PopaHALLics

PopaHALLics #142 "Aren't You Somebody?" We know the face, but not the name, whether that's members of the Eagles (biography "Life in the Fast Lane") or comedian Martin Short being mistaken for a waiter (memoir "I Must Say"). But being somebody can also apply to coming into your own, whether you're seeking your first orgasm after a terminal diagnosis (&q...

PopaHALLics #141 "Sing Me a Song" A folk duo's pricey gig for one rich prerson. A utopian paradise hiding a dark secret. A serial killer tale: Is it real true-crime or made-up horror? And who IS Kate's favorite Mr. Darcy in "Pride & Prejudice"? Theaters: "The Ballad of Walllis Island," written by Tim Key and Tom Basden and directed by James Griffiths. An...

PopaHALLics 140 "Pop Go the Clues" It's no mystery why we love TV's "The Residence" and the book "The Last"—they're both murder mysteries, albeit very different ones (a comedy and a dystopian thriller). And does Seth Rogen have a clue about being a Hollywood executive in "The Studio"? Stay tuned! Streaming: "The Residence," Netflix....

PopaHALLics #139 "Deception" The truth is, er, fluid in the pop culture discussed in this episode, from a married spy trying to determine if his spouse is doing wrong, to an Australian pretending to have a fatal disease for profit and influence, to a supervillain seemingly going straight who might still be very bent.  In Theaters: "Black Bag." In this spy thriller directed by S...

PopaHALLics #138 "I'm Still Standing" As the Who said: "People try to put us d-down" ... whether the "us" is Elton John, British gangsters, or a smartypants movie critic. But guess what: We're still standing, yeah, yeah, yeah! Streaming: "Elton John: Never Too Late," Disney +. As his final American concert approaches at Dodger Stadium, Elton John l...

"PopaHALLics #137 "Ch-ch-ch-changes" Bridget Jones is dating again ... A new Captain America faces off against Red Hulk ... The sixth wife of Henry VIII tries to say alive ... and a cat faces off against a massive flood. Oh, and did we mention Kate's grandmother caused a fire at IU? Theaters: "Captain America: Brave New World." The new Cap, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie)...

PopaHALLics #136 "Like a Rolling Stone" How does it feel, to be on your own, a complete unknown, or a Dracula clone? We discuss the new Bob Dylan biopic "A Complete Unknown" as well as the gothic horror film "Nosferatu." Spy Keira Knightley goes after her lover's killer in "Black Doves," and Vince Vaughn investigates a severed arm, not his, in "Bad...

PopaHALLics #135 "We're Cold on These Xmas Songs" Hey kids! Let's gather around the Christmas tree and play "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer"! What? Matricide doesn't make you merry? Well, OK, how about the Pussycat Dolls' "Santa Baby"? Too bump-and-grindy? Steve and Kate discuss a few Christmas songs that annoy us, and our playlist is full of t...

PopaHALLics #134 "Wicked Good" For our Thanksgiving weekend episode, we talk about the pop culture offerings we're grateful for: the new movie version of "Wicked"; movies about a mother and son's love in "The Blitz" and the quest for the first test tube baby in "Joy"; and more. There's always a turkey—"Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Crof...

PopaHALLics #133 "Martha My Dear—NOT!" A new documentary fails to make Martha Stewart sympathetic, in Kate's view. We also discuss season 2 of "The Diplomat" and "Colin from Accounts," a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, and books about therapy, a cult, and a "normal" serial killer. Yikes. Streaming: "Martha," Netflix. This documentary directed by...

PopaHALLics #132  "Into the Great Unknown" Can a rabbi and an agnostic shiksa find true love? Can humans meddle in the affairs of gods? If you could survive the zombie apocalypse, would you want to? Our pop culture offerings delve into these burning questions—and more! Streaming: "Nobody Wants This," Netflix. Sex podcast co-host Joanne (Kristen Bell) and "hot rabbi" N...

PopaHALLics #131 "Won't You Take Me to, Spooky Town!" We return from fall break with some super supernatural offerings featuring that demonic scamp Beetlejuice, a new twist on the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, macabre goings-on in the fashion world—and more!  In Theaters: "Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice." Michael Keaton reprises his iconic role in this sequel to the cult classic horr...

PopaHALLics #130 "The Witch, The Killer ... & Emily in Paris" Kate muses on the appeal—and fashion—of the Netflix hit "Emily in Paris," recently named by The New York Times as one to "hatewatch." (You dislike the show so much that you still watch it so you can ridicule it.) First, we look at "American Murder: Laci Peterson" and talk about three novels. A...

