Director: Steven Soderbergh
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett & Rege-Jean Page
Rated: R (language & some violence) 
Runtime: 1 hour & 34 minutes

 
Director Steven Soderbergh’s “Black Bag” is the kind of film they don’t make much anymore, and it’s a shame because there are plenty of us film-loving adults who still want to go to the local cinema to see a spy thriller that has nothing to do with I.P., knows exactly what it is, and has us in and out of the theater in a nice 94 minutes.
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Soderbergh still makes this kind of film, box office numbers be damned, and “Black Bag” is one of his best.

“Black Bag” opens immediately with our lead, George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender), a British intelligence officer who specializes in polygraph, given one week by a superior to determine the leak of a top-secret program known as Severus, which, if used, would result in thousands of civilian casualties. He’s given five names of people who may be the leaker, all of whom work closely with him, and one of which happens to be his wife Kathryn (Cate Blanchett).

The other four potential traitors include his protégé James (Rege-Jean Page), the agency’s psychiatrist Zoe (Naomie Harris), imagery specialist Clarissa (Marisa Abela) and Freddie (Tom Burke). James and Zoe and Clarissa and Freddie are also couples.

George invites the four to his and Kathryn’s home for dinner, during which he plays mind games with the guests in hopes of figuring out who the traitor is. This dinner scene is absolutely riveting as we get to know all of these people's personalities and characters, with Clarissa and Freddie being a laugh riot due to terrific performances from Abela and Burke.

With its brisk runtime, there is no time to waste and no fat that needs trimming, and I can’t tell you how nice that is to see from a film coming off of Oscar season, where nearly every film felt longer than necessary.

Fassbender isn’t asked to do much as George, who is essentially a human lie detector. He’s a wooden personality, seemingly always focused on his job, and nothing seems to get past him. It’s not a knock on Fassbender’s capabilities, as he does exactly what the character and tight script from David Koepp ask of him.

Blanchett gets the flashier role of the two with Kathryn, who’s more the James Bond figure of the family, out in the field and getting flashier lines and scenes, like the showdown with Pierce Brosnan’s head of the agency.

Is there any actress today with more of a quintessential classic Hollywood look and feel than Blanchett?

If you’re into taut spy thrillers, you’ll like “Black Bag,” but it also works nicely as a relationship drama. Can George trust Kathryn and vice versa, and what role does honesty play in a marriage where both husband and wife are tasked with lying so often in their trade?

“Black Bag” is a terrific watch thanks to the fine and fun acting from its ensemble cast—again, Abela and Burke are true standouts—and a tightly wound but not too perplexing whodunnit.

Director: Gints Zibalodis 
Rated: PG (peril & thematic elements) 
Runtime: 1 hour & 25 minutes 

​Humans can learn something from animals in the silence of their language and their ability to coexist. Sure, animals have distinct sounds, but they can communicate across species and live together in a way that doesn’t require a total understanding of unique languages, making their lives extraordinary. If you’ve ever had a pet, you know that looking into their eyes sends you deep into their soul. It’s beyond explanation.

This reality is captured beautifully in the Oscar-winning animated feature film, “Flow,” directed by Gints Zilbalodis. The Lithuanian film marks the country’s first Oscar win, but it’s groundbreaking for many reasons. There’s no dialogue in the film, with music and the real-life sounds of animals as the only sound backdrop. This could easily make it boring, but the thrilling story combined with the animal’s expressions – which sometimes break from realism – move the one-hour and 25-minute film along at a decent speed. It’s a massive testament to the filmmakers. The film also did not use high-budget animation techniques but a free, open-source software called Blender. Production in total cost $3.7 million. For comparison, the film’s biggest rival for the Oscar win, Universal’s brilliant “The Wild Robot” cost $78 million.

“Flow” centers on Cat – none of the animals have names or defined genders – who is living in what seems to be a post-apocalyptic world where humans are no longer there. Cat lives a pretty normal life given the circumstances, living off the land, running from prey animals (like a local pack of dogs) and curling up in the bed of a home, which could have been their former owners (it’s never defined). We have no idea of any of these creatures we encounter ever existed with humans.

Soon, Cat’s world quickly drowns around them – literally. A flood consumes Cat’s home, and they are left swimming for their life. Cat must find drier land for safety, and they’re not the only one. Cat thankfully is saved by a Whale-like sea monster and a wooden boat manned by a capybara. The duo picks up other creatures along the way, including a klepto lemur, a hyper Golden retriever and a savior Secretary Bird who winds up leaving his flock in solidarity with Cat.

They weave throughout a beautiful, treacherous world in this tiny boat, with plenty of hilarious, true-to-their-nature moments: Cat bouncing back and forth toward a light reflecting off Lemur’s mirror they can’t help but stare into, one of Lemur’s many treasures; Capybara sleeping every moment they can, giving zero cares about their predicament; the Golden retriever playing with Lemur’s treasured glass ball; and Secretary Bird trying to keep the nonsense in check all while steering the boat.

But there are also moments when their survival is tested, from Cat getting separated from the boat when they chase after Secretary Bird to the boat being suspended in a tree, high above a cliff with Capybara trapped inside. There are beautiful moments where the family must come together to help each other, and sometimes others – like the rest of the dog pack stranded at sea, standing on a structure barking to be rescued. Then, of course, there’s the somewhat divinity of Whale, who always seems there to save the creatures in various ways, if they were ever really there.

There are many theories about the meaning behind “Flow,” with director Zilbalodis being clear that he has his own interpretation of his films, which he usually doesn’t comment on to give others room to see it from their own experience. Themes include climate change, what it means to build a community and even our relationship with the divine.

For me, it’s a story of found-family and how, amid impossible situations, there’s hope in working together. In a divisive, chaotic world, we can learn lessons from these creatures who banded together despite their differences and the odds stacked against them.

“Flow” is a captivating film that is so different in a sea of great animated features. It’s ultimately a simple story with so much heart. I loved watching it, as did our cat, Simba, who was enthralled for most of the story, staring up at Cat and the other creatures. Watching our beloved pet watch a film with a similar fascination perfectly encapsulated the film’s universality and portrayal of how a shared experience can connect us, no matter what species we are.   

In an unexpected turn, the most shocking revelation in “Captain America: Brave New World” is not how bottom of the barrel bad the CGI has become, but that “The Incredible Hulk” happened almost 17 years ago and looks 1000 times better.

​As part of a cinematic universe, this feels neither cinematic nor part of a universe I’m interested in visiting. The core issue with ‘Brave New World,’ though is that the new titular Captain America isn't the most interesting character in the movie. Did I watch “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”? Yes. Do I remember any of what occurred? No. That said, I would have much preferred a government conspiracy thriller that was also a period piece in which Carl Lumbly's Isaiah Bradley was the protagonist on a mission in the thick of the Korean War. I'm not saying Anthony Mackie's Cap doesn't have the charisma to carry the feature, but Bradley is such a richly complex character it feels like so much is being left on the table.

