Filtra per genere
- 470 - Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005)
We have a lot of questions about the romance, and a lot more about the world of Doug Liman's 2005 action comedy sensation.
Join in as we discuss the Brad Pitt / Angelina Jolie affair, the movie's gender politics, and private assassination companies.
Plus: How did the Smiths build separate weapons vaults without noticing one another's? Why is the first half of this movie so dull? Is Keith David just running Charlie's Angels? And, once again, how do private assassin companies even work?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Lee Cronin's The Mummy (2026)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
"What Was Brangelina?" (Vulture)"Brad Pitt is Fooling You" (Vulture)"Killer Sex - Hot Tales of Brad and Angelina from the Set of Mr. & Mrs. Smith" (New York Post)"Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and the Tabloid Drama behind Mr. & Mrs. Smith" (Entertainment Weekly)"Doug Liman Hopes his Wild Loop Means a Hit with Edge of Tomorrow" (Los Angeles Times)"Regency Saves its Marriage" (Variety)"A Monday with Brad Pitt" (Esquire)"Two More of Brad Pitt's Kids want to Ditch his Surname" (CNN)Sun, 20 Sep 2026 - 1h 50min - 469 - Cabaret (1972)
Wilkommen to a new episode of We Love the Love as we examine the tangled romance of Bob Fosse's classic 1972 adaptation of Cabaret, starring Liza Minelli and Michael York!
Join in as we discuss the changes the film made from the stage musical, the 1972 Oscars, and Mr. Landauer's sofa.
Plus: Why was the show called Cabaretinstead of Welcome to Berlin? Why hasn't this movie gotten a better restoration? And is Brian (York) actually doing any work on his PhD? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
Inside Oscar: The Unofficial History of the Academy Awards by Mason Wiley and Damien Bona (1988)Cabaretin the AFI CatalogPauline Kael's review in the New Yorker"The Untold History of Cabaret: Revived and Kicking" (Vanity Fair)"Cabaret: Bob Fosse Classic Gets Restoration for 40th Anniversary" (Huffington Post)Fri, 11 Sep 2026 - 1h 29min - 468 - Far from the Madding Crowd (2015)
We welcome #FiFiFierce back to the show - and back in time to the 1870s - to discuss one of her favorite movies, Thomas Vinterberg's 2015 adaptation of Far from the Madding Crowd.
Join in as we discuss stars Carey Mulligan and Matthias Schoenaerts, love geometry, engagement pianos, and cinematic sheep.
Plus: What exactly is a Danish handshake? Did Troy desert the army? How many churches are in this small town? And, very simply, why do we keep having to go to a summary of the novel to understand what's going on?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Cabaret(1972)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
David Edelstein's review in VultureMatthias Schoneaerts profile in Entertainment Weekly"Thomas Vinterberg Narrates a Scene" (New York Times)"Thomas Vinterberg: 'It's always been me-me-me-me - until now'" (The Guardian)FCINO - Carly Fiorina "Demon Sheep" ad (YouTube)"Carly Fiorina Sings at Ted Cruz Rally" (CBS on YouTube)"Meryl Streep and Costars Attract Backlash over Suffragette T-shirt Slogan" (The Guardian)Sun, 06 Sep 2026 - 1h 29min - 467 - Waitress (2007)
We're talking adultery, pregnancy, and pie as we look at the romance of Adrienne Shelly's 2007 indie romcom, Waitress!
Join in as we discuss the cast of TV stars, the hit musical based on the movie, and Shelly's tragic death just before the movie premiered.
Plus: Can Jenna (Keri Russell) make anything besides pie? How many patients has Dr. Pomatter (Nathan Fillion) kissed? And, most importantly, how much money can you win for a pie?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Far from the Madding Crowd (2015)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
"The Unbelievable Truth" (The Guardian)"Sundance Dream Most Notable for an Absence" (New York Times)"Waitress Filmmaker's Sad Goodbye" (Newsweek)"Murder Suspect Admitted to Hanging Actress, Police Say" (New York Times)Mon, 24 Aug 2026 - 1h 24min - 466 - No Reservations (2007)
We're cooking up some love and also a lot of depressing kid stuff as we look at the relationship between Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart in the 2007 kitchen rom-dram(?) No Reservations!
Join in as we discuss our favorite movie restaurants, the Philip Glass score, the 2007 Young Artists Awards, and some very important pasta.
Plus: Why is this movie so dour? What time does school start in New York City? And is Nick (Eckhart) this movie's M3GAN?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Waitress(2007)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
"Scott Hicks Shines on with Highly Strung" (Film Ink)Variety review of Scott Hicks's Philip Glass documentary"Abigail Breslin Refused to Work with Aaron Eckhart Alone on Thriller" (Variety)DiggerTom Cruise Retrospective Trailer (YouTube)Mon, 17 Aug 2026 - 1h 12min - 465 - The Italian Job (2003)
We're navigating with both tools and touch as we attempt to make sense of the paltry romance between Mark Wahlberg and Charlize Theron in F. Gary Gray's 2003 remake of The Italian Job!
Join in as we discuss the film's ensemble cast, Mini Cooper marketing, and the tie-in roller coaster.
Plus: Why was Edward Norton forced to be in the movie? Why does Stella (Theron) practice safecracking in her underwear? And is Becky the cable girl the true victim of the movie?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: No Reservations (2007)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
"Keepin' it Wheel" (Entertainment Weekly)"Seth Green Answers Every Question We Have about The Italian Job" (Vulture)"Ed Norton to Paramount's Sherry Lansing: Burn This!" (The Observer)"BMW's Mini Just Keeps Getting Mightier" (Business Week)"Bond Causes Stir with Taste for Beer in Skyfall" (The Guardian)Tue, 11 Aug 2026 - 1h 22min - 464 - Rear Window (1954)
We're stuck inside in the heat of summer picking apart the romance of Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 thriller Rear Window, starring Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly!
Join in as we discuss watching movies while sick, the movie's incredible set, 1950s insurance care, and our favorite Grace Kelly outfits.
Plus: Would Lisa (Kelly) be into true crime? Why was this movie so hard to see for thirty years? And why won't Jeff (Stewart) just marry Grace Kelly?!?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: The Italian Job (2003)
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"When Hitchcock Banned Audiences from Seeing His Movies" (Mental Floss)"Hitchcock Film Treasures Resurrected from Family Vault" (Reading Eagle)Trailer for Jimmy (2026) starring K.J. Apa (YouTube)"Jeff Bezos Banned A-Lister from Met Gala 2026" (Yahoo)"Sorkinisms: A Supercut" by Kevin T. Porter (YouTube)Mon, 03 Aug 2026 - 1h 41min - 463 - North by Northwest
We're racing away from murder accusations and towards age-gap romance as we look at Alfred Hitchcock's 1959 classic North by Northwest!
Join in as we discuss the relationship between stars Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint, the iconic cropduster scene, the movie's frank sexuality, and its connection to a World War II British plot.
Plus: Who would be the funniest president to be on Mount Rushmore? What happened to Roger Thornhill's (Grant's) previous two marriages? Does this movie make any sense whatsoever? And, most importantly, is Roger still wanted for murder when the movie ends?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Rear Window (1954)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
Which Lie Did I Tell? More Adventures in the Screen Trade by William Goldman (2000)"The Making of Mount Rushmore" (Smithsonian Magazine)"Cary Grant and Randolph Scott's Hollywood Story" (Vanity Fair)Mon, 27 Jul 2026 - 1h 10min - 462 - Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar
We're returning to our favorite movie of 2021 for a look at the romance of the pandemic's instant comedy cult classic Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar!
Join our talking club as we discuss fishbowl drinks, official couples, the 2020 Best Original Song category, and the film's deliberately oblique trailer.
Plus: Is this a musical? Are Barb and Star good at their jobs? Can Edgar join the talking club? And, most importantly, why haven't more podcasts taken a stand against murder?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: North by Northwest (1959)
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"Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumulo Talk Barb and StarSongs and the Controversy with the 2015 Joy Script" (Variety)"Annie Mumulo Tells the Stories behind Seven of Barb and Star's Biggest Gags" (Vulture)"Jamie Dornan Tore Several Shirts for his Big Barb and StarScene" (Vulture)Mon, 20 Jul 2026 - 1h 34min - 461 - Anyone but You
In anticipation of director Will Gluck's new film One Night Only, we're taking a look at his most recent release, 2023's surprise rom com hit Anyone but You!
Join in as we discuss the current positions of stars Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, the film's word-of-mouth success, and that giant wrench.
Plus: Who was behind those Sweeney/Powell dating rumors? Why is the movie's wedding in Australia? And, most importantly, who behaves this way??
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar (2021)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
"After Anyone but You, Sydney Sweeney Nabs Big Pay Raise on Next Movies" (The Hollywood Reporter)"Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell on How Anyone but YouBeat the Rom Com Odds" (New York Times)"Glen Powell is the Rom Com Stud We Deserve" (Rolling Stone)"Every Time Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney Promoted their Rom Com a Little Too Well" (Vulture)"Sydney Sweeney Promises She and Glen Powell Didn't Lean In" (Vulture)"Sydney Sweeney's Republican Voter Registration Revealed amid Jeans Ad Controversy" (The Guardian)"Is Sydney Sweeney Today's Most Perplexing Movie Star?" (New York Times)"Miles Teller Says He Got Sick on the Set of Top Gun: Maverickbecause there was Jet Fuel in his Blood" (Business Insider)Mon, 13 Jul 2026 - 1h 38min - 460 - Happy Together (1997)
We're closing out our look at the New Queer Cinema of the 1990s with a dive into the doomed relationship of Wong Kar-wai's Happy Together!
Join in as we discuss travel nightmares, navigating by lamp, and the film's reception in Asia.
Plus: Why does Lai Yu-fai (Tony Leung) take his ex-boyfriend's passport? Why was Happy Together chosen as the title for the English language release? And why has Will been watching so many Seth Rogen movies?
Make sure to rate, reivew, and subscribe!
Next week: Anyone but You (2023)
Mon, 06 Jul 2026 - 1h 01min - 459 - Smallfoot (2018) / Abominable (2019)
We're celebrating 450 episodes with a look at TWO movies this week: The late 2010s yeti two-punch of Smallfootand Abominable!
Join in as we discuss the odd surfeit of yeti films, sort-of-Chinese animation studio Pearl Animation, plot-essential billboards, and of course "Zendaya is Meechee."
Plus: Why was Abominablebanned throughout Southeast Asia? Why is Sarah Paulson's character pretending to be British? How are Smallfoot's Stonekeepers chosen? And, most importantly, which of these movies is less bad?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Happy Together (1997)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
Interview with Smallfoot director Karey Kirkpatrick (Collider)"Sony ImageWorks Provides Big Effects, Animation for Warner's Smallfoot" (Post Perspective)"Smallfoot: Singing with Sasquatch and Friends" (Animation Magazine)"'Zendaya is Meechee' is a Post-Vine Vine" (New York Times)"Oriental DreamWorks Rewrites its Chinese Production Strategy" (Variety)"Abominable: A DreamWorks Movie, a Map, and a Huge Regional Row" (BBC)Mon, 29 Jun 2026 - 1h 40min - 458 - The Watermelon Woman
Our look at the New Queer Cinema continues with the first feature directed by an out Black lesbian, Cheryl Dunye's The Watermelon Woman!
Join in as we discuss our favorite mockumentaries, the film's semiprofessional cast, its discussion of interracial relationships, and that incredible Camille Paglia scene.
Plus: Why didn't Dunye use actual period photos? What exactly is Diana (Guinevere Turner) doing with her life? And how did this movie cause yet more conflict for the National Endowment for the Arts?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Smallfoot(2018) and Abominable(2019)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
"The Watermelon Woman at 25" (BFI)"Slice of Life: The Watermelon Woman Refreshes" (Boston Phoenix)"The NEA Gets Gay-Bashed" (The Advocate)"Cheryl Dunye's Alternative Histories" (Interview Magazine)"The Radical Classic that's Finally Coming to the Criterion Collection" (Slate)"The Real History of Rent" (OUTMagazine)Mon, 22 Jun 2026 - 1h 25min - 457 - Bound (1996)
Our look at the queer cinema of the 1990s continues with the debut feature by Lily and Lana Wachowski: 1996's lesbian noir Bound!
Join in as we discuss the casting of Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon, Joe Pantoliano's wig, a surprisingly speedy seduction, and The Devil Wears Prada 2.
Plus: Is this the coolest title card ever? How does the movie subvert the noir genre? And is Tilly mostly playing Betty Boop? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: The Watermelon Woman (1997)
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"The Wachowskis Refuse to Take No for an Answer" (BuzzFeed)Interview with the Wachowskis in Gadfly MagazineJennifer Tilly profile in Now TorontoJennifer Tilly interview in DIVAMagazine"Bound: Be Gay, Do Crime" (Criterion)"Joel Kim Booster on the Pressures of Teeth in Hollywood" (Vulture)"Nub City" video by Zach Woods on veneersMon, 15 Jun 2026 - 1h 26min - 456 - My Own Private Idaho
Pride Month 2026 continues with a look at Gus Van Sant's New Queer Cinema classic, My Own Private Idaho!
Join in as we discuss stars Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix, the 90s indie cinema moment, and Van Sant's creative ways of keeping the movie below NC-17.
