Popcorn Culture

If you could trace the careers of comedy heavyweights Judd Apatow, Steve Carell, and Seth Rogen to a single turning point in their lives, you'd find yourself watching The 40-Year-Old Virgin. In Apatow's directorial debut, a fresh-off-Anchorman Carell plays Andy, an electronic goods store employee, whose well-meaning yet incompetent friends try to help him lose his virginity. We discuss not only th...

An adaptation of Aravind Adiga's Man Booker Prize-winning novel, this tale of class, caste, loyalty and corruption is being brought to screen by Ramin Bahrani, starring Rajkummar Rao, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and Adarsh Gourav. We discuss whether this film successfully captures the spirit and dark humour of its source material. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A gritty drama shot in a neorealist style, Chop Shop (2007) is a slice of life look at Ale, a 12 year old street orphan living and surviving in Queens, New York. Critically acclaimed at the time of its release, it's also the second film of Ramin Bahrani whose latest film has just hit screening services. In this episode, we dive into the style of the movie, particularly its heartwarming yet difficu...

When it comes to film and television, families - whether good, bad, or plain dysfunctional - are a mainstay. We look at our favourite screen relatives from the Addams to the Corleones, and discuss why fraught familial ties provide so much fodder for onscreen drama. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When it comes to film and television, families - whether good, bad, or plain dysfunctional - are a mainstay. We look at our favourite screen relatives from the Addams to the Corleones, and discuss why fraught familial ties provide so much fodder for onscreen drama. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With release schedules being what they are these days (interrupted and uncertain), we're taking the opportunity to review some recent movies and shows that we missed the first time round. In our first installment - Succession! They’re filthy rich, appallingly entitled, and hopelessly manipulative - yet we somehow can’t get enough of the Roys. And the critics apparently agree, because s...

The name Hannibal Lecter might be almost synonymous with Sir Anthony Hopkins, but the credit of first bringing the iconic character to life onscreen actually belongs to Brian Cox. Based on Thomas Harris’ novel Red Dragon (the one that came before The Silence of the Lambs), this 1986 Michael Mann-directed psychological thriller is often overlooked; so we throwback to it and see if there&rsquo...

The name Hannibal Lecter might be almost synonymous with Sir Anthony Hopkins, but the credit of first bringing the iconic character to life onscreen actually belongs to Brian Cox. Based on Thomas Harris’ novel Red Dragon (the one that came before The Silence of the Lambs), this 1986 Michael Mann-directed psychological thriller is often overlooked; so we throwback to it and see if there&rsquo...

From Nora Ephron's 'When Harry Met Sally' to Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's 'Good Will Hunting', good screenplays are arguably the first step at defining a great film. It doesn't always translate well, but a well-adapted script is something to be celebrated... which is why they have awards for the effort. On this Supercut, we praise, pick apart, and even nitpick some of our favorite screenplays, the...

Based on August Wilson's play and produced by Denzel Washington, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom assembles a star-studded cast to bring one of the titular trailblazer's particularly tense recording sessions to life. On this episode, we discuss Viola Davis' portrayal as one of the most influential, yet underrated, blues singers in history, the timeliness of a film set in 1927, and the late Chadwick Bosema...

We're throwing it back to 1996's The Birdcage - a film about a duo named Armand (Robin Williams) and Albert (Nathan Lane), their trendy Miami nightclub, and how their sense of paradise is rattled when Armand's son decides to marry the daughter of one Senator Keele (Gene Hackman). We discuss the riskiness of The Birdcage for its time, its on-brand flashiness, and its over-the-top humor that make it...

Beginning with Woody and Buzz, through the adventures of Nemo, Marlin and Dory, to the jazz dreams of Joe Gardner, Pixar movies have always set a high water mark for animated films (and films as a whole). In this episode of Supercut, we talk about Pixar’s evolution, and gush over our favourites. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of many movies to have fallen victim to 2020’s schedule changes, Soul is Pixar’s latest release and the first to have an African-American main character. Building on Inside Out’s experimental feel, it explores what happens after death, and before life, combining metaphysics, spirituality, jazz, and Pixar’s signature bittersweet touch. See omnystudio.com/listener for pri...

