I'm 30 years old and I just saw Casablanca for the first time. All of a sudden I understand why so many people joke about "always having Paris." And all of those references to gin joints. Can you recommend some other movies to me that are equally important for understanding American pop culture? [more inside]
posted by colfax on Apr 28, 2013 - 99 answers

I'm looking for examples of visual timelines in movies, video games, or fiction. Scenes where a span of time is represented metaphorically, preferably as a physical object, diagram, or action. A good example is this scene from Me and You and Everyone We Know in which two characters use a street as a visual metaphor for their potential relationship. [more inside]
posted by oulipian on Nov 13, 2012 - 17 answers

What is the story behind the pop-cultural trope of the "Japanese Houseboy?" [more inside]
posted by Miko on Sep 22, 2012 - 12 answers

Help me make a list of assistants/valets/right-hand people in pop culture. [more inside]
posted by missjenny on May 29, 2012 - 58 answers

I'm a child of the '80s, and I loved the '80s. However, I didn't develop a sense of good taste until about 1994, and as a result my pop-culture radar is completely jammed with crappy cartoons designed to sell toys, cereal commercials, and Ewoks. Can you recommend totally awesome movies/TV shows/etc. that will satisfy my '80s nostalgia, but are good enough to watch today? [more inside]
posted by Metroid Baby on Apr 3, 2008 - 75 answers

Why are there so few living and loving mothers in Disney films? [more inside]
posted by dinty_moore on Mar 12, 2008 - 38 answers

Oceans Twelve. Am I an idiot or does this movie not make a lick of sense (spoilers inside--DON'T READ if you haven't seen the flick). [more inside]
posted by dobbs on Dec 20, 2004 - 23 answers