Pop Vultures

With seventeen movies and more on the way, no real failures, and over $13 billion dollars in worldwide box-office grosses, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has dominated blockbuster filmmaking for the last decade. The MCU’s success has had a clear impact on big Hollywood productions, changing not only what gets made, but how things are made. These movies, to a large extent, are determining audience tastes. The Pop Vultures assemble to discuss the Marvel Cinematic Universe and seek to determine what we should demand from our popcorn movies.

A Justice League movie joke gone awry leads to the Vultures coming into contact with toxic, ravenous fandom on the Twitter. Personal attacks and therapy bills ensue. The Vultures crush on a new fave podcast from their peers, Epic Film Guys.

The night is upon us where armies of ravenous kids will trick-or-treat, others will put on slutty outfits and get too drunk, while the rest of us pretend not to be home and throw on those coveted horror movies we wait all year to watch. For those needing some Halloween movie recommendations, this episode is for you. The Vultures talk about some of their favorite horror movies — covering everything from known classics to the obscure and bizarre. Light your jack-o’-lanterns, grab that candy dish, and sink your teeth into this special Halloween episode.

Keeping with the flavor of Halloween season, the Vultures circle a selection of contemporary horror TV shows. In this episode we discuss The Walking Dead, Ash vs. Evil Dead, and Stranger Things – three wildly different and successful horror television shows. So kick back, throw on your chainsaw hand, grab Lucille, and get ready for a casual conversation in the Upside Down. Groovy!

In this minisode the Vultures seek levity from talking about heavy movies and real world monsters by talking about the new Netflix series from David Fincher, Mindhunter... a show that goes deep into the psychology and actions of real world serial killers. Oops. The Vultures also stumble upon a movie idea that could make or break their filmmaking careers.

"This is rumor control." Alien³ is a very divisive film. The first two installments in the Alien franchise were critical and box office successes that went on to become classics – Alien³ was a different beast. Unable to agree on a final script, and chasing a studio-imposed release date, first-time feature director David Fincher (Se7en, Fight Club, Zodiac, Gone Girl) was placed in an impossible no-win scenario. The resulting film is relentlessly bleak, visually stunning... and miraculously full of merit.

In this episode the Vultures come to the defense of Alien³ as a movie that deserves another shot, and to be viewed on its own terms. It may not be the sequel to Aliens everyone wanted, but that doesn’t nullify its value as a movie or justify the hate it receives. The bitch is back.

Endless rain, burning neon, ethereal music, and urban pyramids — Blade Runner is one of the most influential films of all time with its impossible visual splendor and a philosophical existentialism that’s more human than human.

Thirty-five years later the sequel, Blade Runner 2049, brings us a new vision of those timeless ideas. Join us as the Vultures discuss the original, the sequel, and ideas that are far bigger than all of us.

IT (2017) is now the most successful horror movie of all time. How could the Pop Vultures not talk about... IT? Eli, Chris, and Pat also touch on the new Star Trek Discovery series and The Orville, while Eli commits a nerd sin of epic proportions. Let's get scrappy!

Hey youuuu guyyys! Remember the kid adventure films that helped form the foundation of our childhoods? These movies sharpened our sense of wonder and sent us searching for adventure atop our bikes. Why don't we make these movies anymore? What happened?

Even if you saw these films in the 90s or possibly the 00s, odds are they helped define your adolescence and trigger major nostalgia. Chris, Pat, and Eli discuss The Goonies & The Monster Squad, the heyday of kid adventure films in the 80s, the absence of them today, and where Stranger Things fits in all of this. This episode's got nards!

Toys, fascinating smells, and crowds of generally nice people – in this minisode Eli, Pat, and Chris briefly reflect on their experience at Salt Lake Comic Con.