Popcorn Culture

Tar never made it to our cinemas, but rose to prominence when Cate Blanchett received an Oscar nomination for her performance as a renowned musician in it. Now that it’s available on streaming, we catch up on the hype. Image Credits: IMDb See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A few weeks ago, a movie-publicity company called Bunker 15 was outed for paying independent reviewers to give certain movies positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. This reemphasizes a notion that many in the film industry have held for years - that Rotten Tomatoes is flawed, disruptive, and easily hackable. But what does that mean for us, the average moviegoers, and how much do "Tomatometer" scores...

Belgian super-sleuth Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) is back to investigate a murder in the third adaptation of the Agatha Christie mystery series, A Haunting In Venice. However, a certain supernatural twist throws the celebrated detective for a loop, pitting him against his most dangerous opponent. The movie boasts an ensemble cast including Jamie Dornan, Tina Fey, Ali Khan, Kyle Allen, and Mich...

In anticipation of 'A Haunting in Venice', we rewind to 1999 for the critically acclaimed psychological thriller, The Talented Mr. Ripley. Tom Ripley (Matt Damon) travels to Venice to bring Dickie (Jude Law) back to America, only to get lost in Dickie's luxurious lifestyle. What follows is a story of obsession, greed and a serious case of stolen identity. We discuss the clever writing behind The T...

The process of finally coming into one's own, and that transition between childhood and adulthood, is such a ripe and fruitful space for storytelling. So it's no wonder that there are so many shows and films set in that emotional space! From Boy Meets World to Lady Bird, we discuss some of our favourites, and as always, ask for yours too!  Image Credit: IMDb See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...

Introducing a whole new generation of Sandler's to movie audiences, You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah was also (initially) patriarch Adam Sandler's highest-rated picture on Rotten Tomatoes. While that's shifted since, there's been a lot of love going to this coming-of-age dramedy that's all about two best friends (played by Sunny Sandler and Samantha Lorraine) looking forward to their bat m...

Get in losers, we're going on a throwback! 19 years on from this Tina Fey-penned comedy teen classic, we're looking back on the misadventures of Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan), a home-schooled teenager who finds herself back in an American high school after 12 years in Africa. She has to negotiate friendships, bullying, and love, and ultimately decide if she's going to be a Plastic, aka a Mean Girl. W...

Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) is no longer a government assassin - he now lives in Southern Italy with a new community he calls his own. But old habits die hard, and he continues to stand up for the oppressed - and soon, he finds himself taking on the local mafia. We review the movie and discuss whether the Denzel-Antoine Fuqua actor-director pairing still has its draws. Image Credit: IMD...

With The Equalizer 3 now in the theatres, we revisit Denzel Washington and director Antoine Fuqua's first collab, a crime thriller classic from 2001 which has gone on to gain cult status. The film revolves around two LAPD narcotics officers, played by Washington and Ethan Hawke, over a 24-hour period in the gang-ridden neighborhoods - and things don't go as planned. We review the film an...

In conjunction with BFM turning 15, we’re looking back at a very special list of our own - our top 15 movies that we’ve reviewed on the show. Expect picks that embrace classic films, full-on weirdness, and genre favourites! Image Credit: IMDb See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the most critically acclaimed films of 2022, Women Talking was written and directed by Sarah Polley and based on Miriam Toews's 2018 novel of the same name. It features a stacked cast (think Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Frances McDormand), and tells a compelling story of an isolated community talking about guilt, sexual violence, and living alongside perpetrators. We discuss the...

In honor of Malaya's independence (sorry, we know it's a tenuous link), we're throwing it back to a classic film from 1957, Sidney Lumet's 12 Angry Men. Exploring concepts of guilt, accountability, and consensus, it's widely regarded as one of the best films ever made. In this Throwback, we discuss if it lives up to its reputation.  Image credit: IMDb See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i...

