Mike Kaye
@captainkaye42.bsky.social
Media critic, Co-founder of Renegadepopculture.com. Co-host of Renegade Animation. Music Nerd. Animation junkie.
Go see Hadestown if it's still playing in a theater near you!
A ★★★★★ review of Hadestown: The Musical (2026)
Quick thoughts: What do you get when you combine the legend of Orpheus and Eurydice and the Abduction of Persephone with the music and setting of America during the Great Depression? You get Hadestown...
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I now completely understand why the box office projections for #SpiderManBrandNewDay are as massive as they are. This is the movie that everyone has wanted to see for a very long time, and Tom Holland absolutely delivered the goods! See it ASAP!
A review of Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026)
Quick thoughts: I'm genuinely debating how much I want to keep this review spoiler free. On the one hand, it's kind of difficult to talk about this movie without talking about what happens in the movi...
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Evil Dead Burn is great, but definitely not for the faint of heart! The kills are downright brutal, but Alice is yet another badass woman taking center stage in a gripping narrative that deals in heavy themes about grief and domestic abuse.
A review of Evil Dead Burn (2026)
Quick thoughts: One of the coolest things about Evil Dead as an ongoing film series is how much creative control Sam Raimi is giving to other filmmakers, while maintaining a certain level of quality c...
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Here's the thing about #TheOdyssey: it's a goddamn masterpiece! I will see it again next weekend to confirm this, but this is Nolan at his most lyrical, delivering a movie that's both epic in scope, yet deeply personal. See it on the largest screen!
A ★★★★★ review of The Odyssey (2026)
Quick thoughts: You want to know what's really annoying? There is a certain subset of film fans who find Christopher Nolan to be overrated, because he's a director that many younger film fans put on s...
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Go see #TheInvite this weekend while it's in wide release! It's a coming of age movie for adults that is unafraid to dive directly into uncomfortable conversations about human connection. The entire cast is excellent, and the writing is sharp as a tack.
A review of The Invite (2026)
Quick thoughts: I'm gonna say something that seems obvious, but still needs to be said out loud: we need more female filmmakers in the industry. Not only that, but they should be allowed as many oppor...
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Enjoy a brand new episode of Renegade Animation! This time, @camseyeview.biz, @crazylemur.bsky.social, and I discuss Hong Kong's second animated feature Another World, as well as The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act!
Another World in a Digital Circus - Renegade Animation #221 | RPC | Renegade Pop Culture - Podcasts on Animation, Movies, and Video games
In this episode, Captain Kaye, the Animation Guru, and the Crazy Lemur discuss Hong Kong's 2nd feature length animated film Another World , as well as the series finale of The Amazing Digital Circus...
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I'm not surprised that I enjoyed a Minions movie, I've done that in the past. The surprise is how genuinely great #MinionsandMonsters is as both an irreverent slapstick comedy, and a passionate love letter to Old Hollywood! Seriously, see it ASAP!
A review of Minions & Monsters (2026)
Quick thoughts: Is it weird to say that the Minions movies have been getting better with each installment, while the mainline Despicable Me movies aren't? Perhaps the reason why is because the team at...
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I mostly liked #Supergirl, and the biggest reasons why were the performances, and the grimy, Mad Max-inspired space western aesthetic! Much like Kara Zor-El, the movie can be messy, but I believe it ends on a high note, and I want her story to continue.
A review of Supergirl (2026)
Quick thoughts: Guys (and I do quite literally mean "guys"), I'm tired. As a film fan, I'm tired of the same discourse being recycled over and over again, but as a DC fan, I'm pissed. It's not this mo...
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There has literally never been a bad Toy Story movie (if we don't count Lightyear, which I certainly don't), and #ToyStory5 keeps that streak going! I was more right to trust Andrew Stanton to tell a more nuanced story about technology than I realized.
A review of Toy Story 5 (2026)
Quick thoughts: Okay guys, I get it, Toy Story should have ended with 3! That would be a perfectly fine opinion, if I hadn't seen it ad nauseam on social media. Andy's story concluded in Toy Story 3, ...
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Disclosure Day is the reason why I go to the movies! Roger Ebert once described movies as a "machine that generates empathy," and Emily Blunt's character is empathy personified. At 79 years old, the Beard still has plenty of gas in the tank!
A review of Disclosure Day (2026)
Quick thoughts: Steven Spielberg is the greatest director of all time, but not for the reason you might think. It's not because he has the greatest track record among his peers, because he certainly d...
