Popscotch #1: Purporting Precarious Pop Culture Theories

What’s Popscotch? Popscotch is pop culture hopscotch. Popscotch is when two things marry in your brain, even though they wouldn’t touch each other in real life. Popscotch is when you make a spurious connection with something on TV, or in a song, or an ad on the side of a bus. Popscotch happens when you’re so immersed in pop culture that you don’t even know your own name anymore, but you could easily list the last seven features that Winona Ryder was in faster than IMDB. Popscotch… well, you’ll never really get it until you watch it play out. This month we’re asking… is it possible that Mary Poppins was a Timelord? Bullshit, says you. Hear us out. The Doctor, is known for being a bit magical and otherworldly, cos he is. He flies through the sky with the greatest of ease… And Mary P? Bit magical herself, bewitched umbrella … There’s more

Preview: RTÉ Autumn Season

The RTÉ Autumn schedule, launched complete with drumroll in Studio 1 out at Montrose last Wednesday, has some gems across the 110 shows in the new line-up. You can view it in its entirety here and handpicked below, for your reading pleasure, complete with some of Culch.ie’s own footage of the launch, are our top ten highlights.

Competition CLOSED: Events – Die Hard @ Screen Cinema

***COMPETITION CLOSED. WINNER HAS BEEN CONTACTED*** Screen Cinema on D’Olier Street are kicking off their Action Season with a screening of Die Hard on this coming Monday night at 20.20. We don’t really have anything to say about it other than Yippee-Ki-Yay Mother F’kers!! It’s this on the big screen: Must-see action, Bruce Willis, airport setting (who doesn’t love airports?) and shoulder pads. What more do you need? If, like us, you’re under the age of 40 then chances are you didn’t catch it the first time around. So, if you’re up for a trip to 1988, see you on Monday night. But wait, as they say, there’s more. The lovely people at Screen have given us a pair of tickets to give away. So if you’d like to join us for some popcorn and Bruce Willis action (you don’t actually have to sit with us) then just leave a comment … There’s more

Trailer: Red State

New in the inbox is Kevin Smith’s latest, Red State, is due for Irish release on September 30th. Described as “hell bent on leaving audiences uncomfortable” (not something we’ve come to expect from the man who brought us Clerks and Dogma) it’s a thriller set in Middle America (part of the Askewniverse Yes/No?) and tells the story of three teenagers lured to an older woman’s home by an online invitation for sex. The schoolboy fantasy turns sour when the boys are held hostage by a Christian extremist preacher and his congregation who force them to witness executions before preparing them for their own deaths. Not quite Jay and Silent Bob territory is it? Quentin Tarantino’s comment is “I fucking love this movie” and John Goodman’s in it so we’re still quite looking forward to it all the same. Trailer anyone?

Coming Soon: Movie Fest

The gang behind the awesome Movies.ie are bringing a little bit of Comic Con to Dublin the form of the upcoming Movie Fest. If you’re a film buff, you should probably start getting excited right about now. If you’re everybody else, you should just be glad that people are still working to make cool new things happen despite our pervading national gloom. High five to the innovators. Happening at Cineworld next weekend (August 13th /14th) “The event will showcase, for the general public, exclusive footage from upcoming Hollywood blockbusters along with previews of Hollywood films not due for release until late 2011. Day tickets are available for purchase for the event, and each day will include two high-profile feature film previews along with presentations from all major Hollywood studios. These presentations will feature a huge selection of extensive never-before-seen footage and trailers from some of the most highly anticipated films … There’s more

Movie Review: The Smurfs in 3D

The discussions about the use of 3-D in film, especially live action, has been getting quite a bit of attention recently, with industry heads and punters alike chipping in their two-cent worth. Most recently, Simon Pegg on twitter summed it up for me when he said that 3D works with animation but not necessarily with live action. Having no idea what to expect from the Smurfs’ most recent outing – a long awaited revival of the little blue men (and one woman) of my childhood – I was happy to don my 3D glasses in anticipation of an animated adventure. What followed was nothing short of beauty. For kids, certainly, this latest outing of the Belgian Blue beings, will delight and entertain, classic slapstick routines being expertly mixed together with action and maybe a hint of romance.

Teaser Trailer: Rubberbandits in NYC

The Rubberbandits appear to have rode their horse outside all the way to America and pitched up on MTV’s front lawn and the teaser trailer for ‘Rubberbandits in NYC’ popped into Culch’s inbox today. It’s not that good but presumably they thought it was because everything is better with a bag of glue. Too hash harsh? I’ll be honest, I’m over the ‘bandits. Base humour about gays, fat people and getting off your face isn’t really sustainable after the first half-hearted lol. Mind you, the million+ views on all their songs tell a different story so clearly I’m just ancient. Thoughts, learned culchies? PS I tagged this post under ‘comedy’ and ‘performance art’ – now that’s funny.

Short Film: Isle of Man Tourist Trophy

The fourth entry in the 2011 Short Stories film making competition, “Isle of Man Tourist Trophy” takes viewers into the world of Road Racing, a world which flies past at two hundred miles an hour. The Film makers have given us a stunning visual evocation of the sweeping landscape of the Isle of Man, and the extreme focus of the men and women who participate every year to test its roads. You can watch it, and find out more info after the jump…

Trailer: The Amazing Spider-Man

This just popped into the inbox. Squee. Official-y film spiel: The film, which is now in production and is being shot entirely in 3D, will be released on July 3, 2012. The film stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Martin Sheen, and Sally Field. The film is directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay by James Vanderbilt and Alvin Sargent and Steve Kloves based on the Marvel Comic Book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Laura Ziskin, Avi Arad, and Matt Tolmach are producing the Marvel Entertainment production for Columbia Pictures. Whoop. Can’t wait.

