PODCAST · tv
Pop Vultures
by Pop Vultures
Pop Vultures is an experiment, really. Just three dudes talking about the stuff they love: movies and tv (with the occasional book or album). We're not experts—but nobody is. You'll probably disagree with us at some point, but that's a good thing. So join us in discussing the greatest art and entertainment our world has to offer. Hopefully we make you laugh, revisit preconceived opinions, and even cry. We'll have critiques, defenses, and plenty of questions for you.
Episodes
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Galaxy's Edge
THE VULTURES ARE BACK! In this new episode the Vultures discuss their trip to Disneyland’s Galaxy’s Edge in early June – better late than never! Chris, Eli, and Pat were lucky enough to visit the new Star Wars land during the reservation period, and put bluntly, the haters are wrong – Galaxy’s…
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Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
The Vultures are back from spring break and are ready to discuss Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Academy Award winner for best animated feature. With the flood of all things superheroes, where does this animated movie fit in? Where does it stand in the pantheon of Spider-Man movies? Listen as...
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Interstellar
Humanity searches for a new home and Matthew McConaughey cries a lot in Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi epic Interstellar (2014). The blend of real science, human drama, stunning effects work, and ambitious filmmaking make this blockbuster worth celebrating and rewatching. Launch this episode, turn…
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Galaxy Quest
Galaxy Quest (1999) serves as both loving tribute and thoughtful sendup to all things Star Trek. A stellar cast deliver the laughs in this Three Amigos-esque science fiction comedy that pits washed up TV actors against a real alien threat. Beam aboard with the Vultures as they discuss this gem…
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Black Mirror: Bandersnatch
Netflix’s Black Mirror: Bandersnatch delivers an interactive choose-your-own-adventure experience that allows viewers to make decisions for Stefan, a young computer game designer adapting a novel that drove the author insane. Listen (or choose not to and deal with the consequences, loser) as the...
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Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The Pop Vultures have finally arrived at journey's end – Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. The epic conclusion to the Rings trilogy ups the ante in terms of scale and heart... and bucks the trend of having just one ending by adding nine more. Join the Vultures as they discuss this...
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Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
The Vultures continue their journey through Middle Earth with the second film in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Two Towers. How does this fan favorite from 2002 hold up? What are the challenges of adapting Tolkien for this middle chapter? Should you ever toss a dwarf? These questions and more...
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Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Hairy feet, little people, jewelry, and magic are the ingredients to many a fantasy... and The Lord is the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is no exception – the first of Peter Jackson’s epic trilogy adaption of JRR Tolkien’s fantasy masterwork that took pop culture by storm and brought Hobbits...
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Muppet Treasure Island
Muppet Treasure Island (1996) saw our favorite felt puppets star in a retelling of Robert Louis Stevenson’s story of pirates and buried treasure. Grounded by Tim Curry’s performance as Long John Silver and helmed by Brian Henson (son of Muppet creator Jim Henson) the film arguably marked the last...
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Halloween Special – 2018
John Carpenter’s Halloween (1978) was a turning point for horror cinema. The low budget independent film tells the simple story of an expressionless killer stalking babysitters on Halloween night. The resulting movie was so iconic, it has lasted four decades and spawned numerous sequels and…
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The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Murder, cannibalism, and furniture made out of people are just a few of the reasons Tobe Hooper’s horror classic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre gets under our skin. The movie spawned 8 sequels/remakes/prequels, including the 2003 remake from Marcus Nispel. Hitchhike with the Vultures as they…
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SCRAPS – American Vandal
Who drew the dicks? Who is the Turd Burglar? These are some of the most important questions of our time. American Vandal is a Netflix true crime mockumentary series in its second season. In this Scraps, the Pop Vultures delve into the seedy world of dick jokes and poop humor to get to the bottom…
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The Predator Franchise
Few films helped to define the hyper-masculine action films of the 80s like Predator (1987), which saw Arnold Schwarzenegger and his elite team of soldiers become prey for an alien hunter. The genre bending, self-aware film spawned three sequels, including the latest entry, The Predator (2018).…
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SCRAPS – Pop Quiz
Pop quiz, hot shots! In this scraps episode the Vultures take on their first ever Pop Quiz, in which they respond to listener-submitted questions from Instagram. Join the conversation and answer these questions along with the Pop Vultures. Follow us @popvultures on Instagram to participate in the...
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Touch of Evil
Touch of Evil (1958) would be any other filmmaker’s masterpiece, but for Orson Welles this classic has always lived in the shadow of Citizen Kane, and has been marred by its unfortunate post production issues — namely being taken away from Welles by the studio, resulting in three different cuts…
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SCRAPS – FanX
Many thousands of nerds, fans, and the culture curious attended FanX (previously know as Salt Lake Comic Con prior to a lawsuit) this past weekend. These conventions are for fans of every niche, where people can be themselves and celebrate whatever they love – but is this Utah iteration worthy of...
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Anniversary Special – Year One
The Pop Vultures are turning one! Eli, Chris, and Pat answer eleven questions in an attempt to reflect on their first year of podcasting, what the future may hold, and their gratitude toward the ever growing Pop Vultures community. Join us as we celebrate a year of talking movies with some hot...