Plus: How did Phoenix reconceive the character of Mike? Is that really how narcolepsy works? And is this the start of the 90s teen Shakespeare trend?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Bound(1996)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
"The Enduring Power of My Own Private Idaho" (OUT Magazine)"My Own Private Idaho is a Queer Masterpiece" (The Ringer)Interview with Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix (Interview Magazine)"My Own Private Idaho: Private Places" (Criterion)Mon, 08 Jun 2026 - 1h 06min - 455 - Poison (1991)
We're kicking off Pride 2026 with a look at Todd Haynes's 1991 feature debut, Poison- one of the defining films of the New Queer Cinema movement!
Join in as we discuss Haynes's early career, the way the movie's subject and structure challenge convention, and the rise of the Sundance Film Festival.
Plus: Why did this movie cause trouble for the National Endowment for the Arts? Which of the three stories is the most unbelievable? And an explanation of why you should give Haynes's Dark Waters a second chance.
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: My Own Private Idaho (1991)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
Down and Dirty Pictures: Miramax, Sundance, and the Rise of Independent Film by Peter Biskind (2004)"New Queer Cinema" by B. Ruby Rich (Sight & Sound)"On the Margins: Todd Haynes's Poison" (Criterion)"Todd Haynes's Poison" (Art Forum)"The Todd Haynes Poison Controversy Explained" (SlashFilm)"Todd Haynes Rewrites the Hollywood Playbook" (New Yorker)"Transcendent Transgression: Looking Back at Todd Haynes's Poison" (Sundance)
Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story(YouTube)Cloud Atlasextended trailer (YouTube)"Serial Killer Documentary Takes Horrible Turn" by Cole Escola (YouTube)"Investigation into Bishop Bransfield finds Harassment, Gross Misuse of Funds" (National Catholic Reporter)Mon, 01 Jun 2026 - 1h 06min - 454 - The Incredibles (Dadvice, Part 6)
We're closing out our Dadvice series with one of the all-time great family movies: Brad Bird's 2004 animated superhero classic, The Incredibles!
Join in as we discuss the film's place in Bird's career, Michael Giacchino's iconic score, the retro-futurist design, and our favorite Pixar shorts.
Plus: What makes this movie look so much better than its peers all these years later? Is Bob fighting robots every time he goes to a "conference"? What happens to Mirage? And, most importantly, is Bomb Voyage the greatest villain in film history?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Poison(1991)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
IGNinterview with Brad Bird"The Incredibles Rejected Villain Xerek Explained" (Comic Book Resources)"Incredibles Edna Mode is Based on these Fashion Mavens" (New York Post)"Jack Black Regrets Turning Down The Incredibles" (Variety)"The Passion of Brad Bird" (The Atlantic)Anthony Lane's weirdly horny review of Incredibles II (New Yorker)Mon, 25 May 2026 - 1h 25min - 453 - Daddy Day Care (Dadvice, Part 5)
Our Dadvice series takes us to the 2000s family comedy as we look at the financially-strapped relationship between Eddie Murphy and Regina King in 2003's Daddy Day Care!
Join in as we discuss Murphy's 2000s, the movie's shocking underuse of King, the Daddy Day Care franchise, and the movie's unexplained real estate crises.
Plus: How did no mom call Kim (King) about the Daddy Day Care plan? How was the Veggie-O's marketing campaign supposed to work? And why were the bloopers the best part of the movie?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: The Incredibles (2004)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
"Netflix Unveils Animated Movie Charlie vs the Chocolate Factorywith Kit Connor and Taika Waititi" (Deadline)"Jeff Garlin Exits The Goldbergs Following HR Investigations into On-Set Behavior" (Deadline)Mon, 18 May 2026 - 59min - 452 - Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (Dadvice, Part 4)
We're looking for parenting advice from Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne in director Nicholas Stoller's 2016 comedy sequel Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising!
Join in as we discuss college theme parties, the movie's deep bench of comedic performers, real estate policies, and Stoller's status as a committed director of comedies.
Plus: What's the most dateable Seth Rogen character? Do the college girls (Chloe Grace Moretz, Kiersey Clemons, Beanie Feldstein) actually have too much money? And most importantly, are the Neighborsmovies the great woke comedies of our age?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Daddy Day Care (2003)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
John Mulaney's Bill Clinton routine (YouTube - from The Comeback Kid special)"Captain America on Patrol in Georgetown" (YouTube)"An Extremely Close Examination of Jeremy Renner's CGI Arms in Tag" (The Ringer)"TJ Miller Parasails into Cannes to Debut Emoji Movie Trailer" (Variety)"Saudi Arabia: The Emoji Movie and Captain Underpantsare First Films to Screen" (Deadline)Trailer for Tow - 2026 film starring Rose Byrne (Vertical Entertainment on YouTube)Mon, 11 May 2026 - 1h 11min - 451 - Paper Moon (Dadvice Part 3)
Will's search for parenting advice takes us back to the NewHollywood of the 1970s as we investigate Peter Bogdanovich's 1973 film Paper Moon!
Join in as we discuss cinematic scams, the debut (and Oscar-winning performance) of Tatum O'Neal, Madeline Kahn's performance as Trixie Delight, and the current state of Nick Vallelonga's potentially forthcoming That's Amore.
Plus: What role did production designer Polly Platt play in shaping the movie? What exactly is Trixie's act? Does Moses (Ryan O'Neal) have any ultimate goals? And, most importantly, is this charming comedy actually a huge bummer?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising
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Key sources and links for this episode:
Paper Moon in the TCM Archive"Behind the Camera: Paper Moon" (TCM)"Orson Welles, What's Up Doc?, and Paper Moon" (You Must Remember This)Inside Oscar: The Unofficial History of the Academy Awards (1987) by Mason Wiley and Damien Bona"Paper MoonChanges its Outlook as a Musical" (New York Times)"Green Book Co-Writer Nick Vallelonga has Legal Book Thrown at Him by IATSE over Unpaid That's Amore Crew" (Deadline)"Catch Me if You Can Conman Frank Abagnale Jr. Lied about His Lifetime of Lies, Sources Claim" (New York Post)Mon, 04 May 2026 - 1h 33min - 450 - Taken (Dadvice, Part 2)
Our Dadvice series continues with a look at the parenting and romance of Pierre Morel's action classic(?) Taken!
Join in as we discuss our favorite Liam Neeson performances, the movie's astonishing box office run, an implausible human trafficking scheme, and the exact details of Brian Mills's (Neeson) finances.
Plus: What happens to the family of the girl who dies? Why does Lenore (Famke Janssen) commit such egregious fraud? Why is Kim (Maggie Grace) always running like that? And, most importantly, is this the most divorced movie ever made?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Paper Moon (1973)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
Roger Ebert's 2.5-star reviewPierre Morel interview at ComingSoon.net2014 Liam Neeson interview with GQ"Liam Neeson Originally Thought his Iconic TakenPhone Call Scene was 'Corny'" (Entertainment Weekly)"The Agony of Liam Neeson, Action Star" (Vulture)"Taken by Albania" tourism campaign (YouTube)"Dua Lipa Sparks Controversy with 'Greater Albania' Map Tweet" (BBC)Mon, 27 Apr 2026 - 1h 22min - 449 - Hook (Dadvice, Part 1)
In honor of Will's impending fatherhood, we're inviting dads onto the show to share the romance and parenting tips from some of their favorite movies. First up: Steven Spielberg's 1991 Peter Pan adaptation Hook, starring Robin Williams as Peter and Dustin Hoffman as the titular one-handed captain.
Join in as we discuss Hook's place in the Spielberg dad canon, this odd transition point in the director's career, and the standout performances by Hoffman and Bob Hoskins.
Plus: Why wasn't this movie made into a musical? Why can only Wendy (Maggie Smith) properly remember Neverland? Why does Peter have an American accent? And, most importantly, why is Peter's son Jack so terrible at baseball?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Taken(2008)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
Roger Ebert's two-star review of Hook"A Peter Pan for the 90s" (New York Times)"Steven Spielberg: The EW Interview" (Entertainment Weekly)"Did You Know Hook was Once a Musical?" (NPR)"Spielberg at 40: The Man and the Child" (New York Times)"The Autobiography of Peter Pan" (TIME)"Ahoy! Neverland" (People)"Hooked on News" (Check Book)Mon, 20 Apr 2026 - 1h 34min - 448 - It (1927) (This Whole Thing Smacks of Gender, Part 8)
We're closing out our series on prounoun movies with the one that (probably) started it all: The 1927 silent romantic comedy It, starring the original "it girl" herself, Clara Bow!
Join in as we discuss Bow's life and career, writer Elinor Glynn, 1920s Coney Island, and our favorite intertitles.
Plus: What exactly is It? Who has It today? And, most importantly, is this movie Ittier than It (2017)?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Hook(1991)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
Watch It (1927) for free on YouTube!It in the AFI CatalogIt from Turner Classic Movies"It and the It Girl, Clara Bow" (Bright Wall, Dark Room)"Clara Bow: The Hard-Partying Jazz Baby Airbrushed from Hollywood History" (The Guardian)"Forgotten Hollywood: Clara Bow" (Golden Globes)"Remember When Jessie Buckley was on an Insane Reality Show?" (Vulture)Mon, 13 Apr 2026 - 1h 01min - 447 - Yours, Mine & Ours (2005) (This Whole Thing Smacks of Gender, Part 7)
Pronouns and parenting collide as we look at the fast-moving romance of Raja Gosnell's 2005 remake of Yours, Mine & Ours, starring Dennis Quaid, Rene Russo, and most of the 00s Nickelodeon kids.
Join in as we discuss cinematic lighthouses, an unexplained broken engagement, the nomination process for military leaders, and a very large pig.
Plus: Who conducted the parents' marriage? At what point should you tell a date you have double-digit children? Are Quaid and Russo's characters just bad parents? And, most importantly, did this movie actually need to be longer?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: It(1927)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
"Studios Mining Moppet Mania" (Variety)"Nightcrawler Actress Rene Russo is a Reluctant Star" (Los Angeles Times)"Dennis Quaid's Costar Blasts His 'Crazy' Trump Support after Air Force One Trip" (Entertainment Weekly)"Suspected Chinese Spy Reportedly Slept with, Courted US Officials to Gain Intel" (New York Post)"Let's Talk about the Gorilla Channel for One More Day" (New York Times)Mon, 06 Apr 2026 - 1h 26min - 446 - You, Me and Dupree (This Whole Thing Smacks of Gender, Part 6)
We're attempting to define the quintessential We Love the Love movie this week as we look at the Russo brothers' much-maligned 2006 comedy You, Me and Dupree, starring Matt Dillon, Kate Hudson, and Owen Wilson.
Join in as we discuss the Russos' pre-Marvel career, a hilariously miscast Seth Rogen, comedy Lance Armstrong, and several episodes of The Newsroom.
Plus: Why is Michael Douglas's character so unhinged? What was Dupree's job at the start of the movie? Should married people have friends of any kind? And, most importantly, which character is "you" and which is "me"?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Yours, Mine, and Ours (2005)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
"The Russo Brothers are Directing Marvel's Biggest Blockbusters, but They're Modeling Their Career after Stephen Soderbergh" (IndieWire)"That Time Steely Dan Wrote a Letter Trashing Owen Wilson to His Own Brother" (VICE)"The Russo Brothers, Marvel's Money-Minting Directors, Reveal their Secret Weapons" (The Hollywood Reporter)"Family Dynamic" (DGA Quarterly)Mon, 30 Mar 2026 - 1h 26min - 445 - Her (2013) (This Whole Thing Smacks of Gender, Part 5)
It's all about AI personhood this week as we discuss the doomed romances of Spike Jonze's 2013 Best Picture nominee Her, starring Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, and a disembodied Scarlett Johansson.
Join in as we discuss our favorite digital characters, phone sex with Kristen Wiig, and the strange experience of watching this movie in the age of ChatGPT.
Plus: Why was Samantha Morton replaced as the voice of the OS? Does Theodore really own the rights to those letters? And, most importantly, what really happened when the AIs ascended?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: You, Me, and Dupree (2006)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
"Him and Her: How Spike Jonze Made the Weirdest, Most Timely Romance of the Year" (Vulture)"Behind the Preplanned Oscars Selfie" (Wall Street Journal)"ChatGPT Launching Talking AI that Sounds Exactly like Scarlett Johansson in Her- On Purpose?" (Entertainment Weekly)"Did the System Update Ruin Your Boyfriend? Love in a Time of ChatGPT" (The Guardian)"The Son King of Hollywood" (Vulture)Mon, 23 Mar 2026 - 1h 15min - 444 - Him (2025) (This Whole Thing Smacks of Gender, Part 4)
Our investigation of gendered cinema leads us into singular pronouns with the 2025 football film Him!
Join in as we discuss meme actors, half-baked religious symbolism, the fan-athlete relationship, and David O Russell's upcoming John Madden biopic.
