Movies

This is not simply a list of “cult” films or movies with obsessed fans. This list focuses on films in which the fans have taken over its legacy, usurping the producers’ control and proclaiming, “This belongs to us now.”

We at Pop Mythology feel there are other Disney villains who, like Maleficent, are capable of carrying films of their own. The following list represents some of the strongest candidates.

'Ender’s Game' is a generally agreeable sci-fi popcorn flick, though one more likely to be enjoyed by kids just discovering the franchise than those who grew up on the books.

If you can approach 'Thor: The Dark World' without expecting greatness of it and just let it be the lightweight diversion it wants to be, it's a fun and acceptable stop in the long-haul flight towards 'Avengers 2.'

'The Counselor' has its moments of detached poetics, its pulse-raising sequences and humorous or insightful moments, but they don’t come together in a satisfying way, which makes this venerable collaboration all the more disappointing.

It has its lax moments, but 'Captain Phillips' is a taut, effective thriller with two excellent performances by Tom Hanks and newcomer Barkhad Adbi.

'Gravity' is one of the single most beautiful films ever made and the closest approximation most people will get to experiencing a space walk. After 90 minutes of weightless drifting the air in your lungs and the floor at your feet will feel wonderful.

Michael Uslan is one of the most important figures in the comic book world – certainly among the few most influential people in the modern evolution of a certain character you might have heard of known as Batman. At a recent industry event, he was gracious enough to sit down for a brief but impassioned interview with Pop Mythology that had us brimming with goosebumps.

Of all the villains in the history of film, the Joker in 'The Dark Knight' is without doubt one of the most iconic and mesmerizing. But to understand why, we have to study the psychology and philosophy of the Joker.

This post examines how the movie 'Prisoners' brushes upon topics of law and justice in the United States beyond its most obvious one. It’s a story, and stories seldom provide answers. Stories raise doubt and ask questions which generate discussions. That’s where answers begin.

If one is capable of suspending both disgust and disbelief, 'Prisoners' becomes an intense, masterfully acted suspense-thriller which mentions but never pontificates on numerous larger issues within modern American life.

Thanks to services like Spotify and Netflix, the modern media junkie is now in a position to get exactly what he or she has always wanted, and what vinyl records, cassette tapes, CDs, LaserDiscs, DVDs and Blu Rays could never provide: all your music and movies, everywhere.

'The Family's dark edge and strong cast make it enjoyable, and its play on the image of Americans abroad is interesting.

Whether it's 'Star Wars,' 'Star Trek' or Tolkien, young people need to see the original, historical meanings in reboots and remakes – context, without which history, literature and art cannot be properly taught.

In terms of B-movie essentials 'Riddick' delivers nasty deaths, turn-off-your-brain plot, neat technology, bad CGI and gratuitous nudity, yet the gaps between action scenes are too long and too stationary to carry through. The best creature features know how to play silence as terror; 'Riddick' treats silence as empty.