Author: James Ruzicka

Weapons is our new film this week, the sophomore feature from sometime sketch comedian Zack Cregger. It may have a great cast, a great premise and some great scares, but can it stick the landing? We’re comparing it to a film from 1995 that shares its premise and a lot more besides, The City of […]

This week we dress up for concert night and dare to ask the question: how is it possible to not like John Williams? We scan through some of our favourite movie soundtracks and try to figure out what makes a good one. How broad is Hans Zimmer’s career? Why do we consider the gold standard […]

‘Damn!’ That’s what Ice Cube says about two hundred times in tonight’s new film, the Amazon Original feature War of the Worlds. It’s not often that you see a film that confesses, ‘It’s worse than you think,’ in the actual publicity material. But is this new sci-fi non-action picture really as bad as the online […]

For once we actually agree with Martin Scorsese: there has been an observable degradation in the experience of going to the cinema over the last few years. But is it, as Marty suggests, the fault of unruly audiences? Or is our theory correct, that exhibitors are making things worse? Join us at the popcorn counter […]

We’re seeing double at the Popcorn Counter this week, as take note of the cultural trend in cinema: actors playing more than one role in a movie. Everyone’s doing it: Superman, Sinners, Mickey 17 and Saturday Night have all used this trick in the last few months. But it’s hardly a new phenomenon. Who did […]

We have been looking up this week, enjoying Superman new and old. This year’s Superman is James Gunn’s first film as head honcho for the DC Universe, and bears many of his technicolor trademarks. But how much does it owe to the OG, 1978’s Superman the Movie, starring Christopher Reeve and Gene Hackman? And does […]

The New York Times recently published their list of the top 100 films of the twenty first century, and hoo hah, that has certainly stirred up some strong reactions! Does the list just reinforce our suspicion that cinema is on its death bed? Or is the list full of joyful surprises and incredible revelations? Which […]

We’re strapping on our helmets and climbing into our bucket seats this week, as we watch maybe the most heavily branded film we’ve ever seen, the new Apple feature F1: The Movie, and answer the question: how much phallic imagery can be crammed into a single two and half hour period? We’re comparing it to […]

There are good films with bad names, and there are bad films with good names. And sometimes, rarely, there are films that hit both targets dead centre. Join us at the Popcorn Counter where we’re discussing movie titles this week – ones we love, ones we hate, ones we’re proud of and ones we just […]

Join us on the isle of Berk this week, as we go lizard taming with the vikings in the new live action remake How to Train Your Dragon. And then stay with us as we set sail for an unnamed 10th century Moorish city in the 1964 action epic The Long Ships. It’s a manly […]