The Pop Culture Brain Podcast
Alex and Lara discuss the most interesting pop culture stories of the week, offering unique opinions and analysis on movies and TV. The podcast focuses on what you need to know about pop culture, not just what's trending.
Episodes
Eminem SUES Meta, a Survivor MOVIE, and the most EXPENSIVE movie ever
Welcome to the Pop Culture Brain podcast with Alex and Lara! In this episode, the most expensive movie of all time, Eminem is suing Meta for $100 million dollars, and there’s going to be a Survivor movie.https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/links00:00 Intro02:52 Jurassic World Dominion 7:43 Alec Baldwin speaks out14:35 Eminem sues Meta18:47 The Pitt actress25:30 Survivor movie30:11 Sadie Sink back to
New SPIDER-MAN record, SPIELBERG & Bond, THE PITT season 3 secrets
Episode 12 of the Pop Culture Brain podcast with Alex and Lara! In today’s show, Spielberg shades James Bond, the new Spider-Man movie will set a franchise record, and food allergy groups are calling out Mindy Kaling's new show.https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/links00:00 Intro02:04 Spielberg and Bond07:27 Ben Stiller and the Knicks12:54 Spider-Man record18:43 Lisa Kudrow and Jennifer Aniston2
Tatiana Maslany, Jake Johnson, Greg Daniels, Scott Porter, Chyler Leigh & more | PCB AT ATX
We went to the ATX TV Festival in Austin, Texas, and got to sit down with a ton of TV stars and creators. This podcast episode includes interviews with Tatiana Maslany, Jake Johnson, Greg Daniels, Scott Porter, Jason Katims, Chyler Leigh and many more, representing shows like The Paper, Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, Friday Night Lights, and The Way Home among others. Thanks for listening! https://w
Netflix’s T-giving treat, Harry Style tour issues, and NEPO BABIES
Episode 10 of the Pop Culture Brain podcast with Alex and Lara! In today’s show, Netflix announces Thanksgiving treat in theaters, Quinta Brunson plans her Barbie moment with Betty Boop, and Harry Styles has tour issues.https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/links
Is SNL too biased, fearless Ruffalo, and The Pitt numbers
Episode 9 of the Pop Culture Brain podcast with Alex and Lara! In today’s show, we talk about Mark Ruffalo's activism, SNL political biases, and The Pitt's impressive numbers. https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/links
Meryl got PAID, a Disney threequel, and big albums are DEADLY
Episode 8 of the Pop Culture Brain podcast with Alex and Lara! In today’s show, we talk about The Devil Wears Prada 2 cast salaries, Disney greenlighting a big threequel, and how big album releases can be lowkey dangerous. https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/links
PCB PODCAST 7: The Oscars rule on AI, a Netflix prequel, and Jonah Hill’s big payday
Episode 6 of the Pop Culture Brain podcast with Alex and Lara! In today’s show, we talk about The Oscars fight back against AI, a beloved Netflix show might get a prequel, and Jonah Hill suffers two big embarrassments.00:00 - Intro and Sphere talk03:01 - The Oscars ban AI13:18 - Sterling K Brown argues for longer seasons19:27 - The Crown might be getting a prequel25:51 - Margot Robbie’s podcast st
Big Jim backs Ellison, biopic mayhem, and another live action remake
Episode 6 of the Pop Culture Brain podcast with Alex and Lara! In today’s show: 3,000 celebs signed a letter against the Paramount Warner Bros. merger but James Cameron had other thoughts, Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart are getting biopics, and a classic ‘90s toon is going live action.https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/links00:00 Intro and The Pitt & Scrubs finale talk05:43 Celebs sign letter ag
Avatar in crisis, Timmy’s next sequel, and Sony layoffs
Episode 5 of the Pop Culture Brain podcast with Alex and Lara! In today’s show: The Avatar franchise might be in crisis, Timothee Chalamet is making another sequel, and Sony is laying off hundreds.https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/links00:00 Intro1:26 The future of Avatar 5:54 The anti-hero actors club9:08 Timothee Chalamet’s next sequel13:43 Sony layoffs and plans 21:00 Spielberg and Nolan25:29 S
