Popcorn and Cumin

We're back for a final episode with guest Jenny, an animation industry expert! Get ready for a behind the scenes look at animation, this time focused on production and post-production, and all centered around the Pixar classic, Monsters, Inc. And don't miss this week's cross-border factoid, because it is 100% ridiculous.

Inconceivable!You voted, and we listened—this week’s Listeners’ Choice pick is The Princess Bride! Join Popcorn and Cumin as we dive into the magic behind Rob Reiner’s beloved classic. We’re serving up behind-the-scenes trivia, our signature top-tier analysis, and answers to your burning questions: How were the Rodents of Unusual Size brought to life? How does the film stack up against the original novel? And which co-star needed consoling from André the Giant during a not-so-daring stunt? All this and more awaits in this week’s episode!

We’re diving into the animation pipeline in this week’s episode, with industry expert Jenny guiding us through pre-production (or development).Don’t worry, there are plenty of side quests along the way into fun behind-the-scenes facts about some of your favorite Disney, Pixar, and Dreamworks animation films, including The Incredibles, Shrek, Ratatouille, The Emperor’s New Groove, and, of course, Monsters Inc. Jenny also sneaks in a trivia quiz to check how well Euan and Sarah paid attention when watching Monsters, Inc. (spoiler alert, they apparently did not pay attention at all). (34:23) skip to Monsters, Inc. Trivia Quiz

This week, we’re breaking down the Academy Awards — so whether you watched the whole thing or skipped it entirely, we’ve got you covered! We’re diving into the winners, the snubs, and those cringy speeches (yes, we’re looking at you, Emilia Perez songwriters and Adrien Brody).Sarah goes full throttle with a rant about biopics and the overall meh-ness of this year’s nominees, while Euan rides to the rescue, defending Anora and The Substance as gems that deserved their moment. Oh, and if you watch nothing else from the night, do yourself a favor and check out the Wicked opener with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.

Calling all Pixar and Disney movie lovers!Popcorn and Cumin is back again, but with a twist. For the first time ever in the podcast's illustrious history, we have a guest! This is the first in a series of episodes centered around the wonderful world of animated movies, and who better to discuss animation with than friend of the podcast, Jenny. Jenny has first-hand experience working on some of your favorite animated movies, and this week she is sharing her insight and love for one of our favorite animated movies: Monsters, Inc. Stay tuned to Popcorn and Cumin as Jenny will join us for the rest of the Animation Series to give first-hand insight into filmmaking and animation. See you in two weeks to complain about the Oscars results!

Popcorn & Cumin is back for our annual Academy Awards complain-athon. We are just as aggrieved as you at Dune: Part 2's underperformance (sorry Zendaya, Timothée Chalamet, and Denis Villenueve). We are even madder at Challengers' total snub (sorry Zendaya...again!) Sarah remains upset that Jonathan Bailey has not been nominated for any awards for playing Fiyero in Wicked, while Euan is too concerned with dangerous wildlife in the USA to worry about this. But it's not all negative! We also include a 30-second review of Ralph Fiennes' performance in Conclave (we liked it) and we provide some more insight into Emilia Perez (we still don't like it). See you in a few weeks where we will be back to complain about Dune Part 2 not winning best picture (sorry Zendaya... again...again!!)

Happy New Year! Popcorn and Cumin is back and our 2025 resolution is to continue to review movies even if they are terrible. This week's topic is the 2025 Golden Globe Best Musical or Comedy winner Emilia Pérez. This is a French film that has cleverly masqueraded itself as a Mexican movie by cunningly casting a single Mexican actor. Are you a fan of culturally insensitive and poorly translated dialogue and song lyrics? Do you love songs that sound like they were written by an AI? Do you like Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón, and Selena Gomez (okay, they are actually quite good)? If any of the answers are yes, then Emilia Pérez was made for you, and what better way to round off your viewing experience than listening to your favorite pop-culture podcast's thoughts on this modern masterpiece. (We hope to be back doing good movies soon).

