It Pod to Be You

Hello, romantics! The podcast covers its most recent movie yet with the 2022 romcom BROS! Manish (@vertigay314) welcomes back Daniel Brilliant (@FilmnSports21) for his pick, the sweet, raunchy, and discourse-heavy film starring Billy Eichner and Luke Macfarlane. The two go into themes of identity and queerness, how the film navigates its representation, and its romcom homages. Directed by studio comedy fave Nicholas Stoller, Bros was the first of its kind and should be held up as a new romcom staple. Put on your best Debra Messing scarf and listen in!

Hello, romantics! Your host Manish (@vertigay314) continues the queer romance miniseries with Ang Lee’s 1993 film The Wedding Banquet with guest Alex Marcus (@MediaThinkings)! With a complicated family dynamic, winning performanes, and Ang Lee’s signature compassionate filmmaking, this film is a hidden gem. Alex and Manish dive into the film’s sexual politics, the parental pressures, and a contender for Best Movie Boyfriend. Starring Winston Chao, May Chin, and Mitchell Lichtenstein, The Wedding Banquet is romantic, bittersweet, and surprisingly forward-thinking for a 30 year old queer romcom!

Hello, romantics! Your host Manish (@vertigay314) continues the queer romance miniseries with the twisty erotic noir Bad Education! He welcomes back Sal (@Salandthebadpun) to for her pick, and they discuss the great Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar’s take on identity, abuse, queerness, classic cinema, and filmmaking. Starring Gael Garcia Bernal and Fele Martinez, the film is challenging and disturbing yet beautiful, wistful, and 100% queer!

Hello, romantics! Your host Manish (@vertigay314) begins a new miniseries on Queer Romance: queer movies, queer guests! First up is Erik Anderson (@awards_watch) with Stephen Frears’ 1985 My Beautiful Laundrette. Both a tender, steamy queer romance and a biting look at Thatcher-era England, the film is quite transgressive and radical for its time. Starring a young Daniel Day-Lewis and Gordon Warnecke, the discussion goes into the look of the film, the performances, and how it compares to queer movies today!

Hello, romantics! Your host Manish explores the twisted romance, cult rituals, and arresting visuals of Ari Aster’s 2019 folk horror hit MIDSOMMAR! Returning to the podcast is Caroline Siede (@CarolineSiede), who brings her rom-com expertise to this funhouse mirror romantic comedy. They discuss the fairy tale elements, the controversial ending, the performances and look of the film, and the state of the romcom today! Take some tea with special properties and join the May Queen dance-off!

Hello, romantics! Your host Manish (@vertigay314) invites Melanie Greenberg (@moviemavengal) of Pardesi Reviews (@PardesiYT) for John M. Stahl’s Leave Her to Heaven! The 1945 film starring Gene Tierney is both a dark film noir thriller and a lush, vibrantly colorful Technicolor melodrama.. With a captivating and disturbing lead performance, bonkers twists, and allusions to Greek mythology, the film is one of a kind. Its influence on the “obsessed lover” genre cannot be understated!

Happy 4th anniversary, romantics! To celebrate the occasion, your host Manish (@vertigay314) tackles David Lynch’s elusive, mysterious classic Mulholland Dr.! The highly acclaimed film defies conventional storytelling but has an underlying romance at the center. The film explores obsession, exploitation, Hollywood, and sexuality. Manish welcomes Mattie Lucas (@cinemattie) to discuss Lynch’s poisoned valentine to Hollywood. Open the blue box and enter this nightmarish fantasy!

Manish (@vertigay314) is back with another episode of M. Night Frights, the podcast miniseries celebrating the genre films of M. Night Shyamalan! The Philadelphia genre king is back with Knock at the Cabin starring Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Abby Quinn, Kristen Cui, and Rupert Grint. Manish welcomes back Shuarya Chawla (@Shaurya_Chawla) first for a spoiler free discussion, then a full spoiler chat about the themes, filmmaking, and ending! Answer the knock and listen in.

Hello, romantics! Your host Manish (@vertigay314) invites guest Diego Crespo (@thediegocrespo) onto the Bad Romance miniseries. We’re moving into the Bramford for the 1968 horror masterpiece Rosemary’s Baby starring Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes. They talk about Mia Farrow’s compelling performance, gaslighting, pushy Manhattan neighbors, the inherent fear in pregnancy, and how good the wife guy king John Cassavetes is as a manipulative husband!

Hello, romantics! Your host Manish (@vertigay314) goes into a dream within a dream within a dream within a…well you get the idea! Christopher Nolan’s 2010 blockbuster Inception is known as a mind-bending sci-fi action film, but with guest Bones from @5DayRentalsPod, Manish explores the relationship elements in the film. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Marion Cotillard, the smash hit movie explores breaking up, letting go, and everything in between!