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!
Well, we’re back. A new year, and with it come new recommendations! We took a small break at the end of 2023 given the crazy family antics that always happen around the holiday period, so instead, we’re going to look at a couple movies that were on everyone’s mind’s in both November AND December! That’s right, it’s a two for one.
Our first is a foray back into the dystopian world of killing children to avoid war, while the other is a trip back to the wonderful world of candy and soon to be child murder.
I am of course talking about the soft reboot of The Hunger Games series with The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and the hard reboot of Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory with Wonka. We’re going down two very distinct paths that are both mired with plenty of expectations from their respective fandoms.
However, should you find yourself desperately wanting more of either or both, this might just be the very ticket you need to sate that hunger…
Book: Legend by Marie Lu
Many agree that the world is feeling a little darker these days, and that dystopias are eerily looking like a possible future reality. So why not escape into ones that are so far gone that they’re almost unrecognizable from our current lives?
That’s what so many may enjoy from the Hunger Games story, especially with this newest installment being from the perspective of the series’ biggest villain, illustrating how his downfall began.
So with that said, let’s take a step into another dark, futuristic world, set again in the once upon a time U.S. of A — Los Angeles, to be exact. In the Legend series, the western U.S. has become home to a Republic at war. We follow a young government prodigy, June, who is looking to be the future of law and order, as well as the most infamous and wanted criminal, Day, who might be fighting against what is actually an oppressive and totalitarian regime. These two opposite ideologies meet head to head when they encounter, and take us across a fantastic trilogy of conspiracy, tension, and danger.
Although we have had a dime a dozen of these dystopian YA novels, this series is set apart through its constant questioning of both protagonists’ intentions and beliefs. It’s never quite clear-cut, making the reading experience all the more thrilling!
Just like in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, the reader will never quite know who to trust, even if your heart is telling you to go one way, your mind may very well play tricks on you toward the other.
Audio Experience: GraphicAudio
Many of us love reading; this is a fact. To that point, many of us enjoy listening to audiobooks of our favorite novels as a way to experience the story in a different format. Further, many of us are wary of adaptations in the fear that they won’t quite live up to what’s in our mind.
This was certainly through of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which was a prequel no one wanted and everyone ended up loving; but we were very worried come release time.
So in that vein, what if I could present to you a place where you could experience your favorite book, with a full cast of characters, music, sound effects and the story you very much love all in one place — but not a movie or television show! A movie in your mind, one might say.
That’s right, I’m talking about GraphicAudio. It’s the new experience of audiobook listening, taking it very much to the next level. Plus, I don’t know about you, but I’ve always found it strange when a narrator would have to put on a voice to play other characters, particularly when they’re outside their gender. This is especially prudent in any particularly tense or romantic scenes.
So color me surprised and gleeful to discover a platform where I could enjoy my favorite tales in an even more exciting way, especially if there isn’t yet a good traditional adaptation I can enjoy. From Sarah J. Maas to Brandon Sanderson, there’s something for everyone, as well as their own original productions for a completely new experience.
TV Show: Schmigadoon!
Moving from the darkness of Hunger Games to the levity of Wonka, we must of course begin with the stark fact that this is indeed a musical — no matter what the advertising has led you to believe.
There are many songs, and lots of dancing present, and so it is only fair that I recommend a show that has just as much of that — while also acting as a love story to the musical as well.
I am of course talking about Schmigadoon!, the musical comedy from Apple TV+ that more people should absolutely be watching.
In order to save their marriage, a couple go on a backpacking trip and end up in a magical town where life is like a 1940s musical, like Oklahoma or Meet Me in St Louis. The second season follows the same couple in the same town, but this time we’re in the jazzy, decrepit world of musicals like Chicago and Sweeney Todd.
It’s a romp and a must-watch for anyone who even vaguely enjoys breaking out into song from time to time. There are currently two seasons available on Apple TV+, and each episode is only around the 30-minute mark, so really there’s very little barrier to entry.
Video Game: Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical
So we have a theme set for Wonka,and I’m sticking to it so that people are aware once again that it is in fact a musical.
Therefore, let’s recommend a musical video game, shall we? That’s right, one that’s actually quite decent and fun to play exists — who would have thought?
This is for the romantics in the room that are also in the BookTok train and love greek mythology. In Stray Gods, you play Grace, a singer in a world where the greek gods live amongst us, and we don’t know it. Using your voice, you draw in different characters — friends and foes — and must use your abilities to unravel the mystery of the Last Muse’s death.
Now while this is categorized as a role-playing game, it’s much more of a visual light novel that you experience rather than actually take part in, so it is more for the passive gamers in the group. However, it certainly is an experience that takes some stories, tales, and characters that we love, and twists them in a modern and incredibly catchy way — just like Wonka.
A choose-your-own-adventure with the extra element of an unforgettable audio experience, this is something that you won’t be able to experience except in this format. An experiment in imagination if you will…
What a changing tide of recommendations. From the dark, depressing, and foreboding, to the light, airy and hopeful, there should definitely be something here for everyone, no matter your taste preference.
I’ll return next month to see what could possibly stand out in the wasteland that is January, and what we can recommend as part of that. However, until then thank you for visiting SiftPop’s One Stop Pop. We hope to see you again soon!