PopaHALLics #146 "Bad Boys"

Is it possible for bad men to redeem themselves, as when twin black gangsters face off against white vampires in "Sinners"? What makes a man bad—his personality, upbringing, status in life, as the Bluebeard-themed novel "Sour Cherry" asks? And would it really be so bad to save the family fishing business by running drugs ("The Waterfront")? Find out more on our show!

Streaming:

• "Sinners," Max. It's really hard to make a go of your new juke joint in 1930s Mississippi when white vampires show up on opening night. Michael B. Jordan plays gangster brothers in this horror film from writer/director Ryan Coogler (the "Black Panther" movies, "Creed").
• "The Bear," FX, Hulu. In season 4, the clock is ticking; Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) and company must turn the chaotic restaurant around or close down.
• "The Waterfront," Netflix. In this soapy drama from Kevin Williamson ("Dawson's Creek," "Scream"), a feuding family tries to save their family fishing business through drug-running. Starring Holt McCallany, Maria Bello, Melissa Benoit, and Jake Weary.
• "My Cousin Vinny," Disney +. When two carefree pals are mistakenly arrested and charged with murder in Alabama, they turn to a cousin (Joe Pesci), an auto mechanic who recently passed the bar on his sixth try. Marisa Tomei won an Oscar playing Vinny's fiancee, Mona Lisa Vito, in this 1992 comedy.

Books:

• "Sour Cherry," by Natalia Theodoridou. This acclaimed debut novel uses the Bluebeard fairy tale to "deconstruct the systems of gender, power, and the excuses people make for bad men" (Chicago Review of Books).
• "Less," by Andrea Sean Greer. A failed novelist tries to ignore his ex marrying another man as well as an unwelcome birthday by traveling around the world. This 2017 satirical novel, funny and poignant, won the Pulitzer Prize.
• "If It Bleeds," by Stephen King. This 2020 collection of four novellas includes stories that inspired the 2024 Tom Hiddleston sci-fi movie "Life of Chuck" and the 2022 horror movie "Mr. Harrigan's Phone." The title story features one of King's personal favorite characters, socially awkward, obsessive compulsive private investigator Holly Gibney. There's also a writer and a rat.

Click through the links to watch and read about what we discuss.

PopaHALLics #145 "Schemers & Dreamers"

In this week's offerings: A businessman trying to con investors, improv actors trying to con criminals, a group hoping to draw attention to black string bands, and cops trying to solve murders despite long odds. Will they succeed or fail?

In Theaters:

• "The Phoenician Scheme." Writer/director Wes Anderson's latest quirky, deadpan, exquisitely shot dark comedy features an industrialist, his estranged daughter, and a Norwegian bug expert trying to swindle his investors when a scheme goes awry. Benicio del Toro, Mia Threapleton, and Michael Cera star, with Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Bill Murray, Benedict Cumberbatch, Bryan Cranston, and more.

Streaming:

• "Deep Cover," Prime. In this 2025 British action comedy, the police recruit three improv comedy actors (Bryce Dallas Howard, Orlando Bloom, and Nick Mohammed, of "Ted Lasso") for undercover work in London's criminal underworld. They're soon in over their heads. With Sean Bean, Ian McShane, and Paddy Considine.
• "Dept. Q," Netflix. Based on the Danish book series by Jussi Adler-Olson, this British crime thriller series follows an emotionally scarred Scottish detective (Matthew Goode) tasked with solving cold cases. With Chloe Pirrie, Jamie Sives, Leah Byrne, and Kate Dickie.
• "The Sinner," Netflix. Bill Pullman stars as a police detective who investigates crimes committed by unlikely culprits and attempts to uncover their motivations in this USA Network series that ran for four seasons.
• "Don't Get Trouble in Your Mind: The Carolina Chocolate Drops Story," Prime, Hulu, YouTube, and other streaming services. Director John Whitehead's compelling 2016 documentary, newly available streaming, traces the trio's improbable rise to success and the personal tensions that drove them apart.

