Pop Culture Historians

This week, our travels through Classic Doctor Who Season 7 continues with the oddly-titled DOCTOR WHO AND THE SILURIANS! This fantastic seven-part serial brings the Third Doctor at odds with a subterranean race, another Doctor and, eventually, the Brigadier himself. How it will all end? Listen and find out!

We're back traveling through space and time! Classic Doctor Who Season 7 coverage begins this week, as we begin the color era AND the Third Doctor Era! How does new lead Jon Pertwee assert himself in this four-part serial? How cool is it to have the Brig back as a major character? What exactly is the Spearhead in Space? All this is discussed and more!

This week, the Pop Culture Historians dive back into the World of Abbott and Costello! Just in time for Halloween, let's explore their meetings with Universal monsters The Invisible Man and The Mummy. Topics include: favorite jokes, an insane INVISIBLE MAN ending, what constitutes a character actor and…would A&C newcomer Jimmy dive into their work again?

This week, the Pop Culture Historians dive into the world of Abbott and Costello. First, they tackle perhaps the most famous of their films, where the comedy duo MEET FRANKENSTEIN! Is..is this the best Universal monster crossover ever made? Then, A&C move on to meet THE KILLER, BORIS KARLOFF! Is Boris Karloff the killer? You'll just have to listen and find out

This week, the Pop Culture Historians take a haunted house tour with a special guest! Felicia Maroni from the Seeing Faces in Movies podcast joins us to help break down 1944's HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN and 1945's HOUSE OF DRACULA! All your favorite monsters are here, even if they're maybe not all here at the same time (or, if you're Frankenstein, barely there at all). Will Boris Karloff be enough to carry the day? Listen along and find out.

This week, we unwrap two more installments in the original Mummy movie franchise! Lon Chaney's final turns as the titular Mummy feels like a missed opportunity, but he's easily the best thing about these quick, uninspired horror flicks that should have stayed in their graves.

We have returned from the dead to continue our look at the spooky world of Universal Monsters! We begin with a pair of Jon Hall vehicles. First up, the Invisible Man fights the Nazis in INVISIBLE AGENT, a movie that also stars Peter Lorre as an agent of an Axis power (it may not be the one you think!). Next, the Invisible Man gets his revenge in….well, THE INVISIBLE MAN'S REVENGE! Hopefully, after this episode, our podcasting careers won't disappear!

This week, a quick bonus episode reviewing the recent animation of the missing Classic Doctor Who serial THE SAVAGES! What did we think of the animation quality? How was this story the second time around? Which missing serial do we want to see animated next? All this and more will be discussed!

This week, it's awards time again as we take a look back at our latest season of superhero flicks from 2004-06! What was the most dated moment from the ten movies we looked at this past season? Who were our best and worst villains? Best and worst actors? Finally, who was our MVP? Find out in another thrilling edition of the Blinkie Awards!

This week, we conclude another round of chronological superhero film retrospectives with the original Superman reboot, 2006's SUPERMAN RETURNS! Topics include: Jon Peters, the long road to this movie getting made, Jon Peters, the unfortunate excellence of Kevin Spacey, and Jon Peters.

This week, the (then) final battle for the X-Men commences! The Pop Culture Historians break down 2006's X-MEN: THE LAST STAND, and it's a doozy. Can its two half-stories coalesce into a whole? Just how many directors were attached to this thing, anyway? Hey, remember that Juggernaut YouTube video? All this and more in this week's episode!

This week, the Pop Culture Historians go back to school with SKY HIGH, a Disney superhero adventure that features cover of classic 80s tunes, a winning Kurt Russell performance and a cavalcade of stars! Bruce Campbell, Lynda Carter, and Dave Foley to name just a few. Did we give this movie a passing grade, or did it make us want to cut class?

This week, it's time to clobber 2005's FANTASTIC FOUR! Just in time for their MCU relaunch in a few weeks, let's go back twenty years when Chris Evans was Johnny Storm instead of Captain America, and TV stars filled the cast list (Michael Chilklis! Julian McMahon!). Is this movie as bad as its reputation? How misguided is that “Sue Storm in her underwear” scene? Will Ryan determine how to pronounce Ioan Gruffudd? All will be revealed this week!

This week, a new day dawns for a certain caped crusader. We've reached BATMAN BEGINS, Christopher Nolan's initial foray into the superhero genre. The influence it's had in the twenty years since speaks for itself, but does it still have the same impact now as it did then? Listen along and remember a time when a “gritty superhero movie” was a novel concept!

This week, we go back twenty years to catch some bad-time religion with CONSTANTINE! This Keanu Reeves/starring superhero action era was an international success, and has snagged a cult following, but…what is its real legacy? Will this be heaven or hell? Listen along and find out!

