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.