Anti Valentine's Day Movies - You'll Be Glad You're Single (Or Wish You Were)

0:00 In this episode of Pop Culture Weekly, it's all about anti Valentine's Day movies that'll make you glad you're single. Let's go Welcome to pop Culture Weekly with Kyle McMahon from My Heart Radio, your pop culture news, views, reviews and celebrity interviews on all the movies, TV, music, and pop culture u CRABE Weekly. Here's Kyle McMahon. Netta Net, Hello, and welcome to pop Culture Weekly with Kyle McMahon. I of course am Kyle McMahon, and I welcome you. Thank you for joining me on the latest episode of pop Culture Weekly. I once again have Amanda Biez joining me for this episode. So today, in celebration or anti celebration of Valentine's Day, we're doing anti Valentine's Day movies, movies that make you wish your single or make you glad you're single. And I thought this was fun because I don't know. I think Valentine's Day is just a ridiculous holiday that was literally created by greeting card companies to sell stuff that you should be showing these sentiments all year.

1:15 I'm not really a big Valentine's Day person, maybe because I'm single, but I don't hate it. You know, I actually enjoy watching other people, you know, in love, and I think it's beautiful. Okay, I have no problems with love or whatever, like that's cool obviously. I just think it's a dumb holiday. Like why it's just a holiday about showing that you love your significant others. Yeah, but you should be showing that all year. Well, I know what you mean, But I mean you could say the same thing for you know, for Christmas. Why do you have to only look at your family during the holidays. I mean you should be calling them all the time. I do, I know, but just for other people.

1:57 Yeah, But like Christmas is like a religious holiday observed on December twenty fifth. Valentine's Day or Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine is considered actually a Christian feast day honoring a martyr named Valentine. But I feel like it was a holiday created by you know, greeting card companies to sell greeting cards and candy and stuff, you know what I mean. Yeah, And so I don't know, you should be going on a date with your Valentine, you know, throughout the year. Yeah, And when people do that it's just that this holiday, I guess, enforces it more. Yeah, which I don't think is a bad thing.

2:41 No, No, I get it. I don't know. I think that I'm thinking more about healthy relationships, you know, relationships that are those stable relationships, like stable relationships where you know, Valentine's Day is just you go a little bit more because of you know, it being enforced. I don't know. I think that I like Valentine's Day, you know, even as a single person, because it's just nice to see, you know, the world connect with their significant other, even though I don't have one, which I'm I'm okay with. Yeah, but I just think it's really nice to see. I don't know, I don't obviously, I've you know, been in relationships during Valentine's Day and stuff, and it's you know, it's nice to like just just kind of arbitrary. I don't know. I don't know.

3:26 I don't know. It gives a hater maybe maybe you're a little bitter. Not bitter, I just so this Wikipedia says that Valentine's Day is a major source of economic activity, with total expenditures topping eighteen point two billion dollars each year, which is one hundred and thirty six dollars per person wo which is insane. Now that's including giving cards to your mom, your sister, your you know if you're in school, or your little friends Valentine and like stuff like that. But I don't know, what do you guys think? Use the talkback button. If you're on the iHeartRadio app, It's free and it comes right to us, and let me know what you think about Valentine's Day. Is it a sham, is it a you know? What do you think? Or if you're not on the iHeartRadio app, you can go to podcast dot popcultureweekly dot com and click on voicemail to leave a voicemail and you can leave a voicemail that comes directly to me. So in celebration of Valentine's Day, we are doing the top anti Valentine's Day movies that make you wish you were single or or make make you, you know, happy that you're single. So we'll get to that, but before we do, it's time for what do we watch this week? So I watched Heart Eyes, which is

4:59 so so good and I'm actually going to talk about that later in the show. But I also saw the Monkey. I saw a screening of The Monkey because I'm going to be interviewing the cast. So The Monkey is based on a nineteen eighty horror short story by Stephen King that has like this essentially this monkey toy and it's cursed and every time the drum hits crazy death happens. I feel like I've heard this storyline before. Well it's from nineteen eighty. So it's so good. So it's written and directed by Osgood Perkins, who did I love him. He's done The Black Coat's Daughter, I Am the Pretty Things that the pretty thing that lives in the house Gretel and Hansel, which I loved Long Legs, which we both have to watch that movie. Yeah. Now The Monkey is his new one, and it is so good.

5:57 It is outlandish and crazy and darkly funny. Really yeah, I didn't expect it to be funny, and it's like darkly funny, yeah, very much. So it is really really great. I love it, and the cast is great. Theo James stars in it and he's incredible. It's it's just so good and I can't wait. It comes out February twenty first in theaters, and I can't wait for everybody to see it next episode, we're going to have the cast on. Oh wow, Yeah, that's exciting. Yeah, so I'm really excited for that. Neon is releasing the film Love Neon. They always have great projects. They've done stuff like Long Legs, Parasite, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Palm Springs. You know, they're great, great companies.

