Pretty Much Pop: A Culture Podcast

A philosopher, an actor, and a sci-fi writer talk about media and how we consume it.

Film

PMP#229: What’s Spider-Man Up To?

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It's been 2019 since our last Spider-Man episode, so what's with the new film (Brand New Day), and the Spider-Verse, and Nicholas Cage being Spider Noir? Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn and Al discuss in this, our SEASON FINALE! Follow us @law_writes, @sarahlynbruck, @MarkLinsenmayer. Due to supernatural events, the world has forgotten Al's social media presence. Get more at … [Read more...] about PMP#229: What’s Spider-Man Up To?

PMP#228: Spielberg’s Alien Fetish

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We discuss the various films Steven Spielberg has released about alien encounters: Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982), War of the Worlds (2005), and our inciting film, Disclosure Day. Of these, Spielberg had a story or writing credit for all but War of the Worlds, and they form a semi-coherent narrative between them. Featuring Mark, … [Read more...] about PMP#228: Spielberg’s Alien Fetish

PMP#227: The Odyssey: Epic Film

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We discuss the already over-discussed Christopher Nolan adaptation of Homer's classic poem. Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn and Al discuss their cinema-going experiences, Ludwig Göransson's soundtrack, choices re. the book-to-film transition, the various performances, the Emily Wilson connection, and more. Listen to Mark's Emily Wilson Odyssey (the book) PEL interview. Read her … [Read more...] about PMP#227: The Odyssey: Epic Film

PMP#226: Toy Story Played Out

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In light of Toy Story 5, the gang (Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn and Al) consider the Pixar franchise that started in 1995. We consider the premise whereby your toys are loyal slaves that come to life whenever unobserved, the critique of screen-play in the new film, the use of nostalgia in the films, the repetition and/or escalation throughout the series, the horror-adjacency of … [Read more...] about PMP#226: Toy Story Played Out

PMP#224: Fantasy Novels Galore

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It's a special one-on-one conversation where Mark and Al share their mutual interest in fantasy novels. Is "high fantasy" fundamentally different than the stuff we enjoyed as kids? Did Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings and HBO's Game of Thrones show us that these literary doorstops are adaptable, or were they rare successes? We're recording this partly in anticipation of the … [Read more...] about PMP#224: Fantasy Novels Galore

PMP#223: What Is Star Wars Now?

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In light of The Mandalorian and Grogu (and the Disney+ Darth Maul cartoon), we (Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al) check back in with Star Wars. Is it now "just another franchise"? Does the movie meet expectations? What's the right volume of Star Wars media? Are the cartoons good? What variety of creators and genres is there room for? Should anyone bother with the books and … [Read more...] about PMP#223: What Is Star Wars Now?

PMP#221: Streep Does Prada

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We discuss the career of Meryl Streep in light of The Devil Wears Prada 2, insofar as we (Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al) have a hold of it; she's been in over 65 films! Is she really the best actor on the planet? Did Prada need a sequel? We all brought in our own experiences with her catalog, touching on Sophie's Choice, Kramer vs. Kramer, A Cry in the Dark, Adaptation, … [Read more...] about PMP#221: Streep Does Prada

PMP#219: Weir-ed Sci Fi: Hail Mary and The Martian

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We discuss the hard sci-fi film Project Hail Mary, which along with The Martian (2015) was based on a novel by Andy Weir and adapted by Drew Goddard. Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn and Al consider how hard we actually like our sci-fi, the directors of these films (by Lord/Miller and Ridley Scott respectively), how the books got adapted, Weir's other work (Artemis, some webcomics, … [Read more...] about PMP#219: Weir-ed Sci Fi: Hail Mary and The Martian

PMP#218: All the “Scream”-ing

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We talk about the Scream meta-slasher film franchise, from the original Wes Craven (director)/Kevin Williamson (writer) 1996 debut starring Neve Campbell, and Courtney Cox to the new one (#7), still with Kevin Williamson (now directing, Wes Craven being dead), Neve Campbell, and Courtney Cox. Our discussion includes Mark, Lawrence, and Sarahlyn. (Hear Lawrence also talk about … [Read more...] about PMP#218: All the “Scream”-ing

PMP#217: Mel Brooks’ Old Comedy

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In light of Judd Apatow's HBO documentary The 99-Year-Old Man, we discuss the films of Mel Brooks, which were to varying degrees formative on us (us being Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al). Does the humor of, say, History of the World, Part I hold up? Does Blazing Saddles say anything substantial about race? Are we now in any position to see how cutting-edge it was to make … [Read more...] about PMP#217: Mel Brooks’ Old Comedy

PMP#216: Oscars So Black?