Plus: How do you parody the NFL? Why would Isaiah (Marlon Wayans) participate in this plan? How much NIL money does Cam (Tyriq Withers) already have? Is Julia Fox playing a witch? And, most importantly, is this a horror film?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Her (2013)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
David Ehrlich's C- review (IndieWire)"Him Has Got Style to Burn and Not Much Else" (Vulture)Goat: An Anti-Sports Horror Movie screenplay by Zack Akers and Skip Bronkie"Julia Fox's Complete Dating History" (Harper's Bazaar)"Nicolas Cage Explains his Dinosaur Skull Fiasco and Hunt for the (Literal) Holy Grail" (The Hollywood Reporter)"Dakota Johnson Lied to Us about Loving Limes" (Vulture)"Bryce Harper: We Want to Bring a Title Back to DC" (Washington Post)"36 Questions Realizes the Potential of the Podcast Musical" (Vulture)Mon, 16 Mar 2026 - 1h 37min - 443 - 2025 Oscars Extravaganza!!
As is tradition, this week we're tackling the romances of all ten Best Picture nominees, from Sinnersto Train Dreams!
Join in as we discuss our favorite un-nominated romances, an unusually good(ish) year for Best Original Song, transportation logistics, and a few small beers.
Plus: Are recliners bad for cinema? Why does Frankensteinlook like that? Do we need to bring back projectionists? And is there any romance in Bugoniaafter all?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Him(2025)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
"Oscars: Film Academy Establishes Stunt Design Award" (The Hollywood Reporter)"KPop Demon Hunters is Officially Eligible for the Oscars" (Associated Press)"Only Two Original Song Nominees to Perform Live at Oscars" (Variety)"Matt Damon Says Netflix Wants Movies to Restate the Plot 'Three or Four Times in the Dialogue' because Viewers are on 'Their Phones while They're Watching'" (Variety)"Benicio Del Toro on Bonding with Leo, Rewriting PTA, and His First Oscar Nom in Decades" (The Hollywood Reporter)"I Survived the Long Walk Treadmill Challenge" (IndieWire)Cahiers du Cinema's rave review of Ella McCay(via Letterboxd)"The Secret Agent's Kleber Mendonca Filho and Wagner Moura on Brazil's Urban Legend of the Hairy Leg" (Deadline)Mon, 09 Mar 2026 - 1h 54min - 442 - Us (2019) (This Whole Thing Smacks of Gender, Part 3)
Our series on Hollywood's pronoun films reaches its peak with a look at hte marriage between Lupita Nyong'o and Winston Duke in Jordan Peele's 2019 horror classic Us!
Join in as we discuss Peele's striking visual sense, rabbit cinema, nontraditional weapons, and the movie's satisfying but controversial refusal to give real answers to its mysteries.
Plus: Why does Nyong'o work so infrequently? How much time does the central family spend at this vacation home? How widespread is the tether underground? What's going on with Peele's next movie? And, most importantly, what real-life figure inspired Nyongo's voice as the villainous Red?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: 2025 Oscars Extravaganza!!!
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Key sources and links for this week's episode:
"Jordan Peele on Us: 'This is a Very Different Movie than Get Out'" (The Guardian)"The All-American Nightmares of Jordan Peele" (Rolling Stone)"This is Lupita Nyong'o. Hollywood, Please Keep Up" (New York Times)"Jordan Peele Explains the Significance of the Michael Jackson Imagery in Us" (Mashable)"Lupita Nyong'o Apologizes after Us 'Evil' Voice Disability Row" (The Guardian)"How Universal Drove Jordan Peele's Us to $70m Opening" (Deadline)"How Monkey Man went from Netflix Orphan to Theatrical Event" (The Wrap)"Michael Jackson Biopic must Reshoot Entire Third Act" (Vulture)Mon, 02 Mar 2026 - 1h 16min - 441 - Them! (1954) (This Whole Thing Smacks of Gender, Part 2)
Our series on pronoun films jumps back to the 1950s for a look at the romance of the 1954 monster classic Them!
Join in as we discuss nuclear fear, ant-shaped spacecraft, failed 3D, and the shamefulness of listening to podcasts.
Plus: What happened to the little girl from the beginning? Who exactly do the ant scientists work for? Why are there so many movies about ants anyway? And, most importantly, do two women ever share the screen in this movie?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Us(2019)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
Them! in the AFI CatalogTurner Classic Movies writeup"70 Years of Them!" (BFI)Mon, 23 Feb 2026 - 57min - 440 - IT (2017) (This Whole Thing Smacks of Gender, Part 1)
We're headed into the sewers looking for love as we begin our new miniseries "This Whole Thing Smacks of Gender," in which we look at the romance of Hollywood's finest pronoun-based films - and we're kicking off with Andy Muschietti's blockbuster 2017 adaptation of (half of) Stephen King's IT!
Join in as we discuss our own favorite King adaptations, Bill Skarsgard's performance as Pennywise the clown, the various versions of the movie that almost got made, and the film careers of Game of Thronesstars.
Plus: How does this film compare to the 1990 TV version? What was Pennywise doing before humans arrived in America? What's going on with that one scene everyone (wisely) refuses to adapt? And what was up with all those clown sightings in 2016?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Them! (1954)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
"Cary Fukunaga Offers New Details on WhyIT Remake Fell Apart" (Variety)"IT, Stephen King Adaptation, is Top Horror Pre-Seller in History" (Variety)"How does the new ITmovie deal with Stephen King's orgy scene?" (Vulture)"Stephen King: It's 'fascinating' people are more offended by IT's child orgy than its child murders" (Vulture)"How does the ITmovie compare to Cary Fukunaga's script?" (Vulture)Cary Fukunaga and Chase Palmer's IT screenplay"Creepy clown hoaxes lead to 12 arrests in multiple states" (New York Times)"Prada Villains Runway Explained" (Yahoo!)"Global film industry shrugs off renewed Trump movie tariff threat" (Reuters)Wed, 18 Feb 2026 - 1h 57min - 439 - The Shack (2017)
We're closing the book on this year's unfinished business with a look at the romance of Stuart Hazeldine's 2017 faith film The Shack, based on the smash novel(?) by Wm. Paul Young.
Join in as we discuss the film's racially diverse godhead, Sam Worthington's struggling performance, and our own experiences attempting to parse the book's bizarre theology.
Plus: Why was this movie such a hit in Brazil? Why does it have a rom com score? Is having the faith of a child actually a good idea? And, most importantly, could Bones have solved this murder more quickly than Officer Tommy and the FBI?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: It(2017)
Mon, 09 Feb 2026 - 1h 23min - 438 - Groundhog Day
We're celebrating a beloved American holiday by looking at the romance of Harold Ramis's 1993 classic, Groundhog Day!
Join in as we discuss the film's iconic status in the time loop canon, the 1993 Saturn Awards, Andie MacDowell's film debut in Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, and typical Bill Murray production stories.
Plus: How did screenwriter Danny Rubin land on the idea of a time loop? How long was Phil caught in the loop? How much did he spend on his last day? And, most importantly, which holiday mascot would be easiest to kidnap?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: The Shack (2017)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
American Eagle Foundation live cam (YouTube)"Ryan Coogler Says DCOM Luck of the Irish Influenced Sinners" (Deadline)"The Secrets Behind that Other Tarzan Movie - the One that Earned a Dog a Screenwriting Oscar Nomination" (The Hollywood Reporter)Mon, 02 Feb 2026 - 1h 16min - 437 - The Flintstones (1994)
We're headed back to the Stone Age for a look at the (b)romance of Brian Levant's feature film adaptation of The Flintstones, starring John Goodman, Rick Moranis, and a whole lot of other comedy stars.
Join in as we discuss our favorite background gags, the 1994 box office, the movie's infamously large writing team, and our complete befuddlement at Kyle MacLachlan's evil plan.
Plus: How was John Goodman pressured into taking the role of Fred? Why didn't Barney know everyone else would be at the restaurant? Why does the theme song play three separate times? And, most importantly, what about this was supposed to appeal to children?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Groundhog Day (1993)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
Siskel and Ebertepisode discussing the movie (YouTube)"Bedrock's Unsolved Mysteries" (Entertainment Weekly)"John Goodman Breaks Down His Most Iconic Characters" (GQon YouTube)"Roundtable Writing: A Headache for the Guild" (Los Angeles Times)"Joe Biden Dog Commander Bit Secret Service Agents at Least 24 Times" (BBC News)Sun, 01 Feb 2026 - 1h 22min - 436 - Eragon
We're dipping once more into the graveyard of failed franchises with a look at the romance of Stefan Fangmeier's 2006 adaptation of Christopher Paolini's novel Eragon!
Join in as we discuss our own memories of the Inheritance Cycle, the film's lackluster visuals, the first round of Avengers: Doomsday teasers, and Avril Lavigne's "Keep Holding On."
Plus: How long do dragons live? How much time passes during this movie? Why didn't it get a sequel? And, most importantly, where is the line between a genre trope and just being derivative?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: The Flintstones (1994)
-------------------------------------------------------
Key sources and links for this episode:
Interview with Stefan Fangmeier at MovieWebInterview with Jeremy Irons at IndieLondon"Eragon TV Series in Development at Disney+" (Variety)"He Was a Teenage Spy, Surrounded by Treacherous Adults" (New York Times)"Shailene Woodley is Officially Passing on the Divergent TV Movie" (Vanity Fair)"Crazy Rich Asians Co-Writer Exits Sequel Amid Pay Disparity Dispute" (The Hollywood Reporter)Avengers: Doomsday teaser synched up with a pharmaceutical adWed, 21 Jan 2026 - 1h 17min - 435 - Robots (2005)
We're attempting to assemble a coherent romance from the incomplete parts of Chris Wedge's 2005 BlueSky film Robots- and mostly failing.
Join in as we discuss impractical public transit systems, William Joyce's great character and world design, and our favorite (of many) fart jokes.
Plus: How do robots die? Do they have souls? Why is this movie's premise so impossibly dark? Why do the female robots have nothing to do? And why was the Meet the Robinsons trailer so incredibly memeable?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Eragon(2006)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
"RobotsPushes Animation Envelope" (Sydney Morning Herald)"Chris Wedge and Bill Joyce Talk Epic" (Animation World Network)"If They Could Turn Back Time: How Tech Billionaires are Trying to Reverse the Aging Process" (The Guardian)"Startup City Groups Say They're Meeting Trump Officials to Push for Deregulated Freedom Cities" (WIRED)Tue, 13 Jan 2026 - 1h 01min - 434 - Home (2015) / Top Ten Movies of 2025!
We're starting the new year with a look at our favorite movies of 2025, and also at DreamWorks Animation's 2015 film Homefor some reason.
Join in as we discuss Rihanna's acting career, Steve Martin's performance as Captain Smek, and the 2025 box office.
Plus: What was the death toll of the Boov invasion of Earth? Who were our favorite weird little freaks? And what were the worst movies we saw this year?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Robots(2005)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
Almost Home prequel short (YouTube)"Building a New Foundation" (Animation Magazine)Tim Johnson interview with the Huffington PostTim Johnson interview at the Animation Home Network"How and Why Barry Jenkins Made Mufasa for Disney" (Vulture)“George Clooney Says the ‘Old’ but ‘Smart’ Ocean’s Eleven Gang will ‘Work around their Limitations’ in Upcoming Sequel” (People)"Adam Driver on Jarmusch, Star Wars, and Putting Filmmakers First" (Associated Press)“Filmmaker Jafar Panahi is Sentenced Again in Iran as Hollywood’s Awards Season Starts” (NPR)Fri, 09 Jan 2026 - 1h 39min - 433 - About Time
We're kicking off the new year with a look at the romance of Richard Curtis's 2013 time travel romance About Time!
Join in as we discuss our shared love of star Bill Nighy, a surprisingly comedic turn from Vanessa Kirby, and how to tell Tom Holland from Tom Hollander.
Plus: How exactly does time travel work? How many English-speaking countries are represented in this cast? And why is Paul King directing a Labubu movie?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Home(2015)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
Richard Curtis interview at FirstShowing.net"White Lotus Star Tom Hollander Recaalls Accidentally Receiving Tom Holland's 'Astonishing'AvengersBonus Check" (People)"Kate Moss Regrets 'Nothing Tastes as Good as Skinny Feels' Comment"(BBC News)"A History of the Donald Trump-Megyn Kelly Feud" (ABC News)"Orson Scott Card: Friend, Mentor, Bigot" (Wired)"Paul King to Direct 'Labubu' Movie for Sony" (Deadline)Thu, 01 Jan 2026 - 1h 12min - 432 - Christmas with the Kranks
We're closing out the holiday season with a movie about trying to avoid it altogether: Joe Roth's 2004 holiday comedy Christmas with the Kranks!
Join in as we discuss the surprisingly effective marriage between Luther (Tim Allen) and Nora (Jamie Lee Curtis), suburban paparazzi, a disgusting ham, and our least favorite decorating trends.
Plus: Why change the title from John Grisham's novel Skipping Christmas? Is Blair secretly a villain? Is this a propaganda film in the secular War on Christmas? And what makes this a quintessential We Love the Love movie?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: About Time (2013)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
Roger Ebert's one-star reviewOfficial Christmas with the Kranks press kit"Joe Roth's 'Third Act'" (The Hollywood Reporter)"Megyn Kelly: Jesus and Santa were White" (Politico)Wed, 24 Dec 2025 - 1h 16min - 431 - A Very Jonas Christmas Movie
For this year's Christmas romance episode, we're checking in on the metatextual narratives of A Very Jonas Christmas Movie on Disney+!
Join in as we discuss the standout performances in the packed supporting cast, the conspicuous use of the brothers' kids, the JoBros' long history on TV, and the dismal tie-in Yule log on Disney+.
