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 will 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!
This month we’ll be exploring the night of nights, the event of events, the most compelling time in every cinephile’s year: The Academy Awards (Hey, I always said this would be based on lots of types of media, not just movies!).
Now having run for over 90 years, this is the ultimate accolade that filmmakers around the world hope to one day hold. Even as a film fan, you’d be kidding yourself to say that you never grabbed a stray object from around the room, and practiced a speech in the mirror. In fact, there are some of us that may have practiced a few based on what personality they might adopt when they had their name in lights (e.g. overly-emotional, short and sweet, or partaking in whatever drugs Joaquin Phoenix was on when he won).
So for those of you that are here and, like me, had loved to watch the Oscars year upon year (and who felt a bit ripped off due to this year’s ceremony and need something to cleanse the palate), here are four other forms of entertainment you can turn to now that your wait is back to over 300 days again.
TV Show: Feud: Bette and Joan
For fans of classic cinema, this will especially tickle your fancy. It was meant to be an anthology series that explored famous feuds in history, but only managed to get one season out the gate before ending up back in development hell — but what a season it was.
Centered around two legends of cinema: Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, the show follows them in the twilight of their years (and their careers) as they work together on the perennial film Whatever Happened To Baby Jane, and proceed to develop a life-long rivalry that has lived in infamy.
And who else could play two of the greatest actresses of all time, except for two of the greatest actresses of all time: Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange. Not to mention the rest of the cast, which boasts names like Alfred Molina, Stanley Tucci, Kathy Bates, Catherine Zeta-Jones… need I go on?
As the show progresses, the audience gets a truly intimate and cutting inside look at all the glamour of Hollywood’s Golden Age and get to know two enigmas of history in a way that is truthful, biting, and unrelenting.
It’s great to watch just for the lead performances, I’m not going to lie. Lange and Sarandon are such powerhouses that they leave nothing on the floor with every line delivered and every insult thrown.
Clocking in at a total runtime of about six and a half hours, this is a great way to dive deep into classic cinema when it was at its heights of scrutiny, viciousness, and success. Not to mention that getting or not getting one of the pesky golden statuettes is a pretty big plot point throughout the series. So for us Oscars fans, it’s also a chance to experience the awards in a way we haven’t been able to before.
Streaming on Amazon Prime now, pour yourself a glass of wine and get ready for some Grade A level drama.
Youtube Channel: CineFix – IGN Movies and TV
Now for those whose favorite part of the awards every year is watching the clips replay ahead of each ceremony, specifically in the technical awards as that’s where you literally see the magic happen (and an area where I felt especially swindled this year), this one is for you.
Recently acquired by IGN, the CineFix Youtube channel describes themselves as the home for informational and entertaining movie and TV show content made by experts for the modern day cinephile — and boy, is that the truth
Each week they release content that will either go very deep into some of the most expertly crafted films of all time or will dive into a plethora of them while exploring a specific facet of cinema.
For example, over the past couple of weeks they’ve released videos that dove into how Sound of Metal created the audio illusion of going deaf, while also ranking their top 10 favorite movie endings of all time.
Both a mini-film school and a fun listicle creator, this channel is kind of if BuzzFeed existed only to serve the desires of cinephiles (oh, what a world that would be!).
And they don’t just go with the obvious choice either. Sometimes the films they talk about are ones you know and love and sometimes they’re incredibly obscure French art house films from the 60’s — as Forrest Gump said, “You never know what you’re going to get.”
Also presenting series about comparing adaptations to their source material and deconstructing current trends in cinema, it’s a great place to go to in order to learn, be entertained, and just to watch lots of clips of movies interpreted in lots of different ways!
If that sounds like it’s right up your alley, then go to Youtube and search “CineFix” and get started on your cine-journey today.
Podcast: The Empire Film Podcast
In the effort of not being biased, I will be straying from the obvious here, as it could be seen as a bit of a given otherwise. Instead, I will turn to the first film podcast I ever listened to.
In fact, it might have been my first podcast, period, and I’m so glad I happened upon it. Hosted by the writers of one of the most famous film magazines in the world, Empire Magazine, the podcast of the same name is a celebration of everything in and around movies and television.
Whether it’s doing a retrospective with special guests (such as the recent In Conversation with Edgar Wright and Quentin Tarantino), a spoiler special on a major release, or even just their weekly episode with renowned guests (most recently Doug Liman and Emily Mortimer), there is something there for every film fan to enjoy.
It’s only more enjoyable due to the incredible group of regular hosts they’ve brought together from their writers’ room, who have even taken on quite known personalities of their own.
There were many times as a young lass that I would find myself laughing so hard I was crying while listening to an episode, which was only met by how much I felt I learned and absorbed from listening to them break down various films and media with the sort of insider knowledge they’re often privy too.
If that sounds like your kind of a good time, go find it on your favorite podcast player… oh and if you haven’t already — check out SiftPop and SiftPop Writers’ Room as well!
Book: Silver Screen Fiend: Learning About Life from an Addiction to Film by Patton Oswalt
As many reading this would have experienced a few times in their life, when you’re into movies you become the “movie guy.” You’re the one your friends turn to when they want to know anything about any film, actor, or filmmaker, and they expect you to have strong opinions about every subject under the sun. Not to mention the fact that regular people expect you to have seen every film under the sun as well.
Well, I found it really nice and relaxing to read about a true cinephile in every sense of the word, and his experience with addiction — film addiction, that is. Written by comedian Patton Oswalt (the voice of Remy in Ratatouille), the book follows his discovery and subsequent descent into what it means to be a truly obsessed film fan.
Full of dry humor, witty observations, and certain filmic references that even I had to look up to truly understand, it’s an interesting dive into what it must be like for our friends when we talk to them about the magic of motion pictures. You’ll also be sure to walk away learning a little more about film and a-lot more about Oswalt, who is overall one of the better comedians out there so really win win!
A short 240 pages, this is a fun way to experience the love of film all over again, and it’s not even much of a commitment! So if it sounds like something that could get you over the reading slump, pick up a copy at your nearest bookstore and dive straight in.
Whether you’re wanting a look into classical cinema or to learn about the marvels of modern filmmaking, there should be something above that helps you traverse the rest of the year until we get to the next Academy Awards.
And, in case you somehow need more ahead of then I’ll be back in June with all your pop culture recommendations for something completely different.
Until then, thank you for visiting Siftpop’s One Stop Pop, and we hope to see you again soon!
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