A small border town in South Korea. An alien invasion and a rollicking rampage. Carnage and mayhem. That's the premise and promise of Hope, Na Hong-Jin's latest cinematic release, since 2016's The Wailing. Since its debut at Cannes, Hope generated headlines, and wildly varied ones at that. While some reviews celebrated its exhilarating action and ambitious scope, others were less enthused about its meandering story and wobbly CGI. It's since undergone significant edits ahead of its wider release - so we break down whether the movie works as a whole, whether it's lived up to its initial hype, and if it's worth a watch on the big screen.



Image credit: IMDB

A small border town in South Korea. An alien invasion and a rollicking rampage. Carnage and mayhem. That's the premise and promise of Hope, Na Hong-Jin's latest cinematic release, since 2016's The Wailing. Since its debut at Cannes, Hope generated headlines, and wildly varied ones at that. While some reviews celebrated its exhilarating action and ambitious scope, others were less enthused about its meandering story and wobbly CGI. It's since undergone significant edits ahead of its wider release - so we break down whether the movie works as a whole, whether it's lived up to its initial hype, and if it's worth a watch on the big screen.Image credit: IMDB

Talking apes and Jedi Knights are cool, but how do they impact Hollywood as a whole? That's the kind of stuff we talk about on Popcorn Culture - a mixed-bag-exploration of the movies, TV shows, and pop culture buzz that we love, as well as the ones we love (slightly) less.

Talking apes and Jedi Knights are cool, but how do they impact Hollywood as a whole? That's the kind of stuff we talk about on Popcorn Culture - a mixed-bag-exploration of the movies, TV shows, and pop culture buzz that we love, as well as the ones we love (slightly) less.

Popcorn Culture

Na Hong Jin's Hope

Train to Busan turns 10 this year, and the South Korean zombie thriller is returning to cinemas in a new 4K restoration. We revisit the story of passengers fighting to survive a zombie outbreak aboard a high-speed train from Seoul to Busan, and ask whether it still holds up a decade later.

Meanwhile, Ted Lasso is back for a fourth season, and this time, Ted is back to coach the AFC Richmond's newly formed women's football team. We're halfway through the new season, so, is Apple TV+'s revival recapturing the charm of the original, or has the show lost its way?

Train to Busan turns 10 this year, and the South Korean zombie thriller is returning to cinemas in a new 4K restoration. We revisit the story of passengers fighting to survive a zombie outbreak aboard a high-speed train from Seoul to Busan, and ask whether it still holds up a decade later.Meanwhile, Ted Lasso is back for a fourth season, and this time, Ted is back to coach the AFC Richmond's newly formed women's football team. We're halfway through the new season, so, is Apple TV+'s revival recapturing the charm of the original, or has the show lost its way?

Train to Busan's 10th Anniversary + Ted Lasso S4

This week, we pay tribute to two iconic performers who left an indelible mark on the screen and in our childhoods. We look back at the memorable careers of Tim Curry and Peter Cullen and the characters that made them household names. 

After that, ahead of the long Merdeka weekend, the timing felt right to throw it back to a couple of films that celebrate Malaysia and Malaysianness. So we start off by discussing Yasmin Ahmad’s bittersweet final movie, Talentime (2009), and the love story and acknowledgement of multiculturalism at its heart. Then, we continue on to recommend Ola Bola (2016), a film inspired by the highs of the Malaysian football team that successfully got into the 1980 Summer Olympics. 

Image Credit: IMDb, Peter Cullen (Facebook)

This week, we pay tribute to two iconic performers who left an indelible mark on the screen and in our childhoods. We look back at the memorable careers of Tim Curry and Peter Cullen and the characters that made them household names. After that, ahead of the long Merdeka weekend, the timing felt right to throw it back to a couple of films that celebrate Malaysia and Malaysianness. So we start off by discussing Yasmin Ahmad’s bittersweet final movie, Talentime (2009), and the love story and acknowledgement of multiculturalism at its heart. Then, we continue on to recommend Ola Bola (2016), a film inspired by the highs of the Malaysian football team that successfully got into the 1980 Summer Olympics. Image Credit: IMDb, Peter Cullen (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="in-cell-link" href="https://www.facebook.com/petercullenoptimusprime/">Facebook</a>)

Merdeka Special: Talentime + Ola Bola

The End of Oak Street was marketed as the next IMAX summer tentpole film after The Odyssey and Spiderman: Brand New Day, but the sci-fi dinosaur thriller hasn't lived up to expectations, either at the box office or with audiences, who've given it middling ratings. The film also marks David Robert Mitchell's return to the director's chair for the first time in eight years since Under the Silver Lake polarised festivalgoers at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018. We discuss the prehistoric set pieces, the high-calibre cast of Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor, and why the film might be struggling to find audiences. 

Image Credit: IMDb

The End of Oak Street was marketed as the next IMAX summer tentpole film after The Odyssey and Spiderman: Brand New Day, but the sci-fi dinosaur thriller hasn't lived up to expectations, either at the box office or with audiences, who've given it middling ratings. The film also marks David Robert Mitchell's return to the director's chair for the first time in eight years since Under the Silver Lake polarised festivalgoers at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018. We discuss the prehistoric set pieces, the high-calibre cast of Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor, and why the film might be struggling to find audiences. Image Credit: IMDb

Na Hong Jin's Hope

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