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Talking apes and Jedi Knights are cool, but how do they impact Hollywood as a whole? That's the kind of stuff we talk about on Popcorn Culture - a mixed-bag-exploration of the movies, TV shows, and pop culture buzz that we love, as well as the ones we love (slightly) less.
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All good trilogies need a big finale, so for the third time, we're celebrating music on screeen, and talking about our favourite needle drops, famous film composers, and the movie songs and soundtracks that we just can't stop listening to.Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The TV landscape is an immensely crowded one these days, with new shows dropping every few days, and often, disappearing into the ether just as quickly. Despite that, 2023 proved to be a strong year for TV viewers, whether with adaptations that managed to capture fans both old and new (The Last of Us, One Piece), ongoing shows that kept raising the bar (The Bear, Succession), or unexpected new hits (Beef, Blue Eye Samurai). We look back at our time spent watching TV in 2023, and talk about our favourites. Image Credit: IMDBSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From the lightning-in-a-bottle craze that was Barbenheimer to awards contenders like Napoleon and Killers of the Flower Moon, 2023 turned out to be a stacked year for movies, especially those in cinemas. Despite two historic Hollywood strikes that shook-up the industry for good, the year saw heavyweight filmmakers like Nolan, Scorcese, Fincher and Scott produce some of their most intriguing works, while franchise blockbusters like Across the Spider-Verse set new standards for animation. In this Supercut, we each look back at 2023 and list our Top 5 favourite movies of the year while asking listeners to do the same.Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Long before its release, Pendatang was making headlines, and for good reason too: it's billed as Malaysia's first fully crowdfunded movie (in part, so that it would also be free for all to watch), it's premiering on Youtube (in part, for wide distribution but also to sidestep issues of censorship), and it has an intriguing premise. It's a dystopian thriller, based in a version of Malaysia where different races are not permitted to mix, but a Chinese family discovering a young Malay girl in their house has to make a tough decision. Directed by Ng Ken Jin and written by Lim Boon Siang, it's been getting plenty of buzz - we get into the film itself, and whether it lives up to the hype. Image Credit: Facebook / Kuman PicturesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Directed by Jin Ong, Abang Adik has been making the rounds at film festivals and garnering acclaim along the way. The film explores themes that are familiar to many Malaysians: inequality, urban living, and family, through the story of two undocumented orphans living in Malaysia, Abang and Adik. While Abang tries to eke out an honest but modest living, Adik has different dreams - and then an event changes their life and relationship and upsets the fragile balance. We discuss the film, its performances, and what it says about our country (and our film scene!). Image Credit: IMDBSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A new Hayao Miyazaki film is always a treat, especially since The Boy and the Heron comes after a 10-year gap since his last. The story revolves around a 12-year-old boy struggling to deal with his mother's death, when a talking heron tells him she's still alive and leads him to a magical world. We review the movie, celebrate the joys of hand-drawn animation, and discuss that Miyazaki magic touch. Image Credit: IMDBSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Adapted from the wildly popular Japanese anime, this live action series managed to achieve that rare feat: the approval of the original's fans. Set in a fantastical world of oceans, islands, and pirates, the series tells the story of Monkey D. Luffy, who dreams of finding the ultimate treasure and becoming a Pirate King - and along the way, amasses an unlikely crew of friends, each with their own dream to fulfill. We review the show, and talk about how it manages to channel the anime's energy, adventure and aesthetic, while also being accessible to newbies. Image Credit: IMDBSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Wonka gave us the origin story of Willy Wonka. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes told us how President Snow, and the Hunger Games, came to be. Whose origin story do we want to see next, and whose origins are best left to uncertainty? In this Supercut, we go through some of our favourite characters and if we want to see their stories expanded. We also discuss if some not-so-interesting characters could have benefited from a proper backstory.Image Credit: IMDBSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Did we need a whole movie about Willy Wonka's backstory? Probably not, but it's hard to be cynical about anything by Paul King, director of the heartwarming smash hits, Paddington and Paddington 2. Starring Timothee Chalamet as a young Willy Wonka and Hugh Grant as an Oompa-Loompa, the movie aims to explain how an ordinary man with big dreams became the eccentric owner of the world's most legendary chocolate factory. In this episode, we review Wonka and discuss if it works as a prequel, the stacked cast and their performances, and if this will eventually become a new Willy Wonka franchise. Image Credit: IMDBSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The cat. The bat. The penguin. In the spirit of the holidays, we're throwing back to 1992's Batman Returns - the much anticipated yet highly controversial sequel to Tim Burton's 1989 blockbuster, Batman. With Michael Keaton reprising his role as Bruce Wayne and show-stealing performances by Michelle Pfeiffer as Selina Kyle and Danny DeVito as Oswald Cobblepot, Batman Returns amplifies the gothic eclecticness of its predecessor. We discuss the nostalgic quality of Tim Burton's vision of Gotham, the violence and darker themes that turned a lot of parents off at the time, and if Michael Keaton is the best live-action Batman there is. Image Credit: IMDBSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