Books:

• "The Third Coast: When Chicago Built the American Dream," by Thomas Dyja. This extensively researched and well-written history explores post-WWII Chicago's impact on wider America through architecture, electric blues, early television, advertising, and more.
• "Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead," by Olga Tokarczuk and translated from Polish by Antonia Lloyd-Jones. Winner of the Nobel Prize for literature, this "funny, vivid, dangerous and disturbing" novel (Annie Proulx) explores human behavior through a literary murder mystery.

Music:
PopaHALLics #145 Playlist (Drops) features the old time string band music of the Carolina Chocolate Drops as Fantastic Cat, an indie music supergroup.

Click through the links to watch, read about, or listen to what we're discussing.

PopaHALLics #144 "Mission ImPOPible"

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to learn if these pop culture offerings are enjoyable: "Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning." "Thunderbolts." "Fountain of Youth." "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives." "Wolf Man." And more!

In Theaters:

• "Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning." In the eighth film in the franchise, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) races to keep AI from destroying the world. With Esai Morales, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg, Pom Klementieff, and Ving Rhames.
• "Thunderbolts." In the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe offering, a group of anti-heroes are caught in a deadly trap and forced to work together on a dangerous mission. Starring Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, David Harbour, Lewis Pullman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and more.

Streaming:

• "Fountain of Youth," Apple TV. In this movie that borrows liberally from the likes of "The Da Vinci Code" and "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (among others), John Krasinski and Natalie Portman play an estranged brother and sister searching for the fabled Fountain of Youth.
• "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives," Hulu. This reality series follows the lives of eight Utah-based TikTok influencers, known as MomTok. Their world implodes when they get caught in a swinging sex scandal.
• "Wolf Man," Peacock. When two writers (Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner) return to his Idaho home, their lives are threatened by a mysterious creature in the woods and then Abbott's character himself. This psychological updating of Universal's 'The Wolf Man" comes from Blumhouse Productions.
• "The Highwaymen," Netflix. Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson play Texas Rangers who come out of retirement to hunt the notorious Bonnie and Clyde in this movie based on real events.
• "Sirens," Netflix. In this limited series, Devon (Meghann Fahey) is concerned about her sister's (Milly Alcock) unhealthy relationship with her wealthy, powerful boss (Julianne Moore).

Books:

• "Dylan Goes Electric! Newport, Seeger, Dylan, and the Night That Split the Sixties," by Elijah Wald. Described as the inspiration for the Bob Dylan movie "A Complete Unknown," this 2015 book explores in detail the cultural, historical, and political context that made Dylan going electric at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival such a seminal event in the 1960s.

Click through the links above to watch and read what we're discussing.

PopaHALLics #143 "Pop Go the Generations"

Dad and daughter discuss the thrill of introducing your kid to your childhood pop culture faves. Also: Tina Fey does a series remake of an old Alan Alda/Carol Burnett movie. A documentary looks at Anita Pallenberg, "a rock and roll goddess." And Steve examines the making of the classics "Double Indemnity" and "High Noon."

Streaming:

• "The Four Seasons," Netflix. In this TV series remake of the Alda/Burnett movie, the decades-long friendship of three couples is tested when one divorces, complicating their quarterly weekend getaways. With Fey (co-creator), Steve Carell, Colman Domingo, and Will Forte.
• "Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg,," Hulu. We tend to focus on Pallenberg's involvement with the Rolling Stones, but his documentary based on her unpublished autobiography shows how she was so much more. Scarlett Johanssen narrates.
• "Press Play," Hulu. In this 2022 sci-fi romantic drama, Chloe (Clara Rugaard) uses a mixtape to travel back in time to try to save her true love (Lewis Pullman). Danny Glover plays his boss.
• "Poker Face," Peacock. Charlie (Natasha Lyonne) continues to get into messy scrapes because of her ability to tell if someone's lying. The second season features such guest stars as Cynthia Erivo ("Wicked"), Giancarlo Esposito ("Breaking Bad"), comedian John Mulaney, and Akwafina.

Books:

• "From the Moment They Met, It Was Murder: Double Indemnity and the Rise of Film Noir," by Alain Silver and James Ursini. The behind-the-scenes story of the making of the film noir classic starring Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray and co-written by novelist Raymond Chandler and director Billy Wilder. The book also explores the cultural impact of the film.
• "High Noon: The Hollywood Blacklist and the Making of an American Classic," by Glenn Frankel. Frankel takes us behind the scenes of the making of this classic Western starring Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly and shows how the movie's themes were shaped by the Hollywood blacklist in the 1950s.
• "Demon Copperhead," by Barbara Kingsolver. An acclaimed retelling of "David Copperfield," set in modern Appalachia.

