In Front of Ira (Sabrina Mittermeier & Torsten Kathke)
Explore every episode of In Front of Ira
| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Feb 2024 | 09. Is It Already “Valentine’s Day”? | 00:46:12 | |
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 Lautner and wife, Tay Lautner”: https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/taylor-swift-lautner-dome-friendship-rcna93321 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 Our music is “Night in Venice” by Kevin MacLeod. | |||
| 03 Jan 2025 | 28. We Have an Invite to “My Best Friend’s Wedding” | 00:55:38 | |
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 may want to check out: – The likeability of the Jules character: https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/my-best-friends-wedding-julia-roberts-25-year-anniversary – The “gay best friend” trope: https://www.advocate.com/media/2020/11/20/history-gay-best-friend-film-and-tv#rebelltitem15 Welcome to “In Front of Ira,” the podcast in which historians, friends, and lovers… of romcoms 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 various social media apps and drop us a line at infrontofirapod@gmail.com Our music is “Night in Venice” by Kevin MacLeod. | |||
| 19 Jul 2024 | 19. Vespa, Vespa! Take a “Roman Holiday” With Us | 00:59:50 | |
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 career and later life: https://www.biography.com/actors/audrey-hepburn 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 Our music is “Night in Venice” by Kevin MacLeod. | |||
| 08 Mar 2024 | 11. Imagine Watching “Imagine Me and You” With Us | 00:54:14 | |
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 Curtis cinematic universe, in which this film appears to be set: https://www.brightwalldarkroom.com/2020/10/23/the-richard-curtis-cinematic-universe/ 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 Our music is “Night in Venice” by Kevin MacLeod. | |||
| 01 Dec 2023 | 06. “Superbob” in Love | 00:57:15 | |
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 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 Our music is “Night in Venice” by Kevin MacLeod. | |||
| 17 Nov 2023 | 04. Poor David Lindhagen Is a Victim of “Crazy, Stupid, Love” | 01:00:53 | |
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 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
Our music is “Night in Venice” by Kevin MacLeod.
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| 05 Jul 2024 | 17. Not Watching “Pretty Woman” Would Be a Big Mistake. Huge | 01:06:55 | |
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”: https://books.google.com/books/about/From_Hollywood_with_Love.html?id=BA6azgEACAAJ&redir_esc=y 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 Our music is “Night in Venice” by Kevin MacLeod. | |||
| 27 Oct 2023 | 01. “When Harry Met Sally” Is a Modern Classic | 01:23:05 | |
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 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
Our music is “Night in Venice” by Kevin MacLeod
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| 21 Mar 2025 | 31. Wedding is a Greek Word! Let’s Go to “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” | 00:45:59 | |
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/my-big-fat-greek-wedding-2002 / https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2002/sep/20/artsfeatures3 Welcome to “In Front of Ira,” the podcast in which historians, friends, and lovers… of romcoms 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 various social media apps and drop us a line at infrontofirapod@gmail.com Our music is “Night in Venice” by Kevin MacLeod. | |||
| 10 Jan 2025 | 29. Bro! We’re Talking About “Bros,” Bro! | 01:03:23 | |
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-office-performance-billy-eichner – The fictional LGBTQ+ museum in the film: https://variety.com/2022/artisans/news/bros-lgbtq-museum-billy-eichner-1235392680 Welcome to “In Front of Ira,” the podcast in which historians, friends, and lovers… of romcoms 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 various social media apps and drop us a line at infrontofirapod@gmail.com Our music is “Night in Venice” by Kevin MacLeod. | |||
| 18 Apr 2025 | 35. “The Proposal”: Escapism Is a US–Canadian Love Story | 00:50:39 | |
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/reviews/the-proposal-2009 – A few more facts about the movie: https://www.movieinsider.com/m2964/the-proposal Welcome to “In Front of Ira,” the podcast in which historians, friends, and lovers… of romcoms 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 various social media apps and drop us a line at infrontofirapod@gmail.com Our music is “Night in Venice” by Kevin MacLeod. | |||
| 21 Jun 2024 | 15. We Have Ideas About “The Idea of You” | 01:09:32 | |
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 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 Our music is “Night in Venice” by Kevin MacLeod. | |||
| 05 Apr 2024 | 14. True Story, We’re Doing “The Big Sick” | 00:53:45 | |
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 the movie: https://www.vice.com/en/article/zmvmp3/i-really-liked-the-big-sick-but-please-let-brown-women-live
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
Our music is “Night in Venice” by Kevin MacLeod.