The acting is stilted, the editing even more so, and the soundtrack isn’t cohesive with the tone at all. Harrison Ford is in this movie. Crazy, isn't it? How he adds almost nothing to it. Also, and this might be considered a spoiler, but Bucky's inclusion here that seems to exist solely to shine light on his new status within the U.S. government makes ... absolutely zero fucking sense. Additionally, the casting of Shira Haas is fascinating for many reasons, none of which trend positive. There are so many odd choices in this movie. Adamantium though, eh? Fine, I'll keep watching.

I liked what “Skincare” is going for more than what it accomplishes. It feels like a movie stuck in its first act for too long only to rush its third. If the energy, tone and momentum of the final 20 minutes were maintained more evenly, it might have allowed for more narrative propulsion (if not necessarily depth). I adore Elizabeth Banks and believe her comedic sensibilities are undervalued both here and in Hollywood in general, but music video director Austin Peters at least infuses a slick sense of style into the proceedings; it's just bad luck this released the same year as “The Substance” given it's saying so many of the same things but in a much less brazen and effective fashion.

by Julian Spivey
With the crowning of writer-director Sean Baker’s “Anora” as Best Picture at the 97th annual Academy Awards on Sunday night (March 2), award season has officially come to an end.

Both award season, which seems to take up more and more calendar space, and the Academy Awards, which neared four hours in length, can be a slog to get through, especially in years like this year, when the winners were mostly the same from award show to award show.

There were still some things to be excited about on Oscars night, many of which came from the lovable emcee of the evening, Conan O’Brien, making his debut as Oscars host.  
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Here were my favorite moments from the 97th annual Academy Awards telecast: 

Sean Baker’s Historic Night
Sean Baker is the kind of filmmaking wunderkind we should be thrilled for, even if he made the movie we wouldn’t have voted for to win ourselves (which is true in my case). He’s a do-it-all and do-it-independently type filmmaker who writes, directs, edits, and co-produces his films – often telling small, real-to-life stories, the type you won’t get from blockbuster Hollywood cinema. This do-it-all process made Baker the winningest person in Oscar history for one year when he won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Film Editing, and Best Original Screenplay on Sunday night. Technically, he tied Walt Disney with four wins in one night, but Disney’s came for four different films (three of which were shorts) and not the same film. Baker’s achievement is cooler.

Kieran Culkin’s Acceptance Speech
The one actor who kept winning everywhere throughout award season who I didn’t tire of was Kieran Culkin, who was honored with just about every Best Supporting Actor award there is for his portrayal of manic free spirit Benji in writer/director Jesse Eisenberg’s “A Real Pain.” The reason why I never tired of Culkin is he brings some of that mania into the real world with his acceptance speeches and his bit about how after winning an Emmy Award last year for his TV role in “Succession” he asked his wife for a third child and then mentioned he’d actually like to have four children. She told him he’d have to win an Oscar for that. Culkin’s acceptance speeches always seem off-the-cuff, but that’s probably just his style and he’s a good enough actor to make it feel that way.

No Other Land
There wasn’t as much political talk in acceptance speeches as one might have predicted going into the night, especially given the current political climate of the United States and the world. But politics would be hard to ignore, particularly in the Best Documentary Feature category, especially with the win going to “No Other Land,” which is such a hot button topic in this country that it still doesn’t have a U.S. distributor (hopefully that’ll change after winning the Oscar). The film, made by a collective of Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers, shows the destruction of the occupied West Bank’s Masafer Yatta region. Palestinian director Basel Adra was the first to accept the award and mentioned how he hoped his daughter would not grow up in a world of “ethnic cleansing.” Then his Israeli co-filmmaker Yuval Abraham pointed out that although “No Other Land” was made in the spirit of cross-cultural love, his country was one of freedom to move wherever and his co-filmmaker’s (Adra) was one of military rule and there was a path forward, but “the foreign policy in this country (U.S.) is helping to block [that path] … There is another way. It’s not too late for life and the living. There is no other way.” It was also nice to see actress Daryl Hannah shout out Ukraine before presenting an award.

The Little Film from Latvia Wins
One of the biggest surprises of award season was the animated film “Flow” from Latvian director Gints Zilbalodis. Featuring no dialogue, “Flow” tells the story of a community of animals – a cat, capybara, secretarybird, ring-tailed lemur and golden retriever – that band together during a flood to help each other survive. It’s a beautiful film that features beautiful animation using the free and open-source software Blender. It was going up against behemoths from DreamWorks Animation and Pixar and came out victorious winning Best Animated Feature. It was the first Oscar win ever for the country of Latvia. The film was also nominated for Best International Feature, a rarity for an animated movie, but fell to Brazil’s “I’m Still Here,” the first ever Oscar-win for Brazil, in that category.

In Memoriam Done Right
One thing I’ve taken issue with for years from many awards shows is messing up the in memoriam section by focusing as much, if not more, on the artist chosen to perform a song during the segment than the deceased artists being remembered instead. The Oscars made the terrific decision this year to not get a superstar performer for the segment and let the audience, both in the theater and at home, focus on the most critical aspect of the segment. Instead, the orchestra in the theater performed Mozart’s “Lacrimosa,” which a friend of mine felt odd (but I didn’t really notice or care), while we paid tribute to legends like Donald Sutherland, James Earl Jones, Maggie Smith and more. The segment began with a lovely in-person tribute to two-time Oscar-winner Gene Hackman, who died earlier in the week, from his friend and multiple-time co-star Morgan Freeman. This is how the in memoriam segment at every award show should be handled.   

Conan O’Brien
Conan O’Brien was my dream choice to host the Academy Awards, and he didn’t disappoint, though I don’t think he was funnier than the man who’s hosted most of the last few years, Jimmy Kimmel. Kimmel has more bite to his humor, which plays better at an award show than O'Brien's wacky, zaniness. However, O’Brien did have many highlights of his hosting stint, not just in his opening monologue, but throughout the evening. I enjoyed that he didn’t let the Karla Sofia Gascon scandal go untouched, joking about how the 400-plus ‘F-words’ in “Anora” were second only to Gascon’s publicist, “you tweeted WHAT?!” I like that he didn’t let President Donald Trump off the hook for his ridiculous meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with a poke at President Trump after a winning streak by “Anora” was forming, saying: “I guess Americans are excited to see somebody finally stand up to a powerful Russian.” I also immensely enjoyed his jokes at the halfway point of the evening when he said this is the portion of the night where Kendrick Lamar shows up to call Drake a pedophile, and later on about the telecast’s runtime saying, “if you’re still enjoying the show you have something called Stockholm Syndrome.” While O’Brien’s jokes may not have had quite the bite from some hosts in the past, his awareness of the ridiculousness of the evening was a nice touch. The intro based on “The Substance,” Adam Sandler’s cameo and the “Cinemastream” pre-tape were also delightful.    

