Pop Screen The Geek Show

What do you get if you combine the most divisive woman in 1970s America, the least divisive woman in modern America, and a comedy legend? You get an absolute treat, at least if it goes as well as 9 to 5 did. Colin Higgins's film brings together Jane Fonda, Dolly Parton and Lily Tomlin in a class-conscious romp about three women who kidnap their sexist pig of a boss and find the office runs a lot better without him. It's basically The Communist Manifesto with a thumping C&W theme song.

This week, Graham treats himself after self-harming with The Idol by getting back together with Jeff to talk about this lasting classic of early '80s Hollywood. Prepare for an in-depth comparison of the many beards of Sterling Hayden, an appreciation of Jane Fonda's shrewdly against-type performance, and our pitch for a Dolly Parton horror movie.

Patreon - what a way to make a living! Subscribe today and you can hear Graham and Aidan talking about Fred Durst's The Fanatic in an exclusive Pop Screen episode, plus our end-of-month round-up podcast Last Night..., written reviews of The X-Files and Red Dwarf, classic far eastern genre cinema reconsidered in Fantastic Asia, and more. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for more.


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Ladies and gentlemen, The Weeknd. To celebrate - 'celebrate' - the first anniversary of one of the defining pop star ego trips of our age, Graham and Robyn have reconvened to look at all six - no, wait, all five - episodes of Sam Levinson's disasterpiece. If you're wondering why we won't get a third season of Euphoria until the cast are in a retirement home, forget the writer's strike - this is why.From the twisted minds of Robyn and Graham, please enjoy discussion of: the Weeknd's remarkable anti-charisma and his future acting plans that will definitely, definitely happen, the troubled production of this show and the Amy Seimetz cut we'll never see, The Idol's strained relationship with queerness, its downright nonexistent relationship with modern pop, and much much more. Worth listening this week just for the Jojo Siwa joke, frankly.Our exclusives are about something even more interesting than LA club owners nobody's ever heard of - classic Asian genre cinema, Red Dwarf, cult film franchises, Doctor Who, The X-Files, and whatever the hell our critics have been watching in the last month. In case your thirst for watching us suffer hasn't been sated by this episode, we've also got a Patreon exclusive episode of this show about Fred Durst's The Fanatic coming up. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for more.


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Back with a vengeance! Yes, ahead of the release of Furiosa, we're looking at the Mad Max movie that features the most legendary pop star in the whole series (well, apart from the Doof Warrior): Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. Initially reviled for its lighter tone and child sidekicks, the film now feels like a stepping stone to the operatic excesses George Miller has taken the franchise to in the 21st century - and Tina Turner as Aunty Entity is a piece of stunt-casting that truly works.

This week, Producer Rob rejoins the show to talk about all things Mad Max, including the series's fascinatingly improvisatory attitude towards continuity, the extent to which Max Rockatansky obeys Joseph Campbell's laws of heroism, and the absolute goldmine of memorable quotes this movie contains. It's two podcasters enter, and, er, two podcasters leave - but not before revealing this film's unexpected place in hip-hop history...

Come to our Barter Town over at Patreon, where you can exchange your money for a monthly bonus episode of the show - we've just covered every single pop star appearance on Doctor Who, from the Beatles to Billie Piper - plus written articles on classic Asian cinema, The X-Files and red Dwarf. Backers also get two bonus podcasts: the unclassifiable miscellany of Last Night... and the methodical run-through of cult franchises that is From the Video Aisle. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram to find out more


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We've covered plenty of biopics of musical legends on this podcast, and one word has hovered unspoken in the background: Cox. Dewey Cox, that is, the legendary rocker played by John C Reilly in Jake Kasdan's Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. A musical innovator, a tortured genius, a tireless advocate for small people's rights... he didn't exist, of course, but this spoof is so beautifully observed it doesn't really matter.

Let's duet! This week, Mark Harrison of Film Stories rejoins Graham to look at the film that makes it impossible to watch any other biopic without giggling inappropriately at all the sad parts. We discuss the cameos that were cut, the gruelling promotional tour Reilly embarked on in support of the film, and which of 2024's biopics include scenes from this film played dead straight. It's a beautiful ride, alright.

If you want to buy us a sink to replace the ones we broke during our dark period, you can donate to our Patreon, where you'll get a monthly bonus episode of this very show, plus two other podcasts not available anywhere else - From the Video Aisle, looking at cult favourite franchises, and the unclassifiable Last Night... We also do written articles on classic television science fiction and Asian genre films, and much more besides. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for more.


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John Singleton was 21 - 21! - when he made one of the most acclaimed debuts of the 1990s, one which led to him becoming the first African-American to get a Best Director nomination at the Oscars. It would be the perfect punchline if it was bad, but annoyingly for this deeply unserious podcast it's great: a frontline dispatch from a world plagued by violence and poverty that still feels vital, and also finds room for more humour and tenderness than you might expect.

Join Rob and Graham as they discuss this landmark film and its star Ice Cube, then perhaps the most controversial music star in America, now a reliable, familiar presence in all kinds of movies. They also discuss the film's unexpected inspiration, its heartbreaking ending and venture a cheeky but probably-accurate guess as to why there are so many movies about gentrification. Plus: hot takes on gangsta rap from early '90s political columnists that have not aged as well as this movie!If you don't want us to be drawn into the terrible gang culture that surrounds podcasting, you can give us some money over at our Patreon, where in return you'll get a bonus episode of this show every month. We also have no less than two podcasts - Last Night... and From the Video Aisle - and we give you weekly written reviews of Red Dwarf, The X-Files and Doctor Who.



Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to learn more.


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Sam Taylor-Johnson is about to release Back to Black, her second music biopic following 2009's Nowhere Boy. So naturally Pop Screen decided to review... her EL James adaptation? Yeah, why not, it's got Rita Ora in it. Returning co-host Joe did a lot of Ritasearch for this podcast and was delighted to remember that she only has about a minute of screentime.

Not that there's any shortage of other things to talk about when it comes to 50 Shades of Grey. Its status as a cultural phenomenon, its dubious sexual politics, its troubled production and long list of nearly-stars... all of this and more is covered in this dangerously erotic edition of Pop Screen. We also explain why Christian Grey's chauffeur is the secret hero of these movies, and reveal what the Frenchest film ever made is. It's not this one.

If you don't want us to be financially dependent on a creepy billionaire who uses us as sex slaves, you can donate to our Patreon where we're about to drop an exclusive episode on the 1994 police thriller The Glass Key, as well as publishing written reviews of Red Dwarf, The X-Files and Doctor Who every week. Patreon backers also get two whole podcasts that aren't available anywhere else: From the Video Aisle is in the middle of a Mr. Vampire retrospective, and the movie and TV miscellany that is Last Night... comes out every month as well. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for more information.


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