6:48 So in an event, put that on your list to see. I just want you to put it on your radar now, especially if you're a horror fan. This is the one to watch and comes out February twenty first, put it on your calendar now to go see that opening weekend. You're not gonna want to miss it. So that's what I saw this week. I also finally twenty minutes left, but I started smile too, which is amazing and terrifying, And it was actually so disturbing that I ended up turning the lights on as I watched. Way. Yeah, it was very disturbing. I can imagine watching it in the movie theater in the doork. Yeah, it was insane. When I watched it. I watched it probably only one couple behind us, and needless to say, when the end credits came on, we were right behind that couple they were leaving, and I'm like, you know what, me too, We're we're not staying in this theater a second longer. That movie is one of my favorite movies ever. I don't know why I love it so much.

7:46 It's a great movie and I still have twenty minutes to go to find out how it all right? What do you think is going to happen at the end. I'm curious. I don't know. Okay, that's valid because I didn't know either. Yeah, we'll talk about it more next week. Okay, after I finish it. But I can't believe you ended it. I think I fell asleep or something, not because because it was like four am. Oh, and I was like trying to stay up and I'm like, just twenty more minutes, you got this, And yeah, it didn't happen. In any event, What did you watch? I've watched a couple of movies because I'm trying to prepare for the Oscars. Yeah, so I watched Amelia Perez. Okay, how was that? Oh? I don't complicated.

8:28 It is a complicated movie to describe. I mean, the storyline was interesting. I will say that it was nothing that I had ever seen before. I went into the movie not really knowing what to expect. I didn't know anything about this movie except that it was about a lawyer. That's literally all that I knew. And within the first fifteen minutes I was questioning everything about this movie. I just in a good way, in. A curious way, in a curious way as to how in the world is this movie going to go? I just I didn't see where the vision was heading. And it was a musical. The music was extremely, extremely disappointing, and the songs I felt lasted for forty seconds, thirty seconds, like they weren't even minute long songs. Okay, and it just wasn't it for me. But towards the you know, the middle of the movie, I feel like it's sort of picking up. It's an interesting movie, it really is, but I don't think that it's something that I would watch again. Okay, Yeah, I didn't really know how to feel about the whole entire plot, you know, and premise of it.

9:36 And what else did you watch? I watched Hard Eyes as well, okay, and I watched Kunk Clive, Kunk. C Live, Oh Concave co O n c Ave. No c and cl Oh wait, yeah, yeah, oh okay. I was like, wait, maybe it's just talking about a different movie. Yeah, I watched that movie. How was that? Okay? That one was really interesting? Okay. I almost started watching that and then was like, I don't know if I'm in the mood for it right now. So I did it, but it's still on my list. I mean, it's not a movie that I would gravitate towards, but I do have to say that it was interesting to look at from a perspective of someone who is not Catholic. The whole entire process of determining the new Pope.

10:18 I don't even know that was a real thing. Oh okay, And. So it was like really eye opening to me. And it was a little juicy. It had a little drama to it. It's like old people drama, I think, you know. I mean, this is a movie for I feel it's catered more so towards adults. It's just dialogue, you know, So it's like, you know, it's really just based on that. There's no murder plot, like an assassin or something. I really was hoping, I was honestly hoping that there would be something a little juicy, like the Pope was like a fraud or something. I don't know, but it was. It was really interesting. You know. I don't think I would watch it again, but I could appreciate you know, the whole entire you know, plot of it, okay, and the scenes, the shots, These shots were so amazing. Yeah, I do gotta say, like the cinematography for this movie was so beautiful.

11:09 I okay, so I'll definitely watch it. Then I did grow up Catholic, and it's kind of wild what Catholicism. No, like the whole entire process to get to get a new pope. Oh yeah, yeah, like I didn't even know that was a thing. Yep, yep. And that's why I think I definitely interested in it, you know, and it's gotten rave reviews, so like, you know, I think. I didn't think it was Yeah, I didn't think it was like an amazing film, but like I could appreciate what the director was trying to accomplish. It's just I'm not Catholic, you know, I'm not really into that kind of you know, dialogue based movie. So it's like I don't want to base it off of my opinions.

11:58 Yeah, no, I totally get it. I'm gonna watch it. I mean I was going to any way, but yeah, now I'm like even more. Yeah, give it a shot. A right, next up, what's out this week? All right, So there's some awesome movies coming out this week. Captain America, Brave New World. I'm so hyped to see this me too. I can't help I really love Anthony Mackie as Captain America. Yeah, I just I mean that amazing. Yeah, I'm also curious. I heard it sets the stage for the next Avengers movies. I'm just excited. I'm always excited when I knew MCU movie comes out. So, yeah, Paddington in Peru. Did you see the other Paddington movies?

12:39 I didn't. I really want to watch them, though, I've. Heard they're like, really really good. I've heard that too, which I wouldn't really expect. I know, people are very passionate about them. They really are, and I don't know why. But I mean, I'm not against it. Yeah, it's just it's just kind of I didn't I wouldn't expect it for a movie like that. Yeah, but people apparently are very excited that it's coming out, and they're very passionate about this franchise right, and I don't know. I don't know's it's not really a franchise that I would think would have such passionate fans. Yeah, you know, but I'm not gonna knock it.

