S1: On today's KPBS Midday Edition. The arts and culture shaping San Diego I'm Jade Hindman keeping you informed , inspired , and making you think. A paranormal researcher tells us about San Diego's most haunted sites. Then Halloween meets midterms. As our midday movie critics explore films that address fears and anxieties around politics. Plus , your weekend preview. That's ahead on Midday Edition. Halloween is right around the corner , and here in San Diego , there's no shortage of places that are said to be haunted. Of course , there's the famous Whaley House on an old town. Also , the hotel del Coronado and the USS midway is rumored to have ghosts too. But what about the stories of lesser known haunted sites in San Diego? Well , I'm joined now by someone who's made it her mission to investigate these claims. Her name is Nicole Strickland. She's a paranormal researcher and founder of the San Diego Paranormal Research Society. Nicole , welcome to Midday Edition. Thank you for having me.
S2: It's an honor.
S1: Oh , I'm so glad you're here and really looking to dig into this conversation. So first tell me , what is a paranormal researcher?
S2: So a paranormal researcher is someone that examines activity that can't be explained scientifically or by traditional means. So there's a lot of aspects to it. So we investigate private homes , historical locations , businesses , client interviews. We look at the history of the property. We do our investigations. We look at all kinds of different environmental monitoring , doing different types of experiments during our investigation to see if there are any anomalous phenomena occurring that we cannot explain. So there's a lot of components to it.
S1: What type of science do you use to?
S2: Yeah , the word science. Some paranormal researchers don't like that word science , because a lot of people feel what we do as a pseudoscience. But we I like to say traditional methodologies. So we'll do audio experiments. So for example , electronic voice phenomena sessions , uh , real time ITC instrumental trans communication sessions. We will set up various cameras , infrared full spectrum environmental monitoring looking at the temperature , the electromagnetic frequency of a site and so forth. And so it's a lot about putting the pieces of the puzzle together if you can. So looking at personal experiences , looking at what types of captures we may have , correlating those with the history of the site as well as eyewitness accounts. Mhm. Fascinating.
S1: Fascinating. And apparently there's lots of data and information to collect here in San Diego. So what what makes San Diego such an interesting place to explore the paranormal? Right.
S2: This is a question that I've often thought of as well. And I like to say , well , we look at geology two of the land. So I just think with the oceans to the west and the mountains to the east , there's a lot of geological influences , but just the history. There's so many layers of multifaceted history with the Native American period and the Spanish period , the Mexican Rancho period , even the fact that we're very big with military influence as well. So I just think the history is a huge prime foundation for that.
S1: When you. Say.
S2: Say.
S1: Period , you mean what the period of colonization?
S2: Well , different periods , like say , if you go back into San Diego's different periods , you have the Native American periods going down back thousands of years. Then you had the Spanish rule , and then after that you had the Rancho period. So there's all different layers of historical influence. And I think that that definitely provides a foundation.
S1: Um , I'm going to move on when we think about popular haunted sites in San Diego often. Well , I guess one that often comes up is the Star of India ship , but there's also the Berkeley steam ferry boat. So tell me , who is rumored to haunt that ship?
S2: Well , we don't necessarily know. It's right next to the Star of India , so maybe the phenomena of both of those vessels kind of intertwine , if you will. But the Berkeley Ferry boat obviously is part of the Maritime Museum of San Diego. It has one of the biggest maritime libraries in the world , famous for the 1906 San Francisco evacuee. Or the refugee evacuations , if you will. Uh , and so there's a lot of different phenomena there. We don't really know exactly who may be there , who may be necessarily haunting it , but there's sightings , apparitions , sightings. People have had disembodied vocalizations , cold spots.
S1: A disembodied vocal. What is that sensation? Yeah. Vocalization.
S2: Our disembodied voice.
S1: What is that?
S2: That is a voice that you may hear with your naked ear at the time. It may also be captured on a recording device. So you could be in an area. And assuming you rule out that it's not an investigator or anyone else , it's just this anomalous voice. That's something that you hear at the time.
