Best Friend and Criterion Collection supporter Steffan Sitka joins me to watch two very different movies. He shows me Brand on the Brain and I get a lot of stuff wrong. We talk about Film Noir, stereotypes of the 50s and a Clockwork Orange. I'm enthralled in the love triangle and keep trying to expand it. Then I show him Almost Famous. We talk abou…

Best Friend and perpetual optimist Marcelina Chavira sits miles away from me on a computer to share one of her favorite movies - Harold and Maude. It is weird and both not enough and too much. We talk about ageism, the agency of a woman and how talented Margot Robbie is. Then I show her Tommy Boy and it is very different. We talk about little boy h…

Best Friend and dog actor enthusiast Stephanie Streisand comes on the show to show me a classic - S.O.B. She teaches me a lot about the movie industry, I talk a lot about how dogs break into the biz. She talks intelligently about the background of the movie and how it came to be and I keep nodding, forgetting I'm audio only. Then I show her Empire …

Best Friend and fellow podcaster Myke Thompson joins me on my podcast to revisit an old favorite. He makes me watch True Lies while I try not to fall in love with young Arnold Schwarzenegger. We talk about spies, Jamie Lee Curtis and how I always picture Tom Arnold driving. We laugh a lot and get a lot of stuff wrong. Then I make him watch (500) Da…

Best friend and brother-in-law Marshall Cox "zoom calls" me to talk about some of our favorite SNL scenes. He explains his amazement at the MacGruber sketch becoming a full fledged pop culture icon. We laugh and talk about Pepsi and his wife. Then I show him Enemy at the Gates. I fawn over Joseph Fiennes and Jude Law and Rachel Weiss. We cry and ta…

Best friend and painter extraordinaire Hooks shows me one of their favorite nostalgic movies. We watch State and Main and I swoon over romantic lead Philip Seymour Hoffman. We talk about Los Angeles as two transplants and basically decide it's all avocados. Then I show them Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse and confess my love for Nic Cage and Rubick…

Best friend and political aficionado Emma Lieberman joins me for two great polar opposites. First, she shows me The American President. We laugh about 40 year olds flirting, we talk West Wing and Aron Sorkin and we love Michael J Fox. I get distracted by a much more suspenseful plot. Then I show her Robin Hood: Men in Tights. It's nearly impossible…

Best friend and first time interviewee Kiki Andersen joins me to discuss some classic movies. First she shows me Sleepy Hollow where I laugh and am grossed out by Johnny Depp all at the same time. We discuss how Tim Burton it all is, how Harry Potter actors will always be Harry Potter actors to me, and solving crimes as a woman. Then I show her Die…

Best friend and jazz enthusiast Allison Lyons joins me via Zoom to discuss two incredibly different movies. First she shows me Who Framed Roger Rabbit and I marvel at toons in real life. We laugh about fake hammers and living taxis and Steve Buschemi as a weasel. Then, I show her Reservoir Dogs and we talk about the great part of heist movies, the …

Best friend and movie-review-article writer John Flynn "zooms" me to watch six minutes of a movie. He regales me with stories of a coyote and I insist we watch There will be Blood. I confuse it with No Country for Old Men and we talk a lot about "how it was back then" - though neither of us lived through it. Then I show him six minutes of Ghostbust…

Best Friend and whatever-is-in-your-pantry-chef extraordinaire Marc "The Nucch" Ranucci sits down miles away from me to chat about scary movies. He shows my The Conjuring and tells me that a full world with rules exists inside the Horror movie realm. He teaches me about The Warrens (real people) and Easter Eggs in the movies connecting them. I most…

Best friend and professional college filmmaker Jimmy Flynn "zooms" with me to talk about our favorite movies. He shows me Goodfellas and I keep talking about "The Irishman" despite several warnings. I fall in love with Ray Liotta again (no surprise) and predict horrible things for women. We talk about how great Joe Pesci is as an actor and I can't …

