Documentary, Reviews, TechLeave a comment

‘The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist’ is a Rousing Call for Humanity to Take Action

March 26, 2026March 26, 2026 Swara Salih

Artificial Intelligence, or “AI,” is an intentionally misrepresented term. A vast collection of machine learning algorithms using vast quantities of human-made data for predictive analytics, it is ultimately more simple than we’re led to believe. Mainly this is the design of the capitalist tech CEOs who insist that towering and complicated AI simply must be part of our daily lives when in most ways we have no practical use for it and we can get by.

Movies, ReviewsLeave a comment

‘The Gates’ is a Tense Study of Race, Power, and Belonging

March 22, 2026 Ainsley 'LadyL' Landry

A gated community is supposed to represent safety. Order. Protection from the chaos of the outside world. But The Gates quickly reveals that promise to be something else entirely.

Conventions, PodcastsLeave a comment

The Middle Geeks Episode 77: LIVE at Awesome Con 2026 in Washington D.C.!

March 20, 2026 Swara Salih

We’re live once again at Awesome Con in Washington D.C. discussing SWANA representation in Fantasy & Sci-Fi!

Animation, Movies, Reviews1 Comment

Pixar’s ‘Hoppers’ is a Hilarious Avatar Riff That Gets Surprisingly Real

March 2, 2026February 21, 2026 Michael Lee

When it comes to animated originals, few studios do it like Pixar. Their best films keep raising the bar. So when something like Hoppers comes along, you do not just hope it is good. You hope it delivers the kind of craft and storytelling that reminds you why Pixar is still the gold standard. And Hoppers does exactly that. It pairs humorous chaos with emotionally resonant storytelling, memorable characters, and astonishing visuals, while exploring timely ideas about anger, powerlessness, and empathy without ever losing its heart.

Literature, Movies, Reviews1 Comment

‘Wuthering Heights’ is a Visually Stunning Retelling of a Cautionary Affair

February 9, 2026February 8, 2026 Nikita Francois

Wuthering Heights immediately whisks you away into a dark reimagined telling of Emily Brontë‘s novel. Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi give us a searing portrayal of the tortured lovebirds Catherine and Heathcliff in a story filled with passion, depicted by two deeply troubled individuals. The film is cinematically stunning, and the costumes lean beautifully into a whimsically modern twist on period pieces.

Literature, Movies, Reviews3 Comments

NOC Review: Toxic Love Entices and Torments in ‘Wuthering Heights’

February 9, 2026February 9, 2026 Mike Manalo

Why are so many drawn to toxic love? Like an addiction, many cling to the idea that only a single person can complete their soul and possess their very being, holding on to the feeling of euphoria that exists when that person is by your side. However for any and all purity that might seemingly be derived from love, sometimes it can be utterly poisonous if the obsession consumes you.

Movies, Music, Reviews

Hope’s Still Alive in Eddie Vedder’s ‘Matter of Time’ Concert Film

February 6, 2026February 12, 2026 Keith Chow

There’s a particular gravity to watching Eddie Vedder perform on his own. Without the band, without the familiar roar of a Pearl Jam crowd, what’s left isn’t catharsis — it’s intention. Matter of Time understands that, and it’s why the film works. This isn’t just a concert movie, it’s a document about responsibility.

Interview, Movies, Reviews

‘Anaconda’ is a Fun Jungle Adventure That Tackles Having a Midlife Crisis

December 23, 2025January 5, 2026 Nikita Francois

Anaconda is a fast-paced jungle adventure that serves up a slithering good time. Starring Jack Black, Paul Rudd, Steve Zahn, and Thandiwe Newton, we had the opportunity to chat with the cast and take a look at how this film explores life, friendships, and handling a midlife crisis.

Movies, Reviews, Sci Fi

‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ is a Technical Marvel Trapped in a Familiar Story

December 16, 2025December 16, 2025 Michael Lee

Every trip to Pandora brings in a visually stunning new adventure and family drama with Jake Sully and Neytiri. The new Avatar: Fire and Ash doubles down on both, throwing the family into a firestorm of grief, resilience, and jaw-dropping world-building that keeps expanding Pandora in bold, unexpected directions. Unfortunately, despite being epic in scale and scope, the film’s lack of a compelling story frustrates, and its many setups lead to surprisingly few satisfying payoff.

Animation, Movies, Reviews

‘Zootopia 2’ Twists the Buddy-Cop Formula Without Losing Social Commentary

November 25, 2025November 25, 2025 Michael Lee

To say that Disney’s Zootopia is just another animated feature with anthropomorphized animals would be completely reductive. It’s a buddy cop comedy full of laughs and pop culture references, threaded with themes of tolerance, bias, and who gets to feel safe in a city that prides itself on being for “anyone” and “anything.” Asking Zootopia 2 to match, let alone surpass, that mix of vibrant visuals, sharp humor, and pointed social commentary feels like a tall order, yet somehow the sequel rises to it and then some.

Movies, Podcasts

The Middle Geeks Episode 75: ‘Wicked: For Good’ and Fighting for a Cause

November 22, 2025November 23, 2025 Swara Salih

The Middle Geeks review the concluding film Wicked: For Good and what it has to say about fighting for your cause.

Movies, Reviews, Sci Fi

‘The Running Man’ Delivers Sharp Truths Even When it’s a Bit Overhyped

November 12, 2025 Michael Lee

In a world where entertainment thrives on dehumanization, Stephen King’s The Running Man remains one of the most unsettlingly relevant dystopias. The book made for a memorable 1987 film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, and now Edgar Wright’s adaptation pays clear homage to the source while recalibrating it for an era of algorithms, streaming spectacle, and disposable labor. The premise still excites, but the film’s frantic energy sometimes scatters its sharpest ideas.

