Sabrina and Torsten have never been kissed by Michael Vartan, which is a thing they have in common with Drew Barrymore’s character in this teen movie that can’t quite decide what it wants to be, except somehow both charming and problematic. The 90s, man… They talk about a few things you may want to check out: – IFoI mainstay Roger Ebert’s review of…

Sabrina and Torsten go to Alaska with Canadian Sandra Bullock and American Ryan Reynolds so she can get a Green Card. High jinx ensue, except all jokes about the U.S. immigration system hit different these days. They talk about a few things you may want to check out: – IFoI mainstay Roger Ebert’s review of the movie: https://www.rogerebert.com/revi…

Torsten and Sabrina tackle another Nancy Meyers romcom in which the stars are not in their twenties. There is, of course, a kitchen, but there’s also Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, and Steve Martin. They talk about a few things you may want to check out: – Reviews of the movie: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/its-complicated-200R – The lost art of …

Sabrina and Torsten are still in Sabrina’s kitchen, but really they're on Andrew Ahn’s “Fire Island” (2022) watching Joel Kim Booster and Bowen Yang put the Pride in “Pride in Prejudice.” They hope not to catch Lyme disease in the outdoors while looking for constellations. They talk about a few things you may want to check out: – Author/Star Joel K…

Torsten has joined Sabrina in her kitchen to say something about “Say Anything,” the 1989 Cameron Crowe directorial debut starring Ione Skye and John Cusack that features THAT boombox in front of the window scene. They neither want to buy anything, sell anything, or process anything as a career. As a career, they don’t want to do that. They do, how…

Sabrina and Torsten still sit on a couch and talk about Nia Vardalos’s one woman show turned successful indie romcom, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.” Stock up on Windex and discover why every word is really from the Greek. They talk about a few things you may want to check out: – Reviews of the movie when it came out: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews…

Sabrina and Torsten sit on a couch and discuss the first movie in the “Bridget Jones” series, 2001’s “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” certainly one of the best thirty films of the year. Starring an American with a convincing British accent (Renée Zellweger), a smarmy Hugh Grant, and a very Darcy Colin Firth. They talk about a few things you may want to che…

Torsten and Sabrina visit the National LGBTQ+ museum in New York to look at the audio-animatronic bisexuals in the first gay major studio romcom starring Billy Eichner and Luke MacFarlane. They talk about a few things you may want to check out: – The discourse surrounding the movie when it was released: https://www.them.us/story/bros-movie-box-offi…

Sabrina and Torsten join in for a sing-along to “I Say a Little Prayer” at a seafood restaurant with Rupert Everett, Julia Roberts, Dermot Mulroney, and Cameron Diaz in this unorthodox late 90s classic romcom that stars all your favorite actors who got famous later on. (Including Carrie Preston and Paul Giamatti.) They talk about a few things you m…

In the second low-budget independent romcom set in South London on this podcast (what are the odds?), Sabrina and Torsten follow David Jonsson and Vivian Oparah as they wander around Rye Lane Market and drink deeply from the well of London romcom lore. They talk about a few things you may want to check out: – Director of Photography Olan Collardy’s…

Crime doesn’t pay in Hope Springs, New York, where Lacey Chabert magics a hot snowman (Dustin Milligan) to life in this joyously bonkers Christmas romcom written by Russell Hainline and directed by Jerry Ciccoritti. Craig Robinson and Joe Lo Truglio co-star as scenery-chewing small-town cops. (Hallmark mainstay Chabert’s first venture into the Netf…

Sabrina and Torsten are ready for the holidays (plural), so they’re going on “The Holiday” (singular). Join them in both L.A. and Surrey where they spend time with Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jack Black, and Jude Law in this least kitchen-y of all Nancy Meyers movies. They talk about a few things you may want to check out: – “The Holiday’s” stature…

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 Starbu…

“This is 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 …

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 ru…

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 …

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 fe…

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 …

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?– Steve…

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– S…

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-blu…

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– …

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 …

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-sleepl…

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…

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 …

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 – Elizabe…

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/cifamer…

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 …

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…

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 Fro…

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 K…

Sabrina and Torsten vow to be better than the Gap and try to figure out how many degrees of separation are needed in order for everything to come together in this tale of Steve Carell getting pygmalioned by Ryan Gosling.Welcome to “In Front of Ira,” the podcast in which historians, friends, and lovers… of rom-coms Sabrina Mittermeier and Torsten Ka…