This week, we return to the world of DAREDEVIL by reviewing the 2005 spin-off ELEKTRA! Jennifer Garner! Terence Stamp! The guy from ER! All the stars are in this one.

This week…have you ever watched a BLADE movie and went “this is good, but I wish Ryan Reynolds and Jessica Biel were in it”? Well, we have just the movie for you! It's not very good, but we definitely have it.

This week, a movie about cats that is truly for the dogs! We've finally reached it: the 2004 CATWOMAN movie. It's about as good as you think it might be.

This week, we pick back up our chronological review of the superhero film genre. As we work through the mire of the 2000's, let's kick things off with a classic. It's THE INCREDIBLES! Is this the best Pixar movie? Heck, is this the best movie we've reviewed in this project so far? How great is the Michael Giacchino score? All this and more will be answered!

This week, before we change topic gears, let's take one more look back at Classic Doctor Who Season 6! This season ended up being monumental, with many highs (The Invasion!), a few lows (The Space Pirates!), and the ending of several eras. What were our favorite moments? Who was the best guest star? Who was the season MVP? All this and more will be decided!

This week, we have yet another bonus episode for you all! This time, we take a look back at the 1960's era of classic Doctor Who! What were our general takeaways? Did the low production values help or hurt the viewing experience? What were our favorite TARDIS teams? Most importantly, what were our best and worst stories from the first two Doctor eras? Listen along and find out!

This week, we take a look back at the Second Doctor era in its totality. Topics include: what defined Patrick Troughton's era? What was the Second Doctor's ultimate TARDIS crew? What were the top five serials of the era? And finally…who do you got? Troughton or William Hartnell?

This week, we continue our coverage of the monumental Classic Doctor Who story, THE WAR GAMES! We break down our best and worst moments of episodes 4 through 10 before previewing what lies ahead.

This week, the Pop Culture Historians hit a major milestone in their Classic Doctor Who coverage with THE WAR GAMES! It's the end of several eras all at once: the end of black and white episodes, the end of Jamie and Zoe's tenure and, of course, the end of Patrick Troughton's run on the show. There's so much to cover that we had to split this episode in two! This week, we provide initial thoughts, behind the scenes notes and best and worst of the first three episodes.

This week, we need a bottle of rum to get through THE SPACE PIRATES! A difficult Classic Doctor Who Season Six serial to get through, are there any positives to be gleaned from this mostly-missing story? Kind of! But not really. Arrrr!

This week, the Ice Warriors return to unleash THE SEEDS OF DEATH! This exciting serial marks somewhat of a return to form, with solid cliffhangers, imposing villains, and decent special effects ( y'know, for the most part). And foam! Lots of foam!

This week, the Pop Culture Historians meet THE KROTONS! This Second Doctor story is short, it's efficient, it's competent…so why aren't we more excited about it? Join us as we explore why.

This week, the Pop Culture Historians return to THE CELESTIAL TOYMAKER and evaluate the new animation of the four-part story. Does having a visualization improve our experience? Is the 3D animation as bad as people feared? How great is it to be back in the First Doctor era? All this and more will be discussed in this special holiday episode!

This week, the Pop Culture Historians find themselves in the middle of THE INVASION! The Cybermen make their dramatic return to the show, as does the recently promoted Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. A mythology is beginning to form in this mostly-found eight-part story. How does it hold up after all this time? Listen along and find out!

This week, the Pop Culture Historians visit the Land of Fiction to meet THE MIND ROBBER! All of your favorite literary characters are here: Gulliver, Rapunzel, Sir Lancelot, The Karkus. Listen along as we break down this somewhat brief Second Doctor story.

This week, the Pop Culture Historians hop back into the TARDIS to begin their coverage of Classic Doctor Who Season Six! THE DOMINATORS raises some interesting themes regarding pacifism vs. aggression, and the chemistry amongst our companions is as strong as ever. But is it enough to overcome the story's lack of personality? Listen along and find out!

This week, let's take a look back at our season all about the superhero movies of the 2000's (or at least 2000 - 2004) and hand out some awards! It's our semi-annual Blinkie Awards! Topics include: Best and Worst Villain, Most Dated Moment and of course our season MVP. Also, why are our awards called the Blinkies anyway? Listen along and find out!

This week, the Pop Culture Historians wield great power responsibly once again by breaking down Sam Raimi's superhero follow-up, SPIDER-MAN 2! Topics include: whether this is the greatest superhero movie of all time, the near replacement of Tobey Maguire by Jake Gyllenhaal, and Ryan's review of the movie from his 2004 LiveJournal. Suit up and listen along with us!

This week, the Pop Culture Historians exact revenge on 2004's THE PUNISHER! Topics include: John Travolta's career, a surprisingly well-done fight sequence, and the Drowning Pool song that closes THE PUNISHER out.

