Category: Movies

Pop Culture Squad > Movies
Brainiac On Banjo: “And We Have — A Hulk”

Brainiac On Banjo: “And We Have — A Hulk”

Posted on by Mike Gold

“I want a world without gravity. It could be just what I need. I’d watch the stars move close. I’d watch the earth recede.” From Wicked Gravity, written by Jim Carroll.

Wikipedia defines Pet Peeve thusly: A pet peeve, pet aversion, or pet hate is a minor annoyance that an individual finds particularly irritating to a greater degree than the norm. Okay. Here’s my pet peeve.

From time to time, just about every person realizes they belong to at least one group that has been heavily discriminated against, and most of us belong to several. That is not my peeve. People who think that every comment about some act performed by a member of such a group is an insult or even an attack against all members of such group. That is my pet peeve. You can be a left-handed deaf German immigrant who wears moth-eaten lederhosen, and I may comment on your particular costuming, but that is not a comment upon on all left-handed, deaf German wearers of lederhosen.

Case in point: Mark Ruffalo, actor, activist, and Glamour magazine’s two-time sexiest actor alive. Nice guy, great actor (then again; some think Dean Cain can act), solid sense of humor, and, yup, he’s The Hulk. MAGAts do not like anyone to the left of Kevin Sorbo.

Like a majority of those who labor in our entertainment industries, Ruffalo is opposed to Paramount Skydance’s nearly finalized purchase of Warner Bros — the movie studios, the teevee studios, the cable holdings including CNN, and DC Comics. Paramount Skydance already owns Paramount, including CBS News. Already, they have crapped on their news operations by turning CBS into another redundant voice of fascism, ruining the reputation of the Tiffany Network, destroying the news division’s credibility along with the most honored American television news program, 60 Minutes. Where Paramount Skydance is concerned, you are no longer watching the CBS eye. The eye is watching you. Continue reading “Brainiac On Banjo: “And We Have — A Hulk”” →

So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man #120: Super(ish)girl!

So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man #120: Super(ish)girl!

Posted on by Marc Alan Fishman

This past weekend, I was able to take the wifey out and about to catch a flick at the cinemaplexatorium. We chose to check out Supergirl. Having absolutely adored James Gunn’s Superman, I personally walked in with expectations of a fun romp with a good dose of heart. I knew the film itself was heavily inspired by “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” by Tom King and Bilquis Evely, but alas, I’ve never read it. My knowledge of Kara Zor-El honestly was best pulled from the DC Animated Universe — which I know means not much in context. So, I’d like to say I sat down and plunked on my 3D glasses with as open a mind as you could get before the requisite ten minutes of commercials and ten minutes of trailers I’ve likely already seen on YouTube. 

I’m going to go ahead now and make clear: this will be as SPOILER-FREE a review as I can make… so long as you saw the end of Superman, and the trailer to this movie.

Supergirl effectively picks up where we left off at the end of her cousin’s flick. She’s picked up Krypto, and has headed off for a week(ish) of red-sun-dampening debauchery in celebration of her 23rd birthday. Hilarity, life lessons, and action sequences ensue. 

It’s time for a compliment sandwich, kiddos. Hope you’re hungry.

Overall? Supergirl is a fun romp. Milly Alcock is infinitely watchable as Kara Zor-El. Be it a drunken stupor, heroic posturing, or whatever comes between, Alcock’s cock-sure take on the character is purposefully diametrically opposed to ole’ cousin Kal. Because of this, we get a hefty dose of whatever the polar opposite of dork is for all 90-some minutes of the flick. Same as Superman, all other casting choices that the house that Gunn built are all scene-chewingly glorious choices. From Matthias Schoenaerts’ evil(ist) big bad Krem to, yes, Jason Mamoa’s Lobo… everyone plays their parts perfectly — no matter the heavy makeup, prosthetics, or both. Equally impressive is the downright dreary landscapes and sets of the movie, keeping in mind how bright and shiny Superman happened to be. If Gunn gave us a truly gleaming Metropolis first, this movie certainly makes bold choices to show us every grimy cesspool the galaxy has to offer on Kara’s sobriety-free solstice. If I can double back to Lobo though? Credit where it’s due. This was a part Mamoa clearly was born to play — so much so that even a line in, any fleeting memory of his Arthur Curry is fragged like a bastich, I tells ya. While Lobo never appeared in the original source material… it’s practically a given in James Gunn’s DCU (thus far), the Easter eggs and fan-service are always abound.  Continue reading “So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man #120: Super(ish)girl!” →

So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man 119: Unseen Hot Takes… Empire Records

So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man 119: Unseen Hot Takes… Empire Records

Posted on by Marc Alan Fishman

Happy Rex Manning Day… whatever the hell that means.

