All Pop, No Culture

It’s just Kevin and Andrew this week, and it’s a fun one. The guys talk Marvel Zombies, the Alien: Earth finale, the season premiere of Gen V and Wayward, with all of that book ended by some wonderful tangents!!   We give you a rare look into what happens before we start recording a show, which is usually just senseless babbling. This time, though, the conversation was productive so it went into the show! Talking about a show that is well over 20 years old could come across as dated, but Battlestar Galactica is a master class in storytelling, character building, and budget management. Honestly, if you haven’t seen it before, you owe it to yourself to give it a watch. Get past the sci-fi-ness of it and settle into the DEEP social story. You will not be disappointed.   Getting into more current content, Kevin talks about the first two episodes of the animated series, Marvel Zombies. It’s a big swing to take, and it could be argued that they whiffed a bit. It’s beautiful and gory, but a lot of the voice acting m

In this episode, the gang discusse Twinless, the Emmys, the Pitt, The Long Walk, 28 Years Later, The Man Who Killed Hitler And Then The Bigfoot, Alien Earth, Friendship, and Upload. This episode kicks off with just Kevin and Lauren. They discuss the new film Twinless, starring Dylan O'Brien. It's a low-budget affair that should have had a better release. Despite its less-than-stellar advertising, the film is excellent, getting great reviews on both Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB. It's a film about two men who meet in a group for those who have lost their twins, and the emotional journey they take together. It's definitely worth watching in the theater if you can find it, but otherwise catch it as soon as it streams somewhere!  Andrew joins the call, and when Lauren finishes, the gang discusses the 2025 Emmys. While they generally agreed with the victors, some of the nominees were questionable. Many shows had too many nominations, whereas some more deserving had none. But overall, the Emmys got it right.  The Emmy d

Kevin and Lauren are back, sans Andrew, this week, and they are discussing Bring Her Back, Too Much, Task, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, Friendship, and Our Little Secret. It's another packed week, despite being down a man. Kevin kicks off the show talking about a recently released horror film, Bring Her Back. It's available for rent or purchase right now, but not any streamers just yet. As a rental, it's definitely worth the $6. Kevin touts it as one of the better horror films he's seen in recent memory, and, as pure horror goes, it may actually be better than Weapons (which he absolutely loved). It's a possession story involving teenage kids and a crazy foster mom, but it's tense all the way through, and all of the actors, kids included, are spectacular. After the scares, Lauren flips the switch and takes us over to comedy with the Netflix series, Too Much. And, if Lauren's review is any indication, it may be just a little too much... This is a Lena Dunham project starring Megan Stalter of Hacks fa

It's just Kevin and Lauren again this week and they are discussing Splitsville, Highest 2 Lowest, Am I OK?, Daredevil: Born Again, and Emma & Bruce That's right, Andrew has shunned all of us again. It hurts, but we'll move on. He'll be back and we all know it. After getting over our searing sting of rejection, Lauren kicks off the show by talking about the new film, Splitsville, starring Dakota Johnson, Adria Arjona, and some other people. That sounds a little dismissive, but the overall review is that the film isn't anything too special. It's a comedy-ish, but it opens in a very dark place. Our primary couple decides to enter into an open relationship to save their marriage, and, as you might imagine, it's less than successful. It sounds like this movie leans more into the odd humor than the straightforward and might be worth a viewing, but many reviews label it as somehow both chaotic and boring at the same time, so watch at your own risk. After that, Kevin joins his field guide, Spike Lee, on a tour of

It's another oddly formatted week, but this time it's Lauren fighting the bed bugs early. While we have her, we talk The Roses, and Eden, then the boys talk The Truth About Jussie Smollett?, Final Destination: Bloodlines, Alien Earth Episode 4, Ozark, and Battlestar Galactica. Andrew and Lauren were able to catch The Roses this week, in time for the show. As big fans of the original film, The War of the Roses, everyone was expectedly excited for this one. Unfortunately, despite a solid cast, it just didn't quite deliver on the magic of the original. It does have its moments, and it isn't all bad, but it does leave a lot to be desired, and it's probably best to just watch the original Michael Douglas/Kathleen Turner classic. Before she slips off into the land of dreams, Lauren talks about the Ron Howard film, Eden. It has an incredible cast including Jude Law, Daniel Bruhl, Vanessa Kirby, Ana de Armas, and Sydney Sweeney. This is a true story of a group leaving Eastern Europe in the 30s, looking to start a new

