Pop Culture Happy Hour

This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour: It's Halloween, and the Pop Culture Happy Hour gang is ready to embrace it, from spooky ghosts to amusement park menaces to costumes we love our mothers for making. Or, in the alternative, resent our mothers for making us wear.

This week on Culturetopia, NPR's round up of the week's best art stories: Willow Smith: The Trouble With Nine-Year-Old Pop Stars; In 'Sherlock,' A Classic Sleuth For The Modern Age; 'All Facts Considered' By NPR's Longtime Librarian Kee Malesky; Ozomatli: A Band With A Message; Celia Cruz: The Voice From Havana

On this week's Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes, Trey Graham, Stephen Thompson and Glen Weldon consider the surprisingly negative effects of having an audience right there laughing when you're trying to do comedy, as was the case with 30 Rock's recent live episode. Then a talk about a cheese allergy that just might give one man his life back on Freaky Eaters. Plus more Regrettable Television Pop Quiz and Things Making Us Happy including a musical tribute to Marshall Crenshaw.

This week on NPR's arts round up: Morning Edition film critic Kenneth Turan on 'Red;' Bob Mondello contemplates Clint Eastwood's latest film The 'Hereafter;' James Franco doesn't limit himself to just acting; Author Ted Fishman on his latest book 'Shock of Grey;' Elton John and Leon Russell reunite on 'The Union'

This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR's Monkey See's Linda Holmes and the gang revisit and reconsider their Pop Culture Blind Spots, from Tolkien to Modern Family to Friday Night Lights. Then Stephen Thompson explores reading The Hunger Games! All that plus The A-List, Batman and raising young nerds of the future.

Profiles of actor Edward Norton and Nobel literature laureate Mario Vargas Llosa; Hollywood remakes itself for China; movies about the recession; pioneering country singer Kitty Wells.

This week, on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR's Linda Holmes and the rest of the gang consider the future of Superman (and the past of Superman) on film and television. Then delve in to the world scary movies and horror movies and B-movies. Plus, Rubicon, the music of DC Comics and a chat about Tim Gunn's gloriousness.

Remembering Arthur Penn and Sally Menke; a McArthur "genius"; the music of Howlin' Wolf; the unsavory side of youth basketball.

In this episode, we dug deeply into our own steamer trunks of cultural nostalgia, and hoo boy, we had fun. What were the first albums Trey Graham owned, and why does it take him so long to work up the nerve to tell us? What book did the fantabulous Barrie Hardymon stumble across at a young age? What poster graced the ceiling of Linda Holmes' childhood bedroom? And did Stephen Thompson's first live concert suggest he would one day be a musical tastemaker? What are YOUR pop culture firsts? Come to npr.org/pchh to share your own.

This week on NPR's Culturetopia: Filmmaker Woody Allen on 'You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger;' NPR's Bob Mondello looks at the claustrophobic film 'Buried;' Gordon Gekko returns in 'Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps;' NPR's Michelle Norris on her new memoir and more

On this week's show, NPR's Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson, Trey Graham and Glen Weldon have a loosely structured discussion around fall television's premiere week. They talk about some of the shows they're eager to see back -- The Apprentice, Dexter, Venture Brothers, Parks and Recreation -- and some of the new shows making us curious -- Mike and Molly, Hawaii 5-0, My Generation and the Walking Dead. Plus a discussion on Lone Star and much more.

Actors Amy Ryan and Phillip Seymour Hoffman on 'Jack Goes Boating;' Steve Buscemi on HBO's new series 'Boardwalk Empire;' Catfish;' and farewells to Fat Beats and 'As The World Turns.'

On this week's Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR's Linda Holmes, Trey Graham Stephen Thompson, and Glen Weldon discuss all things Video Music Awards. Then, Lady Gaga's meat dress, small-press comics and their devotees, the wisdom of meeting those you admire, the charms of Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber, Friends and Seinfeld. All that plus a special gift from Stephen Thompson.

Jonathan Franzen's latest novel; a children's book from Edwidge Danicat; the music of filmmaker Fatih Akin; the Scissor Sisters' latest; Nat King Cole en Espa?ol.

On this week's Pop Culture Happy Hour: This week's agenda kicks off with a revisiting of Gymkata and ends with 'The Hobbit.' In between, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes and company touch on brutal television justice from Judge Judy, an extremely unconventional lollipop from The Great Food Truck Race, even more ruminations upon the greatness that is the Bachelor franchise and its associated Pad. Plus Jonathan Franzen's Freedom, Lady Gaga and more.