PopaHALLics #162 "Many (Happy) Returns?

People come back on this episode—to the past, to gangland trouble in the present, to a murder that keeps occurring, and to home.

Theaters:

• "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie." When Princess Rosalina gets kidnapped by Bowser Jr., Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach are on the case. With the voices of Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jack Black, and more.

Streaming:

• "Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man," Netflix. In this movie sequel to the series, will Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) return from self-imposed exile in time to prevent the gang's new leader, his son, from making a terrible mistake?
• "Mike and Nick and Nick and Alice," Hulu. This unusual crime comedy finds future Nick (Vince Vaughn) traveling through time to try to save his associate Mike (James Marsden) when the gang suspects a rat.
• "The Outrun," Netflix. After living life on the edge, Rona (Saoirse Ronan) tries to come to terms with her troubled past by returning to Scotland's Orkney Islands.

Books:

• "The Man Who Died Seven Times," by Yasuhiko Nishizawa. In this twisty, clever murder mystery, a college student stuck in a time loop attempts to prevent his grandfather's murder and learn the killer's identity.
• "Heart the Lover," by Lily King. Both a prequel and sequel to "Writers and Lovers," this novel explores a college love triangle decades later when the narrator is forced to confront her past.
• "Ten Dead Comedians: A Murder Mystery," by Fred Van Lente. When ten comedians are summoned to a remote island to meet a legendary comic, someone begins killing them off one by one. A funny, sometimes gory novel.
• "Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng," by Kylie Lee Baker. As women are murdered in Chinatown, a young Chinese-American wonders if she is haunted by a "hungry ghost" or a vampire in this horror novel.

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PopaHALLics #161 "All in the Family"

Family runs through this episode, whether it's a crime family with a manipulative matriarch, a family of animals (dinosaurs) or a homeless-looking guy trying to build a "family" from hostages to stop technology from taking over the world.

In Theaters:

• "Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die." In this sci-fi action comedy with crazy visuals, a man claims to have come from the future to prevent dangerous AI. Starring Sam Rockwell, Haley Lu Richardson, and Juno Temple.

Streaming:

• "How to Get from Heaven to Belfast," Netflix. In this Irish comic mystery/thriller from the creator of "Derry Girls," three lifelong friends attending the wake of a fourth realize something's amiss.
• "Animal Kingdom," Prime. Ellen Barkin stars as a crime family matriarch who rules her sons and grandson with borderline incestuous love. Six seasons of this American crime drama, based on an Australian film, are available.
• "The Dinosaurs," Netflix. With stunning CGI, this four-episode series from producer Stephen Spielberg traces the rise and fall of the dinosaurs. Morgan Freeman narrates this spiritual successor to "Life on Our Planet" (2023).

Books:

• "Empire of Madness: Reimagining Western Mental Health for Everyone," by Khameer Kidia. A physician argues our mental healthcare system focuses on medicating symptoms rather than addressing root causes like history, culture, and political structures.

Music:

• Harry Styles returns with the disco and electronic-pop-tinged album, "Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally." And cohost Steve Hall releases his first solo record in 13 years, "It's Alive" (Remastered), as well as "First Wind" by his band the Windbag Brothers. All are featured on PopaHALLics #161 Playlist (Harry).

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PopaHALLics #160 "It's Time to Light the Lights"

From Kermit the Frog to the KGB, from Bad Bunny to "Eternity," we are all over the pop culture landscape. There's even a short review of Oscar-nominated shorts.

Streaming:

• "Eternity," Apple TV. After a woman (Elizabeth Olsen) dies in this romantic comedy, she must choose who she wants to spend eternity with: Her longtime husband (Miles Teller) or her husband who died young (Callum Turner).
• "The Muppet Show," Disney +. In this special like their old series (1976-1981), Kermit and the gang try to put on a show despite backstage chaos. Singer/songwriter/actress Sabrina Carpenter is the guest star.
• "Ponies," Peacock. This Cold War thriller features two women (Emilia Clarke and Haley Liu Richardson) becoming unlikely spies in Moscow to investigate their husbands' mysterious deaths.
• Oscar-nominated live action shorts: "The Singers," Netflix; "A Friend of Dorothy," YouTube; and "Jane Austen's Period Drama," YouTube. Through March 2, you can also watch seven of the nominated live-action and animated shorts at manhattanshortonline.com for $12.

Books:

• "The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox," by Maggie O'Farrell. In this 2006 novel by the author of "Hamnet," the release of a great-aunt from a psychiatric hospital after 61 years forces a woman to confront a hidden family history of secrets and shame.
• "Our Mothers' Daughters," by Judith Arcana. This nonfiction book from the 1970s uses interviews to explore the relationship between mothers and daughters.

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