This week, Andrew shows up for a minute before his night-night time, and then leaves Kevin and Lauren to fend for themselves to discuss Alien: Earth, Caught Stealing, Eenie Meanie, Oh, Hi!, Night Always Comes, The Gilded Age, and Peacemaker. Since Andrew is on borrowed time this week, he and Kevin quickly break down the latest episode of Alien: Earth. I have a feeling this will be a theme over the next few weeks... As with the previous episodes, this one does not disappoint. We are digging into these new characters and discovering some wild new species and skills that are making this show a must watch so far. After tucking Andrew in and singing him a lullaby, the show moves on with Lauren discussing her sneak peak of Caught Stealing. This one stars Austin Butler, Zoe Kravitz, and a handful of other big names. It's a solid action dramedy that seems to be exactly what the previews led us to believe - this is Darren Aronofsky channeling Guy Ritchie and it sounds like it worked pretty well. Next up, Kevin talks a

The gang is all back this week and they discuss Alien: Earth, The Naked Gun, Weapons, Gilda & Gene, a boatload of trailers, and so many tangents! This episode kicks off a little earlier than usual, so the gang's pre-show conversation about a few trailers doesn't end up on the cutting room floor. After that, they jump into the new FX series, Alien: Earth. It's set in the years between Alien: Covenant and the original Alien film. If you are a masochist and enjoy hearing Kevin talk, then this is the segment for you. That guy doesn't shut up! The fool actually watched every single Alien film (sans the AvP films) in preparation for this episode, and it shows. Thankfully, Andrew was paying attention and didn't let them leave Lauren out to dry! When Kevin finally cedes the floor, the baton is passed to Lauren, who watched the recent rekindling of The Naked Gun films, starring Liam Neeson. The story is a continuation rather than a full reboot, as Liam's character is the son of the original Frank Dreben. The film

It's just Kevin and Andrew this week, but that doesn't leave us lacking for content. this week, the guys watched Weapons, War of the Worlds, Trainwreck: Storm Area 51, and The Monkey. In a rare event, Kevin made it to the theater for a non-family film! But he still took a family member, so that's something. But I digress... He and his son ventured to the theater for the new film, Weapons. The latest horror flick from the director that brought you Barbarian is a really solid film and a must-see in the theater if horror is your jam. The story is interesting and creative, and the final act is absolutely nuts, being both horrific and laugh-inducing at the same time. Definitely see this one as soon as you can! Next up, the guys take you on a trip to sad town. Both of them watched War of the Worlds on Prime, and the consensus is... this movie absolutely sucks! How a movie was made for $65M and stars Ice Cube and Eva Longoria and is completely abysmal is almost baffling. There is really no telling where that money w

The whole gang is back together this week AND they've all watched Fantastic Four, so we revist that with a full spoiler review, the move on to Nonna's, Freaky Tales, Twisted Metal, and Project Runway. APNC has always been a show that loves the MCU. Heck, the first episode ever was about Captain Marvel (not to date ourselves...), so to have the opportunity to have a full spoiler discussion about the Fantastic Four was something we weren't going miss, even though we just discussed it last week. Getting Andrew's take from the more seasoned MCU angle and Lauren from the less indoctrinated side leads to some great discussions and generates some really solid discussion about what this movie means for super hero movies going forward. After that discussion, Lauren takes over and discusses the film Nonna's on Netflix. It stars Vince Vaugnn in a less over the top role than usual in a story that's based on a real restaurant. Rather than hiring traditional chefs, a restauranteur hires a handful of Italian grandma's (nonn

So Kevin and Lauren are back, sans Andrew and after a much needed week off. this week they cover Fantastic Four, Trainwreck: Poop Cruise, Locked, Sirens, The Life List, and ASH. Kevin kicks off the show with his mostly spoiler-free review of Fantastic Four: First Steps. It's another solid Superhero movie in a summer where it felt like the genre could be at a tipping point. But, for Kevin at least, this film, Thunderbolts, and Superman have kept hope alive. This one is worth catching in the theaters and is a great entry point into Marvel for anyone, as it has no real ties to anything else right now. Next up, Lauren puts her travel experience to work in reviewing Trainwreck: Poop Cruise. Yes, the name is silly, but this is something that really happened. And wow was it disgusting. All in all, it was a quick entertainning watch, but it certainly left Kevin and Lauren with more questions than answers... Kevin kicks off his first review from his horror thriller week with a review of Locked, starring Anthony Hopkin