13:20 In music, Drake is releasing a new album with Party next Door, and I'm like so anti Drake. Now. I used to love him, and then I just like feel like I just saw through the facade. Like, Bro, you're not hardcore. You grow up rich in Canada. Take a seat, bro. Anyway, so he releases a new album called Some Sexy Songs for You. Sabrina Carpenter releases the deluxe edition of Short and Sweet. I am really falling for a Sabrina Carpenter. I love her. She is like so funny she is. She's hilarious. Her skits always have me cracking up. Yeah, she's so funny. So I'll definitely check out the deluxe edition of Short and Sweet. And then in streaming Waitress the musical, which is do you know who Sarah burrellis is?

14:10 Yeah? I know her. So she wrote this musical called Waitress, which is I believe based on a movie, and but now she made it into a musical and it went on Broadway and now there's a movie they filmed, like the Broadway show. Oh, like how Hamilton did it? Yes, okay, So that's out on Max. The Gorge with Anna Taylor Joy and Miles Teller is out on Apple TV Plus, and that looks really good. It's kind of like a mystery scary sort of thing where there are two trained operatives that are on opposite sides of like this big gorge in the earth and their mission is to like keep these creatures from coming out, and so they kind of have this like long distance relationship through radio, you know, talking on like walkey to and stuff. So it looks pretty interesting. I'm excited for that. And then Cobra Kai Season six, Part three comes out, which if you're a fan of Cobra Kai, this looks awesome. The White Lotus did you watch any of that? No? I didn't, Okay, So it's like a social satire.

15:18 Is it a show? It is a show. Every season is kind of its own thing. So season three comes out on Max and then Bridget Jones Mad about the Boy. It's like the fourth Bridget Jones movie. Who was Bridget Jones? I don't even know? It was like I never watched any of them because they just looked they weren't for me. Yeah, I think they were like romance movies. Yeah. And then Better Man is out on digital to purchase. I really wanted to watch that in theaters. I'm actually really bummed out. I haven't seen it, and let me tell you why, because our regal took it out like the second day that it was released. Because I swear I really was going to watch it after you told me about how good it was. I went on letter box and the reviews are really good, and I was like, oh, okay, like this seems like really good. Actually, yeah, I wanna go watch it and literally no showing.

16:11 Yeah, you will love it. So when you can rent or buy it, it is so amazing. One of my favorites of the year easily. And then Flow, which is a two time Oscar nominee. It's dialogue free. There's no talking throughout the whole movie. It's like animated. Oh it's up for Best Animation. Yeah. So it's like this little black cat is struggling to survive after the flood and then he gets like stranded on a sailboat with all these other animals and so he kind of has to learn to cooperate with the rest of the animals in order to stay alive. Yeah, so that is out on Max as well. I haven't seen that, but I do want to see it. I'll probably check it out this weekend.

16:53 Watch it. Yeah so flow, So that's what's out this week. All right, We're gonna take a quick break and when we come back, we are going to get into Anti Valentine's Day movies. So we'll be back in sixty see you that all right. Thank you for joining us, and thank you for supporting our sponsors. They help this show continue to come every week and help me to get to do what I do for you, so thank you. All right. Our main event Anti Valentine's Day Movies. The movies that make you glad you're single or make you wish you were single.

17:44 So I have a list of ten, which you'll find on my blog popculturewekly dot com. But we're going to go through five of them today and U F five two right. Yes, so, And they're in chronological order. Of when they were released, of how much I like them, Okay, mine, not in any order, they're just there. But Valentine's Day, you and I have talked about this before, but and we talked about it at the top of the show. This is for people that just ain't feeling it today. People that are bitter no, and heartbroken no, and haven't found their person and are low key very sad about it but don't want to express it.

18:27 No. I have no problems being like, first of all, I don't need a relation joke. No, I know it's I know. I can tell you're very triggered by it, though I'm not okay, sorry, You're fine. I'm not bitter like I I am not the type of person who needs to be in a relationship to have validation period. Like I said, even when I was in relationships, I was just like, eh, it's just another day, Like so it's just another day Valentine's I mean, oh yeah, I thought you were waking up thinking that every day. Oh no. So this main event is for those people who just start feeling it today. You know, maybe they they're listening on Valentine's Day to this or before or after or whatever anytime throughout the year and you're just like, maybe you did just go through a breakup, or maybe you're just like screw love, yeah today or maybe you're just like, oh, I hate romancey cute stuff. It's also cliche in film. Let me watch things that aren't that.

