I have the sweetest hangover that I don't want to get over. My first ever visit with my long-distance sweetie was amazing, he's already gone home, and we're already planning our next visit. I'm exhausted, but in the very best way, so I bring you a replay of my second chance romance episode, which I created a little over a year ago after I got on dating apps for the first time in years, hoping for a love like this. And then Twitter brought us together —once upon a time, it was good for something. Never give up, romance friends!The Long Distance Romance episode that I mentioned.And the Second Chance Part Two episode that I mention at the end.Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode, please click share in your podcast app and tell your friends! Thanks for listening!

I'm meeting my LDR sweetie for the first time this week, after more than a year of online dating, and excited doesn't begin to cover it. Humans are spread out all over the globe yet hyper connected, so many of us will experience a long distance romance at some point in our lives. LDRs are thrilling and intensely romantic, but  can also leave you open to frustration and pain. A decent lingerie collection, unlimited Skype, solid communication skills, generous use of emojis and regular video sex really helps. The characters in these movies love while distant in either geography or the heart, and their screen journeys have all of the intimacy, affection —and miscommunication and heartache —that's part of loving someone across the miles.CW: miscarriage, sexhttps://www.confessionsofaclosetromantic.com"What are you wearing?!" There are many hilarious scenes in Going the Distance thanks to the timing of this fantastic ensemble cast, but there's plenty of genuine emotion too."I have a good life, but I never again met anyone who made me feel the way you do." What Happens Later is a poignant romance about missed connections and bad timing that surprises in quiet ways. David Duchovny and Meg Ryan are a perfect match for this style of overlapping conversational script, infusing it with gentle comedy, midlife weariness and emotional depth. The ending is ambiguous, which makes the story feel light and hopeful, and if you watch to the end, you see Meg Ryan's touching dedication, which brought a lump to this romcom fan's throat.When you look at stills from the shoot, you realize how beautifully lit and art directed What Happens Later is. It looks nothing like this dinky regional airport.How to survive a long distance relationship and make it work.Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode, please click share in your podcast app and tell your friends! Thanks for listening!

I'm a classic film nut, and there's no better example of overblown, dramatic and romantic Hollywood storytelling than the movie Black Narcissus, starring Deborah Kerr. Based on the 1930s Rumer Godden novel, it’s a story that shows how women throughout history have so often buried themselves in service to others as they sublimate their own feelings and desires — or more likely, find those desires shamed, controlled and punished. So let's celebrate Women's History Month by enjoying stories where women conduct even the tiniest rebellions against the oppression of their true selves. CW: explicit discussion of sex, desire and religious belief.https://www.confessionsofaclosetromantic.comMy guest, Violet Grey, blogs about kinky sex and spirituality at Becoming Violet Grey. And she writes erotica for the sex positive site BloomStories: "Intimate audio stories designed for diving deep into your pleasure." The trailer for the 1947 Black Narcissus movie. And a slightly different, thrilling and sizzling angle on the convent of Saint Faith.The enduring allure of erotic masterpiece Black NarcissusThe first edition book jacket of the novel is stunning.And so is the classic 1911 perfume on which the title is based. Rumer Godden was quite a woman.Rumer Godden converted to Catholicism late in life, and a few of her 60 works of fiction and nonfiction, like Black Narcissus, explored the mystical, spiritual and practical aspects of religious life.Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode, please click share in your podcast app and tell your friends! Thanks for listening!

In this episode, I'm joined by my romance friend Mariah to gush, giggle, get deep and then frothy again about the Barbie movie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, directed by Greta Gerwig. It was the most mega of mega movie hits last year, now Oscar nominated in many categories, and well deserved. It's been a long time since a movie has made me laugh and think this much, and we just can't stop talking about it.https://www.confessionsofaclosetromantic.comThere are more clips and even more delicious gushing in my recent Boss in Pink: Barbie (Part 1) episode.This is one of my favorite scenes in the movie, which I mentioned early on, but just couldn't fit into the episode. Who am I kidding: the whole movie is my favorite scene.The Margaret Atwood poem that Mariah mentions is You Begin.Every single person on the planet: If you haven't seen Barbie yet, please do. And then let us know what you think.Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode, please click share in your podcast app and tell your friends! Thanks for listening!

