Rom Bombs

We're back! And so is Lindsay Lohan, continuing her Romcomnaissance with another Netflix holiday romcom. But this time the holiday is... St. Patrick's Day? Join us as we discuss "Irish Wish," covering such topics as the definition of "wish," cobblestone streets that look exactly unlike New York City, and the fact that movie writers never seem to understand how the world of publishing actually works.

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Theme music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com

We're back, just in time for Christmas! New holiday romcoms were thin on the ground this year, but we managed to find the Freevee original "Exmas," starring Robbie Amell and Leighton Meester as ex-fiance(e)s who reunite. One of us watched the movie in 5-minute chunks with a toddler kicking them in the ribs, and the other of us watched it like a normal person watching a movie; can you guess which of us liked the movie more?

Join us as we discuss terrible bangs, romcoms continuing to not understand how baking works, romcoms continuing to not understand how toilets work, and what happens when Buzzfeed makes a movie. (That's not a figure of speech. Buzzfeed literally made this movie.)

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Theme music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com (Xmas remix by E)

Holy moly, we've reached episode 50! To honor the occasion, we went out and actually PAID to see a movie in theaters. That movie is "Love Again," a fever dream of a romcom that will make you ask "did I hit my head and wake up in 1997, a year when it might actually make sense for everyone to be obsessing over Celine Dion?"

Join us as we discuss such important topics as:
-Sam Heughan's butt
-Emotional support basketballs
-Chekhov's journalist
-Boy Meets World
-Celine Dion, licensed OB/GYN

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Theme music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com

In this episode, we discuss "Ticket to Paradise," the movie that reunites romcom mainstay Julia Roberts with a George Clooney who has gradually abandoned his suaveness and embraced his wackiness. We all love an enemies-to-lovers story, but can we love a lovers-to-enemies-back-to-lovers-again story? Maybe not?

Join us as we discuss the world's most disappointing wardrobe, the real dangers of swimming with dolphins, Balinese(?) wedding traditions, Schrodinger's yoga pants, and the fact that the creators of this movie clearly did not understand how law school, art curation, or graduation ceremonies work.

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Theme music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com

Ho ho ho! Meeeerry Christmas! What's that in your stocking? It's another holiday episode! In this one we talk about "Christmas With You," the incredibly generically-named Netflix original romcom that marks Freddie Prinze Jr.'s return to the screen. If you enjoyed "Marry Me" then you'll probably enjoy this one, since it's essentially a store-brand "Marry Me" with a slightly more plausible premise. Join us as we discuss FPJ's Just For Men hair, emotional support guitars, whether the Christmas song in this movie was written by an AI chatbot, and sensual tamale-making.

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Music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com (XMas Remix by E)

It's holiday season, baby! And you know what that means: another Vanessa Hudg— (touches earpiece) Sorry, I'm being told that... this can't be right... Netflix didn't put out a Vanessa Hudgens Christmas romcom this year?

Well, we'll just have to settle for "Falling for Christmas," the movie that marks Lindsay Lohan's return to the screen as well as millions of people learning for the first time that there's a guy named "Chord Overstreet." Join us as we run down the checklist of Christmas romcom clichés, consider the movie's threatening undercurrent, and talk about bidets a weird amount considering there are no bidets in this movie.

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Music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com (Xmas remix by E)

In this episode, we discuss "Blast from the Past," the classic 1999 "fish out of water" romcom that itself constitutes a blast from the past, but in case that wasn't enough, we actually recorded this episode a year ago and then E never got around to editing it, so the episode itself is a blast from the past! INCEPTION.

Anyway, join us as we talk about the "born sexy yesterday" trope, proper Air Force bailing-out behavior, the disservice this movie does to Sissy Spacek, and, for some reason, Vanessa Hudgens, even though she is very much not in this movie.

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Music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com

In this episode, we tackle "Moonshot," a straight-to-streaming young adult romcom set *~*in the future*~* when humans live on Mars and yet nothing else has changed. Although we have surprisingly different opinions about this movie, we still manage to tackle lots of important issues, including:
-Cole Sprouse's confusing career and tonsorial choices
-Cat welfare
-What the Big Bang looked like
-Whether it's possible to enjoy a movie without realizing it
Plus J introduces a great new party game: "What DIDN'T happen on Riverdale?"