Director: Jacques Audiard
Starring: Karla Sofia Gascon, Zoe Saldana & Selena Gomez
Rated: R (language, some violence & sexual material)
Runtime: 2 hours & 12 minutes

 
When you say the word “musical,” so many could instantly pop into your mind. “The Wizard of Oz,” “Singin’ In The Rain,” “Chicago,” “Cabaret” and “Wicked” are just a few of the best musicals ever made. All of these films have show-stopping performances and songs that are so catchy that you will add them to your Spotify playlist. They transcend the film in that we still want to enter this world even if it is just through the songs. I feel that this is why many have not been particularly fond of Netflix’s Oscar-nominated musical crime thriller, “Emilia Perez.”  
 
“Emilia Perez” tells the story of Juan “Manitas” Del Monte (Karla Sofia Gascon), a drug cartel kingpin who wants to secretly undergo gender-affirming surgery. They have longed to be a woman their whole life. They hire Rita Mora Castro (Zoe Saldana), a burned-out lawyer, to help them set everything up, offering her millions of dollars in return for her services. Manitas is married to Jessi Del Monte (Selena Gomez), and has two children. Manitas decides to leave them behind and let them believe they have died. They become known as Senora Emilia Perez. However, as time goes on, the consequences of that decision lead to them trying to reconnect with their family, leading to a story full of melodrama. As a soap opera fan, I was loving every minute of it.  
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Where this film excels is in the performances from all three of the main actresses, Karla Sofia Gascon, Zoe Saldana and Selena Gomez. All three manage to portray complex and fierce women who are unapologetic about going after what their heart desires. Gascon manages to balance the mixed emotions of the situation to perfection. On one hand, Manitas did want this life as a woman and felt due to societal pressures, they could not authentically do it as himself. They had to completely reinvent themself secretly. Then, it does begin to bother them that their children are not in their life anymore so they find a way to be in their life as Emilia Perez. Gomez really nails her portrayal of a woman who has been dragged around her whole life and finally has the courage to stand up for herself. Finally, Saldana will most likely win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress this upcoming Sunday for her performance of Rita. It will be a deserved win. Saldana gives the singular show-stopping performance of this film performing the Oscar-nominated song, “El Mal.”  

The fact that “El Mal” is really the only show-stopping performance brings me to my initial point about “Emilia Perez.” While most musicals deliver catchy songs that transcend the film, the songs from “Emilia Perez” are more self-reflective and baring the soul of the characters for the most part. “Emilia Perez” definitely lacks the theatricality you would expect from a Hollywood musical. Most of the songs are very short and do not deliver the impact I feel was intended. In the traditional sense of what a musical is, I don’t feel this film works really well. I do believe this film was trying to be original but it would have had a bigger impact if more thought was put into the songs of this musical.  

It really is sad that the musical aspect of this film does not seem to work well because it is an interesting story full of twists and turns and characters that we grow to love. The performances and the story are the strongest aspect of the film. They keep you invested.

One thing to note is the film has gotten some controversy over the depiction of the transgender storyline in feeling that it is regressive. My response to that would be that while the LGBTQIA+ community has become more accepted throughout society, the circumstances facing Emilia Perez are facing other people today. While critics may feel more stories need to be told about transgender men and women being more accepted in society, that may be true but it does not mean there isn’t a place for a story like “Emilia Perez.”  

“Emilia Perez: The Film” manages to captivate audiences through its powerful performances of its three main actresses and thrilling story.  
 
“Emilia Perez: The Musical” does not manage to deliver catchy, memorable songs that leave lasting impact on the film you just watched. 

Even though I’ve been a huge classic film buff for more than half my life now, I’ve always had a weak spot regarding the silent film era in my classic film-watching history. So, it comes as no surprise that two of the 12 highest-ranked films on the American Film Institute’s list of the 100 greatest American films of all time I haven’t yet seen are silent films – Buster Keaton’s “The General” from 1926 and Charlie Chaplin’s “City Lights” from 1931.

My pick for the shortest month of the year is the shortest film on my “to watch” list this year, Keaton’s “The General,” which ranks No. 18 on the AFI list.  

It’s the first Keaton film I’ve ever seen, despite having an interest in him as a filmmaker, performer, and likely the first great stuntman in cinema history.

“The General,” a 1926 action-comedy co-directed by Keaton and Clyde Bruckman, tells the story of Johnnie Gray (Keaton), a railroad engineer, who when the Civil War breaks out, tries to enlist to fight, but his job as an engineer is too essential to the South for him to be accepted. However, the rest of the folks in his town, including his love Annabelle Lee (Marion Mack) and her family, view him as a coward – thinking he’s lying about not trying to enlist.

When Gray stumbles upon a Union plot to masquerade as Southern soldiers to hijack a train and use it to destroy railroads and telegraph wires, he attempts to stop it on his own – unaware at first that they’ve also kidnapped Annabelle Lee.

“The General” is based on a true story inspired by the Great Locomotive Chase, which occurred on April 12, 1862, in Northern Georgia. Volunteers from the Union Army commandeered a train called The General and took it north to Chattanooga, Tenn., causing as much damage as they could. They were pursued by Confederate forces, first on foot and later on a succession of trains for 87 miles.

While based on a true story, it does bother me that the film – whether meant to or not – is a positive portrayal of the Confederate South – though certainly not in the way D.W. Griffith’s “The Birth of a Nation” was or even “Gone with the Wind” after it. However, the film is also nearly 100 years old and was closer in time to the Civil War than today in which it was viewed. Keaton was from Kansas, and I’m not sure he had any views on the war, which ended 30 years before his birth.

The story certainly made for a seat-of-your-pants action-thriller with Keaton’s stunts, all done himself, serving as literal death-defying moments, where he’s both running atop moving trains and riding on the cowcatcher at the front using wood beams to deflect other wood beams off the track ahead of him. It’s a marvel of that era of film – one I wish still existed in some aspects but is understandable for financial and safety reasons that it doesn’t. Who can afford to send an actual locomotive crashing through a burning bridge these days?

At only one hour and 18 minutes, the action of “The General” should be enough to keep your attention. However, if you find yourself drifting off, at least try to admire Keaton’s physical comedy and inventive stunts, which are still breathtaking nearly 100 years later.

This year, I’ve taken on the task of going through the American Film Institute’s 100 Greatest American Movies list and watching the top 12 I haven’t seen.

My first selection was “Shane,” director George Stevens’s 1953 Western about a gunfighter looking to give up the violent life who ends up working for homesteaders in sparse Wyoming.
The film was ranked No. 45 on AFI’s 2007 list.

“Shane” has been on my “too-watch” list for two decades now, and I haven’t gotten around to it (that list is hundreds of films long). It’s surprising because I’m such a huge fan of old Hollywood Westerns and “Shane” is considered top-tier among them. It’s the fourth highest ranked Western on the AFI list behind “The Searchers” (No. 12), “High Noon” (No. 27) and “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” (No. 38).

I think the biggest reason I’ve always loved Westerns is that – most of the old Hollywood ones, at least – have a clear-cut idea of good versus bad, and the good guys always come out on top. I realize it’s a fantasy view of life today and, assuredly, life at the time these films are set, but aren’t movies an escape?