19:29 So that's what today's about. So what is your first one? My first one at number five is The Lost City. The Lost City, Oh and Channing Tatum. Yeah, I love that movie. I thought a movie when it came out, and it was so funny to me. I actually did watch this in the theaters. Yeah, and I did love it because it is very much an anti Valentine's Day movie. It's so funny. I just love her character. I can't remember her name. I just loved her character, and he was they were just so opposite. They worked so well. Yeah, because opposite the track. Yeah, I don't know. It was just it was just such a joy to watch. Yeah, it was really funny. It was not cliche. I feel like Loretta. Yes, Loretta Loretta Sage was a former archaeology researcher who writes romance novels centered on the fictional fictional doctor Angela Lovemore and her romantic interest Dash McMahon.

20:26 Yeah, yes, yes, Oh my goodness. And then Brad Pitt's character, Oh god, yeah, oh my goodness cracked me up. I really was laughing so much in that theater. Yeah that is that actually is you know, that's a great choice. I didn't even think about that one. That is a really funny movie, very much anti Valentine's Day. And you know what, even if you are happily in a relationship, like, it's a great movie. Yeah, you know, it's funny, there's adventure, the cast is great, like, yeah, it's just that's a good one, all right. So my first one is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which you've never seen.

21:06 Right, No, I haven't seen it. Shocking, So it is a sci fi romantic drama kind of its stars Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunn, s Mark Ruffalo, Elijah Wood. Yeah, great cat huh all people that I really like. Yeah, amazing cast. And basically it's these two people who were in love who undergo a procedure to get their memory erase so they can forget each other after they break up. What Yeah, it is, You've got to it is so good and it is how do you It is unique. I've never seen a movie like this. It's it's very much not your typical stays in the lines.

22:02 You know what I'm saying. It is very much its own thing. It is heartbreaking, it is good, it is thought provoking. It made me think, Shoot, would I get a memory procedure to erase somebody? Would you? I don't know. I feel like I haven't met anybody as horrible to do that. Maybe not even necessarily horrible as it is heartbreaking. Maybe I loved you so much and it just didn't work out for whatever reason. You moved away for a job and I couldn't move, And it's just so painful that I don't even want to think about it. You know, it's very thought provoking, it is. I still don't think I would do it.

22:42 I don't think I would. I think that that type of things is what makes a person that, you know, It's what helps them grow as a person. Yeah, And you know, I always it's just like death. You know. I grieve my mom all the time. I love her so much and I miss her every day. But you can't have the highs without the lows, right, you know what I mean. I grieve so hard because I love her so much, You know what I mean. One has to come with the other, Yeah, or you can't just be happy all the time or that's just normal, which means you don't have the highs. You just have this bassline all the time, you know what I'm saying.

23:23 And it's not reality to be happy all the time, right, you know? And to have good perception to someone all the time. Yeah, like that's not really reality. Yep. Absolutely, So you've got to check out this movie. It is really incredible. It's become like this cult classic and one of the most interesting films I've ever seen by far. I'm gonna check it out. Really great. Yeah, it won Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards. That won the Oscar for that one Best Original Screenplay at the British Academy Film Awards. Actually, you know the Halsey song Ashley. I love that song. So the dialogue in Ashley is from the movie Oh.

24:07 No Way, Okay. I definitely gotta watch it. Yeah, because hald is one of my favorite artists of all time. Yep. And the track Clementine that comes right after that, yes, yes, that is titled after Kate Winslet's character in the film. I'm putting this on my thing right now. Yeah, because that just screams a movie that I would love. Yeah, it's incredible. So in any event, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is on my list for sure. So all right, what's your next one? So my fourth one is Gone Girl. Oh that's a good one. Yes with Ben Affleck. Yes, I love that movie. I love that movie. It is so good. What do you love about it?

24:48 I just think that it's very dramatic. Yeah, and she's freaking psycho. What's Amy? Amy's freaking psycho. When I first saw it, I was thinking to myself, what in the world, Well, let me not say when I first saw it, because I read the book. I did. I read the book first because one of my good friends wanted me to read this book and I had no idea what it was about. So she told me a little gist of it, you know, and I was like, Okay, I like murder Mysteries, and I'm reading this book and it's very detailed, and I'm like thinking to myself, what is happening. It's such a psychological thriller that it literally takes the book and just embodies it in the movie. Okay, because you know how sometimes book and movie adaptations are just complete terrible. No, this one, it's like they speak lines word for word, not all of them, but it's like it's very, very close. I don't know, it's just so insane the lengths that this woman was willing to take me. I would have just left. And that's it.

25:49 I don't know. I was just watching this movie and it for the first time, and it was like, yeah, this is psychotic. Yeah. I had never read the book, but I did see the movie, and I you know, I really like Ben Affleck. Obviously do like as an actor. No, I like him as an actor. You know that's what I mean. Oh okay, yeah, no, I love love him as an actor. I love the director David Fincher and Rosamund Pike, who's been on the show. Shout out to her. She plays Amy. So I was like, okay, I'm in. It looks like a cool psychological thriller like mystery blah blah blah, and I was hooked on it. It is really, really a great movie. I actually I haven't watched it in a while, so I wanna you know, you've made me want to pull it back out. That is a good one.

