Pop This!

Summary: "Holding Out For A Regular Hero." This week we invite singer-songwriter Alexandra Staseson on the podcast to talk about the 1980 biographical musical film Coal Miner's Daughter . Also discussed: Patsy Cline, Birds of Chicago, and the idea of a body-neutral super-hero universe. Show notes:   Every Spider-Hero in 'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,' Explained (Thrillist)   Alexandra Staseso...

Summary:   "Ojai." This week Andrea and Lisa re-watch Easy A and discover that it may not be aging that well. Also discussed: Motley Crue, Ted Danson and the excellent music of Rosie and the Riveters.     Show notes:   How Do You Adapt Motley Crue's Outrageous Memoir Into A Movie? (Rolling Stone)   Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx Retracts Rape Admission (The Guardian)   'I Wouldn't Want This For Anybody'...

Summary:   "Dark souls." This week we invite writer, theatre-maker, and choreographer Andrea Loewen on the podcast to talk about her new book Feeling Better as well as the film Girl, Interrupted . Also discussed: Dirty John , Back with the Ex , and Lisa's theory that Angelina Jolie has never been in a good movie.      Show notes:   Dirty John podcast   Back with the Ex on Netflix   Andrea Loewen's...

Summary:   "Lunch is observed." This week we tackle the much talked-about new Netflix series Russian Doll , with Andrea and Lisa each giving us their own take on what it is about. Also discussed: Groundhog Day , The Good Place , and JOMO.     Show notes:   JOMO: The Joy of Missing Out (Psychology Today)   The Layoffs at BuzzFeed and the Case of the Teen-Age Quiz Maker (New Yorker)   Why Are Young...

Summary:   "Guts or stupidity." In honour of International Women's Day we're paying tribute to the iconic, radical Mexican artist Frida Kahlo and discussing the 2002 film Frida . Also discussed: Fatal Attraction , Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Summer Sisters by Judy Blume.     Show notes:   Glenn Close Wants to Remake Fatal Attraction From A Female Perspective (Screen Rant)   Frida trailer   New York T...

Summary:   "Tiny wins." Film critic Dorothy Woodend is back for an unprecedented five-peat appearance to talk about the movie Roma and, as a bonus, tells us an incredible story about her experience seeing the film. Also discussed: Alice from the Brady Bunch, the 4% pledge, and I'll Be Gone In The Dark .     Show notes:   What Congresswomen wore yesterday and why each outfit's symbolism matters (In...

Summary:   "Accumulated couch knowledge." This week film critic and Tyee Culture Editor Dorothy Woodend joins us for the fourth year in a row to pre-game the 2019 Oscars. Also discussed: True Detective , film swag, and the underrated directing career of Penny Marshall.   Show notes:   Dorothy Woodend's bio   Dorothy Woodend on Rotten Tomatoes   First Reformed trailer   Eighth Grade trailer   Skate...

Summary:   "Be funny at least." This week author and podcaster Dina Del Bucchia joins us to share her considerable expertise in the genre of rom-coms and discuss the classic Meg Ryan movie You've Got Mail .  Also discussed: '90s hair, Pretty Little Liars and the Godfather .     Show notes:   China White Shots   Dina Del Bucchia's personal website   Can't Lit podcast Dina Del Bucchia on Twitter   R...

Summary:   "It's never over." This week we invite author Lindsay Wong on the podcast to talk about her celebrated memoir The Woo Woo, the classic film Joy Luck Club and the everlasting power of mothers. Also discussed: ghosts, superstitions and the Royal Family.     Show notes:   Lindsay Wong's website   Lindsay Wong on Twitter   The Woo-Woo by Lindsay Wong   Jen Sookfong Lee's Year of the Pig hor...

Summary:   "Sometimes a lady likes to have some fun." This week we kick off Oscar season by inviting repeat guest Steven Schelling on the show to talk about The Favorite . Also discussed: gout, Keira Knightley, and hoarding.    Show notes:   Tidying Up with Marie Kondo   Steven Schelling on Twitter   The Favorite trailer   Queen Anne (Historic UK)   Everything You Need To Know About the 18th-Centu...

Summary:   "I have been this woman." This week we invite casting director and union steward Natasha Tony on the show to talk about the sorely underrated film Widows . Also discussed: heist movies, Gillian Flynn, and "unlikeable" female characters.   Show notes:   Oscars host Kevin Hart's homophobia is no laughing matter (The Guardian)   Respectful Workplace Training with Natasha Tony   Widows trai...

Summary:   "It's hard being a diamond in a rhinestone world." This week we invite Samantha Nock of Heavy Content back on the podcast to discuss the loveable movie Dumplin' . Also discussed: Nailed It!, Wentworth and Ellen DeGeneres.   Show notes:   2011 Vancouver Stanley Cup riot   Dumplin' film trailer   Samantha Nock   Heavy Content podcast   " Decrying Desirability, Demanding Care " by Samantha...

