Talking about movies yesterday reminded me that a thousand years ago, Lani Diane Rich and I did a podcast series called Popcorn Dialogues where we analyzed and rated romcoms based on how well they handled the romance. It’s still up there, so I’m going to go back to the five star movies and see what pops up. If you’re interested, the Program Guide is probably the place to start. And here’s the one we did on Two Weeks Notice. (I was relieved to see I liked the romance back then, too.)
17 Responses
I really hated Two Weeks Notice. I am still annoyed that I spent money and time to watch it. Nothing about it worked for me, alas.
I don’t remember much of the movie but I do remeber that I didn’t like it either, Diane, despite usually liking both Bullock and Grant as actors.
I liked it, but the one thing I remember most is the diarrhea scene, where they are stuck in traffic and he finds a camper that he pays to borrow so she can use their bathroom. Gross!!!
That was the worst scene in the movie. I liked it besides that scene
I LOVED Popcorn Dialogues. It was a great listen. And I like Two Weeks Notice, especially the Beet Scene.
You didn’t like Ninotchka?
I have seen very few of the movies discussed in Popcorn Dialogues. While I have watched 4 of the 7 in the first installment, I’ve only seen a couple of the rest of all the movies. I’m sure it’s because of the selection criteria, along with the fact that I seldom seldom watch movies.
I am looking forward to telling my son that you reviewed The Big Lebowski as a romance. It’s his favorite film. I keep meaning to watch it.
Personally, I love the movie Ninotchka, but I can imagine that if I were to grade it solely on the romance, it probably would get a disappointing grade.
Curiously, when I queried the Google AI, it told me Ninotchka was the only alternative to Two Weeks Notice for a beet scene. Evidently at one point Ninotchka attempts to order a salad including raw beets. I vaguely remember seeing Ninotchka on TV and sort of enjoying it, but thinking it was clichéd and overdone. Broad humor is not my thing.
I’m partway through Two Weeks Notice (no doubt to the disgust of movie directors, I treat movies on CD like novels and stop and come back as convenient) and so far the only redeeming feature of the Hugh Grant character is a sporadically appearing generosity about giving away money to charities and employees.
I am enjoying reading the Program Guide–found some movies I’d like to see or rewatch. Thank you!
Ah! That’s so funny, I was just thinking about Popcorn Dialogues last week. I’m grateful you put the link back up.
However. I’m still having a problem connecting the series to my iTunes which I also had a problem with in the past. I always went directly to the site to listen. PD is actually the first podcast I ever listened to, and I can connect to other series, so if anyone has any suggestions for me on getting this connected, I’d appreciate it. I still have a couple of genres I completely missed and a handful of the Romcoms, so I’d love to get it into my series list.
Another thing I noticed in Two Weeks Notice is that the Bullock character’s NYC apartment is locked only by a latch turned by a lever, presumably plus a lock in the doorknob. I haven’t visited an apartment there since the 1970s and don’t remember how that one locked, much less the real situation for a single woman in the 1990s, but a lot of movies and TV shows set in New York show multiple locks on the apartment doors.
Some of my faves are listed: While You Were Sleeping, How to Steal a Million, What’s Up Doc?, Bringing Up Baby, Father Goose, Moonstruck, Roxanne, French Kiss, Gambit, Leverage (both 1 & 2), The Thin Man, and the Holiday (but only the Kate Winslet parts with Eli Wallach). These are movies I watch over again whenever I find them, mostly for the dialogue and the chemistry and the exquisite comic timing.
Those are some of my favorites, too, Helen. What’s Up Doc is a nutty collage movie. Moonstruck was hard to adjust to, because of the way the New Yorkers “yelled” at each other. I watched the entire movie of French Kiss and didn’t realize the male lead was Kevin Kline, until the credits rolled. Masterful acting. I love The Holiday, despite all the crying in the beginning. It shows a side of Jack Black I hadn’t seen before. Kate Winslet is good in anything.
Loved the Popcorn Dialogues. Especially the older screwball black and whites. Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn, Irene Dunn, the list goes on for me. (My age is showing, I was 13/14 when I discovered Cary Grant in the old movies). A New Leaf, always a favourite. Anyway, listened faithfully to the dialogues. It was a good series of over the decades romance movies. Watched a couple movies I had never seen before.
I remember the Popcorn Diaries well. It was a fab series and a fun listen.
My hubby and I are big fans of older movies especially when it comes to rom-coms, but we have similar discussions over pretty much everything we watch.
I came late to the Character as Romantic Action chat, and I too like similar scenes. For me, I think it’s not only when they show how well the romantic interests know each other or care for each other’s needs etc, but if they’re scenes that show that each member is truly seen by the other. I think that can be a subtle difference but key in that there’s another emotional layer to feeling seen by someone. So in a story it adds a deeper emotional layer for me.
I think also that it doesn’t always come across in so-called positive interactions or depictions. Sometimes, it’s when a character calls another character on something or simply shows that they see through something. Like in Butterflies are Free for instance. Or The Goodbye Girl.
I also like when movies with characters in longer term relationships reveal aspects by showing them in step with each other (smoothly or not) which we get a lot in the Myrna Loy and William Powell rom-coms (not just The Thin Man series). And I love the opening where we meet the couple (Myrna Loy and Cary Grant) in Mr. Blandings Builds his Dream Home and how they’re sharing the tiny bathroom in their apartment. Those little scenes can so efficiently get so much across about couples.
I would totally listen if you did a reboot of The Popcorn Diaries. As a Podcast maybe. Maybe even as a combo with Bob à la He Said She Said Popcorn Diaries version. Just sayin’:)
I remember participating in the Popcorn Diaries. We’d all watch the movie starting at the same time and using a platform chat as we watched. My husband and I saw many movies we never would have by participating. It was quite fun!
Thank you for bringing this up! I may have watched most of these movies but I hope to find new ones! I love a good rom com. My favorites are the ones from golden hollywood, Cary swoon! I love Moonstruck and watch it often. All the actors are exquisite. I realize it is a stereotype of Brooklyn Italians but the script is near perfect. Plus I love New York. I still have The Metropolitan Opera on my bucket list. I spend my money going to see my brother’s shows (currently in Buena Vista Social Club) sooo good! He plays Compay. It is the story of musicians and singers in Cuba when Castro took over.