26:34 Yeah. We watched it, I think on Tuesday. Oh, okay, for the for the podcast, ye. I was like, I want to watch it again. I haven't seen it in a while, and I don't know watching it from my perspective now that I'm a little older versus the time that I did watch it when I was a little younger, I just really see how unhinged this movie is. And I don't know. She's just very she was very determined. You know, I can I can. I can respect that. Oh I thought you're gonna say I can relate. I was like, no way. I mean, and the fact that what was his name, Nick, The fact that all Nick did was just honestly fall out of love, Like he didn't I mean he did cheat. Okay, he did cheat, but he wasn't like like violent violent towards her. I mean, yeah, he pushed her a couple of times, but it's like you got people that are beating their wives for you.

27:23 Went from he didn't really do anything wrong to well, he cheated and he kind of physically assaulted her besides that. Okay, but like honestly, yeah, but no, you know what yet, I don't know. I just think that just leave. Yeah, you know, he fell out of love with you, he cheated, Okay, he pushed you I mean just you know, maybe do something a little less mundane. But like, I don't know, it was just I would have liked that if Nick was like this raging alcoholic, you know what I mean, like like this is such a terrible, terrible person. I mean, he was a bad person, but I don't think that he was like the fact that he was just like regular guy. I mean, minus the cheating and the physical abuse.

28:06 But oh that's regular guys. I oh my god, am I But but you know, I just think that she was just doing a little too much. Yeah, she was doing a lot too much. But it is a really great I do really love that movie. Yeah, I'm glad you said that because I want to pull that back out. All right. Well, my next one is Blue Valentine. I know that you haven't seen this one. How do you know? Have you seen this one? No? But how would you know if I haven't? I just know. So. Blue Valentine is a movie with Ryan Gosling Michelle Williams. Have you seen it?

28:46 No? I haven't exactly, but it's basically a you okay there. Yeah, I was just trying to think of how to say it without spoilers. It's about a married couple Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling, and like the film shifts back and forth through their time from when they first met to essentially their divorce years later. So it kind of goes back and forth throughout it, and it's done really, really well, and it's I think what it is is such a different take on like, oh, a drama where people fall out of love and divorce. That that's what makes it super interesting. And then the actors, I mean Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams, like they're awesome, incredible actors. So and then you know, combine that with the story how the storytelling is done of like going back and forth through time.

29:38 It's just super creative and really good, I think. So it's just a movie about marriage and divorce. Yes, but it's like how it's done. But it's more complex than that, Yeah, exactly. So it's it's just super it's told we're going back and forth in time basically, so is it. Like past and presence exactly present kind of like gone girl, how they were. Going back in yep. So it it's just unique and how they're telling the story of this romantic partnership that turns into a marriage that turns into divorce, you know what I mean. So I love it for that reason. It's just not your run of the mill drama about divorce.

30:18 It's a great movie. It made a ton of top ten lists that year twenty ten as movie of the year, like The AP Club San Francisco Chronicle USA Today put it at third their third best film of the year. I mean, it's a really yeah, it's a really really great movie that I think it very much encapsulates anti Valentine's. Day and it's a drama. Yes, yep. And Ryan Glossling Michelle Williams like, yeah, totally and yeah yep. So add that to your list. I gotta check that out. What's your next one? So my next one, my number three is Anura. Is this the recent one?

30:58 Yes, Mikey Madison. It's dominated for like. A million Yeah, keep going. I saw that movie last year. So basically it's about a stripper sex worker. Oh yes, okay, keep going. Okay, it's about it. Basically, it's about a stripper sex worker and she gets into this whole entire situationship with this rich guy from Russia. They basically get married. I mean, you could see in the trailer. They get married and and then there's a whole entire situation of trying to basically fight the marriage the parents, Oh okay, got you, and they've just roamed through through New York and it's just so Cinderella gone wrong type of movie. I don't know, I loved it. I mean, I love Mikey Madison, yeah so much. Like her acting was so amazing in this movie.

31:56 It was just such a rollercoaster to see it on the big because I watched it in theaters. I don't know, it was so extremely funny and I just felt like I felt like her, not with the whole like sex workers, but her attitude towards. Life maybe what are you doing here? Pause? But her attitude towards like life, and her attitude of how people treat her and how she basically defends herself and she is not afraid to like speak her mind. Like I saw myself in her in that point of view, and it was just so funny because she's a fighter. I don't know, Like, her character was just so complex and it's really sad beside, like when you look underneath all of the comedy and all of the you know, like drama, Itah, it's a really sad message that this movie is sending out. Okay, I hope it wins something from the Oscars because it honestly deserves it.

32:50 So Sean Baker is the writer and director of this film, and I love Sean. Sean is he did the Florida Project. Did you see that? No? Okay, Florida Project is so good. He has a very different way of how he makes films, like the Florida Project. I think that was the one he used all iPhones to make a film. Or No, that was Tangerine. I think he used all iPhones the Florida. Project, like to film the movie. Yeah, yeah, what, Yeah, that's impressive. It was Tangerine that was filmed with an iPhone. The Florida Project was filmed on thirty five millimeter film, except with an iPhone. Success plus in Disney World in Magic Kingdom without their knowledge. They didn't know that they were Disney No.

