The Culture Docket

Episode: Christopher Nolan + The Odyssey Backlash Christopher Nolan is perhaps the most influential director of our current times. His name attached to a movie guarantees an experience and gets people out to the movies. On this episode of  The Culture Docket , Michael and Andrew take a deep dive into Nolan’s complete filmography, discussing the themes that define his work, the unforgettable set pi...

What happens when you ask a friend to watch one of your all-time favorite movies? On this episode of  The Culture Docket , Michael and Joey swap movie recommendations, with Joey assigning  Les Misérables  and Michael countering with  The Descent . We discuss why these films matter to us, whether they held up for first-time (or fresh) viewers, and how two wildly different movies can leave equally l...

For more than fifty years, Steven Spielberg has shaped the way we experience movies. On this episode of  The Culture Docket , Michael is joined by Nick for a retrospective on the legendary filmmaker’s extraordinary career. We discuss how Spielberg’s films shaped our love of cinema, the defining eras of his career, the themes that connect his work, and why he remains one of Hollywood’s most influen...

Pixar is back with  Toy Story 5 but do we still have a friend in this franchise? On this episode of  The Culture Docket , Michael and Shaina break down the latest installment in Pixar’s signature series, discuss whether its messaging works, and if the movie is even worth seeing. Then we each share our five favorite animated movies of all time, highlight a few honorable mentions, and celebrate the...

Steven Spielberg is back in alien territory. On this episode of  The Culture Docket , Michael and Courtney break down  Disclosure Day , comparing it to Spielberg’s earlier sci-fi classics and discussing its stunning visual craftsmanship, strong performances, and whether the script lives up to the ambition behind the camera. Then we take a mid-year look at 2026 in movies, highlighting some of our f...

Two low-budget horror films. Two box office phenomenons. Barbenheimer for Sickos. On this episode of  The Culture Docket , Michael and Missy break down  Obsession  and  Backrooms , what they loved and didn't love about the movies, discuss their remarkable box office success, and chat about what this means for the genre. We also share some recent horror movies we loved, a few we didn't, and...

Has  Star Wars  lost its way, or was it never quite as great as we remember? On this episode of  The Culture Docket , Michael is joined by longtime Star Wars superfan Andrew for a State of the Empire. We discuss our very different relationships with the franchise, what made Star Wars special in the first place, the divisive sequel trilogy, the television era, and whether the galaxy far, far away s...

Why do so many great books turn into disappointing movies? On this episode of  The Culture Docket , Michael and Missy break down Remarkably Bright Creatures  and the novel that inspired it. They debate whether the movie captured what made the book special (and even if the book is special at all). From there, we talk about why book adaptations so often fail, share our 5 favorite movies based on boo...

Most sequels don’t need to exist. Does the Devil Wears Prada 2? On this episode of  The Culture Docket , Michael and Courtney break down the film. Does it justify itself, or is it just another cash grab? Then, we share our favorite sequels, name a few movies that deserved one, and finish with a spicy round of overrated, underrated, or properly rated.

Which movie scores are truly unforgettable? On Part 2 of our movie score deep dive, Michael and Shaina lock in a consensus top 5 before each sharing their personal top 5 film scores. These are the ones they have on constant repeat and that define their love of the movies. We close things out with some hot takes in a round of overrated, underrated, or properly rated. Follow the show @culturedocketp...

What makes a movie score unforgettable? On this episode of  The Culture Docket , Michael is joined by Shaina, a music teacher and drama coach, to break down how film scores shape emotion, storytelling, and the overall movie experience. We talk instruments, themes, why memorable melodies seem to be disappearing, and what separates a good score from a great one. We also highlight some of our favorit...

Weddings are supposed to be the happiest day of your life… so why do movies turn them into absolute chaos? On this episode of  The Culture Docket , Michael is joined by Courtney to talk weddings. They start with a few stories from their own wedding, then dive into The Drama starring Robert Pattinson and Zendaya. They break down the film without spoilers and discuss what worked, what didn't, an...

Hollywood has been trying to adapt video games into movies for years and most of the time, they don’t work. On this episode of  The Culture Docket , Michael is joined by his friend Josh to break down the new  The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and decide whether it actually works as a movie or falls into the same traps as past video game adaptations. From there, we zoom out and talk about Mario as a fra...

Do you ever find yourself asking, "What should I read next?" On this episode of  The Culture Docket , Michael is joined by Missy to share their  top 5 go-to book recommendations , the books they always suggest when someone is looking for something great to read. We start with a quick check-in on what we’ve been reading this year, then count down our lists, share a few bonus genre picks,...

Project Hail Mary  hit theaters this weekend — but does it actually work as an adaptation? On this episode of  The Culture Docket , Michael is joined by Christian: engineer, science nerd, and the one who first recommended the book, to break down Project Hail Mary  and its transition to the big screen. We discuss what made the novel so compelling, how the film adaptation stacks up, and what element...

There was a time when a new Pixar movie felt like a cultural event. Is that time over? On this episode of  The Culture Docket , Michael is joined by Joey to put Pixar on trial. With the release of Hoppers, we revisit the legendary studio behind Toy Story and Ratatouille and debate whether Pixar is still the most essential name in animation. We talk early Pixar memories, rank our  Top 5 Pixar movie...

On the premiere episode of  The Culture Docket , Michael and Courtney deliver an emergency primer for the 2026 Oscars, breaking down the frontrunners, what will win vs. what should win, the biggest snubs of the year, what’s overrated, underrated, and properly rated, and the three movies you need to watch before Hollywood’s biggest night.