We'll be back on Tuesday with our regular scene study, but today we're offering you a bonus scene study as well. This perk is normally exclusive to Patreon and available to all members. You can sign-up at www.patreon.com/hotandbotheredrompod to hear a bonus conversation about every movie. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 21, 2024•12 min•Season 5Ep. 31
Vanessa Zoltan and Hannah McGregor meet in the Chicago Suburbs to record this week’s episode of Hot and Bothered, about Pretty in Pink – our last movie in our cross-class romance series. This week we explore the delightful aesthetics of the film, the ‘queerness’ of Duckie, and desirability politics. We finish the episode with an interview Holly Chard on the politics and influence of John Hughes. Next week, we look at the final scene of Pretty in Pink. --- If we give you butterflies, consider sup...
Nov 19, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Season 5Ep. 30
For this week’s bi-weekly scene study, Matt Potts is back to dissect the ending of Crazy Rich Asians with Vanessa. They discuss why Eleanor gives her approval, the over-the-top engagement party, and Rachel's final outfit. If you want to hear more of Vanessa and Matt, good news! Together they host the podcast Harry Potter and the Sacred Text . --- If we give you butterflies, consider supporting us on Patreon ! On Patreon we have more great romance content including a bonus close scene analysis wi...
Nov 12, 2024•24 min•Season 5Ep. 29
Vanessa Zoltan and special guest Professor Matt Potts meet at a mansion in Singapore to record this week’s episode of Hot and Bothered, all about Crazy Rich Asians. This week we discuss the tension at the heart of Asian American identities, how family pressures preserve class divides, and the allure of opulence. We finish the episode by calling journalist Jiayang Fan to talk to us about the important cultural impact of the film. --- If we give you butterflies, consider supporting us on Patreon !...
Nov 06, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Season 5Ep. 28
For this week’s bi-weekly scene study, Racquel Gates is back to dissect the ending of Coming to America with Hannah. They discuss what Lisa gives up in moving to Zamunda, the Disney princess evocations, and the many roles played by Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall. Don't forget to check-out Racquel's book, Double Negative: The Black Image and Popular Media ! --- If we give you butterflies, consider supporting us on Patreon ! On Patreon we have more great romance content including a bonus close scen...
Oct 29, 2024•20 min•Season 5Ep. 27
Hannah McGregor and special guest Professor Racquel Gates meet in the fictional country of Zamunda to record this week’s episode of Hot and Bothered, all about Coming to America. This week we discuss the tensions between Eddie Murphy and John Landis, what makes a 'black' film, and Racquel's concept of formal negativity. We finish the episode checking in with Vanessa for her thoughts on the movie. Don't forget to check out Racquel's book, Double Negative: The Black Image and Popular Imagination !...
Oct 22, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Season 5Ep. 26
Have you missed Hannah these past two weeks? Never fear! They recorded a whole episode of their podcast, Material Girls, all about Dirty Dancing. We're sharing it this week before we move onto our next movie, Coming to America . Here's the Material Girls episode summary: In this episode, Marcelle and Hannah are joined by Andrea Warner (she/her), the author of The Time of My Life, an exploration of Dirty Dancing as a deeply feminist film. We begin with a conversation about sexy films that made ou...
Oct 18, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Season 5Ep. 25
For this week’s bi-weekly scene study, Vanessa and Lauren Sandler try not to cry their way through the ending of of Dirty Dancing . They discuss the music choices, the class politics, and the side characters they wish they heard more from. --- If we give you butterflies, consider supporting us on Patreon ! On Patreon we have more great romance content including a bonus close scene analysis with Vanessa and Lauren. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Oct 15, 2024•28 min•Season 5Ep. 24
Vanessa Zoltan and special guest Lauren Sandler meet in the Catskills to record this week’s episode of Hot and Bothered, all about Dirty Dancing – one of our favorite movies of all time. This week we discuss the abortion plot line, Baby’s relationship with her father, and the difference between desire and love. We finish the episode with an interview sociologist Phil Brown on the history of Jews in the Catskills. Phil is the founder and president of The Catskills Institute which is a robust onli...
Oct 08, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Season 5Ep. 23
For this week’s bi-weekly scene study, Hannah and Vanessa break down the many endings of Titanic . They explore the meaning of the Heart of the Ocean diamond necklace and this movie's theology of heaven. As we mention in the episode, Hannah has a new book out! You can buy Hannah's new book, Clever Girl: Jurassic Park, here . --- If we give you butterflies, consider supporting us on Patreon ! On Patreon we have more great romance content including a bonus close scene analysis with Vanessa and Han...