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Music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com

We're baa-ack! (Actually, we recorded this episode a while ago, and then E took an embarrassingly long time to finish editing it.) In this episode we talk about "Marry Me," the new social-media-infused heir to the golden age of romcoms (the late 1990s). Join us as we talk about JLo's seeming inability to age, Owen Wilson's hair, Central Illinois geography, and the logistics of marrying a stranger pulled out of a crowd.

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Music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com

At last, we reach the end of the holiday season, and our final Netflix original romcom: "Single All the Way," a movie we both unironically enjoyed. Join us as we unpack what exactly makes this movie succeed where so many others have failed, engage in some light nitpicking, and go off on a bunch of tangents because we didn't have enough to complain about.

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Music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com (Xmas remix by E)

Continuing our marathon of Netflix Christmas romcoms, in this episode we discuss “A Castle for Christmas.” It’s yet another British-adjacent royalty-adjacent Christmas movie, but this time without any Vanessa Hudgenses and with a middle-aged couple at the center. Brooke Shields is an “author,” Cary Elwes is a “Scottish” duke, and a big stone house is the “castle” at the center of their romance.

Join us as we tackle such hard-hitting questions as:

-What, exactly, is a castle?
-What crime-related word starts with B?
-Did Myles date Kate Middleton?
-Is Cary Elwes a good actor?
-Who is Winston, and what is wrong with E's brain? (we figure the former out eventually, but the latter is still a mystery)

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Music: “Our Big Adventure” by scottholmesmusic.com (Xmas remix)

It's that time of year again: the chill in the air carries the scent of roasting chestnuts and the sound of multiple Vanessa Hudgenses giggling, so it must be Christmas season! We return to the Princess Switch well to discuss the The Princess Switch 3: Romancing the Star, aka The Princess Switch 3: Still Switchin'!, aka The Princess Switch 3: This One's About Fiona. Join us as we consider character trajectories (who's getting hotter with each movie? who's getting stupider?), the practicalities of laser grids, and the fact that a basketball is almost but not completely unlike a giant diamond-encrusted tree-topper.

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Music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com (Xmas remix)

We're going indie for the big four-oh! In this episode, we discuss "One Small Hitch," the 2013 small-budget romcom that's almost good. Join us as we pinpoint the moments it gets right and the moments where it veers off course. Talking points include: mystery pills, our love of the "fake relationship" trope, how not to get sex-trafficked at the airport, the Jewish version of "blackface," what "The Big C" could stand for, and accidental nude encounters.

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Music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com

Netflix made a gender-swapped version of the teen classic "She's All That," and you'd better believe we watched it. Join us as we discuss "He's All That," asking a wide range of questions including:

-Does Addison Rae's TikTok dancing fame translate into a strong on-screen acting presence? (Spoiler: no)
-What constitutes a good promposal?
-Why did they write a movie about an influencer without bothering to do even a modicum of research about the influencing economy?
-Horses — how do they work?
-Is it possible to replicate the magic of She's All That's infamous synchronized dance number? (Spoiler: no to this one too)

Come for the cinematic critiques; stay for J's utter disbelief at E's lack of pop culture knowledge.

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Music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com

In this episode we tackle the new Netflix original romcom "Resort to Love," a movie we both... actually liked! Christina Milian (of "Falling Inn Love" fame) returns, this time joined by a staggeringly winsome Sinqua Walls and a bafflingly out-of-place Jay Pharoah. Tune in to listen to us discuss proper hiking apparel, karaoke etiquette, gecko romance, and emoji acting. Then take a trip to Mauritius, because it looks really beautiful.

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Music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com

Have you ever wanted to watch a movie with us? Well, now you can! We were recently together in the same room and took the opportunity to record a live commentary track for the 2002 Sandra Bullock/Hugh Grant classic "Two Weeks Notice." Just cue up the movie and press play when we tell you to, and you'll get to hear all of our thoughts on "woman orders takeout" scenes, conniving romcom redheads, some confusing costuming and hairstyling choices, and That Infamous Traffic Scene. You could also listen to this without watching the movie, but you might be somewhat confused, and bored during our long silences.

