Hazel & Katniss & Harry & Starr

With Halloween fast approaching, Joe forces Brenna to indulge in a creepy (not scary) pick for the pod: noted speculative science-fiction author Ray Bradbury's 1962 novel Something Wicked This Way Comes and Jack Clayton's 1983 Disney adaptation. How does Brenna fare with this tale of a dark carnival that arrives in the middle of the night to feed on the souls of small town Americans?Just fine, it turns out! The pair discuss Bradbury's lyrical prose, his disinterest in writing women and the text's fairly simplistic moral message. The film, alas, doesn't fare quite as well: the child actors and the penchant for FX sequences, as well as a safe ending, all get a dressing down, though Joe lauds Jonathan Pryce's villainous turn as Mr. Dark. The true mystery in both texts, however, is whether Charles Halloway is a janitor or a librarian?!In homework: Joe provides an update on The CW's modern take Nancy Drew, while Brenna champions There's Something About Sweetie by Sandhya Menon.Wanna connect with the show? Use #HKH