“Shane” is undoubtedly a tale of good versus bad. The titular character is a gunfighter who wants to put that aspect behind him and begins helping out a family of homesteaders being threatened off their land by a rancher who believes all the surrounding land to be his own.

The plot is similar to director Fred Zinneman’s “High Noon,” which came out the year before and was nominated for Best Picture and won Gary Cooper the Oscar for Best Actor. I can’t help but wonder if this may have played a role in Alan Ladd not being nominated the next year.

Stevens filmed “Shane” in Technicolor and used actual Wyoming locations. The beauty of such places wasn’t always captured in black-and-white Westerns, some of which were shot in Hollywood studios or backlot “Western towns.”

Some of the most fascinating aspects of “Shane” are what’s being said below the surface. It’s apparent – though never explicitly stated (primarily because of the period it was made) – that Shane and Marian (Jean Arthur) have romantic feelings for each other. And maybe it’s just me – because I know they never would’ve tried to get away with this in the early ‘50s – but I see some underlying romantic feelings between Shane and Joe (Van Heflin), too.

It was interesting seeing Arthur in a non-screwball comedy. I loved her work as the sharp, sarcastic dames in director Frank Capra’s “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town” (1936) and “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” The only actress I’ve seen who could give her a run for her money in those type of movies was Barbara Stanwyck, a favorite of mine.

Seeing Arthur in something more dramatic was neat, but I don’t know that she added much to the film than any other actress.

The film belongs to Ladd and his quiet, stoic performance, and Heflin and his confident, “I won’t be pushed around” figure. They were co-leads to me, despite Heflin being the third bill behind Ladd and Arthur.

The performance of Joey, played by 11-year-old Brandon deWilde, who through his eyes a lot of the story is told, is another star of the film. He was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, the youngest actor ever nominated for an Oscar at the time.

Another Best Supporting Actor nomination from the film, more of a head-scratcher, was Jack Palance as the “black hat” Jack Wilson. He doesn’t have to do much in the film except look menacing and laugh maniacally, but he was new on the scene around that time, and maybe it was a new kind of menace for Hollywood.

The film's showdown between Shane and Wilson is one for the ages. It’s a Western low on gunfights, but the big showdown is well worth the wait.

by Julian Spivey
 
It seems every hour or so over the last few days, I’ve seen headlines pop up via The Hollywood Reporter or other entertainment publications I follow with headlines like “Anthony Hopkins Loses Home in Hollywood Fire,” “Billy Crystal, John Goodman and others lose homes in Hollywood fire.”

The days of headlines, articles and footage of the devastation wrought by the wildfires in Los Angeles, particularly the Palisades area, have been hard to read and see, even for someone more than 1,500 miles away.

Even as I write this, the top headline on CNN.com is “More than 150,000 told to flee as 4 LA fires rage.”

​I understand that celebrities who lose their homes are better off than most of us would be in that situation. They’ll be able to rebuild more easily. But I hate seeing so many folks who entertain me, which I dearly value (and I think most who act like they don’t are lying to themselves), in so much pain.

The L.A. fires are also a sign of how little sympathy and caring we seem to have for our fellow humans. Some are gleeful that celebrities are losing their homes, belongings and the cherished memories that go with them.

What have Mandy Moore, Jeff Bridges, Eugene Levy and Cary Elwes done to hurt you?

We have to remember how populous this area is that’s being destroyed by the fires. Way more people are being affected by this tragedy than just millionaire and billionaire movie stars who might have other homes to go to. This is leaving people homeless, with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

So, instead of viewing it as a comeuppance, for whatever reasons I can’t fathom, or a message from God, or because Hollywood has DEI policies, or whatever ridiculous reason you might believe this is happening, how about trying to do something to help those going through it?

Maybe the Oscar, Emmy and Grammy winners won’t truly need your help, but thousands of others will.

​You can choose to help however you wish, but if you need help finding an organization to donate to, I recommend the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation.

Director: Michael Gracey
Starring: Robbie Williams & Jonno Davies 
Rated: drug use, language, nudity, sexual content & some violent content
Runtime: 2 hours & 14 minutes

With better musical numbers - at least as far as how they’re conveyed in the format of the film - than “Wicked” and a more innovative take on the musical biopic certainly than anything that has been released since “Bohemian Rhapsody” became a four-time Oscar winner, “Better Man” transcends its multiple genres and demolishes expectations via several choices, perspectives and ideas. Chief among these is that the main character, British pop star Robbie Williams, is rendered as a chimpanzee for the entirety of the film. Whether this is due to the fact he felt “less evolved” than those around him, that he felt treated like a circus act during his "Take That" days or simply that he became something of an animal once fame afforded him the space to be, the central gimmick is more admirable in a distracting fashion than it is an influential one, but it doesn't not work, and that was the risk in taking such a swing.

​The facet that actually separates “Better Man” from the current crop of musical biopics is the fact Williams himself couldn't give less of a shit about PR. That is to say, the man has no issue showing you his scars or telling you how he feels about those that surrounded him. Getting this kind of unfiltered access and perspective feels more and more rare these days when the majority of musical documentaries are more or less controlled and, therefore, extremely filtered pieces of marketing material for their subjects. Luckily, a puff piece is not what either Williams or director Michael Gracey were interested in. As these things always go, it begins with wanting to make a father proud because of the lack of attention said father paid to their child while still on their quest for fame and fortune. This neglect enables the kind of imposter syndrome Williams suffers from throughout the film and likely still to this day, even with all of the awards and accomplishments, propping up the drive that has ultimately placed him in a position to command his musical biopic despite what some might consider proper talent.

The idea that we're getting a sincere picture of Williams and not simply an example of an aforementioned marketing product would be enough to garner “Better Man” more praise than its contemporaries despite violating one of my key music biopic principles. In more cases than not, films like these will have scenes in which an artist's iconic or well-known works spring to them as if by some divine intervention rather than doing the work to carve out the characterizations that show why only this song could have come from this person at this particular point in time. With Williams, though there is some time paid to his lyrical compositions, the focus isn't so much on his level of talent or even the music that he created, but rather the focus is on said drive and the level of adoration when fame is the bigger objective than feeding those you love by doing what you love.

What Gracey - who also co-wrote the script - does to balance the fact that Williams isn't a Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash or Elton John type in terms of his songwriting or craftsmanship is make the movie a full-on musical. Yes, movies like “Walk the Line” and “Bohemian Rhapsody” feature several performances of their protagonist's famous songs – “Rocketman” leaning into this same musical idea because of the theatricality of its subject - but combining these elements and genres and putting them in the hands of someone like Gracey who championed and helmed “The Greatest Showman” - helps this somewhat tired template of biographical films unlock something fresh. Graphing Williams' songs like "Angels" and "She's the One" into the narrative of his life allows Gracey to not only stage some beautiful sequences but create some gorgeous visual symbolism that are as resonant within the music as they are within the context of Williams' story. The standout, though, is the "Rock DJ" sequence, which is easily one of the most electrifying moments at the movies audiences will experience this year, if not one of the best musical numbers in film in recent memory, utilizing every aspect of the medium to enhance this "experience" Williams has made the cornerstone of his brand and reputation.