Click through the links to watch and read what we're talking about.

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 ("Dying for Sex") or finding new purpose in your life in a tiny Arctic village ("North of North"). Welcome to this episode's pop offerings!

Streaming:

• "North of North," Netflix. A goodhearted, if bumbling, Inuk woman (Anna Lambe) tries to reinvent herself in this warm, lighthearted comedy set in a tiny Arctic town. Also starring Maika Harper as her feisty mother and Mary Lynn Rajskub (Chloe on "24") as her boss
• "Dying for Sex," Hulu, FX, Disney +. In this comedy drama based on a real woman's podcast and memoir, Molly (Michelle Williams) is diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer and decides to explore her sexual desires before it's too late. With Jenny Slate, Rob Delaney, Sissy Spacek and Jay Duplass.
• "Small Things Like These," Hulu. A coal merchant (Cillian Murphy) uncovers disturbing secrets about the convent in an Irish village. This 2024 historical drama is adapted from Claire Keegan's novel.

Books:

• "Life in the Fast Lane: The Eagles' Reckless Ride Down the Rock & Roll Highway," by Mick Wall. This no-holds-barred biography written with rock 'n roll attitude traces the rise of one of the best-selling acts of all time. And how money, cocaine, and egos affected their relationships and music.
• "A Thousand Threads," by Neneh Cherry. This joyful autobiography looks at the fascinating life of the Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter. She grew up in a bohemian family in Stockholm, New York, and London. Her own music—a mix of punk funk, hip hop, and UK street soul—helped usher in a new wave of black British club culture.
• "I Must Say: My Life as a Humble Comedy Genius," by Martin Short. This 2014 memoir is funny, heartfelt, and chock full of celebrities (from buddies like Steve Martin to cringey encounters with Sinatra, Hepburn, and Tony Bennett). It's surprisingly poignant, as Short recounts the loss of a beloved brother and his parents by age 20 and his wife Nancy's battle with cancer. The memoir was published seven years before "Only Murders in the Building" would make Short a TV star again.

Music:

PopaHALLics #142 Playlist (Eagles) features the California band's hits as well as music from Neneh Cherry (memoir "A Thousand Threads") and her talented family. It's eclectic—and fun!

Click through the links to watch, read, and listen to what we're talking about.

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 eccentric lottery winner (Key) recruits his favorite musical duo (Basden and Carey Mulligan) to play a private concert on his remote island home in this British comedy/drama. But old feelings and tensions threaten his dream gig.

Streaming:

• "Paradise," Hulu. In this political thriller set in an underground bunker after a doomsday event, a Secret Service agent (Sterling K. Brown) comes under suspicion of killing the President of the United States (James Marsden)
• "Slow Horses," Apple TV.+ In the riveting third season of this spy thriller, the MI5 rejects at Slough House must find the abducted Catherine Standish (Saskia Reeves) and a sensitive file. All six episodes of the fourth season about the search for a London bomber are available.
• "Pride and Prejudice" (2005), available on Netflix, Prime, Apple TV+, etc. Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyn star in Jane Austen's classic tale of the turbulent relationship between Elizabeth Bennet, the daughter of a country gentleman, and Fitzwilliam Darcy, a rich aristocratic landowner.

Books:

• "Chasing the Boogeyman," by Richard Chizmar. The author narrates, first-person, how a serial killer terrorized his small Maryland hometown. But is this gripping story true crime or horror fiction? Compelling, creative, and scary.
• "Lady MacBeth," by Ava Reid. In this reimagining of Shakespeare's most famous villainess, the Lady has a voice, a past, and witchy powers she needs to survive her husband, a Scottish brute, and his hostile court.
• The John Milton thriller series, by Mark Dawson. One of the world's deadliest assassins tries to give it up and help people as a way of making amends to those he killed. The British government who "created" him wants him dead. Jack Reacher fans will find a lot to like in this series (24-some books).
• "Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead," by Olga Tokarczuk. An eccentric recluse on the Czech/Polish border becomes convinced she knows why dead bodies keep turning up around her. Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Music:
PopaHALLics #141 Playlist (Wallis Island) features the folky music of the film "The Ballad of Wallis Island."