Best friend and recurring quarantine-lifer Alex Warheit sits with me in our living room (as we do every day and night) and shows me a delightful gem - Heartbreakers. I desperately wish Gene Hackman finds the love of his life as we discuss the basics of improv (only for a second), the art of coughing and Boy Meets World. Then I show him He's Just No…

Best friend and opera up-and-comer Elizabeth Hayhurst joins me in a tiny room. She shows me Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and I dream of the olden days. I make incredibly far off predictions and never mention (not even once) that I know the full Gettysburg address. Then I show her Arrival and RUIN the movie, but not the experience. She makes some v…

Best Friend and casual beer drinker Bryan Musil and I sit down to watch two movies in series. First he shows me Paddington 2, a charming movie about a child friendly psychopath and a hunt for gold that ends in a communist moral. Or at least, that's what my dad would say about it. We laugh, we fall in love with a talking bear and we discuss British …

Best friend and all around bad ass Tara Erickson joins me in the pod room to discuss cars, love and music. She shows me Gone in 60 Seconds and we talk about our love of cars, Nic Cage, and Bullet Tooth Tony from Snatch. Ford v. Ferrari comes up more than I'd care to admit. Then I show her A Star is Born and we talk about our love of music and uh, w…

Best friend and Trekkie Gil Baron gives me a personal master class in film. He walks me through what it means to be an independent filmmaker with a strong message by showing me Hollywood Shuffle. I keep talking about "Famous People" like they are untouchables and Gil calls me out. Then I bumble through Rear Window and hope I did the ghost of Alfred…

Best friend and cat whisperer Catherine Durickas joins me for a movie day and forces me to watch Demolition Man. I accuse her of not following directions, we talk about airpods and movies with good guys AND bad guys and we laugh a whole bunch. We also cry, but I won't discuss that here. Then I show her Moonrise Kingdom. She comes out the gate aggre…

Best friend and workaholic Elyssa Phillips joins me in my scent-sational abode to show me one of her favorites - Auntie Mame. I'd never heard of it, but it didn't stop me from reviewing the movie. We talk about the role of the banker in the adoption process and feminism in the 1920's. It's also fun. Then I show her Bridesmaids and she knew literall…

Inquiring mind and best friend Jeannie Ceglar joins me for a fun filled afternoon of sci-fi humor. First, she shows me Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. We talk about history's men and laugh and then we talk about pizza delivery and cry. Then, I show her Spaceballs and quote almost every bit of it. We talk about unappreciated actors and MERCHANDI…

Best friend and closet actor Jahred King takes me on a whirlwind tour of the Golden Gate City. He explains Toxic Black Masculinty while I keep guessing what gentrification is and we bond over skateboarding. Then I show him Memento and I'm not sure either of us know what it's about anymore. I learned a lot and I had a great time.--- Support this pod…

Best friend and taxi connoisseur Briana Jones comes over to my house to show me sci-fi epic The Fifth Element. We crush over Bruce Willis with hair and Bri gets really into a cruise ship scene. Then I show her The Bourne Identity and we bound over spy movies. I laughed a lot and I had a great time. BYE FOREVER--- Support this podcast: https://podca…

Best friend and skateboard aficionado Brendan McCay joins me for some classics. He shows me Mallrats and I fall in love with an escalator bit. I like it so much, I watch the whole movie later! Then I show him a favorite of mine, Lucky Number Slevin. We laugh, we cry, we talk about the Virgin Mary. I learned a lot and I had a great time. BYE FOREVER…

Best friend and vampire impersonator Hunter Altman joins me in my liar for a creepy night of horror. He FORCES me to watch the Honeymoon "in honor of my wedding" he says. It's very fun. I talk about metaphors of moths and how ants factor into the horror genre and basically we just laugh about bugs. Then, I make Hunter watch Snatch and try to figure…

Best friend and sportsball afficionado Jules Forde comes over to show me high school classic Dazed and Confused. Like all the greats, I compare it to American Graffitti, a movie I've ALSO never seen and can never spell. We talk baseball, what I THINK is cocaine and how great Parker Posey is. Then I make him watch Cool Hand Luke and gush over effort…

