Popcorn Culture

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.

The gang from Hawkins is back for more supernatural adventures, as Netflix's hit show continues its exploration of 1980s teen horror movie tropes. Following the events of Season 3, the characters have both grown up into high schoolers and aren't seemingly as close as we might remember - but nothing like more mysterious disappearances and the looming threat of another monster to bring them all back...

Picking up from the animated TV series, this film sees John Mulaney and Andy Samberg voicing the titular chipmunks, in a story that takes place in a world where cartoons live alongside humans. It's been 30 years since Chip and Dale had a falling out, which resulted in the cancellation of their show - but now, they must reconcile their differences to investigate the kidnapping of their friend Monte...

Tom Cruise isn't called the last great Hollywood celebrity for nothing. He's been a leading actor in the industry for decades, making everything from high-octane action films to Oscar-worthy dramas and amassing a massive fanbase in the process. On this Supercut, we look at the illustrious, eclectic, over-the-top career of the man with one of the most iconic runs in film history, Tom Cruise! See om...

He feels the need, the need for speed... again! Taking place three decades after the original Top Gun, 'Maverick' puts Pete Mitchell (Tom Cruise) back in the cockpit for an all new, high-stakes mission. On this episode, we check out the highly anticipated, action-packed sequel to one of the most iconic films of the 80s. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nicolas Cage has done strange accents and championed unorthodox hairdos in many movies, but few are more iconic than Con Air. In the movie, Cage plays Cameron, a prisoner about to taste freedom when his plane is hijacked by a band of criminals. Obviously, no one but Nic Cage can get the plane back on track! In anticipation of Top Gun: Maverick, we review one of the most iconic plane-centric films...

From Dunder Mifflin to the 99th Precinct, the glamorous offices of Runway to the secrecy of the fictional MI6 and the CIA, workplaces figure in ways big and small in films and shows. We talk about their significance in stories, and some of our favourites. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Work-life balance has always - and is increasingly - seen as an elusive thing. But Severance, a series on Apple TV+, posits something entirely different, focusing on a team of office workers who have had memories surgically divided between their work and personal lives, though one worker, Mark (played by Adam Scott), uncovers a larger conspiracy that complicates matters. Severance has been gaining...

Ben Stiller's directorial debut, Reality Bites was a slice of life dramedy, exploring the relationships, careers and issues of a group of 20-somethings in the 90s. It also gave the world an iconic character, in the form of Ethan Hawke's Troy Dyer, and has become a cult favourite in the years since its release. In this episode of Throwback, we talk about the experience of watching this film close t...

From the early days of Steamboat Willie to the stop-motion of Henry Selick and hand-drawn details of Studio Ghibli, animation has evolved tremendously over the years (and remained the same in others). In this Supercut, we compare and contrast different animation styles over the decades, and talk about our favourites. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The latest from Richard Linklater, Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood is an animated film, loosely based on his own childhood, and set during the events before the Apollo 11 Moon landing - and imagining if a 10 year old was the first person to land on the moon. Featuring the voices of Glen Powell, Jack Black, Zachary Levi and Josh Wiggins, the film has been critically acclaimed. We talk about...

Aladdin is turning 30 this year - a fact that shocked all 3 of us, and prompted this throwback episode where we marvel over one of the classics of the Disney Renaissance. Featuring the inimitable Robin Williams voicing Genie, songs and characters that have become ingrained into the Disney DNA, and one of the best villains in the form of Jafar. We also - inevitably - compare it to the recent live a...

Some cast spells, some use wands, and others have lightning bolts shooting out their fingers. Whatever the case, magic on screen is always fun! From Doctor Strange to The Prestige, we talk about our favourite wizards, witches, magicians, and sorcerers along with the movies and TV shows that housed all their glorious hocus pocus. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.