Every Rom Com

This week on Every Rom Com, Jen and Cybil explore the magic of the 1980 cult classic “Xanadu”! If you’ve never seen it, check out our spoiler-free section to find out why you should! If you’re already a fan, join us for the lowdown on the script, cast & crew, filming locations, and more! We’ll also talk Greek muses, the roller-skating culture of the 70’s and 80’s, and the music of ELO and Oliv...

This week our Musicals series leads us into contemporary topics of book bans, moral panics, and representation as Jen discusses “The Music Man” with Jess Salow, an archivist and Curator of Black Collections at the Arizona State University Library and the co-host of the Bawdy Literati Podcast! We also cover the impressive careers of Meredith Wilson, Robert Preston, and Shirley Jones; talk about the...

Join Every Rom Com as we continue our Musicals series with “On The Town”, a film with an all-star cast, including the legendary Gene Kelly! We’ll discuss the innovations Kelly brought to the movie musical, talk about actresses Vera Ellen and Betty Garrett, and choose our favorite songs and dance numbers! We’ll also discuss the real-life inspiration for Miss Turnstiles - New York City’s Miss Subway...

Join Every Rom Com as we begin our Musicals series with the Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers classic “Top Hat”! We talk about the early days of musicals, and how Astaire revolutionized the genre; we discuss Rogers’ own genius and how she stuck by a costuming choice that elevated one of cinema’s most iconic scenes; and we discuss whether there may have been a gay subtext at play in scenes between hilario...

Join Every Rom Com as we wrap up our Self-Help series with a look at the powerhouse ensemble rom com “Think Like A Man.” We’ll discuss some of the talented black cast and crew, including director Tim Story and actress Regina Hall. We’ll share our thoughts on the dating and relationship dilemmas encountered by the film’s characters. And we’ll give our opinions on the best-selling Steve Harvey datin...

This week on Every Rom Com, we go deeper into the self-help movie genre, with a look at an ensemble rom com based on one of the most successful dating advice books of the 2000’s. We’ll explore an all-star cast, including Ginnifer Goodwin and Justin Long. We’ll talk about the movie and book’s relationship advice and whether it holds up in 2023. And we’ll rank the storylines from worst to best as we...

This week on Every Rom Com, we continue our Self-Help series with a blind date gone sideways in the 2015 film “Man Up.” We’ll talk about personal mantras and resolutions, discuss the fictional self-help book “Six Billion People And You”, and give some ideas for good first date questions. We’ll also take a look at Tess Morris, a screenwriter who improves the wacky misunderstanding genre by moving t...

This week on Every Rom Com we’re continuing our Self-Help Series with perhaps the ultimate story of healing through travel - “Eat Pray Love.” We’ll talk about how the best-selling book became a hit film; discuss author Elizabeth Gilbert, director Ryan Murphy, and more; and co-hosts Serena and Asa will inspire you with their thoughts about traveling solo as women. As always, stick around for our do...

This week on Every Rom Com we’re beginning our Self-Help Series with a look at the 2008 movie “Yes Man”! Joined by David Rosen of the Piecing it Together podcast, we explore the careers of Jim Carrey and Zooey Deschanel, dig into behind the scenes info, and get a bit personal as we talk about saying “yes” in our own lives. We’ll also talk to David a little bit about his new album, “More Content”!...

Just in time for Christmas, Every Rom Com has paired up with Poppy from Confessions of a Closet Romantic to bring you one of the most beloved Christmas classics of all-time, “White Christmas.” In addition to a fair amount of gushing over costumes, music, and romance, we’ll also give you an historical overview of the song “White Christmas”, its connection to World War 2, and its writer Irving Berli...

This week on Every Rom Com we’re going to church with the women of the Bawdy Literati podcast, as we discuss the holiday rom com “The Preacher’s Wife”! We’ll learn about the history of angels and talk about angels in pop culture. We’ll cover the careers of some of the heaviest hitters yet as we discuss Whitney Houston, Denzel Washington, and Penny Marshall! And we’ll touch upon issues of racial an...

This week on Every Rom Com, we’re spending Christmas at the ranch as we discuss the gay Christmas rom com “Dashing in December”! Joined by guest Billy Ray Brewton of The Incinerator Podcast and Scripts Gone Wild, we explore both the tired tropes and unexpected delights of made-for-TV Christmas rom coms, and introduce you to some queer creators who are beginning to shake up the genre. Then we wrap...