My favorite shows, books or movies feature women over the age of 40 finding sensuality, romance and connections of whatever type they desire. Unfortunately, society likes to pretend that women — especially older women —don't have desires. There aren't many examples of sexy fearless aging in Hollywood once you get beyond the Book Club and Nancy Meyers movies, shows like And Just Like That and Grace and Frankie, all of which feature the movie industry stable of "acceptable older actresses." That doesn't stop me from constantly searching for any romantic story featuring not-young, but wise, experienced, sexy women. Erin Keating, host of the Hotter Than Ever podcast, spent her career in TV development and has thoughts about all of this. We dish, get deep, and have fun chatting about what sexy and authentic women's lives look like after a certain age, on screen and off.https://www.confessionsofaclosetromantic.comOn Hotter Than Ever, Erin Keating has fascinating, wide-ranging conversations with women who "broke the rules and reshaped their lives for the better." She also talks about career, ambition, reinvention, relationships, divorce, dating, sex (and more sex), aging, body image and more "in a frank, irreverent way that also manages to be deep as f*ck." So true. I absolutely loved her intimate, vulnerable episode from last fall, "Making Peace with Divorce and Opening Your Heart to Love."I briefly mentioned The Old Lady Project in this episode. It's an initiative to encourage the development of screenplays, scripts and theatrical works with "significant parts for women older than 50, a demographic that is mostly unseen in mainstream media."The "bottle" movie that Erin mentioned is Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, starring Emma Thompson. I did an entire episode on this fantastic movie a couple of years ago, and if you like stories about sexy, gorgeous, complicated women of a certain age, don't miss it.Personally, I've never seen a Nancy Meyers movie that I haven't loved, especially because of how sexy and authentic and messy her middle-aged women characters are.Katee Robert writes the most intelligent, sizzling hot, and kinky romantic erotica. Her Dark Olympus series is not to be missed.Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode, please click share in your podcast app and tell your friends! Thanks for listening!

I'm one of the last remaining people on planet earth to see this amazing movie, and it still managed to surprise me, even after all the hype. I love Greta Gerwig, I love her courage in telling a story about feminism and patriarchy using Bazooka pink, candy colors and a beloved, if stereotypical, doll. And I love Barbie even more now after learning about her modern diversity and variations. For a doll that's survived more than 60 years, transformed amid many cultural changes, and is still selling in the millions each year, she remains an inspiration.https://www.confessionsofaclosetromantic.comThe Barbie trailer — but you will want to see the whole thing. Maybe many times.How Greta Gerwig and her Oscar-nominated art directors created Barbieland and all those fantastic Dreamhouses.Greta Gerwig may not have gotten an Academy Award nomination as Best Director, but Barbie is nominated for Best Picture, which I forgot to mention, so that's pretty fantastic. In my Barbie Part Two episode, we'll talk about the fantastic America Ferrera performance in this movie, for which she's received an Oscar nomination.The fascinating history and evolution of Barbie.More fun facts on Barbie.Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode, please click share in your podcast app and tell your friends! Thanks for listening!

