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," Apple TV +. Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds sing and even tapdance as the Ghost of Christmas Present (Ferrell ) tries to convince an "unredeemable" PR sleazeball (Reynolds) to change his ways. With Octavia Spencer.
• "The Crown," Netflix. Season 5 finds the royal family struggling to show their relevance in the 1990s, as Prince Charles and Princess Diana spar in the media.  Imelda Staunton now plays Queen Elizabeth, Elizabeth Debicki is Princess Di, and Dominic West is Charles. 
• "Andor," Disney +.  The most grown-up, complex, nuanced "Star Wars" offering yet traces how a roguish thief (Diego Luna) eventually becomes a hero willing to lay his life on the line for the Rebellion. 
• "House of The Dragon," HBO Max. This worthy prequel to "Game of Thrones"  features intrigue, sex, and dragons during the reign of  House Targaryen.

Podcast:

• "Behind the Bastards." This podcast delves into the bizarre  stories of history's greatest real-life villains, from Hitler forming his monstrous ideology from young adult novels to Saddam Hussein's side gig as a trashy romance novelist. 

Books::

• "The Death of Jane Lawrence," by Caitlin Starling.  In this acclaimed Gothic horror novel, a young woman's marriage of convenience turns creepy when her new husband forbids her to visit his family estate—and she does.
• "Jade City," by Fonda Lee. This clever mix of "Godfather"-style gang intrigue and fantasy finds clans in an Asian-like nation struggling for power. Contact with jade makes them faster, stronger, more alert—but can also drive them crazy.
• "Sleeping Beauties," by Stephen and Owen King. This page turner asks the question: What would happen to the world if women disappeared from it?  Women begin falling asleep, a weird cocoon covering their heads, and not waking up.  The men left alone turn to violence. ...

Music:
The "Spirited" soundtrack got us thinking about all the other holiday musicals we love. Popahallics #90 Playlist contains gems from "A Muppet Christmas Carol," "Elf," "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer," and more—including "Spirited." Listen to it here.