PopaHALLics

PopaHALLics #150 "Halls on Holiday: The PNW" (part one)

Join us for a special adventure into the Pacific Northwest! Steve celebrates his retirement with a "retirementmoon" - an almost month-long trip in Oregon and Washington State - and Kate joins him in Seattle. In part one, Steve and his wife travel cross-country on the Empire Builder train; explore funky Portland; travel along the scenic Oregon and Washington coasts; explore the diverse ecosystems of Olympic National Park and the Hoh Rain Forest; visit sites used for filming "The Goonies" and "Twilight"—and more! It's the trip of a lifetime! Join us!

Music:

We've assembled a special Spotify playlist related to the sights and sounds of the trip, Popahallics #150 Playlist (PNW). From "The Black Ball Ferry Line" featuring Bing Crosby and the Andrew Sisters to Hendrix and Pearl Jam, this enjoyable playlist puts you in the train/van/hot tub boat with us!

Fun Places We Stayed:

• A roomette on Amtrak's Empire Builder train headed west. Cozy!
• McMenamins' Crystal Hotel, Portland, OR. A very cool historic hotel with music-themed rooms, a basement soaking pool, restaurant and concert areas. Located in the Pearl District, it's a good base for exploring downtown Portland.
• Escape Campervan. Our home on wheels for 12 days! Great way to see the country and have a bed, fridge (solar powered), stove (propane), and sink. You're on your own re restroom.
• South Beach State Park, Newport, OR. Miles of broad ocean beach, walking and biking trails, and close proximity to Newport, which has lighthouses, whale watching, etc. Note: The beach is a longer hike from the campground than you think.
• Hart's Camp, formerly known as Cape Kiwanda RV Park, Pacific City, OR. All the amenities you'd expect in a RV park, plus bunnies hopping around the campsites. We met some interesting motocross guys while having a soak in the hot tub. Conveniently located across the road from Pelican Brewing and Haystack Rock.
• Fay Bainbridge Park Campground, Bainbridge Island, WA. Maybe our favorite campground of the trip—and in a city park! The campsites are just a short walk from an almost-mile-long stretch of beach with awesome views of Puget Sound, Seattle and, on a clear day, Mount Rainier and Mount Baker.

PopaHALLics #149 "Pasta & Politics"

Season 7 kicks off with us digging into two food movies designed to make your mouth water, as well as action thrillers involving getaway drivers and ... politicians?! 

Streaming:

• "Nonnas," Netflix. A man (Vince Vaughn) risks everything to honor his late mother by opening an Italian restaurant with real grandmothers as the chefs in this 2025 movie. With Susan Sarandon, Lorraine Bracco, and Talia Shire. 
• "Toscana," Netflix. In this 2022 Danish romantic comedy/drama, a chef (Anders Mattheson) goes to Tuscany to sell his estranged father's restaurant. An Italian (Cristiana Dell'Ana) teaches him to see cuisine and life in a new way.
• "Hostage," Netflix. In this British five-episode limited series, an international summit goes awry when the husband of the British prime minister (Suranne Jones) is kidnapped and the French president (Julie Delphy) is blackmailed.
•  "Eenie Meanie," Hulu. A former getaway driver (Samara Weaving) is trying to go straight when her screw-up ex (Karl Glusman) gets her involved in a casino heist in this comedy thriller. Andy Garcia and Marshawn Lynch also star.
• "Heads of State," Prime. In this 2025 comedy thriller, a British prime minister (Idris Elba) and an action movie star-turned-U.S. president (John Cena) must work together when Air Force One is shot down over enemy territory.

Books:

• "Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology," edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. Horror, fantasy, and sci-fi stories written by Indigenous authors.
• "The Trap," by Catherine Ryan Howard. A young woman tries to learn the fate of her abducted sister in this 2023 thriller inspired by the disappearances of young Irish women in the 1990s.
• "Twilight of the Gods" and "Your Favorite Band is Killing Me," by Steven Hyden.

PopaHALLics #148 She Pop

Dad and daughter discuss pop culture with strong women, from a K-pop group battling demons with song to the women in a Mafia family to Taylor Swift.

Theaters:

• "Freakier Friday." In this comedy, Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan from 2003's "Freaky Friday" switch bodies again, this time with daughter and soon-to-be stepdaughter. Hijinks ensue!

Streaming:

• "K-Pop Demon Hunters," Netflix. In this animated musical action film with a bestselling soundtrack, Korean girl group Huntrix uses music and dance to defeat demons. One problem: Leader Rumi is secretly half demon.
• "Fresh Kills," Hulu. A wife and daughters' lives are complicated by their husband and father, a mobster, in this drama. Starring Emily Bader, Odessa A'zion, and Jennifer Esposito, who also directed.

Podcasts:

• "New Heights." Taylor Swift gives her most extensive interview ever on this sports podcast hosted by her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, and his brother Jason.

Books:

• "Splinters: Another Kind of Love Story," by Leslie Jamison. In this memoir, Jamison examines the complexities of being a woman, artist, teacher, and lover.
• "The Peacock and the Sparrow," by I.S. Berry. In this Edgar Award-winning mystery, a jaded CIA agent's mission during the Arab Spring goes wrong.
• "Blue Graffiti," by Calahan Skogman. A girl blows into a small town, changing everything for a painter/construction worker in this Beat-inspired debut.

Music:

PopaHALLics #148 Playlist (K Pop) features music from "K-Pop Demon Hunters," real-life K-Pop acts like Blackpink and BTS, and Brave Combo, a Texas group that polkas in intriguing ways.

Click through the links above to watch, read, and listen to what we discuss.

PopaHALLics #147 "Pop and Politics"

Steve and Kate weigh in on "South Park" taking on Trump; the cancellation of Stephen Colbert's late-night show; and the demise of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Then we talk Lena Dunham's new show; Happy Gilmore—and more! NOTE: Steve's voice is muted in spots due to recording difficulties, not interference by government overlords. We think.

Streaming:

• "Too Much," Netflix. In this rom-com mini-series created by Lena Dunham ("Girls"), New Yorker Jessica (Megan Stalter) flees to London with a broken heart. Almost immediately she is attracted to Felix (Will Sharpe). Trouble!
• "Happy Gilmore 2," Netflix. In this sequel to the 1996 film, Adam Sandler's hockey player turned golfer returns to the links to help pay for his daughter's ballet training. With Christopher McDonald, Julie Bowen, Ben Stiller, Bad Bunny, and more.
• "Scrapper," Hoopla. After her mother's death, 12-year-old Georgie (Lola Campbell) is living alone in London, pretending to the authorities she's being raised by her uncle. Then her estranged father shows up. This British comedy drama was named one of the top 10 independent films of 2023 by the National Board of Review.

Books:

• "Bad Nature," by Ariel Courage. "Armed with a terminal diagnosis, a grudge and a rental car" (amazon.com), Hester sets out on a road trip to kill her father. Things don't go as planned in this bleakly funny debut novel.
• "The Buffalo Hunter Hunter," by Stephen Graham Jones. In this much-praised novel deftly mixing history, indigenous culture, and the supernatural, a Blackfoot warrior turned vampire seeks justice for a massacre.
• "The Lesser Dead," by Christopher Buehlman. It's 1978 in New York City, and things are going great for a group of vampires living in abandoned subway tunnels. Until the creepy kid vampires show up.

Music:

Our PopaHALLics #147 Playlist (Wet Leg) features new songs by British indie rock band Wet Leg; neosoul/pop/jazz singer/songwriter Olivia Dean; and singer/songwriter Eric Bettencourt. Enjoy! 

Click through the links above to watch, read, and listen to what we discuss.

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