It's a holiday miracle: I've finally watched one of the most perfect Hallmark holiday movies I've ever seen, with stellar writing, directing, editing, and acting. The story is heartfelt, it has relatable stakes, it's romantic and touching and funny: everything a holiday movie should be. Not surprisingly, it's inspired by one of my favorite romcoms of all time, Groundhog Day, the original time-loop romance. I rooted for all of the characters, and the central romance, from the first moments of this movie, and also got very very hungry for latkes with applesauce and jelly donuts.https://www.confessionsofaclosetromantic.com"A romcom where a magic dreidel causes a woman to get stuck in a Hanukkah time loop and I know what you're thinking but it's so good."A little preview to hold you over until it's re-broadcast a bit later in the month.I was invited to a friend's house for Hanukkah one year and their sweet son was so excited to teach me how to play the dreidel game.Mouthwatering recipes for Hanukkah celebrations, including a recipe for homemade jelly doughnuts or sufganiyot. I'll take mine with Nutella, please."Journalist" Vic Michaelis stars in Very Important People, interviewing "the most interesting people in society today" all played by comedians given an elaborate, surprise makeover, complete with latex masks, to help them invent a new character on the spot.Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode, please click share in your podcast app and tell your friends! Thanks for listening!

There's no way to exactly describe the dark and hilarious debut dramedy Shiva Baby except to say: you giggle at what should be sad, feel heartbroken for what should be exciting, become annoyed with the emotional meddling, and end up a ball of stress and tension — until the twists and turns of this darkly comic plot unwind the whole thing, ending with a painfully hysterical moment and heartwarming queer romance in the making. With an emotional roller coaster loaded with relatives and lovers like these, who needs enemies? By the end of the movie, it only proves that laughter is therapy.https://www.confessionsofaclosetromantic.comShiva Baby is a little over an hour and well worth seeing, but if you only have a minute, the trailer captures some of its unique flavor.Rachel Sennott would love to "help other young women write or act in comedy" and girl, you're a fresh, generous, delightful soul. Her journey into acting and comedy —and this movie —is such a sweet wholesome story."Women decode sexual messaging from a young age...They have to process what sex means, what it can do for them, what it should do for them, what they’re supposed to do for it...and I’m interested in how women figure it out." An interesting interview with director and writer Emma Seligman.A beautiful explanation of the meaning and ritual of the ancient Jewish tradition of sitting shiva.Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode, please click share in your podcast app and tell your friends! Thanks for listening!

How I love a romance set aboard a luxury cruise ship or ocean liner, especially classic movies set on ships in the early to mid 20th-century, a heyday of ocean travel. The coziness, the leather luggage with a separate toiletries case, the cute staterooms and cabins, the service, people dressing for elegant dinner and dancing, the endless ocean views, and falling asleep rocked by waves...of course, in this dream, I'm on the Cunard Line in a massive luxury suite with full balcony, and my sweetie is right by my side as we sail to some exotic location. Shhhhh — don't wake me up.https://www.confessionsofaclosetromantic.comAll you ever wanted to know about the history of the ocean liner.Movies in this EpisodeLet Them All TalkLike FatherAn Affair to RememberGentlemen Prefer Blondes Now, VoyagerThe Lady EveOne Way Passage is a 1932 melodrama starring William Powell as an escaped murderer traveling on a ship from Asia to America to face charges. He persuades the detective supervising him to remove his handcuffs so he can flirt with a beautiful woman he’s met on board, played by Kay Francis, who's in the final stages of a fatal illness. She doesn't know about him and he doesn't know about her as they fall in love. Sob.Romance on the High Seas is a ridiculously delightful romcom farce of mistaken identity on board an ocean liner, starring Doris Day in her first movie role. Dodsworth is a romantic drama about mid-life and second chances starring Walter Houston as a Midwest auto manufacturer who sells his lucrative company and sails to Europe for the trip he’s always wanted. Except he’s traveling with his self-centered, shallow wife, brilliantly played by Ruth Chatterton, and his affection for her is fading fast. When she begins having an affair on board right under his nose, he surprises himself by falling in love with a grounded, compassionate, free-spirited American woman also traveling on the ship, played by Mary Astor. Maybe you have to be a certain age, but I absolutely love the satisfying happy ever after in this movie. It was made in 1936 but still feels fresh today.Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode, please click share in your podcast app and tell your friends! Thanks for listening!