Movies, Reviews, Sci Fi

NOC Review: ‘Predator: Badlands’ is an Enjoyable Sci-Fi Romp

November 11, 2025November 11, 2025 Mike Manalo

Redefining a classic franchise is a difficult thing to do. Countless remakes and reboots of beloved classics from Poltergeist to Child’s Play have withered and died at the cinema. The Predator franchise, specifically, has even seen its share of wasted potential (see Shane Black’s failed attempt from 2018).

Animation, Movies, Reviews

‘In Your Dreams’ Balances Candy-Colored Chaos with Real Heart

November 7, 2025November 7, 2025 Michael Lee

Dreaming is one of the most powerful ways kids make sense of chaos or imagine what comes next. Whether it is school pressure, first crushes, or home shifting under their feet, dreams turn fear into something they can face.

Movies, Reviews

NOC Review: ‘Palestine 36’ is an Epic Historical Film of Resounding Importance

November 5, 2025November 5, 2025 Edward Hong

Annemarie Jacir’s Palestine 36 is an epic historical film that takes the audience back to 1936 when Palestine began to make a great push resisting British colonial rule. It is not only an astoundingly well made film with incredible performances, it is a film that is a much needed history lesson that needs to be shown in every school and university in western nations and around the world. At its core, the film shows the Palestinian resistance for what it really is: a fight for freedom and independence which has been going on for many, many decades.

Movies, Reviews, Sci Fi2 Comments

‘Tron: Ares’ and the Algorithm of Humanity

October 7, 2025 Ainsley 'LadyL' Landry

In IMAX, Tron: Ares doesn’t just unfold, it engulfs you. From the first neon pulse to the last flicker of light, I felt like I wasn’t just watching a film but being uploaded into it. The franchise that once imagined the world inside a computer now feels eerily close to our own, a mirror made of code and conscience.

Movies, Reviews

Celebrating 25 Years of the Stunning Yet Oddly Paced Romance, ‘In the Mood For Love’

September 29, 2025September 25, 2025 Lauren Lola

It’s been 25 years since Wong Kar-wai’s pièce de résistance, In the Mood For Love, premiered in Hong Kong. Set in the early 1960s, it follows two neighbors (Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung) who find out their spouses are having an affair with each other.

Movies, Reviews1 Comment

NOC Review: ‘One Battle After Another’ is the Movie We Need Right Now

September 26, 2025 Mike Manalo

Every day we wake up to a divided nation. Anti-immigration sentiment is at an all-time high. White privilege has never been more prevalent and has inserted itself into the nation’s capital. Elected officials use BS excuses to invade our cities and shut down free speech. At this point, all we can do is laugh about the state of the country. Thankfully, that’s exactly what Paul Thomas Anderson does in his cathartic satirical triumph, One Battle After Another.

Movies, Reviews

NOC Review: Jennifer Lopez, Diego Luna, and Tonatiuh in ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’

September 23, 2025October 10, 2025 Rosana Maris Arias

Kiss of the Spider Woman, starring Jennifer Lopez, Diego Luna, and Tonatiuh, is slated to hit theaters on October 10. The two-hour film pays tribute to Hollywood, the film industry, the movie musical, actors, and the idea of celebrity. Highlights from the film include actor Tonatiuh’s performance, Lopez’s dancing, and the use of Technicolor film processing.

Horror, Movies, Reviews, Sports

How ‘HIM’ Exposes the Cult of Sports and the Commodification of Black Athletes

September 20, 2025 Ainsley 'LadyL' Landry

American football isn’t just a game; it’s a religion. The rituals, the chants, the stadiums packed with worshippers draped in team colors, it all mirrors a form of collective devotion. In Justin Tipping’s new psychological thriller HIM, produced by Jordan Peele, football becomes something far more literal: a site of sacrifice, worship, and horror.

Movies, Reviews

‘Eenie Meanie’ Revs Up the Screen with Action, Thrills, and Humor

August 21, 2025 Nikita Francois

Eenie Meanie is a high-octane thrill ride that will take you from the edge of your seat in anticipation, to laughing hysterically. Shawn Simmons expertly weaves the intricacies of an action thriller with a heist movie, featuring dynamic characters that leave you cheering for multiple sides.

Animation, Movies, Reviews1 Comment

NOC Review: ‘The Glassworker’ Masterfully Crafts its Anti-War Message

August 14, 2025August 14, 2025 Swara Salih

Writer, director, and co-composer of The Glassworker, Usman Riaz, worked on his inaugural animated film for over a decade. And the results show vividly in the finished feature, giving us a simultaneously intimate and grand story showcasing the beauty of art against the horrors of war.

Interview, Movies, Reviews1 Comment

‘Americana’ is a Dark Comedy About Cultural and Literal Theft, For Our Times

August 12, 2025August 12, 2025 Dominic Mah

I got to chat with director Tony Tost and star Paul Walter Hauser about Americana, the new Western/heist/comedy opening this week from Lionsgate Films. The interviews and my review of this thoroughly enjoyable genre-mashing romp, featured below. Americana also stars Halsey (yeaaah, “Without Me,” “Closer,” “Boy With Luv,” that Halsey!), Sydney Sweeney, Zahn McClarnon, Eric Dane, and Simon Rex.