PopaHALLics

PopaHALLics #96 "Ghosts, 'Banshees,' & Rockers" Dad and daughter talk 2023 Oscar results—was Angela Bassett robbed?—as well as a downbeat Irish drama, female ghosts, and a fake rock band burning up the charts. Streaming: "Daisy Jones and the Six," Amazon Prime. Kate says this tale of a fictional rock band is much better than the book, and the music is great too. (...

PopaHALLics #95 "Turn the Page" Kate and Steve return from a month off with a bunch of books under their belts, from software geeks to tough-guy crime to paintings that may be portals to other worlds  We also discuss streaming options "Wakanda Forever" ;  "The Flight Attendant"; and "Pamela, A Love Story" (you think you know Pamela Anderson of "Baywatch...

PopaHALLics #94 "Pop Across the Pond" How did those folks on the other side of the Atlantic get to be such great storytellers?  Dad and daughter  discuss the silly BBC-style mockumentary "Cunk on Earth," the Irish drama/black comedy "Bad Sisters," and a sprawling novel about a dysfunctional family that begins on the English Coast, "The Whalebone Theatre."  &...

PopaHALLics #93: 'Trouble A-Popping!" A wide-ranging discussion of various pop culture options has one thing in common: Trouble! Two best friends who don't realize they should be worst enemies ("RRR"). The zombie apocalypse ("The Last of Us"). Trying to bring someone back from Hell ("Hell Bent"). And more. Kate also discusses a very weird dating prompt....

PopaHALLics #92 "Look into a Glass Onion" Steve and Kate opine on "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery," starring former Bond Daniel Craig as famed detective Benoit Blanc. In the movie, quickly becoming one of Netflix's biggest hits ever, a group of friends gather on a remote island for a murder mystery game that turns deadly. We also discuss Tim Burton's Addams Family-...

PopaHALLics #91 "Rock n Troll" A solo Steve discusses the Norwegian monster movie "Troll" and the debate about what its popularity means for foreign-language films on Netflix. If you've got reading time during the holidays, he also talks about some books worth curling up with. Streaming: "Troll," Netflix. Humans screwing around with nature accidentally awaken an...

Popa HALLics #90 "From Dickens to Dictators" Just in time for the holidays comes a new high-spirited, self-aware musical  that reimagines Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" from the ghosts' perspective.  Meanwhile,  Kate is fascinated by a podcast that explores the origin stories of "the worst humans in history." First up: Hitler. Steaming: "Spirited,...

PopaHALLics #89 "Cool Yule"" Get your jingle on! For 16 years, Mike Bode and his wife Mary Kay have made "Cool Yule" collections of holiday music that they give to family and friends. This episode is a "re-podcast" of a broadcast on Toledo's Owens Community College Radio, where Mike—who writes and performs our PopaHALLics music—and Steve talk about their &qu...

PopaHALLics #88 "The Game is Afoot!" It's elementary, my dear listener. Steve and Kate have fun discussing "Enola Holmes 2," about Sherlock's younger sister on the trail of a missing match girl. We also talk murder—both real (at Harvard, no less) and fictional (a coworker coverup in Japan)—and explore the curious case of a schlocky zombie movie that isn't what it...

PopaHALLics #87 "Medieval Love - Modern Style" Kate reviews two 2022 movies that tackle medieval love with modern sensibilities. In "Catherine, Called Birdy," the independent daughter of a financially destitute lord resists his attempts to marry her off. Meanwhile, "Rosaline" is a comic retelling of "Romeo and Juliet" from the viewpoint of Romeo's ex. ...

PopaHALLics #86 It Ain't Over Til the Fat Man Eats In this weighty episode, Steve reviews Brendan Fraser's comeback role as a 600-lb. college professor, while Kate talks about modern dating in connection with a "comedy philosophy book." Also reviewed: "Corsage "and "Sins of Our Mother." Coming to Theaters: "The Whale." In this drama drawn from a pl...

PopaHALLics #85 "Witchy Women" The witch, the witch, the witch is back! Namely, the Sanderson sisters, played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy in "Hocus Pocus 2." This sequel to the beloved holiday fave comes along 29 years later. The magic continues with the novels "The Witch's Daughter" and "The Good House," with voodoo at work....

PopaHALLics #84 "Revenge, Lies, & Tammy Faye's Eyes" Being wronged and doing wrong. We look at several movies ("Do Revenge," The Eyes of Tammy Faye") and a TV series ("Tell Me Lies") that do wrong right. We also talk books: The "Game of Thrones" mastermind does vampires on the Mississippi, and the Inspector Jury cozy mysteries investigate murde...

