PopaHALLics #87 "Medieval Love - Modern Style"
Kate reviews two 2022 movies that tackle medieval love with modern sensibilities. In "Catherine, Called Birdy," the independent daughter of a financially destitute lord resists his attempts to marry her off. Meanwhile, "Rosaline" is a comic retelling of "Romeo and Juliet" from the viewpoint of Romeo's ex. Steve reviews notable horror novels, causing dad and daughter to debate what's scarier: Horror or True Crime.
Streaming:
- "Catherine, Called Birdy," Prime. Writer/director Lena Dunham ("Girls") turns Karen Cushman's beloved children's novel into a medieval comedy with Bella Ramsey in the title role.
- "Rosaline," Hulu. In this romantic comedy directed by Karen Maine ("Yes, God, Yes"), the woman Romeo first claimed to love (Kaitlyn Dever) wrestles with her complicated feelings about him falling for her cousin, Juliet.
Coming to Theaters:
- "The Road Dance." In this powerful period drama set in Scotland's remote Outer Hebrides, a. young woman (Hermione Corfield) experiences a life-altering event just as her paramour goes off to fight in World War I.
- "Roise & Frank." In this sweet, heartfelt dramedy in Gaelic with subtitles, a widow who has given up on life becomes convinced that a stray dog is the reincarnation of her husband.
Books:
- "The Only Good Indians," by Stephen Graham Jones. In this dark horror novel "of revenge, cultural identity, and the cost of breaking from tradition" (GoodReads), a disturbing youthful mistake comes back to haunt—literally—four Blackfeet men.
- "Hell House," by Richard Matheson. Stephen King has called this classic from the "I Am Legend" author "the scariest haunted house novel ever written." Four researchers spend a week in a notorious house. It doesn't go well.
Music:
Kate discovered Khruangbin, a trio whose music can be described as "vibe-y." Curious? Try our Popahallics #87 Playlist!
