The Cult Popcast

Episode 209 ”The Banshees of Inisherin”

| Review | “I just don’t like ya no more.” What happens when your best friend suddenly stops wanting to have anything to do with you? Enter Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson in The Banshees of Inisherin, a darkly humorous drama from Martin McDonagh set in 1920’s coastal Ireland.

Episode 208 ”House of the Dragon” Season One

| Review | Game of Thrones is back, baby! Despite the profoundly terrible end to the original show, HBO has since invested a great deal of time and money into producing more stories from the mind of George R. R. Martin. House of the Dragon is the first of these to see the light of day. Set many generations before the Mad King was deposed by Robert Baratheon and Ned Stark, this story recounts a bloody conflict within the once great Targaryen family that comes to embroil the whole continent in war.

Episode 207 ”Welcome to Wrexham”

| Review | The pandemic was hard on everyone, especially celebrities. In his tragic boredom, movie star Ryan Reynolds teamed up with It’s Always Sunny’s Rob McElhenney to buy an old professional football club from Wales. Wales. FX/Hulu’s Welcome to Wrexham is the documentary series following their efforts to restore the ailing team to greatness, and revitalize the local community.

Episode 206 ”The Rings of Power” Season One

| Review | Well, well, bless my beard! There’s a new series based on Tolkien’s legendarium? And made by Amazon? Surely this won’t be divisive. Especially with it being the most expensive show in history at nearly half a billion dollars for just the first season! Today’s cast is regarding The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and it tells the tale of the Second Age of Middle-earth.

Episode 205 ”Triangle of Sadness”

| Review | Documenting the absurd voyage of an ill-fated luxury yacht, Triangle of Sadness is the new hilariously irreverent social satire from Ruben Östlund, complete with class warfare and political discourse. Warning: there be explosive sewage and projectile vomit.

Episode 204 ”Black Adam”

| Review | Can you smell what The Rock is cooking? Hint: it’s another mediocre entry into a floundering DC cinematic universe. Black Adam isn’t a total waste - there is some cool CGI action, a fun peek at the Justice Society, and Pierce Brosnan chewing the scenery as Doctor Fate. Here’s to hoping James Gunn can fix DC now that he’s in charge.

Episode 203 ”She-Hulk: Attorney at Law”

| Review | She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is a show that is difficult to describe. It’s a clever sitcom with moments of genius, but ultimately it’s just another “Phase Four” Marvel Disney+ series. Think Ally McBeal, but green. And large.

Episode 202 ”Tár”

| 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.

Episode 201 ”Werewolf by Night”

| 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.

Episode 200 ”The Cult Popcast”

| 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.