If you thought the WICKED craze was dying down, think again! Did Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, and Jonathan Bailey really record their vocals live on set? What Wizard of Oz easter eggs did filmmakers sneak into the movie? And does Sarah or Euan know the lyrics of Wicked better? We are revisiting Oz for a second time to answer all your burning questions. Ozians rejoice!

You've all heard it. The great debate. Is Die Hard a Christmas movie? On this year's Christmas edition of Popcorn and Cumin, we're defining what are the criteria for something to be considered a Christmas movie. Framing the discussion is the 1998 action classic Die Hard. Die Hard is famously set at Christmas, but is that all something needs to be considered a Christmas movie. Spoiler Alert: one of your hosts think so, the other host thinks not.

Fellow Ozians; Are you holding space for the newest episode of Popcorn and Cumin? We're off to spend one (not so) short day in the Emerald City. We're rejoicified to report we have bounced back from the disgusticifying depths of Joker 2, to the swankified delights of a good movie. Well, half of a good movie. In celebration of splitting things that could be whole into two, this will be the first part of our Wicked discussion (Wicked, Part 1, Part 1, if you will). Join Sarah and Euan as they argue who has a longer history with Wicked, how to say colloquially, and provide a run-down on all the performances - from the highs of Ariana Grande to the even higher highs of Jonathan Bailey. I hope you're happy!

Times are tough in Gotham, but they are tougher for everyone who had to sit through Joker: Folie à Deux. Listen to two movie musical fanatics tear down this sad addition to one of our favorite genres. Listen as Sarah psychologically diagnoses Mr Joker with the knowledge she gained from her degree in psychology, Euan provides key cultural insights into news media, and both hosts basically tear the movie to shreds from start to finish. Joker? I wish I barely know her. (07:02) Euan's Political Fact (09:55) Joker: Folie à Deux

Sistas! The spookiest time of the year is upon us and to celebrate Popcorn & Cumin is bringing you its annual spooktacular episode, as voted on by you! Join Sarah and Euan as they venture into the world of 17th century Salem, Massachusetts where 3 evil witches are hanged by the neck until dead (alongside a host of innocent women). This week, you will learn all about the history of witch hunts, the definitive list of child actors (ranked by talent), and be given all the Hocusy Pocusy trivia you could ask for. Listen, if you dare!

This week on Popcorn & Cumin we are continuing our death march towards All Hallows' Eve (otherwise known as Spooky Season). On the chopping block this week is Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the long awaited (36 years!) follow-up to the 1988 cult-classic Beetlejuice. Neither Sarah nor Euan are crazy about the original, but did the sequel leave them feeling hot, cold, or indifferent about the Ghost with the Most? Listen to find out! (01:25) Vibe Check: Spooky or Scary? (16:10) Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Popcorn and Cumin is back, better than ever, and ready to guide you through Spooky Season. Our first episode of Season 2 focusses on 1979's horror classic Alien. Sarah is a first time viewer, but was she prepared enough to survive her trip on the Nostromo? Luckily Euan is here to guide us or bore us, with all the necessary context. Like, is the planet they land on Saturn? Does a dog play the Alien? What really happened during the Boston Massacre in 1770? Your answers can only be found in deep space where no one can hear you scream.

Bad news everyone, it's the season finale of Popcorn and Cumin! Your favorite podcast is taking a (well-earned) break, but we will be back before you know it making great jokes at the expense of all your favorite bits of pop culture. This week, we are tackling the first Chapter of arguably the seminal film franchise, Star Wars! Listen as we do a deep-dive into the divisive film which gives us what every Star Wars fan wanted, a 10 year old Darth Vader who says yippee frequently. Who is Euan's theory for the who the real villain is? Does Sarah understand the plot of the movie we are reviewing? Wait a minute, that's Keira Knightley?!? We're going out with our longest episode ever folks, be sure to tune in.

