Leon ◦ The Pop Culture Studio
@pop-culture-studio
Freelance writer & artist | Film, TV, comics & games | By-lines: Polygon (Vox Media), Popverse, The Escapist, Dexerto, Screen Rant, CBR, PanelxPanel, Cultured Vultures, and more.
Been awhile since I watched the Ralph Bakshi adaptation of The Lord of the Rings — might be time to revisit it again. Such a fascinating movie, from its adaptation choices (both good and not-so-good) to its hybrid animation style #animation #lordoftherings #tolkien
Is going to that one friend's place with super chill parents to watch movies you're way too young for still a thing for kids today? Streaming has presumably demolished the huge obstacle of having to physically rent something like Starship Troopers underage (although I guess there's parental lock?).
Felt like a Monday mood boost, so I flipped through the Art of Mondo hardcover (always does the trick). Here are some of my favorites 👇🏻
With Doctor Doom in the spotlight post-Avengers: Doomsday teaser drop, Imma repeat my PSA that Marvel's most iconic baddie isn't the noble supervillain he presents himself as (and I say that as a massive fan of Doom) #AvengersDoomsday #DoctorDoom
⚠️ SPOILER WARNING FOR THE ODYSSEY ⚠️ I've seen some folks lamenting Nolan's decision to cut the marriage bed test, however, I think he made the right call combining it with the bow-stringing/arrow-shooting test.
Just had a dental check-up; my mind immediately went here as I clamped down on the X-ray bitewings.
Just snagged the 12 Monkeys 4K Blu-ray on sale, and it got me thinking what my favourite time travel movie of all time is. Terry Gilliam's flick is definitely up there, but there's stiff competition from Terminator 1 and 2, Back to the Future 1-3, and a bunch of other worthy contenders. #film
Great to see this little guy's cameo in the latest episode of House of the Dragon; the GOAT of on-the-nose symbolism since 2006. (Mostly kidding! I enjoyed Episode 3.) #HouseoftheDragon
Flashback to 2003, when I was ALL IN on the Matrix Reloaded/Revolutions multimedia meta-narrative madness in a way that only a high schooler can be #TheMatrix
X-Men '97 continues to be one of the best examples of how to do a legacy/revival series that doesn't coast on its nostalgia factor, but rather uses that nostalgia as a narrative and thematic jumping off point #XMen97
What really bugs me about stuff like Gene Wilder's AI voice in Netflix's Wonka: Golden Ticket is that it betrays such a superficial understanding of what a performance actually is.
There are so many praiseworthy aspects of Tom King and Bilquis Evely's Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, but something that definitely shouldn't get lost in the shuffle is the way it demonstrates Comet the Super-Horse is fucking awesome, actually #Supergirl #ComicSky
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest turns 20(!) today. Hoping to crank out an extended retrospective soonish, as Gore Verbinski's 2006 blockbuster is interesting to unpack both as a story and as an artifact of its time.
My Lawrence of Arabia 4K Blu-ray arriving in the middle of a heatwave has all the makings of truly immersive viewing experience... #movies #physicalmedia #film
Bruce Timm storyboards for Batman: The Animated Series really are something else #Batman #animation #BruceTimm
Grant Morrison’s pitch for restarting Doctor Who post-Davies. I like that it’s forward facing, while stil making room for closure RE: what came before #DoctorWho
Currently reading Easy Riders, Raging Bulls. It's a controversial text (most of the people profiled dispute its accuracy), but its through-line of a new generation of filmmakers shaking up an out-of-touch Hollywood? That more or less tracks, and history sure does love rhyme...
Rockstar really knows how to iterate on an established style and layout. Once again, they've nailed the balancing act between fresh and familiar. #GTA6
A couple of years back, I interviewed Vic Armstrong about his second unit work on The Rings of Power. There was still a bit of time after we wrapped up the session, so we got talking about his time as a stunt performer — including doubling for Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones (1/3)
The original Toy Story is a perfect case study for why friction and false starts are so vital to the creative process. The movie's story and characters as we know them now only emerged after multiple rounds of rewrites — something you just don't get by trying to jump straight to a finished product.
My Adventures with Superman Season 3 putting a shōnen spin on the comics' classic "Reign of the Supermen" storyline (a biggie for me, growing up) is the kind of pleasant surprise my 2026 needed #ComicSky #Superman #MyAdventureswithSuperman
Finally catching up on Widow’s Bay — absolute belter! I’ve heard it pitched as “Arrested Development meets Midnight Mass” (which is pretty accurate), but I think “Jaws from the mayor’s POV” kinda works, too. Either way, I’m hooked! #WidowsBay
Carlos Segura's covers for 2000s Grant Morrison/Chris Weston Vertigo series The Filth live rent-free in my head to this day #ComicSky
I think the thing I’m most looking forward to about Disclosure Day (even more than the whole alien conspiracy) is Josh O’Connor’s performance. I’m always impressed by his work (especially his underrated turn in Wake Up Dead Man last year). #DisclosureDay
I know, I should be playing 007 First Light like every other James Bond/Hitman fan out there. But some days, you wake up and say "Screw it: today's the day I finally give Cyberpunk 2077 a go" and all thoughts of the pop culture zeitgeist evaporate. Mr. Bond is still on my radar, though! #videogames
Pleasantly surprised by The Four Seasons Season 2. When Netflix announced a second season, I struggled to see how Fey, Fisher, and Wigfield could continue Season 1's story in a satisfying way (especially without a key cast member), but they nailed it 🎯 #TheFourSeasons #TV #Streaming