I've crossed oceans of time to bring you today's episode. Bram Stoker's Dracula, an over the top fever dream (or gothic nightmare) of a film. Gary Oldman is the greatest on screen version of Dracula in this haunting performance. With incredible costumes, practical effects and supporting performances (minus Keanu Reeves .... he is SO BAD) this film is a campy exploration of the life of the infamous vampire.
Along with the film itself the references used in the creation of this episode are listed below
Bram Stoker’s Dracula movie review (1992) | Roger Ebert
The 65th Academy Awards | 1993
Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) directed by Francis Ford Coppola • Reviews, film + cast • Letterboxd
The Blood is The Life-Making of Dracula
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvSqFcGr5LU
Mike Moroz returns for a nostalgic episode, we dust off Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.
This 1948 film was originally panned by critics but we both agree it is a timeless classic. It is perfect blend of comedy and classic horror has stood the test of time. Plus, we share the joy (and occasional jump scare!) of introducing these old school spooky movies to our own kids proving that good humour and a little fright never go out of style.
Along with the film itself, references used in the creation of this episode are listed below
https://letterboxd.com/film/bud-abbott-and-lou-costello-meet-frankenstein/
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/abbott_and_costello
DVD commentary released in 2000
Marley joins me this week and we dive head first into the twisted world of Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Cure. This 1997 masterpiece follows detective Kenichi Takabe as he descends into madness trying to understand a series of brutal murders where X marks the spot. Thank you again Marley for joining me and for choosing this film!
Make sure you guys give him a follow and listen to his podcast: The Reel Lovers Podcast
Tik Tok: @marleylovesmovies
Instagram: @marleylovesmovies
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5JLtqevrLudD3FxbP7yQVM?si=18c2ac90f3f242e9
Along with the film itself, below are the references used in the creation of this episode
Cure (1997) directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa • Reviews, film + cast • Letterboxd
Cure: Erasure | Current | The Criterion Collection
Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself? Younger, more beautiful, more perfect? Blake joins me this week to dissect the 2024 body horror The Substance. Demi Moore Elizabeth Sparkle jumps head first into her own downfall by creating Sue. This film is a commentary on the beauty standards for women especially as we age, and the real fear that grips us of losing our currency as the years go by. Tune into the episode to listen to Blake and I discuss how close a lot of this hit home for us.
And remember pretty girls should always smile!
Thank you so much Blake for coming on!
Please give Blake a follow!
Tik Tok: @blizzflixx
Along with the film itself references used in the creation of this episode are listed below
THE SUBSTANCE | Making-Of Featurette | MUBI
The Substance (2024) directed by Coralie Fargeat • Reviews, film + cast • Letterboxd
The Substance | Rotten Tomatoes
The Substance movie review & film summary (2024) | Roger Ebert
Children of the night...welcome to this weeks episode. Together lets deep dive 1931's Dracula, and the birth of the Universal monster universe. This iteration of Dracula is so deeply immeshed into our culture that even if you haven't seen the film every frame will feel familiar. This motion picture helped bridge the gap from silent films to talkies and brought audiences some complex themes in a pre Hays Code world. Grab your crucifix and your wooden state and follow along to Castle Dracula.
Along with the film itself, sources used in the creation of this episode are listed below.
The Road to Dracula
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXv4Lu0xe5s
The Two Faces of Dracula
https://theasc.com/articles/the-two-faces-of-dracula
https://letterboxd.com/film/dracula/
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1006234-dracula
KT joins me to dance with the devil this week, together we deep dive Ryan Coogler’s cinematic masterpiece Sinners. This isn't your average vampire musical; it challenges viewers to confront uncomfortable truths about identity, racism, and cultural appropriation. The core take away from this film is that the true horror is the treatment of the black characters and the systemic oppression inflicted on them.
We also explore how the movie weaves together the complexities of Irish culture with themes of whitewashing and cultural vampirism, pushing boundaries in its depiction of power, heritage, and authenticity. We discuss how Sinners reflects the tension between reclaiming cultural roots and the exploitation of marginalized narratives for mainstream consumption. With both of us having irish roots like the vampire Remmick.
KT and I both acknowledge as two white women there are limitations in our perspective. We approached the creation of this episode with much research and care. We are both committed to the dismantling of systemic racism through learning, reflection and action.
Along with the film itself, references used in the creation of the episode are listed below.
Sinners (2025) | Rotten Tomatoes
Sinners (2025) directed by Ryan Coogler • Reviews, film + cast • Letterboxd
Sinners, Vampire Makeup FX, Behind the scenes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELNkVGS1PJE
Sinners, Spirits of the Deep South, Behind the Scenes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1x1YpJWIHM
Dancing with the Devil, Making of Sinners,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPYEqHYNiBA
Ruh-Roh! Emma of the impact joins me this week to solve the mystery of Scooby Doo. This 2002 millennial classic takes us to Spooky Island where the gang must figure out what is behind the strange behaviour of the kids who visit there. So grab your Scooby Snacks and you have to do is to come out into the dark shadowy part of the woods, where no one can see you.....
