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PODCAST

In Front of Ira

Sabrina Mittermeier & Torsten Kathke

Welcome to “In Front of Ira,” the podcast in which historians, friends, and lovers… of rom-coms Sabrina Mittermeier and Torsten Kathke discuss how the romantic comedy genre has evolved, what it can tell us about society, and whether this movie is worth watching. Find us @infrontofira on social media and drop us a line at infrontofirapod@gmail.com

tv & film film history

All Episodes

01:04:46

24. “You’ve Got Mail,” Meg and Tom!

In Front of Ira ·

2024/12/06

Don’t you love New York in the fall? Torsten and Sabrina give each other bouquets of pencils as they discuss how neoliberalism is ruining book shop owner Kathleen Kelly’s life in this Nora Ephron romcom from the late 90s (neoliberalism also goes by the name of Joe Fox, F-o-x). Of course this stars Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, and there’s a lot of Starbucks references.They talk about a few things you may want to check out: – The Ernst Lubitsch movie “Shop Around the Corner” on which this is based:

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01:02:45

23. We Go on a “Chicken Shop Date” with Marisa Kabas

In Front of Ira ·

2024/10/20

“It’s called flirting, Amelia!” Sabrina and Torsten welcome Marisa Kabas to a special episode about a viral real-life romcom: the “Chicken Shop Date” of Amelia Dimoldenberg and Andrew Garfield.They talk about a few things you may want to check out: – Amelia and Andrew at the Golden Globes: https://youtu.be/E6O0wq6GNn8?si=OJ0hcR0IXDlTDtvr – The titular Chicken Shop Date: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFS5vxYlfY8&pp=ygUkYW1lbGlhIGFuZHJldyBnYXJmaWVsZCBmaXJzdCBtZWV0aW5n – Nicholas Quah at Vulture

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00:47:21

22. Chemistry With “Anyone But You”

In Front of Ira ·

2024/08/09

Torsten and Sabrina join Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney for a destination wedding in Australia featuring butt-grabbing and Shakespearean hijinks. Hopefully, no one needs to send a helicopter to save them from drowning in a movie that should work so much better than it does.They talk about a few things you may want to check out: – The fake dating rumors surrounding the movie’s leads: https://www.teenvogue.com/story/sydney-sweeney-admits-to-actively-fueling-glen-powell-dating-rumors – The Netflix

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00:53:07

21. We Find “10 Things I Hate About You” and None Are...

In Front of Ira ·

2024/08/02

Sabrina and Torsten head to Seattle (or is that Tacoma?) to join an all-star teen heart throb cast from the late 1990s take on Shakespeare. Plus, Allison Janney is there. Yes, they watched “10 Things I Hate About You,” counted all the things and noticed… hey… your eyes have a little green in them.They talk about a few things you may want to check out: – The soundtrack for the movie: https://www.discogs.com/de/master/171251-Various-10-Things-I-Hate-About-You-Music-From-The-Motion-Picture – The

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00:55:38

20. We Figure Out “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days”

In Front of Ira ·

2024/07/26

Sabrina and Torsten go back to a time in which people have jobs at print magazines. No it’s not a historical fantasy, it’s a romcom from the early 2000s! They are not on board with Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey being mean to each other in boring ways, but maybe it’s all for the best since there is a Marvin Hamlisch cameo.They talk about a few things you may want to check out: – The inspiration for the movie:

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00:59:50

19. Vespa, Vespa! Take a “Roman Holiday” With Us

In Front of Ira ·

2024/07/19

Torsten and Sabrina encounter Gregory Peck carrying a watermelon and Audrey Hepburn hitting a violin over a man's head while Eddie Albert takes photos. It’s not as weird as it sounds. It’s weirder. Welcome to Rome, the eternal city, where even princesses have gelato.They talk about a few things you may want to check out: – The life of screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, who was forbidden to work during the era of McCarthyism: https://www.biography.com/authors-writers/dalton-trumbo – Audrey Hepburn’s

