The Cult Popcast

| Review | After discussing the new ‘Secrets of Dumbledore’ trailer, Steven regales Gabe with his weekend adventure: taking his daughters to their first movie, Disney’s animated feature ‘Encanto.’ Then, a breakdown of Spielberg’s “techni”-colorful new adaptation of the classic broadway musical, ‘West Side Story.’

Addendum start at 27:08. Added Thursday March 24, 2022.

| Review | Be funny, when you can. A24’s latest drama is “C’mon C’mon” by Mike Mills - a beautifully intimate story about human connection and dealing with the existential turmoil of the 21st century. But first, a quick recap of the highly revered Video Game Awards.

| Analysis | On a very special video game episode, a tiny mention of ‘8-Bit Christmas,’ before we dive into a deeply personal game for Steven released by Nintendo in 2018, called ‘Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.’ Here on it’s three year anniversary, and after the final DLC character has recently been released, we invite Steven’s “Smash Group,” to the cast to dissect the game, the technicals, the history, the nostalgia, and the vices: Things get salty.

| Review | Gabe finally sees ‘Spencer,’ a tense and melancholic fable that happens to sit nicely with today’s review of Jane Campion’s ‘The Power of the Dog.’ Netflix’s latest film about the wild American frontier is a quiet lesson in storytelling and filmmaking, powerfully led by the one and only Benedict Cumberbatch.

| Review | Two biopics for the price of one! Steven tells Gabe about ‘King Richard’ and’ House of Gucci,’ two wildly different tales about having a dream and what you are willing to do to capture it. Gabe also reviews a Mexican restaurant, and the boys discuss the legacy of Sir Ridley Scott.

| Review | ‘Arcane’ is the new Netflix animated series taking the world by storm. What makes it so good? Steven and Gabe talk about the massively popular video game it’s based on, ‘League of Legends,’ and the studio behind it all, as well as what else is coming in December. Also, “Why Imagine Dragons?”

| Review | Is this the first time a live action adaptation of an anime is done well? Is it worth your time? Should Netflix “green light” a second season? Is Ed good casting? How many rice crispy treats can you eat? Will the Bebop crew ever fly again? All these questions and more answered on this episode talking about Netflix’s ‘Cowboy Bebop.’

| Review | Get everybody and their stuff together. After discussing the downfall of Jurassic Park, we review at length the beloved 1998 anime ‘Cowboy Bebop’ and why it is such a classic. We also discover what the opposite of “masterclass” is, the answer may surprise you.

| Review | If there’s something strange in your neighborhood, who you gonna call? Steven and Gabe call their new friends Mitchem and Aly from “Here’s Our Take” podcast to talk ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife,’ as well as another little gem and big indy masterpiece called ‘The Vast of Night.’ How many times can we mention Dune today?

| Analysis | We cut into “Disney + Day,” and take a quick bite on Disney’s ‘Jungle Cruise.’ Then give a taste of Taylor Swift before we sink into the main course of Kenneth Branagh’s ‘Belfast!’ I was hungry when I wrote this.