Dearest Gentle Reader, This week, your esteemed hosts, Lord Euan James and Lady Sarah Jean, cordially invite you to lend your ears as we consider the latest tattle that has overtaken the ton. Why can't Colin Bridgerton close his mouth? Why are Cressida Cowper's sleeves so big? Is it to hide all her secrets? And who is the infamous Lady Whistledown? All will be revealed in Popcorn and Cumin's latest edition: Bridgerton.

Dracula walked so Edward could run. Join us on a nostalgic trip back to Forks, Washington, as we delve into Stephenie Meyer's Twilight, a world of sparkling vampires and a pasty plain girl from Arizona. Euan dives into the history of vampires in literature and Sarah reads every hateful thing Robert Pattinson has said about this supernatural romance. (01:42) Cross-border factoids (08:00) A brief history of vampires in literature (19:18) Twilight (40:40) Behind-the-scene trivia (46:30) R.Pats hates Twilight (59:18) Better as a musical? (01:02:33) Pop-Quiz and Cumin

Love triangle, tennis, Zendaya, oh my! This week we review the new movie, Challengers, starring Mike Faist, Josh O'Connor, and, of course, Zendaya. Get ready for behind-the-scenes movie trivia, critique of the film (and of tennis as a sport), and some...interesting cultural differences between the US and the UK. Hip! Hip! (00:42) Cross-border factoids (15:50) Challengers (38:15) Challengers ending explained

Euan and Sarah dive into the new Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt action-comedy movie, The Fall Guy. What does Eurovision have to do with anything? Which Fall Guy stunt broke a world record? How did Ryan Gosling's improvisations change the movie script? Find it all out here! (00:57) Cross-border factoids (13:03) Non-Spoilers (38:19) Spoilers

Sarah and Euan are back finding and fixing plot holes in the Harry Potter book series! How come Fred and George don't mention Ron sleeping with Peter Pettigrew? Why can't Harry see thestrals after seeing his mum die? How many times can Euan say 'on the lam'? All your questions and more will be answered on today's episode of Popcorn and Cumin! Content warning: mentions of abuse Time Codes: Cross-Border Factoids (01:10) Why are Lily and James not each other's Secret Keeper?(13:23) Why do Fred and George ignore Peter Pettigrew on the Marauders Map? (21:32) Why can Harry only see thestrals at the start of Order of the Phoenix (32:02) How do escaped Death Eaters recover their wands after escaping Azkaban? (39:34) Why do Harry, Ron, and Hermione struggle to find food when they can use Magic? (44:12) Why does the Seven Potters plan seem like a good idea to the Order of the Phoenix? (49:47) When is Snape going to tell Harry about the last Horcrux?(54:14) How do Ron and Hermione escape the Chamber of Secrets? (1:01:54)

It's time for the Listeners' Choice episode! Thanks to you, we didn't get a choice in this week's episode (thank goodness you all have good taste). Backed by popular demand, we are very excited to discuss Harry Potter in depth for the first time in Popcorn & Cumin history. We have come up with some plot holes in the Harry Potter universe and we will do our best to explain why these holes are not so holey (unlike George). How does Harry become so rich? How does Hagrid fly without a broom or magic motorbike? Why is Dumbledore so bad at hiring teachers? We have all the answers. (04:30) Harry Potter Cross-Border Factoids (12:30) Solving HP Plot Holes (01:00:52) Solving Listener HP Plot Holes Content warning: mentions of abuse

It's the biggest night in showbiz! Sarah and Euan are back talking about more mostly meaningless awards shows – this week it's the most prestigious and controversial of them all – the Academy Awards! A.k.a the Oscars (who knows why they are called that, you won't find out here). Will Sarah savage Oppenheimer and Cillian Murphy some more? Will Euan come around on What Was I Made for? Is a courgette/zucchini a fruit or a vegetable? Listen to this week's Popcorn and Cumin to find out! (02:16) Cross-border factoids (05:36) What is a vegetable? (09:24) The Oscars results

