Christopher Nolan has directed ten films starting with 1998's The Following and his first major film, 2000's Memento. We consider his work up to the present through Insomnia (the only one of these he didn't write), The Prestige, Inception, Interstellar, Tenet, and Dunkirk (and yes, the Batman films, but we've already talked about Batman). We talk about his typical heroes, … [Read more...] about PMP#158: “Oppenheimer” and Other Christopher Nolan Films
film podcast
PMP#155: Existentialist Barbie
Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al talk about the most discussable movie of the summer made by the unlikely pairing of feminist indie director Greta Gerwig and Barbie's corporate overlords at Mattel. Does the film convey at least a legitimate teen version of feminist existentialism, whereby oppressed women question their identities? On this account (says Mark), even the Ken plot … [Read more...] about PMP#155: Existentialist Barbie
PMP#154: Indiana Jones and the Various MacGuffins
Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al talk about the blockbuster archaeological adventure films created in 1981 by George Lucas and Stephen Spielberg that we grew up with and which have now been revived and apparently concluded twice, currently via James Mangold's Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. What's the formula for these films, and which deviations to we appreciate? … [Read more...] about PMP#154: Indiana Jones and the Various MacGuffins
PMP#153: Kids’ Films, Adult Messages
Mark, Lawrence, and returning parents/panelists Michelle Parrinello-Cason and Chris Sunami take on the mass of largely animated films by Disney, Pixar, Dreamworks, Illumination, etc. We've all watched them with our kids, and many adults devour them even in preference to other types of films. So what's the underlying ideology of this kind of media? What messages are they … [Read more...] about PMP#153: Kids’ Films, Adult Messages
PMP#149: Rocky and Creed
It's our most successful sports film franchise ever, starting with the Best Picture winning, highest grossing film from 1976, continuing through 1990's Rocky V and 2006's Rocky Balboa under Sylvester Stallone's leadership, which in fits and starts then shifted to a new generation of filmmakers for three films focusing on the son of Apollo Creed, the antagonist from the first … [Read more...] about PMP#149: Rocky and Creed
PMP#147: Nostalgic Mysteries (Knives Out, Poker Face) from Rian Johnson
Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al talk about Rian Johnson's new show Poker Face as basically a Columbo reboot (a "howcatchem" instead of a "whodunnit"), plus his recent films Knives Out and Glass Onion that modernize and subvert Agatha Christie. We talk about Johnson's storytelling techniques of telling the story out of sequence, keeping the detective character out of the … [Read more...] about PMP#147: Nostalgic Mysteries (Knives Out, Poker Face) from Rian Johnson
PMP#146: Black Panther Films and Comics
Perhaps alone in the Marvel Universe, Black Panther is taken seriously as a political statement, both in the content of its stories and in how the films are produced. Wakanda purports to present an alternate historical condition of Africa had it not been colonized. Mark, Lawrence Ware, Anthony LeBlanc, and Viola Burlew discuss the comics and films, getting into the political … [Read more...] about PMP#146: Black Panther Films and Comics
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#143: Pinocchio the Unfilmable (Yet Frequently Filmed)
The PMP core four (Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al) discuss the original 1883 freaky children's story by Carlo Collodi and consider the recent rush of film versions, from a new Disney/Robert Zemikis CGI take to Guillermo del Toro's stop-motion passion project to a heavily costumed Italian version by Matteo Garrone, which is the second to feature Oscar winner Roberto Benigni in … [Read more...] about PMP#143: Pinocchio the Unfilmable (Yet Frequently Filmed)
PMP#137: Slashing the “Halloween” Film Franchise
What's the appeal of this 13-film franchise that started with John Carpenter's 1978 film Halloween and has purportedly wrapped up with David Gordon Green's Halloween Ends? Actor/SFX makeup designer/horror podcaster Nathan Shelton joins Mark, Lawrence, and Al to figure out if even all the various filmmakers involved understood what the appeal of that first film was. … [Read more...] about PMP#137: Slashing the “Halloween” Film Franchise
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#131: Hope for Jordan Peele’s “Nope”
Jordan Peele's launch from a solid comedy base with Key & Peele to the unexpected Get Out was so impressive that he's generated a huge amount of good will that allows him to play the full-on auteur with huge budgets. Did that pay off with his third film, the monster movie Nope? Mark is joined by Lawrence Ware (philosophy prof. and entertainment writer), Sarahlyn Bruck … [Read more...] about PMP#131: Hope for Jordan Peele’s “Nope”
PMP#130: CODA and Deaf Culture
The 2022 Oscar winner for Best Picture was CODA, a story about a musically inclined girl with a deaf family. Kambri Crews, herself a CODA and author of a much darker story about this called Burn Down the Ground, joins your host Mark Linsenmayer, writer Sarahlyn Bruck, and jack-of-many-intellectual-trades Al Baker to talk about how deaf culture interacts with film. Films tend … [Read more...] about PMP#130: CODA and Deaf Culture
PMP#128: Jurassic Shlock
Mark is joined by NY Time entertainment writer/philosophy prof Lawrence Ware, novelist/ex-actor Sarahlyn Bruck, and filmmaker/Remakes, Reboots, and Revivals host Rolando Nieves to discuss the Jurassic Park franchise in light of the new film, Jurassic World: Dominion. Is the mere presence of cool dinosaurs enough to justify a film, or are these actually good films by any … [Read more...] about PMP#128: Jurassic Shlock
PMP#127: You Down with Downton Abbey?
We discuss the appeal of this Julian-Fellowes-penned British historical drama in light of the new film. Is this really "a new era" or just more of the same, and is that bad? Mark is joined by returning guest Jon Lamoreaux (host of The Hustle music podcast), plus a couple: former newscaster Corrinne MacLeod (whom Mark SCANDOLOUSLY went on one date with at age 12) and her … [Read more...] about PMP#127: You Down with Downton Abbey?
PMP#124: What Is Batman?
In light of the recent release of Matt Reeves' film The Batman, we consider the strange alternation of darkness and camp that is Batman. Is he even a super hero? What's with his rogues' gallery? What's with DC's anti-world-building? Your host Mark Linsenmayer is joined by philosophy prof/NY Times entertainment writer Lawrence Ware, improv comedian/educator Anthony … [Read more...] about PMP#124: What Is Batman?
PMP#123: We Are All Jackass
Mark is joined by comedian Matty Goldberg; filmmaker/podcaster Rolando Nieves; and comedy juggler Josh Casey to discuss the Jackass franchise that began in 2000 in light of the new (final?) film Jackass Forever. This is perhaps our sole remaining form of popular entertainment that relies on sheer physicality, without the gamesmanship of sports. What's the appeal of this … [Read more...] about PMP#123: We Are All Jackass
PMP#118: Adapting Agatha Christie
In light of Death on the Nile, we discuss the continuing appearance of the works of the world's most successful mystery writer in film and TV. Mark is joined by repeat guests Sarahlyn Bruck, Al Baker, and Nicole Pometti to discuss the recent Kenneth Branagh films, the Sarah Phelps TV adaptations (like The ABC Murders), the Poirot BBC TV series, and earlier films. We … [Read more...] about PMP#118: Adapting Agatha Christie
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