You can rent the movie, find it at your local library, or if you have a VPN you can watch it on Netflix France. (There are probably also some technically illegal ways to find the movie, but we can't explicitly advocate for that.)

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Music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com

It’s summertime, and that can only mean one thing: it’s teen comedy time! This time we discuss “What a Girl Wants,” the 2003 Amanda Bynes vehicle wherein she plays an ordinary American teen who finally meets her aristocratic British dad (Colin Firth) and just doesn’t fit in. You might call it a “fish out of water” scenario, but that incorrectly implies that there is a milieu in which Amanda Bynes’s character would be at home. It’s more like a “fish out of water but also the fish is allergic to water and falls down a lot” scenario.

Join us as we discuss more bad New Yawk accents, Colin Firth dancing in leather pants, a daughter who clearly inherited her total lack of situational awareness from her mother, Colin Firth dancing in leather pants, a musical Chekhov’s gun that never goes off, an uncomfortably romantic father-daughter reunion, and Colin Firth dancing in leather pants. Did we mention that Colin Firth dances in leather pants in this movie?

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Music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com

We're back, baby! With worse audio quality than ever! E messed up her audio inputs so it sounds like she's recording at the bottom of a well, and J got a new microphone and is still adjusting. But you won't care about our sonic peccadilloes once we dig into "New in Town," the 2009 romcom that, like an Olympic diver scoring perfect tens, made no splash whatsoever. Renee Zellweger is the workaholic city girl who moves to a small Minnesota town, and Harry Connick Jr. is the laid-back country boy who teaches her how to loosen up, via hunting trips, tapioca fights, and telling her that his wife is dead.

How do unions work? Why would a dairy company be headquartered in Miami? We don't know, and neither does this movie.

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Theme music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com

In this episode, we tackle The Wedding Planner, the 2001 Jennifer Lopez/Matthew McConaughey romcom that asks “what if a wedding planner fell in love with the groom of the wedding she’s planning?” and, secondarily, “what if Jennifer Lopez were Italian?” Join us for a lengthy discussion that includes such important topics as:

-What a wedding planner’s job duties do and do not include
-“Italian” accents that really feel like revenge for our complaints about Richard Gere’s accent in the previous episode
-First-draft quirks that should have been replaced in rewrites
-Blatant medical malpractice
-Possible runaway horse malpractice?

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Music: “Our Big Adventure” by scottholmesmusic.com

Ah, Spring. The time when a young woman's fancy turns to abandoning yet another man at the altar. In this episode, we discuss Runaway Bride, the 1999 movie wherein Garry Marshall tried to replicate the magic of Pretty Woman and instead pulled a dead dove out of his sleeve. Join us as we discuss Richard Gere's needlessly bad New Yawk accent, what a journalist is (and isn't), and our undying love of Joan Cusack. Stay as we worry about the welfare of Richard Gere's character's cat.

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Music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com

We're still alive! It's a new year, which means a fresh slate, which means a new opportunity to talk about a Reese Witherspoon movie. This time it's "Home Again," a 2017 romcom in which a divorcee takes in three wayward young filmmakers and... some stuff happens? I guess? Join us as we try to diagnose where exactly this movie went wrong, and in the process discuss our favorite Nancy Meyers movies, E's continuing distrust of tall characters, our surefire crying triggers, and yet more bad American accents.

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Music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com

Here’s a little holiday gift for you! In this bonus episode, we discuss Christmas music: the songs we like, the songs we hate, and what Christmas music in general means to us, two women who do not celebrate Christmas. Plus, E debuts a new version of “Santa Baby” that is sure to fill your heart with holiday joy.

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Music: “Our Big Adventure” by scottholmesmusic.com

In this episode we go back to our roots, as we discuss the sequel to "The Princess Switch," which was very first movie that we covered, two whole years ago! "The Princess Switch 2: Switched Again" has it all: unrequested matchmaking, a flour fight, a recast child role, a Christmas decorating montage, magic(???), a bland white guy wandering around pointlessly, a coronation, a strangely aggressive balloon drop, a spacetime paradox, and THREE — count 'em, three — Vanessa Hudgenses. Truly we are blessed. This is our fourth Vanessa Hudgens movie so far and we won't stop. This is now the Hudgecast.

