PopaHALLics #152 "Guinness, Ghosts, and Valley Girls"

PopaHALLics #152 "Guinness, Ghosts, and Valley Girls"

Dad and daughter dish on "House of Guinness," about a family struggle for control of the brewery; "Presence," a ghost story told from the ghost's POV; variety show host Ed Sullivan and civil rights; and more! Plus the duo likes looking back at "Romy & Michele's High School Reunion." Me too!

Streaming:

• "House of Guinness," Netflix. In this historical drama from the creator of "Peaky Blinders," the brewery founder's four adult children, "each with dark secrets to hide," wrestle for control after his passing. Starring Anthony Boyle, Louis Partridge, Emily Fairn, and Fionn O'Shea.
• "Presence," Hulu and Disney +. Director Steven Soderbergh returns to fine independent filmmaking form with this clever spin on a haunted house tale. When a troubled family moves in, we experience events from the ghost's perspective. Starring Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan, Callian Liang, and Eddy Maday.
• "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion," Hulu and Disney +. In the 1997 screwball comedy, two Valley Girls (Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow) invent fake careers to impress their former classmates. The cult classic also stars Janeane Garofalo, Alan Cumming, and Camryn Manheim.
• "Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan," Netflix. This 2023 documentary makes the case that the variety show pioneer was also a pioneer in civil rights by showcasing black acts on TV. Includes archival footage of amazing performances and interviews with Smokey Robinson, Harry Belafonte, Dionne Warwick, Oprah Winfrey, and more. 
• "Howl," Prime, various streaming services. Passengers on an overnight train are stranded in the forest with werewolves about in this claustrophobic British horror thriller. Starring Ed Speleers, Holly Weston, Elliott Cowan, and more.

Books:

• "The Warm Hands of Ghosts," by Katherine Arden. A combat nurse searches for her brother, believed dead in the WWI trenches, despite eerie evidence otherwise in this acclaimed novel.

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