Plus: Who is this movie's intended audience? Why is the entire Will Ferrell family here? And why is the only good song the one that's bad on purpose?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Christmas with the Kranks (2004)
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Key links for this episode:
"Hailee Steinfeld Reacts to Viral Buffalo Billboard" (Sports Illustrated)"A Full Timeline of Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner's Divorce Drama" (Cosmopolitan)Andrew Barth Feldman's musical tribute to Muppet*Vision 3D (YouTube)"Anger over Justin Bieber's Anne Frank Message" (BBC News)Sun, 21 Dec 2025 - 1h 17min - 430 - Remember the Night (1940)
We're headed across the country as we look at the surprisingly illegal romance of 1940's Remember the Night, the last film written by Preston Sturges before he became a director.
Join in as we discuss this first pairing of Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray, the sinister setup with Fat Mike, the film's ironically forgettable title, and ruffled undergarments of the early 1900s.
Plus: How did this film drive Sturges to become a director? Why would Jack take this accused thief across multiple state lines? Why would anyone steal lug nuts off a car? And, most importantly, what punishment would Stanwyck consider appropriate for her character?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: A Very Jonas Christmas Movie (2025)
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Key links for this episode:
“Mitt Romney’s Dog-on-the-Car-Roof Story Still Proves to be His Critics’ Best Friend” (Washington Post)"Ex-Spouses Go to Court to Split Beanie Babies" (Los Angeles Times)Lux Radio Theatre Adaptation of Remember the Night, starring Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurrayWed, 17 Dec 2025 - 1h 18min - 429 - A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas
We're celebrating Episode 420 and the start of the holiday season with a look at the romance and bromance of A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas!
Join in as we discuss our (mostly recent) history with the H&K franchise, our first Real-D memories, and the series's role in Neil Patrick Harris's comeback.
Plus: What makes a weed joke funny? Should we be heating our syrup? And what do we want from the just-announced Harold and Kumar 4?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Remember the Night (1940)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
"Neil Patrick Harris Discusses the Evolution of NPH in A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas" (CinemaBlend)"Ridin' High: Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle Turns 10" (Movable Fest)"John Cho has Entered His DILF Era" (Vanity Fair)"Studios Ogle Future of 3D" (Variety)"I'm Eating Everything on White Castle's X-Men: Apocalypse Menu" (ScreenCrush)"I'm Eating Everything on IHOP's Wonka Menu" (ScreenCrush)"We Are All Human Microphones" (The Nation)Sat, 13 Dec 2025 - 1h 11min - 428 - Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist
We're staying up all night as we attempt to navigate the late-teens romance of the 2008 Michael Cera / Kat Dennings romantic comedy Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist!
Join in as we discuss one-night movies, the differences between the film and its source novel, the portrayal of gay kids in 2008, and a mysterious crate of bras.
Plus: Why is this movie impossible to watch now? Why do Nick and Norah keep abandoning Caroline? Why is Norah's dad so bad at nepotism? And, most importantly, what is the titular playlist?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas (2011)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
Lorene Scafaria interview from the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival (SpoutBlog)Peter Sollett interview from TIFF 2008 (SpoutBlog)"Isn't it Romantic" (Salon)"Jo Koy Couldn't Stay the Course" (Vulture)Wed, 03 Dec 2025 - 59min - 427 - Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
We're fulfilling a long-delayed promise by looking at the romance of the most(?) romantic Star Wars movie at all, Attack of the Clones!
Join in as we discuss our favorite minor characters, the film's groundbreaking use of digital filmmaking, its over-dense opening crawl, and traveling as refugees.
Plus: Who is the intended audience for this movie? At what point does Padme fall in love with Anakin? What's the best outfit Natalie Portman wears? And why don't Republic gunships have doors or seatbelts?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
"Star Wars has Removed Jizz Music from the Mos Eisley Cantina" (Digital Spy)"Rise of Skywalker Novelization Reveals Rey's Dad Fits into Palpatine's Clone Conspiracy" (Syfy)"Star Wars Fan Theory Suggests Snoke is Actually Mace Windu" (Scified)"The Dead Speak! Listen to Emperor Palpatine's Mysterious Broadcast from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" (SlashFilm)"The Saga Begins" Weird Al music video (YouTube)"Lucrecia Martel Turned Down Black Widow" (Variety)"IA Caps Droid Warranty at 20 Years" (HoloNet News)Karen Traviss FAQ on why she quit writing Star Wars novels"Remembering Ari Fleischers 'Reign of Terror'" (Slate)Sun, 23 Nov 2025 - 2h 07min - 426 - Ronin
We're solving violence on the Irish border this week as we take a look at the romance(?) of John Frankenheimer's 1998 action classic Ronin!
Join in as we discuss 90s De Niro, Jean Reno's literary career, the post-Cold War film milieu, and the Rabbit's Foot!
Plus: Did the Good Friday Agreement force a rewrite of this movie? Why is writer David Mamet credited with a pseudonym? What are the other characters' last names? And is there any romance in this movie at all?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)
Wed, 19 Nov 2025 - 1h 20min - 424 - I Married a Monster from Outer Space
We're finishing our monstrous double-feature with a look at the romance of the 1958 B-movie I Married a Monster from Outer Space!
Join in as we discuss movie marketing, aliens we'd marry, and the movie's surprisingly rich feminist perspective.
Plus: How does this movie compare to The Blob? What are the Andromedans' fake bodies made of? And do they even actually like human women?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Ronin(1998)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
I Married a Monster from Outer Space in the TCM Archive"Inside Elio's Catastrophic Path: America Ferrera's Exit, Director Change, and Erasure of Queer Themes" (The Hollywood Reporter)"Man-Thing Vs Swamp Thing: Both were Based on an Older Monster" (Comic Book Resources)"Legend's Two-Star Review that (Almost) Nobody Noticed" (BBC)Thu, 13 Nov 2025 - 52min - 423 - The Blob (1958)
We're taking a look at one of the iconic B movies of the 1950s, the original version of The Blob!
Join in as we discuss the great Burt Bacharach theme song, the film debut of Steve McQueen, and early depictions of teenagers.
Plus: Are these the most exasperated cops ever? What does star jelly taste like? Under what circumstances do you have to street race someone? And are we really just rooting for the Blob to win?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: I Married a Monster from Outer Space (1958)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
The Blob at Turner Classic Movies"Celebrating Film Nostalgia with Ooze and Aahs at Blobfest" (New York Times)"Kate Phillips, Actress Who Christened The Blob, is Dead at 94" (New York Times)"The Mystery of the Dissolving Saucer of 27 September 1950" (Miskatonic Blog)"Oscars 2016: Sam Smith Congratulated Himself on an LGBT Milestone He Didn't Achieve" (Vox)Mon, 27 Oct 2025 - 53min - 422 - Leprechaun
We're headed to North Dakota for some reason this week as we look at the fast-developing romance of the 1993 horror "classic" Leprechaun!
Join in as we discuss Jennifer Aniston's movie-stealing performance, Warwick Davis's star turn, and the AMC theaters merch section.
Plus: How old are these characters supposed to be? Why do any of them live out in the middle of nowhere? Should the leprechaun be more obsessed with shoes? And, most importantly, is this the best Aniston has ever looked?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: The Blob (1958)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
"Shlocky Charms: The Crazy Rise and 'Terrifying' Return of Leprechaun" (Entertainment Weekly)"Marketing Leprechaun" (Entertainment Weekly)"Billy Zane Almost Totally Murdered Fabrizio in Titanic's Original Ending" (SlashFilm)Wed, 22 Oct 2025 - 58min - 421 - The Babadook
We're continuing our month of movie monsters with a look at Jennifer Kent's 2014 cult classic The Babadook!
Join in as we discuss the movie's dismal emotions and colors, its outsized impact compared to its tiny box office, the movie's varying levels of Australian-ness, and Sam's "bad kid" status.
Plus: How did the Babadook become a queer icon? Is this monster a murderer? What is Acorn TV? And, most critically, what do the worms represent?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Leprechaun (1993)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
"How Jennifer Kent Made The Babadook" (SBS Australia)"Homespun Horror: The Making of The Babadook" (FilmInk)"The Babadook: 'I Wanted to Talk about the Need to Face Darkness in Ourselves'" (The Guardian)"Boogeyman Nights: The Story behind this Year's Horror Hit The Babadook" (Rolling Stone)The Babadook Kickstarter Page (includes Kent's earlier short film Monster)"How The Babadookbecame the LGBTQ Icon We Didn't Know We Needed" (Vox)"The Bird BoxEffect: How Memes Drive Users to Netflix" (The Ringer)"The True Story behind the Greatest Halloween Tweet of All Time" (Intelligencer)"Weaponsis Why We Go to the Movies" (The Big Picture)The Babadook published picture bookTue, 14 Oct 2025 - 1h 01min - 420 - The Mummy (1932)
We're kicking off the spooky season with a return to the Universal monster movies and Boris Karloff in Karl Freund's 1932 version of The Mummy!
Join in as we discuss Karloff the union organizer, the fights between Freund and star Zita Johann, the film's connection to silent film trends, and Imhotep's convoluted scheme.
Plus: What was Imhotep doing for ten years? Why aren't there any classic novels about ancient Egypt? And, most importantly, how could Helen's final outfit be so bad?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: The Babadook (2014)
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Key links for this episode:
"Boris and Bela" miniseries from You Must Remember This"Ben Carson Stands by Statement that Egyptian Pyramids Built to Store Grain" (PBS NewsHour)That picture of the Babadook Will sent everyone at the end of the episodeTue, 14 Oct 2025 - 1h 36min - 419 - A Nice Indian Boy
We're checking in this week on a brand new rom com, Roshan Sethi's 2025 adaptation of A Nice Indian Boy, starring Karan Soni and Jonathan Groff!
Join in as we discuss awkward first dates, a scene-stealing performance by Zarna Garg, and the nice change of a gay rom com that's not about coming out.
Plus: What's the best joke in the movie? Why would Jay smoke weed in his fiance's parents' bathroom? And where is this movie set?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: The Mummy (1932)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
"Calgary Filmmaker Dreams Up a Big Gay Bollywood Wedding in New Rom Com" (CBC)"A Nice Indian Boy: Jonathan Groff and Karan Soni Make Rom Com History" (The Daily Beast)"Gay Rom-Com A Nice Indian Boy Unites Deadpool's Karan Soni, Jonathan Groff, and Roshan Sethi: 'Everyone was Turned On'" (Variety)"Out and About with Karan Soni" (OUT Magazine)Sun, 05 Oct 2025 - 1h 08min - 418 - Something's Gotta Give
We're at the beach with Jack and Diane as we look at the romance of Nancy Meyers's 2003 smash rom com Something's Gotta Give!
Join in as we discuss thinly-veiled adaptations of real life, the film's examination of Jack Nicholson, and the weird lack of Frances McDormand.
Plus: How long has Julian (Keanu Reeves) been tracking down productions of Erica's (Diane Keaton) plays? Why didn't Harry's employees ever show up again? And did Nancy watch the Matrix sequels?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: A Nice Indian Boy (2025)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
"Nancy Meyers Searches for Her Own Comfort" (Vulture)"What's It Like to Be Directed by Nancy Meyers?" (Vulture)"A Kooky Conversation with Nancy Meyers Muse Diane Keaton" (Vulture)"Set Design: Something's Gotta Give" (Architectural Digest)"Venice 2012: Paul Thomas Anderson Says Tom Cruise Has Seen The Master 'and We're Still Friends'" (The Hollywood Reporter)"The Story of Harold Ramis and Amy Heckerling's Secret Daughter" (Vulture)"Last 5 Years a Musical Marriage-Go-Round" (New York Post)"Stereophonic Settles Lawsuit with Fleetwood Mac Producer" (The Hollywood Reporter)"Life Isn't Like the Movies (Even if You Write the Movies)" - Nancy Meyers "Modern Love" Essay (New York Times)Tue, 30 Sep 2025 - 1h 33min - 416 - You've Got Mail
We're closing out the trilogy of Nora Ephron romantic comedies with a look at the third Tom Hanks / Meg Ryan collaboration, 1998's You've Got Mail!
Join in as we discuss formative computer memories, childhood bookstores, and War of the Worlds (2025).
Plus: Why does the rest of the Fox family seem to hate books? Did Birdie really date Franco? When is David Lowery's Mother Mary coming out? And remember when the internet was charming?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Something's Gotta Give (2003)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
"The Strange Eating Habits of Steve Jobs" (NBC News)"Ice Cube's New Sci-Fi Movie Debuts with a Well-Earned 0% on Rotten Tomatoes" (Polygon)"The Winding Tale of Neopets" (The History of the Web)"George Clooney Dodged a Career Blow by Turning Down a Holiday Flop" (Collider)"How Barnes and Noble Made a Comeback by Revitalizing its Philosophy" (PBS News)Wed, 24 Sep 2025 - 1h 05min - 415 - Juno
We're headed back to 2007 to look at the romance of the indie sensation Juno, starring Elliot Page as a pregnant teenager, Michael Cera as the awkward boyfriend, and Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner as would-be adoptive parents.
Join in as we discuss the careers of director Jason Reitman and writer Diablo Cody, the film's iconic soundtrack, and a couple weirdly un-streamable movies.
