature features to co...

There’s no denying that when it comes to the heavy-hitters of superheroes, DC Comics has it made; with Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman in their pantheon (just to name a few), there’s no doubting their fan fervour. But when it comes to their onscreen outings, DC has had its ups and downs - and currently lags behind its Marvel-ous counterpart. So we’re dedicating this Supercut t...

Disappointed by the 2017 Justice League movie? Left wanting more from its lacklustre plot? Have no fear, the Snyder Cut is here! We review the four-hour director’s cut of Justice League, which presents the movie as director Zack Snyder intended it before he departed the production. The film features the coming together of the DC Extended Universe’s major superheroes - Batman (Ben Affle...

More than 40 years after the release of the first Superman movie, many would argue that there still hasn’t been a Man of Steel to equal Christopher Reeve. Directed by Richard Donner, it was also the first major big-budget superhero movie, and paved the way for all the larger-than-life heroes we now have onscreen. Besides Reeve’s career-making turn, the movie also features a stacked cas...

It has (only) been a year since the start of the first MCO, so we decided to look back at how it has changed our viewing, binging, and hate-watching habits. What did we love, what did we waste our time on, and what hidden gems did we discover while endlessly scrolling through the on-demand catalogue? We celebrate all our favorites in the first, and hopefully last, MCO anniversary Supercut. See omn...

Inspired by Southeast Asian folklore, 'Raya and the Last Dragon' takes place in the fantasy land of Kumandra, where an ancient horde known as the Druun have returned. Raya (Kelly Marie Tran), a lone warrior in this dystopia, must track down the only thing that can restore peace in the realm - a legendary dragon named Sisu (Awkwafina). After much hype and anticipation, we review Disney's latest blo...

The Disney Princess has been a staple in pop culture ever since Snow White made her animated debut in 1937. Whether it's Cinderella fleeing the castle at the stroke of midnight, Jasmine flying across a whole new world, or Belle singing shade at the townsfolk, princesses have always been at the core of Disney's greatest stories. On this episode, we geek out over the many iconic princesses from our...

The decade that brought us ET, Marty McFly, Maverick and Goose, Ghostbusters, Footloose and so, so much more, it's continued to have an outsize influence on the movies and television we watch today, especially with the advent of shows that have revisited (hello, Stranger Things). In this Supercut, we look back at the watches that defined the 80s and discuss some favourites. See omnystudio.com/list...

What happens when you revisit teenage heroes and villains after decades, when they're in their 40s? What might have changed, and what has stayed the same? These are some of the questions Cobra Kai asks (and then answers in fine 80s style) - looking at what life has done to Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) since The Karate Kid. Beginning its run as a Youtube produc...

Sweep the leg! Finish him! Wax on, wax off. The Karate Kid is an iconic 1980s movie for good reason: teenage romance, action, bullying, a struggle to belong, a wise mentor - it has it all. We look back to the first instalment of this franchise and discuss what made it special. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is it about watching a pill-popping doctor, a gangster with a dubious moral compass, or an ice-cold assassin on screen, that is so deliciously engaging? In this Supercut, we discuss why “unlikelable” characters are often so memorable - and of course, share some of our favourites. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is it about watching a pill-popping doctor, a gangster with a dubious moral compass, or an ice-cold assassin on screen, that is so deliciously engaging? In this Supercut, we discuss why “unlikelable” characters are often so memorable - and of course, share some of our favourites. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On their fifth wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) returns home to find his wife Amy (Rosamund Pike) missing - and eventually, the suspicion shifts to him. But as the mystery behind Amy’s disappearance unfolds, what unravels is the story of a complicated past and a twisted relationship. Directed by David Fincher and based on the bestselling thriller novel by Gillian Flynn, Gone Gir...