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Jumping the Shark
While Jaws is widely considered a masterpiece, no shark film made since has been able to swim in its wake. Jaws spawned three sequels, the 90’s gave us Deep Blue Sea and more recently we’ve seen the likes of The Shallows and The Meg — but why have none of these movies been able to do what Jaws...
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Heat
Michael Mann’s film HEAT (1995) is many things – an epic crime drama, a canvas for the paring of acting legends Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, an existential meditation on the cause and effect of choices, a modern tragedy, and the movie with arguably the best shootout in cinema history. Join the...
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SCRAPS – A Bit of Housekeeping
We all make mistakes folks. Several of you wrote in about something we said in a previous episode – something we got wrong. Dead wrong. In this minisode, we come clean. Forgive us. We'll do better.
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The Dark Knight
Ten years have passed since The Dark Knight (2008) debuted in theaters around the world. Christopher Nolan’s film introduced us to the spectacle of IMAX and Heath Ledger delivered a villain worthy of the canvas. Why is this still the comic book movie by which all others are compared, and does it...
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Jaws
Few movies are as universally admired as Jaws (1975). It was the first real blockbuster, the highest grossing film of all time (at that point) and the movie that made Spielberg... Spielberg. Before its release the film was anything but a sure bet with it’s B-movie plot and endless production woes...
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Jurassic Park
Few movies can match the wonder, terror, and cinematic splendor of Jurassic Park (1993). Twenty-five years after its release the movie remains an iconic benchmark in pop cinema, outshining the latest blockbusters by a T-Rex sized margin. We all remember the dinosaur effects, the music, and the...
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Tron Legacy
Everyone remembers the score by Daft Punk, but the 2010 film Tron Legacy can be admired for a lot more than the music. Director Joseph Kosinski delivered a visual triumph that took the ideas from the original 1982 film and updated them for the 21st century. It’s far from perfect, but Tron Legacy...
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Inaugural Guilty Pleasure Debate
The Vultures are back with the first ever Pop Vultures Guilty Pleasure Debate (PVGPD), in which Pat, Chris, and Eli each propose a different movie as the superior guilty viewing pleasure. While no one would call these movies art, many would call them highly enjoyable. Listeners will determine the...
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The Game & Game Night
The 2018 comedy Game Night and the 1997 thriller The Game are two wildly different movies separated by genre that actually share a lot of similarities under the surface. Listen as the Vultures discuss what they liked about these two overlooked movies, both featuring premises designed to make you...
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Ready Player One
Steven Spielberg slides back into the blockbuster driver’s seat for the adaptation of Ernest Cline’s 2011 novel Ready Player One. Is it really just nostalgia porn, or merely the latest target of superficial hipster chiding? The Vultures sit down to discuss the overlooked craftsmanship of the…
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The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
There are cult classics and then there are cult classics, and then there's The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension. The Vultures sit down to discuss this endlessly quotable, charming oddball of a film.
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MiB – Men In Black
Some movies live or die by how well they walk the tight-rope of tone, and few do it better than Barry Sonnenfeld’s action / comedy / sci-fi mashup, Men In Black (1997). Suit up, throw on your shades, hit the red button, and join the Vultures as they look back at the inner workings of MIB – from...
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Waterworld
The Vultures take a swim in Waterworld and discuss why you shouldn't write off this post-apocalyptic action-adventure epic. At one time the most expensive movie ever made – and unfairly picked on by critics before its release – Waterworld is a fascinating piece of film history. So dive in and…
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Titanic
For a year in the late 90s James Cameron’s Titanic conquered the box-office, the Oscars, the hearts of countless teenage girls, and Debra from accounting saw it twenty times. While many of us remember that horrible song, or it being our first experience with PG-13 boobs, what about the actual...
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Year-end Wrap Up
Happy New Year everyone! In this episode the Pop Vultures take a look back at some of the major trends in pop culture in 2017 – despite our best efforts, Star Wars comes up again. We also take a peek at what the Vultures have in store for 2018.
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Christmas Special
For those who celebrate Christmas the holiday comes with a bevy of traditions, not the least of which are the movies we watch to get in the holiday spirit. Everyone has their favorite from the ultra classics, to something a little more Die Hard. Listen as the Vultures share a selection of their...
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Star Wars: The Last Jedi
After two years of anticipation and waiting cliffside to see what Luke Skywalker does with the return of his lightsaber, the latest installment of the Star Wars saga has arrived. With Episode VIII, Rian Johnson (writer, director) has delivered a critically acclaimed but fiercely divisive entry in...
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Star Wars Retrospective
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.... the iconic words that precede the epic adventures many of us started as children. Those adventures continue this week with the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. With the growing anticipation for the new film, the Pop Vultures use this episode to...
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Trailer Roundup
Captain America has a beard! That’s what we learned from the hot new trailer for Avengers: Infinity War – now the most mentioned movie trailer in the history of Twitter... so that’s something. With all the trailer excitement these days, the Vultures decided to sit down and look at a random...