PopaHALLics #129 "Girls, Girls, Girls" Girls and women dominate our pop culture choices this week, from a British teen trying to solve a murder to a black woman struggling with racial tensions in 1960s America. Sometimes they're good "girls" and sometimes, like "Abigail," they're very, very bad. Streaming: "A Good Girl's Guide to Murder," Netf...

PopaHALLics #128 "Four on the Floor" Our podcast is four years old! We celebrate with a funny, more-or-less-true movie about profanity-laced letters, an animated noir Batman, an Alice Hoffman novel about the power of reading, and an influential "sensation" novel first published in 1859-60. Once again, we're on the cutting edge! [Joke.] Streaming: " Wicked Little Lette...

PopaHALLics #127 "Let's Do the Twist-er" Despite her tornado fears, Kate gets sucked into the new disaster movie "Twisters." Steve goes samurai with "Shogun." Also: Murders! Mysteries! Monkeys! (Haven't you always wanted a mon-KEY?) In Theaters: "Twisters." In this "stand-alone sequel" to the 1996 hit, a woman (Daisy Edgar-Jones) testing...

PopaHALLics #126 "Hit Man & Hitmakers" Wouldn't it be nice to learn more about the Beach Boys and Neil Young? We enjoy a documentary and a biography giving new insights into these influential musicians and their place in pop culture. We also laugh at a sexy fake hit man, cheer on "The Bear" and "Sweeth Tooth," and are very glad Lady Jane Grey does not lose he...

PopaHALLics #125 "Who Are You, Who Who, Who Who?" We review the new "Dr. Who" ... but the Halls are hearing a lot of other Whos, too. Who's zooming who in the comedy "Argylle" and the thriller novel "The Poison Bed"? Who am I, asks the daughter of a prisoner in the acclaimed memoir "Somebody's Daughter." And who's at fault in the cre...

PopaHALLics #124 "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Pop, Love, & Understanding? Multiverse mayhem, bodice-ripping romance, and female comedians! Dueling Joel Edgertons! Music by a rising young singer/songwriter and a crafty popsmith of old! Steve and Kate return with a little something for everyone. Streaming: "The Boys in the Boat, " Prime. George Clooney directed this fact-bas...

PopaHALLics #123 "Pop Tarts & Pop Sweets" What can we say about Jerry Seinfeld's new movie about Pop Tarts? How about: You'd be better off taking a bite of the Spanish Inquisition ("The Familiar"), teenage murder ("Under the Bridge"), a murderous con man ("Ripley"), the Ku Klux Klan ("A Fever in the Heartland"), even an apocalyptic wa...

PopaHALLics #122 "Pop for the People" Aliens headed for Earth! An amnesiac pursued by killers! Julia Roberts suffers the apocalypse! And did we mention Shakespeare's young son and John Wilkes Booth? We discuss pop culture offerings that are all over the place. In a good way. Streaming: "3 Body Problem," Netflix. In a sci-fi series based on Chinese author Cixin Liu's n...

PopaHALLics #121 "This Ain't Texas" Kate and Steve wrestle with existential questions: Is Beyonce country enough? Is Steve Martin a sad and lonely guy instead of a wild and crazy one? And why does James Taylor's biography start in Scotland hundreds of years ago?! Streaming: "Steve (!) Martin, a Documentary in 2 Pieces," Apple +. Morgan Neville's documentary (180...

PopaHALLics #120 "Let the Bite One In"   Dracula's sister is undead with evil intent in "Dracula: The Count's Kin," an indie film shot in the Indianapolis area. We talk to writer/director Eric Pascarelli and actors Daisy Hickey and James Tackett for a behind-the-scenes look at this movie starring Leanne Johnson ("Extraction USA"). We also pick our favorite s...

PopaHALLics #119 "Highly Recommended" Instead of dissing pop culture offerings, dad and daughter rave about them on this episode. Steve's a fan of "American Fiction," "The Last Repair Shop" and "Colin from Accounts." Kate really likes "All of Us Strangers," "Bottoms," and "The New Look." Streaming: "American Fiction,&q...

PopaHALLics #118 "It Takes Two to Tango" Relationships can be a tricky dance, whether you're mismatched cops working a murder case ("Deadloch"), a movie star & a "civilian" falling in love ("Starstruck"), or socialites mistakenly trusting a writer who will betray them ("Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans"). Not to mention two assassins living toge...