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Music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com

In this episode, we discuss “Holidate,” the Netflix original romcom that coasts on its stars’ charisma like a brick on a dry Slip’n’Slide. Join us in our bafflement and outrage as we attempt to answer questions such as:

-Is Emma Roberts a bad actress?
-Was this screenplay written in the 90s and tabled for 25 years?
-Which holidays actually call for a date? Probably not St. Patrick’s Day, right?
-How?
-No, really, how did this movie happen?

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Music: “Our Big Adventure” by scottholmesmusic.com

In this episode, we return to the font of bad romcoms that was 1999 to talk about "Never Been Kissed," the movie about a 25-year-old woman who pretends to be a 17-year-old girl but acts like an 8-year-old, and the 30-year-old man who falls in love with her. Romantic, right?

Join us as we ask why this movie thinks proms are costume parties, marvel at the chemistry between Josie and her brother, and reminisce about our own prom and for some reason our elementary school plays.

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Music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com

In this episode, we tackle "Love, Guaranteed," a new Netflix original rom-com that blew its budget on 3 semi-famous actors and had nothing left over for other cast members or any sort of script editing. It's from the same team who brought us "Falling Inn Love," but this movie will make you long for what by comparison was an ensemble cast and intricate plot twists. Join us as we critique the screenwriters' understanding of the law, enumerate the movie's many clichés, and wonder whether it's possible for a rom-com to NOT frame being single as a fate worse than death.

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Music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com

In episode 28, we continue to plumb the depths of 1998 and revisit "Six Days, Seven Nights," the Harrison Ford/Anne Heche screwball romcom that we all need right now. E reveals her adolescent obsession with Harrison Ford, J reveals her familiarity with vacation packages, neither of us reveals a thorough understanding of how small aircraft work, and we both question the logic of casting Danny Trejo as a Polynesian pirate.

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Music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com

In this episode, we return yet again to our adolescence, with the 1998 teen romcom "Can't Hardly Wait." Join us as we discuss Seth Green's jeans, Ethan Embry's accent(?), Jennifer Love Hewitt's nothingness (and hair), giant keychains, stupid nerds, and unfortunate homophobia. Stay for a heated debate about whether a stranded angel stripper has the right to requisition a pay phone.

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Music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com

In episode 26 we discuss “Hitch,” the 2005 romcom that coasts on Will Smith’s charisma and falls flat on Kevin James’s Kevin James-ness. Join us as we debate the ethics of tricking women into relationships and question whether a first date should ever involve ingesting water from the Hudson River. Stay to find out which actors J would get a moon roof for.

Find us on Twitter @rombombs

Music: “Our Big Adventure” by scottholmesmusic.com

In episode 25, we discuss "Forces of Nature," yet another 1999 romcom (was there something in the water that year?). This one features Ben Affleck as an extremely boring dude, Sandra Bullock as a manic pixie dream woman, a hurricane as a metaphor, and an ending we didn't expect. Even after recording our longest episode yet, we're still not sure how we felt about this movie!

Find us on Twitter @rombombs
Music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com

In episode 24, we discuss High School Musical 2, a movie that has left an indelible mark on American culture — a mark shaped curiously like Zac Efron dramatically dancing across a golf course.

We recorded this episode several weeks ago, and it feels a little weird to be releasing it right now, but if you need a little mental break, hopefully an hour of us discussing this dumb, silly movie will fit the bill. Please consider donating to a community bail fund; we've retweeted a thread full of links to them (@rombombs).

Music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com

In this episode, we discuss "The Bounty Hunter," the 2010 Jennifer Aniston/Gerard Butler action romcom that asks "is it possible to root for a couple after one of them locks the other one in the trunk of a car?" and answers it with a resounding "Jesus Christ, NO." Join us as we try to figure out why Jennifer Aniston never really made it in movies and very quickly figure out why Gerard Butler never really made it in romantic comedies.

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Music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com

Good news, everyone: Jeremy Renner has finally released the female empowerment single we've all been waiting for. It's called "Every Woman" and it teaches us that women can be anything they want to be, as long as what they want to be is someone related to and/or sleeping with Jeremy Renner. Join us in this bonus episode as we unpack the song, raising questions like:

-Is Jeremy Renner flirting with his sister?
-How does he think flowers work?
-How many lawsuits should be spurred by this song?
-Is this the least empowering female empowerment song ever?
-What, exactly, is Jeremy Renner's... whole deal?