Dallas Brought Back

Four years ago, Justin Lee Collins tried to resurrect another classic TV show (his A-Team one was legendary), with Bring Back Dallas. Little did he know, that five years later, JR, Bobby and the rest of the gang (plus the dude from Desperate Housewives that went out with Nadine) would be coming to our screens. Last week, TNT released the first trailer and official photos for the new show, which is to air in summer 2012. It’s already looking better than that horrid 90210 remake, with the old cast and new cast blending in perfectly. I have to say though, JR looks ancient. But Bobby, now that’s a grey fox! Jesse Metcalf will play Bobby and Pam’s son Christopher, fellow Desperate Housewives star Josh Henderson is J.R.’s son John Ross, while the Fast and the Furious’s Jordana Brewster is set to play the girl caught between the two guys in … There’s more

Review: A Better Life

Chris Weitz is a name you probably don’t know, and this has all the hallmarks of an art-house film with indie roots. It’s about immigrants. It has no Hollywood stars. It’s on limited release in the IFI and it has had next to zero marketing. But Chris Weitz is a director whose films have grossed over $1 billion dollars worldwide. He’s part of the mastermind brotherhood that created American Pie, he directed and adapted About A Boy and Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass, and most recently he was at the helm of Twilight: New Moon. The success of this last venture essentially allowed him to write his own cheque as regards his next project, and the result is A Better Life, a story-driven relationship piece about an illegal-immigrant father and his ungrateful son in modern LA. Certainly a change from the father-son dynamic in American Pie. The story follows Carlos … There’s more

Made In Temple Bar Festival, July 15th to 24th.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Temple Bar’s regeneration as Dublin’s Cultural Quarter, over the next ten days, Temple Bar is the place to be for arts and culture in the capital, with its Cultural Trust having organised an impressive array of events covering music, theatre, comedy, visual arts, film and family. In fact, the whole thing is just so impressive that I’m going to liberally slice from their press release. There are dozens of really interesting, unique events planned and it’s difficult to predict highlights. Liberally sprinkled on the smörgåsbord are such delights as… Conversations about Culture, a unique outdoor photographic exhibition which will change every day featuring images of people as they pass through Temple Bar during the festival and their opinions on culture. Movies on the Street: Two movies also celebrating anniversaries this year will be screened on Cow’s Lane – Breakfast at Tiffany’s which is 50 … There’s more

The Galway Film Fleadh – Review: The Other Side of Sleep

Director: Rebecca Daly Cast: Antonia Campbell-Huges, Sam Keeley, Olwyn Fouere, Vicky Joyce Receiving rave reviews from Cannes and causing a stir there at the Director’s Fortnight, Rebecca Daly’s The Other Side of Sleep received an Irish screening at the Galway Film Fleadh. Director Daly was on hand to introduce the cast and commented that “there wouldn’t be a Q&A after the film, the film sort of speaks for itself.” Gar O’Brien, programmer for the festival, mentioned just before the screening that this was a film that stayed with him for quite a while after he saw it and it’s not hard to understand why. Almost like a more intimidating and suffocating version of The Machinist, The Other Side of Sleep is a credit to Rebecca Daly, another of the great Irish directors making an impact abroad at the moment. Skilfully, The Other Side of Sleep involves the audience from the … There’s more

Movie Review – The Galway Film Fleadh Premiere – The Guard

Director: John Michael McDonagh Cast: Brendan Gleeson, Liam Cunningham, Mark Strong, David Wilmot, Pat Shortt. Winner of the Best Debut Film at the Berlin International Film Festival and nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, The Guard has been bringing down the house at international screenings. Receiving its Irish Premiere, fittingly, at the Galway Film Fleadh, McDonagh’s story of the “small town cop” Detective Sergeant Gerry Boyle, continues on its mission to become one of the most successful Irish films and to prove that the Irish are not only good at comedy, they excel at it.   Detective Sergeant Gerry Boyle is, as he describes himself, the “last of the independents.” Living a secluded and routine driven lifestyle in Connemara, Boyle has largely been forgotten by the big boys in Galway and basically, pleases himself. Having had no one to answer to for a considerable period … There’s more

Movie Review – The Galway Film Fleadh: Parked

Parked Director: Darragh Byrne Cast: Colm Meaney, Colin Morgan, Milka Ahlroth, Stuart Graham.   Receiving its Irish premiere at the Galway Film Fleadh, Parked, the debut feature from Darragh Byrne, was a wonderful way of opening the Fleadh. Unlike the other Film Festivals in Ireland, the Galway Film Fleadh are arguably some of the greatest supporters of the director’s first feature and with this in mind, one of the finest first Irish features opened the 23rd Fleadh. Last night, Darragh Byrne introduced the film with his producers on stage, following an uplifting speech by Michael D. Higgins and there has been a certain amount of expectation around the film following its success on the festival circuit abroad.