Star Vehicle

In the season finale of The Star Vehicle Podcast, we tackle Tom Cruise and his need for speed! Stephen tells a plane anecdote of his own and we chit-chat our way through the ambiguous enemy plaguing the boys of Top Gun Academy! Is this a movie for the guys or the gals? We're not sure that it's even up to us to decide! 

Hate to break it to you, Georgie Rule does not in fact take place in Georgia. But fortunately for us, that's where the disappointment ends! Lindsay Lohan does Long Island in Idaho and Jane Fonda and Felicity Huffman do Lee Strasberg in the living room. Strap in, Star Vehicle is getting serious this week as we unpack the drama surrounding life under Georgia's Rule.

"Freaky Friday" is Shanelle's favorite movie. She knows every line and she won't let you forget it!  Shockingly, this is our first encounter with Lindsay Lohan and our umpteenth with Jamie Lee Curtis.   This week we travel to ambiguous California in 2003 to explore the body-swapping romp that is "Freaky Friday".  Let's be honest, Jamie Lee Curtis should have snagged an Oscar nom for this role.  Lindsay Lohan should have at least snagged a Golden Globe nom.  At the very least, according to Shanelle, "Ultimate" should have snagged a Grammy nom.

We begin with a presentation of our very own Academy Awards (name tbd) based on the films we have covered so far.  To our winners, congrats.  To our losers, even if you miss you are still among the stars! Then we try and tame the hoofed beast that is "Runaway Bride".  A two hour movie about how men get to write mean mean articles about women in the press.  And then get away with it!  Also Detective Elliot Stabler plays a lovable fool.  Julia Roberts does her best and Richard Gere is there.

After recapping a recent trip to Italy, we travel from NYC to Chicago to watch big-haired food critic Julia Roberts disrupt a wedding because she loves her best friend. Not only does Julia play a disrupter, she also plays a criminal guilty of mail fraud and grand theft auto (at a minimum).     Also, it's a shame if you think, even for a minute, that Julia Roberts and that guy are BFFs.  The film's title is a HUGE misdirect so please don't fall prey to that trick.  George is her only friend and Cameron Diaz was nice to even try and extend a friendship olive branch.   Finally, we pray one day we are blessed with an Emma Roberts remake of this film.  To quote our favorite disruptive criminal, "I have stolen a bread van!"    

 In this episode, Shanelle and Stephen tackle the hard-hitting topic of getting up early, and wonder if "The 355," was the correct choice for a morning watch.  We're asking all of the questions that keep you up at night... For example, could you spill a drink on an evil henchman and make it look natural? How many takes would you need? How would you react if you had some hot hot coffee spilled on you? And finally what exactly is The 355?

Regrettably, we have never had the opportunity to say "Bring It On" to another human being earnestly.  If you have, wow we love that for you.  If you haven't, don't worry we don't think they even say it in this movie either.   This week the Star Vehicle heads to nationals to enjoy another classic high school romp, "Bring It On".  True to form there are no adults or adult supervision to be found.  If you thought this movie might be magical realism, well we agree.  We wouldn't be mad if this was eventually renamed "Spirit Stick" or "Ladies in Hades".

The "Marry Me" era is upon us.  This week we raced to see "Marry Me" starring Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson and we are pleased to report that we loved!  We knew it would be entertaining, of course, but what we didn't expect was how informational it would be. Finally, JLo shows us her line of work after exploring so many other careers in her past romps. JLo taught us how to sell Vitamix blenders, how to solve middle school level math problems, and how to tastefully steal from a charity donation of Coach bags. If you aren't "On My Way" to "Marry Me" at this point, we can't help you.    

Say it with us: "It's turkey time.  Gobble gobble." "Gigli" is a movie starring Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck.  "Gigli" is NOT the worst movie of all time.  "Gigli" is also not a masterpiece. This week the Star Vehicle takes a kidnapping themed road trip as we finally watch "Gigli".  The good news is that we found a way to, significantly, rewrite the film to make it work for us.  

This week the Star Vehicle tours "The Wedding Planner" starring Jennifer Lopez.  Please note the title is NOT "A Wedding Planner" starring JLo. Along the way we share our respect for Fran and Massimo, wonder why Judy Greer didn't bring this energy to "Halloween Kills", and question if all wedding planners work at elaborate firms. Additionally, we question what this film is suggesting about Scrabble players and Stephen shares a personal story about being the president of his high school Scrabble Club.