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In light of the now-completed black history month and the upcoming Oscars, we consider the "Oscars So White" issue that was a hot topic about a decade ago. We all tried to watch some of the Oscar-nominated films by black creators, like Twelve Years a Slave, Moonlight, Judas and the Black Messiah, Boyz in Da Hood, et al. What makes for a critically lauded drama in this … [Read more...] about PMP#216: Oscars So Black?

PMP#215: Hamnet Dramatizes Shakespeare

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When we don't know much about some genius playwright's life, why not make up some things based on the contents of his plays? Maybe put Shakespearean dialogue right in character's mouths, so the audience will say, "hey, I remember that line!" Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al talk through the Chloe Zhao Oscar-bait historical drama, Hamnet, and its source, the 2020 novel by … [Read more...] about PMP#215: Hamnet Dramatizes Shakespeare

PMP#212: Holiday Romance Films

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The Hallmark Channel became famous for producing low-budget, formulaic Christmas films aimed at women, and this spread to Lifetime and Freeform, and now Netflix and other mainstream outlets have been inspired to create similar features, though with higher budgets and less conservative restrictions. Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al each watched a smattering of these and share … [Read more...] about PMP#212: Holiday Romance Films

PMP#210: One Paul Thomas Anderson Film After Another

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In light of One Battle After Another, Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al walk through the range of his films from his 1996 crime film Hard Eight through his much lauded Magnolia, Boogie Nights, Punch-Drunk Love, and There Will Be Blood and his more controversial recent ones like Licorice Pizza, The Master, The Phantom Thread, and Inherent Vice. PTA is obviously an extremely … [Read more...] about PMP#210: One Paul Thomas Anderson Film After Another

PMP#209: Alien Franchised

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In light of Noah Hawley TV show Alien Earth, Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn and Al revisit the franchise through its seven films (discounting the crummy and non-canonical Alien vs. Predator films) beginning with Ridley Scott's 1979 classic. While there's plenty of sheer repetition (alien loose, killing people one by one) throughout these properties, the various filmmakers attempt … [Read more...] about PMP#209: Alien Franchised

PMP#208: An Ed Gein Halloween

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It's a special two-hander where Mark and Lawrence reflect on the appeal of horror and how the new Monster: Ed Gein Netflix show has to contribute, given that it is not merely a (very loose) presentation of real events, and itself a horror drama, but also a commentary on the Hollywood properties influenced by the Ed Gein murders, including Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, … [Read more...] about PMP#208: An Ed Gein Halloween

PMP#205: Fantastical Foursome

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What do we expect out of a superhero film? Does it need overqualified dramatic actors? Does it even need a real budget? Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al discuss the various films modeled after Marvel's Fantastic Four comics initiated by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1961. First Steps is clearly the best of them and surpassed our low expectations, with its delivery of a believable … [Read more...] about PMP#205: Fantastical Foursome

PMP#204: Naked Gun Rapid Firing

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What is the state of the stream-of-gags formula that used to stand tall in the films of the Zucker Brothers (mainly Airplane) and Mel Brooks? A new generation attempts to revive that with a new Naked Gun film. How does this new effort relate to the classic films? Are these kinds of films particularly timeless? Rewatchable? Do young people appreciate this kind of thing? Mark, … [Read more...] about PMP#204: Naked Gun Rapid Firing

PMP#203: What Superman?

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In light of the new James Gunn film Superman, Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al talk about the character, his stories, and past films and shows. Did Zack Snyder (Man of Steel) miss the point? Are the Richard Donner films (chiefly 1978's Superman: The Movie) as good as nostalgia would have us recall them? How does one write a convincing plot centered around a flawless, … [Read more...] about PMP#203: What Superman?