Once again, I am back to cover a movie I’ve been brutally chastised for not seeing during my formative years. I’ll note though: thus far this series only covered movies in the 80’s (Top Gun, Caddyshack, and Labyrinth, to date). So I guess we’re now allowing for flicks in the 90s too. Fine by me. 

Empire Records is one of those movies I guess everyone around my age (perhaps a few years older) seems to have a special place in their heart for. Or, perhaps it’s just on April 8th, my social media feed is CHOKED with “Happy Rex Manning Day!” posts, and I’ve long felt on the outside of apparently a massive inside joke. Well, I aim to rectify that feeling by giving this mid-nineties needle-dropper a spin.

Without further adieu… Here’s my hot takes in media res. That’s right: I’m writing these as they come to me, so you can enjoy my journey. Groovy, right? Continue reading “So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man 119: Unseen Hot Takes… Empire Records” →

With Further Ado #402: What Happened to Supergirl?

With Further Ado #402: What Happened to Supergirl?

Posted on by Ed Catto

I’m going to see Supergirl at the movies tonight. I regret that my box office revenue (although it IS so miniscule in the big picture) won’t count towards the opening weekend box office tally. Seems like they really needed it.

Since the weekend was over, I’m seeing so much analysis about why this movie “failed”, who made it fail, and what everyone should’ve done differently.

Did it “fail”? Didn’t it just open this weekend? One of my cousins, who saw the movie and liked it, said “Oh my goodness, it has only been open a minute. It seems like a lot of people are just waiting for it to fail.” Maybe she’s right.

On the other hand, Hollywood math is merciless. On Monday, stories popped up like this one from Deadline Hollywood: How ‘Supergirl’ Ran Into Kryptonite At The Box Office: Superman’s Cousin To Lose $125M.  It turns out is almost impossible for this movie even break even, given movie going trends and box office patterns.

I just loved Tom King’s and Bilquis Evely’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow comic series. And I made it a part of the ITHACON class I teach.  And at ITHACON, the convention, we had a Supergirl showcase, exhibiting one collector’s Supergirl comics and toys. It seemed like there was a lot of enthusiasm for that too.

When I noticed that one my granddaughters, Lula, likes the new Wednesday Adams TV series, I thought I had stumbled up the secret of this movie’s marketing. I thought the sullen heroine bit was perfect for a summer movie in 2026.

How wrong was I?

One of my Captain Action pals posted this analysis from a mother who saw this movie with her three daughters. These girls loved it. The mom asked them why they think that men 15-50 might not like the film. They had some good insights.

No matter how you slice it, this stumble is a real drag. It’s a drag for the comics creators, the folks who make the movies, the fans, and so many more. I’m particularly empathetic to all licensees who created Supergirl merch in anticipation of great sales success.

I’ll leave it to smarter people than me to figure out what happened, and why the public didn’t love this movie. I’m STILL going to see it tonight. I excited and I anticipate just loving it!

So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man #118: We Live in a Failed State

So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man #118: We Live in a Failed State

Posted on by Marc Alan Fishman

On Friday, April 24th, I had the sincere pleasure to take a three and a half hour drive from my quaint suburban home to the bright lights and gilded streets of Dubuque, Iowa. Why? Well folks, the Julien Dubuque International Film Festival officially selected a movie I was a teeny tiny part of, and the writer / director / all-around-great-guy invited me to come!

Let’s get through the sundries quickly.