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| 26 Jul 2024 | 20. We Figure Out “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” | 00:55:38 | |
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: https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/02/how-to-lose-a-guy-in-10-days-oral-history – Carrie Bradshaw and the question how 2000s era magazine writers could afford things: https://thoughtcatalog.com/stephanie-georgopulos/2011/06/carrie-bradshaws-budget-in-real-numbers/ 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 Our music is “Night in Venice” by Kevin MacLeod. | |||
| 15 Mar 2024 | 12. Get “Moonstruck” | 00:51:04 | |
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 screenplay for the movie, which reads like a play: https://www.rogerebert.com/tributes/he-stood-on-a-firm-piece-of-earth-john-patrick-shanley-on-moonstruck-director-norman-jewison 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 Our music is “Night in Venice” by Kevin MacLeod. | |||
| 12 Jul 2024 | 18. Let’s See “What Happens Later” | 01:00:03 | |
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: https://books.google.com/books/about/Shooting_Star.html?id=yJ_pPUsv4AcC&redir_esc=y 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 Our music is “Night in Venice” by Kevin MacLeod. | |||
| 22 Mar 2024 | 13. You’re on Air, “Sleepless in Seattle” | 00:59:03 | |
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”: https://ew.com/movies/2018/06/25/sleepless-in-seattle-rita-wilson-affair-to-remember-monologue/ 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 Our music is “Night in Venice” by Kevin MacLeod. | |||
| 28 Jun 2024 | 16. Color Us “Red, White & Royal Blue” | 01:08:20 | |
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: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/red-white-royal-blue-director-matthew-lopez-queer-rom-com-1235558672/ 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 Our music is “Night in Venice” by Kevin MacLeod. | |||
| 04 Dec 2024 | 23. We Go on a “Chicken Shop Date” with Marisa Kabas | 01:03:25 | |
“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 titular Chicken Shop Date: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFS5vxYlfY8&pp=ygUkYW1lbGlhIGFuZHJldyBnYXJmaWVsZCBmaXJzdCBtZWV0aW5n – Nicholas Quah at Vulture on the Andrew Garfield Chicken Shop Date: https://www.vulture.com/article/amelia-dimoldenberg-will-chicken-shop-date-forever.html – Andrew Garfield kissing Stephen Colbert: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbyhbLR0u0A Welcome to “In Front of Ira,” the podcast in which historians, friends, and lovers… of romcoms 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 various social media apps and drop us a line at infrontofirapod@gmail.com Find Marisa at @marisakabas on Bluesky and Threads, and at https://www.thehandbasket.co Our music is “Night in Venice” by Kevin MacLeod. | |||
| 10 Nov 2023 | 03. You May Stay in the Hamptons, but “Something’s Gotta Give” | 01:12:23 | |
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 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 Our music is “Night in Venice” by Kevin MacLeod | |||
| 02 Aug 2024 | 21. We Find “10 Things I Hate About You” and None Are This Movie | 00:53:07 | |
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 death of Heath Ledger: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/lifestyle-news/heath-ledger-death-stephen-gaghan-script-blink-bed-malcolm-gladwell-book-1235838795/ 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 Our music is “Night in Venice” by Kevin MacLeod. | |||
| 01 Mar 2024 | 10. Let’s Go to “Four Weddings and a Funeral” | 00:56:48 | |
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 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 Our music is “Night in Venice” by Kevin MacLeod. | |||
| 14 Feb 2025 | 30. Dear “Bridget Jones’s Diary” | 00:48:22 | |
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 check out: – Reviews of the movie when it came out: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2001/apr/13/helenfielding / https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/bridget-joness-diary-2001 – Reassessments of the fat shaming from more recent commentators: https://archive.thetab.com/uk/2020/07/14/bridget-jones-diary-is-fat-phobic-and-has-actually-aged-terribly-166036 / https://www.vogue.com/article/bridget-jones-weight-obsession Welcome to “In Front of Ira,” the podcast in which historians, friends, and lovers… of romcoms 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 various social media apps and drop us a line at infrontofirapod@gmail.com Our music is “Night in Venice” by Kevin MacLeod. | |||
| 27 Dec 2024 | 27. Want to Meet at “Rye Lane”? | 00:49:48 | |
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 stunning cinemmatography in this movie: https://filmmakermagazine.com/118964-interview-dp-olan-collardy-rye-lane/ – Director Raine-Allen Miller’s thoughts on her film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4OmtSc9iig – The Rye Lane film locations walk: https://walkingpost.co.uk/rye-lane-film-locations-walk/ Welcome to “In Front of Ira,” the podcast in which historians, friends, and lovers… of romcoms 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 various social media apps and drop us a line at infrontofirapod@gmail.com Our music is “Night in Venice” by Kevin MacLeod. | |||
| 04 Apr 2025 | 33. Steal a Boat and Go to “Fire Island” | 00:46:19 | |