Make sure you give Emma a follow and her Podcast a listen, links are below:
https://open.spotify.com/show/06nFe5NzDP9GZqYJAYpV48
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXWwdF0I-RRG-hU_hpNslTg
https://www.tiktok.com/@emmaoftheimpact_?lang=en
https://www.instagram.com/emmaoftheimpact/
JR joins me today for a bonus episode. He is one of my favourite creators. I came across him on my FYP a few months ago and I’ve been hooked on his content ever since. If you are looking for deeply insightful commentary on recent films, retroactive reviews and social issues, JR is your guy to follow. We discussed passion for writing, his go to watches and our mutual love of a good ol’ childhood classic deserving a spot in your @letterboxd top 4. Thanks again JR for joining me!
Make sure you give him a follow!
Instagram: @screened_scored
Tik Tok: screened.scored
Letterboxd: https://boxd.it/c1aEV
Bryan from Mometu joins me today for food, drink and ghosts and perhaps even a few murders. We are deep diving House on Haunted Hill, isn't that amusing? It is a classic B-Horror movie featuring the legendary Vincent Price. As he hosts a party offering his guest $10,000 if they stay the night....and survive.
Thanks again to Bryan for coming on for this one. House on Haunted Hill is available on Mometu, along with a bunch of other awesome films be sure to check in out. Also make sure to follow Bryan and check out all the cool stuff he's doing, he's got his own podcast: More for Me and You Podcast. His links are listed below.
https://watch.mometu.com/
https://www.tiktok.com/@freemometu
https://www.instagram.com/freemometu
https://open.spotify.com/show/0rqj4ehOK6CrD2N5ea2xou?si=23723958be2e4da5
https://www.instagram.com/mometucollegefilmfest/
https://www.instagram.com/bryan_mometu/?hl=en
Along with the film itself, reference used in the creation of this episode are listed below:
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1010034-house_on_haunted_hill
https://letterboxd.com/film/house-on-haunted-hill/
https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/78581/house-on-haunted-hill#overview
https://franklloydwright.org/site/ennis-house/
The Vancouver International Film Festival is happening October 2nd-12th. I have the privilege this year of attending as press! With 170 different title screening this is an event you dont want to miss!
Listen for whats to come!
Get tickets at: https://viff.org/
Follow along their social media pages:
Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@viffest
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/viffest/?hl=en
Kicking off Spooky Season here at Get Your Popcorn! No better way to do it than with my fellow Dis-nerds Adam and Emilie. The three of us had an Oogie Boogie Bash of a time discussing all things Disney, tune in for some hard core Disney adulting.
Also my microphone had problems during recording, so my apologies for the less than stellar audio !
Writer/Director Andrew Koltuniuk joins me today to discuss his new film "Letting Go of Jack." This coming of age, road trip film follows Brandon on route to Colorado in his old Ford Broncho when a break down leads him to meeting Amber who joins him for the journey.
It is available on Amazon Prime to stream. Check it out and support independent film.
Make sure you give Andrew and The Guild a follow! Links below.
https://www.tiktok.com/@thewanderingdirector_?_t=ZS-8zVjlX5046T&_r=1
https://www.instagram.com/thewanderingdirector
https://www.instagram.com/theguildfilms/
Ending our Summer of Spielberg with a film that I feel he was the wrong director for.
TW: This episode is a heavy one guys. The Color Purple is the 1985 film adaption of Alice Walkers novel of the same name. It deals with topics of child sexual abuse, incest, and spousal abuse.
Steven Spielberg a controversial director of this film given the nature of the story being about predominantly African American characters. The film and the book have been criticized by the NAACP for the depiction of black men as abusers with little redeeming qualities. This must be acknowledged and respected. Although Spielberg has been defended and praised heavily by the cast for the last 40 years for his work, and the care he took in telling a story that for them felt sincere, he received criticism from audiences.
He also shied away from the queer relationships in the book at his admission of being out of his depth, which is such a pivotal and important part of the novel.
I think it’s important to discuss this film, as it has had a huge impact on cinema. I think it’s important to criticize directors for their missteps even when it seems to be done with good intentions. We also need to acknowledge white washing of narratives, and call out when white directors have been given opportunities that were not given to equally talented black directors.
Institutional racism needs to be broken down from within, not just from the outside.
Steven Spielberg was not the best choice for director for this film, and through this Summer of Spielberg series I feel it would do a disservice to only discuss his wins, I need to cover the controversies of his career as well. Which includes an opportunity that should have been given to someone else.
I will try to handle this as sensitively as I can and I want to ensure I take as much care with this review as possible.
This is not to take away from the actors in the film that are incredible, including but not limited to Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover and Oprah. Their performances are what make this film as good as it is. And they deserves their flowers for their accomplishments in truly making an emotionally moving motion picture.
