Game of Thrones Season 8 Premiere, Guava Island – IP 149

April 17, 2019April 16, 2019 | insidepoppodcast

The wait is over and the end is also near. The season premiere of the final season of Game of Thrones has arrived and we have oh so many thoughts! [Do we need to say there are spoilers ahead? Cause there are.]

We dissect the record-breaking premiere episode – the call backs to the very first episode, our favorite lines, which moments gave us joy and also which ones left us asking questions. We also share some bold predictions for the rest of the season including who we think will claim the Iron Throne. And of course we discuss the dragon riding scene. Whether you love it or hate it you will definitely want to check out the dragon ride mashup Amita references here).

Plus, we review Guava Island, the tropical fable starring Donald Glover aka Childish Gambino and Rihanna which leads us to discuss the risks of setting high expectations for our favorite artists.

Then, Sean gives his rating and review of last episode’s Big Sell- the Kore Conversation between Queer Eye’s Tan France and The Good Place’s Manny Jacinto about Asian representation in pop culture and shares his Big Sell for this week- a 2019 Spotify playlist from our friends and fellow podcasters JoJCast featuring their favorite tracks so far this year.

Links:
The White Walkers spiral theory

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2018 Best Movie Moments and Entertainers of the Year – IP 142

December 26, 2018December 23, 2018 | insidepoppodcast

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If it’s the end of December, then it’s time for our last episode of the year- our round up of the best movie moments of 2018! This year, Action, Horror, Indie, Drama, Foreign and Documentary films make up our lists. From the blockbuster Black Panther to the silent thriller A Quiet Place to the indie darling, Eighth Grade, we break down which moments moved us to tears, made us laugh and kept us on the edge of our seats.

But wait, there’s more! For the first time ever- we are sharing our picks for Entertainer of the Year. We first discuss our runners up and why they made our list and then we announce who each of us chose as THE Entertainer of the Year!

Closing Quote – “Where we go from there is a choice I leave to you.” – The Matrix

Films discussed:

A Quiet Place

Black Panther

Eighth Grade

Free Solo

If Beale Street Could Talk

Roma

Sorry To Bother You

The Favourite

Three Identical Strangers

Entertainer of The Year contenders:

Beyonce & Jay-Z

Cardi B

Donald Glover

Janelle Monae

Lin- Manuel Miranda

Sissy Spacek

Tessa Thompson

Listen to our Best TV & Music of 2018 episode here

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Childish Gambino’s “This Is America”, Big Screen vs Living Room films – IP 122

May 9, 2018 | insidepoppodcast

From the visceral imagery to our initial reactions- we discuss and try to decode the video that everyone is talking about- Childish Gambino’s “This Is America”. We give our thoughts and praise to Donald Glover’s latest music video/artistic statement.

Then, we discuss what films are big screen worthy and which films you can watch at home. Amita shares her thought process on how she determines which films pass the big screen test.

And finally, Sean gets brutally honest about last week’s Big Sell and suggests a new Netflix Japanese anime series, Agretsuko.

Links:
5 Things to know about ‘This Is America”

The Swimmer trailer

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Atlanta Season 2, Avengers: Infinity War trailer, Saturday Night Live, Wolverine Podcast – IP 115

March 21, 2018March 20, 2018 | insidepoppodcast

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This episode is the ultimate pop culture to do list for the week!

DO listen to our review of the second season of Donald Glover’s series, Atlanta. We discuss whether the show overcomes the dreaded sophomore season slump.

DO hear our reaction to the latest trailer for Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War. Who will live and who will die? We share our guesses and also estimate how much screen time Doctor Strange will get since he is sharing the screen with 8,000 other heroes.

DO NOT feel any jealousy as Sean tells you what it was like to attend a taping of Saturday Night Live.

DO wonder whether Amita will enjoy Sean’s Big Sell from last week – the new podcast, Wolverine: The Long Night. And also find out which heroes they think should be next to have their own podcast. The inspiration for Sean’s answer can be found in this amazing comic written by Greg Pak.

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Comic-Con Trailers, Insecure Season 2, An Inconvenient Sequel, Way Into Idris Elba, Atlanta – IP 84

July 25, 2017July 26, 2017 | insidepoppodcast

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We’ve had a busy pop culture filled week- starting with an exclusive screening of An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power followed by a Q&A with Former Vice President Al Gore! We weren’t sure if we should bow or curtsy upon seeing him on stage.

Then, we analyze some of the most talked about trailers featured at San Diego Comic Con- including The Defenders, Thor: Ragnarok, Justice League and Star Trek: Discovery. Do they stir up excitement or fall flat?

Plus, we chat about the season two premiere of Insecure – guess how many times Amita mentions Lawrence?

And we bring you another installment of “Way Into . . .” with our guide to get way into one of our favorite Brits- Idris Elba.

And Amita gets her wish- Sean FINALLY watches one of her favorite episodes of the critically acclaimed Donald Glover FX series- Atlanta in The Big Sell.

