Critical and Curious: A Pop "Trash" Podcast

03/20/2022

We're back to talk about The Critical Saga

A thread ⬇️

We return to season 1 of our podcast to discuss The Fast Saga (AKA F9), which features the return of director Justin Lin along with Han and other characters from films past including Sean and Twink…

03/19/2022

In this outtake from S1E10, we discuss the 2021 film , a wildly successful knockoff of the .

Let’s be real. ’s is a knockoff, a fun romp but not comparable to the original, despite featuring 3 actors from the franchise family.

12/22/2021

The Matrix Resurrections is here! Check out Charisse on talking about the legacy of the . Jump to minute :32. https://go.audacy.com/xNUJuclkcmb

http://criticalandcurious.com/2021/12/22/prof-lpree-on-kcbs-san-francisco/

The Matrix Resurrections is here! Check out Charisse on talking about the legacy of the . Jump to minute :32 for my segment.

09/09/2021

In Part 1 of Season 2’s Episode 13, we discuss the revival of Theodore “Ted” Logan in Bill and Ted Face the Music (2020). Bill and Ted continue to struggle as musicians, husbands, and now fathers, but it’s clear that Ted’s experiences have diverged from Bill’s somewhere in the 30 years since their bogus journey, a sly but important narrative point....

In Part 1 of Season 2’s Episode 13, we discuss the revival of Theodore “Ted” Logan in Bill and Ted Face the Music (2020). Bill and Ted continue to struggle as musicians, husbands, and now fathers, …

09/02/2021

Episode 12: Cameo

A thread ⬇️

In this Season 2 supplemental episode, we return to our star study of Keanu Reeves with a focus on his cameos in Always Be My Maybe and Toy Story 4. Released within weeks of each other in 2019, Kea…

06/27/2021

Bob and Charisse went to see F9: The Fast Saga in the theater together this weekend, breaking an almost 18-month long quarantine from the theater. In a quick post-movie debriefing after the movie, we discuss why we think people need to see F9 and what excites us most. Charisse also made tote bags to celebrate the occasion. Comment with your favorite scene from F9 by July 9 to get your own Critical and Curious tote and stay tuned for the full episode!

Bob and Charisse went to see F9: The Fast Saga in the theater together this weekend, breaking an almost 18-month long quarantine from the theater. In a quick post-movie debriefing after the movie, …

06/19/2021

We discuss Hobbs and Shaw (2019) in this Season 1 supplemental episode, Dwayne The Rock Johnson, Jason Statham, Vanessa Kirby, and Idris Elba star in this off-narrative comedic extension of the Fast and Furious universe that elaborates and parodies many elements of the franchise. The hilarious antagonism, the existential villains, and the conflict between the family you have and the family you make. Filled with great dialogue and profound commentary, the film continues to show us where this series can go.

The hilarious antagonism, the existential villains, and the conflict between the family you have and the family you make.

04/30/2021

Our final episode discusses Aleta Chappelle’s Romeo and Juliet in Harlem (2017). Crowdsourced and shot on site, it is the first and only version to feature a cast composed entirely of people of color. As our only female director this season, Chappelle brings an innovative approach to the story by featuring Harlem as a character to create some of the best scenes in the film, and embracing the feminine by casting Benvolio as a woman and showcasing the relationship between Lady Capulet, Juliet, and the Nurse.

Our final episode discusses Aleta Chappelle’s Romeo and Juliet in Harlem (2017). Crowdsourced and shot on site, it is the first and only version to feature a cast composed entirely of people of col…

03/30/2021

In this season’s penultimate episode, we discuss Carlo Carlei’s Romeo & Juliet (2013) written by Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey). Fashioned as the millennial Romeo and Juliet, it features teen stars Hailee Steinfeld, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Ed Westwick alongside Damian Lewis and Paul Giamatti. Despite the A-list cast, the beautiful scenery, sets, and costumes, and some very striking photography, the film falls flat and often feels like a big budget high school performance instead of a major Hollywood movie.

In this season’s penultimate episode, we discuss Carlo Carlei’s Romeo & Juliet (2013) written by Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey). Fashioned as the millennial Romeo and Juliet, it features teen …

03/02/2021

In the pandemic, Bob and Charisse go back in time to discuss Shakespeare in Love, the 1998 Oscar Best Picture starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes, written by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard. We originally thought it was a film built around Romeo & Juliet but not a true Romeo & Juliet story. We were wrong. The film is not only a retelling of our classic tale, it retells Shakespeare himself by literally pulling back the curtain, winking at Shakespearean scholars, and embracing early modern fan culture.

In the pandemic, Bob and Charisse go back in time to discuss Shakespeare in Love, the 1998 Oscar Best Picture starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes, written by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard. W…

11/27/2020

Looking for an escape? Check out Season 3: Who Shot Romeo and Juliet? Syracuse University Newhouse School at Syracuse University Professors Bob Thompson and Charisse L'Pree dig deep into this postmodern classic, and focus on how different directors, producers, screenwriters, and actors bring new takes to this classic and popular story.

In the third season, Associate Professor Charisse L’Pree Corsbie-Massay (COM) and Professor Robert Thompson (TRF) critically analyze Romeo and Juliet remakes. A postmodern tale before the term "postmodern" was, well, postmodern, we focus on how different directors, producers, screenwriters, and actors bring new takes to this classic and popular story.

11/27/2020

In the third season, Associate Professor Charisse L’Pree Corsbie-Massay (COM) and Professor Robert Thompson (TRF) critically analyze Romeo and Juliet remakes. A postmodern tale before the term "postmodern" was, well, postmodern, we focus on how different directors, producers, screenwriters, and actors bring new takes to this classic and popular story.