Tom & Lorenzo’s Pop Style Opinionfest

T Lo dive deep into director Paul Schrader's mournful, contemplative take on despair vs. hope and whether faith can help or hinder in that battle, starring a never-better Ethan Hawke and an inscrutable Amanda Seyfried. 

Tom and Lorenzo address the controversy surrounding Pride Nights in Major League Baseball in the wake of the San Francisco Giants mess and offer their thoughts on a way forward. Then it's a happy deep dive into the season finale of "Widow's Bay" and what it suggests about where the show is headed.

Tom and Lorenzo dive deep into director Axel Gabriel's art house and foodie cinema classic "Babette's Feast," unpacking the themes and examining the artistry of its writing, cinematography, costume design and amazing performances. 

T Lo take a look at all of the stars showing up for the Knicks at Madison Square Garden and debate whether it's turned into too much of a fashion show before weighing in on the latest controversy surrounding "Heated Rivalry"'s Hudson Williams, unpacking why Jinkx Monsoon has reached the level of success she has, and gushing over the latest "Widow's Bay." 

Tom and Lorenzo revisit director Joe Wright's classic romantic tragedy, "Atonement," starring Kiera Knightley, James McAvoy and Saiorse Ronan. From the iconic green dress to the jaw-dropping war scenes to the tragic twist ending, they unpack why this film became a classic and how it rises above some of the cliches of its settings and themes by not lingering too long on them. 

T Lo unpack the Patagonia vs. Pattie Gonia case and how it revolves around issues of queer expression and whether corporations can have a say. Then it's a look at all the online drama surrounding Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding plans, before recapping the latest "Widow's Bay" and a non-spoiler review of "Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed."

T Lo unpack the final season and finale of "Hacks," running down the ways the show went off the rails, how it corrected course, and how it almost screwed up the ending before launching into a rave review for "Widow's Bay" and why it needs to be your next must-watch. PLUS: Billy Eichner needs to get over it, Tom Hardy sounds like a nightmare, and Olivia Rodrigo gets an education on the babydoll dress.

This week's BKMC takes a look at director Gus Van Sant's black comedy "To Die For," starring Nicole Kidman. Tom and Lorenzo unpack how the film sits perfectly in a 1990s cultural continuum that includes everything from the Menendez brothers to Cher Horowitz as well as all the ways it eerily predicted the cultural shifts of the internet and social media.

T Lo unpack the stupid controversies surrounding Christopher Nolan's film of "The Odyssey," including the classism surrounding accents and the racism about western beauty idols as embodied by Lupita Nyong'o. After that, it's a look at Harry Styles' concert drama, Jacob Elordi dating Kendall Jenner, Colbert's long goodbye, Disney's poorly received Mandalorian stunt and who should be the next James Bond.

This week's BKMC pod pays tribute to director Craig Brewster and star Eddie Murphy's glorious salute to the Blaxploitation era and unpacks the ways the film upholds a unique and important take on cultural history that shares a lot of DNA with queer culture. 

T Lo rant about a range of topics this week, from how everyone gets bent out of shape every time Billie Eilish opens her mouth, to the alarming developments in how stars are treating red carpets, to the threat of AI in Hollywood and lazy costume design on "Euphoria." 

Tom and Lorenzo dive deep into director Wim Wenders' 1987 art house classic about life, love, death, time and the city of Berlin, unpacking the genesis, production, themes and legacy of "Wings of Desire."

For this week's BKMC, Tom and Lorenzo unpack the themes, designs, and origins of director Janicza Bravo's ZOLA, probably the only major film based entirely on a viral social media thread. 

T Lo explain the origins and goals of the annual Met Gala and unpack why they're ignoring any calls to boycott it because of the Bezos connection. Then it's a deep, non-spoiler dive into "The Devil Wears Prada 2" and how it turned out better than anyone had a right to expect.

For this week's BKMC, T Lo unpack the themes, motifs, and behind-the-scenes stories of director Christopher Nolan's brilliant neo-noir, "Memento."

T Lo look at the recent tour of Australia by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, pointing out how their faux-royal life is likely to evaporate if they keep monetizing it. PLUS: Non-spoiler reviews of "Hacks," "Beef," and "Margo's Got Money Troubles". 

T Lo take a deep dive into director Richard Linklater's slavish love letter to the French New Wave, "Nouvelle Vague," about the making of Jean-Luc Godard's "Breathless" in 1959. After unpacking the homages and references, as well as the importance of Godard's boundary-shattering work, they settle on a single question: Is it even possible to pay homage to an act of reckless artistry by meticulously recreating it? 