S1: That just came out of nowhere. Yes.
S2: Yes. So to speak. Yes. Okay.
S1: Okay. Yeah. Mhm. All right. Another site I want to ask about is the Rancho Buena Vista , Adobe Vista. You've hosted spirits of the Adobe Tours there for many years. What stands out about that location?
S2: It's a beauty. It's one of the last remaining land ranchos , and it had several owners throughout the years. The city of Vista purchased it in 1989. It was deeded to a Native American by the name of Felipe Tsuburaya in 1845. So we obviously , as you said , we've done our tours , we've done private investigations there. A lot of audio captures that. We can explain sightings to shadow figure sightings , which are just they look human like in human form , but they're kind of shaded in a dark gray or black shade. So you don't really have physical characteristics like skin or clothing. Uh , again , just like I said , a lot of disembodied voices , we've captured a lot of what's called instrumental trans communication , which is real time communication for those that are familiar with that or not , it's there's devices called like the spirit box or ghost box that scan an Am and FM band of radio very high. So you hear that static sound. So it's theorized that spiritual voices can emulsify and make their voices heard through the electronic frequency.
S1: And so science can explain some of this.
S2: I think it can. I do a lot of investigators will think , like I said before , it's a pseudoscience , but I think we're going more in the direction of it becoming more of a legitimate type of science. But a lot of investigators and psychic mediums will use the metaphysical or the esoteric modes as well. So combining psychic mediumship , channeling , intuitive impressions and so forth. Interesting.
S1: Interesting. Yeah. I mean , some physics or quantum physics or , I don't know , some all of right.
S2: Quantum physics I explain this stuff. It I think it can. I really do like parallel universes by location. All of those. I , I , I read a lot on that. It's so fascinating. Right. Yeah.
S1: All right. I'm fascinated. Okay. So , um , you've also held some investigations at Escondido Library. How would you describe that space?
S2: Oh , my gosh , the Escondido library. We probably did about 4 or 5 investigations. And we've also done presentations there as well. Libraries , you know , places that see a lot of people that have experienced a lot of different human emotions are known to be a good foundation for paranormal activities. So the library contact contacted us several years ago with claims they've seen people walking through the aisles. Books have fallen off the shelves again , disembodied voices. So they contacted us and we were able to go in there a few times. And yes , we did have some very odd experiences in there. Again , seeing like one time I was down in the teen area and I saw a lady in like period clothing walking through the aisles , and then she just made deep faded before my eyes. Wow.
S1: Wow.
S2: So , yeah. Interesting.
S1: Interesting. Well , I mean , do you think there are certain locations more prone to paranormal activity than others?
S2: I think yes , there can be. And again , going back to the history aspect , history and the paranormal are best friends. They share a really good kinship. You can't really have one without the other. But looking at the geology of the place. But again , going back to that human emotion , places that have seen high amounts of joy and euphoria to places that have seen tragedy and death , those can be definitely prime locations.
S1: Interesting , interesting. Well , you know , I it kind of makes me think back to in my reporting days in , uh , different markets. Yeah , I've had to do live shots , like right in graveyards.
S2: Oh , yes.
S1: And each time I had to do a live shot in a graveyard , the microphones went out.
S2: Oh , interesting.
S1: The audio just cut out there. There was an interference of some sort , and the live shot never happened.
S2: That's I I'm not surprised.
S1: Isn't that interesting?
S2: That's very fascinating. Hmm.
S1: Hmm. But , you know , here I am. So , anyway , why do you think so many people gravitate towards the paranormal? What does it provide them?
S2: Well , going back thousands of years , all kinds of different cultures , they may view , uh , have different viewpoints on what to do with the body or what happens to the soul after death. But there's been this universal belief that life goes on. So we've had that for thousands of years nowadays , I would say in the last 20 years , with the advent of a lot of the TV shows , the interest just started to grow. I've thought about this myself , I think. I don't know if there's some divine cosmic influence going on , but I think people are more comfortable in sharing their stories. You know , it's not as taboo. So and it's just more infiltrated in our in our environment now. So just naturally people have an interest in it.
