Melissa Kacar

To celebrate the release of the fifth and final season of Stranger Things , Netflix released a special limited edition ten song compilation vinyl sold exclusively at Target, titled The WSQK Collection . An integral part of season five is that so much of the story unfolds in and around the local radio station called WSQK in Hawkins, Indiana. It essentially becomes a headquarters for the characters as the events of the final season unravels. Music has always been an essential part of the show, Stranger Things has delivered some of the most iconic TV music moments of the past decade, so centering a major location of the show around a radio station feels especially fitting.  This season, Robin and Steve - portrayed by Maya Hawke and Joe Keery - work at the station, with Rockin' Robin hosting her own show. I love that duo, and I wish we got more scenes of them working inside the station the way we did in past seasons because they have such a fun dynamic together. In season five, ...

Greetings from the Upside Down! My first visit to Netflix House Philadelphia was such a fun experience! This is a new attraction at the King of Prussia Mall, located just outside of the city. It opened last year and I have been looking forward to getting a chance to finally visit, but was waiting for them to inevitably have a Stranger Things installation here - and alongside the tenth anniversary of the first season premiering, the time has finally come!  Netflix House is free to enter, but the different attractions are all individually ticketed and paid, timed experiences. Even just stopping in to see the lobby and gift shop is a great time, especially with all of the photo ops throughout the space. Netflix House is in what used to be one of the old department stores that closed a few years ago at the mall and they completely transformed it into a really unique spot. They really nailed all of the theming and design - the way they incorporate their biggest original shows and films...

Stranger Th ings: The First Shadow  follows the origin story of one of the series' main characters, Henry Creel, during his high school years. He is a major part of the fourth and fifth seasons of the show, and it's one of my favorite storylines in the entire series. I love everything about the Henry / Vecna / 001 developments in the fourth season especially, so to get a more in-depth look into who he is and why he became what he did in such an in-depth way is such a creative concept that they executed so well. It gives so much more clarity and depth to the timeline, filling in the gaps of what happened between the parts shown in the series.  The show opened on Broadway in 2025 following a successful ongoing run at London's West End, and I've been wanting to see it ever since it arrived in New York City . It's currently showing at the Marquis Theatre, which I last visited in 2016 to see Penn & Teller's Broadway show. The upper lobby of the hotel the theater ...

Fire From The Hip showcases Finn Wolfhard further coming into his own as an artist following the release of his debut solo album in 2025 . It presents a clear expansion of his sound and influences, with many of these songs feeling like time capsules of different moments in his life and the musical inspirations that guided him artistically through those times. The album was recorded live with an analog approach in the studio, which Finn and his collaborators set out to do in order to capture the energy of a stage performance to then be able to translate directly back into a real crowd. As the sole writer and producer of this album, Finn wanted to make a record that embodied the electric feeling of a live band, paired with the non‑digital and imperfect qualities that recording straight to tape brings to the work, reminiscent of the specific era of music he is trying to channel. In an interview with Coup de Main , Finn said, "I'll never forget recording this album. It was such ...