Pop Culture Historians

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!

We're back! Before we dive into Classic Doctor Who Season Five, let's take a look back at one of the most unique stories of Season Four, THE UNDERWATER MENACE! Topics include: the pros and cons of the new animation, what we can glean from a second watch, the campy brilliance of Joseph Furst, and which version of the story we would recommend to a first time viewer.

This week, we return to reflect on the season that was and hand out awards for our favorite and least favorite moments from the superhero movies of 1996 to 2000! Topics include: the best villain, the most dated reference, the MVP of the back half of the 90's and…is Pamela Anderson dead? Who are we thinking of?

This week, we conclude our walk through the superhero movies of the 90's by entering the new millennium! The original X-MEN is lean and narrow in focus, but the themes it explores might be even more relevant now than they were twenty-five years ago. What music star really wanted to be Professor X? Also, who else would have wanted to see a Kathryn Bigelow directed version of this starring Bob Hoskins? Finally, is this the canonical start of the MCU now? All this AND MORE will be explored!

This week, we've reached 1999's superhero comedy MYSTERY MEN! A bomb upon its release, this Ben Stiller-led ensemble has become somewhat of a cult classic. But how good is it? Is it too long? Does its mix of comedic styles help or hurt? Who's the real MVP of this movie? All this and more will be discussed on this week's episode! Remember: all that glitters is gold.

This week, the Pop Culture Historians reach the top of the fuckin' food chain! We have reached 1998's BLADE, arguably the movie that kicked off the current wave of superhero movies that is only now beginning to crest. We discuss Wesley Snipes' input in the role, some alternate castings for Blade, the show Terriers, as well as the state of vampires in the late 90's. We promise we don't even make one “this sucks” joke.

This week, the Pop Culture Historians put on the suit and break down the pseudo-Spielberg STAR KID! Joseph Mazello jumps from Jurassic Park to Waverly Street to learn all about facing your fears with the help of an alien suit named Cy. We discuss this movie's aggressive average-ness and decide: is this even a superhero movie?

This week…CAN YOU DIG IT? 1997's STEEL features Shaq as a metallic Superman, Annabeth Gish as a paraplegic, Judd Nelson in full on autopilot, and Richard Roundtree as a man who lives in a junkyard. What's not to love? Well…the Pop Culture Historians will definitely let you know.

This week, the Pop Culture Historians go to hell! It's SPAWN week here, in all its 1997 screensaver CGI glory. Topics include: does John Leguizamo have one funny line? Why did they use real maggots for that pizza scene? How cute is the dog? And, seriously, what happened with the visuals on this one? Make the descent with us!

This week, the day has come. We cover the movie that Kevin Feige has called the most important superhero movie ever made, 1997's BATMAN AND ROBIN. Is this legendary bomb as bad as its reputation suggests? Is Arnold Schwarzenegger secretly pretty good in this? How checked out is George Clooney? Was Coolio really going to play the Scarecrow in a theoretical BATMAN 5? All these questions and more will be…well, not answered, but at least discussed. Also, stay tuned after the credits for a special surprise!

Happy Halloween, boos and ghouls. Tonight, in our special bonus episode, we take this All Hallows' Eve to take a look back at the season that was. We reflect on the higher-than-expected quality of the twelve movies we reviewed this season, we rank them, then decide…should any of them be Essentials?

It's werewolf week here on Pop Culture Historians as we wrap up our look back at the Classic Universal Monster Sequels! First up, Henry Hull is the WEREWOLF OF LONDON. Does the first werewolf movie of note hold up after all these years? Then, the main event, the crossover event of the 20th century: FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN. Lon Chaney. Bela Lugosi. Who will win? Listen and find out! In between, we stick to the theme in our Intermission Special and rank our favorite vampires.

This week, we welcome Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi back to the Universal Monster party in our Frankenstein Sequel Series! First up, SON OF FRANKENSTEIN must live up to the lofty expectations of the previous BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN and must do it without James Whale. Bela Lugosi shines as Ygor but does the rest of the movie live up? Next, we rank our favorite Halloween commercials during our Intermission Special! Finally, THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN brings us Lon Chaney's first try in the neck bolts. Can he possibly live up to Karloff's iconic performance? Listen along and find out!

Welcome back, boos and ghouls! This week, the Pop Culture Historians dive into the first two classic Dracula sequels! First up, it's the sapphic DRACULA's DAUGHTER. We fawn over Gloria Holden and question over how much of its subtext was intentional. Next, Lon Chaney is Alucard in SON OF DRACULA. Can he hold a candle to Bela Lugosi? Listen along and find out! In between, we rank our favorite Halloween creatures in our Intermission Special!

This week, we dig into the first two MUMMY sequels. First, we discuss the tonal change in 1940's THE MUMMY'S HAND from its predecessor, even if it doesn't have Boris Karloff anymore. Then, in our Intermission Special. We rank our top movie villains! Finally, we wrap it all up by lamenting the state of THE MUMMY'S TOMB, an hour-long movie that has FIFTEEN minutes of flashback clips in the beginning. Does it ever recover? Listen and find out!

This week, another spooky Universal Monster Sequel Double Feature! First up, THE INVISIBLE MAN RETURNS swaps out Claude Rains for Vincent Price. Does it…actually make the follow-up superior? Next, during our Intermission Special, we break down our favorite Halloween costumes we've ever worn! Finally, we struggle to find something, anything at all to say about the screwball comedy THE INVISIBLE WOMAN.