The film? Failed State. The writer/director? Matt Doherty. You might know him as “Averman” in Mighty Ducks, or “Big Head” in So I Married an Axe Murderer. Well after those early roles, Doherty continued acting, but also learned scene craft and cut his teeth on the page and behind the camera. Smash cut to the post-apocalyptic world we live in where Matt assembled a ragtag group of fellow smart thespians and set out to make a movie to celebrate the literal failed state we live in. Part social experiment, part artistic outlet, and all parts acerbically funny. 

How I was a part of it? Well, thank Kathy Fishman. My beautiful wife was a hah-yoooge fan of the original Duck film, and befriended Matt early into her social media tenure. One rainy afternoon she denoted a post wherein Doherty was asking his friends if anyone knew a good graphic designer. She name-dropped me. He and I zoomed, and immediately hit it off. Soon thereafter, I became his goto maker-of-things. And when he decided to put together Failed State, there were some design needs throughout the film — including some fake posters, conspiratorial government agency logos, and other minutiae. And after the film was ready? I was on board to make the company website, start working on some cool merch, and so on. 

Alright. I think that gives you the broad strokes of how I wound up in Dubuque.  Continue reading “So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man #118: We Live in a Failed State” →

Pop Culture SquadCast – Live: Episode #149 With Special Guest Matt Doherty

Pop Culture SquadCast – Live: Episode #149 With Special Guest Matt Doherty

Posted on by PCS Staff

Join Bob and Mike as they chat about current Pop Culture events. Actor, writer, director, and producer Matt Doherty will join the SquadCast to talk about his latest project and his career. It’s going to be a great time.

We hope you enjoy the conversation.

If you don’t catch it live, you can watch later.

Also, If you are interested in Matt’s film Failed State, and you should be, you can find it here.

Check out the trailer here:

 

With Further Ado #396: Student Winner #2 – Who Is the Best On-Screen Spider-Man?

With Further Ado #396: Student Winner #2 – Who Is the Best On-Screen Spider-Man?

Posted on by Ed Catto

As we wind our way through this years crop of student guest-hosts for this column, we present you with a classic pop culture conundrum from Miguel Brand.

Who Is the Best On-Screen Spider-Man?

By: Miguel Brand

It’s only April, and yet here we are again, just months away from a new Spider-Man movie hitting our screens as Tom Holland returns as Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Marvel’s newest movie in the Tom Holland era of Spider-Man. With the movie hitting the big screen on July 31st, many fans are left speculating as to whether this is the last we see of Tom in the webbed suit, or if it is, in fact, the start of another trilogy. No other live-action Spider-Man has seen the set of a fourth solo film, with Tobey Maguire having done three and Andrew Garfield two films respectively.

Additionally, Tom’s movies have proven to be some of the most financially successful of the franchise, with Spider-Man: No Way Home grossing $804,793,477 in its lifetime, almost double that of the next highest-grossing film in the franchise (Tobey Maguire’s first Spider-Man film, which grossed $403,706,375). With each new release starring Holland, a wave of commotion erupts as fans across the globe once again argue as to their favorite, or the “best” Spider-Man. Well, after consulting multiple sources across the internet, I considered several different factors to possibly come to an answer for this never-ending debate. One that hopefully satisfies geeks and casual fans alike. Continue reading “With Further Ado #396: Student Winner #2 – Who Is the Best On-Screen Spider-Man?” →

So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man #114: Unseen Hot Takes… Labyrinth

So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man #114: Unseen Hot Takes… Labyrinth

Posted on by Marc Alan Fishman

Warning: the following article is about a piece of old pop culture that I have only recently absorbed for the first time. As such, much of this article will find you asking yourself “Wait. Seriously? He’s never seen Labyrinth before now?”, and I’m making it clear from the get go.

I literally watched Labyrinth for the first time, ever, a few days ago.

What troubles many about this fact is that my beautiful, talented, witty, charming, trivia-strong, Chuck Taylor obsessed wife often cites this among her favorite movies of all time. So how is it then after… roughly 9,200 days together I have never indulged the mother of my children the common courtesy of hunkering down to consume Jim Henson’s beloved romp featuring David Bowie and his astounding… prowess…

I could make a lengthy list to attempt to defend myself, but I largely imagine doing so wouldn’t exactly get me off the hook with Kathy or anyone else who consider it essential pop culture of the 80’s.

