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The Hopscotch Friday Podcast

Hopscotch Friday is an informed and impassioned pop culture binge. What does that mean? Well, it means we’ll review stuff and give you a good idea of what’s good, what’s bad, and what’s probably worth a cheeky watch anyway. Importantly, we also give you the *why*. Online we mostly focus on movies and DVDs. But we also like music, games, telly, comics…you name it. If you like what you hear, give us a shout at hopfriday@gmail(.com). Join Stevie and Emmet O'Cuana each week for a bit of pop culture pillow talk.
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Now displaying: 2022

Hopscotch Friday is an informed and impassioned pop culture binge. What does that mean? Well, it means we’ll review stuff and give you a good idea of what’s good, what’s bad, and what’s probably worth a cheeky watch anyway. Importantly, we also give you the *why*. Online we mostly focus on movies and DVDs. But we also like music, games, telly, comics…you name it.

If you like what you hear, give us a shout at hopfriday@gmail(.com).

Join Stevie and Emmet O'Cuana each week for a bit of pop culture pillow talk.

Oct 21, 2022

Director David Weiner is back to toll the bells for the end of the In Search of Darkness part III campaign over on In Search of Darkness Part III - Ends Midnight Halloween! – CreatorVC Studios Inc (80shorrordoc.com)

Listeners have until Halloween midnight to get their order in for a copy of the film - as well as a chance to get your name in the credits (and some juicy sounding merch as well. 

Emmet asks David Weiner about our nostalgia for horror movies, the thrill of discovering gross out catharsis in a VHS case hidden away at the back of a video store - and recent resurrected iconic horror franchises such as Hellraiser and Halloween.

Sep 15, 2022

This episode we have a chat about Lightyear: the controversy and culture war nonsense, and the quiet existentialism of Buzz's mission to return home. 

Lightyear poster from Pixar animation

Aug 19, 2022

The dinos are back - but so are the old crew. 

And everyone looks just so tired! 

Chris Pratt and Colin Trevorrow on the set of Jurassic World Dominion

Jul 24, 2022

Phew! Finally, we get round to discussing all things Stranger Things season 4. From the Eddie of it all, to the mushrooming cast and the changes to the kinds of horror being depicted onscreen, we dig in. 

Stranger Things season 4 cast

Jun 19, 2022

The loosely adapted tale of Blackbeard and Stede Bonnet - Our Flag Means Death - has proven to be a fan favourite. Stevie and Emmet discuss - also a cat gets involved. 

Our Flag Means Death poster

 

Notes:

 

Jun 2, 2022
This episode is not a review of Matt Reeves's The Batman. It's a review of season 1 to 6 of Superstore on NBC.

....although you could be fooled! 

Stevie and Emmet discuss how this workplace comedy used the format to raise issues with unionism, corporate America - and the COVID pandemic. How successful is Justin Spitzer's show in dealing with these storylines? 

Listen on to find out! 

(also Emmet keeps talking about Epix's From!). 

May 6, 2022
So right out the gate - spoilers for this 'un if you haven't seen Kenneth Branagh's follow-up to The Orient Express. 

Stevie and Emmet have thoughts! 

Poster for Kenneth Branagh's Death on the Nile

Also - Emmet has a comic story with Jeferson Sadzinski, Cardinal Rae and Marcela Corrêa Müller titled How To Win A Raid in the second volume of The BeBop from Bird's Eye Comics. The anthology is now being Kickstarted, so please share and support. 

Apr 13, 2022
Stevie's back! And she's talking Moonfall, with Emmet, who recounts exactly how long he's hated Roland Emmerich movies. 
Apr 4, 2022
Ten years ago Emmet had the opportunity to interview Larry Cohen, to promote a visit to Australia as part of MonsterFest October 2012. This episode features segments of their conversation, released as a tribute to mark the 4 year* anniversary of Cohen's passing. 

Larry Cohen posing with models of the 'child' from It's Alive

During their conversation, Cohen raises his feelings about the use of CGI effects in horror cinema, how his themes have allowed a new generation of film-fans to rediscover his films, as well as shout outs to Bruce Campbell, Quentin Tarantino, and The Big Lebowski. 

Also for no apparent reason Emmet decides to shit on Sydney as a filming location!? 

Mar 6, 2022
Taking on the reins from the late Ivan Reitman, director Jason Reitman returns us to the world of the Ghostbusters - and it feels more like an obligatory school reunion than anything. 

Ghostbusters: Afterlife logo

In this episode Stevie and Emmet discuss how this sequel restages whole sequences from the original movie, the clash of styles between the two Reitmans, and how Ghostbusters is yet another franchise graverobbing its stars using CGI à la Star Wars. 

Safe to say, not a recommendation, and spoilers abound! 

Feb 18, 2022

We were a little slow getting back in the groove for 2022 - so here's a madcap rush to give you some capsule reviews of things we liked so far this year (and some things....we didn't like)!

  • Dexter New Blood
  • The Matrix Resurrections
  • And Just Like That
  • The Legend of Vox Machina
  • Inventing Anna

 

With quick mentions of Peacemaker, Archive 81, Arcane and Emily in Paris - we'll get back to those at a later date. 

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