Let's face it: we all felt a little burnt by the way "Game of Thrones" ended, so when HBO announced that it had greenlit a prequel show about House Targaryen, we were mightily sceptical. But little by little, we were sucked in, to the point where we now can't avoid the conversation about "House of the Dragon" – the time jumps, the casting changes, …

Here's the thing about Tom Cruise: not since Napoleon has a man this short come so close to world domination. And yet there's no denying that as the world emerges from a prolonged pandemic lockdown, Thomas Cruise Mapother IV is being hailed as the saviour of cinema, the man who has given us all a reason to to go back the movie theatre otherwise tha…

The Caped Crusader has returned in solo live-action feature for the first time in a decade, folks, and this time we're spending time with his dark side, which, by the looks of things, may be his only side. In this episode, we ponder whether "The Batman" has taken more than its fair share of thematic inspiration from the The Dark Knight Trilogy, whe…

The year's most anticipated film has finally landed in Australia, and it's a big one – a film adaptation of a supposedly "unfilmable" novel, a novel so vast that the last time it was brought to the silver screen, no less formidable a director than David Lynch disavowed the final product. We ask ourselves whether this movie is too beautiful for its …

After 15 years and 5 movies, Daniel Craig has finally hung up his Walther PPK in favour of doing his rather impressive Foghorn Leghorn impersonation as Benoit Blanc for years to come. But even as we say goodbye to the Craig incarnation of James Bond, we have to ask: Is this final outing any good? Where does it rank among the Craig films? Does it re…

As large parts of Australia came out of lockdown, we went back into the cinema, this time to watch the latest big screen offering from Marvel Studios about a month later than the rest of the world. The big questions this week include the following: Is Simu Liu completely overshadowed by Tony Leung? Despite the big spectacle on offer, does this movi…

We conclude our Harry Potter re-watch with the earth-shaking final entry in this series of films. For all the heroics of our intrepid titular character, is this really Severus Snape's movie? Is Narcissa Malfoy the secret MVP of the Harry Potter universe? Was it right that Neville Longbottom should be the final wielder of the sworn of Gryffindor? Di…

We're in the home stretch of our Harry Potter rewatch, folks, and we find ourselves asking whether this is the weirdest and weakest entry in the entire series. Does the movie suffer from a lack of any scenes at Hogwarts? Is the hint of a love triangle between Harry, Hermione and Ron at all believable? Does the ending land with the emotional punch t…

In the cinematic adaptation of the penultimate entry in the Harry Potter series of novels, Severus Snape, Draco Malfoy and Albus Dumbledore each get a moment to shine and to deliver an emotional wallop. But does this make up some of the weird disjointedness of this movie? Does the blossoming "romance" between Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley make any…

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" aka The One with Dolores Phoenix. Or at least that's how it seems, as this most memorably unpleasant of villains in the Harry Potter universe takes over Hogwarts, and with it, our screens, big and small. Is this the movie in the series with the least sense of mystery? Does Sirius Black display uncharacter…

This week we continue our Harry Potter rewatch with the fourth instalment in the series, aka The One with Robert Pattinson. As the franchise takes a turn from time heist to sports movie, we ponder whether this Mike Newell joint holds up well after the heights to which Alfonso Cuaron took us; whether the rest of the movie compares to its earth-shaki…

This is a big one, folks. "Prisoner of Azkaban" was, and remains, one of the most acclaimed entries in the Harry Potter film franchise, and in this episode, we ponder whether it still holds up, the importance of the movie as it foreshadowed a darker turn in the rest of the series, the introduction of Michael Gambon as Dumbledore 2.0, whether the ti…

The big questions are all pondered in this spoiler-heavy discussion about the second of the Harry Potter films. What did the film makers do to deepen and broaden the world-building that they had so successfully launched in "Philosopher's Stone"? Did this movie do the right amount of introducing us to the darker elements of the Harry Potter universe…

Sick of half-baked movies and Marvel TV shows that disappoint, we decided to go back to something that we knew we'd like – the Harry Potter franchise. So on the eve of its 20th anniversary, we ponder how well the first of Harry Potters films holds up. Does it charm and inspire wonder as it did when we first encountered the world of these movies? Co…

"F9: The Fast Saga" was not a good movie. It was, in fact, a very bad movie – worse than "Fast and Furious", worse even than "2 Fast 2 Furious". And the big question is why. Why, with Justin Lin back, with Han brought back to life, and without Dwayne Johnson around to piss Vin Diesel off, did this movie suck so hard? Was it the fact that when every…

We are gathered, in the shadow of a potentially Hollywood-shaking lawsuit by one Scarlett Johansson, to ponder the merits of the film that inspired said lawsuit, the first feature-length release by that small independent outfit, Marvel Studios. Listen as we discuss the tonal shifts, occasionally entertaining but also occasionally jarring, in this f…