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01:00:03

18. Let’s See “What Happens Later”

In Front of Ira ·

2024/07/12

Torsten and Sabrina watch Meg Ryan and David Duchovny get stuck in an airport during a bomb cyclone. Wait—is that a thing?They talk about a few things you may want to check out: – Meg Ryan’s dedication of the film to Nora Ephron: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/meg-ryan-acting-hiatus-what-happens-later-rom-com-nora-ephron-160655136.html? – Steven Dietz’s play “Shooting Star,” on which the movie is based:

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01:06:55

17. Not Watching “Pretty Woman” Would Be a Big...

In Front of Ira ·

2024/07/05

Sabrina and Torsten reassess the classic 1990 romcom “Pretty Woman.” Yes, the little arthouse drama that jumpstarted Jason Alexander’s career and isn’t remembered for much else…They talk about a few things you may want to check out: – “Pretty Woman”’s original dark ending: https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/03/pretty-woman-original-ending – Scott Meslow’s book “From Hollywood With Love” and its chapter on “Pretty Woman”:

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01:08:20

16. Color Us “Red, White & Royal Blue”

In Front of Ira ·

2024/06/28

Torsten and Sabrina dive into a world in which British royals fall into cakes, Uma Thurman is president, and “The West Wing” is a queer utopia as they watch the second Nicholas Galitzine movie in as many weeks.They talk about a few things you may want to check out: – Changes between the book and the movie: https://screenrant.com/red-white-royal-blue-biggest-book-changes – The director of the movie, Matthew Lopez:

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01:09:32

15. We Have Ideas About “The Idea of You”

In Front of Ira ·

2024/06/21

We’re back for our summer season 3! Sabrina and Torsten pour themselves some refreshing salad dressing and check in on Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine’s romance in “The Idea of You.”They talk about a few things you may want to check out: – Changes between the book and the movie: https://screenrant.com/the-idea-of-you-book-changes-differences – Katy Waldman’s article on “The Idea of You”: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/the-idea-of-you-and-the-notion-of-the-hot-mom Welcome

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00:53:45

14. True Story, We’re Doing “The Big Sick”

In Front of Ira ·

2024/04/05

In the season two finale, Sabrina and Torsten take their seats for some Kumail Nanjiani standup and promise not to heckle. Not even a woohoo. They’re watching “The Big Sick,” a true story romcom starring Nanjiani and Zoe Kazan that has 98% on Rotten Tomatoes. Be aware: there is no tuna in the lake.They talk about a few things you may want to check out: – The Rotten Tomatoes page for “The Big Sick”: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_big_sick – Criticism of the depiction of South Asian women in

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00:59:03

13. You’re on Air, “Sleepless in Seattle”

In Front of Ira ·

2024/03/22

Sabrina and Torsten meet up with Nora Ephron, Meg Ryan, and Rob Reiner again all the way across the country in this movie podcast referencing a movie that references a movie, “Sleepless in Seattle.”They talk about a few things you may want to check out: – The floating home of Sam, Tom Hanks’s character: https://www.dwell.com/article/how-the-sleepless-in-seattle-houseboat-gave-the-hit-rom-com-a-dose-of-realism-3138a4ea – Rita Wilson’s monologue about “An Affair to Remember”:

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00:51:04

12. Get “Moonstruck”

In Front of Ira ·

2024/03/15

Torsten and Sabrina encounter a one-handed Nicolas Cage in the basement of a Brooklyn bakery and it’s not what you think. Well, okay, it is, it’s “Moonstruck,” Norman Jewison’s 1987 romantic comedy that won Oscars for Cher’s and Olympia Dukakis’s performances.They talk about a few things you may want to check out: – The recent death of “Moonstruck” director Norman Jewison: https://www.bfi.org.uk/news/norman-jewison-obituary-director-heat-night-moonstruck-thomas-crown-affair – John Patrick Shanley’s

