This week on WVIA Pop Shop, Allan Austin, Patrick Hamilton and Kara take on Primetime, the new film starring Robert Pattinson in a highly fictionalized retelling of the story behind NBC's To Catch a Predator. The movie portrays Chris Hansen as a man driven by a complicated mixture of justice, ambition, celebrity and ratings—and uses the rise of his controversial television series to ask uncomfortable questions about the relationship between journalism and entertainment. When crime becomes content, can the pursuit of justice remain the priority? What happens when public accountability becomes spectacle? And who gets to decide what justice looks like when television cameras, audiences and ratings enter the equation? Allan and Patrick also examine the film's depiction of vigilantism and moral certainty, while Kara weighs in on the movie's deliberately uncomfortable visual style and the ways sensationalized crime can make the unfolding story more important than justice itself. Plus, the Pop Shop crew is divided over Primetime: is its deeply unpleasant viewing experience one of the movie's biggest flaws—or exactly what makes it work? #Primetime #RobertPattinson #TrueCrime #ToCatchAPredator #MovieReview #PopCulture #PopShop #WVIA

This week on WVIA Pop Shop, Allan Austin and Patrick Hamilton enter Raccoon City for the newest Resident Evil movie—the eighth film in the franchise and its second reboot. The story follows Brian, an ordinary medical courier whose last-minute delivery sends him straight into a viral outbreak filled with monsters, terrible decisions and increasingly deadly obstacles. But rather than only asking whether Resident Evil successfully translates the video games to the big screen, Allan and Patrick use the movie to explore a much bigger question: why are audiences connecting so strongly with horror right now? Could the rise of horror and decline of superhero movies be connected? What do monsters reveal about the fears and anxieties of the culture that creates them? And why might stories about ordinary people trapped by forces beyond their control feel especially relevant today? Then, after the spoilers begin, the guys look at how Resident Evil borrows the visual language and mechanics of video games—from first-person perspectives and NPC-like supporting characters to levels, puzzles and increasingly difficult monsters—and debate whether those ideas actually work as cinematic storytelling. Plus: can Patrick's experience playing Resident Evil overcome the movie's very thin plot? And can Allan survive 90 minutes of watching people make terrible decisions? ⚠️ Spoilers begin after the Kirby Center segment.

This week on WVIA Pop Shop, Allan Austin and Patrick Hamilton take on Practical Magic 2, the long-awaited sequel to the 1998 cult favorite starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman. Sally and Gillian Owens are back, but so is a familiar problem: a family curse they thought they'd broken decades ago. As a new generation of the Owens family confronts its consequences, Allan and Patrick ask whether the sequel successfully recaptures the magic of the original—or simply repeats it. Along the way, they wrestle with continuity problems, messy storytelling and what makes a sequel worthwhile. Then, after the spoilers begin, the conversation turns to the idea at the heart of both Practical Magic films: sisterhood. Why does this story resonate so strongly with its audience despite its narrative flaws? Can emotional connection matter more than storytelling logic? And what does the sequel have to say about identity, allyship and the importance of spaces built around shared experience? Plus: Allan thinks you need to stop worrying about the plot and feel the vibes. Patrick very much disagrees. ⚠️ Spoilers begin at 16:38.

Why are Americans still fascinated by The Godfather more than 50 years after its release?

In this episode of WVIA Pop Shop, Allan Austin and Patrick Hamilton take on Coyote vs. Acme, the live-action/animated Looney Tunes movie that finally lets Wile E. Coyote take the Acme Corporation to court over decades of defective—and frequently disastrous—products.

What happens when the most powerful lawmen in the universe come down to Earth?

What happens to a community when survival becomes every family for themselves?

Can kindness actually be a radical act?

Can you really start over when the past refuses to let go?

Can you tell whether a movie will be great from just two minutes of footage?