Plus: What's the deal with Smartless Mobile? Was "everyone" aware of Ricki and the Flash? Is A Minecraft Movie quietly good (or at least not bad)? And will we find a way to talk about The Odyssey every week between now and July?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: You've Got Mail (1998)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
"Diablo Cody, Lap Dancer Turned Ace Screenwriter" (The Times)"From Saucy to Sweet" (The Age)"Jason Reitman Tackles Teen Pregnancy in Juno" (ComingSoon.net)"Juno: Inside Oscar's 100 Million Dollar Baby" (Entertainment Weekly)"Diablo Cody Meditates on Juno and its Critics 15 Years Later: 'I am Emphatically Pro-Choice'" (The Hollywood Reporter)"Death to the Juno Effect" (Salon)"Charli XCX Eyed for Greta Gerwig and Netflix's Narnia Movie" (Deadline)"Missing Teen's Friends Go on TV to Plead for Her Release, Gossip about Ugly Classmates" (Onion News Network on YouTube)Fri, 19 Sep 2025 - 1h 12min - 414 - The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
We're returning to Genovia after seven years away to look at the romance of Garry Marshall's 2004 Disney sequel The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement!
Join in as we discuss the career of screenwriter Shonda Rhimes, the long development of Princess Diaries 3, the odd CGI plane, and a lotabout the Genovian government.
Plus: Who would want a remote control closet? Why is Genovia's anthem so similar to Canada's? Why didn't PD3 happen sooner? And, most importantly, why does Genovia have so many orphans?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Juno(2007)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
"Anne Hathaway: The Reluctant Princess" (The Independent)"Anne Hathaway on Ella Enchanted and Her Princess Roles" (ThoughtCo)"Julie Andrews to Sing in Diaries 2" (LA Times)"John Rhys-Davies on Gimli, Brexit, and Rural Hell" (RNZ)"The Most Popular Wine Glass in the Country has Scandalto Thank" (VinePair)"Cash Rules Everything about Ellen Pompeo Staying on Grey's Anatomy" (Vulture)"Irish Wishis a Crypto-Fascist, AI-Generated Harbinger of Doom" (Vulture)Mon, 01 Sep 2025 - 1h 45min - 413 - The War of the Roses
In honor of The Roses (in theaters now), we're taking a look at the 1989 adaptation of the same novel, Danny DeVito's The War of the Roses, starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner.
Join in as we discuss the movie's odd framing device, the 1989 Golden Globe slate, the plight of the American housewife, and movies we watched in high school.
Plus: What was Barbara's goal in seducing DeVito's character? How did that chandelier last so long? Why is this movie so popular in Germany? And, most importantly, was Barbara right about giving kids candy?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
Roger Ebert's three-star reviewThe War of the Roses in the AFI Catalog"In Conversation: Kathleen Turner" (Vulture)"Love and Hate" (New York Times)"The Truth about Danny DeVito and Michael Douglas's Time as Roommates" (The List)“I’m the Judge Who Approved the Custody Arrangement in The Parent Trap, But in My Defense, I Didn’t Think The Would Go to the Same Camp” (McSweeney's)The Simpsons in "Family Therapy," the short that preceded The War of the Roses in theaters (YouTube)Sat, 30 Aug 2025 - 1h 01min - 412 - Mystery Men (Summer of Superheroes, Part 9)
We're closing out the Summer of Superheroes with Kinka Usher's star-studded 1999 comedy Mystery Men!
Join in as we discuss the rise of commercial directors in the 1990s, our favorite jokes from the movie, the unfulfilled promise of Geoffrey Rush's Casanova Frankenstein, and, of course, "All Star" by Smash Mouth.
Plus: How many of these characters actually have powers? How much time is supposed to pass in this movie? What exactly is the Blue Raja's (Hank Azaria's) deal? And, most importantly, is "All Star" about a cool person?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: The War of the Roses (1989)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
"The Ad Guys Take Charge" (Los Angeles Times)"Drawn to the Old" (Los Angeles Times)"Left His Heart on Madison Avenue" (New York Times)"Mystery Men at 25: The Flop Superhero Comedy that Deserved Better" (The Independent)"Random Roles: Janeane Garofolo" (AV Club)"Somebody Once Told Me: An Oral History of Smash Mouth's 'All Star'" (Rolling Stone)"Macy Moves to Mystery" (Variety)"Reubens Camps it Up - Again" (Orlando Sentinel)"My Year of Flops Case File #24: Mystery Men" (AV Club)Mon, 18 Aug 2025 - 1h 07min - 411 - Hellboy (2004) (Summer of Superheroes, Part 8)
This week the Summer of Superheroes continues with our look at the deeply implausible romance of Guillermo Del Toro's original Hellboymovie!
Join in as we discuss Ron Perlman's performance, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Nazi occultism, and Marvel's Son of Satan.
Plus: Why wasn't David Hyde Pierce credited for voicing Abe Sapien? What exactly was Rasputin's goal? And, most importantly, is there a single person who likes John?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Mystery Men (1999)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
"Behind Abe's Big Fish Eyes: io9 Talks to Hellboy II's Doug Jones" (io9)"David Zaslav Meeting with Candidates to Replace Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy as Warner Bros. Heads" (The Hollywood Reporter)"Hollywood Execs Fear Ryan Coogler's SinnersDeal 'Could End the Studio System'" (Vulture)"Hollywood Foreign Press Association Members Seek to Restore Organization Amid Dispute with New Owners of Golden Globes" (Variety)"How Kerry Conran Saw Hollywood's Future - Then Got Left Behind" (The Telegraph)Fri, 15 Aug 2025 - 1h 14min - 410 - Elektra (2005) (Summer of Superheroes, Part 7)
For our last look at a Marvel hero in this Summer of Superheroes, we're taking a look at the romance of the 2005 Jennifer Garner vehicle Elektra!
Join in as we discuss our favorite cinematic assassins, the movie's odd visual style, its treatment of Japan, and hitman human resources.
Plus: How does this movie connect with Daredevil(2003)? Is the movie gory enough? Did its failure at the box office end Jennifer Garner's action career? And, speaking of careers, what's going on with Ariana DeBose?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Hellboy(2004)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
"Daredevil's Done Deals" (IGN)"Jennifer Garner, Ben Affleck Suit Up for Daredevil" (MTV)"High in the Sky Benny Bares All" (Sydney Morning Herald)"Ben Affleck Says No to DaredevilSequel" (SlashFilm)"Garner Deemed Elektra Awful, Says Ex-Boyfriend Vartan" (SFGate)Interview with Rob Bowman (IGN)"Helmer on Why Elektra Failed" (Now Playing)"Marvel to Prime Pupils" (Variety)"Leaked Email: Marvel CEO Not so Hot on Female Superhero Movies" (Vulture)"The Shadow Rulers of the VA" (ProPublica)"James Gunn Says the 'Movie Industry is Dying' Due to Films Being Made with Unfinished Scripts" (The Hollywood Reporter)"DaredevilActor Peter Shinkoda Claims Jeph Loeb Made Anti-Asian Comments During Production of Netflix Series" (The Hollywood Reporter)"Marvel Editor-in-Chief Admits He Used Japanese Pseudonym to Circumvent Company Policy" (The Hollywood Reporter)Mon, 04 Aug 2025 - 1h 08min - 409 - Venom (2018) (Summer of Superheroes, Part 6)
We're taking a look at the dawn of the SPUMC as we dig into the romance of Venom!
Join in as we discuss Tom Hardy's double performance, the lobster tank scene, The Brock Report, and surprise good guy performance by Reid Scott.
Plus: How do these Sony movies connect to Spider-Man? Why didn't Riz Ahmed get to use his British accent? And how does Sony keep tricking people into thinking they're joining the MCU by being in these movies?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Elektra(2005)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
Marvel Comics: The Untold Story by Sean Howe (2012)"Tom Hardy Says His Son's Love for Venom is Why He Took the Role"(Variety)"How Sony Learned to Cede Control to Marvel on Spider-Man: Homecoming" (The Hollywood Reporter)"Even After Kraven the Hunter and Madame Web, Sony's Marvel Movies aren't Dead" (Variety)"Tom Hardy Came up with the Best Scene in Venom on the Spot" (Polygon)"The History of Unmade Venom Movies" (ComicBook.com)"The Spider-Man 4 that Never Was" (Collider)"Sony Sets Spider-Man Spinoffs Venom, Sinister Six with New Franchise 'Brain Trust'" (Deadline)"SPUMC?" (Gizmodo)"The Post-Disaster Artist" (Polygon)Mon, 28 Jul 2025 - 1h 08min - 408 - Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (Summer of Superheroes, Part 5)
To herald the release of Fantastic Four: First Steps, we're starting the second half of our Summer of Superheroes with a look at the romance of 2007's Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer!
Join in as we discuss the history of FF adaptations, the challenge of writing a super-genius, the flattening of Sue Storm, and our favorite movies of 2025 so far.
Plus: Why are adaptations so scared of Dr. Doom? Why is Galactus a cloud in this movie? What is Doom's plan with the silver surfboard? And how did this movie's promotional campaign break federal law?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Venom(2018)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios by Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzalez, and Gavin Edwards (2023)All of the Marvels by Douglas Wolk (2021)"Inside Move: Surfer May Board Four" (Variety)"2007 Preview: Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" (Wizard Universe)"Fantastic Four 2 Set Footage and Comments" (SuperHeroHype)"Fishburne Voices Surfer" (Variety)"US Mint: Silver Surfer Coin is Breaking the Law" (Fox News)"The Fantastic Four Movie You'll Never See" (Wired)"A Mania for Marvel" (Variety)"Down with Love's Reed Won't Do Fantastic Four" (Entertainment Weekly)"Fantastic Four Almost Made Jessica Alba Quit Acting" (PopEater)"The Hundred Best Movies of the Twenty-First Century" (New York Times)Wed, 23 Jul 2025 - 1h 35min - 407 - The 400 Blows
We're celebrating our 400th episode with a look at the biggest 400 in cinema, Francois Truffaut's 1959 French New Wave classic, The 400 Blows!
Join in as we discuss the New Wave's place in cinema history, Antoine Doinel's poor fire safety, his conspicuous lack of siblings, and engage in a cinemabration of eight years of podcasting.
Plus: How closely does the film map onto Truffaut's life? What does the title actually mean? Which school subjects are worth learning? And, most importantly, what's the difference between 2017 and 2018?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
"Movie Poster of the Week: Francois Truffaut's The 400 Blows" (MUBI)"The 400 Blows: Close to Home" (Criterion)"The Emoji Movie was the First Film to Publicly Screen in Saudi Arabia after 35-Year Cinema Ban" (IndieWire)"Mike White Confronts Rob Cesternino over Emoji Movie" (All Winners Survivor on YouTube)"Christopher Nolan Took his Kids to See Phantom Thread and Now They Call Him 'Woodcock' When He's Being Mean" (IndieWire)The 2022 Sight & Sound listsWed, 16 Jul 2025 - 1h 18min - 406 - Superman (1978) (Summer of Superheroes, Part 4)
Our Summer of Superheroes reaches its climax with arguably the most important movie in the genre's history: Richard Donner's 1978 film Superman, starring Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman, Margot Kidder, and a firmly on-book Marlon Brando.
Join in as we discuss the geophysics of Lex Luthor's evil plot, the other attempts to put Superman in cinemas, the nearly two-year shoot, and our favorite real estate schemes.
Plus: What ideas did Brando have to reduce his workload? Did Donner have a phone in his bathroom? What was the original plan for the time travel finale? And, most importantly, is Clark Kent more super or more man?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: The 400 Blows (1959)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
Which Lie Did I Tell? More Adventures in the Screen Trade by William Goldman (2000)The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture by Glen Weldon (2016)Superman Smashes the Klan by Gene Luen Yang and Gurihiru (2019)Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (2024)Taking Flight: The Development of Superman (2001)Making Superman: Filming the Legend (2001)Roger Ebert's four-star review of Superman (1978)"The Making of Superman" (EMPIREMagazine)Interview with Producer Ilya Salkind by Barry M. Frieman for SupermanHomePage.com"Nick Nolte Doesn't Care about Legacy, and Talks Julia Roberts Feud" (Insider)"The Superman Story that Set the Ku Klux Klan Back Years is Now a Comic" (Polygon)Mon, 07 Jul 2025 - 1h 59min - 405 - Green Lantern (Summer of Superheroes, Part 3)
We're taking a look at one of the most-maligned superhero movies of the twenty-first century: Martin Campbell's 2011 adaptation of Green Lantern, starring Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively.
Join in as we discuss good and bad superhero costumes, the many attempts to adapt this character for film, the dead-on-arrival post-credits scene, and the Reynolds-Lively relationship timeline.