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice! In this episode of Throwback Tuesday, we’re celebrating Tim Burton’s 1988 classic that saw Michael Keaton’s star turn as the eponymous poltergeist. Blending comedy, fantasy, and an unforgettable use of Harry Belafonte’s music, this movie was (and remains) a strange, affecting, visually stunning exploration of the afterlife. See omnystu...

New Year's Eve is ripe ground for storytelling, with its sense of possibility, anticipation and change. In this episode of Throwback Tuesday, we look at a selection of movies that have used this particular day as a springboard for their narratives. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After several postponements and then migrating to a streaming service, one of 2020’s supposed biggest releases has finally made it to SOME cinemas. We review the much-awaited sequel to 2017’s “Wonder Woman”, with Gal Gadot returning to wield the Lasso of Truth, alongside Kristen Wiig, Chris Pine, and Pedro Pascal. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With cinemas mostly closed in 2020, watching television shows at home took on a whole new dimension. We look back at the variety of programming that has been on offer, and all the different stories we had to keep us company. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We all have our favourite watches we turn to, when we need to feel better. The screen equivalent of Linus's blanket, if you will. Whether it's comedies, the familiar strains of musicals, childhood favourites, or the explosions of big action sequences, we'll be talking about it all - from movies to television, and everything in between. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Blockbusters have been few and far between this year, but some have made their way to our cinemas nonetheless (and are now available to watch at home). We run through some of the big titles that premiered in 2020, including some that we (and perhaps you) might have missed, including Vanguard, Peninsula, New Mutants, Mulan and of course,Tenet. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mawwiage. My name is Inigo Montoya. As you wish. The Princess Bride is chock-full of quotable quotes, and is a classic for a reason. In this episode of Throwback Tuesday, we look at Rob Reiner's 1987 fantasy comedy classic, and discuss whether it really is the ultimate feel-good movie. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hollywood loves a good retelling of a true story, and so do we. Whether it's the story of legendary rock icons, revolutionary presidents, or historical figures who were previously overlooked, a film based on real-life events has the power to be moving, uplifting, and even educational. But true stories also bring out the worst in Hollywood. Creative license, historical inaccuracies, and poor castin...

Citizen Kane is widely regarded as the most must-see film in Hollywood history. But behind the scenes, there was enough drama unfolding to rival its on-screen counterpart. Adding to Citizen Kane's strange and illustrious mythology is Mank - a film directed by David Fincher and written by his late father, Jack Fincher, nearly a decade ago. Mank explores 1930s Hollywood through the lens of Herman J....

What's in the box??!!! Dark, disturbing, and sinfully captivating, David Fincher's Se7en remains one of Hollywood's most popular crime thrillers to this day. David Mills (Brad Pitt), a young detective who's new in town, is paired with Det. William Somerset (Morgan Freeman), a veteran on his retirement leg, to solve a series of grisly murders modeled after the seven deadly sins. In this episode, we...

Starlord grooving to “Hooked on a Feeling”. Marty McFly rocking out onstage to “Johnny B. Goode”. Little Olive performing an inappropriate dance to “Super Freak” at a children’s beauty pageant. On this week’s Supercut, we put our headphones on and belt out (metaphorically) our favourite songs and soundtracks from film and TV, and talk about why some...

Directed by Ron Howard, Hillbilly Elegy explores the idea of the American dream by looking at three generations of a lower-income family in Ohio; the story centres around a Yale law student (played by Gabriel Basso) who is forced to return to his family after a family emergency. Based on a memoir by J.D. Vance, the movie also stars Glenn Close, Amy Adams, Haley Bennett, and Freida Pinto. We review...