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00:54:14

11. Imagine Watching “Imagine Me and You” With Us

In Front of Ira ·

2024/03/08

Torsten and Sabrina join the assortment of odd people stumbling into Lena Headey’s London flower shop in Ol Parker’s “Imagine Me and You,” a romcom about which the BBC says: “If you see only one movie this year about a bride falling for her florist during her wedding day, make sure it’s this one.”They talk about a few things you may want to check out: – Adrian Hennigan’s original BBC review of the movie: https://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2006/06/13/imagine_me_and_you_2006_review.shtml – The Richard

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00:56:48

10. Let’s Go to “Four Weddings and a Funeral”

In Front of Ira ·

2024/03/01

Sabrina and Torsten aren’t ready despite having set a dozen alarms and now have to run to attend “Four Weddings and a Funeral” with Hugh Grant and Andie McDowell. F**k!They talk about a few things you may want to check out: – Richard Curtis’s screenplay for the movie: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/465999.Four_Weddings_and_a_Funeral – Elizabeth Hurley’s safety pin dress at the movie’s premiere: https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/liz-hurley-versace-remember-when/index.html Welcome to “In

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00:46:12

09. Is It Already “Valentine’s Day”?

In Front of Ira ·

2024/02/14

Torsten and Sabrina try to follow all of the 14 storylines in Gary Marshall’s take on “Love Actually,” the 2010 ensemble romcom “Valentine’s Day.” Five, Six, Seven, Eight…They talk about a few things you may want to check out: – Sady Doyle’s snarky review of “Valentine’s Day,” “Worst. Movie. Ever”: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/feb/14/valentines-day-movie-worst – Taylor and Taylor and Taylor, “The internet is obsessed with Taylor Swift's friendship with Taylor

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01:15:16

08. A Hallmark “Heidelberg Holiday”

In Front of Ira ·

2023/12/15

Torsten and Sabrina hope they get into the prestigious Heidelberg Christmas market (fingers crossed!) with Hallmark heroine Heidi Heidelberg and discuss the phenomenon of Hallmark movies. And yes, that’s a quote from Ted Lasso at the beginning. They talk about a few things you may want to check out: – Andrea Braithwaite’s “From Brand to Genre: The Hallmark Movie”: https://doi.org/10.1177/15274764231171070 – Alyssa Hirose and Stacey McLachlan’s “How Hallmark Movies Get Made”:

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01:21:01

07. “Love Actually” Is All Around

In Front of Ira ·

2023/12/08

Torsten and Sabrina controversially don’t hate “Love Actually” but have some thoughts about several of its storylines on the occasion of the beloved and bemoaned Christmas classic’s 20th anniversary. Welcome to “In Front of Ira,” the podcast in which historians, friends, and lovers… of rom-coms Sabrina Mittermeier and Torsten Kathke discuss how the romantic comedy genre has evolved, what it can tell us about society, and whether this movie is worth watching. Find us @infrontofira on social media

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00:57:15

06. “Superbob” in Love

In Front of Ira ·

2023/12/01

Sabrina and Torsten watch Natalia Tena and Brett Goldstein fall in love in this British superhero take on the rom-com also starring Catherine Tate and Laura Haddock. Sabrina has dreamed about discussing a sequel to this film with its star, and also written a review: https://www.thespoilist.com/a-super-late-review-of-superbob-2015/ Welcome to “In Front of Ira,” the podcast in which historians, friends, and lovers… of rom-coms Sabrina Mittermeier and Torsten Kathke discuss how the romantic comedy

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00:46:02

05. Go Back to Your “Sweet Home Alabama,” Reese!

In Front of Ira ·

2023/11/24

Torsten and Sabrina follow Reese Witherspoon from the 2000s-era New York fashion scene to rural Alabama, where they meet a hunky seaplane pilot, odd but charming townsfolk, and a complete lack of historical consciousness. Welcome to “In Front of Ira,” the podcast in which historians, friends, and lovers… of rom-coms Sabrina Mittermeier and Torsten Kathke discuss how the romantic comedy genre has evolved, what it can tell us about society, and whether this movie is worth watching. Find us

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