33:38 Oh my good. So they didn't have permission, they didn't, you know, They just did it kind of like, oh, we're just here as guests. The film is awesome, And I interviewed most of the cast and the writer and everything. In a previous episode, which I will link in the show notes. But yes, he is. Sean Baker is incredible. So if you like DeNora, you'll like The Florida Project, you'll like Tangerine. He did Red Rocket last year maybe, which is with Simon Rex, where Simon is a middle aged, like retired porn star who leaves La to go back to this like small town in Texas and tries to get his life together or whatever. It's super All of Sean Baker's films are super interesting.

34:27 Yeah, Nora was the first one that I saw from him, and it was definitely it was definitely something. Yeah. I mean I didn't really know what I was going to go watch when I saw Honora. I mean I've seen the trailer obviously and knew that she was a stripper and she, you know, she gets with this guy and there's a whole entire crazy rendezvous that they go through, but I didn't know the details of it. Yeah, And I just think that it was so funny. I mean, it's really a funny movie, and I think that the trailer didn't portray that for a reason. Okay, it looked more like a drama, yeah, like a romance movie, but it was actually extremely funny.

35:07 Okay, another movie that you might like of his Tanzerine that I talked about, that was the one that was shot with iPhones totally. That is about a transgender sex worker who discovers that her boyfriend and pamp has been cheating on her. That's like a crazy movie. It's good. You should. What is a ba sham Baker in these sex workers? He just likes telling stories, I guess from that's. A pretty unique niche it is. But he did a really good job. With the Noras, so I mean, yeah, check out Red Rocket, check out the Florida Project. The Florida Project is crazy. I highly recommend those. So all right, my next one, Heart Eyes, which I just saw. I just saw it too, but it is such a great anti Valentine's Day movie.

35:53 It's Oh and by the way, you can see my review, my one minute movie review of Heart Eyes on TikTok or YouTube shorts at pop Culture Minute on YouTube or at pop Culture Weekly or on TikTok at Kyle to you go to Kyle mcmahonnon it's there, but shout out to my social media channel and. Subscribe and subscribe. But Hard Eyes, I had so much fun watching that movie. It is for me. It is like the perfect definition of an anti Valentine's Day movie. These two aren't in love, you know, they're like co workers that just so happened to kind of. And I don't want to give it away any spoilers, but accidentally kiss, incidentally kiss for a reason, and the serial killer sees them and puts them on his hit list for his annual Valentine's Day couple killings or whatever. And it was so funny, hilarious. Yeah, the kills were ridiculous in a great way, just the whole thing.

36:58 And I love how it never took itself seriously, you know, because some horror movies especially tend to take themselves seriously in instances when they shouldn't. Some horror movies should be taken seriously, but then there's some that are just like so ridiculous, like Heart Eyes leans into that like. Half fun loosen exactly. You know. The kills were definitely ridiculous. Yeah, but I just I love them. I mean they're ridiculously good. Yes, given the film's theme, Yeah, I think that the kills were really appropriate. Yeah, me too. It was just so much fun. And this is one that I would watch every Valentine's Station. Yeah, just like Thanksgiving has become the Thanksgiving movie has become one that I watched in that time frame every year, this will be one that I watch around this time frame every year.

37:46 I do have one thing though, that I wasn't a fan of. I wish that the mask heard eyes would glow twenty four to seven. Okay, that's the only thing. I was very upset when I know, I was very upset really in the theater when the hard Eyes turned on, I was like, that's kind of sleigh. Why are you not having that on twenty four seven? What like you need like special batteries for it? What do we what is like that just set the mask for me? I don't know. That's a very nitpicky thing for me, but it really bothered me. It was really dope when it happened. I was like, oh, it should it. Should be the the thing.

38:28 Yeah, I don't know. It was just really upset. But if it's night goggles on all the time, then in the days like blinding himself doesn't matter. I know they could have found some dumb way around it, but it. Was just like, you know, it's such a sleigh mask. It really is. I hope that there's sequels, you know what, me too. When I was watching it, I was I was watching it in the in the mindset of like, okay, maybe it's going to take a scream type of route where we know who the killer is. So I was watching it and I was like, Okay, let me, let me just cross off the people that are in this movie, like what like, you know, let me just see if and you know, it was very interesting. Yeah, I loved I loved it. I highly recommend it.