Along with the film itself references used in the creation of this episode are linked below
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/color_purple
https://letterboxd.com/film/the-color-purple/
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-color-purple-1985
https://www.blackfilm.com/20030321/features/alicewalker.shtml
https://www.sfgate.com/books/article/alice-walker-on-the-making-of-the-film-the-color-3000001.php
https://youtu.be/TN34IySTNlg?si=EwrImCgmfiSdW0DF
In this episode, I chat with Christian from Dragon Talks Filmz 🐉 🍿 about our shared love for cinema. We dive into the timeless legacy of The Godfather and the influence of 1970s and 1980s movies on modern storytelling. Christian reflects on growing up with the Disney Channel and how those early experiences shaped his love of film. We also explore the surprising benefits of TikTok, how it connects film lovers across continents and creates a global community for movie discussions.
Please make sure to give Christian’s TikTok a follow!
https://www.tiktok.com/@christian.x551?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
This week I deep dive The Fabelmans. This incredibly personal film based on the real story of Steven Spielberg's childhood. This 2022 masterpiece hit so close to home for me, and it has now made it to my Letterboxd Top 4. This film is a 40 million dollar therapy project as declared by Spielberg himself. It lets us as the audience look behind the magic to the real person underneath.
Along with this film itself references used in the creation of this episode are listed below.
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-fabelmans-movie-review-2022
https://variety.com/2022/film/reviews/the-fabelmans-review-steven-spielberg-1235368194/
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/steven-spielberg-on-making-the-fabelmans/
https://newsletter.oscars.org/news/post/the-fabelmans-steven-spielberg-academy-conversations
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-making-of-steven-spielberg-180981184/
You talking to me?
This week I’m joined by Dan from @reeltakesreviews. We discuss our shared love of movies, upcoming projects, and swap stories about our favourite actors and performances that have stayed with us. We also explore how film and politics often intersect, shaping stories, influencing audiences and sparking conversations that go way beyond the silver screen.
This was such a fun conversation, thank you again Dan for joining me!
Make sure you give him a follow! Below are links to his content/socials.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reeltakesreviews?igsh=MTJ2aHdkNmQwcmI4Mg==
Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@reel.takes?_t=ZS-8ytzG2GHdRZ&_r=1
Letterboxd: https://boxd.it/6Mfv5
Good Will Podcasting
https://open.spotify.com/show/1uzrYBxA9oX6Cclr12WOJ2?si=BSPpggz0QjqSJnifvh2Vbg
In this bonus episode, Dan Jean joins me to discuss all things film and tv. I had an absolute blast with this one! We talk about our mutual respect of the horror and comedy genres, Academy Awards Politics and the hot take that Tim Burton's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" is the best one.
Dan is a creator I connected with through Instagram and Tik Tok, his content is awesome guys please check it out, handles are below!
Tik Tok: @movieswdan
Letterboxd: @movieswdan
Instagram: @movieswdan
Hold onto your butts! For this week's episode I’m deep diving Jurassic Park! This 1993 action packed cinematic achievement takes us along for the ride as we watch what happens when life finds away. A classic example of what Spielberg has to offer, arrested development, tight sequences and a whole lot of heart.
Join me for some nostalgia and remember they can only see you if you move. 🦖
Along with the film itself, references used in the creation of this episode are listed below.
The making of Jurassic Park
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2ymqb4
https://variety.com/1993/film/reviews/jurassic-park-2-1200432562/
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/jurassic-park-1993
https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1994
Junior! Brian from @midnightfilmreview joins me to deep dive Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade! The third instalment in the franchise and the last one covered on my Summer of Spielberg. The film gets back to the series roots of religious mysticism and punching Nazis. I hope you have as much fun listening to this episode as I had recording it! Thanks again Brian for joining me!
I’ve linked Brian’s social media links below, please follow him if you aren’t already and give his podcasts Midnight Film Review and Late Fees Files a listen as well.
And don't forget your Charlemagne…
Tik tok
https://www.tiktok.com/@midnightfilmreview?_t=ZM-8yLJN1wi43E&_r=1
https://www.instagram.com/midnightfilmreview/
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/1synIuzB27rihic8pDePjZ
https://open.spotify.com/show/05zxNbLdirB5kg9lXw1NDA?si=QcAw5qupSuKfCrvh2sKzVg
Along with the film itself references used in the creation of this episode are listen below
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/indiana-jones-and-the-last-crusade-1989
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNLUB_9XhAo&t=12s
Hold onto your potatoes for this one. Today we deep dive into Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, the second film released but is actually a prequel to Raiders. This action packed darker in tone film has a number of elements that haven't aged well, however there is no denying it has the best action sequences of the entire franchise. So let's journey together to Pankot Palace, and keep your wits about you, after all anything goes.
As well as the film itself sources used in the creation of this episode linked below, as always all opinions are my own
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYWn0ugqqsw&t=77s
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/indiana-jones-and-the-temple-of-doom-1984
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/article/2024/may/23/indiana-jones-temple-of-doom-anniversary
https://movieweb.com/indiana-jones-temple-of-doom-why-banned-india/
