Brandon Lewis
@blewis1103.whenthingsgopop.com
Lifelong NYer and pop culture lover. Founder of www.whenthingsgopop.com. Critic for @GeekVibesNation. @DorianAwards member. 🍅-approved. My opinions are my own.
A couple of hours into Pokémon Legends Z-A and I think it works best as a slice of life game. The missions, especially when they have you seek out a Pokemon or play with one (Slurpluff and his macaroons) are a blast. Oh, and Alpha Pokémon continue to be my favorite mechanic. (Look at this big lug!)
October 17, 2025 at 12:13 PM
A couple of hours into Pokémon Legends Z-A and I think it works best as a slice of life game. The missions, especially when they have you seek out a Pokemon or play with one (Slurpluff and his macaroons) are a blast. Oh, and Alpha Pokémon continue to be my favorite mechanic. (Look at this big lug!)
#Superman is thrilling and earnest: a comic book brought to life, with James Gunn asking intriguing questions about heroism and self-actualization, alongside wildly creative uses of Clark's powers. Its narrative sprawl leads to some character shakiness, but the new DC hits hard.
July 8, 2025 at 4:53 AM
#Superman is thrilling and earnest: a comic book brought to life, with James Gunn asking intriguing questions about heroism and self-actualization, alongside wildly creative uses of Clark's powers. Its narrative sprawl leads to some character shakiness, but the new DC hits hard.
I’m officially calling the arrival of the Chris Evans Renaissance. Materialists aligns perfectly with his strengths, and Song helps him uncover new depths that stunned me. It’s soul-bearing work, refreshingly vulnerable and gentle. One of my favorite performances this year.
June 5, 2025 at 1:49 AM
I’m officially calling the arrival of the Chris Evans Renaissance. Materialists aligns perfectly with his strengths, and Song helps him uncover new depths that stunned me. It’s soul-bearing work, refreshingly vulnerable and gentle. One of my favorite performances this year.
Materialists is utterly charming and quietly soul-crushing in its observations about love and self-worth. Song’s script is marvelous, with lines that’ll make you laugh and shred your heart. A strong cast, but Zoe Winters and Chris Evans are stunning, with him turning in the best work of his career.
June 5, 2025 at 1:47 AM
Materialists is utterly charming and quietly soul-crushing in its observations about love and self-worth. Song’s script is marvelous, with lines that’ll make you laugh and shred your heart. A strong cast, but Zoe Winters and Chris Evans are stunning, with him turning in the best work of his career.
The existence of Honey Don’t has been validated by this moment right here. I don’t care if it’s bad; this WILL be used as a meme. I’m ready for the Evans-sance!
May 7, 2025 at 9:28 PM
The existence of Honey Don’t has been validated by this moment right here. I don’t care if it’s bad; this WILL be used as a meme. I’m ready for the Evans-sance!
This awards season has been chaotic as hell (hi Anora!), but there have been some nominee narratives/journeys that have intrigued me, and could intrigue Oscar voters. I dig into Demi Moore, Timothée Chalamet, Sebastian Stan, and Fernanda Torres's stories for WTGP. whenthingsgopop.com/2025/02/09/2...
February 10, 2025 at 4:47 PM
This awards season has been chaotic as hell (hi Anora!), but there have been some nominee narratives/journeys that have intrigued me, and could intrigue Oscar voters. I dig into Demi Moore, Timothée Chalamet, Sebastian Stan, and Fernanda Torres's stories for WTGP. whenthingsgopop.com/2025/02/09/2...
Sebastian Stan on the importance of empathy and curiosity:
February 9, 2025 at 12:30 AM
Sebastian Stan on the importance of empathy and curiosity:
This is my favorite part of my conversation with Sebastian Stan. It perfectly captures his career’s rigor and intentionality, which ultimately led to this moment of acclaim and recognition (after years of being underestimated as an actor for different reasons).
February 7, 2025 at 8:07 PM
This is my favorite part of my conversation with Sebastian Stan. It perfectly captures his career’s rigor and intentionality, which ultimately led to this moment of acclaim and recognition (after years of being underestimated as an actor for different reasons).
On winning the Golden Globe: "It's incredibly gratifying...For me, at 42 years old, having been around for 20 years, you're always hoping you'll be up there one day to thank some of these people who have contributed to my life. It was a nice moment for my mom."
January 11, 2025 at 2:15 PM
On winning the Golden Globe: "It's incredibly gratifying...For me, at 42 years old, having been around for 20 years, you're always hoping you'll be up there one day to thank some of these people who have contributed to my life. It was a nice moment for my mom."
On A Different Man’s awards season journey: “A Different Man had an interesting journey. Aaron and I always kept saying, 'We're at the Gothams, the Globes, Berlin.' There were signs that this was connecting with people. But it felt like we had to be the cheerleaders to A24 to keep it going.”
January 11, 2025 at 2:15 PM
On A Different Man’s awards season journey: “A Different Man had an interesting journey. Aaron and I always kept saying, 'We're at the Gothams, the Globes, Berlin.' There were signs that this was connecting with people. But it felt like we had to be the cheerleaders to A24 to keep it going.”
Some b-sides from my Sebastian Stan interview:
On Trump’s response to the California wildfires: “Even in these horrific fires, [Trump], instead of offering solutions, is sitting there and using what’s happening in California to serve his story, point fingers and assign blame. It’s horrific.”
