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
Science Fiction
PMP#223: What Is Star Wars Now?
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#219: Weir-ed Sci Fi: Hail Mary and The Martian
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#213: Stranger Things Grown Familiar
The Netflix sci-fi/horror/teen series by the Duffer Brothers that started in 2016 has now finished with its sixth season, attempting to be both epic and sentimental. Who is this show actually aimed at? We talk about the initial appeal through various uneven seasons through the execution of the finale. Has the thing gone on so long that we can't make sense out of the continuity. … [Read more...] about PMP#213: Stranger Things Grown Familiar
PMP#209: Alien Franchised
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#198: Andor: Grown-Up Star Wars
Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn and Al discuss Tony Gilroy's Star Wars Disney+ two-season TV show. Should this actually be a Star Wars show given how different in tone it was? The show adds meat (and banality!) to the evil of the Empire and the rough life of a rebel. We talk characters, themes, settings, and all that other literary stuff. Follow us @law_writes, @sarahlynbruck, … [Read more...] about PMP#198: Andor: Grown-Up Star Wars
PMP#193: Severance: Mystery Box in Progress
Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn and Al here discuss the Dan Erickson/Apple TV+ sci-fi/office dramedy in light of its second season. We might normally wait until the end of the show, but given that season 1 was 2022, and it took three years to get us season 2, who knows it it'll actually finish? And who knows if it will not be massively disappointing at that point? We strike while the … [Read more...] about PMP#193: Severance: Mystery Box in Progress
PMP#175: Podcast of the Planet of the Apes
We discuss the ten films that all started with the 1968 Charlton Heston vehicle (based on Pierre Boulle's 1963 novel) through the latest offering, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. What psychologically are these films about, and has their mission statement changed over time, for instance from fear of displacement by savages in the original to just fun fantasy adventures with … [Read more...] about PMP#175: Podcast of the Planet of the Apes
PMP#174: Fallout Plays Post-Apocalyptic
Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn and Al discuss the new Amazon TV show based on on the video game series that launched in 1997. How does one best adapt a sandbox game? How dark is too dark for comedy? We talk world-building and exposition dumps, narrative structure and character revelation, and morality in a ruined world. Want to watch a comprehensive, storytelling walkthrough of … [Read more...] about PMP#174: Fallout Plays Post-Apocalyptic
PMP#169: Doctor Who? (When?)
Do you Who? Did you Who back in the day, or just from the point of the 2005 revival? Did you Who through Tennant, Smith, Capaldi... Were you still on board for Whittaker, and now as Disney+ and revival creator Russell T. Davies attempt to make this more readily accessible in all ways with the transition to Ncuti Gatwa? Mark, Al, and Lawrence are joined by our special guest, … [Read more...] about PMP#169: Doctor Who? (When?)
PMP#156: Black Mirror’s Tech Horrors
Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al talk about Charlie Brooker’s British anthology TV series that began in 2011 and recently released its 6th season. How has this show evolved from satirical science fiction to something more often just horror studies that study human nature? We talk about our favorite episodes and what does and doesn't work. Does the show have to be so dark to … [Read more...] about PMP#156: Black Mirror’s Tech Horrors
PMP#144: Androids and Us
Do movie robots want to love us, be us, or kill us? Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al talk through various ethical and narrative problems having to do with the creation of artificial life. We all watched M3GAN and Steve Spielberg's A.I., and also touch on After Yang, Ex Machina, Bicentennial Man, the BBC show Humans, and of course this is an element in classic sci-fi … [Read more...] about PMP#144: Androids and Us
PMP#133: Predator (Films) and Prey
Thanks to the new film Prey by Dan Trachtenberg and Patrick Aison, we now have six films (starting with 1987's Predator) featuring the dreadlocked, camouflaged, infrared-seeing race of alien hunter-jackasses who have apparently been flying around collecting our skulls for 300 years. Thankfully, the new film is good, and adds to the recent spate of Indigenous-centered media, … [Read more...] about PMP#133: Predator (Films) and Prey
PMP#126: Political Sci-Fi in “The Expanse”
On the novel series and TV show written by James S.A. Corey (aka Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck). Mark is joined by fact-checker Al Baker, educator Sabrina Weiss, and voting rights guy/former reality TV editor Colin Cole. We talk about the politics, dialects, casting, message, etc. How well did this adapt to TV? Are the books actually better? Plus passive vs. active … [Read more...] about PMP#126: Political Sci-Fi in “The Expanse”
PMP#113: The Matrix Regurgitated
It's a Pretty Much Pop season one reunion, with Brian Hirt and Erica Spyres back with Mark Linsenmayer, plus very special guest Abe Linsenmayer, Mark's adult son. In light of the release of The Matrix Resurrections, we talk through the franchise as a whole. What made the first one remarkable, and does that a bar that any sequel can reach? We talk through the choices that fed … [Read more...] about PMP#113: The Matrix Regurgitated
PMP#110: The Dune Franchise Tries Again
Yes, we have another Dune film, and this time Warner Bros. is serious about a franchise, with at least one sequel planned and a prequel TV series in the works. With thousands of years worth of world building, the books by Frank Herbert and the world now being fleshed out by his son Brian Herbert with Kevin J. Anderson offer more source material than Star Wars for potential … [Read more...] about PMP#110: The Dune Franchise Tries Again
PMP#95: “The Nevers” With a Side of Whedon
Mark, Erica, and Brian discuss the HBO Max show out Victorian-era super-powered feminine outcasts, helmed and now abandoned by the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, etc. It's jam packed with steampunk gadgets, fisticuffs, social injustice, and far too many characters and plot threads to keep track of. Given that the season was reduced to a half season in light of … [Read more...] about PMP#95: “The Nevers” With a Side of Whedon
PMP#93: Made for Love (and other Silicon Villainy)
The tech genius has become the go-to bad guy in recent films: They're our modern mad scientists with all imaginable resources and science at their command, able to release dystopic technology to surveil, control, and possibly murder us. Even Lex Luthor was made into a "tech bro" in Batman v. Superman. Mark, Erica, and Brian discuss the HBO Max series Made for Love starring … [Read more...] about PMP#93: Made for Love (and other Silicon Villainy)
PMP#80: Reliving Groundhog Day (and Palm Springs, Russian Doll, etc.)
Time looping, where a character is doomed to repeat the same day (or hour, or longer period) is a sci-fi trope dating back more than a century, but really entered American consciousness with the 1993 Bill Murray film Groundhog Day. Since then, and especially in the last five years, there have been numerous iterations of this idea in various genres from racial police-shooting … [Read more...] about PMP#80: Reliving Groundhog Day (and Palm Springs, Russian Doll, etc.)
PMP#68: Raised by Wolves: Biblical Sci-Fi
What happens when a male android loves a female android VERY much, and they nurse human embryos together on a distant planet after fleeing from war-torn Earth? Why the female android flies and makes a bunch of people explode with her eyes, that's what happens! ...In the first episode of this bonkers HBO Max series by Aaron Guzikowski (with notable assistance from Ridley Scott … [Read more...] about PMP#68: Raised by Wolves: Biblical Sci-Fi