BANTER BLENDER #96: Inside Comic-Con 2014 and an Early Look at ‘Guardians of the Galaxy;’ Guest Host Kyle Buchanan

This week on “The Banter Blender,” Kyle Buchanan (senior editor, “Vulture”) returns to talk movies. First, Kyle takes us inside last week’s annual San Diego Comic-Con to describe what the experience is actually like. Kyle then shares some of the best things he saw, including an extended preview of the new “Avengers” sequel. Then it’s …

BANTER BLENDER #93: Tinder, World Cup, Personal Trainers, Summer Movies; Special Guest Marcos Luevanos

Writer Marcos Luevanos joins Ben Mandelker (bsideblog.com) to banter about all things pop culture. Going into the Banter Blender this week: Tinder behavior, the World Cup, personal training quandaries, summer movies, and just a dash of Big Brother. It’s lots of fun — come listen! And if you’re looking to start a website or simply …

10 Rejected Sequel Ideas for ‘We Bought A Zoo’

This Christmas, Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, and Thomas Haden Church all star in the movie We Bought A Zoo. It’s sort of a strange concept (if you need a plot description, look no further than the title), but if the film finds an audience — who knows? Maybe we might see a sequel or two. …

50 Documentaries To See Before You Die, According To Current TV. Do You Agree?

Over the past ten years or so, documentary films have seen something of a boon in interest. Thanks in part to the rise of reality TV, the influx of celebrity filmmakers (think Michael Moore), and the taste-making influence of social media, the genre has crept out of the arthouse and into the local cinema. Now …

‘Black Swan’ Rocked My World

Last weekend I went to a screening of Black Swan with my dear friend Sly, and I gotta admit that I kind of loved the film. The whole movie was an amazing mess: borderline campy, intensely freaky, frequently disgusting, and 100% overwhelming. Its symbolism was obvious, and its scares sometimes manipulative, but by the end, …