In lieu of an Oscars episode, we consider one of the nominated films, The Trial of the Chicago 7, and the career of its writer/director, Aaron Sorkin, which started with A Few Good Men through four TV series (most notably The West Wing), and films like The Social Network, Steve Jobs, and Molly's Game. Brian, Erica, and Mark consider Sorkin's stock recurring characters … [Read more...] about PMP#89: The Chicago 7 (and the Aaron Sorkinverse)
pop culture podcast
PMP#88: Indie Animation w/ Benjamin Goldman
In the perennial conflict between art and our corporate entertainment machine, animation seems designed to be mechanized, given how labor-intensive it is, and yes, most of our animation comes aimed at children (or naughty adults) from a few behemoths (like, say, Disney). Mark, Erica, and Brian are joined by animator Benjamin Goldman to discuss doing animation on your own, … [Read more...] about PMP#88: Indie Animation w/ Benjamin Goldman
PMP#87: Female Buddy Comedies w/ Erica’s Female Buddy Micah Greene
The buddy comedy is a staple of American film, but using this to explore female friendship is still fresh ground. Erica, Mark, Brian, and Erica's long-time friend Micah Greene (actor and nurse) discuss tropes and dynamics within this kind of film, focusing primarily on Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, the 2021 release written and starring Kristin Wiig and Annie Mumolo as a … [Read more...] about PMP#87: Female Buddy Comedies w/ Erica’s Female Buddy Micah Greene
Bonus-PMP#85 Aftertalk w/ Rolando (And More TV You Are Missing)
Yanked from behind our paywall for your amusement, we continue with Marvel-related chat for a few minutes before moving to some media discussion with Rolando about The Brain that Wouldn’t Die, Eddie Murphy, and some of the properties his podcast Remakes, Reboots, and Revivals handles including Tom and Jerry, Sonic the Hedgehog, Walker, Space Jam, and Borat 2. Then (in … [Read more...] about Bonus-PMP#85 Aftertalk w/ Rolando (And More TV You Are Missing)
PMP#85: What the WandaVision!? w/ Rolando Nieves
The long-awaited debut Disney+ Marvel superhero series is... a tribute to classic sit-coms? Mark, Erica, Brian, and guest Rolando from the Remakes, Reboots, and Revivals podcast try to figure out what kind of storytelling this really is, whether this experiment was successful, whether you have to be a Marvel die-hard (or old enough to have watched those sit-coms) to get it, and … [Read more...] about PMP#85: What the WandaVision!? w/ Rolando Nieves
PMP#58: “TAYLOR SWIFT RULES!” (Conversation with a Swiftie)
Prompted by the release of new album Folklore and the 2020 documentary Miss Americana, Mark, Erica, and Brian speak with guest Amber Padgett about her love of Taylor, ranking the albums/eras, Taylor as songwriter/puppetmaster, why the hate, weird levels of fan engagement, double standards in expectations for female artists, and more. Like all of our discussions, this one is … [Read more...] about PMP#58: “TAYLOR SWIFT RULES!” (Conversation with a Swiftie)