Plus: Does this movie need a Bill Pullman? Why are there xenobiologists? Should Parallax be a guy? And, most importantly, is this movie as bad as its reputation?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Superman(1978)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
"Jack Black Green with Envy over New Lantern" (MTV Movies Blog)David Goyer interview with MovieHole.net"The Closer Star Wants to Pitch Green Lantern Film" (Newsarama)"Marc Guggenheim Drops the Comics that Inspire Green Lantern's Screen Debut" (Splash Page)"TV Producer of the Year Greg Berlanti: 'I Still Fight about Everything'" (The Hollywood Reporter)"Update: Justin Timberlake, Ryan Reynolds, or Bradley Cooper will Star in Green Lantern" (Collider)"Ryan Reynolds on his Deadpool Obsession, Meeting Blake Lively, and His New Film, Life" (GQ)"Warner Bros.' Green Lantern Marketing Campaign Delayed by Special Effects Work" (LA Times)"First Look at the Green Lantern Script" (IESB.net)"Warner Bros. Announces 10 DC Movies, Including Wonder Woman" (EW)"Bradley Cooper on His Green Lantern Audition" (MTV)"Avengers: Doomsday Cast Announced in Marvel Livestream" (The Hollywood Reporter)"Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively Apologize for Plantation Wedding" (NBC News)Mon, 30 Jun 2025 - 1h 15min - 404 - My Super Ex-Girlfriend (Summer of Superheroes, Part 2)
The Summer of Superheroes continues as we look at Ivan Reitman's 2006 superpowered rom com My Super Ex-Girlfriend, starring Luke Wilson, Uma Thurman, and Anna Faris!
Join in as we discuss secret identities, the official hierarchy of hair colors, the movie's abysmal gender politics, and the best way to remove a splinter.
Plus: How long has G-Girl been active? Can anyone at this architecture firm speak Mandarin? Does Emma Frost secretly wear crocs? And is this movie somehow pro-sexual harassment?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Green Lantern (2011)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
"A Dream Finally Takes Flight" (LA Times)"Regency, Pariah, Sign the 'Ex' for Laffer" (Variety)"Anna Faris Says Ivan Reitman 'Humiliated' and 'Slapped' Her on Set" (Vulture)"Rainn Wilson on Super and The Office without Steve Carrell" (Vulture)"AMC Says It Will Show More Ads before Movies" (New York Times)"M&Ms Puts Spokescandies on 'Indefinite Pause' in Wake of Uproar Over Changes to Green M&M" (CBS News)Tue, 24 Jun 2025 - 1h 07min - 403 - Batman (1966) (Summer of Superheroes, Part 1)
We're kicking off our summer of superheroes with one of the first theatrical superhero movies: the 1966 Batmanmovie starring Adam West and Burt Ward!
Join in as we discuss the development of the TV show, the film's relationship to camp, Batman's detective work, and the state of modern superhero cinema.
Plus: Why is this Batman movie set entirely during daylight hours? Why did Burt Ward do almost all of his own stunts? Does Batman work for the government? Can Marc name the Thunderbolts? And, most importantly, who is the most dateable Batman?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: My Super Ex-Girlfriend (2006)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise ofNerd Culture by Glen Weldon (2016)The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic Book Scare and How it Changed America by David Hadju (2009)"Batman" (Museum of Broadcast Communications)"Adam West: Behind the Mask" (The Independent)"Batman" (AFI Catalog)"Original Design for the Leader in Captain America: Brave New World Revealed" (IGN)"Captain America: Brave New World Leader Merchandise Looks Nothing Like the Character in the Movie" (ScreenCrush)\"The Comic Artists Who Inspired Roy Lichtenstein Aren't Too Thrilled About It" (Smithsonian Magazine)Mon, 16 Jun 2025 - 1h 09min - 402 - Burn After Reading (D.C. Onscreen, Part 6)
We're closing out our D.C. Onscreen series with a look at the interwoven affairs of the 2008 Coen brothers comedy Burn After Reading!
Join in as we discuss our favorite Coen Brothers movies, the perplexed reception the film got from critics, and possibly the worst street in all of D.C.
Plus: What's the best blind date spot in D.C.? Is anyone in this movie not an idiot? Does 2008 comedy sensation Tropic Thunder hold up? And, most importantly, what's the worst picture book in the current market?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Batman(1966)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
2008 interview with Joel and Ethan Coen at TIFF (SpoutBlog)Composer Carter Burwell's notes on the Burn After Reading score"Coens Dumb it Down with Burn" (USA Today)"Venice Opens with Pitt and Clooney in Madcap Comedy" (Reuters)"Movie Preview: Burn After Reading" (EW)"Jeremy Renner Turned Down Hawkeye Season 2 Because He Was Offered 'Half' His Season 1 Salary: 'Did You Think I'm Half the Jeremy Renner Because I Got Run Over?'" (Variety)"Tropic Thunder R-Word Use Draws Ire" (CBS News)Thu, 12 Jun 2025 - 1h 19min - 401 - Dick (D.C. Onscreen, Part 5)
Hollywood couldn't figure out how to sell a historical fiction political comedy about teenagers set twenty-five years in the past, but we're big fans of Andrew Fleming's 1999 film Dickand we're here to talk about it!
Join in as we discuss teenage celebrity crushes, child stardom, an odd choice for weed storage, and a deep cast of sketch performers.
Plus: Why does Nixon White House Counsel John Dean have a "special thanks" in the credits? Why is the New York Times review so fixated on connecting this movie to Monica Lewinsky? And, most importantly, why does this dog look nothing like Checkers??
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Burn After Reading (2008)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
Stephen Holden's review in the New York TimesMichael O'Sullivan's review in the Washington Post"Generation X's Tricky Dick" (Washington Post)"Dick Director on the Challenges of Making a Watergate Comedy and Whether it Could be Done Today" (The Hollywood Reporter)"9 Things You Never Really Knew about Dick" (Huffington Post)"Dick at 25: The Watergate Satire's Writer and Director on Putting Michelle Williams and Kirsten Dunst in Nixon's White House" (IndieWire)"Michelle Williams Bares All for Her Art" (Entertainment Weekly)"Michelle Williams, Naked Angel" (PaperMagazine)"Some Like Her Hot" (2012 GQ cover story on Michelle Williams)"How Did Two Elite Students Fall for the Zizians Cult?" (The Cut)"Stalkers, Disease, and Doubt: A Gymnast's Hard Road Back to the Games" (New York Times piece on Suni Lee's adjustment to fame and adult life)Dear Hollywood - Alyson Stoner's podcast on child acting"Jason Bateman" (Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend)"The Reveal of Emo Kylo Ren's Parentage is Tearing Twitter Apart" (AV Club)"The Story of the Really Weird Night Richard Nixon Hung out with Hippies at the Lincoln Memorial" (Washingtonian Magazine)Mon, 02 Jun 2025 - 1h 19min - 400 - Chances Are (D.C. Onscreen, Part 4)
Our D.C. Onscreen series takes us to Georgetown as we look at the reincarnation romance of Emile Ardolino's 1989 film Chances Are!
Join in as we discuss our favorite afterlife bureaucracies, Yale's draconian library fees, and the performances by Cybill Shepherd, Robert Downey Jr., Ryan O'Neal, and Mary Stuart Masterson.
Plus: Why didn't the mobster just kill Louie (Christopher Macdonald)? Has Alex (Downey) ever been to a doctor? How long does Corinne (Shepherd) leave out food for her dead husband? And, most importantly, what should you do with baby teeth?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next episode: Dick(1999)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
Desson Howe's review in the Washington PostRita Kempley's review in the Washington PostRoger Ebert's 3.5-star reviewJanet Maslin's review in the New York Times"Movie Motors: Four-Wheeled Actors Set the Scene in these D.C. Films" (Washington Post)"Inside Anthony Michael Hall's Relationship with Robert Downey Jr."(The List)Wed, 28 May 2025 - 1h 08min - 399 - Protocol (D.C. Onscreen, Part 3)
Goldie Hawn grew up in the D.C. area, so it's only right for our D.C. Onscreen series to look at her starring role in 1984's Protocol!
Join in as we discuss theme restaurants, a weirdly deep cast, Reagan assassination parody, and the death of Skype.
Plus: Who thought any of this Ohtar stuff worked? How did Sunny Davis get shot in the butt? Why does Chris Sarandon totally disappear from the movie? And, most importantly, which quadrant of D.C. does Sunny live in?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Chances Are (1989)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
Roger Ebert's 2.5-star review"Making of Protocol is a Hit on the Streets" (Washington Post)"Goldie Hawn Surprised by Arab Protests" (UPI)"Goldie Hawn, Wacky Like a Fox" (Washington Post)Read about Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg's failed theme restaurantMon, 19 May 2025 - 58min - 398 - D.C. Cab (D.C. Onscreen, Part 2)
We're moving our D.C. Onscreen series into the 1980s with a look at the romance of Joel Schumacher's sophomore feature, D.C. Cab!
Join in as we discuss our own D.C. cab experiences, 1980s D.C., the explosive popularity of Mr. T, a movie in search of a plot.
Plus: Who is the lead of the movie? Which characters can you actually root for? How did Universal botch the movie's marketing? And how do cabs work anyway?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Protocol(1984)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
"D.C. Cab Offers Wild Ride through Underside of City" (Washington Post)Roger Ebert's two-star reviewD.C. Cab in the AFI Catalog"The A-Team's Mr. T" (People)Remarks by Mayor Marion Barry at the Premiere of D.C. Cab“Damaged goods in the shop window: He's upset America's Hispanics and Koreans, and he's not exactly the toast of Los Angeles. Is Joel Schumacher sorry? Is he hell.” (The Independent)"Taking a Ride with D.C. Cab, a Movie that Captured a Bit of Washington" (Washington Post)"D.C. Cabis a Terrible Movie, but it's Our Terrible Movie" (Washington City Paper)"Kristi Noem's Bag, with Security Badge and $3,000, is Stolen" (New York Times)Mon, 12 May 2025 - 54min - 397 - Advise & Consent (D.C. Onscreen, Part 1)
We're kicking off our series on DC Onscreen with a look at the romance of Otto Preminger's 1962 Senate drama Advise & Consent!
Join in as we discuss the movie's deployment of star Henry Fonda, the tension between Preminger's liberalism and Allen Drury's Pulitzer-winning novel, and the real-life incidents that inspired the story.
Plus: What stunt castings did Preminger want (and get) for the movie? How effective is its then-controversial depiction of gay people? And, most importantly, is Gene Tierney's Dolly Harrison the coolest woman we'll see in this series?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: D.C. Cab (1983) - available here via the Internet Archive!
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Key sources and links for this episode:
Bosley Crowther's review of Advise & Consent (New York Times)"Hollywood's Biggest Washington Movie Goofs" (Washingtonian Magazine)"Otto Preminger, 1960-1979 (The Old Man is Still Alive, Part 7)" (You Must Remember This)"1961: Starring Martin Luther King, Jr. (And Henry Fonda)" (New York Times)"Just How Gay is the Right?" by Frank Rich (New York Times)"Allen Drury and the Washington Novel" (Hoover Institute)"Uniquely Nasty: The Blockbuster Novel that Haunted Gay Washington" (Yahoo News)"The 1959 Novel that Convinced a Young Barney Frank Not to Come Out" (Washington Post)"Trump Allies Pressure GOP Senators to Back Cabinet Picks - Or Else" (Washington Post)"The Week Trump Finally Broke the Senate" (Politico)"Takeaways from Doug Liman's Secret Brett Kavanaugh Documentary" (Washington Post)Tue, 06 May 2025 - 1h 19min - 396 - The Kissing Booth
We're tackling another listener request as we delve into the very weird world of the 2018 Netflix rom com The Kissing Booth!
Join in as we discuss the careers of the Euphoriacast, Netflix's 2018 rom com boom, a Welsh teen's idea of American high school, and the movie's odd but pernicious sexism.
Plus: What is Jacob Elordi doing with his voice? How did a kissing booth get approved for a school event? Why does Elle's (Joey King) dad hate Flynn so much? Can a freshman really head to college in June? And, most importantly, how does this school's uniform work?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Advise & Consent (1962)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
Kate Erbland's D review of The Kissing Booth (IndieWire)"Book Publishing's Latest Success Still Has to Do Her Homework Every Night" (TIME)"The Sixteen Most Influential Teens of 2013" (TIME)"The Kissing Booth: How a Newport Teen Author Inspired Netflix" (BBC News)"Set It Up and the Rise of the Non-Studio Rom-Com" (The Hollywood Reporter)"Inside the Binge Factory" (Vulture)"How Jacob Elordi Became the New King" (GQ)"A Timeline of Snow White and its Many Controversies" (Vulture)Mon, 28 Apr 2025 - 1h 27min - 395 - Lust, Caution
In honor of this year's remake of The Wedding Banquet (now in theaters!), we're taking a look at a more troubled Ang Lee romance: his 2007 adaptation of Eileen Chang's novella Lust, Caution.
Join in as we discuss the star performances of Tony Leung and Tang Wei, the various censored versions of the film, Lee's use of sex as a storytelling device, and also Sinnersbecause it's too good to ignore!
Plus: Why is the first shot a close-up of a German shepherd? Why don't they ever develop a specific plan to kill Mr. Yee? And could anyone resist trying to date Tang Wei's character?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: The Kissing Booth (2018)
Note: We tried a new recording setup for this episode and some audio is a little funky, but we've worked out the kinks going forward.
Key sources and links for this episode:
"Focus Won't Sweat NC-17 for Lust" (The Hollywood Reporter)"Ang Lee is Heartbroken by Media Hype of Sex" (China Times Showbiz)"No Sex Scenes in China's Version of Lust, Caution" (CBC)"Lee Admits 'Political Edit' of Film" "Lust, Caution Actress is Banned in China" (Reuters)"Tang Wei's Erotic Sex Scenes Accused of Blaspheming Martyrs" (People (China))"The Dark Side of Your $5 Footling: Business Owners Say it Could Bite Them" (Washington Post)"The End of Hooters" (The Atlantic)Sat, 26 Apr 2025 - 1h 26min - 394 - Being John Malkovich
We're diving into one another's heads to explore the romance of Spike Jonze's 1999 genre-defying hit Being John Malkovich!