This week the Star Vehicle drives directly on the quad at Harvard as we discuss "Legally Blonde".  If your brain isn't immediately playing "Perfect Day" please stop what you are doing, rewatch "Legally Blonde", and then listen to this episode.   Additionally, we invite you to heal with us as Shanelle recounts a traumatizing roller blading accident.  Luckily neither her spirit nor bones were broken in the process.  

If you fully understood the plot of "Cruel Intentions" you are lying to yourself (and now us).  This week the Star Vehicle heads to our favorite locale, NYC, as we untangle a web of events that took place during one hot summer.     Is "Cruel Intentions" problematic? That's the wrong question.  Instead, we viewed this film as a fever dream where teens act on their immediate impulses.  They should honestly screen this at Lamaze classes as a pro-parenting tool.   Come for our intimate look at the movie, stay for our detailed analysis of what makes a good roller coaster. 

Is Reese Witherspoon from Alabama? Does it matter?  What is clear is that the "Sweet Home Alabama" poster should be Alabama's new state flag. This week the Star Vehicle takes a tour of NYC before making the trek to non-specific Alabama. Our discussion get heated as we explore the intricacies of long-distance divorce in this romp about Alabama (and also New York)? Join us as we debate a classic chicken-or-the-egg question, which came first the movie or the song?     

We watched "Down with Love," and we're warning you now--You can NEVER get back your first time, so savor the experience and meet us back here so we can talk parodies of the 60s, Sarah Paulson's star-making performance, and how getting coffees as an intern really put us in the headspace of the times *Strap in or you'll get whiplash from the twist that M. Night Shyamalan wishes he wrote (unconfirmed)

Full disclosure, we watched “In Her Shoes” because we thought it was a shopping movie.  Instead, we learned how sharing a shoe size with someone is a very powerful connection. Cameron Diaz and Toni Collette give career-best performances in this movie that we didn't know we wanted until we were an hour deep and it was too late to turn back! Beep-beep the Star Vehicle is off to Philadelphia and non-specific Florida.

Close your eyes and imagine a sequel to "Under The Tuscan Sun", this time in Scotland.  Fun!  Open your eyes and watch "A Castle For Christmas" on Netflix.  You're welcome! This week the Star Vehicle picks up Brooke Shields and heads to Castle Dun Dunbar by way of Scotland.  We chat about trespassing, the grumpy to happy character arc for men, and how we would financially turn around a failing castle.   We pray the "Under The Tuscan Sun" cinematic universe continues to expand!

Imagine competing in an "International Christmas Baking Competition" only to spend your sole two days off trading lives with a disgruntled royal.  This week the Star Vehicle traveled to Belgravia (Genovia's neighbor) with Vanessa Anne Hudgens holding the reins.  This week we learn all about Belgravian culture, debate if there's room for science at the Christmas table, and pray that Vanessa Hudgens is able to pull this fabulous ruse off again in the sequel.

In 2008 Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Mary Steenburgen, and Jon Voight cleared their schedules (and opened their homes) to participate in Four Christmases.  Sadly, only one home was needed in the end.  Lament with us as we grapple with the hard-hitting truth that "Four Christmases" isn't very, well-- Christmassy (spelling?).  We thank Reese Witherspoon for her efforts as Star Vehicle takes a turn for the holidays.

Renée has an Oscar and unfortunately, it is not for "New in Town".  This week we brave the elements as we explore the foreign country that is Minnesota (through PG goggles).  If you are looking for a perfect winter movie unrelated to the holidays, well thank Renée Zellweger.

This week on Star Vehicle we're back on the Sandy train! This movie is just chock full of your favorite star vehicle fodder and we can't get enough! -- a stationary bike ride, dead parents, an abundance of line cutting, and a big teary-eyed speech at a wedding... How bad could that be? 

Imagine a movie where Cameron Diaz, Selma Blair, and Christina Applegate all get locked in a chocolate factory... That sounds fun but is not this movie.  This week we savor "The Sweetest Thing" by remembering the sweetest thing we've ever eaten, admiring lighting design in early 2000s clubs, and praying a copy of "10 Commandments of Love" is still available. *Warning, don't watch The Sweetest Thing with your parents!     

