Popcorn Culture

A 3 hour runtime, a film shot wholly for 70mm IMAX, a stacked cast including Cilian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr, Matt Damon and Emily Blunt, and arguably the most ambitious project by director Christopher Nolan. Question is - does Oppenheimer live up to all the hype? With practically no CGI, as claimed by Nolan himself, and a story based on one of the most important events in modern history - Robert...

While the marketing for this movie has been off-the-charts, the studio has been surprisingly light on details regarding plot. Here's what we know - it's a comedy-drama directed by Greta Gerwig and stars Margot Robbie as the lead Barbie among the many other Barbies. It also stars Ryan Gosling as the main Ken among other Kens, and the two leads go off on an adventure that challenges the nature of th...

Ask someone what they think is a perfect movie or TV show, and you're likely to get a whole variety of answers, from Casablanca to The Godfather to Back to the Future to Coco, or from FRIENDS to Mad Men to The Good Place. So in this Supercut, we break down what perfection means when it comes to the screen, and share some of our personal, perfect favourites.   Image Credit: The Truman Sho...

Do we really need a synopsis of MI7, or at this point are we all just waiting to see what literal new heights Tom Cruise will scale (and leap off of)? For what it's worth, in this latest edition, Ethan Hunt and the IMF team have to track down a new weapon of mass destruction, which sets off a deadly chase around the world while contending with a mysterious, seemingly all-powerful foe. Will Ethan s...

There are so many ways these days for movies and shows to get promoted, or to have their lives and pop culture footprint extended - social media love and fandom will do that to you. In this Supercut, we break down some of the things we've watched mostly because of the social media buzz, and discuss the ways memes have shaped the way films and shows get talked about. Image Credit: Imaginur/Flickr,...

Charlie Brooker's ongoing meditation on how technology is shaping and warping our lives is back for its sixth season! Featuring some heavy-hitting actors including Salma Hayek, Aaron Paul, Josh Hartnett, Kate Mara, and Zazie Beetz, it also explores some new stories for the series, and looks at the past and present as much as the future. We discuss whether it's worth the time. Image Credit: Netflix...

Billed as a charming, gentle film about a love of fashion, and trying to find one's way in life, Mrs Harris Goes To Paris is all about a widow exploring the world of haute couture, Paris, and a new lease on life. Starring the formidable Lesley Manville and Isabelle Huppert, the film surprised the box office and critics when it first came out. We discuss our experiences of watching it, and whether...

For the fifth and final time, Indiana Jones returns to our screens with both whipcracks and wisecracks (sorry) to spare. With Harrison Ford closing off his time as this iconic character and James Mangold behind the camera, expectations are high despite Kingdom of the Crystal Skull getting disappointing reviews previously. We talk about what it's like watching a (much-older) Dr Jones face off again...

Based on the TV show from the 1960s, The Fugitive is all about a husband wrongly accused of killing his wife, who then has to evade capture while trying to clear his name. Featuring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones trying to out-grizzle each other, The Fugitive was a smash hit when it was first released in 1993. 30 years on, we watch it and discuss how this thriller has held up. Image Credit: Fil...

The latest release from Pixar Studios, Elemental is a play on the classic theme of opposites attract. Set in a world where the elements of nature have been anthropomorphised and two opposing elements (fire and water) fall in love, it explores romance and relationships, along with ethnic and generational hang-ups. And while all of that sound close to what we'd expect from this studio, the box offic...

A classic buddy comedy, Rush Hour was also Jackie Chan's first true Hollywood crossover - pairing his physical chops with Chris Tucker's fast-talking comedy. It was a success at the time, though Chan himself has always disavowed it. So how has it aged 25 years on? We discuss.  Image Credit: digitalspy.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's time for another crossover - or as we like to call it, A Bit of Popcorn Culture! We're adopting the format and style of A Bit of Culture, and asking each person to bring in a topic - related to cinema and pop culture of course - to discuss, before we close off with recommendations. This time round, we're discussing musical biopics and whether they're ever any good, the impact of Artificial In...

