Episode 287 - Lanterns Is the DCU’s Best Show Yet + Buddy Is Insane + Disclosure Day Review

This week on All Pop, No Culture, Kevin and Andrew are finally back—and they’ve got a lot to catch up on. The main event is Lanterns, the new DCU series that may already be the strongest thing James Gunn’s new universe has produced. What starts as a slow-burn Green Lantern story quickly turns into something closer to True Detective with superpowers, and by Episode 3 both Kevin and Andrew are completely in. LANTERNS The conversation gets into: • Kyle Chandler’s grizzled, arrogant Hal Jordan • Aaron Pierre absolutely nailing John Stewart • why the grounded buddy-cop approach works • John’s family, fear, anger, and the enormous pressure placed on him • the Manhunters mystery • Laura Linney, Kelly Macdonald, Garrett Dillahunt, and Jasmine Cephas Jones • why the show doesn’t need nonstop ring-powered action • whether Sinestro and the Yellow Lantern Corps are coming • how Martian Manhunter could eventually fit into this world • and why Lanterns may be the first post-Snyder DC project that really wins Andrew over If you’ve been skeptical about Green Lantern—or the DCU in general—this might be the show that changes your mind. BUDDY Kevin also reviews Buddy, the completely unhinged R-rated horror movie that asks one important question: What if Barney trapped you inside his TV show…and started killing people? The movie starts like a children’s program and slowly becomes something much darker, bloodier, and weirder. Kevin breaks down why the bizarre in-universe setup works, why the kid cast sells it, and why this low-budget horror surprise could easily become a franchise. DISCLOSURE DAY Andrew finally catches up with Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day—and the reaction is much more mixed. The movie is ambitious, but does the modern world really react to alien disclosure the way Spielberg thinks it would? Kevin and Andrew discuss: • Emily Blunt’s performance • why the trailers may have sold the wrong movie • the film’s ideas about aliens, religion, and humanity • whether people would believe alien footage in the AI era • the Watchmen comparison • why the movie feels too long • and whether Disclosure Day would have worked better as a streaming release THE END OF OAK STREET Kevin also recommends The End of Oak Street, a Spielberg-esque dinosaur adventure about a suburban neighborhood suddenly thrown back into the prehistoric era. Think Jurassic Park—but instead of visiting the dinosaurs, the dinosaurs are suddenly outside your house. THE DOG STARS Ridley Scott’s The Dog Stars gets a recommendation too. Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, Guy Pearce, and Allison Janney star in a quiet post-apocalyptic story that’s less about action and more about grief, loneliness, survival, and learning how to move forward after losing everything. PLUS: • Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s incredible run • Marvel slowing down its release schedule • Vision Quest hype • Widow’s Bay on Apple TV+ • Dark Matter Season 2 • Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson’s Brothers • Harry Potter’s risky TV reboot • why streaming shows need to stop taking two years between seasons • and why X-Men ’97 Season 2 still isn’t matching Season 1 Question of the week: Is Lanterns the best project in the new DCU so far? #Lanterns #GreenLantern #DCU #BuddyMovie #DisclosureDay #StevenSpielberg #TheDogStars #MovieReview #TVReview #AllPopNoCulture #popculturepodcast 00:00 – Spider-Man: Brand New Day keeps exploding 08:18 – Wedding recap and getting back to pop culture 14:44 – Lanterns review begins 17:23 – Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan 18:39 – Aaron Pierre nails John Stewart 23:40 – Why Lanterns works better than expected 30:56 – Hal vs John and the emotional difference between them 32:50 – Is Lanterns worth watching? 41:02 – Buddy review begins 47:20 – Could Buddy become a horror franchise? 50:32 – Disclosure Day review begins 51:40 – Spielberg’s alien movie isn’t what people expected 55:02 – Would anyone believe alien disclosure today? 58:24 – Emily Blunt and the film’s strongest performance 01:05:11 – Final thoughts on Disclosure Day 01:08:29 – The End of Oak Street review 01:12:45 – The Dog Stars review begins 01:25:25 – Widow’s Bay recommendation 01:27:13 – Dark Matter Season 2 01:28:11 – Tangents begin 01:45:02 – Wrap-up