 
Julian Spivey: Welcome back to The Word on Pop Culture Podcast. I'm Julian Spivey, creator and editor of The Word on Pop Culture. You can find us online at thewordonpopculture.com, and this podcast can be found pretty much anywhere you listen to podcasts.
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As always, please give us a like rating and review. It helps people find us. We're entering our seventh season of The Word on Pop Culture Podcast, and the 16th year of The Word on Pop Culture website, that is hard to believe.

I wanna welcome Aprille Hanson-Spivey and Tyler Glover to the show today. So happy New Year's, guys.

So with our first episode of 2025, we're gonna continue tradition at the podcast. So we started a few years back. I think this is our fourth or fifth year of doing it, at least me and Aprille.

And it's called Pop Culture Wishes. So we hope these things will happen in pop culture in 2025. Sometimes they do, often they don't.

But before we discuss our 2025 pop culture wishes, Aprille and I will review our 2024 wishes and see if they came true. This will be Tyler's first year joining us, so he won't have any from last year to see if they came true or not. Let's start with Aprille.

Your first pop culture wish of 2024 was for the movie Barbie to win big at the Oscars. On the show last year, you said you were hoping for a best picture win. Oppenheimer ended up winning that honor.

You wanted a best director win for Greta Gerwig. Christopher Nolan, who directed Oppenheimer, won that award. You wanted best actress for Margot Robbie.

That award went to Emma Stone for Poor Things. And you wanted a best adaptive screenplay for Greta Gerwig and her partner. I'm forgetting the guy's name.

What's his name again? Bombauch, Noah Bombauch. That award for best adaptive screenplay went to Cord Jefferson for American Fiction.

Barbie did win one Oscar. It was her best original song for the song What Was I Made For by Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell. Aprille, was that the winning...

Aprille Hanson-Spivey: Yes, it won big.

JS: I don't know if we can count the best original song win as winning big.

AHS: But it was a big song and it was a phenomenal song. And I can't help it if the Oscars don't know what they're doing. I'm just kidding. Those were great movies that won. Actually, I have no idea if Poor Things is good. I never saw it. But I still feel like Margot Robbie was amazing. And she definitely, I feel like she would have won that. But again, haven't seen Poor Things. Can't judge it entirely. But Barbie was still a phenomenal movie, even if My Wish did not come true.

JS: Yeah, you are right about that. My First Pop Culture Wish of 2024 wound up being a resounding success. I wished for Simone Biles to have a redemption tour at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, and boy did she ever.

Biles was the talk of Paris, once again dominating the gymnastics portion of the games. She won the gold medal with the US team in the team competition. She won gold in the individual all around. She won gold in the vault competition, and she won the silver medal in the floor exercise. So I'm gonna give myself a giant check mark for that one. What do you think, Aprille?

AHS: Yes, absolutely. She was phenomenal. But I will say, just because Barbie didn't win big, and just because she, I feel like hers was more of a sure thing. But I say that now after watching her just dominate. So maybe it, I know that before the Olympics started.

JS: It sure wasn't a sure thing.

AHS: I know, no, that's true. That's what I'm saying. Like, everybody was so, I mean, okay, I shouldn't say everybody. I was stressed when she first went up to compete at this Olympics. I just thought, goodness, everybody, I would hope that most people were just rooting for her to be amazing. And thank goodness she was. It should be interesting to see if she'll go back. I don't know.

JS: Yeah, it really doesn't sound like she's all that interested in doing it, but we'll see. It's still another four years away. So she's got plenty of time to think about that.

AHS: Which, hey, I mean, you know what? Go out on top, makes total sense.

JS: I think she should.

AHS: But I definitely think that was a really good prediction, so hats off.

JS: So your second prediction, Aprille, for 2024 was kind of a two-parter. It was for Paramount+'s Frasier reboot to, one, continue to be funny, and two, not to be canceled. I think we can at least give you partial credit here because the show was not canceled.

It aired its second season in late 2024. Me and you have been watching it. We've only managed to get about halfway through it as of now.

But here's the reason why. You will be the one to ultimately decide this Aprille, but here's why we want to give you partial credit. I don't think that the portion of the season two that we've seen so far has been nearly as good as the first season.

AHS: Okay, maybe, but I definitely don't think I should get partial credit for this. That's absolutely insane because it's still hilarious. I still laugh every episode we've watched. So it's still funny. Maybe it's not the funny that it was in season one, but that doesn't mean it's actually still not funny. It's the same with any show. I mean, gosh, this is a reboot of a show that had long. One of my favorite shows of all time was Frasier. And, you know, some episodes are hit or miss. So it just happens. Some seasons are kind of hit or miss occasionally with some series. So I definitely, I put this as a total win for me.

JS: Okay, we'll give you full credit for it then.

AHS: I am so glad it did not get canceled.

JS: Well, the only reason it would have gotten canceled was for some of the stuff that Kelsey Grammer was saying in his spare time. But that's really the only reason why we thought that might happen.

My second Pop Culture wish for 2024 was for the 50th season of Saturday Night Live, one of the greatest and longest running shows in TV history, to have each episode of its milestone 50th season hosted by former cast members.

There are certainly enough living great cast members of SNL to have pulled this feed off. I did think it was the longest of long shots, though, and that has turned out to be the case. I just think it would have been too much for NBC to have allowed this to happen.

For example, who is going to bring in more eyes to your TV show? An episode hosted by former cast member Tracy Morgan, or an episode hosted by current nominated actress and nominated musician Ariana Grande? We all know the bigger the star, the more eyes that are going to watch your show.

So, I get them not wanting guys like Tracy Morgan, David Spade, et cetera, to come back and host the show, even in a milestone season. Non-former cast members hosted the first eight episodes of the season, which was a little bit shocking to me. But the final two episodes of 2024 were hosted by former cast members and Chris Rock and Martin Short. I'm sure we were going to see more in the second half, host, but my wish was pretty far off.

AHS: Yeah, I mean, but it was a long shot anyway.

JS: It was a huge swing.

AHS: Yeah, it was a long shot. But it's still been cool to see past cast members come on and have a lot of guest spots.

JS: Yes, they have done an excellent job of getting past cast members and it threw cameos. We've seen Dana Carvey a lot in almost every episode. We've seen Andy Samberg a lot. We saw Maya Rudolph during the presidential election as Kamala Harris. We've seen Adam Sandler guest. We've seen David Spade guest. We've seen not really one that I was excited about, but we've seen Kyle Mooney guest. We've seen Kristen Wiig guest. Tina Fey, we've seen a lot of great cast members. And I think that that may be the route they continue to go. But I do think we'll probably get another host or two that was formerly on the show.

AHS: I do think it's a good balance, though. I think it's great to have the new hosts or people that are a little bit more, I guess, in the public eye, because that's what the show's kind of always done. So that tradition, but also bringing back the people that really built up this into a dynasty, really, has been cool to watch, so you didn't win.