Best friend and Target fashionista Alyssa Saenz comes over to show me the LGBTQ hit The Bird Cage. I greatly underestimate how great the movie is and get really hung up on an ancillary character. Then I show Alyssa A Beautiful Mind and I cry. That's all you need to know. I learned a lot and I had a great time. --- Support this podcast: https://podc…

Best friend and ice cream enthusiast Carolyn Klarecki comes over for movie night. She shows me Father of the Bride and listens to me while I predict a love story between Martin Short and the daughter of Steve Martin.Then I show her Borat and we experiment with accents and what it means to be a woman. We keep bringing up things the other hasn't hear…

Fellow Mathematician and best friend Pierce Purselley comes over to the new abode to show me a childhood favorite of his. We watch 6 minutes of My Neighbor Totoro and I am transfixed. We talk about depression and ghosts and everything in between (everything).Then I show him The Godfather and take him on a long and winding ten year journey. He stays…

Best friend and tech aficionado Killian Walsh comes over to the NEW APARTMENT to watch some running movies.He shows me The Running Man and I lose myself in who is Arnold and who is his character.Then I show him The Maze Runner and take a deep dive into post apocalyptic teen books that haven't even become movies yet. I learned a lot and I had a good…

Best friend and adventress Nkechi comes over and makes me watch Seven Psychopaths. We laugh and cry at the dark comedy and talk about Grounded for life for a weirdly long time. Then I make her watch The Great Mouse Detective and we discuss the pros and cons of other mouse movies. We learned a lot and I had a great time. BYE FOREVER.--- Support this…

Art lover and best friend Marshall Porter comes over to chat about life. In the midst of all this, we end up recording a podcast. He shows me The Raid, a movie that is 90% action and 10% a foreign language and I am immersed in the culture immediately. We talk about Cabrini Green and Judge Dredd and the made up fiction that I call Chicago History. T…

Best friend and boss man Jared Kleber sits down with me and forces me to watch The Goonies… sober. We talk about childhood friendship, what it's like to grow up in Hollywood, where I know that guy from and women in media. I say A LOT of wrong things and am embarrassed to this day. Then I open his eyes to Amy Adams’ first role in Drop Dead Gorgeous.…

Jessie Bradford fanatic and best friend Joey Bergren comes over and shows me instant classic UHF. We talk about famous stand up comedians and why we are unique individuals. Then we watch Bring It On and I brag about cheerleading and how I grew up weird. I learned a lot and I had a great time. BYE FOREVER. --- Support this podcast: https://podcaster…

Best friend and youtube fanatic Rene Montelongo comes over and shows me Half Baked. I reveal how little I know about the 90s and stoner culture and we discuss the trope in movies where a chill stoner gets with an ambitious babe. We laugh, no one cries, and my cat gets in the way. Classic Dale. Then I show Rene Good Will Hunting. He thinks it's a mo…

Best friend and sketch comedy queen Rosena Cornet and I sit down to share some important movies with each other. Rosena shows me Coming to America, a movie I'm consistently embarrassed to say that I've never seen. We talk about chauvenism, Eddie Murphy's acting chops and my favorite sample from Ludacris' Word of Mouf album that I had memorized at t…

Best friend and plant protector Abby Maurice comes over and we watch Taxi Driver. I take the wrong side and agree with a chauvinist and then Abby sets me straight. Then I show her 6 minutes of Clueless and attempt to explain the whole movie in even less time. We talk blood, guts and glory. I learned a lot and had a pretty good time. BYE FOREVER. --…

Social media maven and best friend Paigepants Wilhide comes to the podcast studio apartment to talk Tom Hanks and more Tom Hanks and why don't I know any Tom Hanks movies? We laugh, we cry, we say "PETA". Then I show Paige Pretty in Pink and we say "socioeconomic status" more times than I care to count. We had a laugh and a confusing time with rumo…