Find us on Twitter @rombombs

Music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com

In this episode we discuss “Someone Like You,” a 2001 Ashley Judd/Hugh Jackman romcom that brings home a report card full of Needs Improvements and with “fails to live up to its potential” written in the comments section. J brings her expertise on neuroanatomy, E brings her expertise on what is and is not anthropology, and we both bring our expertise on what treasures are lurking underneath Hugh Jackman’s baggy, baggy slacks. Come for the first ever musical plot summary (performed by J’s sister, D); stay for our intensive analysis of what may be the worst kiss ever committed to film.

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Music: “Our Big Adventure” by scottholmesmusic.com

It's bonus episode time! We're doing what we can to help distract you from, well, (gestures to everything). And what we can do is make up hypothetical romcom titles and challenge each other to come up with plots. Join us for masterpieces like "Thyme for Love" and "It's Better to Have Loved and Flossed." Stay for the gay pirates. Are we losing our minds? Maybe!

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Music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com

In episode 21, we discuss "Get Over It," yet another late 90s/early 2000s teen romcom that's based on a Shakespeare play, except this one isn't ACTUALLY based on a Shakespeare play, it just... includes it? Sort of? A proto-psychotic Ben Foster is paired with a sleepy Kirsten Dunst as they sing and dance their way through a Midsummer Night's Dream, finding love along the way (also getting shot with a crossbow and accidentally getting naked at a basketball game). J takes issue with Kirsten Dunst's singing face; E comes up with a new invention that's sure to take the world by storm. Come, join us in this brave new world (that's a Shakespeare reference, you guys).

Music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com

If you've been wishing we'd do a movie everyone has seen, episode 20 is for you! We tackle everyone's favorite basic cable staple, "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days," a movie that posits the question: what if there was a girl, but she wasn't like other girls? And what if she had to PRETEND to be like other girls? And what if Matthew McConaughey was there too and sometimes took his shirt off?

Join us as we interrogate plotlines that make no sense, compare relative levels of assholery, analyze inappropriate song choices, and, as always, critique wardrobe choices.

Music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com

How much effort does it take to make a sibling swap work? More than the makers of "The Family Stone" were willing to put in! In this episode, we discuss the 2005 Sarah Jessica Parker/Dylan McDe-- uh, I mean, Dermot Mulroney vehicle that takes the "uptight career woman" trope to the next level. Join us as we get outraged on SJP's behalf, put forth a reading of the movie that was almost certainly not intended, question screenwriter culinary knowledge yet again, and consider whether a Christmas movie should include mastectomy scars. (Hint for that last one: no, it should not.)

Music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com

We’re back! After a slightly-longer-than-usual break, we dive back into the deep end with “Can You Keep a Secret?”, a surprisingly charming 2019 direct-to-video romcom that only came to our attention because it stars Tyler Hoechlin, an actor E is endlessly fascinated by, for both obvious reasons (I mean, look at him) and not-so-obvious ones (which we get into in the podcast).

Tune in for that mystery and many others:
What happens when a woman spills all her scandalous secrets to the handsome stranger sitting next to her on an airplane, only to discover that he’s her boss?
Why does this movie think that the founder of an energy drink company has the same level of fame as Mark Zuckerberg?
What does “bringing out the pancakes” mean?
Why do we keep calling the protagonist’s ex-boyfriend “Cooper” when his name is actually “Connor”?
Why does it sound like E recorded her audio in a bathtub inside a cave? (No, really, if you know the answer to this one please let us know.)

Music: “Our Big Adventure” by scottholmesmusic.com

In episode 17, we dive into The Knight Before Christmas, a Netflix original holiday romcom that asks, "what if a 14th-century knight became patient zero for a new Black Death by bringing his germs into the year 2019?" Okay, it doesn't actually ask that, because he's too busy speaking anachronistically modern English and falling in love with Vanessa Hudgens. But WE ask that, along with such questions as:
-Is "Sir Cole" the worst name for a knight?
-Is cannibalism technically illegal?
-What the hell is going on with the Netflix romcom wardrobe department? Are these sweaters a cry for help?