JS: No, I didn't. I'm one for two so far, but so are you.

AHS: I know. I get it.

JS: All right, Aprille, your last Pop Culture wish for 2024 was to see Noah Kahan live in concert. Did that happen?

AHS: Womp, womp. Nope. And do you know why it didn't happen?

JS: Because he never came anywhere around us and his concert tickets were far too expensive.

AHS: Correct. Ding, ding, ding. Unfortunately, dang. I don't know. Concerts, man. To full disclosure, you and I do see a lot of concerts throughout the year, but man, tickets are just getting outrageous. They are. Yeah. Truthfully, between the ticket prices for him and then the travel, that would have been the expense that comes with that, it just wasn't realistic. So, I just listened to Stick Season on repeat.

JS: I guess you'll have to do that until we can finally get around to seeing him.

AHS: Basically, yeah. I was super hoping for that though. I really, I'm still a big fan of his, and so maybe one day.

JS: All right. Well, my final Pop Culture wish for 2024 was to see more new release movies during the year. I had only seen nine films released in 2023 in that year, which is ridiculously embarrassing. Now, technically, I completed this wish. I saw... wait for it … 11 new films in 2024. I saw 11 films. Okay. I'm still embarrassed by this. This is an incredibly low number. And in hindsight, I should have put a number on the amount of new releases I wanted to watch. That would have been a lot better. It might have been harder to achieve. But because I technically saw two more new films last year than I did in 2023, I'm giving myself the check mark. So, it's embarrassing, but I accomplished it.

AHS: It's kind of got an asterisk by it, I feel like.

JS: Okay. Well, I'm giving myself two for three. Aprille, you had one for three this year. I think you had three for three last year, though.

AHS: I know. Last year, I did so good. This year, man. And honestly, I don't know. My wishes for this upcoming year is I'm a little nervous about it, too.

JS: So now that Tyler has waited patiently, as we have rambled on about our 2024 wishes for the last 10 minutes, the longest time you will ever hear Tyler be quiet on this podcast.

AHS: Oh, Tyler.

JS: I'm gonna welcome him back in for our 2025 Pop Culture Wishes. So, what we're gonna do now is April, Tyler and I are gonna go around one at a time, and we're gonna give our Pop Culture Wishes, we each have three, for 2025. And Tyler, since this is your first time joining us for our tradition, we're gonna give you the honor of going first. So, what is your first Pop Culture Wish for 2025?

Tyler Glover: Okay, so my first wish for 2025 is for Taylor Swift to release her last two re-records to complete her re-recording project. She still has her debut album and her sixth album, Reputation, to go. And for those of you who don't know, in 2019, her label Big Machine Records was sold to Ithaca Holdings, and she was not given the chance to buy her, get her work, and so it was sold out from under her.

And so she decided to re-record her albums, and she has released four of those re-records now. And so my wish for this year is for her to be able to release those last two albums. And I just cannot wait.

And I think it's like I feel bad to ask that too, because she's given us at least one album every year since 2019. Some albums, some years too. So, I hate to be the...

JS: I think there's a good chance at least half of that will happen. I think there’s a very good chance that she'll get at least one of those re-records out this year, especially because I don't think she's got any work. She's pretty quiet about this kind of stuff, but she just finished her Eras tour.

I don't think she has any plans for a new album at the moment, so it seems like a good time to get one of those re-records out. I have a feeling if one of the two is going to happen, it would be Reputation, which is more popular.

TG: Yeah. The weirdest one for her is going to be her debut album because she was so young and it was almost 20 years ago when it came out. That is just going to, she's matured so much that that one may sound a little weirder than the other re-records. You know, that's 100 percent true because she was also a little more twangy in her debut album more than any of her other albums. For me, it hasn't been with Fearless, which was her second one. When that re-record came out, it wasn't jarring at all to me for that one, but she also wasn't as twangy in her second album. I do think it will be interesting to see how the debut album is.

AHS: Well, I wonder if with re-recording, and Tyler, you would know this better than I would, but I wonder if there is almost like a kind of a chance for her to reinvent those songs a little bit. I know that's not really the point of this, but also I'm kind of interested to hear what that first album would sound like with her voice now.

TG: Yeah, definitely. Well, and I know based on like the legal terms that she has to change elements of songs, it can be like rather small things though. I'm like, it's as long as it's just different from the original. I know there's that aspect, but yeah, I'm just, I am really interested. I think that's the one that I'm the most interested in to see like how it's going to sound, because so far it hasn't been glaring for me at all.

AHS: Yeah, yeah. It should be interesting. We'll see.

TG: I agree with Julian. I feel like she'll do one of them, but maybe, I don't know. We'll see how much work she wants to put in after doing this massive multi-year tour.

AHS: I would want to take a break, but then again, I am not Taylor Swift, so.

TG: That's true. If she takes a break, I think all of us Swifties would agree that she has fed us the last few years. We are the big cat that just had too much milk. She has been feeding us.

JS: Was that a Cats reference?

AHS: If that truly was, Tyler, that's phenomenal. I totally forgot she was in that movie.

TG: You know, it's funny. I didn't think anything about it when I said it, but I did manage to get a pun in unintentionally.

JS: All right. Well, my first Pop Culture wish of 2025 is one, we're not going to have to wait too long to see if it comes true or not, because it is the second season of AppleTV+’s Severance, and the hope that it keeps its quality that it had from season one after an almost three year layoff. Season two will be premiering on January 17th on Apple TV+. Nearly three years to the day that the first season came out. Now, there was some backstage drama at the show between its creator and showrunner Dan Erickson and his co-showrunner Mark Friedman. It's all kind of hazy as to what happened, but supposedly Friedman was there as kind of a guy who's been around the business before, had shows before, and Erickson was a newbie at it, a first time showrunner, so he was kind of there to help out, but supposedly Erickson and Friedman didn't really get along.

And Friedman was actually going to leave the show, but Beau Willimon, who created House of Cards, he was brought in to help out, and director Ben Stiller was able to smooth some of the issues out, it seems. So it seems like that stuff was all put to rest, and then once all that was worked out, then came the dual writer and actor strikes of 2023, right as production was supposed to get back going. So my hope is that with the three-year layoff and just how great the first season of Severance was, that there is no drastic dip in quality. Like I said, season two, January 17th, so it won't take us too long to know if this one comes true or not.

AHS: Yeah, it really was one of my favorite shows. I mean, that show was so creepy and thriller. It was just everything, and it's been so long, though. Now, I agree with you. I think it's a good wish. I'm hoping that it, you know, continues to be great.

TG: Yeah, I really loved that show, too. I hope the quality doesn't dip at all, either. I was wondering why it had taken so long for it to come back.