Best friend and bad storyteller Connor Marsico comes over for a movie day. He shows me American Beauty and helps me identify Kevin Spacey. Then, I show him... the movie Psycho! I finally get to spoil the ending, a lifelong dream. We both learn a lot, fall in love with Colin Hanks, and have a good time. BYE FOREVER --- Support this podcast: https://…

Best friend and hilarious musician Allyson Phillips shows me La La Land and teaches me the importance of jazz and following your dreams. I sing a little. I get embarrassed a lot. Then, I show her The Craft and prove that not EVERY witchcraft movie hates doctors. I learned a lot and had a great time. Bye FOREVER. --- Support this podcast: https://po…

In the second part of this revolutionary two part episode, John gets to see a tiny fraction of the Alien anthology. He learns what science fi REALLY means and I explain my childhood. I learned a lot and had a good time. BYE FOREVER. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/minute-twenty4/support…

Best friend and baseball professional (writer) John Laloggia comes over and shows me Big. We talk A LOT. We delve into my aversion to Tom Hanks, how I feel about teaching and John's misunderstanding of science fi. Part two uploaded next. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/minute-twenty4/support…

Best friend and 90s empowered femme expert Alex Warheit brings Pleasantville to the viewing party. We discuss the importance of technicolor in revealing sexual awakenings. Then, I show Alex Live and Let Die and we discuss voodoo, blacksploitation and empowered women (again!). I learned a lot and had a great time. BYE FOREVER. --- Support this podca…

Best friend and wolf expert Dan Sheehan shows me the one-man-cult classic Jumper. I think it is wayyy too much about Egypt and we share a good laugh. Then I show him Heathers and we dive into the NORMAL high school girl experience. Dan is stunned. He never lived this life. Neither did I, but I got significantly closer to the underbelly of the schoo…

Welcome to episode forty-eight of the Honest Mamas Podcast, today Melissa speaks to Allison Purer, LCSW about the work / life balance as a successful entrepreneur. Allison specializes in helping people recover from eating disorders, sexual trauma, and anxiety disorders. She has worked with people struggling with these issues since 1998 and has seen…

Welcome to episode forty-nine of the Honest Mamas Podcast. Today, Melissa speaks to Jessica Slatus about the fourth trimester. Jessica Slatus is a licensed clinical social worker and has been working with adults, adolescents, children, and families for over ten years. She earned her Master’s degree in Social Work at New York University and holds a …

Welcome to episode forty-seven of the Honest Mamas Podcast. Today, Melissa speaks to Dr. Shelly Steinwurtzel about the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) experience. Dr. Shelly Steinwurtzel is a New York state licensed clinical psychologist who has been working with children, adolescents, and adults since 2004 in their pursuit of lasting positive …

Welcome to episode forty-six of the Honest Mamas Podcast. Today, Melissa speaks with Brook Nalle about the issues surrounding your baby and sleep. At Bank Street's Graduate School of Education, Brooke (MS Ed. 2003) learned to apply a developmental lens to her teaching and curriculum design. When she founded Sleepy On Hudson in 2009, she brought and…

Welcome to episode forty-five of the Honest Mamas Podcast. Today, Sophie speaks with Shawn Fink. Shawn has been called the "Yoda of Mamas" and is her 5th year of the Abundant Mama, her blog which has evolved into a 4-week program. She has placed over 1500 mamas onto a path of building an abundant life practice using "soul"-care (her definition of s…

Welcome to episode forty-four of the Honest Mamas Podcast. Today, Claire speaks with Eva Zasloff, MD, about the power of in-home postpartum medical care. Dr. Zasloff is a board-certified family doctor. She received her undergraduate degree at Barnard College, Columbia University and her medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania. She comple…

Welcome to episode forty-three of the Honest Mamas Podcast! Today, Melissa speaks to Dr. Nazanin Moali about eating disorders on the motherhood journey. Dr. Nazanin Moali is a sex and relationship expert and has helped many individuals and couples improve their sex lives and restore and achieve deep and passionate connections with their partners. I…