Worms and sand. Sand and worms. It’s the most hotly anticipated movie of the year (so far): Dune: Part 2!  In this episode, we tell the story of attending the Dune afterparty and meeting all the actors…kinda. You’ll also hear Sarah go on a rant against Hans Zimmer, listen to our all-insightful book2film adaptation analysis, and hear us say pasty boys at least five times. We had a lot to say about Dune in both non-spoiler and spoiler sections, so we hope you enjoy this extra special one-hour-plus-long Dune deep dive! (17:25) Non-Spoilers (52:30) Spoilers

It’s a movie! It’s a musical! It’s a movie musical! This week on Popcorn and Cumin, Euan hates on beloved British institutions, Sarah reveals some anti-ginger monikers for a children's prank, and they collectively decide whether the new Mean Girls movie musical is better than the original (spoiler alert: they do not agree). (03:05) - Cross-border factoids (15:01) - Mean Girls (2024) (37:56) - Better as a musical (40:55) - Who Is the real villain (big baddie)?

In this shorter episode, Euan has the misfortune of recapping the story of Saltburn to Sarah, who has been lucky enough to avoid watching it. Hear Sarah's live reactions to the most talked about, sensual, disturbing scenes in Saltburn. This episode is not for the faint of heart... Content warning: graphic sex description, mention of suicide, mention of drug abuse

We did not feel like poor things after watching this movie . . . This episode starts (as usual) with our UK/U.S. cultural difference of the week, followed by a quick discussion about Oscar nominations, and finally, the meat of the episode, a look at the movie Poor Things. What prank did Willem Dafoe (Sarah apologizes for calling him his given name "William" throughout the episode) pull on Mark Ruffalo? what does a true Scot AND fan of Alasdair Gray think of the director's decision to set the film in London instead of Scotland? Find this all out and more on episode 10 of Popcorn and Cumin! Content warning: mention of suicide (00:38) UK/U.S. Differences (08:53) Movie News: Oscar nominations and snubs (18:15) Poor Things

The Golden Globes recently aired, signaling the beginning of Awards Season. You know what that means - discussion, debate, and disagreement about made-up trophies for which often the individuals who win do not even care enough to show up. In this episode, we discuss the film categories of the Golden Globe Awards. If you have been dying to know our thoughts on some of 2023's biggest releases (Barbie, Oppenheimer, Killers of the Flower Moon) and some of 2023's not-so-big releases (Magic Mike XL, Ant Man Quantum Menace, Theatre Camp), and many, many more, this week's episode is where you'll find it. Will the podcast and, more importantly, Sarah and Euan's relationship survive when they pick different movies as the best of the year? Does Sarah know how to pronounce the word scythe? Does Euan hate Billie Eilish? Listen to find out! *Spoiler Alert* - Light spoilers for Oppenheimer and Killers of the Flower Moon. *Content Warning* - Mentions of suicide (00:30) Inter-Country Cultural Differences (07:30) 2023 UK films that were released in 2022 in the US / Babylon, Whiplash, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, The Menu (11:25) Recent(ish) controversy with the Golden Globes (16:52) Best Motion Picture - Drama / Past Lives, Oppenheimer, Killers of the Flower Moon (33:20) Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy / The Holdovers, Poor Things, Barbie (44:53) Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama (46:27) Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy / Poor Things, Barbie (51:20) Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama / Saltburn, Killers of the Flower Moon, Oppenheimer (54:36) Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role / Oppenheimer, Poor Things, Killers of the Flower Moon (59:21) Best Motion Picture - Animated / The Boy and the Heron, Spiderman: Across the Spider-verse, Super Mario Bros, Elemental (01:07:36) Best Original Song for a Motion Picture (01:09:38) Euan and Sarah's top movies of 2023