You talkin' to me? I know it was you, Fredo. You broke my heart. We were on a break! Some lines are just imminently quotable... but which movies and shows actually top the list of being quoted most often (and let's face it, often out of context). That's what we explore in this week's Supercut, along with what makes a good quotable line, and why some endure over others. Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A teen/high school comedy with a twist, Bottoms is all about two unpopular queer teenagers (Ayo Edebiri and Rachel Sennott), who inadvertently start a fight club in order to get the cheerleaders of their dreams. Taking its cues from Wet Hot American Summer, Bring It On and Heathers, it was a hit at the festival circuit. Now that it's made its way to our (streaming) shores, we take a look and discuss if it lives up to the hype. Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We're breaking both the first and second rule of Fight Club this week, as we throwback to this modern classic from David Fincher. Starring Edward Norton and Brad Pitt, Fight Club explored male disenfranchisement, the disconnectedness of capitalist life, and mental health, in a highly stylised, highly violent and lurid way. We explore how the film has aged, and also discuss the many similar movies and shows it's inspired. Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The premise of today’s Supercut is simple: if you could, what movie would you like to make? Would it be a quirky indie feature with up-and-coming actors, a big blockbuster action movie, a dark, futuristic rumination on humanity, or a laugh-out-loud comedy? Or something else entirely? The sky’s the limit, so we discuss our dream screen projects.Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A Ridley Scott film comes with certain expectations: epic scale, larger-than-life characters, and lots of bombast. Napoleon certainly ticks all the boxes. The movie reunites Jaoquin Phoenix with the director, in the titular role as the famed French commander who ascends to the throne, and the plot examines his story through his relationship with the woman who is said to be his one true love, Josephine (Vanessa Kirby). We review the movie, and talk about what it takes to make a great historical epic.Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Based on the book of the same name, this prequel to the phenomenally successful Hunger Games franchise tells the story of 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth), years before he becomes the dictator of Panem. Snow is assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler) from District 12 as the 10th annual Hunger Games quickly approaches. We discuss The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and how it adds to the Hunger Games mythos, filling the shoes of pop culture icon Katniss Everdeen, and whether we'd like to see more movies from the dystopian districts of Panem. Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Loki, Morbius, Sylvie and the TVA return for another round of time-hopping, reality-altering shenanigans, following the events of the critically acclaimed first season. While not as bombastic as its predecessor, Season 2 sheds new light on our timeless characters in arguably one of the best stories in a post-Endgame MCU. We review the second season of Loki and discuss the titular character's glorious purpose, what this season means to the rest of the Multiverse, and if we'd like to see Loki and the gang return for a third season of the show. Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Every decade of filmmaking has its own mores and boundaries of what's acceptable, or okay to say and do. But in recent times. we've seen people revisiting some classics and pointing out some problematic storylines or behaviours, as well as major studios making a point to - at least on the surface - highlight diversity and inclusivity. But that hasn't come without pushback as well, particularly from longtime and deeply entrenched fans of certain IPs (ahem). What does all this mean for audiences, and fundamentally, has it made movies and shows better or worse? We get into this tricky subject.Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Neither Phase Four nor Five of Marvel's releases have been hugely popular among fans and moviegoers, so the question is: where will The Marvels land? Featuring Brie Larson's Captain Marvel, Teyonah Parris' Monica Rambeau, and Iman Vellani's Ms Marvel, and with a plot that hinges on their powers becoming entangled with one another, The Marvels is a movie that comes with a fair amount of baggage, but also heightened expectations (thanks in part to director Nia DaCosta). In this review, we discuss whether this movie really is out of this world, or crashes and burns.Imagen Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The latest from David Fincher sees him returning to well-trodden ground: an action thriller about an assassin (played by Michael Fassbender) who gets involved in an international manhunt after a job goes badly wrong. Some have said this is one of Netflix's best films this year, and with the talent of both Fincher and Fassbender (and bonus Tilda Swinton), the odds are good. We review it and discuss whether it's worth a watch. Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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