Hazel & Katniss & Harry & Starr

Brenna wanted to remember Matthew Perry, so we're revisiting Burr Steers' 17 Again (2009) starring Perry and Zac Efron.While some of this hasn't aged well, this time travel/body swap has a lot of heart and Efron's comedic chops are solid. While Joe could do with less Thomas Lennon, the sweet romance between Efron and Leslie Mann generates a lot of goodwill.Plus: slaps, incest jokes, tired geeks, and losing your house in divorce court.Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe kick off 2024 with Abigail Hing Wen's fantastic 2020 book Loveboat Taipei ...and Arvin Chen's extremely generic 2023 film adaptation, Love in Taipei.The book is rich, readable and filled with complicated characters which only makes the film, bland even by YA rom-com standards, even more of a disappointment.Plus: class critiques, challenging female friendships, sexual mistakes, street food and our surprise that - despite its standalone story - the book is actually the first in a trilogy!Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe squeeze in one final Mailbag for the year. At the request of listener Tea, Books and Chocolate, we're talking about the juiciest of YA scandals from recent years, including John Green leaving Tumblr, Maggie Stiefvater vs Halsey, Sarah Dessen's Twitter mob, Lauren M Davis vs Marvellous Michael Anson (unfolding *right* now) and Kathleen Hale stalking a Goodreads reviewer. Happy holidays everyone!Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe celebrate the holiday season with a look at the Stephanie Perkins-edited collection of seasonal stories.We chat about the stories we liked the best ("It’s a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown", "Krampuslauf", "Midnights", "The Girl Who Broke The Dreamer" and "Welcome to Christmas, CA") with special lumps of coal for a few less successful entries ("Polaris is Where You'll Find Me", "What The Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth?" and "Star of Bethelem").It's a mixed bag!Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here's a short and sweet Mailbag from Tasmanian listener Emily, with a recommendation for a future read: Dark Rise by C.S. Pacat.Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've got a golden ticket! To coincide with the release of new film Wonka, Brenna and Joe dip into Roald Dahl's problematic 1964 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, as well as Mel Stuart's 1971 adaptation and Tim Burton's 2005 "more faithful" take.There's *lots* to discuss: colonialism, racism, slavery, "the deserving poor," mixed moral messages, Anna Wintour hair, Michael Jackson and practical FX.Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thanks to listener Charlotte, we're checking out The Shamer's Daughter, book one in Lene Kaaberbøl's The Shamer Chronicles, as well its 2015 film adaptation by Kenneth Kainz.This medieval fantasy novel has a fantastic protagonist, strong female friendships, and complex moral stakes. The film is less memorable: it is a little too grey and happy to forego politics for explosions, but it does keep the book's dark ending. Plus: why Brenna won't forgive the puritans who complain about the book's language.Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After our episode on You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah, listener Tea, Books & Chocolate wrote in to share her experiences, including expensive gifts and a Mitzvah project that involved a protest rally with grandma!Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe are working on our Mitzvahs as we discuss Fiona Rosenbloom's 2005 book You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah and its 2023 Netflix adaptation by Sammi Cohen.While both texts are relatively slight, we found these quite enjoyable. The book's conflict is a little manufactured and the Judaism lessons can be a little after school special, but we're big fans of Stacy's relationship with younger brother Arthur.The film, meanwhile, features the whole Sandler clan, but Sunny and Sadie are great comedic actresses and there's so much musicality here that we're willing to forgive how Mean Girls-ish this feels.Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're responding to mail from listeners Aimee, who has an Alanna-inspired contemporary recommendation, and Victoria, who is drawing on lessons from Imogen, Obviously and There's Someone Inside Your House to confront toxicity in her personal life.Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe return to Panem for The Hunger Games prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, directed by franchise regular Francis Lawrence.While Joe struggles with the transition from Part 2 to 3, Brenna is unconvinced by lead actor Tom Blyth or the romance between Snow and Lucy Gray.We do, however, have plenty of praise for Viola Davis, Hunter Schafer and Jason Schwartzman, as well as the costume design and the politics of the dystopia.Perhaps it simply needed to be a (mini)series instead of a 2 hour 40 minute movie?Missed our discussion of the book? Listen here https://tinyurl.com/5n6apjy8Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're wrapping up Mockingjay which means our resident The Hunger Games expert Alex Heeney of Seventh Row is back!We're closing out the back half of Suzanne Collins' book (Chapter 13 -> End) and Francis Lawrence's Mockingjay Part 2 (2015) with a discussion about PTSD, the Capitol as arena, and the heteronormative baby-centric ending. Plus: settling the Peeta vs Gale debate once and for all, the ugly visual palette of the film and Katniss as soldier. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)> Alex: @bwestcineaste / @SeventhRow / WebsiteHave a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe gush over new listener Chantal's cool grandmother (reader of Harlequin romance novels), then sidestep into a conversation about cursive writing as a lost art form and how it can connect us.Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe bid a sad farewell to S03 of Reservation Dogs. We spend a lot of time discussing the use of elders, the unique portrayal of the effects of residential schools, cycles, and where our fave characters wind up.Plus: stunt casting Elora's dad and Graham Greene, the spin-off we want, and that exquisite finale.Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenna and Joe wrap up another Spooky Season with Stephanie Perkins' 2017 slasher novel There's Someone Inside Your House and Patrick Brice's 2021 Netflix adaptation.The book is fast-paced, although it loses its message and winds up being a little forgettable, while the film starts off strong, then nosedives.Plus: gory murder descriptions, a case *against* colour-blind casting in the film, and which set pieces we like the best/least.Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're still on the gateway horror track with a look at three R.L. Stine texts and Rob Letterman's 2015 film adaptation, starring Jack Black (again!)Guiding the discussion with encyclopedic knowledge is Goosebumps super fan Paul Farrell, who advised Brenna and Joe to read The Ghost Next Door, The Blob That Ate Everyone, and Night of the Living Dummy 2 to prepare.Plus: terrible families, brightly coloured cover art, the new Disney+ show, and Stine's approach to hooking young readers.Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)> Paul: @PaulIsGreat2000Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Spooky Season continues as Brenna and Joe tackle Alvin Schwartz's collection of folklore urban legends, as well as André Øvredal's 2019 adaptation.We heap praise on the illustrations by Stephen Gammell and acknowledge Schwartz's campfire tales as gateway horror.The film doesn't work as well: the Vietnam backstory is undercooked, villain Tommy is dispatched too early and the monsters aren't persuasive to Brenna. Plus: Joe's fave sequence, the ableism/abuse in the Bellows storyline, and that bizarre sequel tease.Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Spooky Month continues, but we're moving away from scares into drippy monsters! Thankfully Michael Matthews's Love and Monsters features plenty of comedy and heart, courtesy of star Dylan O'Brien's voice over and a script from Matthew Robinson and Brian Duffield (the latter wrote previous episode Spontaenous).We're big fans of the best good boy, Dog, the way the film handles Joel's relationship with Aimee, and the Oscar-nominated realism of the CGI. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky) or @mittenstrings (Instagram)> Joe: @bstolemyremoteHave a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mailbag returns with an Alanna apology to Earl, a political dystopia discussion for Tea, Books & Chocolate and a thank you to Eric, who appreciates Brenna's musical taste.Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky/Instagram)> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)Have a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Spooky Season begins with a look at John Bellairs' 1973 franchise starter The House with a Clock in Its Walls, as well as Eli Roth's 2018 adaptation. Joining us for the ride is film critic Dede Crimmins, who brings a unique POV because she saw the film first.The book is *very* 70s and features surprisingly little character development, despite oozing atmosphere (that car chase!). The film is far more male-centric, but fleshes out its characters and set pieces while (obviously) giving stars Cate Blanchett Jack Black much more to do, including turn the latter into a baby with adult face! Creepy indeed!Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and BlueSky @HKHSPod or use the hashtag #HKHSPod:> Brenna: @brennacgray (BlueSky / Instagram)> Joe: @bstolemyremote (Twitter/Instagram) or @joelipsett (BlueSky)> Dede: @dedecrimHave a mail bag question? Email us at hkhspod@gmail.com  Theme music: Ben Fox "Think About the Lights" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.