PopaHALLics #136 "Like a Rolling Stone"
How does it feel, to be on your own, a complete unknown, or a Dracula clone? We discuss the new Bob Dylan biopic "A Complete Unknown" as well as the gothic horror film "Nosferatu." Spy Keira Knightley goes after her lover's killer in "Black Doves," and Vince Vaughn investigates a severed arm, not his, in "Bad Monkey."

In Theaters:

• "A Complete Unknown," cowritten and directed by James Mangold. Timothee Chalamet and Edward Norton star in this look at Bob Dylan's early career, from his arrival in NYC tin 1961 to his infamously going electric at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965.
• "Nosferatu," written and directed by Robert Eggers. In this remake of the 1922 film, itself inspired by Bram Stoker's novel "Dracula," the mysterious Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgard) terrorizes a German couple (Lily-Rose Depp and Nicholas Hoult). Willem Dafoe plays a Van Helsing-like character.

Streaming:

• "Black Doves," Netflix. In this British thriller series, the wife (Knightley) of the Secretary of State for Defence learns that her secret identity as a spy is in danger after her lover is killed by London's underworld. An old friend, trigger man Sam (Ben Wishaw), is sent to protect her.
• "Bad Monkey," Apple +. A motormouth, irreverent cop in the Florida Keys (Vaughn) becomes involved in a strange case involving an arm missing its body, unscrupulous developers in the Bahamas, and a beautiful, scary practitioner of Obeah. This black comedy crime drama is based on the novel by Carl Hiaasen.

Click through the links to see what we're talking about.

PopaHALLics #135 "We're Cold on These Xmas Songs"
Hey kids! Let's gather around the Christmas tree and play "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer"! What? Matricide doesn't make you merry? Well, OK, how about the Pussycat Dolls' "Santa Baby"? Too bump-and-grindy? Steve and Kate discuss a few Christmas songs that annoy us, and our playlist is full of them. As well as a few we like. Also: Kate's review of "Wicked," our takes on the holiday movies "Hot Frosty" and "Last Christmas," and the TV series "Life After Life."

Theaters:

• "Wicked." British actress Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande star in an adaptation of the hit Broadway show, the sympathetic origin story of the Wicked Witch of the West. With Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldbum, and surprises. As of this writing, the hit movie has made $455.5 million worldwide.

Streaming:

• "Hot Frosty," Netflix. In this 2024 holiday rom-com, a struggling widow (Lacey Chabert) accidentally brings a hunky snowman (Dustin Milligan) to life. Can romance ensue before he melts away? With Craig Robinson, Sherry Miller, and other familiar faces.
• "Last Christmas," Max and streaming services. Actress Emma Thompson cowrote this 2019 holiday rom-com based on the Wham! song. A struggling singer (Emilia Clarke) begins to see London—and her messy life—in a new light after meeting a mysterious stranger (Henry Golding).
• "Life After Life," Prime. In this BBC Two TV series based on Kate Atkinson's novel, Ursula Todd (Thomasin McKenzie) experiences an endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth in the early part of the 20th Century.

Music:
Get ready for the holiday songs we love to hate! "The Christmas Shoes," Stevie Wonder singing from the perspective of the star atop your Christmas tree, that classic by the Killers "Don't Shoot Me Santa"—and more! We did you a favor and added some we love too. Listen to Popahallics Playlist #135 here.

Click through the links to watch and listen to what we're talking about.

PopaHALLics #134 "Wicked Good"
For our Thanksgiving weekend episode, we talk about the pop culture offerings we're grateful for: the new movie version of "Wicked"; movies about a mother and son's love in "The Blitz" and the quest for the first test tube baby in "Joy"; and more. There's always a turkey—"Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft." Oof!

Theaters:

• "Wicked, Part 1." Director Jon M. Chu ("Crazy Rich Asians") pulls off a Wizard of Oz and grants us our heart's desire: a fabulous movie adaptation of the hit Broadway musical. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande shine respectively as Elphaba and Glinda in the origin story of the Wicked Witch of the West.

Streaming:

• "The Blitz," Apple +. In this movie set during WWII, a London munitions worker (Saoirse Ronan) evacuates her 9-year-old son to the countryside to escape the bombings. He tries to get back to her, as she searches for him.
• "Bad Sisters," Apple +. As season 2 begins, the Garvey sisters appear to have gotten away with murder. But a macabre discovery soon has the police sniffing around again and threatening their lives.
• "Joy - The Birth of IVF," Netflix. Based on a true story, this movie follows three pioneering British scientists in the 1960s and '70s as they try to develop in vitro fertilization. Starring Thomasin McKenzie, James Norton, and Bill Nighy.
• "Wolf Like Me," Peacock. In season 2, wererewolf Mary (Isla Fisher) worries if her unborn baby will be wolf or human. And if she gives birth during a full moon, will she eat the baby?
• "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever," Disney +. Based on book six of the popular Wimpy Kid franchise, this animated special follows Greg trying to stay good so he will receive a special video game for Christmas. It's not going well.
• "Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft," Netflix. Hayley Atwell voices a trauma-haunted Lara in this animated adventure.

Books:

• "When Women Were Dragons," by Kelly Barnhill. In an alternate 1950s America, thousands of women have turned into dragons, upending ideas of a woman's place in the world. "A rollicking feminist tale" (Amazon).
• "Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania," by Erik Larson. Larson, a master of historical nonfiction, spins a pager-turner about the British passenger liner and the U-boat commander who sunk her during WWI.

Small Town Shenanigans Podcast
Steve talks about his days as a TV critic and some misadventures growing up in West Virginia on this funny podcast hosted by Montana boys Bill and Brian Burns. You can hear their conversation here.