Pop Culture Shock

As The Insider comes to an end, Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino) confesses to his longtime colleague and friend, the venerable Mike Wallace (Christopher Plummer), 'What got broken here doesn't go back together." And this is probably the ethos for most Michael Mann films. Where most stories try to find a new status quo, or return to the … Continue reading The Insider (1999) – dir. Michael Mann →

I have a difficult time discussing women's issues. Oh sure, I like to think I have a grasp on what good female representation looks like in media. And disseminating my thoughts on characterization or portrayals of women is often much simpler, especially when I'm typing out into this here void of endless content. But even … Continue reading Legally Blonde (2001) – dir. Robert Luketic →

I don’t think we’ll ever have films like the first three that Kevin Smith made in the 90’s. While John Hughes tried to articulate fringe suburban outcasts in the 80’s, and while mumblecore and Apatow lent a voice to post-slacker twentysomethings, none have felt as realized and honest as Smith’s. The aging Gen-X’ers of Kevin … Continue reading Chasing Amy (1997) – dir. Kevin Smith →

No one can get under a person's skin quite like family. Certainly, no one knows how to piss me off quite like my mother, even when she's teasing me. Whenever anybody else, be they a friend or co-worker, makes a crack at my expense, I can come back with some witticism or self-effacing comeback to … Continue reading The Brood (1979) – dir. David Cronenberg →

I tend to harp on nostalgia quite a bit, and I can't quite decide why this is. Certainly, I enjoyed my own childhood, but I like growing up way more. And while I have no problem with older movies or music, I don't buy into the appeal of liking something because of how old a … Continue reading Summer Hours (2008) – dir. Olivier Assayas →

High school was not for me. I was bored, and wanted to be doing literally anything else. I felt I had little in common with my classmates, adults could never give me any useful advice, and I felt like I was part of a system that gave me no chance to thrive. The world did … Continue reading Society (1989) – dir. Brian Yuzma →

Despite the Oscar nominations this year being fairly disappointing, and the ceremony itself sort of leaving a sour taste in my mouth. 2018 has been a terrific year for movies. And I feel bad that there were a bunch that I missed before making my year-end list--I'll maybe do a faux awards thing later. But … Continue reading Pop Culture Shock’s Best Films of 2018 →

For whatever reasons, folks are really averse to sentimentality. We're all up for a good love story, but seldom seem to be in the mood for a story made with a lot of love for the story being told, or those inside of that narrative. Spielberg is widely critiqued for being overly sentimental, that he's … Continue reading Roma (2018) – dir. Alfonso Cuarón →

Lasting change is not a one-and-done affair. No one gives a speech or leads a march that magically solves some complex, deeply-rooted social perception. Racism didn't end with the abolition of slavery. Sexism didn't end with the ratification of the 19th amendment in 1920. Homophobia didn't end with Ellen coming out to Laura Dern in … Continue reading Green Book (2018) – dir. Peter Farrelly →

One of the arguable drawbacks of the internet is the infringement of privacy. By having more access to information than ever before, we tend to see more of others, and show off more of ourselves, than we necessarily want or intend to. This is to say nothing of government-sanctioned spying, or malicious hackers. But we … Continue reading RBG (2018) – dir. Betsy West & Julie Cohen →