This week on Every Rom Com, prepare to be enchanted as a beginner witch (Jen) and an experienced witch (Cybil) introduce you to Anna Biller’s visually sumptuous masterpiece, “The Love Witch.” In addition to behind the scenes info and film commentary, we’ll also talk tarot, love magic, and love addiction, as we cover a film about the darker side of romance. We may be past Halloween, but any time is...

This week on Every Rom Com, find out what happens when a vampire movie meets an 80’s teen sex comedy, as we cover one of Jim Carrey’s earliest movies - 1985’s “Once Bitten.” Joined by David Rosen of the Piecing It Together podcast, we’ll look into the influences that went into this movie, from the historical Countess Elizabeth Bathory, to earlier vampire films, to teen virginity loss comedies. We’...

This week Every Rom Com is ending our Time Travel series and kicking off our Horror Rom Com series with the 2019 sequel to one of last year’s picks - “Happy Death Day 2U”! We’ll discuss our favorite sequels, talk about whether the science in the movie holds up, and delve into the multiverse! We’ll also pitch our story ideas for a much-hoped-for 3rd installment in a movie series we both enjoy!    0...

This week on Every Rom Com, we travel back in time to Paris in the 1920’s as we discuss the 2011 film “Midnight In Paris.” We talk about nostalgia and golden age thinking, learn about some of the greatest writers and artists of the 20’s, and decide whether we’d take a leap back in time. We also cover Owen Wilson, Marion Cotillard, and give our opinions on Woody Allen and how to approach art by art...

This week on Every Rom Com, we’re joined by Jason Kleeberg of the Force Five Podcast, as we talk about one of his favorite romantic comedies - “About Time.” We’ll contemplate the beauty of ordinary days; explore the careers of Domhnall Gleeson, Bill Nighy, and Rachel McAdams; and we’ll answer the question: what would you do if you could rewind and redo your own life? All this and much more as we c...

This week on Every Rom Com we’re covering the foundational movie of the time loop genre - “Groundhog Day”! You’ll definitely learn something new, as we discuss everything from its filming location, to the story behind the script, to the history of Groundhog Day itself. We also delve into time loop ethics, pitch perhaps our wildest sequel idea yet, and proffer intriguing theories about Ned Ryerson....

This week on Every Rom Com we’re continuing our Time Travel and Time Loop series with a look at the 2004 favorite “13 Going On 30.” We’ll discuss the careers of Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo, highlight the film’s iconic moments - from the “Thriller” dance to sharing Razzles, and compare the film to other time travel and body swap movies, with a focus on the 1988 movie, “Big.” But most of all we...

This week on Every Rom Com, we’re beginning our Time Travel and Time Loop series with the 1980 romantic classic “Somewhere in Time” - featuring two co-hosts who tell time travel tales of their own! We’ll explore the careers of Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour, and film composer John Barry; give you the lowdown on the movie’s luxurious Grand Hotel setting; and then Cybil and Ishtar will astound you...

This week on Every Rom Com we’re discussing the music and the misery of “High Fidelity” with Courtney E. Smith, author of the 2011 book Record Collecting For Girls and host of the podcast “Songs in The Key Of Death.” We discuss John Cusack and Nick Hornby, memorable breakups on and off screen, and a whole lot of music! Courtney gives her picks for the top 5 rom com soundtracks, lays out some mixta...

This week on Every Rom Com we’re joined by Asa Espanto of the Bawdy Literati podcast as we discuss our first movie by rom com regular, Jennifer Lopez, the 2001 hit “The Wedding Planner.” We’ll take a look at wedding planning as a career; look back on the truly impressive careers of Lopez, Matthew McConaughey, and Judy Greer; and look more closely at the technically impressive filmmaking driving th...

This week on Every Rom Com, we’re bringing “something old” to the wedding series, with a look at the 1940 classic, “The Philadelphia Story”, starring Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and Jimmy Stewart. We’ll delve into Hollywood history, discuss the fascination with celebrity weddings, and apply a heavy dose of feminist analysis to the film’s plot. Also find out who’s into Jimmy Stewart and who’s *r...

This week on Every Rom Com, Jen and Cybil take on the 2005 lesbian love story, “Imagine Me & You”, which begins at a wedding with a fateful glance between the bride and the wedding florist. Though Jen and Cybil find the film lacking in both chemistry and research on florists, the episode features hilarious commentary, a discussion on love at first sight including a strange never-before-told st...

This week on Every Rom Com we go to the dark-ish side of the rom com genre and join Julia Roberts on her mission to break up a wedding in “My Best Friend’s Wedding.” On the way we explore the gay best friend trope via perhaps the most-beloved gay best friend in rom com history; we mostly succeed at a wedding music trivia challenge; and we talk about an epic karaoke scene with Ed Cunard from the ka...