Pop Vultures

Ten years have passed since The Dark Knight (2008) debuted in theaters around the world. Christopher Nolan’s film introduced us to the spectacle of IMAX and Heath Ledger delivered a villain worthy of the canvas. Why is this still the comic book movie by which all others are compared, and does it still hold up after a decade? Why so serious?

Few movies are as universally admired as Jaws (1975). It was the first real blockbuster, the highest grossing film of all time (at that point) and the movie that made Spielberg... Spielberg. Before its release the film was anything but a sure bet with it’s B-movie plot and endless production woes that sent the production way over budget and schedule. Listen as the Vultures discuss the filmmaking lessons to be learned and how Jaws became one of the greatest films ever made. Here’s to swimming with bow-legged women!

Few movies can match the wonder, terror, and cinematic splendor of Jurassic Park (1993). Twenty-five years after its release the movie remains an iconic benchmark in pop cinema, outshining the latest blockbusters by a T-Rex sized margin. We all remember the dinosaur effects, the music, and the Goldblum, but there’s a lot more to admire in this beautifully crafted summer movie. Hold onto your butts and join the Vultures for a podcast 65 million years in the making.

Everyone remembers the score by Daft Punk, but the 2010 film Tron Legacy can be admired for a lot more than the music. Director Joseph Kosinski delivered a visual triumph that took the ideas from the original 1982 film and updated them for the 21st century. It’s far from perfect, but Tron Legacy possesses many qualities that most of today’s blockbusters lack. Enter the grid with the Vultures to talk about this flawed delight of a film.

The Vultures are back with the first ever Pop Vultures Guilty Pleasure Debate (PVGPD), in which Pat, Chris, and Eli each propose a different movie as the superior guilty viewing pleasure. While no one would call these movies art, many would call them highly enjoyable. Listeners will determine the winner, so pop in your earbuds and pull up your debate pants. We also have a special announcement at the end of the episode!

The 2018 comedy Game Night and the 1997 thriller The Game are two wildly different movies separated by genre that actually share a lot of similarities under the surface. Listen as the Vultures discuss what they liked about these two overlooked movies, both featuring premises designed to make you question what is real and what is part of... the game.

Steven Spielberg slides back into the blockbuster driver’s seat for the adaptation of Ernest Cline’s 2011 novel Ready Player One. Is it really just nostalgia porn, or merely the latest target of superficial hipster chiding? The Vultures sit down to discuss the overlooked craftsmanship of the film, the book’s baggage, and the movie’s place in the contemporary blockbuster scene. Begun the hipster war has.

There are cult classics and then there are cult classics, and then there's The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension. The Vultures sit down to discuss this endlessly quotable, charming oddball of a film.

Some movies live or die by how well they walk the tight-rope of tone, and few do it better than Barry Sonnenfeld’s action / comedy / sci-fi mashup, Men In Black (1997). Suit up, throw on your shades, hit the red button, and join the Vultures as they look back at the inner workings of MIB – from Will Smith’s masterclass on charm, to Tommy Lee Jones' perfect deadpan delivery, to Vincent D’Onofrio's hilarious villain. Here come the MIB.

The Vultures take a swim in Waterworld and discuss why you shouldn't write off this post-apocalyptic action-adventure epic. At one time the most expensive movie ever made – and unfairly picked on by critics before its release – Waterworld is a fascinating piece of film history. So dive in and give Kevin Costner's Mariner another shot – webbed feet, gills, and all.