It's Halloween week, and time to confess that I'm strangely attracted to Gothic horror stories and creepy "romance," especially the many interpretations of the fascinating classic 19th century novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Each filmmaker and writer present different themes in their Jekyll and Hyde adaptations, from gender and sexual politics, personal ethics and morality, to abusive patriarchal structures and class and power inequities. The original story featured only men, but that hasn't stopped many modern adaptations of the story from featuring women as a romantic plot point and catalyst for Mr. Hyde's deeply disturbing and scary nuances.CW: brief scenes and mentions of physical, sexual and psychological abusehttps://www.confessionsofaclosetromantic.comChat with me on Threads: poppy_confessesRecognizing domestic violence and abuse is the first step.Do you recognize the signs of dating violence and abuse?Spark Notes has the full text of the novella and explorations of its themes and motifs."A strange story of mystery and adventure, love and laughter" says the trailer for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941).  I haven't laughed once in all the times I've watched this movie, but there's plenty of mystery, suspense and spookiness.Here's the "cheap little dreams" scene from the 1941 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde movie. Spencer Tracy is seriously creepy-evil and poor Ingrid had tried to get away from his abuse for weeks and months."...[Stevenson] did not wish to have the allegory rigidly defined. 'Everything is true,' he told Sidney Colvin, 'only the opposite is true too; you must believe both equally or be damned." Fascinating look at the many interpretations and adaptations of the Jekyll and Hyde story.This scene from Mary Reilly represents the undercurrent of class, intimacy, sexuality, passion and veiled threat that this version brings to the story. Honestly Malkovich is terrifying but Julia Roberts is unflappable as Mary.Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode, please click share in your podcast app and tell your friends! Thanks for listening!

Selecting potential mates based strictly on physical attributes is definitely a vibe —as seen on the UK dating show Naked Attraction, which has recently started streaming in the US. As expected with a TV show that features full frontal nudity, it's inspiring quite a lot of discussion :)So I invited my UK-based sweetie (a.k.a. Mr. Bingley, a perfect nickname, because he's ridiculously kind, like the Jane Austen character) to discuss the nuances with me, because he has seen every episode of every season of this show. By day, he's an educator and gives presentations to college students on safe sex, consent, diversity and acceptance, among many other topics. He really likes the show, I really kind of didn't, and we come to some interesting conclusions about it. CW: explicit discussions of genitalia and sexual activityhttps://www.confessionsofaclosetromantic.comMy episode on the drama and romance of dating shows with Jennifer of the Every Romcom podcast.The Naked Attraction trailer for the US audience, with naughty bits covered.The full Monty,  Naked Attraction S11 ep05 episode that I featured in my episode. You know what? I couldn't stop watching this one.Season 5 episode 2 of Naked Attraction features Judith, a 57-year-old sexually open Christian chorister who is looking for a partner. To say her appearance was polarizing is an understatement (you go, Judith). The show has been fairly diverse with queer, polyamorous, disabled, trans and older contestants. The Decider "stream it or skip it" review of Naked Attraction.Apparently, plenty of Americans have now said: stream it! "The people have spoken and they want to see the peen."This review from a few years back decides that the show is cringeworthy in parts, but also "curiously heartening" and "a force for good." I think I would agree.Small exposures to body positive content can improve body image, according to research by the University of New South Wales. "They found women aged 18–25 who viewed body positive posts daily over a 14-day period reported a decrease in body dissatisfaction and less tendency to compare their appearance with others. Their improvements in body image were also maintained four weeks after viewing the content."Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode, please click share in your podcast app and tell your friends! Thanks for listening!

I just saw Book Club: The Next Chapter,  a frothy, fun and flirty sequel to Book Club, a movie I talked about in this episode, and I'll feature the sequel in an upcoming episode. This time, the besties end up in Italy and it's a sweet and sexy exploration of long-term friendship, shared adventures, and finding your romantic bliss by taking a chance with the help of friends who almost know you better than you know yourself. They sip Prosecco in a Roman café, travel by water taxi to a Venetian palazzo, have a multi-course dinner lit by lanterns in a stunning Tuscan setting, and basically get horny for the Italian countryside.  These ladies know how to live, and they look fantastic doing it. Ciao bella.Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode, please click share in your podcast app and tell your friends! Thanks for listening!