It's time to argue about Christmas movies! Thank you to everyone who voted in our Christmas movie bracket. This week we're discussing the merit of your decisions and exploring some of the classic Christmas-movie questions (Is Die Hard really a Christmas movie??). We also discuss UK and U.S. Christmas traditions and have six guests contribute their opinions to the Christmas-movie debate to give you a break from listening to the drone of our voices. Note: This was our first time recording remotely, and our recording situation was not ideal, so we apologize for the poor sound quality! It does slightly improve after 3 minutes. Content warning: mentions of sexual assault (3:44) UK and U.S. Christmas traditions (14:40) The Battle of the Christmas Movies begins - The Holiday & It's a Wonderful Life (20:03) Die Hard, The Nightmare Before Christmas, & The Snowman (25:47) A Christmas Story (27:35) Rudolph & Nativity (30:00) Miracle on 34th Street, Gremlins, & Polar Express (34:14) Home Alone & Elf (41:10) How the Grinch Stole Christmas & The Muppet Christmas Carol (45:30) Love Actually (49:54) Guest contributors (Rudolph, A Christmas Story, It's a Wonderful Life, Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, Die Hard, The Nightmare Before Christmas)

We're going back to Panem! Is it the very first hunger games? No! Is it Haymitch's backstory? No! Is it at least a Quarter Quell? Absolutely not! Is it a kinda-sorta anti-hero story about the big baddie of the hunger games taking place during the tenth annual hunger games when people don't really watch it cause it's kids killing kids? Yes! (00:35) Are there any good prequels? (03:25): The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (41:28) Country-Specific Trivia

This week, we actually did research for our biggest blockbusterest film yet: Titanic! What was James Cameron really like to work with in this iconic film? What were the iceberg's real motives when taking down the ship? And, most mysteriously, who put PCP in the chowder?? Find it all out in this week's episode. (01:30) Country-specific trivia (6:00) Titanic (51:12) Who's the biggest baddie of Titanic? (54:50) Would Jack and Rose both fit on the door?

Yes, it is still spooky season on Popcorn and Cumin! This week, we're discussing the 1976 film, based on Stephen King's novel (which one of us has read)...Carrie!! We promise, once it hits December, we'll stop with the spooky stuff. Content warning: abuse, violence, bullying (We had a few sound issues in this one, which we are working on for future episodes.)

Is The Hunger Games the best film adaptation of a series? Why is it called The Hunger Games? Where exactly is Panem?? All of your questions will (maybe) be answered in this week's episode! We're re-embracing our Hunger Games phase ahead of the release of A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Come with us on a journey to revisit the iconic YA trilogy (or quadrilogy in the movies' case). After all, there are worse games to play... (3:02) The Hunger Games (21:30) Catching fire (37:17) Mockingjay Part 1 (39:25) Mockingjay Part 2 (48:09) Team Gale vs. Team Peeta (55:37) Predictions and premise: A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (1:00:45) Who's the real baddie of The Hunger Games?

It's not a boys cartoon. It's not a girls cartoon. I mean, it's a talking dog, you know? Join Euan and Sarah as we take a look at America and Britain's favorite talking Great Dane! That's right, we're doing a head-to-head examination of the Scooby Doo live-action movies. (00:45) Pod Lore: What's with our name? (08:39) Scooby Doo & Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (41:04) Why isn't this a musical? (50:22) Which Scooby Doo movie is better?

Is the new Haunted Mansion movie any good? What is the widely unknown narrative of the Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland? Find it all out here in our newest Popcorn and Cumin episode. (01:00) Sarah typing loudly (18:55) Why isn't Haunted Mansion a musical?

It's spooky season! In our very first episode, we're taking a look at two movies featuring finger-bladed boys, perfect for Halloween: Edward Scissorhands and A Nightmare on Elm Street. You'll also get a peek into differences between the UK and US when it comes to the season of spooks. Content Warning: mentions of sexual assault Timecodes: (00:00) Intro / UK vs. US Halloween / Nonsense (18:05) Edward Scissorhands (31:01) Why isn't this a musical? - Edward Scissorhands (38:52) A Nightmare on Elm Street (01:06:55) Why isn't this a musical? - A Nightmare on Elm Street