PopaHALLics #107 "Murderous & Foreboding"
Characters are killing it—literally—in the streaming options and novels we discuss. A wife killing her "perfect" husband. A Broadway star taking an elevator shaft down without the elevator. And did we mention the creepy Swedish cult festival?

Streaming:

• "Midsommar," streaming & rental, In this 2019 horror film written and directed by Ari Aster, a dysfunctional couple (Florence Pugh and Jack Reynor) travel to a rural town for a midsummer festival that turns out more bizarre and violent than they expected. 
• "Only Murders in the Building," Hulu. Season 3: When an actor dies on opening night of the play by Oliver (Martin Short), he and his neighbors (Steve Martin and Selena Gomez) begin an investigation. With Meryl Streep, Jesse Williams, and Ashley Park.
• "Ahsoka," Disney +. In an 8-episode "Star Wars" series, the Jedi/not Jedi (it's complicated) warrior (Rosario Dawson) goes in pursuit of evil Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) with her headstrong Padawan (Natasha Liu Bodrizzo). With Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Hayden Christiansen. 
• "The Book Club," Peacock & rental. Reading "50 Shades of Grey" sparks the love lives of four women (Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, Mary Steenburgen, and Diane Keaton) in this romantic comedy.

Books:

• "Since We Fell," by Dennis Lehane. A woman develops a fear of leaving the house in this acclaimed 2017 novel adroitly mixing up suspense, romance, and possibly madness from the author of "Mystic River," "Shutter Island," and 'Gone Baby Gone."
• "The Mistborn: The Final Empire," by Brandon Sanderson. In book one of a trilogy, a thief and his companions take on the ultimate caper: Overthrowing the government of a being who has ruled for 1,000 years. 

Music:
Steve recently saw a ParliamentFunkadelic show featuring funk pioneer George Clinton as well as the band Fishbone. Experience some of their best numbers—and other funk as well—here!

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