The Cult Popcast

| Review | Apple TV+ continues to build up their catalog of quality titles with ‘Severance,’ the intriguing new series from the minds of Dan Erickson and Ben Stiller. With equal parts “mystery box” science fiction and character-driven drama, this stylized show creates an immersive and surreal world that takes a fresh look at the dehumanization of the individual in the modern corporate workplace. But first, ‘After Yang,’ another near future that ponders those old familiar themes of love, loss, and connection in our ever-changing cultural landscape.

| Review | Straight out of Macedonia, it’s the new Focus Features indie film by Goran Stolevski about 19th century witches and the beauty and darkness/joy and grief that make up life; and yet…

| Analysis | Sucked… into… a baaagelllll. ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ is the ambitious new indie film from creative duo Daniels, brought to you by A24. True to its name, this movie wholeheartedly embraces its absurdist multiverse premise while balancing the quirky madness with a complex, deeply emotional journey of a family finding purpose and connection in the existential chaos of modern life. This is one you have to see to believe.

| Review | Ah, the 90s. It was a simpler time, wasn’t it? A sweeter time. Today’s cast is on 'Pam & Tommy,' the Hulu original making waves for it’s retelling of that seminal moment shortly before the turn of the century, when the zeitgeist came to a head and burst as rock and roll, sex, and pop culture smashed headlong into technology. This is the story of the internet’s first sex tape.

| Review | After a brief hiatus, the boys are back discussing “Content Storm 2022,” we talk about ‘Turning Red,’ ‘The Adam Project,’ ‘Deadpool 3,’ ‘Free Guy,’ ‘The Untitled Mario Movie,’ ‘Our Flags Mean Death’ and then landing on the new wildly salacious-horror/slasher A24 feature film, ‘X.’

| Review | High school is a weird time. Not every experience is the same, but almost every person’s journey invariably runs up against some emotional trauma. ‘Euphoria’ is a show that attempts to capture that chaotic and often scary essence of growing up and finding yourself, but it does it with dreamlike style and visual flair.

| Analysis | Well folks, it’s all led to this. We have arrived once again at the Academy Awards - and perhaps for the last time. There’s a lot to talk about here, not the least of which is Will Smith’s violent outburst at Chris Rock and consequent manic episode. What makes such a celebrated person behave like this? Steven and Gabe do some casual reporting and armchair analysis of the incident after a brief breakdown of the award results.

| Analysis | One of Steven’s favorite films of the year, the very special ‘Encanto’ is nominated for best animated feature film at the 2022 Academy Awards. Spoken about many times on this podcast, they felt it was deserving of its own episode.

| Analysis | ‘Flee’ is the true story of one man’s harrowing journey to escape war-torn Afghanistan in the 1990’s. Depicted through 2D animation, this documentary spans multiple timelines as Amin Nawabi finally discloses his past so that he may confront the truth and move forward.

| Analysis | Things take a turn for the worst in Joachim Trier’s Norwegian picture that is nominated for Best International Feature Film, ‘The Worst Person in the World;’ Following a woman in her late twenty’s as she navigates the complexities of relationships and life in our current day and age, this film has some steep competition in it’s categories. Steven, Gabe, and Ally are here to ponder the themes and examine why it may be deserving of an Oscar.