The 2023 version of Haunted Mansion marks the second time Disney has attempted to turn their theme park attraction into a film. Ben Matthias (LaKeith Stanfield) is an astrophysicist turned paranormal tour guide in New Orleans. He has become a jaded and bitter man after his reputation is ruined when he designs a spectral camera. Ben gets an […]
Author: Kieran Freemantle
Gran Turismo Review
2023 has been the year of video game adaptations. The Last of Us has released critical acclaim and The Super Mario Bros. Movie and the Twisted Metal TV series have been well received by fans. Gran Turismo joins them with a film inspired by the games and real-life events. Jann Mardenborough (Archie Madekwe) is an avid Gran Turismo player and dreams of becoming a professional racing […]
Meg 2: The Trench Review
After a five-year break, the Megalodons return in a sequel to The Meg. Cult filmmaker Ben Wheatley takes on the directional duties for his first studio film. Five years after a Megalodon attack on Sanya Bay, Mana One has continued to explore the Mariana Trench for scientific research. During the latest exploration mission, Jonas Taylor […]
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem Review
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have had many iterations over their four decades of existence. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg have put their own spin on the property with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. 15 years ago a vial of ooze falls into the sewers after the TCRI raided Baxter Stockman’s (Giancarlo Esposito) secret laboratory. That […]
Joy Ride Review
Directed by the writer of Crazy Rich Asians, and written by two writers of Family Guy, Joy Ride is a female-centric comedy that sees a group of Chinese American women going to China for raunchy misadventures. Audrey Sullivan (Ashley Park) and Lolo Chen (Sherry Cola) have been friends since childhood having grown up in the small town of White […]
Talk to Me Review
Talk to Me is an Australian horror film and the directional debut of the Philippou Twins. It’s a film that had a lot of buzz around it since its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. Mia (Sophie Wilde) is a teenage girl who is still grieving for her mother who passed away two years prior. When […]
Pop Culture Maniacs Podcast #37: Barbenheimer
Kieran Freemantle and Jean Henegan discuss the Barbenheimer phenomenon and share their thoughts on Barbie and Oppenheimer.
Oppenheimer Review
Movie fans always anticipate Christopher Nolan’s films. He moves into the world of biopics with his historical epic about J. Robert Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer follows the life and career of J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy), from 1926 to 1954. This includes his student days in Cambridge and travelling around Europe to learn from the best physicists, teaching […]
Barbie Review
Barbie makes her live-action movie debut with a self-titled film. It has become one of the most anticipated films of the summer of 2023. Barbie can be a doctor, a writer, a president, and anything that can ever be imagined. The Barbies live in a perfect world where every day is the best day ever. […]
Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken Review
DreamWorks had a great one-two punch with their 2022 releases The Bad Guys and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Their first film of 2023, Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken had a lot to live up to. Ruby Gillman (Lana Condor) and her family live in the seaside town of Oceanside. There are Krakens who are pretending to be humans. […]