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 Kim Booster on his romcom journey: https://ew.com/movies/joel-kim-booster-fire-island-pride-cover-story/ – Actor Bowen Yang on the movie: https://representasianproject.com/features/bowen-yang-fire-island-interview/ Welcome to “In Front of Ira,” the podcast in which historians, friends, and lovers… of romcoms 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 various social media apps and drop us a line at infrontofirapod@gmail.com Our music is “Night in Venice” by Kevin MacLeod. | |||
| 15 Dec 2023 | 08. A Hallmark “Heidelberg Holiday” | 01:15:16 | |
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”: https://www.vanmag.com/city/arts-and-culture/how-hallmark-movies-get-made – Willie Versteeg’s “Early Draft of Hallmark Movie Screenplay”: https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/early-draft-of-hallmark-movie-screenplay-christmas-for-christmas – The Hallmark film “Christmas at the Plaza”: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10921042 which Torsten live-tweeted: https://bsky.app/profile/kathke.com/post/3ke6bnjgxdk2r – The ‘Ted Lasso’ episode “(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea”: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt19655878 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 Our music is “Night in Venice” by Kevin MacLeod. | |||
| 11 Apr 2025 | 34. Remodeling, Having an Affair? “It’s Complicated” | 01:03:37 | |
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 director’s commentary: https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/streaming-killed-the-video-star/ Welcome to “In Front of Ira,” the podcast in which historians, friends, and lovers… of romcoms 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 various social media apps and drop us a line at infrontofirapod@gmail.com Our music is “Night in Venice” by Kevin MacLeod. | |||
| 03 Nov 2023 | 02. When You Say Nothing at All, You Can Still Talk About “Notting Hill” | 01:06:15 | |
“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 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 Our music is “Night in Venice” by Kevin MacLeod | |||
| 24 Nov 2023 | 05. Go Back to Your “Sweet Home Alabama,” Reese! | 00:46:02 | |
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 @infrontofira on social media and drop us a line at infrontofirapod@gmail.com Our music is “Night in Venice” by Kevin MacLeod | |||
| 20 Oct 2023 | 00. Pilot | 00:17:10 | |
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 | |||
| 09 Aug 2024 | 22. Chemistry With “Anyone But You” | 00:47:21 | |
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 show “Everything Sucks” featuring Sweeney: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7078710 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 Our music is “Night in Venice” by Kevin MacLeod. | |||
| 28 Mar 2025 | 32. No But Really, “Say Anything” | 00:50:51 | |
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, however, talk about a few things you may want to check out: – Roger Ebert's review of the movie when it came out: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-say-anything-1989 – Ione Skye's autobiography, “Say Everything”: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Say-Everything/Ione-Skye/9781668048269 Welcome to “In Front of Ira,” the podcast in which historians, friends, and lovers… of romcoms 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 various social media apps and drop us a line at infrontofirapod@gmail.com Our music is “Night in Venice” by Kevin MacLeod. | |||
| 08 Dec 2023 | 07. “Love Actually” Is All Around | 01:21:01 | |
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 and drop us a line at infrontofirapod@gmail.com Our music is “Night in Venice” by Kevin MacLeod. | |||
| 13 Dec 2024 | 25. We’re Going on “The Holiday” | 01:04:58 | |
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 as a Christmas classic: https://slate.com/culture/2023/12/the-holiday-movie-christmas-love-actually-cast.html – The rising popularity of the term “meet cute” following this movie: https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=“meet+cute”&year_start=1800&year_end=2022&corpus=en&smoothing=3 Welcome to “In Front of Ira,” the podcast in which historians, friends, and lovers… of romcoms 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 various social media apps and drop us a line at infrontofirapod@gmail.com Our music is “Night in Venice” by Kevin MacLeod. | |||
| 06 Dec 2024 | 24. “You’ve Got Mail,” Meg and Tom! | 01:04:46 | |
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: https://archive.org/details/the-shop-around-the-corner-1940-ernst-lubitsch – The age of AOL: https://time.com/3857628/aol-1985-history Welcome to “In Front of Ira,” the podcast in which historians, friends, and lovers… of romcoms 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 various social media apps and drop us a line at infrontofirapod@gmail.com Our music is “Night in Venice” by Kevin MacLeod. | |||
| 20 Dec 2024 | 26. Bite into the Snowman Cookie, “Hot Frosty”! | 00:42:10 | |
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 Netflix Holiday Cinematic Universe rocketed straight to number 1 on the streamer’s charts.) They talk about a few things you may want to check out: – “Hot Frosty” writer Russell Hainline’s thoughts on the movie and its title: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/hot-frosty-writer-interview-netflix-holiday-movie-1236063597/ – The Rotten Tomatoes judgment on the movie: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hot_frosty Welcome to “In Front of Ira,” the podcast in which historians, friends, and lovers… of romcoms 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 various social media apps and drop us a line at infrontofirapod@gmail.com Our music is “Night in Venice” by Kevin MacLeod. | |||