PopaHALLics #111 HALL-oween

PopaHALLics #111 HALL-oween
Time for vampires, spooky spirits, and movies with plot holes so big the wind moans through them like a ghost. Oh, and David Beckham and the brain, too.

Streaming:

• "El Conde," Netflix.  Former Chilean dictator Pinochet is actually a 250-year-old vampire who can't remember where he hid his money in this satiric arthouse flick. A French accountant nun will help him remember and/or stake him.
• "Trick r Treat," Max. This darkly comic horror anthology from the creator of "Krampus" tells four different, interwoven stories one Halloween night. With Brian Cox, Anna Paquin, and a creepy kid-sized spirit of Samhain, "Sam."
• "Beckham," Netflix. The life and career of soccer legend David Beckham is examined in this four-hour documentary from director/actor Fisher Stevens.
• "Something from Tiffany's," Prime. An engagement ring meant for someone else leads a woman (Zoey Deutch) to the person she was meant to be with in this rom-com. With Kendrick Sampson and Ray Nicholson, son of Jack.
• "Red Eye," Prime. This Hitchcockian thriller from horror maven West Craven  finds hotel manager Rachel McAdams happy to be seated next to a handsome stranger (Cillian Murphy) on a flight—until he reveals a nefarious plot.

Books:

• "Sunshine" by Robin McKinley. A young woman working as a baker becomes entangled in a vampire feud in this "near perfect fantasy" (Neil Gaiman).
• "The World Behind the World: Consciousness, Free Will, and the Limits of Science," by Erik Hoel. A scientist recognized by Forbes explores how the brain creates our conscious experiences—potentially revolutionizing neuroscience and the future of technology.

Music:
The Spooky Halloween Mix #111 playlist put together for us by Spotify's AI is scary good! It's perfect for your Halloween party or handing out candy to trick or treaters.

The Halloween-themed instrumentals in this episode are by our own Maestro of Musical Mayhem, that keyboardist who slays the 88s—Mike Bode! Fangs a lot, Mike.

Chapters

• 0:40 "El Conde"
• 0:55 "Downright Weird"
• 1:03 Dictator a Vampire!
• 1:36 French Accountant Nun
• 3:11 "Beckham"
• 4:19 "So Much Footage"
• 5:35 Most Interesting Thing?"
• 7:07 "Reputation Well-Deserved"
• 7:25 Done by Fisher Stevens the Actor!
• 8:41 "Trick R Treat"
• 9:02 Halloween Spirit Called Sam
• 9:26 Directed by "Krampus" Creator
• 10:36 "Twisted EC Comics Morality"
• 11:10 "Red Eye"
• 12:26 Help Him or Dad Dies!
• 13:03 "So Many Freakin' Holes"
• 15:02 "Something From Tiffany's"
• 15:22 Tiffany Bags Mixed Up
• 15:40 Zoey Deutch!
• 17:48 "Ooh, Sparks Fly"
• 18:05 "Lot of Plot Holes"
• 20:54 "Might Have Fun Laughing at It"
• 21:09 "Sunshine" Novel
• 21:19 "Near Perfect Fantasy"
• 22:13 "Chained Within Reach of a Thirsty Vampire"
• 22:27 Buffy the Vampire Slayer-esque
• 22:35 Great Writing about the Other-Ness of Vampires
• 23:07 "Spooky Halloween Mix"
• 24:12 Name Confused the AI Bot
• 25:10 Ryan Gosling's Band!
• 26:18 "The World Behind the World"