Sam Raimi's Spider-Man hit the pop cultural world like a truck! It defined the modern superhero blockbuster, but there was one thing superhero film producers took for granted: the camp. In the 31st episode of Pop the Culture Podcast, Michael and Joe discuss the campiness of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man and why it is oh so necessary. They discuss why it adds to the themes and acting of the film--there wouldn't be a J. Jonah Jameson without camp. Would you believe this is the first time we're discussing Peter Parker on this podcast?

Pokemon The Crown Tundra is the second half of the DLC for Sword and Shield and boy was it a surprise! They managed to keep quite a bit of the details of the story and gameplay under wraps, so we dive deep into them. In the 30th episode of Pop The Culture Podcast, Michael and Joe analyze the Pokemon formula and how the additions from the Crown Tundra improve upon the franchise. They also complain about mythical Pokemon and debate on what to call the Johto legendary trio. 

Over the Garden Wall aired on Cartoon Network almost 6 years ago to the date! We thought it would be a good way to transition out of the Halloween season and into the Holidays. Because the show is all about transitions--sort of. In the 29th episode of Pop The Culture Podcast, Michael and Joe discuss the different themes and symbols in the modern animated classic, Over the Garden Wall! They talk about growing up, entering "the real world"--or really the working world, and the anxieties that those transitions can produce. Beware of The Beast!! 

Happy Halloween!! In a spooktacular extra episode, Michael and Joe chat about the origins of the holiday, why they love Halloween, and some of their favorite spooky memories. This episode contains a variety of ghoulish topics like soul cookies, Halloween decor, and spandex! Thank you for listening to our 2020 Halloween Spooktacular so far, we really appreciate the love, support, and appreciation for the creepy vibes. Remember to stay safe and vote! 

Ballotpedia: https://ballotpedia.org/Main_Page 

Nocturne is the final Welcome to the Blumhouse movie to be released this year and we're kinda happy about that! Blumhouse has proven that they have some really cool concepts, but usually don't nail the ending--Nocturne is no exception. This time around a high schooler, Jules, attends a private art school and uses the cosmic power of an evil music theory book to exact revenge and become a talented pianist. In the 27th episode of Pop The Culture Podcast, Michael and Joe dissect the different themes of expectations and prestige within the performing arts community. They also relive their childhood nightmare of playing the recorder.

WARNING: This film contains content such as self harm, emotional and psychological abuse. We don't detail these scenes within our episode, but they come up as discussion points. 

Happy Death Day is a horror/dark comedy/time-loop story/murder mystery movie and we like it! It's one the better Blumhouse Productions, but It's not without its faults. In the 26th episode of Pop the Culture Podcast, Michael and Joe continue their Halloween Spook-tacular by breaking down the different genres within Happy Death Day and determine whether or not they succeed. They also try to figure out who would help them with a time-loop problem in College. 

Black Box is the newest Blumhouse film released during their "Welcome to the Blumhouse" halloween special with Amazon TV. In the 25th episode of Pop the Culture Podcast, Michael and Joe continue their Halloween Spook-tacular talking about Blumhouse's Black Box and the horrors of switching bodies. We thought it would be fun to see what these fancy new horror movies are about and discuss what makes Blumhouse tick. Also, would Joe and Michael switch into each other's bodies and how would they do it?

Halloween started the slasher genre so it's fitting to start a new mini series! In the 24th episode of Pop The Culture Podcast, Michael and Joe kick off their Halloween Spook-tacular by discussing the influence of the Halloween franchise. They ask: how was Laurie the blue-print for the "final girl", how has the franchise has changed over time, and just why is Michael Myers so angry about premarital sex?  

Back To The Future has affected the way we look at time travel. It tells us that if we change actions in the past, we can change outcomes in the future. But what if that might not be true, and what if the movie has evidence to support that? You know about the hard evidence of time travel that you can find in movies, right? In the 23rd episode of Pop the Culture Podcast, we are joined by our "Associate Producer" Shannon Theobald--for the very first time--to talk about one of her favorite films. Naturally, we talk about what it would be like to time travel ourselves. 

Battle Royales are the new hot stuff in gaming. Hell there's even a Battle Royale version of Tetris! In the 22nd episode of Pop The Culture Podcast, Michael and Joe discuss their recent experiences playing Spellbreak and how it compares to Fortnite. What are the pros and cons of Battle Royales, will this trend last, and how many times did Joe and Michael lose in Spellbreak?