I'm not a snob when to comes to romantic tropes. I don't discriminate: the more outlandish the better, and I love them all. Every beat might be as familiar as the back of my hand, but my attitude is: bring it on again. It's even better when there are little refreshing updates to beloved romcom plots, like in the new Netflix movie Love at First Sight. This unimaginative title promises the most smarmy movie experience ever, but it turns out to be a tender, warmhearted, romantic story about different kinds of love, fate, and the bravery it takes to embrace it all. (I tried to make this episode spoiler-free, but if you're good at picking up clues, you might want to watch the movie first).https://www.confessionsofaclosetromantic.comFor once a really good trailer that communicates the fun and irresistible romance of this movie but doesn't hint at the emotional plot points at the center of the story. Gold stars all around.And for those who appreciate a really good spoiler synopsis (whoops, Oliver didn't miss his flight, Hadley joined him on his —insert googly heart eyes here in place of my brain).The script is co-written by Jennifer E. Smith, based on her YA romance The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. The entire cast is delightful.I certainly don't agree with all opinions in this movie review, but one thing I do agree with: Haley Lu Richardson needs to star in more romcoms."Do people really meet and in moments simply know they're meant to be? New evidence suggests: Yes, they do." Psychology Today on the phenomenon of love at first sight.Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode, please click share in your podcast app and tell your friends! Thanks for listening!

Is it Halloween yet? If it's getting cooler where you live, too, let's brew some tea or pour some hot chocolate or hot cider and snuggle on the sofa with two of the most atmospheric, painterly, creepy yet oddly feminist and romantic movies I've ever seen. CW: brief references to marital physical abuse and graphic 19th century medical techniques.https://www.confessionsofaclosetromantic.comA ghostly figure, an escapee from the local asylum, a forced marriage to a violent lunatic, and an intrepid woman who insists on wearing trousers while she's solving the mysteries: this creepy limited series, based on the classic 19th century novel by Wilkie Collins, has  it all. If you're into romantic suspense, don't miss The Woman in White. The 1948 version is a  delicious, edge of your seat creepfest as well.Oh this trailer for The Essex Serpent makes me want to start watching it all over again. Look at those mysterious, gorgeous, painterly shots! The music is so eerie and evocative, too. It's based on the award winning, best-selling novel by Sarah Perry.Watching the trailer for The Beguiled made me realize that Colonel McBurney comes into the house carried by the women, and leaves the house the same way. The Beguiled is full of luscious symbolism and gorgeous fairytale shots that lull you into a false sense of security, which only ratchets up the suspense.Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode, please click share in your podcast app and tell your friends! Thanks for listening!

I'm a huge fan of the films of Nicole Holofcener, and her latest is another lo-fi, funny, thoughtful story for anybody who's ever tried to make a romantic, platonic, sibling or parental relationship thrive. Is it ever okay to tell a little white lie to the people we love to spare their feelings? When is it okay to fib a little? Do blunt honesty, the unvarnished truth, or our brilliant but unsolicited opinions make people feel appreciated and loved, or is the truth a little more complicated?confessionsofaclosetromantic.comThe intense intimacy, affectionate humor and heartache of You Hurt My Feelings is a gorgeous emotional smorgasbord.An interview with writer/director Nicole Holofcener (not "holofcenter,"  as I said in the episode :(."The problems at the center of “You Hurt My Feelings” may seem insignificant from the outside, but when they happen to you, they’re seismic." A fantastic review of the film by Christy Lemire.So exactly how should we give constructive criticism to someone we love? Some actionable tips here. Julia Louis Dreyfus does a beautiful job of acting out emotional flooding in this movie.In case you have an artistic friend or lover: Pixar's 7 essential steps to giving creative feedback.Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode, please click share in your podcast app and tell your friends! Thanks for listening!

