The Cult Popcast

| Review | If you want to dance the masque, you must service the composer. One of Gabe’s favorite movies of the year is Tár, the first feature from Todd Field after a 16 year hiatus.  It’s a complex look at the human condition - a tragic and topical story of ambition, ego, and lust in a time of awareness and accountability. Also, Cate Blanchett is a force of nature.

| Review | Happy Halloween! The Disney+ content machine churns on with a very special presentation for today’s cast. Werewolf by Night is a 50 minute homage to classic creature features and vintage horror cinema. Turns out Michael Giacchino is a pretty good director too.

| Analysis | What kind of name is “The Cult Popcast” anyway? It sounds ridiculous. Today’s cast is just a little catching up for Steven and Gabe, as they soberly celebrate two hundred episodes of subjectively high quality content, and discuss what the future may hold.

| Review | Death can have him, when it earns him. Grizzled warrior Kratos of Sparta returns in God of War: Ragnarök, the new action-adventure game from Santa Monica Studio and hotly anticipated sequel to 2018's critically acclaimed reboot of the legacied franchise. This epic tale finds our familiar cast of heroes contending with the end of the world as they know it. But can the God of War topple Elden Ring for the prestigious title of "game of the year..."

| Review | Wow. So… Blonde is a heavily stylized depiction of the sensational life of Marilyn Monroe - the pulp culture icon and facade worn by troubled actress Norma Jeane. The cinematography on display here is gorgeous, and Ana de Armas gives everything she has to portray the tragic figure, but ultimately this film is kind of a wash. Andrew Dominik was clearly more interested in dwelling in the traumatic misery of his own fiction rather than capturing a more holistic perspective of Norma Jeane’s character and history.

| Review | “Life is fantastic.” Those are the words of David Bowie, the larger than life musician and performer who captured the hearts and minds of young people many times over in the course of a long, prolific career. Moonage Daydream is his story; part archival biopic and part bombastic rock opera concert experience, this film takes us beyond the characters and eras of the iconic artist, to discover the man underneath.

| Review | New Florence Pugh joint just dropped! Don’t Worry Darling is only Olivia Wilde’s second directorial feature, but it’s clear she has a keen eye and unique voice for the game. However - what would have otherwise been a surreal voyage into the mysterious and enigmatic Victory Project is unfortunately let down by a script that started strong but couldn’t fully satisfy in the end.

| Review | In 1994, an intimate little indie flick called Clerks launched the career and cult following of Kevin Smith. Now, a dozen feature films and a full generation later, Smith has returned to the Quick Stop to revisit and complete the tale of Randal and Dante. Clerks III is the capstone of a very personal journey for Smith, and, thankfully, it’s the rowdy, fun, and deeply emotional return to form for the beloved writer/director we all hoped it would be.

| Review | Every once in a while, a movie comes out of nowhere to shock and delight audiences with creative filmmaking and subversive storytelling. Barbarian is one of those. This incredibly suspenseful (and at times hilarious) horror-thriller from Zach Cregger is the dark horse screamer flick of 2022. Don’t watch any trailers, just go to the theater and watch it. If you dare.

| Analysis | Breaking Bad is a legendary TV show, but people weren’t exactly clamoring for a Saul Goodman spin-off ten years ago. Fast forward to 2022, and Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould have crafted a prequel that not only enriches the original series, but in some respects surpasses its predecessor. Better call Saul!