T. Swift sued, Lin Manuel’s back, and Zendaya will disappear
Episode 4 of the Pop Culture Brain podcast with Alex and Lara! In today’s show: The weird kids book coming to Disney+, Lin Manuel is back — sort of, and Netflix is adapting a Pulitzer finalist with a 3-time Oscar winner.https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/linksWelcome to Pop Culture Brain, bringing you the movie news, TV news, and what-to-watch recommendations you need to know. We’ve got you covered
Netflix price hikes, Brad Pitt's payday, and Hanks' next role
Episode 3 of the Pop Culture Brain podcast with Alex and Lara! Join us as we discuss Netflix price hikes, Brad Pitt's big payday, and what's next for Ryan Gosling and Tom Hanks. https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/linksWelcome to Pop Culture Brain, bringing you the movie news, TV news, and what-to-watch recommendations you need to know. We’ve got you covered with fun and informative pop cult
PCB PODCAST Ep 2: Tarantino's next project, B Coop goes IP, and Disney's live action plans
Episode 2 of the Pop Culture Brain podcast with Alex and Lara! Join us as we discuss Quentin Tarantino's next project, Bradley Cooper directing a franchise film, Disney's live action remake plans and a whole lot more. https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/linksWelcome to Pop Culture Brain, bringing you the movie news, TV news, and what-to-watch recommendations you need to know. We’ve got you c
The craziest Oscars ever, Pixar sequels, and Selena Gomez
Welcome to the very first episode of the Pop Culture Brain podcast with Alex and Lara! Join us as we discuss Pixar's upcoming sequels, Selena Gomez booking an Oscar-potential role, one of the best books becoming a movie, Christina Applegate's wild Anchorman story, and all of the unpredictable Oscar races of 2026. https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/linksWelcome to Pop Culture Brain, bringing
Critics hated MISS CONGENIALITY
There’s a very sweet secret about Miss Congeniality’s famous April 25th joke. Miss Congeniality turns 25 years old this month, so here are some things I bet you never knew about it. Sources: Parade; E! News; ABC News; iHeart Canada; Howie Mandel Does Stuff podcast; Texas Film Comission; Press Connects; Selling Your Screenplay; Variety; NY Times; Box Office Mojo; RottenTomatoes; Cinemascore; The Nu
Critics hated DUDE, WHERE’S MY CAR?
Critics hated it. The audience shrugged. But Dude Where’s My Car became a cult classic anyway. Dude Where’s My Car turns 25 years old this month, so here are some things I bet you never knew about it.Sources: THR; Far Out; Mental Floss; Los Angeles magazine; Vulture; The Guardian; Box Office Mojo; RottenTomatoes; Metacritic; Cinemascore; Chicago Tribune, NY Daily News; Pittsburgh Post Gazette; Com
The fall and rise of FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S
How the hell did a designer of Christian video games end up creating a blockbuster horror franchise about homicidal animatronics? Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 hits theaters this weekend. So here are some things I bet you never knew about the games and first movie.Sources: Catholic Game Reviews; Geeks Under Grace; Sandwichly/YT; Fandom; NY Times; Clickteam; Vandal; Kotaku; Polygon; NBC News; IGN; Radi
Critics hated JUMANJI
Some critics hated Jumanji — but Robin Williams definitely got the last laugh. Jumanji turns 30 years old this month, so here are some things I bet you never knew about it.Source: Syfy Wire; LA Times; Chris Van Allsburg official site; Illustrators; Polar Express official site; Minnesota Public Radio; Deadline; Time; NY TImes; Union Leader; My Keene Now; Sentinel Source; ILM; Jumanji DVD; Box Offic
Nobody wanted STRANGER THINGS
Not a single network wanted to make STRANGER THINGS and their reason why is so dumb. Stranger Things’ final season starts this week, so here are some things I bet you never knew about its origins.https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/links
ZOOTOPIA was almost VERY different
Yes, Disney did try to market Zootopia to furries. Zootopia 2 hits theaters this week, so here are some things I bet you never knew about the 2016 original.