39:09 If you haven't seen it, go see it Valentine's Day or Valentine's Weekend or not. Check it out. All right, what's your next one? My next one is get Out by Jordan Peele. Jordan Peele is one of my favorite directors. Oh me too, Me too? Okay, talk about it. So I watched this movie for the first time many years ago. I rewatched it last night actually for this podcast, and my mind is still the same about it. I mean, it's a great film. When I watched it many years ago for the first time, I'm not gonna lie, I didn't understand most of it, Like I didn't understand like really, what why these things were happening and why they were choosing you know, black people as their experiments and you know, all that kind of stuff. And as the have gone by, and I, you know, me being a Hispanic woman and I have experienced things myself, I really understood it. It was one of those movies where it came full circle for me. I was like, you know what, I was too young back then, yeah, but now it's like I get it, yeah, and it is a masterpiece. I really related to Chris as you know, a Latina. I really I really related to him, and just he was the embodiment of I feel as though myself in situations like that, because I've been in situations exactly like that, or I've thought the exact same thing, and it's just really funny to see it on screen and to know I'm not the only one that sees this sketchy shit, yeah, you know,

40:41 and I'm not the only one who thinks it's freaking weird. So I don't know. I just that movie mind blew me so much and I absolutely love it to this day. Yeah. Jordan Pierle is a genius in my opinion, and it's so smart how he made a great horror film on its own, but then underneath of it there's so much meaning and subtex and like it's a commentary on you know, race in America. But I feel like, if you're dumb, you wouldn't even know that, and you could still enjoy the movie. Yeah, you know what I mean? Yeah, Or if you're oblivious, Yeah, like, if you're just like, oh, everything's great, blah blah blah, you could still watch it and be like, this is a great movie. I don't know.

41:26 I think that that was me when I watched it. I was sixteen, Yeah, and I knew about race, you know, I knew about the issues with it, but I don't know, I never really thought much about it because I'm sixteen years old, right, of course my English essay exact. But as an adult, yeah, I mean I really did look at it through a new lens. Yeah, and I mean it was just more impactful for me. Yeah, he's a genius. I freaking love him and everything he does. I love you, Jordan Peele, come on the show, all right. Next up for me is Midsummer. Did you ever see this movie? I'm sorry, no, Okay, I'm shocked, shocked.

42:11 You know what, I don't even know he wouldn't ask me to come back. This movie you should know. You know so Midsummer. I still don't know if it is horrible or amazing. Oh I hate movies like that, but it's super interesting. It makes you start thinking yeah, yeah, And so it is by Ari Astor, who I love. He's done so many great movies like Hereditary and Belle's Afraid. So and it's from A twenty four Who I Love A twenty four their studio. It stars Florence Pugh. Oh I love her.

42:51 Yeah, she's amazing, and Will Poulter is also in it. So basically it is how do I do this without any spoilers? Okay, Florence kind of invites herself to her like guys trip, I mean to her boyfriend's like guys trip, uh, to Sweden to this retreat for guys. No for like anybody. But it was like a guy's trip. And that's really all I can say about it without giving it giving any spoilers. But it is batshit insane. What does she like find secrets and stuff so much?

43:32 It's really hard to talk about without spoiling without giving anything away. I literally had to close my eyes during the movie numerous times at the movie theater. It's scary. Yeah, it is disturbing. It gave me like a bad feeling what yeah. Like physically, like mentally, like. Like I don't like this. But but then after the movie, I literally sat there with this girl and the lights came on and I'm like sitting there and she's like, what that did we just watch? And I was like I don't know, And she's like, what did you think? And I'm like, I don't know. I don't know. If that was incredible, I don't know, if it was like a masterpiece, I don't know, if it was trash, I don't I don't know.

44:22 You see, if I was ever a director, I would want my movies to impact people in that way. Yeah. I love it when I cannot decide on if I like a movie hate a movie. I love that. Yeah, yeah, I mean. And that's why I have talked about it numerous times on the show, this movie, because I don't want to say it's a bad movie, because it's not. You know, it's beautifully shot, it's well written, the acting is great. I just I don't know, I don't know. You know what that was? Honestly, me with the Amelia Perez movie. I didn't know how to feel about it. Yeah, I still, honest to god, don't I don't know if I like it a little bit. I don't know if I hate it. But I get what you're saying when it comes to feeling that after a movie. Yeah, and you just feel so conflicted because it's just so thought provoking.

45:12 Exactly, And so that's what this movie is for me. But by far, it is an amazing anti Valentine's Day movies. Well that's what matters movie. Uh, yeah, it's what matters for this episode anyway. But uh, but yeah, I I highly recommend it. It is so thought provoking. Yeah, I'm just gonna leave it at that. Actually, I don't know nothing about this movie, though. Yeah, tell me something else. Let me see one thing, let me see what like. IMDb says a couple travels to northern Europe to visit a rural hometown's fabled Swedish Midsummer Festival. What begins is an idyllic retreat quickly to evolve quickly devolves into an increasingly violent and bizarre competition.

46:00 Competition. M it is wild. Do yourself a favor and don't look up anything on it. Okay, if you're gonna watch it, you know what I'm saying, because you will be you going in with less knowledge will be it will be more impactful for you when you watch it. Okay, But it's one of those movies that I'm just like, I don't know. I mean, even it's years later and I just I don't know. I don't know. That's all I can say. It's gonna be the reviewing your litter box. I don't even know. That's what I was actually just thinking of. I was like, I should probably go in and review it on letterbox and just be like, I don't even know, I don't know. That's funny. Yeah, but it's well worth your watch, A well worth watch, especially as a film fan, you know what I mean.

