Grumpy Octopus

Hello there! It's time for Curtis Convos to blast out of those dusty '90s and into the 21st century. That's right, today we're talking 2001's Bridget Jones's Diary. Renée Zellweger stars as the hapless and too-hard-on-herself Bridget, while our good floppy-haired friend Hugh Grant turns evil this time around. Colin Firth is here to play one Mr. Darcy, which luckily is something he's known to be particularly good at doing. 

Such a charming movie, yet it offers much to ponder. Does Bridget's awkward appeal still hold up in the year 2026? Is Hugh Grant simply more fun as a villain? There may be a Mr. Darcy present, but how similar is this movie to Pride and Prejudice, really? One of these questions has a definitive answer, but you'll have to listen in to find out which. Or possibly just watch Paddington 2.

Enjoy! And remember that we appreciate you, just as you are.

Two weeks have flown by, and it's time for Curtis Convos to jump back into action! In this episode focusing on 1999's Notting Hill, we continue to follow the intrepid adventures of Hugh Grant, who has moved to the titular location and is in fact a whole different character than he was in Four Weddings and a Funeral, although he conveniently shares all of the same looks and mannerisms.

This time he is in love with Anna Scott, a famous movie star played by famous movie star Julia Roberts (she must have had to dig deep for this one). But can a humble seller of travel books sustain a relationship with the most famous woman on Earth? With a rom-com job like that, he'll be fine! 

Come join us as we celebrate the joy of watching a romance where both leads are actually three dimensional and we don't want them to run screaming away from each other. We're just a podcast, standing in front of an audience, asking them to listen to us.

Happy October to you! The spooky season has begun, and so has our mini podcast of decidedly non-spooky movies. That's right, we're commencing with our collection of Curtis Convos, a sojourn into (some of) the films written by Richard Curtis.

First up is the big rom-com breakthrough for both Curtis and stalwart star Hugh Grant, Four Weddings and a Funeral. So many topics to be debated! Which wedding is best? Why don't our leads have any chemistry? Why isn't John Hannah in every movie? Most importantly, is it still raining? We really actually would like to know, please tell us, we wanted to have a picnic later today. Why won't you answer, Hugh? 

Enjoy!

Well, all good things must come to an end, and today marks the final episode of our Ryan Romps minicast. Never fear! We shall be back soon for the fall season with more rom-com discussion, but this is the last call for Meg herself. We're ending by traveling back to when it all really kicked off for her. That's right, we're talkin' When Harry Met Sally. The big one. If you haven't seen it, why are you reading this? Go watch it instead.

This is a movie that asks the real questions. Can men and women ever truly be friends? Yes, obviously. Can every type of food be ordered on the side? Apparently. Most importantly, is he ever going to leave her? Oh honey, no. These beloved characters may not have all the answers, but rest assured dear listeners, we do.

Listen in before you turn 40. It could happen any day now.

Woah! What year is it? Oh, it's 2026, August 14th to be precise, the perfect time for another episode of our Ryan Romps miniseries to drop. For a second, I thought it was 1876! Why, I must have fallen through a time portal just like Hugh Jackman in 2001's Kate & Leopold. The very movie we're discussing today! It must be fate.

Yes, listen in as we talk about a rom-com where the male lead spends a lot more time with his love interest's brother than he does with her, where Meg Ryan is at her most bitter and Hugh Jackman is at his most foppish, and where the time travel mechanics are not entirely clear but it mostly works anyway. The modern world is a real mess, but is it bad enough to convince Meg to run off with this 150 year old manic pixie dream boy? Obviously yes. But do we buy it? That's the real question.

Bonjour! A new episode of our Ryan Romps miniseries drops today, and we're headed to Paris for a most whimsical and romantic adventure. That's right, we're talking French Kiss! French Kiss, the beloved Meg Ryan/Kevin Kline collaboration? French Kiss, the movie that rocked the world? At least it did for one of our hosts. 

Say goodbye to Tom Hanks and thorny ethical rom-com dilemmas, say hello to Kevin Kline and breezy french-accented banter. Well ok, Kevin may have committed some light (and heavy) thievery, but is that really a crime? Jean Reno says yes! Forget all that, we're really here to talk about Meg Ryan and her multiple all-timer comedy moments. You'll have to listen in to discover what they are...

You've got mail! Or rather, a podcast. That's right, a new episode of our Ryan Romps miniseries is out today, completing the Tom Hanks Hat Trick. Goodbye, Tom, you've performed your duties well, but soon Meg will have new screen partners to work with, new pastures to discover. 

But first we conclude the Ryan/Hanks trilogy with...what else? You've Got Mail! It took three tries, but our intrepid protagonists will finally be spending an entire movie engaging in normal conversation. Albeit quite argumentative and bitter conversation.

Can hatred turn into love? Can love triumph over capitalist business practices? Is it wrong to pretend to be somebody else on the internet in order to get closer to that girl you're interested in? Yes to all three! But as to how we feel about all that, you'll have to listen in to find out.

Our summer of Ryan Romps continues today with Sleepless in Seattle! It's Ryan and Hanks together again, and if you liked their chemistry in Joe Versus The Volcano, oh boy, you won't be seeing it here, as they will not be meeting. Or having scenes together. Hmm.

Can a rom-com work if the leads spend almost the entire movie apart? What if a rom-com is secretly just a movie about sad people trying to find some hope for the future? Is that what all rom-coms are? All these questions and more will be thoroughly dissected by us this week. Listen in to discover the answers, we have them! 

And we're back! Today kicks off our summer mini podcast of Ryan Romps! What better way to follow up a series of rom-coms than by watching multiple Meg Ryan movies? By the end of the year, we'll know this genre inside and out.

We're starting with Joe Versus The Volcano! Spoilers: the first half of this miniseries will have a noticeable Tom Hanks focus as well (a Hanks Hat Trick, if you will). But worry not, in this movie he is outnumbered by 1, 2, count 'em, 3 Meg Ryans! And all with different accents. There's a lot to unpack here, in a movie that's quite unlike any we've previously covered.

Why not throw caution to the wind and join us? You only have one life after all. But heed the wise words of Meg: You don't have to jump into that volcano.

Hello hello! Today marks the final episode of our Meyers Marathon, focusing on 2015's The Intern. It's a funky little movie that proposes a hard hitting question: What if you were old and you had a job?

Ok, there may be a bit more to it than that. There's some family drama here, some crazy heist hijinks, possibly even romance (just a tiny bit). But really the main draw is Robert De Niro working for Anne Hathaway, giving out his old man life lessons on one hand and being introduced to Facebook on the other. Anyway, I'm not sure he even has a "job" really, just an internship. Are they paying him? I'm worried they're not paying him. He needs the money to buy more ties for his fancy tie rack, something you young people wouldn't know anything about, with your untucked shirts and loose collars!

Sorry, that sort of young people shaming is exactly the kind of behavior you won't see from Robert De Niro in this movie, since he's basically a total sweetie pie. Listen to the episode to hear us discuss his positive qualities at great length.

We're out of Nancy Meyers movies (for now), but we'll be back soon with more rom-com discussion, so keep an ear out!