WICKED defied the odds over and over
To get Wicked off the ground, its songwriter made one of the boldest moves in Hollywood history. Wicked For Good hits theaters this week, so here’s the 125-year story how it went from page to stage to screen.https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/links
Walt Disney couldn’t crack this one
The Princess and The Frog failing is why Disney’s next movie was called TANGLED instead of RAPUNZEL. Tangled turns 15 years old this month, so here are 9 facts I bet you never knew about it.https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/links
They laughed at PRIDE & PREJUDICE
The 2005 Pride & Prejudice originally had different endings in the US and the UK. How the hell did that happen? Pride & Prejudice turns 20 years old this month, so here are some things i bet you never knew about it.https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/links
LITTLE NICKY was a huge FLOP
Little Nicky was Adam Sandler’s first HUGE flop and critics hated it. But the Sandman definitely got the last laugh. Little Nicky turns 25 years old this week, so here are some things I bet you never knew about it. https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/links
THE GRINCH tortured JIM CARREY
Jim Carrey’s Grinch makeup was so excruciating. They literally hired a guy from the CIA to help him. How the Grinch Stole Christmas turns 25 years old this month, so here are some things I bet you never knew about it. https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/links
Shyamalan was wrong about UNBREAKABLE
M Night Shyamalan and Disney completely disagreed on how to sell Unbreakable, but you know what, I think the studio was right on this one. Unbreakable turns 25 years old this month, so here are 10 facts I bet you never knew about it.https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/links
Disney almost ruined TOY STORY
Disney’s meddling almost ruined Toy Story, leading to the nearly catastrophic Black Friday Incident. Toy Story turns 30 years old this month, so here are some things I bet you never knew about it.https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/links
WB’s epic HOME ALONE mistake
When it came to Home Alone, Warner Brothers made the biggest mistake in film history. Home Alone turns 35 years old this month, so here are some things I bet you never knew about it.https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/links
COLBERT thought his show would FAIL
The Colbert Report made Stephen Colbert a household name, but he didn’t think it was going to work at first, for 2 obvious reasons. The Colbert Report turns 20 years old this month, so here are 9 Facts I bet you never knew about it.https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/links
THE MARTIAN was REJECTED at first
Not a single book publisher wanted The Martian. A few years later, it made half a billion dollars at the box office. The Martian turns 10 years old this month, so here are some things I bet you never knew about it.https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/links
Universal BURIED the 1st MEET THE PARENTS
Meet the Parents went from a $35,000 indie to a billion dollar franchise. But Universal didn't want you to know that. Meet the Parents turns 25 years old this month, so here are some things I bet you never knew about it.https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/links
The downfall of MAD TV
MadTV was supposed to be an SNL killer. So what happened?https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/links8 facts about MadTV (Sources: Vulture, Deadline, Boston Herald, Variety, UPI, /Film, CBC, THR, Chicago Tribune, Time, CBS News, Washington Post, The Outline, Logo TV, Rolling Stone, RT, Screenrant, EW) #madtv #mad #sketchcomedy #comedy #tv
MALLRATS was a huge FLOP
Mallrats was a box office disaster and Kevin Smith thought his career was over. But boy, did he get the last laugh. MALLRATS turns 30 years old this month, so here are some things I bet you never knew about it.https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/links
Crazy Ex Girlfriend was a miracle
It is literally a miracle Crazy Ex Girlfriend lasted as long as it did. Rachel Bloom’s Crazy Ex Girlfriend turned 10 years old this month, so here are 6 facts I bet you never knew about it. https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/links
No studio wanted REQUIEM FOR A DREAM
Believe it or not, Darren Aronofsky’s original idea for Requiem for a Dream would have made the movie even darker - and that’s really saying something. Requiem for a Dream turns 25 years old this month, so here are some things I bet you never knew about it.https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/links
The Social Network was nearly much worse
The Social Network almost starred Shia LaBeouf and Jonah Hill In two very prominent roles. The Social Network turns 15 years old this week, so here are some things I bet you never knew about it.https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/links
The downfall of HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
People hated How I Met Your Mother's series finale, and it's all because of a decision the creators made seven years prior. How I Met Your Mother turns 20 years old this month. So here are some things I bet you never knew about it.https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/links
No one wanted SUPERNATURAL
One of the stars of Supernatural once got in a Twitter war with P Diddy. And it just goes to show: Don’t mess with the Supernatural fandom. Supernatural turns 20 years old this month, so here are some things I bet you never knew about it.https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/links
This movie made Emma Stone a star
Emma Stone dropped out of a Zach Snyder flop to star in Easy A — and that turned out very well for her. Easy A turns 15 years old this week, so here are some things I bet you never knew about it . https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/links
ALMOST FAMOUS was a huge FLOP
Almost Famous flopped at the box office and the studio was furious with the movie they had made, but 6 months later, Cameron Crowe proved everyone wrong. Almost Famous turns 25 years old this month, so here are some things I bet you never knew about it.