AHS: Well, it's kind of along the same lines. I guess you and I kind of have that thought process when it comes to TV shows and warning them to be great. But my wish is that Stranger Things finishes strong. So the explosive Netflix series Stranger Things has lasted nine years with just five seasons. I know that British shows might be able to get away with that, but that's a tough thing to do when the majority of your cast are kids. When it starts and the time between seasons in that world are typically not two years or more, if I'm remembering correctly. Again, it's been a minute. But to be fair, things really did get off course with COVID since the first two seasons span 2016 and 2017 with the third premiering in 2019. So there was a little bit of that break, but the fourth was in 2022. And I really do not understand why they waited three years for the finale, for the series finale season. I've loved most seasons of the show, but I just really want a fitting end for all the characters, but particularly for Eleven, played just amazingly by Millie Bobby Brown, and for basically Eleven and Mike, Finn Wolfhard, and for Will, Noah Schnapp, along with the adults, Joyce Flyers, who's played by Winona Ryder and Jim Hopper, who's played by David Harbour. Because there's been so much time in between seasons, I realize I've forgotten some or some seasons may have blended together a bit. But I do know that the first season was one of the best, along with season four. But the Duffer brothers, Matt and Ross, have a tough task to finish it off well. And I just hope that they stick the landing because it feels like forever ago when everyone was hooked on where Will Byers disappeared to.
 
JS: Yeah, the show is just running into some bad luck with COVID, basically costing it two years. And then the writers and actors strike, costing it another year. But honestly, I feel like the Duffer brothers should have been cranking this thing out a little quicker than they have.

AHS: And I keep forgetting about-

JS: It won't matter if they do a good job with the finish, though.

AHS: You don't think it will matter?

JS: I don't think it will matter that they took so long if the end is great.

AHS: I gotcha. I was thinking you were saying, it won't matter. I'm like, it absolutely matters. They have to stick to it.

JS: It's just disappointing that this show was basically supposed to be told over five years or so, and the kids have gone from looking like they were 12, 13 to now some of them having gray hair.

AHS: But see, that's the joke though. That's the thing that keeps being talked about. It's like these kids are supposed to be in high school and they just look older, which I get it. A lot of shows do that with actors and stuff, but it's so much more glaring with a show like this when actors truly began as children. And it's just really, I don't know, it really has stretched too far out. And I always forget about the writers and actors strike, which is terrible. I should remember that more. But it's just, I don't know, the show needs to, we need to get the show on the road.

JS: Well, I think they're planning on a fall release. So, I'm sure it's gonna air this year. But yeah, like you said, your wish is for it to land the plane.

AHS: Yeah, and I mean, also to get it going, too. I mean, I know people that have watched the show and they just don't even care anymore. Which is insane, because I still...

JS: Well, that's what happens when you have so many gaps between, I mean, nine years, almost a full decade to tell a five season story. I get that there was, that three of those years were basically out of their control. But it's...

AHS: Yeah, it is tough. So, we'll see, we'll see. I hope it ends well.

JS: All right, Tyler, what's next in your Pop Culture wishes?

TG: Okay, so my second Pop Culture wish is for Ariana Grande to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her phenomenal performance of Galinda in Wicked. So, at Gold Derby, odds have her right now in second place to win. They consider the front-runner to be Zoe Saldana for the Netflix film Emelia Perez. And I have seen both of these performances, and I cannot argue that Saldana would be a very deserving winner. I can't say that she wouldn't deserve to win, but I just feel that Ariana Grande, I feel like Ariana Grande's performance is going to be the one that's remembered years later. I'm just really hoping that she can pull off an upset. Like, what I'm hoping for is like years ago, remember everybody before awards started getting handed out, Laurie Metcalf was in the lead for Lady Bird. And she was like, everybody was like, she's gonna win, she's gonna win. And then it started with the Globes where Metcalf is gonna win. And so I'm hoping that that is what is happening this year, is that everybody's like, oh, it's gonna be Zoe Saldana. And then all the awards start coming and it's just a Grande train, is what I'm hoping is gonna happen.

I do have to say the Oscar nominations have not even came out yet. They don't come out till Friday, January 17th. So she hasn't even secured the nomination yet.”

However, most award sites are predicting that these two that I'm talking about, Zoe Saldana and Ariana Grande are pretty much locks to be nominated. And I'm hoping that that is true because she definitely has to be nominated to win. But I just think the main thing that I loved about the performance so much is that I just feel like she captured the essence of the character that Kristin Chenoweth just perfected.

AHS: I am excited. See, I wish, so I can't comment because I can't either yet. It's ridiculous that it's this far into Wicked being out. It's even on streaming now and I haven't seen it, but I am so excited to see it. But I'm, you know, so we shall see if she pulls off the Oscar win.

JS: My second Pop Culture wish of 2025 is for the Atlanta Braves. I have to be healthy for the 2025 Major League Baseball season. They were, on paper at least, the team to beat them or the Los Angeles Dodgers, who ended up winning it all last year.

In spring training, their ace starting pitcher, Spencer Strider, hurt his arm, had to have season-ending surgery. A month or so into the season, Ronald Acuna Jr., their MVP from two years ago, from the year before actually, tore one of his ACLs. It's the second time in three years he's torn an ACL.

So, he was out for the majority of the year. Ozzie Albies, their All-Star second baseman, fractured his hand. Austin Riley, their All-Star third baseman, hurt something and was out for long stretches of the year.

I've never seen a team that's this good have so bad luck when it comes to injuries. The fact that the Braves still made the postseason was almost a miracle in my opinion, because man, so many of their best players and all-stars missed so much time. When it comes to health, it's one of those things where there's not a whole lot you can do about it. It's just the kind of you're lucky or you're not. But I'm hoping that they can have a healthier 2025 season, because if they do, they're going to be one of the teams to beat in baseball.

Aprille, what's your second pop culture wish for 2025?

AHS: Oh, goodness. Well, my second pop culture wish, it's going to sound a little bit familiar to last year's wish, but I'm just going to temper my hopes down a little bit. So it's still going to be Noah Kahan related.

I promise I do listen to other music, but I really would like my second wish would be new music from Noah Kahan. I fell in love with Kahan's music this year, along with everyone else the past few years and really last year. Well, as well, it took him a while to gain widespread popularity.

His first album came out in 2019, and then his third wildly popular Stick Season album came out in 2022. Really thanks to a viral TikTok video featuring the single of the same name. Since then, he's been riding this wave of stardom.”

He's released two expanded versions of the album, including Stick Season, We'll All Be Here Forever in June of 2023, and then Stick Season Forever in February of 2024. And I know those albums included some new songs and then duets with big names, like Post Malone, Kasey Musgraves, Brandi Carlile, Hozier. But as a fan, I'm really hoping for a brand new album instead of recreations of Stick Season.

I loved that album so much. But I get hanging on to that commercial success, and those songs will always be lyrically great. But at some point, an artist has to move forward.

And I know that he's been very public about struggling with just anxiety and depression and everything, and just not believing that he's that great. But he is that great. He has proven himself.

He doesn't have to feel like he doesn't need to, you know, he's proven himself. I fully believe that his next album will be amazing. And so I kind of, I do kind of feel like maybe Taylor Swift churning out albums all the time has kind of conditioned some fans, music fans in general, to ask artists what's next sooner rather than later.