Oct 01, 2024•25 min•Season 5Ep. 22
Vanessa Zoltan and Hannah McGregor meet in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean to record this week’s episode of Hot and Bothered, all about Titanic – our first movie in our cross-class romance series. This week we explore hubris, whether it's possible to divorce James Cameron from the film, and what we consider a ‘shipwreck.’ We finish the episode with an interview with musicologist Julie Hubbert on the mega-hit My Heart Will Go On . Next week, we look at the final scene of Titanic. --- If we give ...
Sep 24, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Season 5Ep. 21
For this week’s bi-weekly scene study, Vanessa and Hannah examine the last scene of Kate & Leopold . They discuss what it would mean to time travel to the past for love and what they would bring with them to 1876. --- If we give you butterflies, consider supporting us on Patreon ! On Patreon we have more great romance content including a bonus close scene analysis with Vanessa and Hannah. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Sep 03, 2024•20 min•Season 5Ep. 20
Vanessa Zoltan and Hannah McGregor meet traveling through time to record this week’s episode of Hot and Bothered, all about Kate & Leopold . It's our final Meg Ryan movie! This week we explore what it meant for Meg Ryan to be a rom-com star at 40 years old and the American fantasy of British history. We finish the episode with an interview with the chief historian of The Center for Brooklyn History , Dominique Jean-Louis, about the Brooklyn Bridge. Next week, we look at the final scene of Ka...
Aug 27, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 5Ep. 19
For this week’s bi-weekly scene study, Vanessa and Casper take a close look at the last two scenes of French Kiss . They discuss Kate's financial sacrifice for Luc and what it means that she's willing to up and move to France. --- If we give you butterflies, consider supporting us on Patreon ! On Patreon we have more great romance content including a bonus close scene analysis with Vanessa and Casper. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Aug 20, 2024•17 min•Season 5Ep. 18
Vanessa Zoltan meets Casper ter Kuile on a beach in Cannes to record this week’s episode, all about the 1995 movie French Kiss directed by Lawrence Kasdan. This week we discuss the 'criminal with a heart of gold' trope and the power of kissing. We finish the episode with an interview with anxiety coach Dave Carbonell , all about aerophobia (a fear of flying). Next week, Casper is back to look at the final scene of French Kiss . --- If we give you butterflies, consider supporting us on Patreon ! ...
Aug 13, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 5Ep. 17
For this week’s bi-weekly scene study, Vanessa and Hannah dissect (and relentlessly mock) the last scene of You've Got Mail . They discuss the lack of actual communication in this scene and the supposed charm of Joe Fox. --- If we give you butterflies, consider supporting us on Patreon ! On Patreon we have more great romance content including a bonus close scene analysis with Vanessa and Hannah. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Aug 06, 2024•22 min•Season 5Ep. 16
Vanessa Zoltan and Hannah McGregor meet on the Upper West Side of Manhattan to record this week’s episode of Hot and Bothered, all about You’ve Got Mail . We’re onto our final Meg Ryan/Nora Ephron collaboration. This week we explore how politics intersect with attraction and interview the former Editorial Director of Publisher’s Weekly, Jim Milliot, about the history of big box bookstores. Next week, we look at the final scene of You’ve Got Mail . --- If we give you butterflies, consider support...
Jul 30, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Season 5Ep. 15
For this week’s bi-weekly scene study, Vanessa and Hannah tackle the last scene of When Harry Met Sally . They discuss the interstitial ‘couch scenes’ which recur throughout the movie and the few details we learn about Harry and Sally’s life after reconciliation. --- If we give you butterflies, consider supporting us on Patreon ! On Patreon we have more great romance content including a bonus close scene analysis with Vanessa and Hannah. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informatio...
Jul 23, 2024•18 min•Season 5Ep. 14
Vanessa Zoltan and Hannah McGregor meet as the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve to record this week’s episode of Hot and Bothered, all about When Harry Met Sally . We’re continuing our deep-dive into Meg Ryan with the movie that put her on the map as leading-lady material. This week we explore whether 'opposites attract' is really a romantic principle we believe in and interview Professor Claude S. Fischer about the social history of telephones. Next week, we look at the final scene of W...
Jul 16, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 5Ep. 13
After our wide-lens analysis of a movie, we're going to spend a week closely studying its final scene. These scenes, which are often Happily Ever Afters, tell us a lot about what's important to the movie and its idea about love and coupledom. In this week's scene, the characters Annie, Sam, and Jonah finally get to meet each other on the top of the Empire State Building. --- If we give you butterflies, consider supporting us on Patreon ! On Patreon we have more great romance content including a ...