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I have my notes, but ultimately I enjoyed #MastersoftheUniverse! It gets off to a rocky start, but the back half really finds its groove. Some of the highlights include an absolutely electric score composed by Daniel Pemberton and Queen's Brian May!
A review of Masters of the Universe (2026)
Quick thoughts: Much like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, there doesn't seem to be a clear consensus on what Masters of the Universe is supposed to be. The original toy line can trace its lineage back t...
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The Amazing Digital Circus finale was honestly quite satisfying! I cannot give away any spoilers, but I'm just so proud of Gooseworx and the entire Glitch Productions team for creating something special.
A review of The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act (2026)
Quick thoughts: Regardless of what I think about these last two episodes themselves, the fact that an independently produced animated webseries can amass such a large fanbase that it's selling out scr...
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Mathematically, something has to be John Carney's "weakest" film to date, but on its own merits, #PowerBallad is delightful. It's anchored by two incredible co-lead performances, and naturally the songs are every bit as good as you'd want them to be!
A review of Power Ballad (2026)
Quick thoughts: Generally speaking I don't like to put any filmmaker in a box, but I make exceptions for at least two reasons. One is if said box is big enough to contain several different ideas, henc...
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I sincerely hope that #ILoveBoosters finds its audience, cause it's one of my favorite movies of the year! It's weird, it's wonderful, but most importantly, it's a movie that only a filmmaker as singular as Boots Riley could have made! See it ASAP!
A review of I Love Boosters (2026)
Quick thoughts: I must confess that I have yet to see Boots Riley's feature directorial debut, Sorry to Bother You. However, that doesn't make me any less a fan of what he's doing as an artist with su...
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Enjoy a brand new episode of Renegade Animation! This time, @camseyeview.biz, @crazylemur.bsky.social, and I talk Coyote vs Acme, Annecy, and yes, Invincible Season 4!
Coyote, Annecy, and an Invincible All Out Animation Attack - Renegade Animation #219 | RPC | Renegade Pop Culture - Podcasts on Animation, Movies, and Video games
In this episode, Captain Kaye, the Animation Guru, and the Crazy Lemur share their thoughts on the first trailer for Coyote vs Acme , preview this year's Annecy International Animation Film Festival,...
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Is #TheMandalorianandGrogu a great movie? No, not really. Did I enjoy watching it on the big screen? Absolutely! Star Wars belongs in theaters, and I'm of the opinion that it's like pizza: even when it's "bad," it's still Star Wars.
A review of Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026)
Quick thoughts: Star Wars, to me, is like pizza. Even when it's "bad," it still has all of the important ingredients. Sometimes the ingredients may be the freshest, sometimes the pizza itself may be o...
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"Imagine trying to describe a dog to someone who's never seen one, then asking them to draw it based on that description." If that's not the most apt description of #Backrooms, then I don't know what is! Can't wait to see what Kane Parsons does next!
A review of Backrooms (2026)
Quick thoughts: I've been seeing a lot of dumb entertainment related discourse this year, but one of the dumbest crackpot theories I've seen has to be the one that suggests movies like Obsession and B...
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I know I'm late to this one, but that doesn't make #IsGodIs any less of a masterpiece! Aleshea Harris came bursting onto the scene adapting her own stage play, and breathing new life into it with this electric directorial debut! See it ASAP!
A ★★★★★ review of Is God Is (2026)
Quick thoughts: I have to be careful, in praising this movie, not to disrespect the art of live theatre. It's one of the oldest forms of storytelling, and some of the greatest movies of all time are a...
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I say this in the best way possible, but #Obsession is one of the most deeply disturbing movies I've seen in quite some time. Curry Barker's striking sensibilities make him one of the most exciting contemporary filmmakers. Also, Inde Navarette....goddamn, what a performance!
A review of Obsession (2025)
Quick thoughts: Everyone loves a good Aesop's fable, don't they? One of the lessons that has formed the base for many great horror films is "be careful what you wish for." Curry Barker, a Gen Z writer...
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I was NOT expecting to call #TheSheepDetectives the best movie of the year, but I proudly stand by that! As silly as the premise may sound, it's actually a thematically rich coming of age story wrapped inside a brilliantly executed murder mystery! See it!
A ★★★★★ review of The Sheep Detectives (2026)
Quick thoughts: Stop me if you've heard this one before: a trailer for a Lord Miller Production is released, and people write it off. But then, critics and other people in the industry get to see it e...
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Enjoy a brand new episode of Renegade Animation! This time, @camseyeview.biz, @crazylemur.bsky.social, and I discuss Scarlet, plus whatever nonsense is happening in the world of animation!