Music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com

In episode 16, we talk about the new Netflix Christmas(ish) rom-com "Holiday in the Wild," a movie wherein Kristin Davis gets a second start at life and for some reason falls in love with a pointlessly cocky safari pilot. This movie has it all: Elephants! Confusing character development! Casual racism! Regionally inappropriate accents! Baffling makeup and wardrobe choices! Baffling Rob Lowe's nude torso! Tune in and hear our many thoughts.

Music: "Our BIg Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com

In this very spoooOOoooky Halloween episode, we discuss "Teen Wolf," the 1985 Michael J. Fox cult classic that was surprisingly difficult to track down. Join us as we compare this gung-ho eighties comedy to the gritty MTV teen drama, sometimes favorably and sometimes not-so-favorably. This movie has everything: Baffling fashion! Extremely flammable hair! Truly insane foley! A girl named "Boof"! The only thing that's missing is any kind of complex plot surrounding, y'know, the existence of werewolves.

Music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com

In Episode 14, J indulges E’s David Tennant kick and we discuss “The Decoy Bride,” a 2011 British rom-com that pairs the aforementioned Tenth Doctor with Kelly Macdonald and the rocky moors of the Outer Hebrides. Although we both enjoyed the movie, this episode is our most contentious yet! Tune in as we disagree on a wide variety of issues, including:
-Was the ending of this movie a surprise?
-How good does David Tennant’s butt look in tight plaid bellbottoms?
-Is it romantic or condescending to describe someone as a “chapter”?
-Just how bad is it to threaten to push a woman in a wheelchair off a cliff?
We may disagree on these and other issues, but fret not — our friendship remains intact. We won't be hanging out on clifftops together any time soon, though.

(Side note: sorry for the crappy audio quality on this one. No idea what happened but we will try to troubleshoot it before we record the next episode!)

Music: “Our Big Adventure” by scottholmesmusic.com

In this special celebration of our 30th friendiversary, we discuss a movie that came out the year we first met: "Chances Are," the 1989 Robert Downey Jr. vehicle that asks the question "what if Marty McFly and his mom had made a real go of it?" The answer, unsurprisingly, is: it would be profoundly emotionally disturbing, which is what this movie is, despite its framing as a PG-rated romantic farce. Join us as we unwind this tale of reincarnation, judicial corruption, Schrödinger's incest, and the most unflattering haircut we've encountered yet.

Music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com

In episode 12, we discuss the brand new Netflix original rom-com “Falling Inn Love,” a movie that pushes the limits of filmmaking by asking “how many clichés can you pack into a single film?” Join us as we discuss the ups and downs of Christina Milian’s performance, ponder the irresistibility of widowers, question various financial and renovation decisions, and bring to bear our respective areas of expertise, goats (J) and driving stick (E).

Music: “Our Big Adventure” by scottholmesmusic.com

In episode 11, we tackle “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again,” the sequel to “Mamma Mia!” that was pretty much the opposite of what we thought it was going to be. For one thing, it turns out it isn’t actually a rom-com! But it’s too late for us to do anything about that now, because we poured several hours of our lives into this and there’s no way we’ll let that be wasted.

Join us for a marginally-more-somber-than-usual discussion that includes:
-Attempting (and failing) to make sense of the movie’s supposed timeline!
-Debating proper puking etiquette!
-Real-time googling the lyrics to Super Trouper!
-And a lot of making fun of Pierce Brosnan’s singing, and also Russell Crowe’s singing, even though Russell Crowe is not in this movie!

Music: “Our Big Adventure” by scottholmesmusic.com

In this deluxe* episode, we discuss the long-awaited (by E) and long-dreaded (by J) “This Means War,” the 2012 rom-com that made Tom Hardy swear he’d never do another rom-com. Chris Pine and Tom Hardy are CIA-agent best friends fighting over Reese Witherspoon, and in the process they abuse their authority and waste millions of taxpayer dollars. Tune in as we critique the protagonists’ spy skills, interrogate baffling character names, and are forever changed by the worst sentence ever uttered in the English language.

*longer than usual because a) we have a lot to say about this movie, and b) E is on vacation and isn’t willing to put in the effort to edit the episode down more.