Ever since I first saw 1959's Gidget rerun on TV, I thought surfing and beach culture looked like the most fun you could have all summer. I might be an outsider still but my surf crush continues with every surfing movie or documentary that comes along, and the crazy-sexy fictional or real-life characters who make riding multi-story ocean waves look like a beach picnic. How could you not fall in love?https://www.confessionsofaclosetromantic.comMoviesThe one and only Gidget, the story of the "beach generation." Moondoggie's right: there is no next best thing to love!For many, Point Break (1991) with Keanu Reeves is the ultimate rush — and surfing movie.  I prefer the technically impressive 2015 remake: it's an irresistible band of brothers story with romance and a bunch of gorgeous, knuckleheaded, uber-talented adrenaline junkies who have you rooting for them from word go. The trailer alone gives me a stomachache!"This is more than about surfing — it's about the choices you make in life." Chasing Mavericks is a feel-good story about found family, the roles we're sometimes given, and the passions that make all of us tick.Supposedly, it's a "teen drama" set in a surfing town in Australia, which is why I even started watching Surviving Summer, but I got sucked right into the clever script, acting, editing and gorgeous production values.Blue Crush is the ultimate summer surf-and-sand romantic drama.DocumentariesThe Endless Summer (1966) is the granddaddy of surfing documentaries, and it's totally groovy.The "girl gang" in the new 4-part documentary Surf Girls: Hawaii are barely into their 20s and yet so impressive, wildly talented and completely awesome.The sound design, pacing and incredible surfing skills and photography on display in the multi-part documentary 100 Foot Wave keep you on the edge of your seat.One version of the Ozaki Eight based on the Point Break remake. It's definitely one way to "honor the power of the ocean." But I'll need to celebrate the ocean from the shore, on a beach blanket.Find surfing oral histories, podcasts, virtual tours and more at the Surfing Heritage and Cultural Center online.Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode, please click share in your podcast app and tell your friends! Thanks for listening!

Summer is kicking my butt, and I desperately need to chill. Let's celebrate Christmas in July and enjoy a replay of one of my favorite episodes, about one of my favorite classic holiday movies: the romantic and spiritual The Bishop's Wife, starring my movie boyfriend, the dashing and debonair Cary Grant. This story is the gift that keeps on giving: what if a gorgeous angel came down to earth to answer a bishop's prayers for guidance, giving him not what he wants, but what he needs, while falling in love with his earthly wife, making her feel appreciated, and charming the whole community as well? I can watch this movie at any time of year--it's always comforting, bringing back the coziest feelings of the chilly winter holiday season.Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode, please click share in your podcast app and tell your friends! Thanks for listening!

