Pop Culture Podcast
Posts by Ryan
Popspotting Listener Edition: Josva in Norway
We’re thrilled to have another Popspotting Listener Edition come in from overseas. Today, Josva in Norway recommendations three beloved European films. His picks are “District B13,” “troubledWATER,” and “Troll Hunter.” They should be available for American listeners through Amazon.com.
Josva is 24 years old, and is studying to be a priest in the church of Norway. You can follow him on Twitter @josva, but when he tweets, he tweets in Norwegian.
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Popspotting Listener Edition: The Geek Generation
This week’s Popspotting Listener Edition comes from Rob Valois and Bryan Lipsitz of “The Geek Generation.” Rob was our PopTalk & Trivia Thursday guest back in October, and distinguished himself in many ways. Among them, by being our show’s first (and so far only) professional wrestler.
Today, Rob & Bryan share their top five television shows that were gone too soon. Among the notable series they mourn are “Undeclared,” “Dark Angel,” “Sports Night,” and of course “Firefly.” But there are surely many more deserving shows that never got the lifespan they deserved. Which would make your list?
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Popspotting Listener Edition: Paul Fox & Kevin Ma
Paul Fox and Kevin Ma of “East Screen / West Screen“ [iTunes Link] bring us our first international Popspotting Listener Edition, in which they each highlight two of their favorite Asian films from 2011 that are now available video in some form that will work in the U.S. Their picks were:
- My Own Swordsman (China – 2011)
- Ra.One (India – 2011)
- When Love Comes (Taiwan – 2011)
- Flying Swords of Dragon Gate (Hong Kong / China – 2011)
Also featured, a song from Ra.One, called “Criminal.”
We are of course fully aware that these Listener Edition shows are only making our to-do lists even longer. But we continue to be awestruck by the generosity and creativity of the Popspotting community. We do look forward to returning, and are still planning to head to San Diego for Comic-Con. But perhaps its best we’re taking a break, at least this week… Jen wants to see “The Three Stooges.”
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Popspotting Listener Edition: Faith McQuinn
She’s a mom of twins. A teacher of film students. An editor of videos. And a blogger of lots of stuff. She’s Faith McQuinn (@fbeemcee), the latest generous contributor to the “Popspotting Listener Edition” series of shows.
Her topic for this Easter Sunday? “Top Five Lost Gems of the ’80s.” Faith goes beyond popular classics like “Ferris Bueller,” “Breakfast Club” and “Fast Times,” instead highlighting less celebrated favorites.
Your support has been invaluable to us throughout the run of Popspotting, and what we’ve valued most is hearing your thoughts on your favorite movies, TV shows, books, music and more. So we’re so grateful to the Popspotting community for contributing personal, thoughtful episodes to share with everyone while Jen and I focus on her health.
Thanks again to Geoff for kicking off the “Popspotting Listener Edition” project. We look forward to hearing from more of you!
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Popspotting Listener Edition: Geek Girl Soup Em City
We continue to be inspired and humbled by the support we’ve been getting from the Popspotting ‘ohana. This week, the second Popspotting Listener Edition comes from Susan, Amelia and Chris of the Geek Girl Soup Em City podcast.
While they usually focus on the TV show “Oz,” for this special show they focus on comic book recommendations.
- The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard
- Y: The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra
- Death Note by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata
And as this goes out, a quick correction from the gang, “Y: The Last Man” is a 60-issue series.
Mahalo to the Geek Girl Soup gang for reaching out and speaking up and sharing some comic book wisdom… one of the areas of pop culture where Jen and I could surely use some schooling. Please be sure to share your own comic book picks, and check out Geek Girl Soup!
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Popspotting Listener Edition: Geoff Gentry
A few weeks ago, our show schedule was unexpectedly interrupted by some bad news. Though we rallied in the midst of it all to post one more week of episodes, it soon became clear that we’d need to take some time off to focus on health and family.