Did "Loki" suck? Was it the latest example of a Marvel show starting strong and then losing its way? Did the show live up to its promise of showing us new sides of the God of Mischief? Did it give us enough of the guarantee of laid-back awesomeness that is Owen Wilson? And was anyone actually sold on the romance between Loki and himself AKA Sylvie?…

We had the chance recently to watch the latest offering from Zack Snyder, an ambitious wannabe zombie heist film starring the surprisingly versatile Dave Bautista. What begins as a breezy chat about the many vices and few virtues of this movie turns into a meditation on Zack Snyder, his obsession with the aesthetics of gore, what he does and doesn'…

2021 has given us few films as moving, poetic and profoundly visionary as the latest entry in the Monsterverse franchise. Everything, from Rebecca Hall's committed performance as the stepmother to the Kong Whisperer to the mandatory Kyle Chandler cameo as a put-upon bureaucrat, scored a bull's eye in this masterpiece. Listen in as we don't show jus…

After much begging and pleading by fans, the powers that be at Warner Bros have finally let loose upon the world Zack Snyder's cut of "Justice League", a film that weighs in at 40 minutes longer than "The Godfather Part II". But is it any good? Can this film be judged separately from what we now know about the on-set conduct and demeanour of Joss W…

It's been three years since Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot (with an assist from Chris Pine) injected new life into the DC Extended Universe with "Wonder Woman". Now they're back with a neon- and pastel-coloured ode to the excesses of the 1980s, a decade of big shoulder pads, big hair and big dreams by restless conmen wanting to pass off their Ponzi sc…

Living as we are in the era of COVID-19, there is both too much and too little new content to review. Gone in 2020 are the tentpole movies that dominated US summers in years past. Instead, we've had a bunch of streaming releases, some good, some not so good. In this setting, we've had the chance to check out "Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm", revisit G…

In its latest cynical cash-grab masquerading as a nostalgia play, Disney has given us a live-action remake of "Mulan", minus Mushu, minus the songs, and quite possibly minus the fun, the soul and the heart of the animated original. We ponder the odd absence of any character arc for Mulan in this retelling of the 6th century story, ask whether this …

"The Old Guard" is Netflix's latest foray into big-budget lockdown entertainment, featuring a big-name cast, a bold directorial hire and the highest of high concepts. But is it any good? The critics think so, and if so Rottentomatoes is to be believed, so do audiences. But is it possible that they've got it all wrong? Is it possible that with Holly…

This week, we perform an autopsy on the finale of Westworld's third season and the season as a whole. We ask whether there was a point to having William the MIB in the show; whether Maeve is still the endearing and compelling character that she was in the first two seasons; whether stealing the final shot of "Fight Club" works when you forget also …

This week, we find ourselves again contemplating one of the most egregious declines in quality in the history of television and ask what the creative legacy and reputation of all involved will be. Does the occasional great action scene in "Westworld" redeem a show that no longer has anything interesting to say about either the human condition or th…

Having been completely defeated by last week's "Genre", our intrepid double daters venture back into Westworld. Is it a case of "fool us once, shame on you; fool us twice, shame on us"? Or was this week's episode the start of a resurgence in the show's batting average? Along the way, we ask why Maeve is back in Warworld; why William, aka the Man in…

There's only one real question to ponder this week, folks, and it's this: With the third season of "Westworld", are we witnessing the most egregious example of a big-budget HBO show lighting itself on fire since the final season of "Game of Thrones"? We were hoping to have something interesting to say about the show's themes, but unfortunately, the…

There's plenty happening on "Westworld" these days, but does it mean anything? Has the show that began with aspirations of saying something about the nature of consciousness and free will turned into a retreat of the second and third instalments of the Matrix trilogy? Do the showrunners, who obviously think of themselves as telling a story about su…

With the benefit of one week since the airing of "The Absence of Field", we look back and ask ourselves whether it's time to start worrying about Westworld. Does the show still pass muster as interesting, let alone good, television? Has the show so relentlessly cribbed from other classics of science-fiction that it is now stale? Do we actually care…

This week's episode of "Westworld" sure seemed like it sucked. But was it because it was a bad episode? Or was it because the episode seemed like a step backwards after the soft reboot of the season premiere? Or maybe was it because of the blink-and-you-might-miss-it cameo by Benioff and Weiss, which reminded us all over again what a complete, utte…

So "Westworld" returned for its third season, with an episode that felt like something between a hard and a soft reboot for the show. After most of the hosts had been sent to robot heaven at the end of season 2, Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy decided to expand the universe of the show, bringing us to a lightly touched-up Singapore that's now meant to …