It's almost reunion season — translated into stories, that theme seems to always include unrequited love and crushes, frustrated ambition, embarrassing attempts to impress, reliving lost youth, and shattered dreams. Some are dramedy, some straight-up drama, but reunion movies have one thing in common: characters whose pasts collide with the present in endlessly fascinating ways. And the plots nearly always involve a search for connection, romantic or otherwise. CW: explicit descriptions of sex acts, references to suicide, adult themeshttps://www.confessionsofaclosetromantic.comTV Show How to describe the first season of the anthology show The AfterParty?! Take one part Colombo, a dash of Magnum PI, a jigger of the most charming and cynical  British whodunit, more than a smidge of Knives Out,  the hilarious, streetwise, no-BS attitude of Tiffany Haddish set against an afterparty hosted by a celebrity for their high-school reunion, and you've got it.MoviesThe dancing in the kitchen! The deep affection! The musical beds! Reminisces and lost hope! The Big Chill captured a mood and a time, and the soundtrack and ensemble of gorgeous, talented actors was a big part of that."We can go to the reunion and just pretend to be successful!" Their simple plan goes gloriously haywire in Romy and Michele's High School Reunion. Personally, I think this movie has become a modern classic thanks to the deliciously sarcastic Janine Garofalo, the daffy performances of Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow as Romy and Michele, and this interpretive dance scene. The soundtrack is a perfect time capsule as well.The Royal Tenenbaums isn't nearly as precocious and precious as Wes Anderson's later films (which I happen to love) and maybe he's an acquired taste. But the quirky intellectual Tenenbaum children are supposedly influenced by characters in JD Salinger novels, and that makes them fascinating to me. I wouldn't want a reunion with this family, but they sure are interesting to watch.This Is Where I Leave You starts with infidelity and siblings reuniting to mourn the death of their father, but that that doesn't prevent them from thrashing and fighting their way through some absurd, emotional situations. The script is subtle and quietly funny, leaning on the excellent ensemble cast to bring it home, and do they ever. It reminds me of another excellent reunion film, The Family Stone, which takes place at Christmas, with siblings trading partners —unexpectedly of course, for maximum dramady. I'm so not the demographic for raunchy comedy like Zack and Miri Make a Porno but I laughed out loud throughout this movie. Elizabeth Banks and Seth Rogen do such a beautiful job of anchoring the amusingly outrageous friends to lovers plot in their affection, and eventual love, for each other.Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode, please click share in your podcast app and tell your friends! Thanks for listening!

This minor Woody Allen film asks a really pertinent question for a romance podcast: do we fool ourselves by looking to the stars, horoscopes, psychics or fortune tellers to comfort and convince us that love is out there waiting for us? Or does this harmless belief in destiny help us survive a harsh and often cruel world?  While possibly making us very annoying to friends and family? Gemma Jones is the sparkling center of this quietly humorous and often emotional movie about holding onto your own brand of spirituality and belief in unseen forces that just might influence your romantic future — as everyone else's romances crumble around you.https://www.confessionsofaclosetromantic.comAs usual the trailer for You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger doesn't quite capture the playful, bright, sharp yet affectionate mood of this movie, and so much of that is due to its amazing actors."Experts say when accountability looks like individuals deciding whether they want to watch a movie or not, that isn't much justice at all." Excellent opinion piece on the complicated life of Woody Allen set against the cultural #metoo movement. "I'm blue collar — I finish a movie, sit around for a couple of days, and think: what the hell am I doing? It's boring. And I start working on something else."  Woody Allen answers reader questions for Time magazine.A nice interview with Lucy Punch on developing the sex worker character Charmaine in the movie.And finally, an interview with the amazing Gemma Jones on how she landed and developed her starring role — she was the emotional center in Emma Thompson's Sense and Sensibility, and she is very much the emotional center of this movie, too.Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode, please click share in your podcast app and tell your friends! Thanks for listening!

I'm taking a closer look at two emotional and exhilarating romantic LGBTQ love stories to celebrate Pride Month. These movies are very different in tone, but are equally heartwarming and visually exciting, with incredible performances. I laughed, I cried, I danced and sang along, and you can't ask for a better celebration than that.https://www.confessionsofaclosetromantic.comSupernova has a quiet confidence that lulls you to its poignant, inevitable conclusion, but its melancholy sadness doesn't detract from the grace and beauty of its love story."We're from Broadway!" Enough said. An inclusive DIY prom hosted by Meryl Streep and an incredible cast with buckets of twinkle lights, rainbow tablecloths, and fabulous music and dancing? Who could resist? Here's your invitation to The Prom.The Prom movie is top-notch frothy yet meaningful entertainment, from the direction and production to the music, lyrics, choreography and incredible performances. Here's more information on the writers, producers, full cast and crew of this impressive collaboration.I can't get enough of this song.Ariana DeBose has been making quite a name for herself on Broadway, too. She kicked off this year's Tony Awards with the most amazing, jaw-dropping opening performance.Background on The Prom (the Broadway musical) with the story about the real student the movie and show are based on.Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode, please click share in your podcast app and tell your friends! Thanks for listening!