PopaHALLics #110 "Popalicious!"
From a chemist doing a cooking show in a serious drama to a time-traveling teen in a horror comedy, we offer the ideal recipes for pop culture enjoyment! We even sprinkle aliens, monsters, and goshawks on top, and polish it off with pumpkin ale. Yum!
Streaming:
- "Lessons in Chemistry," Apple +. In this miniseries based on Bonnie Garmus' bestslling novel, sexism and life's troubles force chemist Elizabeth Zott (Brie Larson) away from the lab in the 1950s. Instead, she hosts a popular TV show where she gives housewives lessons in more than cooking.
- "Jules," rental. No one will believe retiree Ben Kingsley when he says a UFO has crashed into his flowerbed in this sweet offbeat comedy drama from one of the makers of "Little Miss Sunshine." With Harriet Sansom and Jane Curtin.
- "Theater Camp," Hulu. The eccentric staff members of a theater camp must band together when their beloved founder falls into a coma in this musical comedy. With Ben Platt, Molly Gordon, Amy Sedaris, and more!
- "Totally Killer," Prime. In this horror comedy that draws inspiration from slasher movies, a killer murdered three girls 35 years ago and got away. When he murders a mom in the present, her daughter (Kiernan Shipka) time travels back to the 1980s to catch the killer and save her mom. Silly but heartfelt.
- "The Monster," Max. This horror flick finds a troubled mom and her preteen daughter having a breakdown on a deserted road in a rainstorm—and realizing they're not alone in the woods.
Books:
- "Horse," by Geraldine Brooks. This masterful novel interweaves three stories from the 1850s, 1950s, and 2019 that all relate to Lexington. The real thoroughbred was the fastest runner of his time and sired many champions.
- "H is for Hawk," by Helen MacDonald. In this acclaimed memoir, a British woman reeling from the death of her father takes on the notoriously hard training of a goshawk. The book also examines the life and work of goshawk enthusiast T.H. White ("The Once and Future KIng").
- "Bad Cree," by Jessica Johns. A young Cree woman's dreams lead her on a journey of self-discovery in this horror-laced debut.
- "House of Ghosts: A Gripping Murder Mystery Set in a Haunted House," by W.C. Ryan. During World War I, British intelligence sends two agents to a weekend of planned seances at the island home of a munitions manufacturer. In addition to ghosts, a German spy is present in this blend of Agatha Christie-esque mystery and gothic ghost story.
NOTE: You can find the links for more information about these books in the episode's chapter markers. Buzzsprout was acting up and wouldn't include the links here.