An Interview With Dylan Annasingham.

From The Popcorn Podcast.

Dylan Annasingham – you’re a film reviewer, film enthusiast, sports-lover, a business major, a hidden party animal, and a fashion fanatic. I’m super excited to get into this, get to know you more, and learn something about what it’s like to live & breathe film as much as you do. Before we start, I must say: these interviews usually take some time to research and prep for anyway, but for you, this took a while to say the least, since you have such an extensive and detailed social media presence. So: ready to be exposed?

Yeah, man, let’s do it, let’s expose me.

I want to try for us to delve into all you’ve done, as thick as that portfolio is, so we might need to establish the complexity of your character first before talking about movies. A big part of your past, and present, is fashion – you worked for Ralph Lauren, you were even a part of their 50th Anniversary Show, and at one point had your Instagram page under the ‘Fashion Blog’ banner having created a solid fashion portfolio working with photographer Reece Chapman. So – what is it about fashion that entices you so much and have you felt that passion dimming down as your love and involvement in movies has grown even stronger in the last couple of years?

Great question. I think that, as is the case with a lot of kids, when you get presents and your family gives you clothes, you don’t appreciate it as a kid, cause you want toys and all the cool stuff, but as you grow older, fashion becomes a very prominent thing. I started getting into fashion in my teens, maybe 15-16, and I’ve always been fashion-forward. Then in my late teens and in uni, I really started understanding the value of fashion, I think the way you look and the way you dress is super important because if you look good, you feel good, and I find that really true to myself. I started working at Ralph Lauren to learn more, and I really did learn a lot, and I was already doing that, so I decided to start, like, a fashion blog, too. I got in touch with a style influencer called Alex Costa and learned a lot from him, too, we became good friends, and I would even feature in some of his lookbooks, too. I was meeting a lot of people in the fashion world, and it was a really fun year, but my biggest passion has always been movies. For me, fashion was a phase, and it made me a better individual, but movies have always been the end goal. 

At one point, you ranked, or mentioned, or both, your favorite celebrity Halloween costumes, shouting out the likes of Harry Styles, Joe Jonas, and Wolfie Cindy. What’s the best Halloween costume you’ve ever seen – whether in a movie, at an event, or in person? 

Rita Ora once dressed as Post Malone. That one stands out. I once dressed as Alan from The Hangover. That’s my favorite for myself. 

Besides fashion and film, you’re an avid sports guy – you frequently play and watch tennis, you love your top gold, you even owned a 2014 World Cup Brazuca ball – what’s the best sports movie of all time? 

Interesting question, because I don’t actually think there are many great sports movies. Rocky comes to mind. What they are doing with the Creed films is great. I feel like I’m missing a big one, though. I’ll think about it. 

You love your adventure, Dylan. And while skydiving in Dubai and ATVs in the desert might be fun, it seems you might love one thing more: a good night out. Tell me, honestly: are you a Libertine brand ambassador? 

(laughs) I’m not. Although when they followed me on Instagram, it was the highlight of my life. I went through a clubbing phase when I was younger and back then, Libertine was where me and my friends really wanted to go. Back then, all you want to do is party, and that’s a part of my life I look back on and I’m really glad I went through it and it was a lot of fun, but now, I don’t have as much interest in that anymore, as you grow older, you realize if you’re with good people, location doesn’t matter. 

Besides drinks at Luxx, Cirque, or indeed Libertine, you love one thing even more: so tell me, what is the best Hans Zimmer score? 

Probably Interstellar. Maybe Lion King. The Dark Knight score is incredible. Gladiator live is incredible. The Last Samurai and Pirates of the Caribbean, too. 

You’re just listing them now. 

Yeah, I love them all! 

So. Fashion, travel, adventure, modeling, sports, and you studied business. But, it seems, movies are most that’s on your mind now and you’re so incredibly, and admirably, committed to pursuing a career talking about & analysing film. Why the full 180? I know you’ve always loved the craft, you even mention in your channel trailer it’s something you wanted to do for ages, but what made you commit so deeply and pursue it as a full time career rather than a casual moviegoing hobby? 

Movies for me are something I’ve never been able to escape. I wasn’t trying anyways, but movies have been a constant in my life. In school, I was the film guy. I’d bring DVDs and we’d pick what to watch in class when we could watch a film. I watched a lot of movies when I was a kid, so it became, like, a lifestyle for me. I think it’s my calling because it’s the one thing I think about or talk about that doesn’t feel like work. In lockdown, I finally decided to make a channel and now, two and a half years later, I’m still working on it every single day, and I love it, and wouldn’t change anything, and I’m super excited to see where it takes me. One of the most rewarding aspects is meeting people who share the same passion as you and being able to talk about movies with them. It’s like finding your people. 

I don’t think we can talk about specific opinions you have on films or go in depth analyzing your videos, Dylan, because it’s an extensive catalog. You’ve had quite successful videos talking about The Queen’s Gambit, Breaking Bad, Hereditary, Tenet, Euphoria – the list goes on, and I urge everyone reading this to go and watch some of your videos themselves. So, having done so much – what’s a video you’ve always wanted to make, but haven’t yet, maybe because it’s too ambitious, or takes too much research, or you just haven’t gotten round to it yet? 

This one is easy. It’s one I’m actually working on, I don’t know when I’m going to release this, but I want to do a big video on Steven Spielberg. He’s one of my heroes, he’s the filmmaker who got me into movies in the first place, his stories have always captivated me, so I want to make a video about Spielbergs’s entire filmography, starting from his first short film Amblin’ to his most recent film The Fablemans. I don’t have a date, but it’s coming. 

You’ve spoken a lot on your channel, and to me in person, about how important Jurassic Park was to you as a kid. What’s your favorite Spielberg film? 

Jurassic Park. Definitely. I can recite Jurassic Park. I can hum the music throughout the film. There’s a wonder to Jurassic Park that’s just unmatched. That film has a lot of adult themes that only adults will understand, but when I was a kid, I just wanted to see two kids who are lost in Jurassic Park get chased by velociraptors in a kitchen. And I saw myself in them, and it was magical.

Do you enjoy making reactions for social media like TikTok or Instagram as much as your more in depth Youtube videos, or are those just easier, more accessible, and ultimately, a way to expand your audience and introduce them to some of your more analytical pieces? 

It’s a mix of both. TikTok seems to be the platform that is popping the most these days, and I never wanted to make that transition, but seeing how people are watching shorter and shorter videos these days, a platform like TikTok allowed me to expand the types of videos I was making - from longer-form content to shorter one-minute reviews. It’s really good because it allows me to get out some thoughts on things I wouldn’t otherwise make an entire video about. 

Are reactions strange to film? Do you feel you need to act for the camera or does everything happen more or less organically? 

There’s a part of my mind that knows the camera is there, but when I’m watching a show as good as House of the Dragon for example, I forget about it completely, so all the reactions are 100% authentic. 

Lastly, Dylan, I will thank you for your time today and urge everyone, again, to look through everything you’ve put out in the past, as you are one of people I know who knows film best, so there’s a lot to learn. I think people might be confused though: you’re on Youtube, and Instagram, and you’ve even gone viral on TikTok a few times, but the name of the brand is the Popcorn Podcast, isn’t it? So, Dylan: is there, or will there be, a Popcorn Podcast? 

Well. It’s funny you should say that, because 10 minutes ago, we just recorded our first ever Popcorn Podcast. With some fellow film enthusiasts, and even yours truly, Mickey, and I had the best time, so definitely go give it a listen.