T Lo dive into 2017's "The Greatest Showman," starring Hugh Jackman, unpacking its themes and failures, comparing it to other musicals of the stage and screen, and analyzing the creative choices of its composers, director, and costume designer in order to tell a total fantasy story about a much more complicated figure.

T Lo take a moment to talk about the Artemis II mission and why everyone's fallen in love with the crew before unpacking recent pop culture drama surrounding the premise of the Zendaya/Robert Pattinson film "The Drama" and Chloe Fineman from "Saturday Night Live," who told a story she should have kept to herself. PLUS: Lorenzo reviews Raye's "This Music May Contain Hope."

In the inaugural episode of the BKMC, Tom and Lorenzo check in on Sofia Coppola's 2006 ode to bored, disaffected privileged girls everywhere, "Marie Antoinette," starring Kirsten Dunst. As a supplement to an essay on the film, they unpack the aesthetic, the shooting details, the history, and the response to this highly influential film.

T Lo dive into the celebrity and pop culture stories of the week, from the news surrounding Harry & Meghan's latest projects, to why you can't watch the upcoming Harry Potter series if you care about trans people -- or just people generally, to Kim Novak's surprising comments about Sydney Sweeney, to the horrifying AI "update" of a bona fide Hollywood masterpiece.

T Lo give the final word on the 2026 Oscars, from the snubs and surprises, to the minor scandals and mishaps. They give their thoughts on the winners, the losers, the films, the gowns, and the after-parties, all in one podcast for your convenience.

T Lo react (badly) to the suggestion that the Oscars skip the red carpet this year because of the war in Iran, before tearing into Timothée Chalamet for taking is dudebro act a little too far. Will it hurt his Oscars chances? PLUS: Daryl Hannah's righteous response to "Love Story" and the question of whether creators can simply play with real people's lives. And a recap of Netflix's "Vladimir," which had a lot of problems.

T Lo shout out to their trans siblings at this time of oppression and note the sad ways the Women's U.S. Olympics hockey team has had to deal with the politicizing of everything. Then it's a look at the Actors Awards upsets and what they mean for the Oscars and an examination of the potential Warner's/Paramount merger and how it represents a dangerous trend in American life.

T Lo weigh in on the former Prince Andrew's arrest and what it says about the royal family specifically at this time and elite impunity generally. They also weigh in on the recent Tourette's Syndrome controversy at the BAFTAs, how there are no villains here but several parties need to make amends ASAP. And finally, they recap the lovely and beautiful first season finale for "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms." PLUS: Lorenzo's TikTok Time!

T Lo get a little political and explain why the Trump administration's order to remove the rainbow flag at the Stonewall National Monument is an attempt to erase queer history and call for allies to stand up and call out. Then they review Reality Check: Inside "America's Next Top Model" and explain why it's worth your time even if it is a lot of bull. PLUS: reviews of "Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette," "How to Get to Heaven from Belfast," and the heartbreaking "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms." 

T Lo unpack the history, culture, and meaning behind Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show, pay tribute to the great Catherine O'Hara, and discuss Margot Robbie's somewhat mercenary approach to red carpet style and how it represents a shift in celebrity culture. PLUS: Why they love "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" and refuse to do any research on it.

T Lo take a moment for Renee Good and pay tribute to Valentino. Then they unpack the increasingly heated fandom activity surrounding "Heated Rivalry" and how it's part of a long tradition of fandom misbehavior. Plus: Recaps of "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" and "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms".

For the final podcast of 2025, T & Lo each picked their three favorite movies and three favorite TV shows and tell you why you should catch them as soon as you can.

T Lo pay tribute to Rob Reiner and give an update on their holiday and publishing plans before launching into extensive discussions on "Jay Kelly" and "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery."

T Lo talk about HBO's "Heated Rivalry" and why such stories tend not to appeal to them as gay men before launching into a deep recap of "With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration" and how it reveals both her strengths and her limitations as a TV show hostess, with some suggestions as to how she can improve her brand.

Just as it says on the tin, T Lo flipped on their mics and offered a non-spoiler review of "Train Dreams," starring Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones and Kerry Condon, and a totally spoiler-filled review of "Wicked: For Good."

T Lo discuss Meghan Markle's Harper's Bazaar interview and the various feverish responses to it, unpack how the publicity tour for "Wicked: For Good" has gotten increasingly bizarre and dramatic, and review Jennifer Lopez's "Kiss of the Spider Woman" and all the ways it failed its star.