S1: Do you think that , you know , in , in a way , discussing the afterlife in spirit realm can just be a way to cope with grief and loss? I mean , these are real things. Absolutely.
S2: Absolutely. That's an excellent point. I have come to terms with death more. Doing my research. I've been doing this for two decades now , although I've been interested in it my entire life. And it does. It really does let you know that your departed loved ones , they may not be there physically , but their spirit , their essence , their soul , that connection , that love and bond that you have that's there. That will always be there.
S1: All right. I've been speaking with Nicole Strickland. She's a paranormal researcher and founder of the San Diego Paranormal Research Society. Nicole , thank you and happy Halloween.
S2: Thank you for having me. Happy Halloween. Thanks.
S1: Thanks. Up next , hear from our midday movie critics on those films that remind us of political nightmares when we return. Welcome back to KPBS midday Edition , I'm Jade Hindman. Halloween is Saturday and our midday movies. Critics decided to recommend some scary movies , but not the kind you might expect , since we have a contentious midterm election coming up as well , we are going to discuss films that tackle election fears in real world horrors. Once again , I'd like to welcome KPBS Cinema Junkie , Beth Accomando and movie Wallace podcaster Yazdi. Welcome to you both.
S3: Thank you. Thank you. This season , in more ways than one.
S1: Oh , yeah. Anxiety. Anxiety? Yeah. Well , Yazdi , you have an Indian film that deals with overseeing an election. So tell us about Newton. Yes.
S4: Yes. So Newton is a 2017 Indian film that is very close to my heart. It's it's a very atypical Indian film in that it tells the story of this idealistic young man from India who is asking too many questions at his government job , and he becomes unbearable. And so he gets shipped off to work as an election officer in possibly the most remote part of the country , deep in the jungles of central India. And once he's there , he tries to he tries his best to run an informed and educated election for the rural and tribal communities in that part , and to create a safe polling center where people can come and exercise their rights. But he's faced with apathy from the police there with lack of security. And he also realizes that there are real threats from rebels in the area who are bent on preventing fair elections. And so what we see during the course of this film is this loss of innocence in a man who was originally so intent on doing things the right way , based on his own principles. And in many ways , the lead character in this film is a stand in for the country itself , a country which is struggling with ideals that have been lost to the hands of neglect , apathy and corruption. So it really hit very hard to me the first time I watched it. And right now we are listening to some of the music from the film , specifically a song called The Bird Has Flown.
S5: A Wonderful Daughter. Tears. Me I Charlotte. He. Put it in. Who? The men.
S1: Are very nice. And , Beth , you have a documentary that tackles voting rights in the US head on. This is the 2020 film all in the fight for democracy. Yes.
S3: Yes. You know , a lot of times I think Americans look at films that have voting issues and they always think it's in a foreign country. Like , you know , we Yazdi was just talking about this Indian film or , you know , have films from Iran. And now we are starting to look , I think , more closely at our own country and the issues that are going on there. So this documentary takes a look at the history of voter suppression , the barriers to voting that most people don't even know might be a threat to their basic rights as citizens of the United States. And it also looks to activism. It's co-directed by Liz Garbus and Lisa Cortez , and the film features very prominently Stacey Abrams. She's a black Georgia state representative , where she was at this time , and she was entering into a gubernatorial race and faced a lot of challenges. The film is powerful , and if you love the Constitution and you value the right to vote , it will also enrage you. Here's a brief montage that raises a few of the issues that should be of concern.
S6: If you believe in one person , one vote. If you believe in representative government , then you will fight for this democracy.
S7: Our power is in our vote. Our power is in our voice. And if we willingly choose to remain silent , we give up that power.
S8: Plan out what you are going to do to make sure your ballot is cast and counted , and then ask your friends and family whether they have a plan.
S9: Even if you've done everything right. Do not assume you're registered.
S6: Check to make sure that you haven't been purged , or that your polling place has moved. Vote as early as possible. Take your friends with you to the polls. Talk to your neighbors about voting. Call your parents and ask them if they voted. Call your grandparents.
