round up // MARCH + APRIL 26
Spring has sprung in more ways than one—is it just me, or is pop culture blooming?
The Oscars? A new Harry Styles album? A sitcom from the minds behind 30 Rock? Oh, and the box office is up year-over-year with the help of movies like Hoppers and Project Hail Mary, which are creative victories, too. Yeah, yeah, yeah, there’s a lot of not great stuff I’m glossing over in the world of entertainment—and the world in general—at the moment, but this blog doesn’t exist to refuel your (or my) anxiety. I recently rewatched The Last Jedi, and I’m trying to practice Rose’s philosophy: “That's how we're gonna win. Not fighting what we hate, saving what we love.”
Since my Round Ups only focus on new-to-me pop culture, I won’t be singing the praises of the last great Star Wars movie, my return to the political fantasy of The West Wing, or all the gardening I’ve been doing to keep my spirits up in the face of some exhausting news cycles. What I will be recapping/recommending: several tragic romances, a pick from a recent Spielberg deep dive, and lots and lots of things that made me laugh.
March + April Crowd-Pleasers
1. Project Hail Mary (2026)
Aside from inconsistent pacing, there’s only a lot to love in this sci-fi adventure. This is the kind of movie star part Hollywood has thrived on since the beginning, and Gosling reminds us here why the camera has loved him for the more than two decades. Read my full review for ZekeFilm. Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 8.5/10
2. Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally. by Harry Styles (2026)
Sadness, insecurity, and self-loathing have always been undercurrents in Harry’s solo music, but they rush to the forefront in a new way in his latest synth-heavy album. Yes, his penchant for silliness and dance-worthy hooks are still integral, but these songs explore loneliness, the fight for sobriety, and desire for meaningful relationships. Dare I say it, there’s a new maturity. With fewer bops than Fine Line or Harry’s House, I’m not sure it will ever rank as my favorite Harry album, but “Aperture” has had me levitating on repeat, “Season 2 Weight Loss” is a vibe, and the melody in “American Girls” lets his voice soar.
3. Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice (2026)
A time travel hit man comedy with an in-depth discussion of Gilmore Girls? Um, yes please! Watch my review on KMOV. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 6.5/10
Movie Review Friday: "Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice" and "Andre is an Idiot"
4. Saturday Night Live Round Up
From Ryan Gosling’s constant giggling to the many, many cameos, season 51 has been a fun one. These have been my biggest laughs lately:
“Stranger Things Promo” (5110 with Finn Wolfhard) - Spot-on
“Scandinavian Movie 2 ft. Stellan Skarsgård” (5112 with Alexander Skarsgård) - Because SNL cameos are my favorite kind of Oscar campaigning!
“Monologue” (5114 with Ryan Gosling)
“MAHAspital” (5115 with Harry Styles)
“Harry for Him” (5115)
“Five-Timers Monologue” (5116 with Jack Black)
“Kathy” (5116)
“Husbands” (5116)
“Fashion District Robbery” (5117 with Colman Domingo)
“Edge of Destiny” (5118 with Olivia Rodrigo) - Because soap opera spoofs will always make me laugh
I also appreciated this piece from The Hollywood Reporter with some valid criticism about comedy flirting with minimizing political violence.
5. The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins (2026-)
I shouted with glee when I saw this mockumentary sitcom had been renewed for a season two. Tracy Morgan and Daniel Radcliffe deserve another five hours to develop their chemistry as this odd couple of washed up public figures. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve hit the 10-second rewind just to make sure I caught the nuances of every joke from this hilarious ensemble including Bobby Moynihan and Erika Alexander.
MORE MARCH CROWD-PLEASERS // Hoppers (2026) is feel-good, family-friendy, old school Pixar // The Stomp National Tour reminds us that art can come from anywhere // Sisu: Road to Revenge (2025) is a literal blast // Days of Thunder (1990) walked so F1 could fly // Ready or Not 2: Here I Come (2026) is a sequel we didn’t need but is still pretty fun // Top Secret! (1984) ended a terrible day with much-needed laughs // THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE. by Raye (2026) brings me hope pop music can find room for orchestras again
March + April Critic Picks
1. The Phantom of the Opera National Tour
After years of waiting for it to appear in the Fabulous Fox’s main season, my dream finally came true! Better yet, this gothic, operatic romance lived up to its legendary reputation.
