Star Wars: The State of the Empire

Star Wars: The State of the Empire

Has Star Wars lost its way, or was it never quite as great as we remember? On this episode of The Culture Docket, Michael is joined by longtime Star Wars superfan Andrew for a State of the Empire. We discuss our very different relationships with the franchise, what made Star Wars special in the first place, the divisive sequel trilogy, the television era, and whether the galaxy far, far away still has a bright future. We also debate The Last Jedi, talk about The Mandalorian & Grogu, and close things out with a spicy round of overrated, underrated, or properly rated. May the Force be with you. Always.

Remarkably Bright Creatures + Our Favorite Movie Adaptations

Why do so many great books turn into disappointing movies? On this episode of The Culture Docket, Michael and Missy break down Remarkably Bright Creatures and the novel that inspired it. They debate whether the movie captured what made the book special (and even if the book is special at all). From there, we talk about why book adaptations so often fail, share our 5 favorite movies based on books, and close things out with some controversial overrated, underrated, properly rated takes.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 + Our Favorite Sequels

Most sequels don’t need to exist. Does the Devil Wears Prada 2? On this episode of The Culture Docket, Michael and Courtney break down the film. Does it justify itself, or is it just another cash grab? Then, we share our favorite sequels, name a few movies that deserved one, and finish with a spicy round of overrated, underrated, or properly rated.

Our Favorite Movie Scores of All Time (Part 2)

Which movie scores are truly unforgettable? On Part 2 of our movie score deep dive, Michael and Shaina lock in a consensus top 5 before each sharing their personal top 5 film scores. These are the ones they have on constant repeat and that define their love of the movies. We close things out with some hot takes in a round of overrated, underrated, or properly rated. Follow the show @culturedocketpod and check out the full playlist of every score we mention, linked here on Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0bI8leYvGb8ngmbEXs5Pe8?si=hVpXZP2EQ2m4uJ_auJ2BJQ&pi=o7Jw68HdTZOl_

Our Favorite Movie Scores of All Time (Part 1)

What makes a movie score unforgettable? On this episode of The Culture Docket, Michael is joined by Shaina, a music teacher and drama coach, to break down how film scores shape emotion, storytelling, and the overall movie experience. We talk instruments, themes, why memorable melodies seem to be disappearing, and what separates a good score from a great one. We also highlight some of our favorite composers and discuss movies elevated by their scores. This is Part 1. Next week: our Top 5 scores, consensus favorites, and overrated/underrated/properly rated. Follow the show @culturedocketpod and check out the playlist of all the music we mention, linked here on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0bI8leYvGb8ngmbEXs5Pe8?si=Wv-5xBzAQ1W0Fe11I60p0Q&pi=uq76dbIwQhiQ4