We're back this week with a bit of a Mobius strip format... The video kicks off with Kevin and Lauren talking about Superman, The Better Sister, Ironheart, and Gerald's Game, but then we get a treat and Andrew pops in, so we loop back to the beginning to complete our Superman discussion! We begin the show by jumping immediately into Superman. Lauren gives her take on the film, and then Kevin breaks down the film and his thoughts. If you weren't aware, Kevin is a huge Superman fan, and it shows here. It's not all total fanboy-ness. He does have some issues with this movie, but he still gives praise to Man of Steel. All in all, though, the review is very positive. Next up, Lauren takes us over to Amazon Prime with a review of The Better Sister. This series is a drama starring Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks as sisters and the drama surrounding them after the murder of one of their husbands, who also happens to be the other sister's ex! It's a gripping and well-acted drama and certainly worth watching. The mic

It's just Kevin and Lauren again this week, since Andrew thinks having a life is important or whatever. They talk the Squid Game finale, Jurassic World Rebirth, Megan 2.0, and Heads of State. The show opens up like last week, with the discussion of the final season of Squid Game. This time, though, Kevin and Lauren come with full knowledge of the finale. If you haven't watched for some reason (seriously, why haven't you?!?) be warned this will be spoiler heavy. Basically, the spoiler free review is, it's a really strong ending to a really great show. No other episode or spin offs need to be created, and yet... But I digress! Next up, Kevin talks Jurassic World Rebirth, starring Scarlett Johanson, Jonathan Bailey, and Mahershala Ali. As far as the Jurassic films go, it's definitely one of the better ones. It's go action, adventure, and a boatload of CGI (that could be better, lets be honest). The story and the heart are there and it leaves the door open for more films, so what's not to love?!? Speaking of thin

It's just Kevin and Lauren this week and they manage to keep it pretty tight with some Squid Game talk, Call me Izzy, Smoke, Baby Girl, and Ironheart. They open the show by discussing the first half of the new season, as Lauren has watched 4 of the episodes and Kevin has only watched 3. The review is definitely favorable and the two make their predictions about the finale, both with differing ides about where it could end up! Next up, Lauren takes us to Broadway with Call Me Izzy. It's a one owman show starring the always incredible Jean Smart. It tackles the tough topic of abuse and is delivered wonderfully in a way that only Jean Smart can do. If you're in the New York area and aren't looking for the most uplifting story, this one is worth catching. Kevin takes us back to the small screen with Smoke, the new series on Apple TV+. It follows 2 arson investigators, played by Taron Eggerton and Jurnee Smollett. They are tracking 2 separate arsonists while dealing with their own issues on the home front. Only th

It’s just Kevin and Lauren this week and they came prepared. They talk about Life of Chuck, Cleaner, Materialists, The Swarm, and Equals. Lauren kicks off the show with a largely positive review of the new Mike Flanagan/Stephen King joint, The Life of Chuck. Putting those two men together you’d think this would be a horror fest, but it’s a poignant film about a man’s life. Early comparisons were drawn to The Shawshank Redemption, but Lauren feels this movie doesn’t quite have that same depth. All in all, it’s still a good movie and worth a watch. Speaking of good movies, Kevin didn’t bother to watch any this. Instead, he kicks off his first of two “I watched it so you didn’t have to” segments with Cleaner on MAX. This is Die Hard clone that lacks much of the DNA that made that film great. It’s not necessarily a bad film, but you’d do better with the OG. It stars Daisy Ridley as a former soldier turned window cleaner who gets stuck outside her building when eco terrorists take over. She’s forced to battle her

It's just Kevin and Andrew this week and thanks to the magic of tangents, they turn a little into a lot! They cover the new film Deep Cover in Prime, Trainwreck: The Astroworld Tragedy, FUBAR, The Last of Us, Expedition 33, and more! Kevin kicks things off with a quick review of Deep Cover, now playing on Prime, starring Bryce Dallas Howard, Orlando Bloom, Nick Mohammed, and what seems like everyone else under the sun. This movie doesn't reinvent the wheel (the idea is even strikingly similar to Hit Man starring Glen Powell), but it does lead to a really fun ride. If you're looking for a quick, fun, adventure, this is a good one to throw on. Next up, Andrew takes us to the seedy side of the concert world with Trainwreck: The Astroworld Tragedy on Netflix. This one documents the events leading up to, and the fallout from, the Astroworld 3 concert with Travis Scott. It's laundry list of things gone horribly wrong that resulted in the deaths of 10 concert goers and several more injuries. There's a lot to be lear