We knew everyone would understand. Indeed, the support we’ve received over the last month has been humbling and inspiring. But we nonetheless lamented the fact that we wouldn’t be able to keep Popspotting going.
Enter longtime listener and regular contributor Geoff Gentry (@xforce11 on Twitter). In addition to sending his prayers and support, already more than we could have asked for, he proposed the “Popspotting Listener Edition.” For those with the time and energy to share, it would be a fun way to give Popspotting listeners something to listen to: each other.
We were touched by his gesture. And we were thrilled when he came through with our very first “Listener Edition” episode. So while Jen and I get cozy in the back seat, here’s Geoff taking the wheel, sharing some great music (as usual) he discovered on YouTube.
Thanks, Geoff. And thanks to everyone for having our back. It helps, more than we could ever say.
Popspotting #220: “Mermaid House” (March 9, 2012)
We kick off Feedback Friday with lots of great movie talk, including “Red Tails,” a solid rebuttal of Jen’s critique of “The Little Mermaid,” and “Leon the Professional.” Then we move on to some great book recommendations (including a solid endorsement of Chris Van Allsburg‘s work), and finally a few TV thoughts, from “Manor House” to “Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace.”
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Popspotting #219: “American Potter Story” (March 8, 2012)
Today’s PopTalk & Trivia Thursday guest is our youngest yet. Sierra (@writergirl2101) hails from Charleston, South Carolina, where she attends Academic Magnet High School, and is working on her senior thesis on supporting students with Asperger syndrome in schools. She’s an advocate for LBGT issues and is active in other social causes, but she also indulges her more whimsical side on Tumblr.
We power through some audio issues as she shares her love of “Harry Potter,” “American Horror Story,” and “Look Me In the Eye: My Life with Asperger’s,” a book by John Elder Robinson. Then, we subject her to trivia questions about topics that greatly predate her existence on Earth. Fortunately, she was a good sport!
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Popspotting #218: “Coverspotting†(March 7, 2012)
We’re long overdue for another music show. And it’s been over five months since we’ve shared some of our favorite cover songs. So for Wildcard Wednesday, we count down five more great examples of talented artists reinterpreting the work of their fellow musicmakers.
Jen’s Picks:
- “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” by Antony and the Johnsons (orig. Bob Dylan)
- “I Want You Back” by The Civil Wars (orig. Jackson Five)
- “Sea of Love” by Cat Power (orig. Phil Phillips)
- “Summer Breeze” by The Isley Brothers (orig. Seals and Crofts)
- “Rolling In the Deep” by Linkin Park (orig. Adele)
Ryan’s Picks:
- “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” by David Byrne (orig. Whitney Houston)
- “Zoo Station” by Nine Inch Nails (orig. U2)
- “The Scientist” by Natasha Bedingfield (orig. Coldplay)
- “Simple Twist of Fate” by Concrete Blonde (orig. Bob Dylan)
- “Lovesong” by Adele (orig. The Cure)
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Popspotting #217: “Awake at the End†(March 6, 2012)
For TV Tuesday we talk about two shows with unique twists. First, we review the pilot of “Awake,” the new NBC series starring Jason Isaacs and created by Kyle Killen (Lone Star, The Beaver). Then we confess our love for “The Booth at the End,” a web video serial by Christopher Kubasik.
In “Awake,” Isaacs plays Michael Britten, a police detective who survives a tragic car accident with his family. But it seems as if he’s now split between two worlds, one in which his wife Hannah (Laura Allen) survives, and the other where it’s his son Rex (Dylan Minnette) who lives. And he has a psychiatrist on both sides trying to help him sort it all out, played by B.D. Wong and Cherry Jones.
In “The Booth at the End,” Xander Berkeley plays an unnamed mysterious man who takes up residence in a L.A. diner and makes deals with people who want something. Whether it’s money or true love, he can help make it happen, if you agree to do as he asks. But they’re not always simple tasks. Familiar faces include Sarah Clarke (24) and Timothy Omundson (Psych).
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