Music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com

In this episode of Rom Bombs, we discuss Chasing Liberty, the teen rom-com that… wait, this can’t be right… we actually ENJOYED? Mandy Moore helms this 2004 movie about the president’s daughter falling in love — not to be confused with First Daughter, the 2004 movie about the president’s daughter falling in love — and we couldn’t help but be charmed.

Join us as we question the protagonist’s situational awareness, perv on Matthew Goode (just a little), and reminisce about how terrible early 2000s fashion and music was.

Follow us on Twitter: @rombombs

Music: “Our Big Adventure” by scottholmesmusic.com

In this episode, Ryan Reynolds rockets to the top of our list of personae non gratae with 2005's movie "Just Friends." This film has it all: Ryan Reynolds in a fat suit, copious mentions of the "friend zone," a protagonist violently assaulting a group of small children, and a flaming reindeer hitting a man in the balls. You should not even think about watching this movie; consider this episode us throwing ourselves on a grenade for you.

Tune in and find out all of the ways we think this movie should be eliminated from existence and all of the movie villains J would rather see star in a romantic comedy.

Music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com

It's the end of the school year, which can only mean one thing: time for a classic teen romantic comedy! In episode 7, we dip into the pantheon of nineties teen movies to talk about "She's All That," the makeover movie starring Freddie Prinze Jr., Rachel Leigh Cook, and an all-star cast of background characters

Did this movie age well? How does it compare to its fraternal twin, "10 Things I Hate About You"? Why do rom-com writers not seem to understand what aprons are for? Listen and find out!

In this special bonus episode, we discuss a movie that was neither a rom nor a bomb. This was originally supposed to be a hot-off-the-presses tide-you-over episode recorded right after we saw the movie on opening weekend, but then E procrastinated on editing so you're getting it two weeks late. Hope you still care about Avengers: Endgame! If not, you won't have to wait too long until the next, normal episode comes out.

In this slightly unhinged episode, we discuss “The Perfect Date,” the brand new Netflix original teen rom-com that drove us both to drink. Can a movie about a teenaged escort be wholesome? Tune in as E takes issue with the protagonist’s height, J takes issue with the protagonist’s college application essay, and we both take issue with the name “Delbert.”

Music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com

In episode 5, we take on “How Do You Know?”, the 2010 Reese Witherspoon/Paul Rudd/Owen Wilson love triangle movie by film auteur James L. Brooks. Listen and find out whether Reese Witherspoon was a believable professional softball player, which reptile would have been a welcome addition to the movie, and what one easy step will help prevent UTIs.

In episode 4, we take on the 2016 indie romcom “Who Gets the Dog?” starring Alicia Silverstone, Ryan Kwanten, and a remarkably uncharismatic dog. Tune in to find out what behavior E finds totally unredeemable, why you shouldn’t let your dog off leash, and why you should avoid making frivolous calls to 911.
Things we know about: behavioral training, rhotic and non-rhotic accents
Things we don’t know about: how much crack costs; how minor league hockey is structured

Music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com

In episode 3 of Rom Bombs, we take on the 2010 ensemble romantic comedy "Valentine's Day." Amazingly, even though we are both single women, we were able to have a full conversation without either of us having a nervous breakdown -- a feat which this movie seems to think is impossible. Find out why Jennifer Garner is an irresponsible teacher, how Jessica Biel's character is basically a Cathy comic come to life, and which interchangeable handsome white men had excellent chemistry even though they were only on screen together for five seconds.

In our second episode of Rom-Bombs, we tackle “Playing it Cool,” the 2014 Chris Evans rom-com that nobody has heard of. Oh, how we wish we could be back in those blissfully ignorant times ourselves.

Join us as we talk about how this movie is a part of rape culture, establish that yellowface was definitely not acceptable in 2014, and take a brief, bewildered detour into how the screenwriters seem to think waves work. Don’t watch this movie, folks. It’s real bad.

Music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com

In the inaugural episode of Rom Bombs, E and J tackle the Netflix original "The Princess Switch." Baking competitions! Fictional countries that are actually just England! Vanessa Hudgens playing two characters! Tune in as we discuss bad accents, rom-com wizards, bitchy villains, and the ethical problems with pretending to be another person. Stay for our collective bafflement at what the writers seem to think a stand mixer is used for.

Music: "Our Big Adventure" by scottholmesmusic.com