PopaHALLics #171 "Slow Horses, Couldn't Drag Me Away"

We talk the sixth season of the spy drama "Slow Horses," an Irish haunted house movie, how magicians at Yale accidentally left the door to Hell open, and whether Dracula was just a misunderstood romantic with a thing for French perfume.

Streaming:

• "Slow Horses," Apple TV. Someone's killing off former Slough House agents, and Diana faces the music for an unauthorized covert action. Can Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman) and his bumbling crew save the day?
• "East of Eden," Netflix. This sweeping limited series far surpasses the scope of the 1955 film with James Dean, which only covered the last third of John Steinbeck's novel. Florence Pugh, Christopher Abbott, Mike Faist, and Hoon Lee star In this more faithful adaptation from creator Zoe Kazan, the granddaughter of Elia Kazan, who directed the 1955 film.
• "Hokum," Hulu and Disney +. In this gripping horror movie with effective jump scares, An abrasive American novelist (Adam Scott, "Severance") discovers the haunted honeymoon suite at an Irish hotel is more than a folktale.
• "Dracula," Paramount + and Prime. Dracula a monster? Heck no. In this stylish French gothic horror film from Luc Besson ("La Femme Nikita," "The Fifth Element"), Vlad (Caleb Landry Jones) is a romantic hero pursuing the love of his life (Zoe Bleu) across the centuries. Some folks like a priest/scientist (Christoph Waltz) take issue with the whole bloodsucking thing.

Books:

• "Dead Beat," by Leigh Bardugo. In the action-packed conclusion to the "Ninth House" trilogy, demons flood the streets of New Haven and Yale to feast on the living. Can magician Alex Stern, who left Hell's gates open, stop them?
• "The Road to Tender Hearts," by Annie Hartnett. When eccentric old man PJ sets off on a road trip to woo his high school sweetheart, the crew accompanying him include his very reluctant daughter Sophie; his new charges, the grandchildren of his estranged brother; and a therapy cat that can predict death. A wonderful novel that is darkly comic and full of heart.

Music:

Ever hear of the Menahan Street Band? Us neither. Kate says this Brooklyn-based band consists of all-star touring and studio musicians for big-name acts. Check out their funk and soul on PopaHALLics #171 Playlist (Menahan).