Pop Screen The Geek Show

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.



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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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There are some pop movies that capture the appeal of an entire genre. Such was the case with Perry Henzell's The Harder They Come, a crime drama that was such a hit it essentially popularised reggae in the United States. Such things are possible only with a star of the calibre of Jimmy Cliff, plus soundtrack and screen appearances from the likes of Toots and the Maytals and Prince Buster.



This week, Aidan rejoins Graham to talk about Henzell's film, and uncover the reason why he might be the ultimate Pop Screen director. We also talk about Chris Blackwell's Island Records, whose film division was launched by this very movie. There's also discussion of the film's real-life inspiration, the "original rude boy" Ivanhoe Martin, its possible subtexts and the white-knuckle experience of watching that bus swerving all over the place during the opening credits.



If you want to keep us from plying our trade as door-to-door gardeners, you can donate to our Patreon and get a monthly bonus episode of this show, plus two exclusive podcasts not available anywhere else - From the Video Aisle, which is currently working its way through the Mr. Vampire series, and the completely unclassifiable Last Night... There are also weekly written reviews of Doctor Who, The X-Files and Red Dwarf, plus a monthly pick of a classic Asian genre film in Fantastic Asia. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook for more.



www.patreon.com/thegeekshow


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In 2024, Pop Screen is spending a month in Jamaica, hailing the island's mighty presence in the field of music. And to kick off, we're talking about... er, 10cc? Yes, when they said they don't like reggae, they love it, few could have expected that love would manifest itself in multi-instrumentalist Lol Creme directing a 1991 Jamaican comedy about a small-town eccentric who thinks he can talk to trees, cows and cricket balls becoming involved with a lusty German photographer. As you do.



The Lunatic is, as you can probably tell from the above synopsis, a weird old thing. Fortunately Graham and Mark Cunliffe have re-teamed in order to make it even weirder, with digressions about the original TV version of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, how Small Axe got Graham through the first lockdown year, and the film's tonal similarity to the saucy seaside postcards of Donald McGill. We're not in love - but we did enjoy it.



If you'd like to throw a bit of spare change at your local village idiots, we've got a Patreon which is just about to drop an episode on the Neil Young/Devo collaboration Human Highway. We've also been covering everything from Mr. Vampire to Neighbours in our other podcasts Last Night... and From the Video Aisle, as well as writing reviews of Doctor Who, classic Asian genre films, The X-Files and Red Dwarf. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram to find out more.


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In 2004, the veteran Welsh rock band The Alarm pulled off an audacious hoax, releasing their single '45 RPM' under the alias of The Poppy Fields. The Poppy Fields were supposedly a new band of teenage rock stars in skinny jeans, as was the style at the time. As the song ascended the charts, Alarm mainman Mike Peters revealed the deception, kicking off a debate about ageism in the music industry.

It's a fascinating story, so fascinating that Mick has dragged himself out of his sickbed to talk to Graham about Vinyl, the 2012 film loosely based on it. We discuss its many missed opportunities, its bizarre decision to make the Mike Peters analogue more or less totally unsympathetic, and the question of whether this con would work in 2012 - which is more of a cultural gap than the eight years it is on paper. We also discuss The Alarm's long career, the rock movie baggage of star Phil Daniels, and the irony that - these days - a middle-aged heritage act is a better money-spinner than a sexy young rock band.

We don't pretend to put out a load of extra content on our Patreon - we actually do it, including a monthly bonus episode of this show (the latest one is about Priscilla), exclusive podcasts Last Night..., about anything our critics have watched this month, and From the Video Aisle, reviewing cultishly adored franchises, as well as written pieces on classic Asian genre cinema and British and American TV science fiction. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to find out more.



www.patreon.com/thegeekshow


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Good vibes only this week, as Mark Cunliffe of We Are Cult rejoins the podcast to talk about Cyndi Lauper's lead role in the 1988 supernatural comedy Vibes. A film so inspired by Ghostbusters that Dan Aykroyd was briefly attached to star, it has an enviable cast fronted by Lauper, Jeff Goldblum and Peter Falk. And yet, somehow, it tanked.

On this episode of Pop Screen, then, we attempt to solve the timeless Fortean mystery of why people didn't watch this at the time, taking detours to talk about the career of supporting players Julian Sands (RIP) and Steve Buscemi, consider the odd self-seriousness with which 1980s family comedies treat their paranormal mythos, try to ascertain what the worst Dario Argento film is and talk about a Winnebago full of balloons, I guess. It's one of those weeks.

Tomorrow sees the release of our latest Patreon exclusive episode, about Sofia Coppola's Priscilla. Subscribers also get two bonus podcasts a month - Last Night... and From the Video Aisle, the latter of which is prepping a Mr. Vampire retrospective - plus written reviews of classic Asian genre cinema, Doctor Who, The X-Files and Red Dwarf. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to find out more...


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