Jul 09, 2024•24 min•Season 5Ep. 12
Vanessa Zoltan and Hannah McGregor meet at the top of The Empire State Building to record their first episode of Hot and Bothered together, all about the 1993 classic Sleepless in Seattle . It’s got Meg Ryan, it’s got Tom Hanks, it’s directed by Nora Ephron. What more could you want? For the next nine weeks, we’re thinking about the influence and impact of Meg Ryan as a rom-com super star. Next week, we look at the final scene of Sleepless in Seattle . In two weeks, join us for When Harry Met Sa...
Jul 02, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 5Ep. 11
Well folks – we've arrived! Our tenth and final episode of our How To series about How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days . We've puzzled over its messaging, marveled at its efficiency, and learned a lot about the mechanics of film-making. On today's episode, Vanessa shares her concluding thoughts on the movie and brings her lingering questions to the brilliant cultural critic Anne Helen Petersen. We end the episode looking at the HEA with our new co-host, Hannah McGregor. In two weeks, we're starting the...
Jun 18, 2024•24 min•Season 5Ep. 10
We can't wrap-up a deep-dive into How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days without talking about the most memorable part of the movie – the yellow dress Kate Hudson wears in the climax of the film. And while we're at it, it's worth obsessing over all the costumes in this film because this is a movie steeped in fashion. To help us unpack the craft of costume design, we're welcoming Colin Wilkes on the show. Colin Wilkes is a costume designer who has designed theater, opera, puppetry, TV and film in many genr...
Jun 04, 2024•36 min•Season 5Ep. 9
The music of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days runs the gamut from country-pop songs to whimsical orchestrations. To the modern ear, it all sounds very specific to an early 2000s rom-com moment. This week, to help us understand that moment and the history of movie music more broadly, we have Julie Hubbert on the show. Julie Hubbert is the LaDare Robinson Memorial Professor of Music at the University of South Carolina. She's the writer of Technology, Listening, and Labor: Music in New Hollywood Film (...
May 21, 2024•45 min•Season 5Ep. 8
When watching at rom-com, have you ever noticed that the stars just kind of glow? That their skin looks silky smooth and their apartments are always sun-drenched? Lighting design and camera movement play a huge role in giving rom-coms their particular aesthetic, and those things (we're pretty sure) are part of the art of cinematography. This week, to help us understand the history of cinematography and the particular look of How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days, we have Chris Cagle on the show. Chris Ca...
May 07, 2024•37 min•Season 5Ep. 7
The success of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is built around the chemistry and star-power of its two leading actors: Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey. To truly understand this film, we have to understand the way movie stars operate in Hollywood, what casting these two actors meant in 2003, and what it means today. Helping us in that task is Russell Meeuf , a professor in the school of Journalism and Mass Media at the University of Idaho. His work focuses on celebrity culture, popular cinema, m...
Apr 23, 2024•51 min•Season 5Ep. 6
After talking about setting last episode, we wanted to dig even deeper into the physical space inhabited by Ben and Andie. How does the design of their workplaces, apartments, and date-nights affect how we perceive each of their characters? To help us tackle this topic, we're joined by Production Designer Stuart Blatt. Stuart walks us through the role of Production Designer, how he works with other crew members, and what he noticed specifically when watching How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days? --- If ...
Apr 09, 2024•37 min•Season 5Ep. 5
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days , like many Rom-Coms, is set in New York City. It’s got fire escapes, taxi cabs, and a dramatic Manhattan Bridge scene. In order to understand this film, we have to understand: What is it about New York that is so ripe for romance? And what parts of the city are highlighted in this movie and why? To help us answer those questions, we’re joined by Eric Hynes, the Curator of Film at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York. --- If we give you butterflies, consider su...
Mar 26, 2024•38 min•Season 5Ep. 4
For our annual fundraiser at Not Sorry, we are again supporting the wonderful organization On The Rise. On The Rise’s work begins with individuals experiencing homelessness in Cambridge, Massachusetts and continues if and when they secure housing. From their origin as a women’s organization, their programs have evolved toward inclusion of those historically and structurally oppressed on the basis of gender. In today's episode, Vanessa sits down with On The Rise’s Director of Clinical Services, C...
Mar 14, 2024•27 min
For our next deep-dive into How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days , we wanted to better understand the story structure of a Rom-Com. We called up the delightful Hannah Giorgis, a film critic for The Atlantic, to help us break down the three-act structure and how it operates in this film. Hannah brought some great citations and resources to the show: “You’re So Vain”: An Oral History of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days The Big Sleepover:The fatal flaw of How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days This tweet about romcom wo...
Mar 12, 2024•42 min•Season 5Ep. 3
