Mental Floss

POP CULTURE

Peter Tea via Flickr // CC BY-ND 2.0

When famed composer Ennio Morricone passed away on July 6, 2020, he left behind a body of work that eclipses the idea of “productivity” itself. In addition to composing thousands of hours of music for hundreds of movies, he created several indelible momen

Todd Gilchrist
Zach Tyler in Avatar: The Last Airbender.

The mature-for-kids action cartoon 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' has become the hit of the summer, thanks to Netflix. But we have Nickelodeon to thank for its creation ... a full 15 years ago.

Scott Beggs




Phoebe Waller-Bridge stars in Fleabag.

In just two short seasons, British sitcom 'Fleabag'—created by and starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge—has made a lasting mark on television.

Escher Walcott




Issa Rae stars in Insecure.

The critically acclaimed HBO series 'Insecure,' which stars and is written by its co-creator Issa Rae, kicks off its fifth and final season on October 24, 2021.

Faridah Gbadamosi






Some Blu-ray discs can increase in value.

If you have a very specific version of 2013's Sandra Bullock space thriller 'Gravity,' you might be able to get a premium for it.

Jake Rossen






A scene from The Muppets (2011).

Movies can and do serve different purposes in our cultural diet: some are educational, some are inspiring, others shine a necessary light on injustice or tragedy, and some just make you feel good.

Todd Gilchrist, Jake Rossen