# Popcorn & Parsecs Written by by published writer and represented screenwriter AJ Retelle, Popcorn & Parsecs delves into all things TV and movies including reviews, recommendations, retrospects on classics, and everything in between. New posts every Monday. Page: Feed: --- ## [Stacking the deck: how Michael Madsen anchored ESPN's poker drama](https://popcornandparsecs.substack.com/p/stacking-the-deck-how-michael-madsen) _2025-07-07 · AJ Retelle_ His tough guy character acting was spot-on for the show's villain ## [License to Thrill: How Denis Villeneuve could reinvent 007](https://popcornandparsecs.substack.com/p/license-to-thrill-how-denis-villeneuve) _2025-06-30 · AJ Retelle_ Villeneuve's distinct style could be just what the Bond franchise needs ## [Catharsis or complicity? Rethinking Inglorious Basterds](https://popcornandparsecs.substack.com/p/catharsis-or-complicity-rethinking) _2025-06-09 · AJ Retelle_ Quentin Tarantino's WW2 revenge tale has a complicated legacy ## [Jaws: 50 years of fins, fear, and film perfections](https://popcornandparsecs.substack.com/p/jaws-50-years-of-fins-fear-and-film) _2025-06-02 · AJ Retelle_ Steven Spielberg's 1975 nautical nightmare still holds up half a century later ## [It's time for SVU to turn in its badge](https://popcornandparsecs.substack.com/p/its-time-for-svu-to-turn-in-its-badge) _2025-05-26 · AJ Retelle_ The Law & Order spin-off isn't what it used to be ## [Wasteland wishlist: Fallout Season 2's five must-haves](https://popcornandparsecs.substack.com/p/wasteland-wish-list-fallout-season) _2025-05-19 · AJ Retelle_ From deathclaws to the evil Legion, here are five things that could take Fallout to a whole new level ## [40 years later, Back to the Future stands the test of time](https://popcornandparsecs.substack.com/p/40-years-later-back-to-the-future) _2025-05-12 · AJ Retelle_ Zemeckis and Gale's sci-fi classic is still one of the funnest, most rewatchable movies around. ## [Remembering GLOW: Netflix's too soon cancelled smash hit](https://popcornandparsecs.substack.com/p/remembering-glow-netflixs-too-soon) _2025-05-05 · AJ Retelle_ The 80s wrestling romp was one of a kind...and Netflix blew it ## [The Last of Us - Season 2, Episode 2: Through the Valley (SPOILERS!)](https://popcornandparsecs.substack.com/p/the-last-of-us-season-2-episode-2) _2025-04-21 · AJ Retelle_ The season's second episode was a tough watch...but had me glued to the screen anyway. ## [One platform, from silicon to agent (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/toAI1R64aP91) _2025-04-21 · **Sponsored**_ Serverless inference plus Inference Router to optimize cost and latency at scale. ## [The Last of Us: Season 2 Premiere Review - "Future Days" (SPOILERS!)](https://popcornandparsecs.substack.com/p/the-last-of-us-season-2-premiere) _2025-04-14 · AJ Retelle_ The brilliant post-apocalyptic drama picks up right where it left off...and then some