After several delays, production issues, controversy surrounding its leading actor and a massive shakeup at Warner Bros and DC, The Flash is finally out in cinemas. Hailed as the final film in the current DC timeline spearheaded by Zack Snyder, The Flash loosely adapts the critically acclaimed 'Flashpoint Paradox' comics arc in an attempt to reset the DC cinematic landscape. Barry Allen warps back...

Extraction was a resounding success for Netflix so it was only a matter of time before we got a sequel, which promises to have higher stakes, more action and more explosions than its predecessor. Chris Hemsworth reprises his role as commando Tyler Rake, who must now go on a mission to save a ruthless gangster's imprisoned family. In this episode, we review one of the biggest drops on Netflix this...

Some movies and TV shows are so formulaic, so cringey, so undeserving of anyone's time... that we just have to watch them again, and again. Maybe it's secretly liking Batman & Robin, defending Face/Off as ci-ne-mah, quoting Ella Enchanted or binging trashy reality shows with the word "Love" in it - we all have our guilty pleasures. In this Supercut, we're discussing the shows and movies that w...

How many live-action Transformers movies are there? Honestly, we're not sure, but that won't stop Rise of the Beasts from making a lot of money at the box-office. Based on the ultra-popular Beast Wars line of toys and equally popular 3D animated series from the 90s, this latest film reintroduces us to Optimus Prime and his Autobots, the villainous Decepticons, and a new species of primal cyberneti...

Based on the popular graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang, American-Born Chinese is the story of Jin Wang (Ben Wang), a teenager who finds himself juggling his home life and school life... all while figuring out his role in a battle of Chinese mythological gods! The show also reunites Everything, Everywhere, All At Once stars Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu and Ke Huy Quan. In this episode, we discuss one...

Nice is a bit of a loaded word - while it's ostensibly a good thing, does it make for interesting stories or characters? That's what we explore in this Supercut - who are some of the nicest on-screen characters, and what makes them work without being boring? And simply put - which fictional character would you most like to be friends with? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Miles Morales returns to the multiverse as Spider-Man, reuniting with Gwen Stacy, and encountering other Spider-People who have been tasked with protecting the multiverse... though the path to collaboration is far from smooth. Following as a sequel to 2018's widely lauded Spider-Man: Into The Spider Verse, this comes with high expectations. We discuss whether the film manages to live up to all of...

Believe! The multiple Emmy Award-winning show that champions niceness, mental health and self-development in the guise of being a workplace sitcom, is back. In this review, we break down whether Ted Lasso manages to close off its character arcs well, and whether it lives up to the potential of Season 1.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What goes into creating the perfect finale for a beloved show? From those that stuck the landing (Cheers, Breaking Bad) to those that crashed and burned (How I Met Your Mother, Game of Thrones), this week, we're talking about that all-important final stretch.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As far as Disney classics go, The Little Mermaid is one the big ones, and this live action remake has attracted controversy almost from the beginning - particularly for its casting of African-American actress/singer Halle Bailey in the titular role of Ariel. But beyond that, are also questions of whether people are increasingly growing weary of these live-action Disney remakes. So we head under th...

Big tech is coming, a pivotal presidential election is impending, and the Roy children are still maneuvering for their place at the top of the family’s billion-dollar media empire - while patriarch-mogul Logan Roy (Brian Cox) remains as inscrutable and ruthless as ever. With one of the best-reviewed and most avidly watched shows of the last few years coming to a close, the stakes get higher every...

Some movie franchises go downhill, some TV shows jump the shark, and some pop culture phenomena just don't know when to stop. On this week's Supercut, we talk about the movies and TV shows we've just given up on, and what made us tap out.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Like it or not, there's no denying that the Fast and the Furious franchise is a pop culture juggernaut, with recent installments raking in billions of dollars at the global box office. In Fast X, the first of a three-part planned finale, Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) gathers the Family for another go-round against a dangerous new foe played by Jason Momoa. In this episode, we review the tenth movie...