S10: And make sure that people know what precinct they're in , where their polling location is.
S6: And then you turn up at the polls and you don't leave until you cast your ballot. They told voters.
S11: To anticipate long lines. Is 2.5 hours , three hours , four hours. Is that reasonable , though , in your mind?
S7: David , it's worth the wait. It's worth the wait. Folks die of what is right. You know , I would never take advantage of it , you know? So I'm here for the long haul.
S12: It's a life and death matter. It really is.
S7: It's not going to be the courts.
S13: That save us. It's not going to be the justices in their robes. It's got to be the people.
S1: Well , and let that be a reminder to everyone to make sure you vote on Tuesday. One film that raises political fears in a fictional realm is the 2004 remake of The Manchurian Candidate with Denzel Washington. This is a political thriller about brainwashed soldiers. In the original book and film , the Chinese army did the brainwashing , but this time Manchurian refers to a sinister multinational corporation. Here's a scene in which a government agent starts to believe the conspiracy theory from Denzel Washington's character.
S14: We found an implant device , and now , Melvin.
S15: You found one of Melvin.
S14: Just like you said. I'm part of a shadow unit. We've been watching you. Trying to sort this thing out.
S15: This isn't an election. This is a coup. This is in our own country. A regime change in our own country.
S14: Then don't.
S15: Ben , this is rich people. Manchurian global funding. Bad science to put a sleeper in the white House , and that's what's going on , Rosie. That's what's going on.
S14: I want to believe you.
S15: Well , then believe me. Help me. Help me. Shoot me. Then help me or shoot me. Make a decision. Make a decision. Listen.
S1: Listen. We're talking. Tech bros. We're talking nanotechnology. Uh , you know , multinational corporations own a democracy. This movie touches on so many anxieties and fears and conspiracy theories of our modern , present time.
S3: Temporary right. Now.
S1: Now. Exactly. Oh , okay. Well , Yazdi , you have something a little lighter for us , but it still deals with contentious politics. And this is , uh , Citizen Ruth. What is it about?
S4: So Citizen Ruth was released in 1997 , and we know Alexander Payne from , you know , very popular films such as sideways , election , The Descendants , as well as The Holdovers. But Alexander Payne's first film was Citizen Ruth , which he wrote and directed. And that film , after almost 30 years since it came out. This little black comedy still works , and it continues to sting. The film , by the way , can be watched for free on YouTube , and I encourage everybody to do so. Laura Dern plays the title character , who is almost comically irresponsible in this film. She's pregnant with her fifth child and has lost custody of her first four kids already , and she unwittingly gets dragged into the public limelight when a couple bails her out of jail in an effort to convince her to keep her baby. And then on the other side , there is another couple who wants to pull her in and kind of have her go in with her initial plans to have an abortion. And so even as she's struggling between the two ends of the spectrum , she becomes a nationwide lightning rod on the issue of abortion. Here is a scene from the film where Ruth is being encouraged to reconsider her plans to have the baby.
S16: You have to realize that they want to use you to attack Judge Richter for saying he'd let you out for an abortion. He's been ruling against the baby savers for years.
S17: And now , with all the publicity you're getting , they want to use you to send a message. You see , if they can keep you from getting the abortion you want , it'll be a big symbolic victory for them.
S16: But thanks to Diane's work , you're safe from them now. It is always women like you who are most victimized by anti-choice , indigent women. Third world women. Women of color. I'm not a color woman.
S4: So the film tackles abortion , which has always been a hot button issue around elections. But honestly , I think it could have been about any other theme that deeply divides the nation. The film , made long before the advent of social media is kind of very prescient in describing our current world , where a single event or a single person can be taken and spun rapidly out of control and kind of held trial on a public social media court of opinions , and where political interest groups play a ruthless game of misinformation to gain voter support in their favor. Um , just to round things off. Here is another clip from the film , which is a counter to the first one. And you're a pro-life couple is trying to influence route officer.
