It Pod to Be You

Hello, romantics! The Sports Romance miniseries continues with one of the major movies of the 1990s: Cameron Crowe’s JERRY MAGUIRE! Your host Manish (@vertigay314) is joined by Joe Buttice (@JoeyButts21) to talk about this classic starring Renee Zellweger, Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Regina King. Filled with quotable lines and lovable characters, the movie remains as sweet and charming as ever!

Hello, romantics! Your host Manish (@vertigay314) continues the Sports Romance miniseries with 2015’s Creed! A sequel/reboot of the Rocky franchise the film takes the series back to its roots. He welcomes back Ned Baker (@nednednedned) back to the podcast for this crowd-pleasing epic. Featuring a compelling romance between Michael B. Jordan and Tessa Thompson, captivating fight sequences, and a twist on the underdog story, Ryan Coogler’s sports movie is a modern classic.

Hello, romantics! It’s the start of a new miniseries! We’re tackling sports romances on It Pod to Be You. And what better way to start than John G. Avildsen’s Oscar winner Rocky! The 1976 film is a stone-cold classic, one of the most influential movies of its era. Your host Manish (@verigay314) welcomes back Alisa Rivera (@bollywoodnewbie) for this special movie. Both a gritty rags to riches tale and a tender love story, the film is massively entertaining to this day. Starring Talia Shire and Sylvester Stallone, Rocky is hard to beat!

Hello romantics! Guest host Megan Kearns (@OpinionessWorld) is here to chat with your regular host Manish (@vertigay314) on his favorite Queer Romance: 2005’s Brokeback Mountain! What better way to end this miniseries than with Ang Lee’s Oscar winning western-romance. Manish talks about his attachment to the film, the outstanding filmmaking, and how this movie has a more esoteric happy ending. It’s one of Ang Lee’s major achievements, featuring career defining work from Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, and Michelle Williams.

Hello, romantics! It’s the long-awaited grand finale of the Bad Romance miniseries. Manish (@vertigay314) welcomes guest Zaki Hassan (@zakiscorner) for Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece The Shining! Featuring one the most toxic marriages in Hollywood, the film has been interpeted and reinterpreted. But it’s a horror classic for a reason. Starring Shelley Duvall and Jack Nicholson, The Shining is reflects how much modern horror has changed and how marriages can crumble with or without ghosts.

Hello, romantics! Your host Manish (@vertigay314) enters the final month of the queer romance miniseries with Francis Lee’s tender and gritty 2017 film God’s Own Country! Picked by guest Michael Peers (@Michael_Peers) the film is an acclaimed look at opening up in relationships and how love and romance bring down barriers even in a harsh climate. Manish and Michael talk about the performances, the cultural context, and the beauty of the film as well as how the film reflects modern queer life.

Hello, romantics! Your host Manish (@vertigay314) continues the queer romance miniseries with Weekend, the 2011 romance from Andrew Haigh. Chosen by returning guest Mark Perez (@iameldiablito), the film is a frank, sexy, romantic, and thought-provoking look at queerness and what it means to be who you are. Starring Tom Cullen and Chris New as two strangers who spend a weekend together, the film is quiet, intense, warm, and ultimately unforgettable.

Hello romantics! Your host Manish (@vertigay314) continues the Queer Romance miniseries with Todd Haynes’ glam rock masterpiece VELVET GOLDMINE. Picked by returning guest Gavin (@FriendlessMean), the film explores gender, sexuality, self-discovery, and self-destruction. Starring Ewan McGregor, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Christian Bale, and Toni Colette, the film is kind of about Bowie but not really–moreso this fluid and hedonistic era. Gavin and Manish explore the historical context, the complicated romances, and how the movie stands the test of time!

Merry Christmas in June, romantics! Your host Manish (@vertigay314) welcomes guest Molly (@rasberryrazz) for her pick in the Queer Romance miniseries: the 2015 film CAROL directed by Todd Haynes. The wistful, radical, and magnificent film starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara has emerged as a Christmas classic, and a standout in an already illustrious director’s work. Through its compelling performances, ethereal score, beautiful direction and writing, and surprising meme-readiness, Carol is one present you can unwrap any time of year!

Happy Pride month, romantics! Your host Manish (@vertigay314) celebrates with guest Priyanka Bose (@mspriyankabose) with their pick, the seminal lesbian romance DESERT HEARTS, directed by Donna Deitch. The two talk about the lovely filmmaking, thoughtful themes, and strong performances of this influential queer classic. Starring Helen Shaver and Patricia Charbonneau, the 1985 indie film was the first feature film with a positive lesbian storyline which is wild to think about! It’s greatly entertaining, wistful, romantic, sexy, and quite fresh to this day!