And you can also find us at Maximum Fun

Links:

Comic Con Trailers

Idris on The Big C

Idris on The Wire Clip #1

Idris on The Wire Clip #2

Luther Trailer

Beasts of No Nation Trailer

Idris in Pacific Rim

Bastille Day Trailer

Essential Music of 2016 – IP 56

December 14, 2016December 20, 2016 | insidepoppodcast

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We’re back with another installment of our Best of the year episodes with our Essential Music of 2016 picks!

So why was this music Essential? These albums and songs acted as the soundtrack of our lives this year and brought us joy, helped us through pain, gave us life, empowered us and sometimes even made us cry. This is the music that fed our souls and we are thrilled to share it with you.

There’s no question that artists we’ve loved for years, like A Tribe Called Quest, Beyoncé, Gwen Stefani, Sia and David Bowie continued to provide music that is as relevant and vital in 2016 as it was decades earlier. But our minds were also blown (and our hearts tugged) by a younger generation of music artists — from Solange’s honest and inspiring A Seat at the Table, to Frank Ocean’s heady and heartfelt Endless and Blonde, to Blood Orange’s introspective opus, Freetown Sounds.

We also shine a light on some of the great songs of the year including works by Kendrick Lamar, Bruno Mars, Rationale, Kamasi Washington, James Blake, One Republic and Miguel.

And this list would not be complete without Sean rejoicing one more time for the Hamilton original cast album.
gallery-sia-this-is-acting-1 atcq-cover beyonce_-_lemonade_official_album_cover blackstar_front_cover solange

Links:

Amita recommends reading this behind the scenes article on the making of Sia’s This is Acting album.

Here is the emotional Gwen Stefani video for Used to Love You that Amita connected with.

Sean loves this duet between legends Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand and would love to see Beyonce and Adele recreate this incredible collaboration.

Amita and Sean both believe Solange created two of the most gorgeous videos of the year: Cranes in the Sky and Don’t Touch My Hair.

Favorite Television Shows of 2016 – IP 55

December 7, 2016 | insidepoppodcast

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We’re excited to share the first installment of our annual BEST OF lists- our Top 10 Television Shows of 2016! If you need some new shows to binge watch over the winter, look no further! In this era of Peak TV we had a plethora of options to choose from and after much thought, we each put together our 10 favorite TV shows of the year.

A few of the series that made the cut- Queen Sugar, Luke Cage, Insecure, This Is Us and Atlanta- are some of the most critically acclaimed new shows of the year.

luke-cage queen-sugar atlanta_oabpgv

We also have a few established shows on our lists that continually deliver incredible drama week after week like How To Get Away With Murder, Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead.

game-of-thrones htgawm the-walking-dead

Comedies and dramas, dragons and murderers, families and superheroes- there’s something for everyone!Follow us on Twitter & Instagram @PopInsiders and let us know what you think of our picks and share your top TV shows of the year.

If you like this episode you may want to check out:

Our interview with Marvel’s Luke Cage creator and EP, Cheo Hodari Coker, HERE: http://wp.me/p7Uq7E-8g

AMITA’S TOP 10 LIST

10. Speechless

9. How To Get Away With Murder

8. Insecure

7. This is Us

6. Luke Cage

5. Queen Sugar

4. Game of Thrones

3. The People V OJ Simpson: American Crime Story

2. Stranger Things

1. Atlanta

SEAN’S TOP 10 LIST

10. black-ish

9. O.J.: Made In America

8. The Walking Dead

7. Insecure

6. Luke Cage

5. Game of Thrones

4. Lemonade

3. Black Mirror

2. Stranger Things

1. Queen Sugar

Links

Sean thinks his number 4 pick, Lemonade, owes a debt to Janet Jackson’s Got Til It’s Gone and Julie Dash’s Daughters of the Dust.

Amita think Sarah Paulson should win an award for the Emmy Award acceptance speech she gave when she won Best Actress for The People V OJ Simpson.

If you’re trying to decide whether Sean’s Ralph Angel impression is a) great b) really great or c) fantastic – watch this dramatic scene from Queen Sugar featuring a remarkable performance from Kofi Siriboe.

Fall TV Review, Bruno Mars, Childish Gambino – IP 48

October 12, 2016December 11, 2018 | insidepoppodcast

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This week, Inside Pop helps you deal with increasing demands of Peak TV. We review the new Fall TV shows we’re sampling, the returning shows that are still solid and the programs that are either being saved on our DVR or on the cusp of being buried in the Pop Culture Graveyard. Some of the shows that make the list include: HBO’s Insecure, Hulu’s The Mindy Project and NBC’s The Good Place & This is Us.

We also discuss the new single from Bruno Mars, “24K Magic” and analyze his Vegas party themed video. Plus, Amita’s Big Sell features music from Atlanta star, Donald Glover, aka Childish Gambino.

The multi-talented creator, writer and director of the hit series also sings and raps and Amita handpicks three singles from his last album Kauai, “Palisades”, “Sober” and “Pop Thieves” for #BigSell30. We also discuss his creative collective- Royalty, featured here in GQ Magazine as well as The Roots musical collective discussed here.

Listen. Share. Subscribe and follow us @Popinsiders on Twitter and Instagram. And don’t forget to join us in the Big Sell 30 Day Challenge!