Popcorn Culture

There are some films - you know the type - that you wouldn't have thought to watch until someone you trust recommends them to you. In this episode of Supercut, we talk about some of the films and shows we'd recommend to whoever asks (and sometimes even when they don't), as well as some of our favourites that someone else said we simply had to watch. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat...

While we missed its cinema run, RRR's reputation has been hard to ignore, as it's set several box-office records and has received rip-roaring reviews. A Telugu-language epic action drama film that focuses on a fictional friendship between two real-life Indian revolutionaries, Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan) and Komaram Bheem (N. T. Rama Rao Jr.) and their fight against the British and colon...

Widely considered one of Disney's more underrated films, Treasure Planet is an adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic novel Treasure Island - but set in space, with robots and shape-shifters to boot. While it didn't do well on its initial release, its animation style had a special touch, setting hand-drawn 2D traditional animation atop 3D computer animation. 20 years on, we look back at th...

Why do some actors automatically give out villain vibes (Willem Defoe, ahem!), while others seem made to play the likeable hero (did someone say Ryan Reynolds?)? And what happens when those actors play against type? In this Supercut, we dive into how we identify certain actors with the role of the good or bad guy, and what goes into that perception. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat...

In this action thriller directed by the Russo brothers, Ryan Gosling plays a CIA mercenary who ends up on the run when he uncovers secrets about the agency. Hot on heels is a ruthless ex-colleague, played by none other than Chris Evans (definitely not exuding Captain America vibes here). We review the movie, and talk about whether it lives up to the buzz it's been generating. See omnystudio.com/li...

Al Pacino plays a cop. Robert DeNiro plays a criminal. Michael Mann directs this cat-and-mouse relationship between the two. Was there ever any doubt that this 1995 crime drama would end up a classic? Widely regarded as one of the most influential movies of the genre, Heat is also celebrated for finally bringing Pacino and DeNiro together in the same frame (The Godfather Part II doesn't count!). W...

From Hogwarts to Rydell High, schools have always offered rich storytelling opportunities on-screen. In this episode of Supercut, we talk about some of our favourite schools in film and television, and why the setting has continued to be such a fruitful one for filmmakers and writers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The latest release from Disney, Ms Marvel is six episodes that pack a lot into them (perhaps too much!). It tells the story of Kamala Khan, an Avengers and Captain Marvel-loving, Pakistani-American teenager who unlocks powers of her own, while negotiating family life, growing up, and generational trauma. In this review, we talk about where the series shines, and some instances where it takes on mo...

Directed by Mira Nair and based on the novel by Jhumpa Lahiri, The Namesake explores the experience of Ashoke and Ashima, two immigrants from India to America, and their children, Gogol and Sonia, looking at what it means to meaningfully connect with your family, and grappling with being part of different cultures. Starring the late great Irrfan Khan, Tabu, Kal Penn and Sahira Nair, the film was c...

Yo, Adrian! I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick a**. And I'm all out of bubblegum. Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn. I love you. I know. On this Supercut, we're getting geeky about the most quoted (and often misquoted) lines in movie and TV history. Because life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we review the local phenomenon that has been dominating cinema screens and breaking all kinds of Malaysian box office records - Mat Kilau: Kebangkitan Pahlawan. Now considered the highest grossing Malaysian film of all time, Mat Kilau is an epic retelling of the titular character's charge against colonialists in Pahang before Malaysia gained independence. We discuss the film's now...

Casablanca is widely considered one of the greatest films ever made, and for good reason. Starring classic Hollywood icons Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, the film is a masterpiece in every sense of the word. With World War II in the background, a club owner named Rick agrees to help his ex, Ilsa, and her husband. To no one's surprise, both Rick and Ilsa realise they still have all sorts of fe...

Shirley Temple. Macaulay Culkin. Drew Barrymore. Millie Bobby Brown. The trajectory of child stars can often be as sad as they are successful, with many reaching outsized fame that goes on to shape them for the rest of their lives - for better or worse. We talk about some of the biggest child stars, why their performances get so much attention, and what it's like to watch them grow up on and off-s...

