PopaHALLics #158 "Pop Goes the Globe!"

We look at two movies with Golden Globe awards—"One Battle After Another" and "Marty Supreme"—as well as the movie "Life of Chuck," the rom-com "People We Meet on Vacation" and Tulsa-set crime comedy drama series "The Lowdown."

In Theaters:

• "Marty Supreme." Timothee Chalamet won a Golden Globe (best actor, musical/comedy) by playing a talented jerk determined to be a world-champion ping pong player at all costs. With Gwyneth Paltrow, Fran Drescher, Penn Jillette, and more.

Streaming:

• "One Battle After Another," various streaming channels. This intense political thriller won Golden Globes for best musical/comedy, Teyana Taylor (best actress, musical/comedy), best screenplay and best director (Paul Thomas Anderson). Leonardo DiCaprio plays a former revolutionary trying to protect his daughter from a villainous Army captain (Sean Penn).
• "The Life of Chuck," Hulu. This adaptation of a Stephen King novella was written and directed by Mike Flanagan. Tom Hiddleston stars in the life-affirming tale of an ordinary man, whose story is told in reverse chronological order. With Karen Gillan, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mia Sara and Mark Hamill.
• "People We Meet on Vacation," Netflix. In this romantic comedy, Emily Bader and Tom Blyth play best friends/polar opposites who have gone on vacation together for a decade. Based on an Emily Henry novel.
• "The Lowdown," Hulu and other streaming channels. Ethan Hawke plays a "truthologist" trying to get to the bottom of the death of the black sheep (Tim Blake Nelson) of a prominent Oklahoma family. With Keith David, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Kyle Maclachlan, and Peter Dinklage.
• "Emily in Paris," Netflix. In season 5, Emily (Lily Collins) travels to Rome to launch an Agence Grateau office there. She also handles a new relationship with a luxury fashion heir (Eugenio Franceschini). What could go wrong?

The Fair Use doctrine of U.S. copyright law allows for the limited use of copyrighted material without permission for purposes such as comment, criticism, news, and research.

PopaHALLics #157 "Ho Ho Pop"

On our last episode of 2025, we discuss new movies including the latest "Knives Out" and "Hamnet," and books including a great take on the Lennon-McCartney relationship. Plus Kate looks back at "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"!

In Theaters:

• "Hamnet." Academy-Award winning director Chloe Zhao and author Maggie O'Farrell explore how the loss of a son inspires William Shakespeare's "Hamlet." Starring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal.

Streaming:

• "Wake up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery," Netflix. In the third installment of Rian Johnson's detective series, Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig, in thumbnail photo) investigates a murder mystery "with biblical proportions" in a small town. With Josh O'Connor, Josh Brolin, and Glenn Close.
• "The Family Plan 2," Apple TV. In this action comedy sequel, the Morgans' trip to London at Christmas is complicated by a "ghost from the past." Starring Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Monaghan, and Kit Harrington ("Game of Thrones").
• "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," Hulu. Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and her friends (including Alyson Hannigan and Nicholas Brendon) battle vampires and the terrors of high school in this series (1997-2003).

Books:

• "John & Paul: A Love Story in Song," by Ian Leslie. This fresh take on the Beatles examines Lennon and McCartney's relationship from 1957 to 1980 through songs, both their favorites and their originals.
• "Brightly Shining," by Ingvild H. Rishøi. Two young sisters struggle to make a Christmas for themselves as their father struggles with unemployment and alcoholism.
• "Mr. Splitfoot," by Samantha Harris. This contemporary gothic novel interweaves two timelines, one about two orphans in the 1980s and the other about a mysterious walking pilgrimage decades later.

The "fair use" doctrine of U.S. copyright law allows for limited unauthorized use of copyrighted material for purposes such as comment and education.

PopaHALLics #156 "Scott of the Bells"

In this on-location episode, Steve interviews Scott Soltermann, who plays, records, and programs the carillion (bells) at Butler University in Indianapolis. Steve and his wife often hear the bells in their neighborhood and began wondering about the anonymous player.

Scott, a former music and special needs teacher, also listened to the bells while growing up in Indianapolis. When he returned home from Oregon, he volunteered to keep them going, Now, on a clear day, his playing can be heard for up to two miles!

For non-Hoosiers: When Scott mentions Tony Hinkle, he's referring to Butler's legendary head football coach, head baseball coach, AND head basketball coach for nearly 50 years. Butler's basketball arena, the largest in the U.S. until 1950, was renamed Hinkle Fieldhouse in his honor. If you've seen the basketball movie "Hoosiers," that's where the fictional state high school championship game was filmed.

We learn how a modern electronic carillion works and hear Scott play some tunes. It's a show with a peal. (Get it?)

The fair use doctrine of U.S. copyright law allows for the limited unauthorized use of copyrighted material for purposes such as comment and education.