S18: The point is , that woman belongs with us. Yeah , we're responsible for her. We paid her bail.
S16: Yeah , and I bought her those shoes.
S19: Well , it looks to me like you're just responsible for her bail. Okay , folks , let's all just go home. There's nothing going on here. Ruth.
S20: Ruth. Ruth , please , honey , please come back home , okay? I forgive you for this afternoon and for everything that you said to me on the phone. Please. Your pet is waiting for you and Matthew misses you.
S18: We share a special bond. We're like a family , remember? Don't let these these lunatics sway you. For the love of God , don't believe their lies. Look at Diane. Look how she lied to us. Had us completely fooled. She's lying to you , too.
S20: She's lying.
S19: So what's it gonna be , Ruth? Uh.
S20: Uh.
S4: So , as you can see , uh , this is the age old story of either ends of the political spectrum trying to sway public opinion towards their benefit in terms of elections.
S1: And it really raises the question of who gets used to do that. Yeah. In the end , um , Beth , you your last pick was a documentary with Stacey Abrams. You're staying with documentaries on this , and this next documentary explores the real world horror of chattel enslavement and its modern form. Why did you choose this film?
S3: Well , you know , if you want to , if you want to deal with real world horrors. Let's stick with documentaries. They're showing us what's going on , and some of them are really scary. Ava DuVernay's documentaries titled the 13th , which was adopted in 1865 and made slavery and involuntary servitude illegal except as punishment for a crime. So in the documentary , she explores the prison industrial complex and the intersection of what she calls race , justice , and mass incarceration in the United States. So the film argues that the exemption that was in the amendment has been used to continue the practice of involuntary servitude in the form of penal labor. And here's a clip that tries to connect the dots for people to see how this has persisted over the decades.
S21: Throughout American history. African Americans have repeatedly been controlled through systems of racial and social control that appear to die , but then are reborn in a new form tailored to the needs and constraints of the time. You know , after the collapse of slavery , a new system was born convict leasing , which was a new form of slavery. And once convict leasing faded away , a new system was born. A Jim Crow system that relegated African-Americans to a permanent second class status. And here we are , decades after the collapse of the old Jim Crow , and a new system has been born again in America , a system of mass incarceration that once again strips millions of poor people , overwhelmingly poor people of color , of the very rights supposedly won in the civil rights movement.
S1: And she's not making an argument there. She's laying out the case and connecting the dots.
S3: And , you know , this documentary is from 2020 , and it's even more relevant today. You know it. It hits even harder , which is sad. And , you know , while we're talking , while this documentary brings up the issue of slavery , I wanted to mention this other documentary that's just come out called Black Zombie. It's about movies and history , but the part of it that I found really fascinating was the Haitian history of colonization , slavery , rebellion , and the political punishment for a successful revolt. So one of the things I did not know was the what's called the Haitian independence debt , which stemmed from an 1825 agreement between Haiti and France in which France demanded that Haiti pay for the loss of property , which the French considered the Haitian slaves part of that property. And so , in return for this payment , which was which , because of loans and other things that delayed the payment was officially not paid off until 1947 , but in exchange for this , Haiti would receive diplomatic recognition. So I have to confess that while I knew about the Haitian Revolution , I knew it was successful. I had no idea about this notion of Haitian independence debt , which , yeah , again , like what they're pointing out in 13th is this sense of connecting the dots , showing how systemic all this is , and making you realize how much more we need to know. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. Oh , absolutely.
S3: So DuVernay's documentary 13th also addresses how the civil rights movement in the 60s learned how to use the media to effect change. And here's a brief montage from the film that talks about that.
S22: The murder of Emmett Till was really thought of as being one of the primary catalysts for the civil rights movement. The willingness of his mother to have an open casket funeral. Hundreds and hundreds of black folks filed past and see this young boy who had been killed by a white supremacist in the South. To publish those photographs in black publications. So the entire black world , like our Facebook or our Twitter now , right. So that the whole black world could see what had happened.
