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!
I have to say, folks, it seems like we’re coming to the time of the year where the summer has passed, and the movie options become thin as studios await Oscar season for their big prestige releases. So August is really that last-ditch effort to get something out before the summer ends.
With that came the latest in the Jordan Peele collection of socio-metaphorical horror flicks, Nope. Haunting, horrifying, and highly engaging, this film has inspired conversation, excitement, and almost the same amount of praise as Get Out did upon its release. Personally, I haven’t been that scared in a movie theater in a long time, so it was electrifying to say the least.
With all the conversation comes a desperate taste for more like it. More to explore, more to sink one’s teeth into. And I have come to sate that thirst once and for all! So without further ado, let’s get into it.
Video Game: Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Starting hard on the horror elements of Nope,this series of games is often considered to be some of the most unsettling and scary experiences put to mankind thus far. Working with the idea of the creepy, the unknown, and certain death, I know of many people who can’t actually play this game due to the lack of sleep they’ll be met with otherwise.
The best way to describe it is as a first-person survival horror. This is a game about immersion, discovery, and living through a nightmare. In it, you play as Daniel as he wakes up in a desolate castle, barely remembering anything about his past. From here, you decide to explore eerie pathways, while also having to experience Daniel’s troubled and traumatizing memories. It’s a horror that takes part both inside and outside the character’s mind; you’ll find yourself asking, did you actually hear that sound of dragging feet? Or is your mind playing tricks on you?
Touted as one of the best horror games in the business, the Amnesia series has four iterations at this current place and time, so if what you really loved of Nope was its scares, its frights, and its disconcerting energy, then this might be the game for you.
Available on pretty much every platform, including Switch, PlayStation, Android, Xbox, and PC, download and try it for yourself tonight. Although, maybe allow an hour after for a comedy or something…
TV Show: Neon Genesis Evangelion
This month’s TV show entrant is going to be one in the realm of anime, and what an entrant it is. Like the above suggestion, this is considered by many to be the best example of what an anime can be.
From its tragic story, to its use of colors and spectacle, to it’s absolutely thrilling dramatic moments, this is a classic anime that many modern fans still revisit to this day.
The story seems simple enough, as the plot summary reads, “A teenage boy finds himself recruited as a member of an elite team of pilots by his father.”However, this would very much be looking at it from its most shallow point of view.
You may also be wondering how this recommendation even relates to Nope? After all, this is a mech-suit gundam show, which would seem to have little to do with the Peele flick beyond the idea of aliens. To this I say, I can’t tell you EXACTLY how it relates, but let’s just say that a pretty major design of the film is quite related to that of the Angels in Neon Genesis Evangelion.
If you’ve already seen the movie — which you should have if you’re looking for recommendations based on it — then you will want to dive into this show for an even more in-depth review into what it is to witness spectacle.
With the original series being a short one-season run, this is definitely worth investing your time into, so catch it streaming on Netflix today!
Book: House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
Does everyone here remember old school chain mail? You know, where you’d get something delivered that would say, “pass this on or you’ll be cursed!” This eventually became emails, and ultimately spam.
Why is this relevant, you ask? Well the book I have to recommend today started out its life as a version of this.
The best way for me to describe it is to cast your mind back years ago, when House of Leaves was first being passed around, as nothing more than a badly bundled heap of paper, parts of which would occasionally surface on the Internet.
No one could have anticipated the small but devoted following this terrifying story would soon command. Starting from the edges of society, the book eventually made its way into the hands of older generations, who not only found themselves in those strangely arranged pages, but also discovered a way back into the lives of their estranged children. Now in book form, this novel is told in a series of original colored words, vertical footnotes, and newly-added second and third appendices.
This isn’t a simple reading — it’s an intricate experience that will have many a reader delving into it at the early hours of the morning wanting to find out the secrets between its pages. Centering on a young family, this book starts with them being faced with a perplexing and out-of-this-world puzzle: their new house is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside.
If you’re interested, I recommend sourcing this mega-book out of your local bookseller, online retailer, or library, and please tell me if you do! I’m dying to talk to people about this one… just as I am Nope.
Podcast: Lore
Finally we have a treat for your ears. Well not necessarily a treat, so much as a series of haunting retellings of lore (hehe) and fables. Taking the idea of mysticism, created stories, and the unnerving ever-present look to spectacle present in Peele’s newest, this podcast is sure to have you checking behind you when you walk home at night.
Created by Aaron Mahnke, Lore looks at the truth behind some of man’s most infamous folklore. Award-winning and critically-acclaimed, the podcast exposes the darker side of history, exploring the creatures, people, and places of our wildest nightmares.
Each episode is around the 30 minute mark, and as someone who binged a few when they were working the night shift at a library, I can tell you that it is one that will keep you up at night — but in a good way.
It’s that creepy kind of horror that makes you want to know more, not just scare you for the sake of causing a fright. There’s depth to it, the least because it’s all actually true!
Also, if you find that you’re wanting more, then you’ll be pleased to know that there are three books and two seasons of an Amazon Prime Original show that delve further into all things Lore.
So if the creepy ‘true to life’ element of Nope is what had you desperate for more, then go to Apple Podcasts or Spotify now!
And there we have it. Another month and another fulfilled column recommending a series of media that one might enjoy if they came out wanting more Nope!Whether it’s interactive, auditory, simply the written word, or even a longer-form story, there’s bound to be something here to continue you love affair.
I’ll be back next month with September’s big hit, whatever that may be. However, until then, thank you for visiting SiftPop’s One Stop Pop. We hope to see you again soon!
You can follow Alice-Ginevra Micheli on Instagram and Letterboxd