In this episode, official Pretty Little Liars scholars Sara and guest host Summer Pennell tackle two movies starring a couple of their favorite PLL supporting actors: the spoof The Starving Games (2013) and the Lifetime comedy Blood, Sweat, and Cheer (2023).
In this slightly belated Mother's Day episode, Sara and guest host Sonya Fritz chat about representations of motherhood in Tully (2018) and Where'd You Go, Bernadette (2019).
In this episode, Sara and Nacona wrap up their discussion of Her (2013) and move on to the darker, more allegory-heavy Ex Machina (2014).
Join Sara and special guest host Nacona Nix for part one of their conversation about the intersection of love and technology (especially AI) in recent films. This episode focuses on Spike Jonez's Her (2013), a near-future romance between a man and his operating system.
In this episode, Sara and Kim talk about the 2005 novel Q&A, by Vikas Swarup and the 2008 film Slumdog Millionaire, which is adapted from the novel. There are some big feelings this week about the novel and complicated feelings about the film. But what everyone agrees about is that Kim's brain should let her have more fun.
In this episode, Kim and Sara dive into some of their favorite films of the early 2000s for a much needed bit of levity. They chat about O Brother, Where Art Thou? from 2000 and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind from 2004 and marvel at how these two films were passed over for best picture Oscar nominations. Utterly absurd! If you are enjoying the podcast, please rate, review, subscribe, and share with a friend! More on O Brother, Where Art Thou? here: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0190590/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 More on Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind here: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0338013/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_eter
This week Sara and Kim dive into the deep, dark, melancholy waters of the films Philadelphia from 1993 and Leaving Las Vegas from 1995. Continuing award-season talk, these films both feature Oscar-winning performances by their lead actors. These movies are heavy, but the conversation doesn't stay in the dark place for too long. And at the end of the episode, Sara reveals the much lighter-hearted movies for the next episode! Please note some content warnings this week for homophobia, addiction, and sexual assault. More about Philadelphia here: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107818/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_3_tt_8_nm_0_q_philadel More about Leaving Las Vegas here: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113627/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
It's Oscar month! This month Sara and Kim will be talking about Oscar award winning films, nominated performances, and some snubs that are truly shocking. To get started, this week's discussion covers the 1980 film and best picture Oscar nominee Coal Miner's Daughter and the 1980 film and best picture Oscar winner Ordinary People. Both films were nominated and won many other awards in multiple categories, but Kim and Sara agree that only one of these movies really stands the test of time. Listen to see if you agree! More about Coal Miner's Daughter here: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080549/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 More about Ordinary People here: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081283/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
This week Sara and Kim talk about messy relationships and angsty boys in the 2000 film Wonder Boys and the book of the month, The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides. What makes some cads loveable and others insufferable? Is it, as one of this week’s characters worries, just about physical attraction after all? And what breed of dog is Robert Downey Jr? All this and more in this week’s episode! Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe! More about Wonder Boys here: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0185014/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 More about The Marriage Plot here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Marriage_Plot
This week Sara and Kim talk true love with a pair of real-life love stories in the documentaries The Loving Story from 2011, and A Secret Love from 2020. Each of these films presents the lives and loves of one couple trying to find peace, happiness, and security in a society that does not accept their love as valid. These intimate human portraits are set against a backdrop of discrimination, threats of violence, and activism. Find out more about The Loving Story here: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1759682/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_loving%2520story Find out more about A Secret Love here: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3260524/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_1 For questions or comments about this episode or the show, email Sara and Kim at bookloversmovieclub@gmail.com
In this episode, Sara and Kim continue their discussion of movies about love and romance. There is a lot of swooning, and fawning, and sighing, and then some eventual remembering that they are intelligent, educated, fully grown women with smart things to say. Listen if you are a fan of these films already, or if you want to find some new favorites.
In this episode, Sara and Kim talk quirky rom-coms with the 1987 film Moonstruck and the 2019 film Straight Up. Both films bring the quirk, but do they have anything else in common? Will Sara and Kim agree this week? Will Sara pass Kim's pop quiz?? Listen to find out!
Sara and Kim are back with a chat about the 2024 film awards season. They talk about what qualifies a film for the distinction of "best," which directors seem like automatic nominees (even if maybe they shouldn't be), which acting nods surprised them, and who they feel was unfairly left out.
In this episode Sara and Kim talk about Kim's favorite holiday movies: the 1954 film White Christmas and the 1989 film National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Kim and Sara are on the same page this week about their understanding of the U.S. Military ranking system, Rosemary Clooney, and buttermilk, but beyond that, things get a little less agreeable.
This week Sara and Kim talk about Sara's favorite Christmas movies with the 1992 film The Muppet Christmas Carol and the 2001 film Bridget Jones's Diary. Join the hosts for a pop quiz, reflections on the hotness of Hugh Grant vs. Colin Firth, and a shocking revelation from Sara about this month's movies. Stick around to the end to find out what a 6-year-old and 8-year-old think Scrooge does for a living.
It's the holiday season, and Kim and Sara are kicking it off by critiquing the Christmas bona fides of the 1988 film Die Hard and the 2005 film Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. This week's discussion highlights many of Kim and Sara's cinematic and musical blind spots. Which host just saw one of the films the day they recorded the pod? Which one knows nothing about the very special phenomenon that was 80s compilation Christmas albums? Tune in to find out!
In this final episode of November, Kim and Sara talk found families in the 2019 film The Personal History of David Copperfield and the 2021 novel The Sentence, by Louise Erdrich. These texts are absolutely stuffed full of names, word play, and all manner of literary nerdiness (in the best way!) so Kim and Sara got to geek out even more than normal. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did! Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!
Happy Thanksgiving week! This week we chat about movies that your whole family can enjoy. Join us for some conversation about the 1995 movie Jumanji and the 2021 movie Encanto. Can you guess which parts of the movies stressed us out? Which acting choices Kim was completely oblivious to? Which Disney movie we apparently actually wanted to talk about? Listen to find out! As always, if you are enjoying the podcast, please rate, review, and subscribe! This helps us get the podcast to more listeners. We really appreciate the support!
In this episode, Sara and Kim talk about the truly exceptional families in The Addams Family from 1991 and Easy A from 2010. Can you guess which actor we give most thanks for? What gift we find totally unacceptable? What lessons we learned about Catholicism? Listen to find out!
We kick off November with some family dysfunction. This week Sara and Kim dive in to some comedy mixed with tragedy. There will be talk of bodily functions, scrumptious pate, golden retrievers in human form, and...teeth?