2. Double Feature - Historical Romantic Tragedies: Reds (1981) + The Remains of the Day (1993)
I’m not sure what makes us root for two people to get together in spite of their dysfunction, but this double feature is a perfect example of it. In Reds (Crowd: 7/10 // Critic: 9/10), Warren Beatty and Diane Keaton war between their political and romantic impulses during the Communist Revolution. In Remains of the Day (7/10 // 9.5/10), Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson debate class and moral structures during World War II. Both may leave you in tears!
3. The 98th Academy Awards
Though not all my predictions worked out (sorry, Stellan Skarsgård!), it was nice that the discourse this year didn't focus on undeserving or overrated winners. Instead we watched an actually good In Memoriam segment (a portion I often wish was cut entirely), only two musical performances (also actually good), a Bridesmaids reunion, a new casting award, and a tie Kumail Nanjiani handled so well that you might forget about that La La Land/Moonlight fiasco a decade ago. And while my heart never wavered from wanting Timothée Chalamet to win Best Actor, finishing the most competitive race in this category in years with an emotional Michael B. Jordan felt like the perfect capper.
4. Double Feature - Goldie Hawn: Cactus Flower (1969) + The Sugarland Express (1974)
When I saw Goldie Hawn on the Oscars red carpet (to support her Best Actress-nominated daughter, natch), I decided it was time to check out the Cactus Flower (Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 8.5/10) recording that had been on my DVR for ages. What a hoot! Why did I wait so long to watch rom-com with Hawn, Walter Matthau, and Ingrid Bergman? (And to learn that Bergman could be so laugh-out-loud hilarious?) The other discovery: Hawn’s dramatic chops. Early Spielberg caper The Sugarland Express (8.5/10 // 8.5/10) is a heartbreaker and thriller held together with her performance.
5. I Swear (2025)
I’ve developed a mild allergy to inspirational true stories because so many take the lazy route with their characterization and heavy-handed sappiness. But then there are the ones anchored in performances as good as Robert Aramayo’s. Watch my review for KMOV.
Movie Review Friday: "Michael" and "I Swear"
MORE MARCH CRITIC PICKS // The Defiant Ones (1958) is the most thrilling you can hope a hit-you-over-the-head metaphor to be // Crossing Delancey (1988) is hidden rom-com gem // I can’t believe I didn’t hate Bugonia! (2025) // Malcolm X (1992) is a sprawling epic grounded in a tour de force Denzel Washington performance // I’ve yet to max out on Jane Austen adaptations, so I recommend Persuasion (1995) in addition to all the others I’ve recommended before // Revisionist History’s two-part series “Zootopia Exposed!” is a wild ride you’d never expect behind a Disney behemoth and told only as Malcolm Gladwell could // The Devil and Miss Jones (1941) is the kind of class-conscious Old Hollywood comedy I love // Duel (1971) makes me think this Steven Spielberg guy is going places!
ALSO IN MARCH + APRIL...
Just missing my list of favorite Crowd-Pleasers from this Spring is the new rom-com You, Me & Tuscany (2026). I stopped by KMOV to rave about just how cute this feel-good, Italy-set movie is (and to review a new version of Hamlet.)
Well, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026) is out, and I spent used digital ink at ZekeFilm and KMOV airwaves to explain why people over the age of six will be unimpressed.
Well, Michael (2026) is out, and in addition to using digital ink at ZekeFilm and KMOV airwaves, I used The Reel View podcast with Blaine Ward to vent about this music biopic’s terrible wigs (among other things).
The writers at ZekeFilm took on March Madness by…watching movies about madness. My pick: Laurence Olivier’s Hamlet (1948).
We spent April checking out animated features we’ve missed, so I finally made time for The Iron Giant (1999), which is an example of my favorite kind of lack of originality.
Photo credits: Phantom. All others IMDb.com.












