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!
Last month saw a pretty big film hit cinemas, and it’s still going strong a month later. All of that with an almost three-hour runtime! That’s right, I’m talking about none other than Matt Reeves’ The Batman, starring Robert Pattison, Paul Dano, and Zoë Kravitz.
This film exceeded expectations on every level, and definitely managed to wow audiences with its noir, detective version of the caped crusader.
So, naturally, it makes sense for me to use this as my focus for this month’s column, as once you’ve sat through the 175-minute adventure, there may be some of you wanting more.
Well never fear! For I have come abrim with many (read: four) opportunities to extend and expand upon your thirst. Just continue reading below…
TV Show: Taboo
On and off paper, this is a bizarre show. It’s something I thought the entire time I watched it, and yet I couldn’t look away. Full of horrifying violence, corrupted conspiracy, and possible incest, Taboo is a show that broke all the rules.
From the creator of Peaky Blinders, Steven Knight, this show follows Tom Hardy’s James Delaney as he returns to England after 10 years in Africa to attend his father’s funeral. Now the heir to a vast fortune, he takes it upon himself to investigate his father’s suspicious death while trying to reclaim his family’s pride against the dreaded East India Company.
Now if what you liked most about Reeves’ The Batman was the foray into what is most gritty, then this is exactly the kind of show to whet your whistle. With only one season (season two has been on the books for a while now) available, it’s not a huge commitment for any fan, either.
What I will say is that this show is incredibly creative, and unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. Hardy is maddeningly fantastic in his role as the crazed antihero, and Oona Chaplin dazzles as his problematically alluring half-sister. It’s addictive, dirty, and has just the right amount of intrigue to keep you going throughout its tenure.
If any of that sounds interesting, I recommend checking it out when you can on Hulu.
Book: The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros
Set during the 1893 Chicago world fair, this unforgettable Jewish fantasy takes the idea of the brooding hero and adds a touch of magic through its pages. Evocative in its imagery and captivating in its storytelling, this is a story that is sure to grab the minds and eyes of any who want to experience an even more morally ambiguous heroic tale.
Instead of Bruce Wayne, this book instead follows Alter Rosen, a Romanian immigrant who comes to the land of opportunity in hopes of bringing over his family when he makes enough money. But when his best friend, Yakov, becomes the latest victim in a string of unsolved serial murders, Alter finds himself plagued with his moral mission to solve the case and put Yakov’s tortured soul to rest, a soul that has possessed Alter in the form of a dybbuk, and threatens to take over his body entirely if he doesn’t succeed in his quest.
Haunting is definitely the word here, as the words of these pages refuse to leave you, long after the final one has been turned. Intensely well-written, realistically formed characters, and a grossly compelling story allow this book to stand head and shoulders above most in its genre — if what you’re looking for is something along the gothic hero type, then this is one for you.
Buy it now at your local bookstore, or visit your nearest library for a copy.
Video Game: Lost Judgment
You know what one of the main themes in Batman is, and always will be? Say it with me now: vengeance. That is what I’m delivering to you today in the form of a long-form video game.
Created by SEGA, Lost Judgment focuses on private detective Takayuki Yagami as he investigates a criminal accused of both sexual harassment and murder. However, what he finds is a thread that goes much deeper than he ever could have realized, one that has deep repercussions for himself and those around him.
A simple key point for this game is its relation to the Yakuza games, most recently its Like a Dragon release. This is game literally lives in the same world (both in the use of the game engine, and the where the game is set). However, this is still a recommendation even if you’d never heard of Yakuza beforehand. With plenty to sink your teeth into, it will take you down the harrowing path that many have had to tread beforehand — that of responsibility, and ruin.
To save yourself, you must save others, and to do so, you must solve the cryptic clues left behind by a madman villain (sound familiar?).
Exciting, thrilling, and addictive, if this is a game that sounds like your kind of a fun time, you can get it now on PlayStation and Xbox.
Music: Peggy Gou EP’s
This one’s a different one for me, as I’m not recommending one album or playlist in particular. Instead this is just a recommendation for the artist herself, and her release of single EPs throughout her career.
You might be asking why this is a recommendation. What does it have to do with the movie at its center? Well the connection here is that two of Peggy Gou’s songs made it onto the soundtrack — specifically in and around the clubbing scenes. So if you came out of the cinema just wanting to hear more of those atmospheric tones, then this is the gal for you.
South-Korean born and Germany based, Gou is identified by her bright and slightly hazy soundscapes that she’s able to call forth through her music. Taking the classic noir identifier of yore and adding a new spin to it, her repertoire instantly transports you into a neo-noir state of mind that perfectly places you within The Batman mindset.
If this is something you’d like to explore further, then I recommend checking out her Artist page on Spotify, or any of her fully uploaded sets on Youtube.
And that’s it; another month, another slew of suggestions from your friendly, neighborhood pop culture consumer! Whether you’re more into atmospheric beats, or would rather delve further into the mind of dark, twisted heroes, there should be something here for any The Batman fan to enjoy to its fullest.
I’ll be back next time with whatever manages to strike the iron hot in April. However, until then, thank you for visiting SiftPop’s One Stop Pop, and we hope to see you again soon!
You can follow Alice-Ginevra Micheli on Instagram and Letterboxd