Sabrina and Torsten take a trip to the Hamptons with Nancy Meyers to write a play by the seaside and hope their hearts survive this romantic comedy starring Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton, Amanda Peet, and Keanu Reeves. Welcome to “In Front of Ira,” the podcast in which historians, friends, and lovers… of rom-coms Sabrina Mittermeier and Torsten Kath…

“Horse and Hound” gives this episode five stars! Torsten and Sabrina discuss the late 90s star-studded British comedy about a star, “Notting Hill“ and wonder who but Julia Roberts could play Julia Roberts.Welcome to “In Front of Ira,” the podcast in which historians, friends, and lovers… of rom-coms Sabrina Mittermeier and Torsten Kathke discuss ho…

In this first regular episode, Sabrina and Torsten discuss 1989's classic romantic comedy “When Harry Met Sally,” a movie in which ecstatic convulsions in restaurants play a strikingly small role, and people talking a rather large one.Welcome to “In Front of Ira,” the podcast in which historians, friends, and lovers… of rom-coms Sabrina Mittermeier…

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 [email protected]…

Mit der Amerikanistin und Historikerin Sabrina Mittermeier, meiner Hauptquelle für Ted-Lasso-News und -Kritik in sozialen Netzwerken, spreche ich (spoilergefüllt) über die Rezeption der AppleTV+ Serie, ihre Merkmale und Qualitäten, die Beschwerden über die letzte Staffel, Fandom und Sabrinas eigene Reise mit AFC Richmond. Sabrinas Recaps zu Staffel…

Wie ich vor kurzem in einem Blogartikel erwähnt habe, wollte ich bereits 2010 Podcaster werden und habe einen vergleichsweise aufwändigen Podcast vom "eDIT Filmmakers Festival" in Frankfurt produziert, aber außerhalb des Blogs nie veröffentlicht. Damals habe ich unter anderem den Editor von "Avatar", Stephen Rivkin, interviewt. Da in diesen Tagen "…

Mit Max-Jacob Ost, dem Kopf hinter 11 Leben wollte ich schon ganz lange sprechen. Denn ich wollte schon lange wissen, wie es hinter den Kulissen eines Podcasts zugeht, den ich diverse Male über den grünen Klee gelobt habe - und den ich bis heute für einen der besten deutschen Podcasts der letzten Jahre halte. In unserem einstündigen Gespräch erzähl…

BONUSFOLGE - Am 11. Juni saß ich mit Jannis Schakarian und Christoph Rieth zusammen auf einer Bühne beim TXT-Festival, der After Hour der re:publica 2022. Wir haben gemeinsam über das Thema Interaktive Fiktion gesprochen, da Jannis Autor der analogen Textabenteuer unter https://www.hastigabenteuer.com/ ist und Christoph für den MDR das interaktive …

Karikaturist Olivier Samter hat der Lockdown befreit - und er hat die Zeit genutzt um viel guten Quatsch zu machen. Musik von Black Sea Dahu.

Kleiner Streifzug durch meine musikalischen Highlights des Jahres. Playlist auf Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0jqPUf0ef6uAa58CnJKGUA?si=3Cy4MXByRCqjWhHmV4OZrQ Playlist auf Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/de/playlist/best-of-2020/pl.u-V9D7yWNFBEKZq0

Ich teile zwölf Podcastprodukte mit euch, die mich 2020 begeistert haben.

Lexpod-Veteranin Becci nennt ein paar persönliche und kulturelle Highlights aus dem vergangenen Jahr, darunter der Sieg eines wichtigen Podcast-Turniers. Musik von Sam Cook.

2020 war auf viele Arten schwierig. Ich habe Leute gebeten, von schönen Dingen zu erzählen. Mein erster Gast Stefan Mesch hat 2020 seinen Debütroman „Zimmer voller Freunde“ nach 11 Jahren beendet. Musik von Pritam feat. Arijit Singh - Channa Mereya.

Ein persönlicher Rückblick und ein paar Gedanken für die Zukunft. Musik von Everything Everything.

Ich bespreche neue Podcasts aus meinem Podcatcher und kündige etwas an. Musik von Dan Croll.

Kritische Gedanken z ur Netflix-Dokuserie nach dem Musik-Podcast. Musik von Moses Boyd

Sie machen den Filmdiskurs im Internet kaputt, sagen einige. Ich sehe das anders. Musik von Butcher Brown.