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Monty Python’s Life of Brian
Everyone loves The Ministry of Silly Walks, the Parrot sketch, and the Black Knight getting delimbed — but Monty Python’s Life of Brian is not only their most thoughtful, intelligent, and complete film, but also their most divisive work. The Pop Vultures discuss Monty Python, Life of Brian, the...
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Ewoks: The Battle for Endor
Ewoks and diabetes abound in this episode as the Vultures hangout to loosely discuss a formerly canon Star Wars universe movie that has long since been buried, forgotten, and lost… and for good reason. Ewoks: The Battle for Endor is a TV movie, from 1985, which stars Wilford Brimley (of diabetes...
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Critiquing Criticism
Modern film criticism has largely been distilled down to thumbs, stars, and percentages of freshness. So what’s the point of modern film criticism? Is it to direct the viewer toward the box office with as little information as possible, reinforce and push good filmmaking, or to make money? The…
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SCRAPS – Thor: Ragnarok & Special Guest
Real talk – Thor: Ragnarok was neon garbage. In this minisode we sit down with an old friend and the officially unofficial fourth Pop Vulture, Jeremy Goldenberg, to discuss his work on big Broadway shows (before they open on Broadway), and why Thor: Ragnarok sucks.
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Marvel Cinematic Universe
With seventeen movies and more on the way, no real failures, and over $13 billion dollars in worldwide box-office grosses, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has dominated blockbuster filmmaking for the last decade. The MCU’s success has had a clear impact on big Hollywood productions, changing not…
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SCRAPS – Fan-dumb
A Justice League movie joke gone awry leads to the Vultures coming into contact with toxic, ravenous fandom on the Twitter. Personal attacks and therapy bills ensue. The Vultures crush on a new fave podcast from their peers, Epic Film Guys.
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Halloween Special
The night is upon us where armies of ravenous kids will trick-or-treat, others will put on slutty outfits and get too drunk, while the rest of us pretend not to be home and throw on those coveted horror movies we wait all year to watch. For those needing some Halloween movie recommendations, this...
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The Walking Dead • Ash vs. Evil Dead • Stranger Things
Keeping with the flavor of Halloween season, the Vultures circle a selection of contemporary horror TV shows. In this episode we discuss The Walking Dead, Ash vs. Evil Dead, and Stranger Things – three wildly different and successful horror television shows. So kick back, throw on your chainsaw...
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SCRAPS – Mindhunter
In this minisode the Vultures seek levity from talking about heavy movies and real world monsters by talking about the new Netflix series from David Fincher, Mindhunter... a show that goes deep into the psychology and actions of real world serial killers. Oops. The Vultures also stumble upon a...
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Alien 3
"This is rumor control." Alien³ is a very divisive film. The first two installments in the Alien franchise were critical and box office successes that went on to become classics – Alien³ was a different beast. Unable to agree on a final script, and chasing a studio-imposed release date…
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Blade Runner & Blade Runner 2049
Endless rain, burning neon, ethereal music, and urban pyramids — Blade Runner is one of the most influential films of all time with its impossible visual splendor and a philosophical existentialism that’s more human than human. Thirty-five years later the sequel, Blade Runner 2049, brings us a…
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SCRAPS – IT • Star Trek Discovery • The Orville
IT (2017) is now the most successful horror movie of all time. How could the Pop Vultures not talk about... IT? Eli, Chris, and Pat also touch on the new Star Trek Discovery series and The Orville, while Eli commits a nerd sin of epic proportions. Let's get scrappy!
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The Goonies & The Monster Squad
Hey youuuu guyyys! Remember the kid adventure films that helped form the foundation of our childhoods? These movies sharpened our sense of wonder and sent us searching for adventure atop our bikes. Why don't we make these movies anymore? What happened? Even if you saw these films in the 90s or...
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SCRAPS – Salt Lake Comic Con
Toys, fascinating smells, and crowds of generally nice people – in this minisode Eli, Pat, and Chris briefly reflect on their experience at Salt Lake Comic Con.
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Pop Vultures is an experiment, really. Just three dudes talking about the stuff they love: movies and tv (with the occasional book or album). We're not experts—but nobody is. You'll probably disagree with us at some point, but that's a good thing. So join us in discussing the greatest art and entertainment our world has to offer. Hopefully we make you laugh, revisit preconceived opinions, and even cry. We'll have critiques, defenses, and plenty of questions for you.
HOSTED BY
Pop Vultures
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Pop Vultures have?
Pop Vultures currently has 55 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Pop Vultures about?
Pop Vultures is an experiment, really. Just three dudes talking about the stuff they love: movies and tv (with the occasional book or album). We're not experts—but nobody is. You'll probably disagree with us at some point, but that's a good thing. So join us in discussing the greatest art and...
How often does Pop Vultures release new episodes?
Pop Vultures has 55 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Pop Vultures?
You can listen to Pop Vultures on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Pop Vultures?
Pop Vultures is created and hosted by Pop Vultures.
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