46:45 I wouldn't recommend it to the average Joe who's just looking for like a big Hollywood blockbuster. It's not that you know what I mean, It's not what I would recommend. But for somebody like you, you know, and you listening at home or in your car at work or whatever, you guys get it. So I do recommend it for you. Okay, So any midsummer, let's get it. What's your next one? So my number one. This is one of my favorite movies of all time. And it's more of a dark Valentine, dark anti Valentine, So it is a Last Night in Soho Have you seen that movie? I am obsessed with this movie. This movie is easily in my top three favorite movies of all time. It is so good that movie.

47:34 It's some of that movie. When I first watched that movie, I could not even begin to describe the obsession that I had with all things like nineteen fifties and the Hollywood scheme back then, like I was obsessed with like the soundtrack Bomb, I love. I love everybody on that freaking cast, the storyline Bomb. That is pure art. Yeah to me, Yeah, I just I can't. I love that movie so much. I have posters of that movie like in my desk area. I am obsessed. I'm just completely in love with that movie. It is so good. And if you don't know what we're talking about. Twenty twenty one Psychological Harder Horror from Edgar Wright, who I love Edgar Wright. He's another amazing writer and director. He's done things like the World's End aunt Man Scott Pilgrim versus the World showing to the Dead, Hot Fuzz incredible visionary director, writer, and he did this film with Anna Taylor Joy, Matt Smith, Diana Rigg Thomasin McKenzie.

48:49 It's just the whole film. I agree. It's one of those movies that builds a world. Oh yeah, you know what I'm saying. Do I know what you're saying? I love that. Yeah, that's that's a really good one. You know those movies that you wish you could watch again for the first time. Yes, that would be my number one movie that I would want to watch again for the first time because of how much that movie messed with me. Yeah, it was. It was just amazing. Very rarely do I ever leave the theater that impacted from a movie. Okay, I don't know. I love that movie. I don't know why I love the movie so much. No, I agree, I love it too. It is such a good movie. That's like a great choice too. That movie's great. I'm just I can't even talk about it.

49:32 Well. My last one is The Breakup, which from two thousand and six. It's build as a romantic comedy slash drama. Okay, I don't really agree with the building of it being a rom com because it's not. I mean, it is funny and there is romance involved, but it's literally about their breakup, so it's not really a traditional rom com. Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston are starring it, and then Joey laarn Adams is in it, and Margaret great Cast justin long and it really just it is about the breakup of this loving couple, and it's done in a funny way. It's sad almost in a way, because you're like, damn, they loved each other, but now they don't. Yeah, I mean, so this film is different in the fact that it's not you know, most movies are the movie ends once they do fall in love, right, this movie kind of begins when they fall in love and ends with the breakup.

50:43 You know what I'm saying. That's kind of interesting. It really is. It is such a great movie that I was just shocked at I only saw it. I love Vince Vaughan and Jennifer Anison. I will wear a diaper and have people throw pudding at me for her if she wanted me to. But I get it. I get it though. She's just gorgeous and talented and everything. But so I was like, all right, you know what, I'll say it whatever, And I loved it. I was like, wow, this is a really interesting way to look at a relationship. You don't see it all the time in movies as the point of the movie. You know what I'm saying. Yeah, So it's funny, it's real, it's sad, it's happy, it's depressing, it's great. It's the Breakup starring Vince Bones and Jennifer Aniston.

51:40 I feel like I'm selling it. Well, you kind of are. Yeah, true. So anyway, I recommend that if you're in your fields. But I'm never in my field, but. You definitely need to watch Midsummer. Okay, I have that one, and I have the first one. The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Yes, and I want a full report on your letterboxed within the next couple of weeks. Let's not get too ahead of ourselves. All Right. I'm excited for next episode because I'm interviewing the cast of The Monkey. I'm so excited. That's gonna be fun. Yes, I love THEO James. THEO James is amazing and he's amazing in The Monkey. A. Yeah, the whole cast is great and oscod Perkins. I love him.

52:26 I've talked about that. I just I can't wait for everybody to see this February twenty first. I wish that I would see so that I could share in the hype. I know, I'm like, just trusting your word. I'm like, yeah, go ahead, yeah, I will. Like I want to watch it. You should. I want you to use your I mean, you do whatever you want. You're an independent woman. You don't need no man. But I would suggest to you to use your Regal unlimited and go next Thursday for preview night and see the Monkey and enjoy the hell out of it because it is so much much fun and terrifying and funny. I'm intrigued, I really am. It's good. So anyway, all right, well, thank you so much, Amanda.

53:11 Thank you as always. It's always a pleasure to talk pop culture with you. And there's your anti Valentine's Day movie list. Thank you. I don't know what happened there, I rebooted or something. At any event, I will see you next time. I love you. We thank you for listening to pop Culture Weekly. You're all the latest at Popcultureweekly dot com. Love it's such a