S23: In the 1950s , Doctor King and the civil rights movement used television in this way. Look , this is what segregation looks like. These are dogs attacking children. These are people being fire hosed , searching for the medium of technology that will confirm your experience such that your basic humanity can be recognized.
S24: The difference now is somebody can hold up one of these , get what's going on , they can put it on YouTube , and the whole world has to deal with it. That's what's new. It's not the protest. It's not the brutality. It's the fact that we can force a conversation about it.
S3: So it's interesting how he talks about forcing a conversation , because although cell phones allow anyone to document anything and to share it the way social media and the internet work , people tend to only seek out or see information that reinforces their own beliefs. But back in the 1960s , which is the time I was growing up , we were all seeing the same footage on the three network news shows , and everybody was seeing civil rights protesters being harassed , beaten , attacked by dogs. And it was harder for people to deny what was happening. But now , if they see something they don't like or that doesn't fit with their belief system , they can call it fake news. They can say it's AI and they can just turn somewhere else to find something that fits their point of view. So as much as I would like to put faith and confidence in the ability of cell phones and individuals to document things that are wrong and to share it. I don't know if I feel as confident that those things will actually make a change. I mean , just look at , you know , what happened with Renee Goode and how people read footage that we were seeing. And one side said , obviously , this is what happened , and the other side is obviously this is what happened , even with the visual proof in front of you.
S1: What you said is so important about forcing a conversation. And it's something that that the three , you know , media networks , that's what they were there for. That's what journalists do and what putting a camera in a microphone and and the visuals to something. That's what it does. And it's something that social media cannot replicate and can't do , especially with the algorithms that we have with the with the mistrust and also that and what we are seeing on social media. Yeah. Is it AI? Is it real? I mean , you know , you just don't know. So it's definitely something that , um , it's it's needed. And that is why journalism is so important. Yes. Amen.
S4: Amen.
S1: Ava DuVernay has another film , the 14.
S4: Which is coming out next. Yeah.
S1: Let's see.
S3: So that's on your constitutional amendments and maybe give us an education.
S4: Yeah , but the 13th is an absolute watch. Anybody who cares about the elections , they need to watch 13th. Indeed.
S1: Indeed. Well , there are quite a few documentaries out there that address real world horrors. The 13th , certainly one of them and many others. And I'll end with a film that that ponders the anxieties of so many people. And what could happen if the divisions in our country lead to another civil war? Well , in 2024 , filmmaker Alex Garland imagined that scenario in Civil War. Here's the trailer.
S25: Citizens of America , the so-called Western forces of Texas and California have suffered a very great defeat at the hands of the United States military.
S7: Mr. president , do you regret the use of airstrikes against American citizens?
S26: We're moving to D.C. today.
S10: You need to go down there.
S27: They had journalists on site in the capital. Every instinctively says this is death.
S10: Every time I survived the war song , I thought I was sending a warning home. Don't do this. But here we are.
S26: There's some kind of misunderstanding here. What are you , American? Okay. Okay.
S27: Okay.
S26: What kind of American are you?
S1: You know , there's a lot that that film left on the table in terms of detail about ideologies and what led to this situation. The Civil War , but sort of as a journalist. I mean , one of the things that stuck out to me was the the journalist who were working so hard to bear witness to everything that was happening. But it really does raise the question of what what good is it to bear witness? Once society has decided violence is the way to settle political differences?
S3: Well , and it's interesting too , for the journalists , because you have three journalists who all kind of take a slightly different stance. You know , the veteran one , played by Kirsten Dunst , is someone who has been very much this outsider looking in , as she said in that clip , you know , that I wanted to document this stuff so that other people can kind of respond to it. And then the younger photojournalist is someone who starts taking photos , but including the journalist in the photos , having a very different kind of perspective. So , you know , we're at a time now where journalism has come under scrutiny. There are places that we trust and there are other places that we don't. And , you know , I think the film was really more about the journalists than about the Civil War. So , you know , and one of the things about the film is it doesn't specify politics. So you have the very unlikely alliance of California and Texas in this film. Um , in part because I think they didn't want to politicize it in the way that people watching it would go like , oh , go Texas , I'm for Texas or no , I'm for California. So , you know , it's an interesting film that tried to maintain that kind of journalistic objectivity in not giving too much information , I think. Like , I really commend his sort of concept , but I just was not satisfied with the execution on that. Yeah.