This week we worked overtime to explore Jamie Lee Curtis' 1994 turn in "True Lies," a movie that's um...hard to find! Why is a movie deeply invested in horses, luxury hotel chains, and the 6th century so inaccessible?  Well... Join us as we unravel that question (amongst others) and wonder if "Omega Sector The Last Line of Defense" is taking job applications.  

Please don't hurt yourself trying to figure out what "Knight and Day" means.  Here is what we know for sure: "Knight and Day" is to cinema as Rachel Ray's "40 Dollars a Day" is to television.  Join us as Shanelle nurses a summer cold, Stephen gives himself a Presidential Fitness Award, Cameron Diaz dazzles the world with physical comedy, and Tom Cruise does his best Tom Cruise.

We love Autumn and luckily “Practical Magic” is a shot of pure Autumnal energy.  This week we explore just how practical the magic is in this movie, admire how “Practical Magic” scratches an itch that “Hocus Pocus” doesn't, and wonder what actually happened at Salem.  

Breaking news! “Halloween Kills” premiered and (while we weren't invited to the premiere) we can't wait to share our experiences with this journey.  We heap praise on Kyle Richards' performance, lament that Judy Greer is still in a Christmas sweater, and harbor jealousy that Jamie Lee Curtis got to act while horizontal.  “Halloween Kills” is a movie no one could have predicted and as a result we all reap the rewards.   Please (we beg of you) watch the movie before listening as we can't be held liable for spoilers.

This week we look to the stars for a seasonal scare and Jamie Lee Curtis delivers.  That's right, this week we are diving into 2018's “Halloween”!  We explore the differences between haunted hayrides and houses, lament at how all the men in this movie are of no help, identify proper etiquette when interviewing a serial killer, and beg for more time with Jamie Lee Curtis in this movie.  Sorry in advance to the actor who plays the weird dad in this movie, this episode may not be for you.

This week on Star Vehicle we are setting our sights on Jennifer Lopez's starring role in “Second Act”.  Much like JLo's all-in-one organic skin care product, this movie has it all!  From the twist to end all twists, Leah Remini turning in the performance of a lifetime, and Jennifer Lopez's continued fascination towards what it means to a civilian who goes to work.  Alexa, play “Limitless” by Jennifer Lopez NOW! *The makers of this pod would like to note this episode contains spoilers and you should watch Second Act, before consuming this product.  **Medical Disclaimer: Stephen is not a registered dietician. 

Star Vehicle is back with an enthralling look at Sandra Bullock's starring role in “Two Weeks Notice”.  We have to put our medical mystery investigator hats on as we digest the film's relationship to overeating.  2002 was a banner year for movies and it's impossible to ignore the intimate connections between “Two Weeks Notice” and “Maid in Manhattan”.  

This week on Star Vehicle we witness Sandra (Sandy) Bullock's starring role in “Miss Congeniality”.  Sandra Bullock has a milkmaid outfit and we have questions. What happened to explosives being the punch line of a movie?  Where have all the pageants gone?  And why doesn't the FBI have jurisdiction over a domestic beauty pageant?  Let's get chip-faced together!

This week on Star Vehicle we joyfully allow Jennifer Lopez's starring turn in “Maid in Manhattan” to wash over us.  However, the shock of the film's ulterior motives is almost too much for us to bear.  Join us as we reconcile what we had always thought this movie was about with the text on the page.  “I am not a crook!” - Richard Nixon and Jennifer Lopez

We are faced with dueling co-stars on the first episode of Star Vehicle as we discuss “Monster in Law”!  Join us as we explore Jennifer Lopez's take on being a temp, admire Jane Fonda's surgical line delivery, and unpack the film's controversial relationship with mental health. 

The hallmark of a good movie? Make sure all of your characters are correct. Remind us again why this movie didn't get any Academy Awards? Julia Roberts deserves a retroactive Oscar for this work and we're here to make sure everyone knows it. 

Julia Roberts stands out in more ways than with just her remarkable performance -- In this teaser we talk about her wardrobe in 2003's Mona Lisa Smile. 

Shanelle shares a personal anecdote about the most important piece of paper a college student can hold onto and how that relates to her potential GPA in Ms. Katharine Watson's class in 2003's Mona Lisa Smile. 

In this short teaser Shanelle and Stephen discuss what might be a better title for 2003's Mona Lisa Smile