Pop Culture Double Date

Pop Culture Double Date

The premise was interesting: giving Elizabeth Banks and her pitch perfect (see what we did there?) eye for what's fun on screen a chance to helm a moribund franchise, while letting Kristen Stewart show us her well-hidden, never-before-seen talent for comedy. Did it work? Was the result a subversive action movie shot from a feminist point of view or…

When "Joker" debuted in Venice, the word was that Todd Phillips had sneakily remade "Taxi Driver" as a comic book movie. Then just weeks later, the film was condemned as boring, nihilistic and provocative for its own sake. So who's right here? Does "Joker" transcend its comic book origins? Has Joaquin Phoenix delivered a performance to dethrone Hea…

"Ad Astra". Is it "Apocalypse Now" in space or just a ponderous movie about the emotional journey of a man who's so dead inside that he's more robot than human being? Is the film ruined by the most heavy-handed voice-over since the theatrical cut of "Blade Runner" or is it saved by one of the most nuanced performances that Brad Pitt has ever given?…

Timed perfectly to distract the English from their recent struggles with Brexit, "Downton Abbey" may just be the most pleasant cash grab masquerading as fan service we've seen all year. Behold the Crawleys readying themselves for a visit by the King and Queen. Watch as Tom Branson tries to strike a balance between being an Irish republican and livi…

In a sign that we've reached peak universe-building in Hollywood, the most improbably successful action film franchise of them all has now got a spin-off. But it is any good? Does this movie work as an odd-couple comedy? We know that the Rock and Jason Statham have comedy chops, but does the script give them anything to work with? Does the undeniab…

Is Jon Favreau's photorealistic version of "The Lion King" a visionary re-imagining of a beloved tale or the latest in a series of increasingly cynical, nostalgia-soaked cash grabs by our entertainment overlords at Disney? What, if anything, does this latest retelling of the story of Simba and his slow acceptance of his destiny add to versions we'v…

Marvel Studios has decided to launch us into the post-"Endgame" world with a light-hearted teen comedy about a kid, the girl he has a crush on, his best friend and Jake Gyllenhaal. Listen in as we ponder what, if anything, this movie has to say about illusions, CGI and fake news; Zendaya's refreshing take on a familiar character; where Tom Holland …

Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby Brown, Ken Watanabe and Charles Dance (Tywin friggin' Lannister, y'all) take second billing to everyone's favourite giant radioactive lizard in this massive disaster movie (or is that massive disaster of a movie?). In this week's pod, we ponder ... well, we don't ponder so much as apologise, shake our heads…

The most vengefully terrifying dog lover in all of cinematic history is back, folks, and he's ready to kill indiscriminate hordes of villainous henchmen in ways so innovative that they deserve patents. Listen in as we ponder whether the John Wick franchise has elevated action to the level of high art, whether the violence in "John Wick Chapter : Pa…

After two controversial episodes, Benioff and Weiss decided to end "Game of Thrones" with - well, one of the biggest travesties in the history of television, a finale to rival "Lost" and "How I Met Your Mother" as a giant betrayal of the show's fans, the characters and the story that preceded it. So gather round, people, as the double daters react …

Well, folks, it happened. Daenerys Targaryen finished what her father began and reduced King's Landing to a pile of ash and rubble, wiping out Cersei Lannister and hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians in the process. But did her tragic descent into madness make any sense? In fact, did anything in this episode make any sense? Did Cleganebowl?…

After the intensity and the whirling, occasionally incomprehensible action of "The Long Night", we thought that Benioff and Weiss might treat us to a quieter, more languid episode this week. Instead, what we got was one of the most eventful episodes of television ever, as Jon Snow continued being the stupidest character on the show, Daenerys became…

The Battle of Winterfell came upon us this week. But was it too poorly lit for anyone to see what was going on? More importantly, were Arya Stark's heroics the most perfect thing that "Game of Thrones" has ever done? Is Jon Snow dumb? Did enough people die? And was the Night King a satisfying villain or a complete waste of time? All these questions…

This is a big one, folks. A year ago, Marvel Studios stunned audiences around the world with "Avengers: Infinity War" and its hauntingly downbeat ending. Fast forward 12 months and the core group of Avengers we all got to know in Phase One of the MCU are back to try to undo the damage inflicted by Thanos. Against the odds, our double daters managed…

We were treated to a more intimate episode of "Game of Thrones" this week, less reliant on spectacle and more devoted to quiet moments between characters we've come to know and love. It was in that spirit that we gathered in front of a metaphorical fire with glasses of metaphorical wine to discuss the trajectory of Jaime's and Brienne's relationshi…

After a hiatus of almost two years, during which we had to make do with the increasingly twisty riddles-for-riddles'-sake of "Westworld", "Game of Thrones" has finally returned to our screens, with a brand new title sequence no less. Sitting down to discuss the season premiere just moments after watching it, we debate the meaning of that title sequ…