S4: Yeah. And to answer your question earlier , I think , you know , America has watched other countries suffer during wars and so forth , and we have made sure that we bear witness by sending our journalists there. And here is a situation where America is going through a civil war. And so I see the more idealistic younger journalists , played by Kaylie Spaeny as feeling it's her responsibility now to tell people , not just within the country where it might , you know , people have already resorted to violence. There may be no hope , but to people outside of the country. So it's I almost see it as a reversal of , you know , sharing information. And I do have a lot of issues with the film , but I think in terms of visually imagining what a broken United States might look like in the face of civil war in present times. I think it's that's very well rendered. Scarily so. Hmm.
S1: Hmm. Are there any other films that are on your radar this season? Anything you. Anything to help you cope with the election related stress?
S3: Well , to to help me cope with with political stress. Recently I have watched Death of Stalin multiple times. Okay.
S20: Okay.
S3: It's great. Yeah. And it's a brilliant satire which just spins this crazy tale and it gets to stuff that's absolutely absurd and hilarious and also bone chilling. So there's one scene where one of the the Russians is deciding how to deal with his political opponents and he , you know , tells the the military guys like , okay , you need to take this priest and shoot him and put him on his altar. You need to do this to this person. And the third person. I do whatever you want , but the absolute pettiness of that is absurd and hilarious , but also absolutely chilling because , you know , people are like that. And so to me , the ability to laugh at some of the stuff that's causing me stress , um , is helpful. I've watched it like 3 or 4 times in the past couple of years because it just it helps me in some way. I'm not sure how , but it helps me.
S4: Yazdi I've liked kind of more lighter fare in terms of political films , something like The Ides of March , which , uh , George Clooney made and directed a few years ago. It has Ryan Gosling in it as well. Um , I also like Wag Wag the Dog with Robert De Niro , and I can I can kind of watch both of those movies and chuckle and smile and not be kind of dragged down by far , far more , uh , scary times right now. And if I can just get on my soapbox for a minute.
S1: Go ahead.
S4: We have discussed so many films And so much is at stake with every major election. But nothing is scarier to me than sobering data telling us that in the previous 2022 midterm elections , only 46% of citizens voted. In fact , since the start of the millennium , we haven't had a greater than 50% voter turnout for midterm elections. So that , to me is true horror. And I cannot with the state of things right now , I cannot understand why more people don't go out and vote. So please everybody vote.
S1: That is the best advice and the best note to leave the show on. I've been speaking with KPBS , Cinema Junkie , Beth Accomando and movie Wallaces podcaster Yazdi Beth Yazdi. Thank you , as always.
S4: Thank you. Thank you.
S28: Stick around. Your weekend preview is coming up next.
S1: Welcome back. You're listening to KPBS Midday Edition. I'm Jade Hindman for our weekend arts preview. We have free classical music , Dia de Muertos and some monsters. Joining me with all the details is KPBS arts reporter and host of the finest podcast , Julia Dixon Evans. Julia , welcome.
S29: Hey , Jade. Thanks for having me.
S1: Glad to have you here. So let's start with Books and monsters. There's a new anthology of stories about mythical beasts. Tell us about. That.
S29: That. Yeah. So this is called The Big Bad Book of Kaiju , and it's a new sci fi anthology from Titan Books , and it's edited by two authors from San Diego , Jonathan Maybury and Henry Hertz. And okay , so kaiju in Japanese means a strange creature or a beast and kaiju pop up in stories like mythology , popular culture all the time. Um , Godzilla is a great example , and there's a ton of international writers who have short stories in this collection. But one of my favorite local horror writers , Luc Dumas , has a story in it , too , and he will be there at this event on Saturday with Jonathan Maybury and Henry Hertz. Um , Luke's story is about a giant whale like creature , and it's inspired by reality. It's inspired by blue whales and how noise pollution and climate change have been threatening their whale song. So I haven't read it yet , but that sounds like a really fascinating story. And this event is at Artifact Books. It's in Encinitas. It's a rare new and used bookstore. It's going to be Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. and it's free. It just sounds like a really nice and bookish way to celebrate Halloween afternoon.