Scarlet Discussion - Renegade Animation #218 | RPC | Renegade Pop Culture - Podcasts on Animation, Movies, and Video games
In this episode, Captain Kaye, the Animation Guru, and the Crazy Lemur finally get a chance to discuss Mamoru Hosoda's latest directorial effort, Scarlet ! Plus, there's still plenty of news to discu...
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I don't know what a "perfect" Mortal Kombat movie is supposed to look like. All I know is that I had an absolute blast with #MortalKombatII, and I'm perfectly okay admitting that a lot of it has to do with centering the narrative around Johnny Cage!
A review of Mortal Kombat II (2026)
Quick thoughts: Last night, I rewatched the first Mortal Kombat movie, which also happened to be the first movie I saw when theaters starting opening back up after quarantine. I still enjoyed it for w...
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I was not expecting to love #TheDevilWearsPrada2 as much as I did, but here we are! It's not perfect, and it does fall victim to some of the legacy-quel trappings, but much like the Scrubs revival, it adds new depth to these returning characters.
A review of The Devil Wears Prada 2 (2026)
Quick thoughts: I have not actually seen the first Devil Wears Prada movie in its entirely until this past Friday. I only really knew it by reputation, particularly Meryl Streep's incredible performan...
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Animation fans always want to cherish the idea of animation cinema from around the world but never actually put in there work to do so because they don’t actually care. We always put our money and time where our mouth is and we always love watching or at least checking out films like this one.
Mike Kaye@captainkaye42.bsky.social · 3mo agoEnjoy a brand new episode of Renegade Animation! This time, @camseyeview.biz, @crazylemur.bsky.social, and I share our thoughts on Bruno Bozzetto's 1976 magnum opus Allegro non troppo, while shaking our heads in deep embarrassment at animation "fans."
Enjoy a brand new episode of Renegade Animation! This time, @camseyeview.biz, @crazylemur.bsky.social, and I share our thoughts on Bruno Bozzetto's 1976 magnum opus Allegro non troppo, while shaking our heads in deep embarrassment at animation "fans."
Allegro Non Troppo and the Wheel of Animation Embarrassment - Renegade Animation #217 | RPC | Renegade Pop Culture - Podcasts on Animation, Movies, and Video games
In this episode, Captain Kaye, the Animation Guru, and the Crazy Lemur juxtapose their thoughts on Bruno Bozetto's 1976 Magnum Opus Allegro non troppo against some of the most embarrassing news stor...
renegadepopculture.com
You guys have to see #Hokum if you're into supernatural horror like I am! Adam Scott plays the perfect everyman to drop into a story and setting like this, one that wears its Irish folklore mixed with The Shining influences proudly on its sleeves!
A review of Hokum (2026)
Quick thoughts: Horror is one of the most important genres in film, period. It's been around since essentially the dawn of cinema, and its influences predate the medium entirely. My personal favorite ...
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I had a great time with #OverYourDeadBody, the latest Jorma Taccone directed film that's destined to bomb horribly at the box office, but become a cult classic! Jason Segel and Samara Weaving are incredible in this off-kilter action comedy thriller!
A review of Over Your Dead Body (2026)
Quick thoughts: Say what you will about Saturday Night Live, but there have been several great actors, writers, and directors who have passed through that institution, and have been a part of some of ...
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Here's the thing about #Michael: I have just enough positive things to say about it to casually recommend the movie those who are genuinely excited to see it. But it's also got enough problems where I absolutely understand the negative critic reviews.
A review of Michael (2026)
Quick thoughts: I really hope this is the last time we have to wade through the obnoxious "critics vs audience" discourse, because I really hate having to explain how film criticism works in the year ...
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I know I'm late to this one, but if you missed it in theaters, #Scarlet is now available on digital, and will be on physical media next month. I wouldn't call it the best animated film from last year, but I'd still comfortably recommend it!
A review of Scarlet (2025)
Quick thoughts: If I can just be petty for a minute, I need to vent my frustration at Sony Pictures Classics for how terribly inept they can be when it comes to distribution of their acquisitions. Und...
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Enjoy a brand new episode of Renegade Animation! This time, @camseyeview.biz, @crazylemur.bsky.social, and I share our thoughts on The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and the absurd media literacy discourse surrounding it!
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Discussion - Renegade Animation #216 | RPC | Renegade Pop Culture - Podcasts on Animation, Movies, and Video games
In this episode, Captain Kaye, the Animation Guru, and the Crazy Lemur share their thoughts on The Super Mario Galaxy Movie , as well as the absurd media literacy discourse surrounding it!
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