Join in as we discuss the 7 1/2th floor, the script's sparse character descriptions, the movie's exploration of gender and sexuality, and our own experiences with Malkovich.
Plus: Does Malkovich ever sleep? How are they retrieving their clients in New Jersey? What's Maxine's job? And, most importantly, why couldn't it be Being Tom Cruise?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Lust, Caution (2007)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
Rogert Ebert's four-star review"The Fun and Games of Living a Virtual Life" (New York Times)"Being Charlie Kaufman" (Salon)Interview with Catherine Keener and Cameron Diaz (StarTalk)Interview with John Cusack and John Malkovich(StarTalk)John Cusack Interview with Tasha Robinson (The AV Club)"White Lotus Star Aimee Lou Wood, 31, Won't Get Botox. Here's Why" (Evie Magazine on YouTube)Sun, 20 Apr 2025 - 1h 33min - 393 - Risky Business
We're taking a look at the start of Tom Cruise's star career by digging into the romance of Paul Brickman's 1983 hit Risky Business, starring Cruise alongside Rebecca De Mornay, who was not in her 90s when this was made.
Join in as we discuss the film as a response to Reaganism, expensive hot chocolate, our dads' favorite movies, and "Old Time Rock and Roll."
Plus: Why was Brickman's original ending replaced? What's Lana's last name? What's the sexiest public transit system? And, most importantly, what's the deal with that big egg?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Lust, Caution (2007)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
1983 trailer for Risky Business (YouTube)Roger Ebert's four-star review of Risky Business"At 20, Risky is Still Frisky" (Variety)"My Wild Summer with Tom Cruise: Women, Sean Penn, and the Making of Risky Business" by Curtis Armstrong (The Hollywood Reporter)"1983: MTV Aesthetics, Flashdance, and Risky Business (Erotic 80s Part 6)" (You Must Remember This)"Rebecca De Mornay on Dating Tom Cruise and the Success of Risky Business" (Celebrity Page on YouTube)"Risky Business Director: "Some People Like the Visibility. I Don't" (Salon)"Adam McKay 'Wouldn't Be Surprised' if Wicked was Banned in '3-5 Years' Due to its 'Radical' Storyline" (The Hollywood Reporter)Tue, 08 Apr 2025 - 1h 22min - 392 - Bull Durham
We're celebrating the start of the baseball season by digging into one of the sport's great movie romances: Ron Shelton's steamy 1988 classic Bull Durham, starring Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon, and Tim Robbins in a love triangle fans are calling "Challengersfor straight people"!
Join in as we discuss our own minor league experiences, Kevin Costner's star trajectory, our feelings on various baseball rule changes, and messy kitchen sex.
Plus: What happened to the Disney "based on a true story" sports movies? What's the best basketball movie? And can minor-league teams not afford full-size towels?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Risky Business (1983)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
Roger Ebert's 3.5-star review of Bull Durham"Running for President is Harder than it Looks: Nats Hold Tryouts for Racing Mascots" (Washington Post)"Teddy Wins First Presidents Race" (Washington Post)"This is a Cry for Help" (Vulture piece on on the final season of Yellowstone)"Shelton Celebrates 20 Years for Bull Durham" (Southern Ledger)"MVP: Kevin Costner" (Entertainment Weekly)"At the Movies: June 10, 1988" (New York Times)"The Bull Durham House - With Southern Charm, 80s Nostalgia, and a Bathtub - is Sold" (The News and Observer)"Tim Robbins: Hall of Fame Violates Freedom" (The Age)"1988: Kevin Costner, Sean Young, No Way Out& Bull Durham (Erotic 80s Part 11)" (You Must Remember This)"Bull Durham: A New MusicalBegins Performances" (Playbill)Mon, 31 Mar 2025 - 1h 17min - 391 - An Affair to Remember
We're setting sail for love as we look at the romance of Leo McCarey's 1957 melodrama An Affair to Remember, starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr!
Join in as we discuss our favorite cinematic ships, singing dub star Marni Nixon, and an abundance of children's choirs.
Plus: How did Nicky Ferrante get famous? How do we get AFI to update their ranked lists of movies? How is this movie thirty minutes longer than 1939's Love Affair, which allegedly uses the same script? And, most importantly, why can't they just be together???
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Bull Durham (1988)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
Bosley Crowther's 1957 review in the New York TimesRetakes: Behind the Scenes of 500 Classic Movies by John Eastman (1989)An Affair to Remember in the AFI Catalog"They Missed Their Cruise Ship. That was Only the Beginning" (Curbed)Mon, 24 Mar 2025 - 1h 00min - 390 - Assassin's Creed
We're closing the book on our Unfinished Business series by taking a look at the scant romance of Justin Kurzel's 2016 adaptation of the Assassin's Creed video games, starring Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, and a bunch of wasted character actors.
Join in as we discuss the way Kurzel adapts the style and structure of the games for film, the punishing seriousness of the tone, and our love of Jeremy Irons.
Plus: What was the plan for the sequels? Can you put a baby in the animus? What does anyone actually want in this movie? And, most importantly, is Catsthe ultimate video game movie?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: An Affair to Remember (1957)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
"Sony Targets Assassin's Creed for Bigscreen" (Variety)"Michael Fassbender to Star in Assassin's Creed" (MTV News)"Fassbender Game for Assassin's Creed" (Variety)"Assassin's Creed: Michael Fassbender Explains Animus Redesign" (ScreenRant)David Ehrlich's B- Review of Assassin's Creed(IndieWire)"The Witcher Author Says Netflix 'Never Listened' to His Ideas" (The Hollywood Reporter)Mon, 17 Mar 2025 - 56min - 389 - Knocked Up
We're taking a look at male-oriented rom coms with this week's episode on Judd Apatow's 2007 comedy hit Knocked Up!
Join in as we discuss comedy drug scenes, the rolling series of scandals that engulfed star Katherine Heigl, our favorite Seth Rogen performances, and the wide-ranging discourse the film inspired.
Plus: Why are Apatow movies so long? Why doesn't Allison have her own home? Why did Allison start dating Ben? And, most importantly, how do you get pink eye?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Assassin's Creed (2016)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
2007 New York Times profile of Judd Apatow"Giving the Last Laugh to Life's Losers" (New York Times)"For Apatow, Opportunity Knocks" (USA Today)Dana Stevens's review of Knocked Up at SlateRoss Douthat's response to Stevens in The Atlantic"The Politics of Shmashmortion" by Dana Stevens (Slate)Conversation between Emily Nussbaum and Adam Sternbergh about the film (New York)"Heigl's Anatomy" Vanity Fair cover story"Katherine Heigl Clarifies Knocked Up Remarks"(People)"Star Shuns Emmys, Angering Producers" (New York Times)Daily Newspiece documenting Rogen and Apatow's response to Heigl"Seth Rogen Talks Feeling 'Betrayed' after Katherine Heigl's Knocked Up Comments" (Hollywood Reporter)Seth Rogen and Judd Apatow discuss their experience with Heigl on Howard Stern in 2009Circuit City allowed people to trade in HD DVD players for blu-ray playersMon, 10 Mar 2025 - 1h 29min - 388 - Monster Trucks
As Paramount's proposed merger with Skydance continues to wend its way past regulators, we're looking back at the beginning of the studio's financial troubles through the lens of the 2017 flop Monster Trucks!
Join in as we discuss the film's inception as Paramount's next big franchise, the diverging opinions of studio leadership and director Chris Wedge, and the many ways the studio signaled the audiences and the industry that they'd given up on it long before it came out.
Plus: Were the main characters held back in school several times? Is Creech less energy-efficient than a gas engine? Is Burke a landman? What would the planned sequels have been about? And, most importantly, are monster trucks even cool to begin with?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Assassin's Creed (2016)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
"Today Now! Interviews the 5-Year-Old Screenwriter of Fast Five" (The Onion)David Ehrlich's D+ Review of Monster Trucks (IndieWire)"Hear Me Out: Why Monster Trucks Isn't a Bad Movie" by Chris Evangelista (The Guardian) Deadlinestory announcing the development of Monster TrucksMonster Trucks casting announcements (The Wrap)"Monster Trucks Leads Viacom to Take $115M Write-Down" (The Hollywood Reporter)"Monster Trucks Proves It: Don't Let a 4-Year-Old Develop a Movie" (Wired)Tue, 04 Mar 2025 - 1h 00min - 387 - 2024 Oscars Extravaganza!!
As is tradition, we're taking this week to unpack the romances of all ten Best Picture nominees at next Sunday's Academy Awards!
Join in as we discuss The Brutalist's AI controversy, the underserved women of A Complete Unknown, our Conclavetheories, the maximalism of The Substance, and more!
Plus: Will finally explains his long-hinted-at dislike of Wicked, Marc correctly identifies the year's hottest performance, Duneand Nickel Boys set the gold standard for literary adaptation, and the Best Original Song category continues to be a mess.
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Monster Trucks (2017)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
Interview with Anora director Sean Baker on the Prestige Junkie podcast "Inside the Anora House" (IndieWire) "About the Destination: The Brutalist and Israel" (Screen Slate) "The Brutalist's AI Controversy Explained" (Vulture) "Glen Powell Reveals Steven Spielberg's Twisters Note that Changed the Ending" (Collider) Elizabeth Cotten playing "Freight Train" "Emilia Perez's Controversial Camino" (Vulture) Lemme Say This interview with journalist Sarah Hagi on uncovering Emilia Perez star Karla Sofia Gascon's Twitter page "Margaret Qualley was Given Prosthetic Boobs to 'Endow Me with the Rack of a Lifetime' for The Substance" (People)Mon, 24 Feb 2025 - 1h 58min - 386 - The Pacifier
Our Unfinished Business is taking us back to some classic We Love the Love far, since there's both a half-baked romance and a bizarrely-run high school in Adam Shankman's 2005 Vin Diesel vehicle The Pacifier!
Join in as we discuss the babysitting potential of various Vin Diesel characters, the school's dubious disciplinary priorities, the 2005 Teen Choice Awards, and the television oeuvre of Taylor Sheridan.
Plus: Who are the bad guys in this movie? Why is Lauren Graham's principal character in on the secret plan? Why does government scientist Tate Donovan keep his work at home? And, most importantly, how many passwords did the mom have to guess before she got the right one?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: It's our 2025 Oscars Extravaganza, where we rate the romances of all ten Best Picture nominees!
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Key sources and links for this episode:
2015 claim by Vin Diesel on Facebook that Disney was developing a Pacifier sequel IGN writeup of Diesel's online campaign to play Black Bolt in Marvel's canceled Inhumans movie 2002 Variety description of Military Diaries on VH1 Vulture piece on the disqualification for Oscars of Robbie Williams's "original" song from Better Man Kristen Baldwin's review of Landman for EW Alan Sepinwall's review of Landman for Rolling Stone "Is Landman Funny?" from VultureWed, 19 Feb 2025 - 1h 22min - 385 - Dog Man (2025)
We're headed to the theaters for a look at the romance of the brand new DreamWorks Animation filmDog Man, based on the books by Dav Pilkey.
Join in as we discuss the state of DreamWorks in the 2020s, our favorite clones, the film's animation style, and theJurassic Worldmovies.
Plus: Does Dog Man retain the memories of his past lives? Is there a joke to Sarah Hatoff's name? Does Marc remember the plot ofThe Prestige? And what's wrong with TV these days?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week:The Pacifier (2005)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
2023Cartoon Brew report on DWA's shift away from in-house animationInterview with writer-director Peter Hastings atThe WrapInterview with Peter Hastings at Polygon2025 DWA introWatchDual for free on Hoopla!Thu, 13 Feb 2025 - 54min - 384 - Pokémon the Movie 2000
We're off to catch 'em all (unless that's a bad thing?) as we unpack the truncated romance of Pokémon the Movie 2000!
Join in as we discuss our own Pokémon origin stories, the three elements of creation, the villainous Lawrence III, Ash's bad mom, and this film's impact on American political history.
Plus: Which of the film's many bad songs is the worst one? Do Pokémon cards exist in the anime universe? What do the magic balls do? And, most importantly, what's the gayest Pokémon?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Dogman(2025)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
Desson Howe's review of the film in the Washington Post Roger Ebert's two-star review of Pokémon: The First Movie Warner Bros. press release announcing their acquisition of the distribution rights to the film 2011 Daily Beast story about Herman Cain's use of "The Power of One" Herman Cain quotes Pokémon the Movie 2000 in his concessions speech 2021 USA Today story on Target temporarily ending sales of Pokémon cards due to fights 538 Politics Podcast on Howard Dean's infamous screamWed, 05 Feb 2025 - 1h 03min - 383 - Bedazzled (2000)
We're dancing with the devil as we look at the romance between Brendan Fraser and Elizabeth Hurley in Harold Ramis's 2000 remake of Bedazzled!
Join in as we discuss Hurley's many impressive costumes, the 2000 SAG-AFTRA strike, and the devil's questionable strategy for acquiring souls.