Click through the links above to wat

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. A brilliant, eccentric, no-nonsense detective (Uzo Adoba) investigates a murder in the White House residence during a State dinner in this comedy from Shondaland Productions. With Giancarlo Esposito, Bronson Pinchot, Al Franken, Jane Curtin, and more.
• "The Studio," Apple +. A new studio head (Seth Rogen) tries to juggle his desire to make great movies with his boss' desire for big box office. A Kool-Aid movie, anyone? With Catherine O'Hara, Kathryn Hahn, Bryan Cranston, and such real-life Hollywooders as Martin Scorsese playing themselves.

Books:

• "Everything I Know About Love," by Dolly Alderton. In a funny, sometimes heartbreaking memoir, a British journalist and podcast host reflects on the trials and tribulations of becoming an adult.
• "The Last," by Hanna Jameson. Imagine an Agatha Christie novel written by Stephen King. This dark, chilling, highly original novel finds a historian trying to solve a murder at an isolated Swiss hotel after the end of the world.
• "A Hound Dog Tale: Big Mama, Elvis and the Song That Changed Everything," by Ben Wynne. This nonfiction book traces the unusual development of the song "Hound Dog"—written by two Jewish teenagers, popularized by a black woman with a large frame and a booming voice, parodied by a Las Vegas lounge act—and then taken to new heights of popularity by Elvis Presley.

Podcasts:

• "Miss Me?" from BBC Audio. Join pop star Lily Allen and Miquita Oliver, her friend since childhood, for a twice-weekly podcast. On Mondays they answer questions on a theme: celebrity weddings, lies, orgasms, etc. On Thursdays, they pick apart everything from intimacy to interiors.

Music:

Because of our discussion of the book "A Hound Dog Tale," PopaHALLics #140 Playlist (Hound Dog) features various versions of that song, more Big Mama songs, and some classics from "Hound Dog" writers Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.

Click through the links above to watch, read, and listen to what we're discussing.

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 Steven Soderbergh, a legendary intelligence agent (Michael Fassbender) must determine if his wife/fellow spy (Cate Blanchett) has committed treason—and whether his loyalty is to his marriage or his country.

Streaming:

• "Apple Cider Vinegar," Netflix. In this limited series based on true events, two young women (Kaitlyn Dever and Alycia Debnam-Carey) set out to cure their life-threatening illnesses through health and wellness, influencing their global online community along the way. Unfortunately, they aren't really ill.
• "Daredevil: Born Again," Disney +. Marvel's blind superhero returns, sort of. After a disturbing event, attorney Matt Murdoch (Charlie Cox) hangs up his Daredevil suit. But wait—does his nemesis Kingpin/Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio) have an ulterior motive in running for mayor of New York?

Books:

• "Say No to the Devil: The Life and Musical Genius of Rev. Gary Davis," by Ian Zack. Davis, a blind street preacher and amazingly talented guitarist, is not as well-known today as contemporaries like Son House and Lightning Hopkins. Yet, as this 2016 biography explains, Davis had an outsized influence on music because of his many guitar students and admirers, who include Bob Dylan, Stefan Grossman, Eric Clapton, Hot Tuna, and more.
• "The Blackbird Oracle," by Deborah Harkness. In the fifth installment in the bestselling All Souls series, witch/Oxford scholar Diana and vampire geneticist Matthew seek to avoid the testing of their twins' magical skills. Attempting to forge a new future for her family, Diana must face "a confrontation with her family’s dark past and a reckoning for her own desire for even greater power."

Music:

On PopaHALLics #139 Playlist (Rev. Gary Davis), experience the music of the blind guitarist/street preacher (see "Say No to the Devil" above) as interpreted by Jackson Browne, the Rolling Stones, the Grateful Dead, Mavis Staples, and more, as well as Davis himself. We've also added a few tunes by Kate's new discovery, the 1960s/70s French rock band Les Variations.

Click through the links above to watch, read, and listen to what we're discussing.