PopaHALLics #94 "Pop Across the Pond"
How did those folks on the other side of the Atlantic get to be such great storytellers? Dad and daughter discuss the silly BBC-style mockumentary "Cunk on Earth," the Irish drama/black comedy "Bad Sisters," and a sprawling novel about a dysfunctional family that begins on the English Coast, "The Whalebone Theatre." 'Course, we talk about some stuff made in 'merica too.
Streaming:
- "Cunk on Earth," Netflix. The ill-informed, irreverent Philomena Cunk (Diane Morgan) sets out to document the highlights of human history by visiting exotic locales and asking silly questions of experts. Pretty funny.
- "Bad Sisters," Apple +. Scheming, manipulative John Paul (Danish actor Claes Bang) is a piece of work. But when he dies unexpectedly, which one of the Garvey sisters killed him? And can the quarreling sisters stay one step ahead of the dogged, if hapless, insurance investigator trying to avoid a big payout to the widow? This smart drama with plenty of black comedy features a terrific Irish cast headlined by Sharon Horgan ("Catastrophe").
- "Poker Face," Peacock. In this limited character-based mystery series from "Knives Out" creator Rian Johnson, Natasha Lyonne ("Russian Doll") plays down-on-her-luck, foulmouthed Charlie, who can immediately tell if someone's lying. This peculiar gift soon has her fleeing across America, trying to outrun the mob while solving mysteries along the way.
Books:
- "The Cloisters," by Katy Hays. In this bestselling novel, a circle of researchers uncover a mysterious deck of tarot cards and shocking secrets in New York’s famed Met Cloisters. Kate says it's perfect for mystery fans who like a touch of the supernatural.
- "The Whalebone Theatre," by Joanna Quinn. This acclaimed novel follows its heroine from putting on shows as a child with her siblings in a theater made of whale bones to covert operations in World War Two.
- "Project Hail Mary," by Andy Weir. The author of "The Martian" returns with another sci-fi adventure about a man alone in space. This time he's a nerdy junior high science teacher (!), the sole survivor of a mission to save Earth from another ice age.
- "Razzamatazz," by Christopher Moore. In this sequel to the zany thriller "Noir," bartender Sammy Tiffin, his girlfriend the Cheese, and the rest of the Cookie's Coffee irregulars get swept up in madcap antics involving murder, a moon-man, and a magical dragon statute in 1947 San Francisco.
Click through the links above to watch and read what we're talking about.