PopaHALLics #83 "Expensive, My Precious" With a $1 BILLION commitment over five years, Amazon Prime's "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" would be the most expensive TV series ever made. Steve talks about what Jeff Bezos is getting for his money. We also discuss: Streaming "Bad Sisters," Apple TV+. In this Irish dark comedy thriller, a group of  women (Sh...

PopaHALLiics #82 "Do the Hulu" Kate and Steve reunite to talk pop culture, only to discover they've both been streaming mostly Hulu offerings. If you like comedic murder mysteries, thrilling and sometimes thoughtful space adventures, and feisty princesses, you should do the Hulu too. Streaming: "Thirteen Lives," Amazon Prime. Ron Howard directs and Viggo Mortensen and Coli...

PopaHALLics #81: "Our POP History" Dad and daughter hop from pop topic to pop topic. "Crying in H Mart," a memoir by Michelle Zauner (in photo ) about how food ties us to those who have passed, prompts Kate to talk about food in connection with her mom's illness and death from cancer.  Meanwhile, Steve makes his life musical with a series of concerts and long drives enjoya...

PopaHALLics #80 "Here Come the Kings" We ponder pop mysteries, such as: What's with Tom Hanks' weird accent as Col. Parker in "Elvis"? Why does Tom Cruise personally thank moviegoers at the start of "Top Gun: Maverick"?  (He's king of the box office, with more than $1.1 billion in ticket sales for "Maverick.") We also review streaming options...

PopaHALLics #79 "All in the (Pop) Family" On a very special episode, we host a wild free-form discussion of pop culture at a family gathering. Our family members participating range in age from their 20s to their 70s, so their perspectives are intriguing. Thanks to Taylor and Heidi Metcalf, Cali O'Connor, Tricia O'Connor, Beth Metcalf, and Boyd Jenkins . ( Resident Kid Exper t...

PopaHALLics #78 "Both Sides Now" Steve and Kate review two new movies which look at love from both sides now—at different ages, anyway: The messy 20s (Cooper Raiff's "Cha Cha Real Smooth") and the adventurous 60s ("Good Luck to You, Leo Grande," starring Emma Thompson).  We also discuss sitcom "Rutherford Falls," Harry Style's latest record, and se...

PopaHALLics #77 "Dinos to Darth Vader" We cover a lot of ground in 27 minutes, from amazingly realistic dinosaurs to a Jedi haunted by his experience with the future Darth Vader ... from a strange but true World War II ruse  to Mormon extremists ... from the return of "Stranger Things" to a novel inspired by an intense fashion rivalry. Dig in! Streaming: "Planet Prehistori...

PopaHALLics #76 "Those Meddling Kids!" Did you know "Scooby Doo" was ranked the fifth-greatest cartoon of all time by TV Guide? Steve delves into the history of Scoob and the gang in a discussion of a new fan-made show, "Mystery, Incorporated." Meanwhile, Kate raves about Florence + The Machine's new album and the novel "Sea of Tranquility." Zoinks! Str...

PopaHALLics #75 "Breaking Good" What do Walter White, British scandals, and the Met Gala have in common? We discuss all of them on this episode! Kate talks about two streaming efforts with Brits, sex, and trouble. She also has strong opinions (shocker!) about the fashions at this year's Met Gala. Meanwhile, watching in bits and pieces, Steve has finally finished all five seasons of...

PopaHALLics #74 "Sci Fi-ne" Parallel universes, time loops, and dreams altering past and present reality—we're talking sci-fi!  Steve reviews the mind-bending movie "Everything, Everywhere, All at Once" and season two of time-traveling series "Russian Doll." Meanwhile, Kate ponders the prescient Locus-winning sci-fi masterpiece "The Lathe of Heaven," wh...

PopaHALLics #73 Growing Up We discuss a Norwegian movie about a young woman  heading reluctantly toward adulthood, a fun new female-led British band, an adult novel inspired by a fairy tale, and a sci-fi novel in which we actually put on our grown-up pants and address climate change. Also, why you should never, ever fly into Newark. Streaming "The Worst Person in the World," rental. Whil...

PopaHALLics #72 "Dressed Up for Oscar!" We critique the red carpet looks for the 2022 Academy Awards, with Kate showing her fashion expertise and Steve  ... uh, not. We also have thoughts on the Oscar telecast and the Slap Heard 'Round the Internet. But wait, there's more! We also discuss: Streaming "The Lost City." When romance novelist Sandra Bullock is kidnapped by...