Not that Taylor Swift is the only artist that does that, but just in general. So it might be unfair, but I feel like we've had enough variations of Sticks Season, and I'd be so excited to fall in love with another album of his this year.

JS: I don't know how quickly he works. The official Sticks Season came out toward the end of 2022, so we're over more than two years past that. I know it didn't become popular until 2023, but we're more than two years past that, so maybe he'll have something toward the end of this year.

AHS: Right, yeah, absolutely. So we'll see, I hope.

JS: Aprille, just go ahead and give us your third.

AHS: Okay. So the third, actually, I have a bit of an embarrassing, shameful secret to reveal to the listeners. I am a huge Harry Potter fan. I'm in love with all the movies. I've seen them multiple times.

JS: Yeah, that is shameful.

AHS: Shut up. I'm getting to it. I'm getting to my third wish.

I've been to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Orlando. I proudly dressed in my Hufflepuff robe on Halloween, but unfortunately, this is the shameful part. I have never read the series. And believe me, I have gotten flak from fans of the books for that that I've told, but it's always been my hope to read them one day. I wouldn't say that I'm a super fast reader. I am a writer, but I just have always not been super fast with reading.

So their size has always been a bit intimidating, especially when they first came out all those years ago. But I've always heard you get sucked in and it's a fast read. So I'd like to at least begin reading the series.

I mean, my official wish is read the Harry Potter series. I'm going to leave that a little vague because I'd like to at least begin reading the series this year. Best case scenario, I finish them all.

There's seven in the series with the first released in 1997 and the last in 2007. And this wish really isn't because of peer pressure or anything, but really because I've missed learning more about that world of Hogwarts. And I know that there's so much more life in those books that the movies just didn't have time to touch.

So, I'm excited to hopefully expand my knowledge of this fantasy world that I love.

JS: All right, well, if your wish is just to begin, that doesn't mean that you can get to December 31st of this year, read one page and say, hey, I began Harry Potter. I checked this off the list.

AHS: Listen, we are fast and loose with these rules, but that's fair. I'm not going to do that. I will concede that I did not do it if I read one page. I will at least read two pages. Come on.

JS: You have to at least you have full book. I think that's even too easy. I think that's too easy. I think you should be held to the whole series. But because you just said begin, it has to be at least the first full book.

AHS: Listen, I said best case scenario. I know. Get the whole series.

JS: But yes, it's so easy to read one book that that just seems a little.

AHS: OK, I should clarify. We are in a book club, so I'm already reading other books. It's not like this is the only thing I'm spending time on. So, we shall see.

TG: I'll tell you, Aprille, like I, you know, I'm a Harry Potter fan, too. And the size of them, because I'm also just like you. I'm a very slow reader. And and I will tell you, like I read the first five books, but then when that sixth one come out and I saw it still so big. And like by that point in my life, I was very busy with like work and like college and stuff, you know, things like that. Or, you know, so I like I didn't get to read the last two. I just waited for the movies. So, yeah.

AHS: OK, well, see, good. I'm the only one. At least you have read more than me, but at least I'm not the only one.

TG: Yeah, it did get hard, though, with the fourth and fifth. It's what with the fourth one, especially like the Goblet of Fire.

AHS: Yeah. And honestly, truly, that's not even my favorite movie of them. So that'll be interesting.

JS: I do have one wish for you, Aprille, if it pertains to reading the Harry Potter books. Try to find used copies, free copies, library copies. We do not need to be putting any more money into that winch JK.

AHS: Oh, yikes. I was going to say, I'm going to buy the whole series, and then I just realized-

JS: Please do not. Please do not. She is an awful, awful, horrible, no good person.

AHS: I mean, I hope she changes her life.

JS: Well, hopefully, she does, but she-

AHS: Hopefully, she changes her life.

JS: She is a terrible person. Do not put any money into her pocket.

AHS: Correct. Maybe the library surely has them. That's a good point.

JS: I'm sure they do.

AHS: And maybe, hey, maybe this is also my wishes for JK. Rowling to change her life.

JS: That probably ain't going to happen.

AHS: Well, we'll see. Yeah. Don't tag that on my wish. I don't get to lose if that doesn't happen.

JS: All right, Tyler, what's your third Pop Culture wish for the year?

TG: All right. So my third one is kind of a personal one. Before COVID, my family and I used to go to the movie theater a whole lot.

And then COVID had and that kind of put a stop to it a lot. And then of course, during COVID, movie studios and streaming services got really good at adapting to the pandemic and releasing things at home. And even if things were in theaters or even got released at theaters, they would come relatively shortly to streaming to be able to get to people at home.

And so when you're living, you know, I have three kids and they're all in extracurriculars. So it's very hard to get to the movie theater, especially, oh, well, it's probably going to come to streaming next month. So like this, I was thinking about it when I was preparing for this podcast.

And like, I only went to the movie theater three times this year, and it was for Despicable Me 4, Inside Out 2 and Wicked. And, but I just loved it. I love the movie theater though, so much.

Like I love going and seeing the big screen transporting to that world in a dark room, eating popcorn. Like I just love the experience of the movie theater. And I was, I know I was really scared kind of with COVID that they would go away almost, you know, cause I know they struggled during that time.

So, but yeah, just my, so ultimately my wish is, is that I would like to go see one movie in the theater every month of 2025.

JS: Well, Tyler, if you do that, you'll have seen more new releases this year than I did all 2024.

AHS: I love that wish. That's a cool one.

JS: All right. Well, that brings us to my final one of 2025, something that I pretty much have complete control of. And that is to record more The Word on Pop Culture podcast episodes in 2025. Now we did 21 in 2024, which is honestly about our average over the life of this podcast. And if you go to our podcast page on anywhere you stream podcasts, it'll say that we did 50 last year. Well, that was kind of because midway through last year, I started transferring the This Week in Pop Culture history that we do on our Facebook page, our other social media pages, and that we put on our website into a podcast of their own. So not really counting those. And I've actually did an offshoot for that one for its own show. So now you can go ahead and find that at This Week in Pop Culture history.

So, basically, The Word on Pop Culture now has two podcasts. That one will only be related to the history of pop culture. So for this one, which is kind of the catch-all in all sorts of pop culture, my goal is to do two a month.

So, we really weren't that much below that goal last year. We did 21. I'd like to do at least 24 episodes this year, if not more.

And I think we're already off to a good start. I have set us to do five in January alone. I've not really intended to be that many for the opening month.

It's just that there's so much going on in pop culture at the moment. So we're well ahead of pace to begin the year when it comes to recording at least 24 episodes to a month for The Word on Pop Culture podcast.

AHS: Man, you just want to stress yourself out doing all this. But that'll be exciting. I hope you hit that wish for sure.

JS: Well, like I said, I'm completely in control of that one. I want to thank Tyler and Aprille for joining us today for these pop culture wishes. We have 12 months to see if they come to fruition. Best of luck to both of you.

TG: Yes, good luck to you.

AHS: Yeah, good luck. I guess I got to go get reading.