Pop Culture Maniacs Podcast #7: Weaponized Nostalgia

Reality TV Meets Real-World Tragedy: The Ethics of (Not) Knowing

There is a haunting Ray Bradbury story from 1950 set in 2026—haunting only because it’s yet another one that seemed so far-fetched that seemingly has become true—about a technologically advanced house that lived on well past its owners. In “There Will Come Soft Rains,” the main character of the story is the house. It’s run […]

Bondathon: Casino Royale (2006)

Following on from the big sci-fi spectacle that was Die Another Day, Casino Royale (2006) was proof the franchise has the ability to reinvent itself. The franchise went from one of the worst films to one of the best. James Bond has been promoted to a Double-0. On his first mission Bond is tasked with capturing a bombmaker […]

Bondathon: You Only Live Twice

After the detour with the parody version of Casino Royale, Bondathon returns to the main series with the iconic if excessive Japanese-set adventure You Only Live Twice. The USA and USSR are on the brink of war after an American spacecraft disappears. The Americans blame the Soviets but MI6 believes the real culprit is in Japan and […]