Plus: Why is Elliot so unlikeable? How does the Big Mac count as a wish? And what exactly is this film's cosmology?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Pokemon the Movie 2000 (2000)
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Key links and sources for this episode:
Elizabeth Hurley's many outfits in Bedazzled "There's no underwear in space" from Carrie Fisher's Wishful Drinking 2000 Guardian story on Elizabeth Hurley's strikebreaking activity Rogert Ebert's two-star review of Bedazzled 2022 Vulture interview with Elizabeth Hurley about the film Woman explains Monster Energy's support of SatanMon, 27 Jan 2025 - 1h 13min - 382 - Serenity (2019)
We're taking a look at one of the most widely panned films of 2019, Steven Knight's misbegotten noir Serenity!
Join in as we discuss this reunion of Anne Hathaway and Matthew McConaughey, the yearslong political scandal it caused, the ignominious collapse of Aviron Pictures, and the various games on Plymouth Island.
Plus: Why did this movie receive such little marketing? How old are Karen and Baker Dill supposed to be? Did Jeremy Strong go method for his role as The Rules? And, most importantly, what was that kid thinking when he set all of this up?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Bedazzled(2000)
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Key links and sources for this episode:
Jude Dry's review of Serenity in IndieWire Deadline story about the creation of Aviron Pictures 2020 LA Times story about the fraud cases against Aviron founder William Sadleir 2019 Deadline story about the stars' frustration with the Serenity marketing campaign Rundown of the Serenitygate scandal in Mauritius Accusations of censorship in Mauritius related to Serenitygate Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth's defense in the Serenitygate scandal 2019 study on the impact of video games on stress Watch Garth Merenghi's Darkplace on YoutubeTue, 21 Jan 2025 - 1h 16min - 381 - Mrs. Doubtfire
We're taking a look at one of the biggest financial and cultural hits of the early 90s with Chris Columbus's comedy sensation Mrs. Doubtfire!
Join in as we discuss Robin Williams's iconic performance, revisiting the film in an era of greater trans visibility, the movie's subversion of obvious narrative routes, and of course Arrested Development's Mrs. Featherbottom.
Plus: Was there really an NC-17 cut of the movie? Why would anyone root against Sally Field? Is Pierce Brosnan's Stu just...a good guy? And, most importantly, does Daniel really even want to be with Miranda?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Serenity(2019)
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Key links and sources for this episode:
30th anniversary interview with Chris Columbus at Insider Oral history of the makeover sequence featuring the film's Oscar-winning makeup team Mrs. Doubtfire makeup process video 2021 Vulture interview with Lisa Jakub Full Chuck Jones-directed Pudgy and Grunge short Collected quotes from Robin Williams on potential sequels to various movies including Mrs. Doubtfire Vulture review of the Mrs. Doubtfiremusical on BroadwayMon, 13 Jan 2025 - 1h 08min - 380 - Big Fat Liar / Top Films of 2024
We're starting 2025 with a look back at our favorite movies of 2024, plus a look at the romance of Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy's feature debut, Big Fat Liar!
Join in as we discuss Levy's career, the film debut of Amanda Bynes, the film-within-a-film's rapid production timeline, and Christopher Nolan's upcoming adaptation of The Odyssey.
Plus: Was 2024 an especially good year for the Cannes Film Festival? Why is everyone in The Substance so good at medical procedures? Did Lea Seydoux give the year's hottest performance? And, most importantly, is it better to be sequestered in a conclave or trapped in a tennis throuple?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
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Key links and sources for this episode:
Spiders Georg "Average Familiarity" from XKCD People don't know what The Odyssey is Roger Ebert's three-star review of Big Fat Liar 2020 Forbesoral history of Big Fat Liar Shawn Levy's pitch for a Big Fat Liar sequel Paul Giamatti's Chinwag podcast Fact-checking Jodi Comer's accent in The BikeridersMon, 06 Jan 2025 - 1h 46min - 379 - Zookeeper
We're finishing out the year with a look at the romance of the 2011 Kevin James comedy Zookeeper!
Join in as we discuss celebrity voice roles, gorilla prison, the movie's ever-shifting release date, and a standout performance by Rosario Dawson.
Plus: Did this movie kill an elephant? What about a giraffe? Why was Leslie Bibb invited to that wedding? Why wasn't Shane fired for beating animals? And, most importantly, is there any job more revolting than being a zookeeper?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Big Fat Liar (2002) and our 2024 Top Ten lists
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Key links and sources for this episode:
Roger Ebert's three-star review of Zookeeper Hollywood Reporter piece on the bidding war for the Zookeeperspec script EWreport on the film's floating release date 2011 report on alleged abuse of animals in Water for Elephants Huffington Post report on animal-rights protests at the Zookeeper premiere 2013 Hollywood Reporterinvestigation into animal abuse on sets 2022 Indiewireinterview with Richard Schiff on his motion-capture performance in God of War RagnarokMon, 30 Dec 2024 - 1h 08min - 378 - DreamWorks Animation Holiday Specials
We're here with a Christmas bonus covering the romances of five DreamWorks holiday specials: Shrek the Halls, Merry Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda Holiday, Dragons: Gift of the Night Fury, and Trolls Holiday.
Join in as we discuss our favorite non-DreamWorks specials, the 2024 holiday movie slate, and Troll cultural imperialism.
Plus: Has Shrek ever heard of Christmas before? Why is the Golden Ladle silver? How are Snoggletog lights powered? And, most importantly, why did the Viking kids start hiding dragon eggs?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Zookeeper(2011)
Wed, 25 Dec 2024 - 1h 27min - 377 - Christmas Twister
We're finishing out the holiday season with a look at the disastrous romances of the 2012 Lifetime film Christmas Twister (also known as F6: Twister or as Christams Twister)!
Join in as we discuss local news, Ethan (Casper van Dien)'s climate change theories, local news, and a handsy mall Santa.
Plus: How long has the family been in Texas? What great wrong did Ethan wreak in Chicago? Why does everyone keep trying to outrun the tornado? And, most importantly, why is everyone dressed for the beach during a Texas winter?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Zookeeper(2011)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
Watch Christmas Twisteron the Internet Archive Rules for the Gary England drinking game (for anyone listening from Oklahoma) 2021 Guardian piece on the trend of animated mockbusters Der Fuehrer's Face: Oscar-winning 1943 Donald Duck short about the miseries of living in Nazi Germany Donald's Decision:1942 Donald Duck short about the importance of buying war bonds (made for the Canadian government)Mon, 23 Dec 2024 - 1h 09min - 376 - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
We're gathering together this holiday season to talk about the romance of 1989's National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation!
Join in as we discuss lip fungus, the film's large cast, our favorite jokes, and its relationship to Home Alone (also written by John Hughes).
Plus: How is the movie different from Hughes's short story "Christmas '59"? Why does Clark (Chevy Chase) wait so long to start hanging his Christmas lights? Did the neighbors totally gut their hosue to yuppify it? Why doesn't the family go on vacation? And, most importantly, should Ellen leave Clark over his terrible financial decisions?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Christmas Twister (2012)
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Key Sources and Links for this Episode:
"Christmas '59" - John Hughes's National Lampoon short story that serves as the basis for the film 1989 New York Timesarticle on the rising costs of Hollywood movies 1998 interview with John Hughes 2015 Chicago magazine oral history of Home Alone, including Chris Columbus's experience on Christmas Vacation 2020 Rolling Stone oral history of Christmas VacationMon, 16 Dec 2024 - 59min - 375 - Christmas in the Spotlight
Yes, we're doing the Taylor Swift / Travis Kelce fanfic Christmas movie that aired on Lifetime this year. Obviously!
Join in as we discuss pop star Christmas albums, Swift-analog Bowyn's selfless activism, a cornucopia of Swift references, and Discount Tire.
Plus: How does the movie stack up against this year's slate of made for TV movies (including Netflix's Hot Frosty and Our Little Secret, and Hallmark's Swift-adjacent Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story)? Why does Bowyn make Gonzo wear a Santa suit? Are these brothers supposed to be the greatest players in football history? And, most importantly, should Bowyn or Trap's Lady Raven be our star of the year?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
Washington Post article on 2024's Swift/Kelce holiday movies Today Show attempt to identify all the Taylor Swift references in the movie USA Todayinterview with stars Jessica Lord and Laith Wallschlager "'Tis the Season" - December 2023 ESPN promo explaining how the football season is like a Hallmark movie "Falling for Football" - January 2024 Chiefs Hallmark parody about finding love during the playoffs "Straight Male Friend" - SNLsketch starring Bowen Yang and Travis KelceMon, 09 Dec 2024 - 1h 16min - 374 - Die Hard
We're kicking off the Christmas season with John McTiernan's 1988 action classic Die Hard!
Join in as we discuss the film's confused gender politics, Al Powell's troubling redemption, the starmaking of Bruce Willis, and that troublesome watch.
Plus: Who did novelist Roderick Thorp envision in the starring role? Why is this party so late on Christmas Eve? What are bearer bonds? And, most importantly, can we be done with the Christmas movie debate on this one?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Christmas in the Spotlight (2024)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
1988 Chicago Tribune article on Bruce Willis's unusually high salary 1988 LA Times profile of Willis 2018 Variety piece about Jeb Stuart's work adapting the novel 2018 Independent piece on the casting of Bruce WillisMon, 02 Dec 2024 - 1h 15min - 373 - Children of Men (Gimme Moore Part 4)
We're wrapping up our month of Moore with a look at the postapocalyptic romance in Alfonso Cuaron's Children of Men!
Join in as we discuss our favorite near futures, Emanuel Lubezki's cinematography, Theo's passivity, and hippie Michael Caine.
Plus: Why doesn't the movie have cool future technology? How does it compare to P.D. James's novel? How'd they film that car chase? And, most importantly, how did the ping pong ball game start?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Die Hard (1988)
Mon, 25 Nov 2024 - 1h 06min - 372 - Nine Months (Gimme Moore Part 3)
Our month with Julianne Moore continues as we look at her Hollywood rom com debut in Chris Columbus's 1995 film Nine Months!
Join in as we discuss Columbus's 90s career, a two-scene performance by Robin Williams, the film's tonal whiplash, and our favorite childhood toys.
Plus: Why was this movie changed after its preview screenings? Why are Marty (Tom Arnold) and Gail (Joan Cusack) buying so many toys? Why does Sam (Hugh Grant) work with kids? And how could anyone want to get with Sam when he has that terrible earring?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Children of Men (2006)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
Morning Call interview with Columbus, including the film's handling of Hugh Grant's arrest 2016 SAG-AFTRA career retrospective with Hugh GrantMon, 18 Nov 2024 - 1h 11min - 371 - Safe (1995) (Gimme Moore Part 2)
We're continuing our look at the career of Julianne Moore by looking at her first lead performance, in Todd Haynes's 1995 indie classic Safe!
Join in as we discuss cults, color schemes, environmental illness, and milkaholism!
Plus: How did Carol and Greg get together? What's Chris's deal? Is Rory the worst kid ever? And why did the New York Times think the movie was set in the future?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Nine Months (1995)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
Down and Dirty Pictures: Miramax, Sundance, and the Rise of Independent Film by Peter Biskind (2004) BOMB Magazine interview with Haynes in 1995 covering the film's development Filmmaker Magazine interview with Haynes about production Haynes interview with Australian TV during the film's initial release Haynes and Moore talk about the film with Criterion in 2014 Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story on YouTubeMon, 11 Nov 2024 - 1h 19min - 370 - Game Change (Gimme Moore Election Day Bonus!)
ELECTION DAY BONUS!!!
We're dropping in on our Julianne Moore-athon with a special look at her Emmy-winning portrayal of Sarah Palin in the 2012 HBO film Game Change!
Join in as we discuss our favorite election movies, Palin's post-2008 career, other HBO ripped-from-the-headlines movies, and our memories of the 2008 campaign.
Plus: Could an Alaskan become president? How did the real people feel about this movie? Should we be rating romances that are essentially just true? And, most importantly, what is Sarah Palin's hockey team?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Safe(1995)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin (2010) Bossypants by Tina Fey (2011) “The ‘Palin Effect’ in the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election” by Jonathan Knuckey, Political Research Quarterly (2012) Alessandra Stanley's 2012 New York Times review of Game Change "Celebrity" ad by John McCain Paris Hilton's response to the McCain "Celebrity" ad Playlist of Tina Fey's Palin sketches on SNLTue, 05 Nov 2024 - 1h 02min - 369 - The Kids Are All Right (Gimme Moore Part 1)
We're spending this month looking at the career of Julianne Moore, and to kick things off we're looking at her performance in Lisa Cholodenko's 2010 Best Picture nominee The Kids Are All Right!
Join in as we discuss our first encounters with Moore, her lack of a conventional star persona, the film's family dynamic with a lesbian couple played by Moore and Annette Bening, and Laser's dumb friend Clay.
Plus: Which parent named which kid? Does the movie know about bisexuals? Was Paul (Mark Ruffalo) flirting with Zosia Mamet? And were these the weirdest Golden Globe nominees ever?
Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
Next week: Safe(1995)
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Key sources and links for this episode:
Roger Ebert's review of The Kids Are All Right Film Journal International interview with Lisa Cholodenko Chicago Tribune interview with Lisa CholodenkoMon, 04 Nov 2024 - 1h 13min
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