We don't like to brag, but we're bringing this episode back for a sequel due to popular demand. On this Supercut, we continue celebrating our favourite needle drops, famous film composers, and the movie songs and soundtracks that we just can't stop listening to. Image Credit: IMDb See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a shame that Blue Beetle is being released during a transitory, turbulent time in DC's cinematic timeline because, by all accounts, it looks like a fun time at the movies. It tells the story of Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña), a kid who bonds with a symbiotic relic called the Scarab and is given a suit of armor and extraordinary powers. We review DC's newest film in the who-knows-what-chronology...

There are numerous reasons why 1986's The Fly became a pop culture touchstone - it is a classic David Cronenberg body horror fest, it's the root of many a childhood nightmare, and it is the beginning of the Jeff Goldblum phenomenon. We throwback to the classic and discuss why they really don't make 'em like they used to. Image Credit: FILMGRAB See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some moviegoers love having their minds challenged (think The Tree of Life or 12 Years a Slave), while others just want to have a good time (Godzilla vs Kong, anyone?). In this Supercut, we weigh the merits of those difficult, challenging films that ask a lot of us as viewers, against the movies that are just pure entertainment.   Image Credit: Memento/ MUBI, Coco/IMDb, Legally Blonde/IM...

When her uncle mysteriously turns up unannounced one night, Bonnie (Chen Keat Yoke) ends up taking a trip back to her hometown in rural Behrang Stesen. Little does she expect to get stranded there during a Covid-19 lockdown, where she is forced to take refuge in her family's old coffeeshop - only to discover that it is haunted by the ghosts of her relatives who have returned for the Hungry Ghost F...

This local thriller made waves when it was released last year, both for its strong showing at the Locarno Film Festival and all the positive reviews; and it's finally available for streaming in Malaysia. Plot details are kept deliberately mysterious: a woman living on the east coast becomes entangled with a man who isn't what he seems. Oh, and there's time travel involved. Directed by Woo Min...

Brad Pitt vs an octopus. Kate Winslet vs an eagle. Viola Davis fighting for her life against an evil python - all possibilities we explore in this frankly unhinged Supercut, in which we talk about the actors we'd like to see facing off against fictional beasts and monsters! Image Credit: IMDb See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What do you get when you cross a sequel, gigantic prehistoric sharks, and Jason Statham? Why, a follow-up to 2018's The Meg, of course! In this review, we talk about whether Meg 2: The Trench lives up to its promise of more sharks, and a darker tone. Image Credit: Warner Bros. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a season of stress, grief, mayhem, The Bear returns to explore the (mis)adventures of Carmy, Syd, Richie and co, as they continue to try to revamp The Beef into a different, finer version of its former glories. But what do they gain and what do they lose in this process? And how much does a sense of purpose factor in? That's what Season 2 looks into - we discuss whether it's a worthy follow-...

There's an art to putting together the perfect double bill. You could go by director (Memento and Inception?), by actor (Speed and John Wick?), by genre (Pacific Rim and Edge of Tomorrow?), or by theme (Little Miss Sunshine and The Royal Tenenbaums?). The key to a good double bill though, is that each movie should not just stand well on its own, but pair with the other to maximise the viewer exper...

This seemingly unassuming Netflix release ends up leaving quite an impression with a sci fi/horror plot that reimagines the blaxploitation genre through an impressive cast (John Boyega, Jamie Foxx, Teyonah Parris), loads of style, and a surprising amount of heart. We're trying not to give away the plot, but really, the title is all you need. Image Credit: Parrish Lewis/Netflix See omnystudio.com/l...

The latest entry in the Evil Dead franchise takes the notion of difficult families to horrific extremes, as a reunion between two estranged sisters is interrupted by... well, flesh-possessing demons. We needed a lot of convincing, but we review the movie and see how it holds up against its rich horror history.  Image Credit: IMDb See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Director Christopher Nolan recently revealed his favourite seats in a cinema. It got us thinking - center seats, middle section... or couple-sofas way at the back? How about snug beanie beds? Onyx, Screen X, 4DX, or IMAX? Popcorn, nuggets, or smuggled-in snacks? Or maybe you're a Netflix-at-home kinda person. On this Supercut, we're discussing, and designing, the perfect moviegoing experience. Whe...