Drop Dead Gorgeous is a 1999 American satirical mockumentary black comedy film directed by Michael Patrick Jann and written by Lona Williams. It stars Kirstie Alley, Ellen Barkin, Kirsten Dunst and Denise Richards, along with Brittany Murphy, Allison Janney and Amy Adams in her film debut. The film follows a small town beauty pageant and the fierce, deadly lengths the contestants will take to secure the crown.

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Music and logo by Sean Andrews: stillavenue.com

Topics include:

00:00 Initial Impressions

05:01 Mockumentaries and going against the grain

10:38 Cynical Take on the American Dream

16:32 Religion

17:51 Talent Shows, Performing Femininity, and Class Status

27:45 The Nostalgia Factor

33:43 What's Next

34:44 Outro

Under the Tuscan Sun is a 2003 American romantic comedy-drama written, produced, and directed by Audrey Wells and starring Diane Lane, Sandra Oh, Lindsay Duncan, and Raoul Bova.

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popcornmoms.com

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Music and logo by Sean Andrews: stillavenue.com

Topics include:

00:00 Exploring Under the Tuscan Sun

05:58 Upfront Emotional Investment

10:22 What starting over means: Beauty, Age, and Divorce

14:21 Rebuilding Life and Finding Family

16:22 Sandra Oh is the Male Lead: The Depth of Adult Female Friendship at the Core of the Movie

19:43 Character Dynamics: Orbiting Around Diane Lane

21:26 Rom-Com Elements are Spread Out

22:30 Wanting and Getting: Life's Unexpected Turns

25:12 Hope, Renewal, and the Water Spigot: Why this movie means so much

27:41 Taking Risks: The Power of Intentional Choices

31:41 Diane Lane could've slept with anyone

36:28 Rebuilding Life and Self

37:27 Different types of love on display and not giving up on a great love

39:44 Life as a Labour of Love

43:43 Is it a Christmas movie?

45:33 Do we like the end?

50:29 What's next

50:41 Outro

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.

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popcornmoms.com

IG: @popcornmoms

Music and logo by Sean Andrews: 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

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, "Sleepless In Seattle | Designer Critiques 90s Rom Com Design."

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popcornmoms.com

IG: @popcornmoms

Music and logo by Sean Andrews: 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

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.

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popcornmoms.com

IG: @popcornmoms

Music and logo by Sean Andrews: stillavenue.com

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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

This week, we discuss Monkey Man, the 2024 revenge action thriller directed, produced, co-written and starring Dev Patel.

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popcornmoms.com

IG: @popcornmoms

Music and logo by Sean Andrews: stillavenue.com

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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

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.

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popcornmoms.com

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Music and logo by Sean Andrews: 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?

This week, Popcorn Moms talks about the black comedy action-thriller One Battle After Another (2025), directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, and Chase Infiniti.

This is the second (and last) of two episodes covering movies nominated at the 2026 Academy Awards. It is nominated for 13 Oscars.

Like all our episodes, this one includes big spoilers.

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popcornmoms.com

IG: @popcornmoms

Music and logo by Sean Andrews: stillavenue.com