This Halloween, the Pop Culture Historians return from the dead to review 1984's GHOSTBUSTERS and 1988's BEETLEJUICE! We first explain where we've been this whole time before diving into these two seminal 80's classics (that both had legacy sequels this year). Topics include: is Michael Keaton annoying? How great is Rick Moranis? What's the difference between a bodega and a convenience store? It's showtime!

Just in time for DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE, it's our episode all about X2! Marvel at the increased scope from Part 1, revel in the pulpy performance from Brian Cox, and be astounded at the in-costume fight the cast had with director Bryan Singer. Be a god among insects and listen along with us!

This week, the Pop Culture Historians are seeing red! We dive back into the filmography of Guillermo del Toro and break down 2004's HELLBOY! We discuss how well Ron Perlman's first round in the horns holds up after two decades. We also, somehow, discuss Star Trek: Nemesis and Arrested Development. Listen along with us as we march forth through our chronological look at the superhero film genre!

This week, the Pop Culture Historians get booksmart with 2003's THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN! Also known as LXG, this 2003 Sean Connery vehicle raises an interesting question: what happens when a movie is less interesting than the chaos that created it? Topics include: the feud between Connery and director Stephen Norrington, the horrible Dorian Gray one-liners and the filmography of Sam Mendes.

This week, we dive right into one of the more divisive superhero flicks of the 21st century. Ang Lee's 2003 HULK movie is of the wildest swings the genre has ever offered, but is Eric Bana's lone turn in the purple pants a boom or a bust? Listen and find out what we thought! Hint: we're split!

This week, we cook in Hell's Kitchen. It's time to dive into 2003's DAREDEVIL! Marvel as we compare the theatrical and director's cut! Awe at the multiple Evanescence needle drops! Be mystified at the chemistry between Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner!

This week, we reach new heights with Sam Raimi's 2002 SPIDER-MAN! It broke box-office records in 2002 and set the stage for superhero cultural dominance for decades to come, but how does Tobey Maguire's first run in the suit stack up in 2024? Spoilers: SPIDER-MAN is still spectacular. Listen along as we break down the winding production history as well as explore the question: has anybody done it better since?

This week, our favorite half-vampire returns in BLADE II and he's brought Ron Perlman and Guillermo del Toro with him! Topics in this episode include: del Toro's approach to guiding this sequel, the pros and cons of the action-first ethos, and the Crystal Method.

This week, we begin our next season by diving into the superhero movies of the 2000's. We start with M. Night Shyamalan's UNBREAKABLE, a movie that seemed like a relatively big deal in 2000, and somewhat forgotten now. Topics include: the weird peaks and valleys of Shyamalan's career, the legacy of Bruce Willis and the weird power of the twist ending.

It's award season over on the Pop Culture Historians this week! Let's take a look back at Classic Doctor Who Season Five and determine the best and worst it had to offer. Best Guest Star, Worst Special Effect, Best Villain, Season MVP…they're all up for grabs. Who will win? Listen and find out!

This week, the Pop Culture Historians watch as Classic Doctor Who Season Five ends not with a bang, but with a whimper. Is THE WHEEL IN SPACE as bad as its reputation? Why do the Cybermen hatch from eggs now? Why don't people just drop-kick those Cybermats? All these questions and more will be explored in this episode!

This week, the Pop Culture Historians find themselves underwater with FURY FROM THE DEEP! Topics include: the relatively recent animation and how the serial loses something in the translation, the departure of a companion and Jimmy's 2012 Halloween costume.

This week, the Yeti return in THE WEB OF FEAR! Topics include: the awful animation of the missing Episode 3, the joy of seeing Deborah Watling reunite with her father, and the emotionally complicated resolution. Plus…Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart enters the chat!

This week…no, you're not seeing double. That's TWO Patrick Troughtons in the six-part THE ENEMY OF THE WORLD. Topics discussed include: Troughton's double role as the Doctor and the villainous Ramon Salamander, the chilling ending, and the serial's overall re-evaluation since its episode recovery.

This week, the Pop Culture Historians keep their snow suits on to review THE ICE WARRIORS! Topics include: Peter Barkworth's incredible guest role, the thematic pull between man and machine, and the serial's weird cliffhangers.

This week, bundle up because we're breaking down THE ABOMINABLE SNOWMEN! Is this mostly-missing six-part story better or worse in animation form? How many ways can we mispronounce the name Padmasambhava? Also, can some great stuff at the end mask the fact that much of this serial is…kind of boring? Listen along and find out!

It's been a bit, but finally the Patrick Troughton Era continues on Pop Culture Historians! We've finally reached Season Five, which begins with a classic: the Cybermen have returned! What did we think of this well-regarded four part serial? What makes a Cybermen story different from the Daleks? Did Frazer Hines hit on the producer's wife? Listen along and find out the answers!