It's a packed house and still an economical episode this week. The gang discusses the animtaed film, Predator: Killer of Killers, The Assessment, Sinners (again), and Floyd Collins. The show opens with Andrew and Kevin discussing the new animated anthology film, Predator: Killer of Killers. It's a great entry in the Predator franchise with animation reminiscent of Arcane. The film is the telling of the Predators hunting on Earth of 3 different time periods, which culminates in a fantastic final battle on the Predator home world. All in all, it's great storytelling and visually exciting. Next up, Lauren talks about the film, The Assessment. This is a psychological grounded sci-fi flick about a post apocalyptic world where having children is a privilege, not a right. Before being allowed to have a child, a couple has to go through an assessment with an increasingly unhinged evaluator that turns the couples whole life on it's ear. It's twisty and turny and totally unhinged and definitely worth a watch. Kevin FIN

It's just Kevin and Lauren this week... until it isn't... and then it is again. There's a lot to talk about, with The Outsiders the Musical, The Last of Us Season 2 Finale, Bad Shabbos, The Fountain of Youth, and The Last Showgirl. Lauren kicks off the show by talk about The Outsiders, last years Tony Award winner for best musical. If you recognize the name, it is in fact the same as the '80s Brat Pack film. While that might sounds like it shouldn't work, it absolutely does. With a great set design and score, the show really is spectacular. As Lauren was discussing that show, Andrew (who had already told everyone he had better things to do than waste his evening with them, mind you) popped in. This gave him and Kevin the chance to talk about the last 2 episodes of The Last of Us Season 2. The agreement is that episode 6 was spectacular and the finale was solid and Andrew, with a little time to ruminate, has found himself understanding Abby's story and Ellie's shortcomings a little more than before. All in all

We're tight on subjects but deep on time this week. It's just Kevin and Andrew and they are covering the series finale of Andor, Episode 5 of Season 2 of The Last if Us, and Super/Man The Christopher Reeve Story. That episode kicks off with the guys discussing The last 6 episodes of Andor and everything that led up to this incredible finale. It's almost heartbreaking that a show this good had such a short run, but at least it never faltered. Here is a show that is pure cinema and even if you aren't a Star Wars fan, there is a lot of great character depth to fall in love with here. Easily one of the best things produced in the Star Wars universe to date! Next up, the guys head to Seattle for Day 2 of this season The Last of Us, There are a lot of crazy moments in this one and we see our heroes reverse roles and even see Ellie come over to the Dark Side. The guys discuss everything this episode delivers on and what's to come, all without giving Andrew too many spoilers. We are barreling towards the finale at th

In what may be the most socially conscious episode of APNC ever, the gang talks Adolescence, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and Episode 4 of The Last of Us Season 2. We've been waiting weeks for Andrew to finish Adolescence and the time has arrived! With the whole gang together, it was quite the discussion. As you'd expect, they talked about the technical marvel that this show is, but they also dove into the sociological aspects of this show. Adolescence was created to start a dialogue and it certainly did! Lots of opinions here from all sides of the issue and all in all a great discussion! Next up, Lauren got to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway. It was a show she'd never intended to see, but with a friend in town from the UK, she bit the bullet and went. Long story short, she loved it. It's a technical marvel and a solid story with very sly undertones that, again, spark a sociological debate among the group. Also, much to Kevin's surprise, this show is NOT a musical! Lauren ducks out and

In an unusually tight episode, Kevin and Andrew discuss the new Marvel film, Thunderbolts* and episode 3 of The Last of Us Season 2. This will be spoiler heavy, so if you haven't seen Thunderbolts*, go see it immediately. Like right now. It's top tier Marvel and worth your time for multiple reasons. Kevin and Andrew both agree on how significant this film is to the MCU, so that agreement enough should sell you! The is the new Avengers (word play) film we've been waiting for since Endgame. Next up, the guys talk Episode 3 of The Last of Us. As it turns out, Andrew didn't finish the episode so Kevin keeps it a little spoiler free. While this episode doesn't pack the same punch (see what I did there?) as the previous episode, it does a great job moving the story forward and kicking off Ellie and Dina's journey going forward. As always, thank you for watching. If you haven't already, don't forget to Like & Subscribe. We love new viewers! Also, leave us comments and let is know how we are doing and what we can