S1: All right. Sounds good. And rain is on the way , too , I think. So what a way.
S29: To curl up with some monsters and a good. Book.
S10: Book. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. There you. Go.
S2: Go.
S1: All right , well , the La Jolla Playhouse recently opened the world premiere production of a new musical about the Grim Reaper. Tell us more about that.
S29: Yeah , so it's called Grimm. It's a new musical. And the story is basically that the Grim Reaper , who's theoretically had the same job for 300,000 years , finally decides to retire , and his teenage daughter Diana is going to take over. But things get complicated when she falls for a human nerd called Josh. I just love those details and , you know , starts to really fall in love with the idea of human life on Earth. That could get pretty complicated for the angel of death. And I heard a sneak peek of one of the songs. It's called Something to Kill For and it is so good. Um , it's funny and it's infectious , and you can find it on the La Jolla Playhouse YouTube. And yeah , so this musical is brand new. It has a lot of buzz and it's selling out , but you can like find last minute , same day tickets and you can sign up to get emailed from the theater. Or if you follow La Jolla Playhouse on Instagram , they will post ticket releases in their story. So yeah , it's on stage right now at the La Jolla Playhouse through December 6th.
S1: And the San Diego Symphony has a free community concert on Friday. What can you tell us about that? Yeah.
S29: Yeah. So this is part of a new collaboration between the San Diego Symphony and the Montreal Symphony. And they are also directed by the San Diego Symphony's director , Rafael Perry. So it may be a new collaboration , but it's kind of a natural pairing. And they're coming together formally for a series of concerts. One of them is free. This Friday night at the Rady Shell , and they're going to perform pieces together. It's like a supergroup , as well as a couple pieces that will spotlight each of the orchestras. And there's work by Bartok , Ravel , Prokofiev , and then one of my personal favorite pieces of classical music , it's recipes Pines of Rome. It's such like this sparkling little song. And I first heard this when I was a teenager and a symphony. So it brings me back. So this event is Friday night at 7:30 p.m. and you just show up at the shell. There's very limited reserved seating. Um , there. Very limited seating. Like , you can't reserve it. So show up early if you want one of those. Otherwise , bring your own blanket. Bring your own , like low back lawn chair. Mhm.
S1: Mhm. That's how you do it. All right. In visual art we have a couple of unique exhibits. First , there is a photography exhibit inside a fridge. Yeah.
S29: Yeah. So this is an art exhibit presented by the Aja project. And it's at the Fridge Gallery inside Dodo Coffee in City Heights. It's this whole new , like , creative complex houses a bunch of resources , cultural spaces. And this project is called Without Women There Is No Home. It was conceived by May Muna Ali , who is the project's 2026 Interregional Regeneration Fellow. It's a celebration of the Somali community centered on the tradition of Burhan Boro. It's like a dance and poetry performance and traditionally composed and performed by women , and this is often done at weddings and these big celebrations. They held a series of workshops in City Heights over the summer , bringing together women of all ages in the Somali community to learn this tradition. And they were photographed. So these photos are just gorgeous. They're like huge blown out prints and sort of abstract , but show a lot of movement. Like they're blurred , brightly colored fabrics swirling across someone's face , just like really incredible pieces. And they'll be holding a reception on Saturday from 1 to 3 in City Heights , and it's free.
S1: Sounds amazing. You can find details on that and many more events on our website at KPBS. I've been speaking with KPBS arts reporter and host of the finest podcast , Julia Dixon Evans. Julia. Thank you. Hey.
S29: Hey. Thank you. Jade.
S28: That's our show for today. I'm your host , Jade Hindman. Thanks for tuning in to Midday Edition. Be sure to have a great day on purpose , everyone.