People HATED Se7en
From its original script to its initial edit, people hated Seven. But David Fincher and Brad Pitt silenced all the haters. Seven turns 30 years old this month, so here are some things I bet you never knew about it.https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/linksThings you never knew about Seven (1995)Sources: Uproxx; Yahoo; EW; Den of Geek; Cinefantastique; /Film; RottenTomatoes; THR; Daily Telegraph; The
Why WB buried Empire Records
Warner Brothers buried Empire Records, but damn the man, it defied the odds. Empire Records turns 30 years old this month, so here are some things I bet you never knew about it.https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/linksThings you never knew about Empire Records (1995)Sources: ABC News AU; McCarter Theater; RottenTomatoes, Box Office Mojo; BuzzFeed; Flavorwire; THe Guardian;The Numbers; Roger Ebert do
No one wanted Remember the Titans
Not a single studio wanted to make Remember the Titans, until a Bruce Willis movie did $500 million dollars at the box office. Remember the Titans turns 25 years old this month, so here are some things I bet you never knew about it.https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/linksThings you never knew about Remember The Titans (2000)Sources: ESPN; Fandango; USA Today; The Score; Men’s Journal; Esquire; Shap
The Mask almost excluded Jim Carrey
You have no idea how they made The Mask. https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/linksSources: LA Times; The Mask: The Collection, Dark Horse Comics; Comic Book Resources; The Hollywood News; Starlog; BlogCritics; Forbes; THR; Chicago Sun Times; Billboard; Box Office Mojo; Screen International; The Numbers; Collider; Destructoid; IMDB #themask #jimcarrey #camerondiaz #1994 #90s #90skids #90sthrowback We
Nobody wanted Clueless
Clueless was dead. Not a single studio wanted to make it. Until one man saw its potential. Clueless turned 30 years old this month, so here are some things I bet you never knew about it.https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/linksThings you never knew about CLUELESS (1995) Sources: Chaney, Jen (July 7, 2015). As If! The Oral History of Clueless as told by Amy Heckerling and the Cast and Crew; Vanity Fa
Nolan refused INCEPTION for 10 years
Christopher Nolan once revealed the “correct answer” to Inception’s mysterious ending, but it’s not what you’re thinking. Inception turned 15 years old this month, so here are some things I bet you never knew about it.https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/linksThings you never knew about Inception (2010)Sources: THR; Collider; Kiss Xtra; Variety; WB production notes; About dot com; MTV News; Irish Voi
YOU CAN’T DO THAT: The history of Happy Gilmore
Bob Barker was never supposed to be in Happy Gilmore. They originally had a different old white guy in mind. Happy Gilmore 2 hits Netflix this weekend, so here are some things I bet you never knew about the 1996 original.https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/linksThings you never knew about Happy Gilmore (1996)Sources: The Athletic; VH1; Esquire; The Atlantic; InsideHook; Mashable; NCAA; Elite Prospec
How Wedding Crashers defied the odds
Wedding Crashers almost got an NC-17 rating, but then they reshot one of the raunchiest scenes. Wedding Crashers hit theaters 20 years ago this week, so here are some things I bet you never knew about it.https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/linksSources: MEL Magazine; NY Times; Chicago Tribune; EW; Drudge Report; Telegraph; Variety; /Film; Washington Post; Wedding Crashers Production Notes/New Line C
Why Disney BURIED Pocahontas
Making Pocahontas was so frustrating, its co-director started secretly working for another studio, while he was still making the Disney movie. Pocahontas turns 30 years old this week, so here are some things I bet you never knew about it.https://www.popculturebrain.com/p/linksThings you never knew about Disney's Pocahontas (1995)Sources: Stebbins, Sarah J (August 2010). "Pocahontas: Her L
X-Men’s hellish road to the screen
Michael Jackson desperately wanted one role in the first X-Men movie, and in no universe, would it have made sense. X-Men turns 25 years old this week, so here are some things I bet you never knew about it.Sources: "Stan Lee". Archive of American Television.; "Stan Lee". National Endowment for the Arts.; Lee, Stan; Jack Kirby (August 2005). Son of Origins of Marvel Comics; X-Me
Hollywood HATED Back to the Future
Back to the Future was rejected more than 40 times, for the most ‘80s reason possible. Back to the Future turns 40 years old this week, so here are some things I bet you never knew about it.Sources: Thomson, David. The New Biographical Dictionary of Film; "Robert Zemeckis interview". Academy of Achievement: A Museum of Living History; Shone, Tom. Blockbuster: How Hollywood Learned To Sto
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