7. Monkey Man (2024)

What's Your Number (2011) | Rom-Com Romp #3

What's Your Number? is a 2011 American romantic comedy directed by Mark Mylod, starring Anna Faris and Chris Evans. Written by Gabrielle Allan and Jennifer Crittenden, the film is based on Karyn Bosnak's book 20 Times a Lady. We'd love your support! Subscribe, rate and review us, and share the episode with someone you know. popcornmoms.com [http://popcornmoms.com] IG: @popcornmoms [http://www.instagram.com/popcornmoms/] Music and logo by Sean Andrews: stillavenue.com [http://stillavenue.com] Topics include: 00:00 Introduction to Popcorn Moms Podcast 03:47 Humor and comedy style 07:06 Movie makes fun of itself: A constant flow of comedy 13:14 The world a romance lives in 14:17 Public declaration of love, done right (i.e. privately) 17:49 Love thesis 25:09 Ally as a full character 28:16 Tension/Rom Com Tropes/ Weaknesses 37:43 Chris Evans' character/ The Love Interest 48:05 Parade of men 50:14 Life arc for Allie 51:37 Comedy style, revisited 52:18 Missing its audience/ Rotten Tomatoes Score 55:43 "Female" comedies 58:36 Sister relationships 01:01:07 What's next

Sleepless in Seattle (1993) | Rom-Com Romp #2

Second in our series of rom-coms and romantic movies! Sleepless in Seattle is a 1993 romantic comedy directed by Nora Ephron. It stars Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Bill Pullman, Ross Malinger, and Rob Reiner. The film also features Rosie O'Donnell, Gaby Hoffmann, Victor Garber, Rita Wilson, Barbara Garrick, and Carey Lowell.  In the episode, we mention John Hutman's video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khNAcpTGDWI], "Sleepless In Seattle | Designer Critiques 90s Rom Com Design." We'd love your support! Subscribe, rate and review us, and share the episode with someone you know. popcornmoms.com [http://popcornmoms.com] IG: @popcornmoms [http://www.instagram.com/popcornmoms/] Music and logo by Sean Andrews: stillavenue.com [http://stillavenue.com] Topics include: 00:00 Introduction to Sleepless in Seattle 04:11 Bad allergies and annoying laughs: Alternate options fatal flaws are silly, in a bad way 07:23 Lack of passion, tension, and beauty in the main love story 12:41 Making sense of the main love story line 19:06 Romantic Comedy Expectations 21:14 Insane behavior, like stalking 26:11 Netta's standards for a good rom-com 27:41 Alternate ways of telling this story 31:09 Supporting Cast Highlights 32:06 Scene telling An Affair to Remember 34:24 Tom Hanks' and Meg Ryan's Performance 38:09 Romantic Fantasies vs. Reality and the Role of Sacrifice 41:50 Fantasizing About Love 45:29 Dated Tropes in Romantic Comedies 48:57 Production Design and Characterization 52:28 Is this romantic to a 19 year old? 54:17 David Hyde Pierce line 55:38 What's next? 55:49 Outro

Intolerable Cruelty (2003) | Rom-Com Romp #1

First in our series of rom-coms and romantic movies! This week, we discuss Intolerable Cruelty, a 2003 American romantic comedy directed, co-written and edited by Joel and Ethan Coen. The film stars George Clooney, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Geoffrey Rush, Cedric the Entertainer, Edward Herrmann, Paul Adelstein, Richard Jenkins, and Billy Bob Thornton. When high-profile divorce lawyer Miles Massey, famed for his iron-clad prenup, comes head-to-head with gold-digger Marylin, soon the sparks start to fly between them.  We'd love your support! Subscribe, rate and review us, and share the episode with someone you know. popcornmoms.com [http://popcornmoms.com] IG: @popcornmoms [http://www.instagram.com/popcornmoms/] Music and logo by Sean Andrews: stillavenue.com [http://stillavenue.com] * Topics include: 00:00 Introduction  04:01 Silliness and emotion weight 05:20 Silliness and genre 07:08 Genre Bending: Un-coupling romance and comedy in a comedic romance 08:41 Public declaration of love (blehhh) 11:04 The world of rom-coms is absurd, which matches Coen Brothers style 14:39 Tim Burton vs. Coen Brothers: A Style Comparison 18:49 Absurdity, no sentimentality, humor 24:58 Character Depth and Uniqueness 29:05 This movie still has a typical take on love 30:51 Defining Romance in Film 38:25 Too Silly or Just Silly Enough: A Debate 44:37 The asthmatic hit man and lawyers spinning stories 47:36 The Quest for Satisfaction and Connection 54:01 Rethinking romance when you're married with kids in the suburbs 56:00 Financial Dynamics in Relationships 59:50 Evaluating the Movie Experience 01:01:29 Future Movie Selections 01:02:04 Outro

7. Monkey Man (2024)

This week, we discuss Monkey Man, the 2024 revenge action thriller directed, produced, co-written and starring Dev Patel. We'd love your support! Subscribe, rate and review us, and share the episode with someone you know. popcornmoms.com [http://popcornmoms.com] IG: @popcornmoms [http://www.instagram.com/popcornmoms/] Music and logo by Sean Andrews: stillavenue.com [http://stillavenue.com] * Topics include: 00:00 Introduction to Monkey Man 04:28 Dev Patel's Directorial Debut 08:37 Axes, Biting off Noses, Camerawork Choices: Steph Gushes Over the Action 14:48 Music to Fight To 17:07 Mish Mashing the Best To Make Something Fresh 18:03 Exploring the Revenge Narrative 19:52 Reveal Motivation Slowly: Trauma, Love, and Drugs 24:25 Watching Mother-Son Relationships in Revenge Tales, as a Mom 26:54 Shifts in Motivation and Purpose: Turning Childhood Trauma to Fight Present-Day Injustices 29:34 The Climax and Its Emotional Weight 31:07 The Significance of the Ending: Personal, Political, and Spiritual Levels 43:35 Movie Marketing Done Right 44:43 Tight Movie: Told through Movement, Scenery 45:25 Not as stylized 48:24 How it was marketed 48:24 John Wick reference with dog 49:22 Fight Scene Humor 51:16 Steph Finds the Flaw 55:37 So much happening in this movie, rewatching, disclaimer again 56:48 What's next? 57:08 Outro

6. Atomic Blonde (2017)

Atomic Blonde is a 2017 spy action thriller film directed by David Leitch based on a graphic novel called The Coldest City by Antony Johnston and Sam Hart. The film stars Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, John Goodman, Til Schweiger, Eddie Marsan, Sofia Boutella, and Toby Jones. We'd love your support! Subscribe, rate (5 stars) and review us, and share the episode with someone you know. popcornmoms.com [http://popcornmoms.com] IG: @popcornmoms [http://www.instagram.com/popcornmoms/] Music and logo by Sean Andrews: stillavenue.com [http://stillavenue.com] Topics include: 04:03 Visual Style and Aesthetic Appeal 05:30 Loose Plots Leave Room for Twists, But Is It Worth It? 11:06 Pacing, Interview Format and Its Impact 15:25 Exploring the Stakes of Interrogation 16:57 Cultural Differences in Intelligence Agencies 18:41 Popup Book Visual Aesthetics of Graphic Novel Adaptations 23:02 The Fighting: Oners, John WIck, and Cool Kills 27:09 Music and Soundtrack 30:36 Dynamic Chemistry: Charlize Theron and Delphine 34:58 Moral Clarity and Loyalty in Espionage 36:04 Plot Holes and Character Holes 43:09 Forgiving Plot Holes 46:38 The Reveal 47:52 What's next week?