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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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In this special episode of Popcorn Culture, we review the latest in James Cameron’s Na’vi epic, Avatar: Fire and Ash, and discuss whether the visual mastery on screen warrants a visit to the cinema.Image Credit: IMDBSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We wrap up the year by returning to the simultaneously murderous and cosy setting of Rian Johnson's Knives Out series, with the latest installment, Wake Up Dead Man, which sees Benoit Blanc return to investigate a murder at a small upstate New York church and the close-knit community there. And then since it’s the end of the year, we ask you what were the best series and movies of 2025.Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Noah Baumbach directs Jay Kelly (2025), which stars Adam Sandler and George Clooney, and follows a famed but disillusioned actor and his loyal manager as they travel across Europe, confronting past mistakes and estranged relationships. We discuss whether this star-studded movie lives up to its promise, before turning our attention to the question of whether adult dramas, sans action or bombast, have any room in audiences' hearts anymore.Image Credit: IMDBSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode, it's all about the follow-up to 2016's wildly successful Zootopia, which sees the return of earnest bunny cop Judy Hopps and wily con artist fox Nick Wilde, and the continuation of their unlikely partnership as they go undercover to pursue a new and mysterious reptilian resident Gary De'Snake. And since so much of Zootopia's delights rest in its animal-centred world and setting, we then extend the discussion to ask: What (or who) are your favourite on-screen animal characters?Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode of our podcast, we dive into the first four episodes of Vince Gilligan’s Pluribus, the much-hyped Apple TV+ sci-fi thriller that marks a major return for the Breaking Bad creator. With a near-perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes and buzz everywhere, the show follows Carol Sturka (played by Rhea Seehorn), one of the few immune to a mysterious contagion that has transformed humanity into a shared, euphoric hive mind. We explore whether Pluribus lives up to its break-out promise, and ask you what are some movies or shows that really invite conversation and discussion (whether it's out of love or hate).Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It’s been a year since Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba and Ariana Grande’s Glinda were last on the big screen, finding themselves on opposite sides of a political and ethical divide in Oz. This year, we finally get to see director Jon M. Chu tackle the famously difficult and darker second act of Wicked - we discuss if it lives up to the hype and love that the first movie garnered. Then, as we did with Wicked a year ago, we open up the phone lines and ask: What's your favourite musical?Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It's another double bill this week. First up, we review Edgar Wright's latest film, The Running Man, which is an adaptation of Stephen King's 1982 dystopian novel of the same name. It stars Glenn Powell, Katy O'Brian and Josh Brolin and is about a man forced to participate in a deadly state-sanctioned game show where contestants are hunted for entertainment. Following that, we discuss if Guillermo del Toro's gothic monster drama, Frankenstein, is a faithful yet fresh reimagining of Mary Shelley’s classic tale. On Take Two, we talk about how adaptations and remakes often get a bad rap - but which ones have actually updated their source material or offered something new? Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The latest in the Predator universe, Predator: Badlands sees the return of Dan Trachtenberg to the helm, following his two previous installments (Prey, and Predator: Killer of Killers). Promising to be a standalone film that’s a look at the Predator species and their culture, it also departs from previous movies by having the titular Predator as the protagonist rather than the antagonist. We talk if this release lives up to the high standards of Trachtenberg’s previous efforts. Then, inspired by this being the ninth film in the franchise overall, we ask: What are some of the best and worst movies/shows from long-running franchises?Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode, we review two new releases by some of the best filmmakers in the world. Kathryn Bigelow is back with another political thriller, A House of Dynamite. It stars Idris Elba and Rebecca Ferguson, and is about the aftermath of an unidentified missile launch that sends global powers scrambling to uncover who’s behind it before catastrophe strikes. Meanwhile, South Korean filmmaker Park Chan Wook’s No Other Choice is a dark comedy that centres around themes of unemployment and desperation. Then on Take Two, we talk about some of the best auteur directors who continue to shape our love for cinema. Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Keanu Reeves and Sandra Oh as angels, Seth Rogen and Aziz Ansari in a bodyswap, bonus Keke Palmer - random disparate elements, or winning combo? We review Good Fortune (which is also Aziz Ansari’s directorial debut) and find out for ourselves, before turning our attention to the four-decade long career of the iconic Keanu Reeves, and discussing its highs, lows, and of course, whoas.Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It’s the week of Deepavali! This year, we revisit the 2018 film Vada Chennai by acclaimed director Vetrimaaran, which underperformed at the box office when it was first released but has since gained a cult following. It stars Dhanush and follows a skilled carrom player from North Chennai who becomes entangled in the city’s underworld and power struggles over several decades. We review the film, and then on Take Two, we discuss your favourite movies and series about revenge.Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We review One Battle After Another, Leonardo DiCaprio’s first collaboration with Paul Thomas Anderson, which draws on the paranoid humour and tangled conspiracies of Thomas Pynchon's Vineland. On Take 2, we revisit your favourite DiCaprio performances, and on B-Side, we dive into Jonny Greenwood’s soundtrack of tense rhythms that mirrors the film’s spiralling paranoia. Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Black Bag is a spy-drama by Steven Soderbergh available to stream on HBO. It follows two legendary intelligence agents, George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender) and his wife Kathryn (Cate Blanchett), whose marriage is tested when Kathryn becomes a suspect in a national security leak. But really, it's a film that explores what relationships would look like if everyone in your circle were secret agents and professional liars. We review the movie and then on Take Two explore the best romantic films and series.Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
With Princess Mononoke back in theatres, we thought it would only be right to look back at one of Hayao Miyazaki’s early masterpieces the way it’s meant to be seen: On the biggest screen possible. We also review Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, a Malayali superhero movie that’s making waves in Indian cinema. Then, we discuss your favourite female-led action movies and series, before deep diving into Joe Hisaishi’s iconic soundtrack for Princess Mononoke.Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Netflix’s hit gothic mystery series, Wednesday, is back for its highly anticipated second season. The stakes are higher, there are new mysteries to be solved and loads of wild teenage drama too! Meanwhile, Spike Lee and Denzel Washington reunite for Highest 2 Lowest, an English-language remake of Akira Kurosawa's 1963 film High and Low. So, in this episode of Popcorn Culture, we’ve got a double bill of reviews. And on Take Two, we explore the best mysteries/whodunits from the big screen and small.Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
With Merdeka around the corner, Popcorn Culture celebrates local filmmaking with a review of three local short films: 'Pace' by Ekin Kee Charles, 'The House of Brick and Stone' by Ananth Subramaniam and 'Fasa' by Syahmi Norsan.Then on Take 2, we discuss your favourite Malaysian movies, before hearing from our local filmmakers about the hopes thay have for Malaysian cinema. For this we hear from Adam Zainal, Ananth Subramaniam, Anwar Johari Ho, Gogularaajan Rajendran, Lee Yve Vonn, Mickey Lai and Putra Adib.Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Superstar Rajinikanth is back on the big screen with his 171st film, Coolie – a milestone that also marks his 50th year in cinema. Not only that, it’s also the first time he’s teamed up with Lokesh Kanagaraj, who’s arguably the most popular action-film director in India right now. There’s also the star-studded pan-Indian supporting cast – Nagarjuna, Soubin Shahir, Upendra, Shruti Haasan and a cameo by Aamir Khan. Naturally, expectations by fans have been through the roof, but does it live up to its hype? We review the film and then on Take Two, discuss the best signature moves/gestures by movie stars.Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week, we’re reviewing the latest, much-anticipated entry into the Horror Canon of Creepy Children, in the form of Zach Cregger’s Weapons. In it, seventeen children from the same classroom mysteriously run out of their homes towards an unknown target in the middle of the night, going missing, with no reason why. We talk about the movie, and whether it lives up to the acclaim it’s been receiving, before going on to ask: when it comes to horror, what’s your flavour? Do you prefer ‘elevated’ takes on the genre, or do you go enjoy the reliable combination of ghosts and gore? Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Police Squad is back in an all-new reboot of The Naked Gun, starring Liam Neeson as Lt. Frank Drebin Jr. - the one man who has the particular set of skills to save the world - and Pamela Anderson as femme fatale, Beth Davenport. So of course, we talk about whether old-timey slapstick comedy still lands in 2025. Then on Take 2, we ask you for your favourite comedies, before diving into Liam Neeson's love ballad 'My Sweet Beth' on the B-Side.Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We're halfway through 2025, so we're looking back at releases we didn’t get to review, beginning with the much-hyped return of Danny Boyle and Alex Garland's '28 Years Later'. We also review the Palestinian film, 'All That's Left of You' which won Best Film at MIFFest, and the beloved Tamil-language 'Tourist Family'. Then, we open up our phone lines and ask listeners for their selections!Image Credit: IMDbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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