Dare I called it a LOVEcast? For the entire month of February P.S. I Love Rom-Coms is exploring various romantic comedies with COUPLES as guests. For those unaware, the podcast is hosted by Mia Schauffler and Allie Jennings as they journey on a quest to find which Rom Com is the best of all time. Since I have NEVER seen *gasp* “Never Been Kissed,” the current episode featuring couple Nina Concepción and Kyle Kenyon, I opted to listen to a rom-com episode movie I HAVE seen. For this February 4th episode, the hosts welcome “power couple” Izzy Roland and Brennan Lee Mulligan (D20, Adventuring Academy, Adam Ruins Everything) to discuss the 1987 Oscar-winning film MOONSTRUCK which follows widowed Loretta Castorini (played by Cher) as she falls for her fiancé’s estranged and quite hot-blooded brother, Ronny Cammareri (played by Nicholas Cage).
The episode starts off with a pod custom of channeling a rom-com hero the hosts and guests are currently dialed into. Mia happens to channel the IMDB described “old man” who is the dog-loving side character from the film of note. Who doesn’t love a crying and utterly “confused” character? Allie picks the beloved Mia from Princess Diaries because of that “clumsy, manic energy” moment with the statue, which perfectly leads down a rabbit hole of Allie’s own rom com ACT 1 quirks. Cases in point, being forced to drill through an attractive neighbor’s ceiling to install internet, which of course requires an informal meeting of said Hans. Then there was the time Allie met a fine gent at the cookie store who (because her phone had died) wrote his number down on a piece of paper. Of course, she ended up losing said number and found it too difficult to go back to the cookie store, which she knew he had coffee at every morning! *Fist pump to sky* From there, we learn Izzy was channeling Tai from Clueless as she got dressed for the taping the episode and Brennan was ALL about Rob Reiner’s real life mom who played the woman in When Harry Met Sally who states “I’ll have what’s she’s having.” Classic!
For the meat of the podcast it is the task of hosts and guests to throughly dissect the subject matter. During the breakdown, we learn that Izzy actually made Allie watch Moonstruck for the first time. Spoilers! She actually thought the award-winning film “sucked.” Thank the heavens she was forced to re-watch it! The group also reflects upon the length of the film, the unhinged nature of the characters à la Real Housewives, the non sequiturs, the poor forms of interpersonal communications, the call to mystical forces, and, of course, the unwavering heart that holds it all together. From there, the episode gets into that highly important compilation of film tropes, rating the rom-com with respect to the top 5 picks to date, and one hell of a proposal story from Izzy & Brennan. Let me tell you, its worth listening just for how unbelievably sweet (and tear-jerking for one host) their UCB Inner Sanctum fueled match story plays out to be. Happy listening!
Mentions: Be sure to check out the latest couple guest episode as well as the first P.S. I Love Romance Minisode featuring a real life rom-com moment from a listener and Allie’s homemade pasta guy encounter. Of course, there’s a bunch non Valentine’s Day month P.S. I Love Rom-Coms on Apple Podcasts. Follow the show on IG.