Summary:   "Have you ever cried naked sitting in the shower?" This week we revisit the American baby boomer comedy-drama the Big Chill on its 35th anniversary. Also discussed: the weird short-shorts men wore in the '80s, capitalism and the plausibility of swamp sex.   Show notes:   What the movies taught me about being a woman (New York Times)   'If Bobbie Talks, I'm Finished: How Les Moonves Trie...

Summary:   "Sassy girl." It's December at Pop This! and that can only mean one thing: it's time to fight about the worst holiday movie ever made. That's right folks, join Andrea and Lisa for their 4th annual episode dedicated to arguing about  Love Actually vs. The Holiday . Also discussed: the Christmas songs of Sia, Gremlins, and plaid in Hallmark movies.    Show notes:   Zoe Whittall's classic...

Summary:   "Not so little women." Over the years, there have been many film, stage and television versions of the classic book Little Women . Pop This! producer Andrea Gin loves the 1949 version, Lisa Christiansen prefers the 1994 iteration and Andrea Warner is watching both for the first time ever. Let the debate begin!    Show notes:   Gutenberg Project: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott     Lit...

Summary:   "Make me international." This week we talk about our love of Queen Latifah and how Last Holiday is one of the best, most underrated rom-coms of all time. We then also realize it may be so great because it was originally written about a man. Also discussed: LL Cool J, our own last holidays and chronobiology.   Show notes:   Are you a dolphin or a lion? The best time to wake, eat, sleep o...

Summary:   "Unfinished business." This week we talk about The Accused and the importance of believing women with guest Angela Marie MacDougall, the Executive Director of Battered Women Support Services. Also discussed: Jordan Peele, Jameela Jamil and Lola Kirke's feminist Christmas songs.   Show notes:   Jameela Jamil goes after celebrities promoting diet products (The Cut)    The Accused trailer...

Summary:   This week our hosts disagree about what constitutes a good musical, Andrea posits the idea that Mary Poppins is the original Cool Girl, and we all realize Mary Poppins is a different movie than we thought. Also discussed: terrible English accents, the incredible lyrics of "Sister Suffragette" and the gig economy of 1910.     Show notes:   Rashida Jones developing show told from the sitc...

Summary:   This week we invite consultant, facilitator, writer and artist Cicely Blain on the podcast to discuss the film The Hate U Give . Also discussed: Rebel Wilson, Black Lives Matter Vancouver, and the Broken Earth series.   Show notes:   Rebel Wilson apologises for claiming to be the first plus-sized lead in a romcom (The Guardian)   Cicely Blain Consulting   Black Lives Matter Vancouver  ...

Summary:   "A collective breath." This week we are coming live to you from the Vancouver Podcast Festival! Our special guest for this taping was Sam Nock from Heavy Content, and our topic was the classic horror film Misery .   Show notes:   Heavy Content podcast   Samantha Nock on Twitter   Misery trailer   Misery's book burning clip  (Warning: violence)   Misery by Stephen King   Vancouver Podcas...

Summary:   "God is a ruthless bitch." This week we invite writer and activist Diandra Oliver on the podcast to discuss the movie Wild and talk about the Curvy Kili Crew — a group of awesome fat babes who are hiking Mount Kilimanjaro for International Women's Day 2019.   Show notes:   Diandra Oliver's travel and hiking guide website   Diandra Oliver on Instagram     She Explores podcast   Wild book...

Summary:   "You have the same amount of hours in the day as Beyonce." This week we celebrate Halloween by talking about the classic horror film Scream. Also discussed: Big Mouth, Beyonce and Jay Z's marriage, and our favourite scary movies.    Show notes:   A Complete Timeline of Beyonce and Jay Z's Relationship (Capitalxtra)   Tim & Faith: Soul2Soul (Showtime documentary)   Andrea Warner's interv...

Summary:   "Lump of biscuit." This week we talk about the return of Murphy Brown , whose original series was one of the formative TV shows of Andrea Warner's life. Also discussed: Cagney and Lacey , Designing Women , and our dream smorgasbord menus.   Show notes:   Review The New Murphy Brown Was Made to Infuriate Donald Trump (Vanity Fair)   What to Know About Murphy Brown 's History of Making Re...

Summary:   "I might love it but I might also hate it." This week we talk about the terrifying film Hereditary and how it reflects our own personal fears. We also make the shocking discovery that Andrea Warner has never read To Kill A Mockingbird .   Show notes:   Whiskey in a Teacup , Reese Witherspoon   Did Go Set a Watchman spoil Harper Lee's literary legacy? (Guardian)   Hereditary trailer   He...

Summary:   "Damn the man." This week we invite writer and noir fiction expert Don English on the podcast to talk about one of Lisa's favourite films, the 1998 crime comedy Out of Sight. Also discussed: Patty Smyth, Bojack Horseman, and Vancouver Noir .   Show notes:   Patty Smyth on Howard Stern  (1993)   Elmore Leonard   Out of Sight trailer   Don't Look Now trailer   Justified (TV show)   Recomm...