T Lo give you all the details on their Paris trip and some of the details on an upcoming project before launching into reviews of "All's Fair," "Death by Lightning," "Pluribus" and "Frankenstein."

Tom and Lorenzo flipped on their mics and reviewed three slightly problematic films that dropped on streaming this week: "A House of Dynamite," "Hedda," and "Ballad of a Small Player," debating the high and low points of each film and coming to different conclusions on all of them. 

T Lo unpack some recent social media controversies about Sabrina Carpenter and Kristen Bell before launching into discussion of the Bad Bunny Super Bowl controversy and Keira Knightley's disappointing support for J.K. Rowling. Plus: a review of "The Woman in Cabin 10."

T Lo take a look at all of the drama and rhetoric surrounding the release of Taylor Swift's "The Life of a Showgirl" and how it speaks of a problem for all artists who reach an unprecedented level of success: Can billionaires even create art?

T Lo celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the release of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" and unpack why it was so important to two generations of queer people and why it still resonates today.  Plus: Checking back in on the Jimmy Kimmel situation and a gushing review of "House of Guinness."

T Lo flipped on their mics and got to unpacking everything they know about modern media consolidation, celebrity promotion, economics and politics in regard to the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel for making remarks that powerful people didn't like.

T Lo observe the 50th anniversary of "Grey Gardens" and dive into the history, the ethical considerations and the making of the film and explain why gay men in particular have always been obsessed with its main subject, Edie Beale. PLUS: Why were the VMAs so conservative this year? And reviews of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" and "aka Charlie Sheen."

T Lo keep things simple this week, focusing on three TV shows and offering their thoughts on everything that's wrong (and a few things that are right) about "The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox," "Alien: Earth," and the second season of "With Love, Meghan."

T Lo go DEEP on the finale of "And Just Like That..." and all of the ways the show failed its characters, its fans and its legacy. PLUS: e.l.f. Cosmetics thought they could get clever riding the anti-woke wave with Matt Rife and it blew up in their faces.

T Lo unpack why they don't cover "Project Runway" and all the ways the show has failed to do what it promised, then they do yet another deep dive into the penultimate episode of "And Just Like That..." before the whole thing goes away for good. PLUS: Billie Eilish says the wrong thing! And is "The Devil Wears Prada 2" being spoiled too early?

T Lo unpack the whole controversy surrounding the American Eagle ads starring Sydney Sweeney, from why she's such a politicized figure to why the accusations of Nazism and eugenics miss the mark and how the ad propagates racialized beauty standards in a way that feels like a throwback. PLUS: "And Just Like That..." had a not-horrible episode! T Lo rip it to shreds anyway.

T Lo look at the sudden Pedro Pascal backlash, what's fueling it, and whether it's coordinated. Then they unpack recent stories about Laverne Cox's news regarding her personal life and why her fans are disappointed and Variety magazine's hit piece on "Alien: Earth" star Sydney Chandler and who's in the wrong. And then they pop open the Champagne and toast to the end of Aidan and Carrie on "And Just Like That..."

T Lo look at the Colbert Late Night cancellation and what it says about this moment, both culturally and politically. Then they unpack all of the privacy and social media issues surrounding the cheating CEO at the Coldplay concert and all of the fan drama surrounding Pedro Pascal's former stylist. Finally, it's another rant about the increasingly pointless "And Just Like That..."

T Lo review the new "Superman" film, taking into account the character's cinematic history and how director James Gunn paid homage to or offered responses to various portrayals throughout the decades. After that, it's another round of "Who ARE these people?" as they recap the latest "And Just Like That..."

T Lo review the Mariska Hargitay-directed documentary "My Mom Jayne," about her mother Jayne Mansfield and the secrets she kept before moving on to "I'm Your Venus" about the legendary Venus Xtravaganza and the families she left behind. And finally, they yell at Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte some more because "And Just Like That..." is terrible this season.

T Lo unpack the news that Anna Wintour is ending her tenure as Editor-in-Chief of Vogue and explain why it probably doesn't matter that much, then they tear into the Jeff Bezos/Lauren Sanchez wedding and the tackiness of her gown. And finally, "And Just Like That..." improves. but Carrie is still horrible.

T Lo dive into all of the hottest celebrity scandals on Tik Tok and then rip the latest episode of "And Just Like That..." to shreds.