One last warning: I admit freely that I am not much into fantasy stuff. I’m super finicky about it for reasons unbeknownst even to me. And I was clear to my better half that I would hold no punches back on these hot takes. Same as I did for Top Gun and Caddyshack… I booted up the flick, hit play, and fired off my opinion in media res. That way, everyone can enjoy some hot mic moments that don’t get rose colored glasses in post. If after this articles post you don’t see me writing for subsequent weeks thereafter? SEND HEL—

ACT ONE Continue reading “So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man #114: Unseen Hot Takes… Labyrinth” →

Brainiac On Banjo: Who Woke Trek Up?

Brainiac On Banjo: Who Woke Trek Up?

Posted on by Mike Gold

The memories of a man in his old age are the deeds of a man in his prime. You shuffle in the gloom of the sick room and talk to yourself as you die.” From Free Four, written by Roger Waters.

“Woke, woke, woke. WOKE, woke, woke, WOKE, WOKE!”

The death chant of the Trumpaloon.

There’s a very loud gaggle of incels out there on the internet who truly loathe nearly all of Paramount’s steaming Star Trek programs. Most of them seem to have two things in common. First, the new shows reject canon. Second, the new shows are horribly, horribly woke.

OK. If they saw the shows, they are entitled to their opinion. I must state for the record: the phrase “I’m entitled to my opinion” is complete bullshit. You are only entitled to an informed opinion. I can’t simply accuse you of being, say, a pederast without something to back it up. Babbling like a crazy, stupid fool remains the sole providence of our current President.

Having labored in the comic book fields for a half-century, I can state from experience that “canon” and “continuity” must be a bit fluid. There is dissension between well-versed experts on a great many issues. You could not remake Star Trek TOS today with those 1960s cardboard sets, the characterizations, and the other limits of that time. So I don’t give a damn about canonical feuds.

However, as for being “woke,” what ever the fuck that is, well, Star Trek always has been woke. TOS was so woke if they changed the Klingons name to “LBJ” they would have been The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. Peace, understanding, dedication to science and to not interfering with (most) unique cultures today would get you kicked out of your Proud Boys unit. Continue reading “Brainiac On Banjo: Who Woke Trek Up?” →

So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man #112: Style over Substances

So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man #112: Style over Substances

Posted on by Marc Alan Fishman

In the pantheon of pop culture, there exist pieces where polish is the point. Where it’s less about telling a cool story as much as it’s about telling a story in a cool way. For the cultured, these works are always less than and that’s never felt like sound judgement to me. You see in this fabrication of a Frasier-esque patron of the cinematic arts, I’m building from the legion of examples available: a critic who would psahw a Shaw Brothers flick, but stand in reverence for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Don’t get me wrong, mind you. Ang Lee’s love letter to the films that he enjoyed in his youth is very much a masterpiece. It deserves all the accos it laded. But to kneel before it is to miss the virtues of the falderal you’re failing to flock to!

Alliteration aside, my simpler point is this: sometimes style over substance works wonders. 

Rather than start small and work my way up? Let’s start at the zenith of this notion: Quentin Tarantino. When left to his own devices, the man’s work is about cool before anything else. His first big picture: Reservoir Dogs. On paper? It’s as safe as a saltine. A bank robbery goes wrong, and the surviving crooks attempt to figure out where things went wrong. There’s no big twist — we find out “Mr. Orange” is an undercover cop thirty minutes in. It’s not all that shocking when we find out. But it doesn’t matter because this dog is trés cool from the jump. With matching black suits and skinny ties, color-coded cover names, and an airtight soundtrack of some of the absolute best bangers of the 70’s, the movie gracefully wags its tail for 99 minutes and saunters out as one of the coolest capers on celluloid. Follow this with Pulp Fiction? It’s the same simple crime, with 100% more Uma Thurman’s bare feet. Skip around to Kill Bill, and the pattern is intact. Tarantino knows cool (even if he’s clearly a consummate dweeb) and his films continue to be considered a masterclass of crafted dialogue, sensual cinematography, and unmatched needle drops. Continue reading “So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man #112: Style over Substances” →