by Alice-Ginevra Micheli, Contributing Writer
We all have that feeling. You know the one: You finish watching a movie and something about it hits you in just the right spot.
Whether it was the theme, the story, or even the characters, there was a quality about it that almost makes you want to turn around and go back a second, third, or even fourth time!
Bar the reality of living in the movie theater for the rest of your days, you turn to the rest of pop culture and start to look for other avenues where you can find that same feeling.
Well I’m here to make this plight easier for all. Each month, I take a piece of pop culture that was prevalent in the social consciousness — whether it is a movie, TV show, or something else — and then recommend other forms of media for those who want to stay in that world a little bit longer.
Welcome to your One Stop Pop, internet!
April — what a funny month. The one before summer officially begins in the U.S, as well as a great time for some prominent prestige films to make their entrance, allowing audiences to mull over their meanings, psychologies, and metaphors for the months ahead. By many, it’s almost considered to be pre-Oscar season, with the hopes that if one of these films makes enough of a splash, it will in fact still be in the hearts and minds of Academy voters come the next year.
Alex Garland is a bit of a cinephile’s darling, always producing films that will make us think, worry, and ponder about the state of our world. Even if it’s not as critically acclaimed, you can guarantee there’ll be conversations surrounding the film’s meaning, and what he’s trying to say about society as a whole.
Therefore, Civil War coming out in April and being at the forefront of many an intellectual’s brain is no surprise — add to that the fact that it is supposedly his directorial swan song and there is plenty to talk about. From the apolitical messaging, to the constant use and playing with how tension is portrayed, this film is personally still ingrained in my brain many weeks later.
So of course, I thought this would be a great candidate for this month’s column; so without further ado, let’s get started…
Book: Weapons of Math Destruction by Cathy O’Neil
You know what is both incredibly boring yet vitally important? Politics. As Civil War showed us, even if you don’t fully understand the intentions, the arguments, or the details surrounding a conflict, you can certainly identify that something is worth knowing about (and capturing as photographic evidence).
You know what else has the same impact? Math. This is what Cathy O’Neil, former Wall Street quant, desperately wants people to understand in her book Weapons of Math Destruction. Exposing the truth around big data, the algorithmic conspiracy, and how math is literally the source point for our societal problems, the book explores how algorithms have been used to reinforce pre existing inequality.
Basically, using her vast experience in business and mathematics, O’Neill charts how a person’s life is decided before they have even metaphorically thrown their hat into the ring. How even with all the spiels about working hard and reaching greatness, or achieving to the point of living above your station, is something that is often pre-determined and incredibly policed using, in her words, established data models that are opaque, unregulated, and incontestable — even when they’re wrong.
It’s incredibly interesting, slightly shocking, and actually just important for anyone who even has a vague interest in understanding how our capitalist society works, and how your current status is something that has already been decided long before you were even born. Sound dystopian? Yeah, so did Civil War, but it doesn’t mean that the messages being shared are wrong or not worth exploring.
TV Show: Station Eleven
Something that Civil War presents in a just depressing enough yet sadly realistic way is how a country can very quickly fall into despair, violence, and depravity when it should be coming together to overcome difficulty. We all remember the recent pandemic, right? Well, imagine it didn’t get “solved,” and just got worse over time. Station Eleven is a great example of this.
Set in a few decades from now, the once-upon-a-time book, now miniseries follows a cast of survivors across different timelines and spaces as they attempt to rebuild and reimagine the world to something new, and worthwhile. We see everything from the beginning of this pandemic to the current state of the world, and how different sects of society have been formed, set, and are ultimately changing what it is we call humanity in response to how the idea of community has shifted. Is it everyone for themselves? Can you still have a hold on loyalty and family? Can we ever go back to the idea of being carefree?
While another version of the ethical questions are also asked in this month’s film Civil War, Station Eleven does a beautiful job of exploring every facet of character, while also telling a compelling story. Don’t get it twisted: This is a slower burn when it comes to narrative, conflict, and climax, but it all comes together in the end to leave a viewer satisfied, and hopefully with a modicum of optimism for dealing with the worst that could possibly happen.
Podcast: Overheard at National Geographic
For a long time, journalism was considered to be the true, undeniable recording of history. Especially when it comes to investigative or photojournalistic integrity. Wasn’t that a nice time? This was before fake news was more common than fruit on a vine and trust was something we all still had.
Somehow, I do still believe there are a few outlets that have the ability to trade as such, one being National Geographic.Just like Kirsten Dunst’s character in Civil War, National Geographic’s focus on the objective aspect of photography, nature, and the environment tends to keep it separate from the more politically roused areas of journalism, and remain as just a place to keep informed on the current state of the world — literally.
So of course, it would make sense to recommend a podcast that comes from that very place. Overheard focuses on conversations taking place in and around its headquarters of NatGeo, wherein explorers, photographers, and scientists are followed and interviewed in order to give their perspective on their adventures across this big, weird, beautiful world.
With episodes focusing on fire suppression policies versus indigenous practices, a detailed look into the life, and survival of Mexican wolves, and the current state — and failure — of war photography, you’ll never be bored.
The episodes are also about 30 minutes in length, making them great lunch break listening to help any audience member become more informed on global situations from extremely unique perspectives. Worst case, as well, it’s also a great place to find some fun factoids to share at your next dinner party.
Video Game: Season, A Letter to the Future
We’ve talked about tension, dystopia, journalism, and the general state of the world through many different facets of experience. However, what if what you’re wanting more of is your ability to escape the world, and get a sense of peacefulness, rest, and relaxation — with a side of photography? Well then, do I have a game for you…
Season, A Letter to the Future is an open world visual novel where your character leaves home for the first time and takes the first step into the vast space of individuality and adulthood. To help determine your identity, your mission is to explore your world and collect memories before a mysterious cataclysm washes everything away.
As part of the gameplay, you ride, record, meet people, and unravel the strange world you live in, desperate to figure out the meaning behind it all. As well as the answer as to what “it” is.
A relatively short commitment, this game is a beautiful, meditative experience that allows the player to explore all facets of personality, viewing it through the literal lens of a camera, wherein the viewfinder quite literally translates the world. A commentary on the permanence and impermanence of a moment in time that’s been memorialized by a photograph, this is not one for the adrenaline junkies, but more for those that want to cozy up, and experience a quasi-version of life through a new set of eyes.
This month is for the thinkers, for those who want to mull beyond what’s been presented in the immediate two hours of content at the local cinema. Whether it’s further dissecting sociological divides, tensions, dystopia, or simply our very selves, hopefully there’s something in there for every kind of person around.
I’ll return next month with one of the many films that have already lit fires in May, but until then, thank you for visiting SiftPop’s One Stop Pop — we hope to see you again soon!
You can read more from Alice-Ginevra Micheli, and follow her on Instagram and Letterboxd