Culture Crash: Exploring Hulu’s “Castle Rock”
Season two of “Castle Rock” is now streaming on Hulu. The Stephen King-inspired show is full of spooky plotlines and a diverse mix of characters – but is it worth the watch?
Culture Crash: The Joys of ‘Junk Food TV’
Sometimes you want to watch an expertly written and produced hour of television with central themes and a commentary on modern life - and sometimes, you just want to shut your brain off and watch something easy. This is about those latter experiences.
Culture Crash: How Technology Has Changed Sports-Watching
It used to be that you’d tune into a basketball game or tennis match with whoever was in the room. Now, social media and the internet allow us to watch, analyze data and connect in real-time commentary with people from around the world.
Culture Crash: A Review of Gemini Man
Directed by Ang Lee and starring Will Smith, "Gemini Man" employs new filming technology aimed at immersing audiences deeper into a film. We discuss if the new release lived up to all the hype.
Culture Crash: Joaquin Phoenix’s “Joker”
Directed by Todd Phillips, the newest installment in the “Joker” franchise was released earlier this month to mixed reviews. We cover the evolution of the classic villain and how this movie portrays a different side of the character and society itself.
The Dark Side of Masculinity
Author Jared Yates Sexton shares memories from his own turbulent childhood and accounts as a journalist and connects it to the larger discussion around the phenomenon of toxic masculinity in the U.S. What exactly is toxic masculinity and how is it affecting men and youth?
Teaching Youth About Consent and Abuse
In the 20 years since writing the young adult novel Speak, based on her own rape, author Laurie Halse Anderson has met with numerous audiences of adolescents. She has found a huge gap in the ways girls and boys perceive what constitutes sexual consent, abuse, and the consequences of assault.
Culture Crash: Sketch Comic Becomes Movies’ Hottest Horror Director
Jordan Peele used to be best known as a sketch comic, but his second film as a director, “Us,” is showing that the success of his first, “Get Out,” was no fluke.
Culture Crash: Roma
You may have noticed a new movie on your Netflix homepage called Roma. It’s Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuarón’s most personal film yet and an absolute masterpiece.
Culture Crash: A Look Ahead at the Movies Set to Dominate Awards Season
Awards season is officially upon us. The Golden Globes have already announced their nominees, which are as questionable as always. Year-end lists are being finalized, and Oscar buzz is reaching a roar for some contenders. But now is also the time when many of these movies are being released in the first place. So, here’s a guide of what to keep an eye out …
Culture Crash: The Disappointing Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
Last month, JK Rowling’s Wizarding World saw its latest installment, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald be met with a low score on Rotten Tomatoes and countless disappointed Harry Potter fans across the globe.
Culture Crash: Amazon Prime’s “Homecoming”
Director Sam Esmail has taken Gimlet’s hit podcast Homecoming and infused it with a whole lot of cinematic flair in his new Amazon Prime series that serves as a throwback to classic thrillers and a trailblazer for the brave new world of 30-minute dramas.
Culture Crash: Filling the Thanksgiving Movie Void with Stuck in Love
In the build-up to Halloween, many of us get in the spooky mood by watching horror movies like Nightmare on Elm Street or, naturally, Halloween. Before Christmas, seasonal cheer leads people to dig out their old copies of It’s a Wonderful Life or Elf. But there aren’t many Thanksgiving movies.
Culture Crash: Dave Eggers and His Boundary-Pushing Writing (2018)
Throughout his career, Eggers has pushed the boundaries of writing, and no book better illustrates his desire to innovate than his 2014 novel, Your Fathers, Where Are They? And the Prophets, Do They Live Forever? It’s a book that consists only of dialogue. Each line is introduced with a single dash, and while it sounds complicated, the form actually makes it …
Culture Crash: Serial, the podcast that captivated America, returns for its most important season yet
While seasons one and two told the stories of specific, extraordinary cases, season three sets its sights on the mundane. This time, the team at This American Life and Serial took on telling the story of criminal justice in Cleveland over the course of a year. The reporters follow little cases: a bar fight, a drug bust, individuals who break parole. It tells …
Culture Crash: Netflix’s Binge-worthy Horror Drama, The Haunting of Hill House
Earlier this month, Netflix released The Haunting of Hill House, a 10-episode horror series loosely based on the novel of the same name by Shirley Jackson. The series follows the Crain family; two parents and five children, over the course of multiple timelines. We watch their time spent decades earlier in the Hill House, a creepy old mansion they moved into …
Culture Crash: The Academy’s ‘Best Popular Film’ Snafu
In a wild moment, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced its intention to honor popular films at the Oscars. We explore why that’s a really bad idea.
Culture Crash: TV Episode Bloat: Too much of a good thing
Streaming networks have opened up the length an episode of television can run. Gone are the days when writers needed to accommodate advertisements. But episodes that run long often present a new slate of problems – namely, staying interesting.
Serious Play: Using tactical performance as protest (2018)
We all love a good theater performance. But are theater and performance good strategies to affect social change? Our guest thinks so. He’s a performer, writer and educator who uses serious play and theater to help change people’s minds and change society for the better.
American Detainment: Lessons to Learn From America’s Internment Camp Shame
It’s a topic that has been in the news lately: how our government detains groups of people. We look back at history to see what really happened in World War II Japanese internment camps, and how we can avoid similar shame now and in the future.
The Rise of Confrontational Politics (2018)
Politicians have always stirred up controversy, but no politician has ever done it as often, or as well as Donald Trump. We talk to two experts about the attraction to these politicians.
Culture Crash: Roger Ebert’s Legendary Criticism
Movie criticism these days typically boils down to numbers and general consensus. But when Roger Ebert was alive, he cultivated a following that considered his perspective above all else.
Culture Crash: YouTube’s Logan Paul Problem
YouTube stars rack up huge followings and a lot of cash. But YouTube’s hottest star is in a lot of hot water over one of his videos. How should the internet regulate itself?
Author Jack London’s Writings and Social Activism
We discover how Jack London’s own journey informed his writing, and how his books reflect the plight of exploited workers and impoverished women and children.
