We discuss the loose mishmash adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe stories that makes up Mike Flanagan's Netflix show, The Fall of the House of Usher. Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al talk about the various creative choices, moral responsibility in the show, the relation between gothic and camp, Poe's continued standing as horror icon, Flanagan's other films and shows (e.g. The … [Read more...] about PMP#162: Poe Flavoring Upon the House of Usher
pop culture podcast
PMP#161: Revisiting “The Exorcist”
Watch the unedited video of the discussion: Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al talk about the original 1973 film (and the 1971 novel), the new Exorcist: Believer, with some talk of the early sequels. What makes the original film so scary? Its adjacency to real-life parental fears? Does the new film really dialogue intelligently with that original, and how was this challenge … [Read more...] about PMP#161: Revisiting “The Exorcist”
PMP#160: Mvto to “Reservation Dogs”
After three seasons, this groundbreaking Native-written/starring TV show about four teens trying to get away from their Oklahoma reservation has completed its arc. Mark, Lawrence, Al, and COVID-infected Sarahlyn discuss the show's take on death, community, drugs, wisdom, wokeness, and the supernatural. Did the show work given the wildly different tones and emphases over the … [Read more...] about PMP#160: Mvto to “Reservation Dogs”
PMP#159: Watching “How To with John Wilson”
Watch the unedited video of the discussion: Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al all watched the three seasons of this groundbreaking, polarizing documentary show that serves as a visual diary and collection of essays by its creator John Wilson. While episode titles promise that you'll learn things like "how to track your packages" and "how to make small talk ," what starts … [Read more...] about PMP#159: Watching “How To with John Wilson”
PMP#158: “Oppenheimer” and Other Christopher Nolan Films
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
PMP#157: The Function of a Pop Culture Podcast
What is media criticism, and is that what we're doing? For our Season 3 finale (i.e. the end of PMP's 4th year of operation), your now officially official hosts Mark Linsenmayer, Lawrence Ware, Sarahlyn Bruck, and Al Baker turn their gazes fully toward their collective navel to think about what purposes are served by discussions about pop culture and how we can do it … [Read more...] about PMP#157: The Function of a Pop Culture Podcast
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#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#152: BELIEVE in Ted Lasso
Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al disagree about the Jason Sudeikis-headed Apple TV+ pandemic hit that's just wrapped up with its third season. Was it actually as good as everyone thought when its first season hit, or was its vibe just something we needed at the time? Should it have stayed slim and comic instead of becoming the stretched out, soapy dramedy that it ended up … [Read more...] about PMP#152: BELIEVE in Ted Lasso
PMP#151: Everybody’s Talkin’ ‘Bout “Succession”
The regular gang (Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al) address Jesse Armstrong's prestige HBO dramedy that premiered in 2018 and has just wrapped up. Why all the fuss over this show? Is it really worthy of comparison to Shakespeare? Follow us @law_writes, @sarahlynbruck, @ixisnox, @MarkLinsenmayer. Get bonus talking for this and nearly every episode at … [Read more...] about PMP#151: Everybody’s Talkin’ ‘Bout “Succession”
PMP#150: Dark Shadows w/ Kathryn Leigh Scott
Mark, Lawrence, and guest co-host horror writer Sean Michael Cooney (who has seen all 1225 episodes) discuss the gothic romance vampire soap opera from 1966-1971 plus the spin-off movies and reboots. We interview one of the stars of the original show, the author Kathryn Leigh Scott, to talk about the appeal and enduring legacy of this show that was once massively popular but is … [Read more...] about PMP#150: Dark Shadows w/ Kathryn Leigh Scott
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#148: Resource Management Video Games
Mark, Al, our editor Tyler Hislop, and Dr. Jamie Madigan of the Psychology of Video Games podcast talk about a wide range crafting and building games from Minecraft to Starcraft to Sim City to Civilization to Rimworld to Subnautica. Given what a time commitment these typically require, what makes some of them worthwhile? Is it better to mix the building and crafting with … [Read more...] about PMP#148: Resource Management Video Games
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#145: Growing Up Sitcommed
Mark, Sarahlyn, Lawrence, and guest Landen Celano from the Grunt Work podcast (all about Home Improvement) talk about talk about our ambivalence toward the three-camera, laugh-tracked half-hour comedies that filled our childhoods in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Why did some of these stand the test of time? Are some shows well suited for hate-watching or background watching? Why … [Read more...] about PMP#145: Growing Up Sitcommed
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)