On Trump’s response to the California wildfires: “Even in these horrific fires, [Trump], instead of offering solutions, is sitting there and using what’s happening in California to serve his story, point fingers and assign blame. It’s horrific.”
January 11, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Some b-sides from my Sebastian Stan interview:
On Trump’s response to the California wildfires: “Even in these horrific fires, [Trump], instead of offering solutions, is sitting there and using what’s happening in California to serve his story, point fingers and assign blame. It’s horrific.”
On Trump’s response to the California wildfires: “Even in these horrific fires, [Trump], instead of offering solutions, is sitting there and using what’s happening in California to serve his story, point fingers and assign blame. It’s horrific.”
An excerpt from my interview with Sebastian Stan: how his childhood growing up amidst and in the aftermath of the fall of the Eastern Bloc and emigrating to the United States informed his performance in The Apprentice.
January 11, 2025 at 1:28 AM
An excerpt from my interview with Sebastian Stan: how his childhood growing up amidst and in the aftermath of the fall of the Eastern Bloc and emigrating to the United States informed his performance in The Apprentice.
A very big day with a very big interview…
January 9, 2025 at 2:44 PM
A very big day with a very big interview…
An excerpt from my conversation with Marianne Jean-Baptiste, reflecting on what the reception to Hard Truths means to her and the broader film industry:
January 3, 2025 at 8:58 PM
An excerpt from my conversation with Marianne Jean-Baptiste, reflecting on what the reception to Hard Truths means to her and the broader film industry:
It’s so refreshing to see Superman as a beacon of hope again. Excited to see what James Gunn and David Corenswet have in the hopper.
December 16, 2024 at 3:44 PM
It’s so refreshing to see Superman as a beacon of hope again. Excited to see what James Gunn and David Corenswet have in the hopper.
Cases in point: Sebastian Stan and Saoirse Ronan. Saoirse has two studios who see strong opps, so her coverage has been even (slight edge to The Outrun). For Sebastian, Briarcliff has been pushing heavy for The Apprentice, while A24 hasn’t for A Different Man, so that’s where the coverage leans.
December 7, 2024 at 4:06 PM
Cases in point: Sebastian Stan and Saoirse Ronan. Saoirse has two studios who see strong opps, so her coverage has been even (slight edge to The Outrun). For Sebastian, Briarcliff has been pushing heavy for The Apprentice, while A24 hasn’t for A Different Man, so that’s where the coverage leans.
Fascinating tidbit about Challengers and Queer from talking with Justin Kuritzkes after the Queer Q&A in NYC: Luca Guadagnino took his figurative script notes and made them real (the tennis ball POV shot and Lee and Eugene’s dance/love scene). A lovely fusion of director and screenwriter.
December 4, 2024 at 1:11 PM
Fascinating tidbit about Challengers and Queer from talking with Justin Kuritzkes after the Queer Q&A in NYC: Luca Guadagnino took his figurative script notes and made them real (the tennis ball POV shot and Lee and Eugene’s dance/love scene). A lovely fusion of director and screenwriter.
The full list of my Best Film Performances of 2024:
December 1, 2024 at 4:11 PM
The full list of my Best Film Performances of 2024:
There are several awards-contending films that are under promoted, under seen by voters and general audiences, or don’t even have distribution in the US. Wicked doesn’t need to be treated like the little engine that could. It’s a fucking bullet train in every conceivable metric.
December 1, 2024 at 2:57 AM
There are several awards-contending films that are under promoted, under seen by voters and general audiences, or don’t even have distribution in the US. Wicked doesn’t need to be treated like the little engine that could. It’s a fucking bullet train in every conceivable metric.
This is a serve, Christopher.
November 28, 2024 at 8:47 PM
This is a serve, Christopher.
Finished earlier than anticipated. Next week is my Best Film Performances of 2024 piece!
November 28, 2024 at 8:41 PM
Finished earlier than anticipated. Next week is my Best Film Performances of 2024 piece!
Easiest “Best Film Performances of 2024” entry I’ve written so far: Fernanda Torres in I’m Still Here. If I ranked them (I don’t), she’d be in the top 3, because what the actual fuck did she do to my emotions? Destroyed them, that’s what:
November 27, 2024 at 6:59 PM
Easiest “Best Film Performances of 2024” entry I’ve written so far: Fernanda Torres in I’m Still Here. If I ranked them (I don’t), she’d be in the top 3, because what the actual fuck did she do to my emotions? Destroyed them, that’s what:
I thought Best Actor was gonna beat my ass this season…sorry, Fernanda Torres should not only be in the Best Actress conversation, she should be leading it.
November 27, 2024 at 2:59 PM
I thought Best Actor was gonna beat my ass this season…sorry, Fernanda Torres should not only be in the Best Actress conversation, she should be leading it.
Fernanda Torres gives one of the best performances of the year, if not the decade so far, in I’m Still Here, itself a searing, stomach-turning tale of a family living during Brazil’s military dictatorship in the 70s. It almost hurts to watch, but it feels vital, especially now.
November 27, 2024 at 1:38 PM
Fernanda Torres gives one of the best performances of the year, if not the decade so far, in I’m Still Here, itself a searing, stomach-turning tale of a family living during Brazil’s military dictatorship in the 70s. It almost hurts to watch, but it feels vital, especially now.
Nosferatu…I need to pray. And shower in holy water for like 25 minutes.
November 26, 2024 at 5:29 PM
Nosferatu…I need to pray. And shower in holy water for like 25 minutes.