In line with the Stranger Things' fourth season being bigger, scarier, and longer, the final two episodes of the season are getting their own premiere, with the finale being a feature-length drop. After all the building up of Eleven's past and the season's Big Bad, Vecna, will the show bring the story home? We discuss.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Call it a kid's movie, a Christmas movie, a home invasion movie - Home Alone's impact on the popular culture is practically incomparable. Possibly responsible for a whole generation of precocious kids booby-trapping their houses, the 1991 movie spawned multiple sequels and remakes, but more significantly, created an icon out of then-child star Macaulay Culkin. We revisit the movie, and d...

Some films and shows just do it all, and too much: glitz and excess, campy performances, melodrama and slapstick - and yet sometimes, it all comes together into a wonderful extravaganza. In this episode of Supercut, we discuss going over-the-top on screen, and when and why it works.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If there's one artist who would have been near impossible to contain in a musical biopic, it may be the King himself - Elvis Presley. But that's exactly what Baz Luhrmann's Elvis sets out to do, with a much-lauded performance by Austin Butler in the titular, hip-gyrating role, and Tom Hanks as the problematic (to say the least) Colonel Tom Parker. We discuss whether this telling of Elvis Presley's...

Picking up the tale 10 years after Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, this Disney+ series follows Obi-Wan Kenobi, called out of living in exile to rescue the kidnapped Princess Leia from the Galactic Empire, leading to a confrontation with his former apprentice, and friend Darth Vader. We talk about this expansion of Star Wars canon, and what it's like to revisit iconic characters, and...

It's easy to think of Adam Sandler as a goofy comedian who makes bad movies, because he is. But he's also one of Hollywood's most bankable, recognizable names of the last 30 years. Not to mention, he's a really good serious actor, as seen in Uncut Gems and most recently, Hustle. In an episode we never thought we'd do, we profess our not-so-secret love for the one and only Billy Madison, Happy Gilm...

In Spiderhead, director Joseph Kosinski blends brutalist aesthetics, experimental science, and a scenery-chewing Chris Hemsworth to form a strangely subdued sci-fi flick. Based on the dystopian short story "Escape from Spiderhead" by George Saunders, the film sees a charismatic scientist named Steve Abnesti (Hemsworth) using willing inmates like Jeff (Miles Teller) and Lizzy (Jurnee Smollett) as l...

Grumpy old coach finds a sports prodigy on the wrong side of the tracks. A journey of self-discovery, adversity, and triumph ensues. It's a familiar plot that has been done a dozen times, but Netflix's Hustle does it so, so well! We review the film and discuss yet another successful attempt at a more serious role by Adam Sandler, the charm of good sports films, and the underrated value of casual f...

We live in the age of peak sequeldom - seemingly every movie or TV show that ever had a following is seeing some form of revival on the big or small screen. But what are the sequels that never got made but should be? Whether it’s the much-demanded District 9 follow up, a revisit of the bonkers Face/Off concept, or another dream-within-a-dream in Inception, we theorise - and frankly, fantasise - ab...

The final edition of the Jurassic World trilogy (which itself follows the Jurassic Park trilogy) takes place after the destruction of Isla Nublar - dinosaurs are now out in the world, and co-existing with humans. As you can imagine, this is less than comfortable for anyone except the rampaging dinos. And as Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard return to see what’s what, some much publicised old fam...

Adapted from the acclaimed play by the late Jit Murad, Spilt Gravy on Rice tells the story of an ageing father who invites his five children over to discuss some unresolved family issues. The movie was initially made 10 years ago, but faced numerous challenges getting a cinematic release - finally, it’s hitting our screens. Directed by Zahim Albakri, the movie features an illustrious cast of Malay...

Stranger Things' latest season has sent Kate Bush's 1980s hit Running Up That Hill surging up the charts again, demonstrating the power of movies and TV shows to define (or redefine) songs. On this week's Supercut, we pay tribute to some of the best known songs from the screen.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.