Best Romance Movies (Classic, Modern & Anti-Romance Picks) (with Nikki Novak)

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to pop Culture Weekly with Kyle McMahon from My
Heart Radio, your pop culture news, views, reviews and celebrity
interviews on all the movies, TV, music, and pomp culture
you Crab Weekly. Here's Kyle McMahon.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
I am here with Fandango correspondent Nikki Novak, and I'm
so excited to talk to you, Nikki about Valentine's Day,
you know, the films that we can go out and
see in theaters and as well as like kind of
the evergreen stuff that we can watch, you know, at
home in the comfort of our own home, especially with
this cold weather if we're going to be staying in

(00:42):
So welcome. Thank you so much for joining me.

Speaker 3 (00:44):
Thank you. I have to point out that you're wearing
a sweatshirt that says what I love horror movies. So
are you like the anti Valentines person?

Speaker 2 (00:51):
I am? This is so. I actually just launched some
merch store and this is in the first collection, which
is all about horror. Thank you. So yes. I you know,
it's funny because I I'm not anti love or anything,
but I just find so many romance movies like so cliche,
like you you see, you know, Oh, I just met

(01:13):
this guy yesterday and now I'm completely in love and
oh he's going back to his small hometown and he's
broken my heart. And oh but right before he goes,
you know, on the plane, he's decided that, you know,
he's going to stay and we're gonna get married. And
it's like, bro, you you met last week, Like, can
we relax a little?

Speaker 3 (01:33):
It sounds like my perfect relationship. What are you talking about?
It's my dream.

Speaker 2 (01:41):
It's just you know, And and of course I'm kind
of characterizing. You know, not every movie is like that,
but I just feel like the genre tends to do that,
and so I'm just not a big fan.

Speaker 3 (01:53):
But you know, it's interesting that you say that, because, like,
for a while, I don't know if you remember, there
was all the movies that were coming out, these rom
coms that were like a rom com, but we're going
to turn it upside down. It's not what you thought
about rom com for that exact reason that people found
them very cliche. Then there was this whole wave of
like Hallmark movies got really popular again where people like

(02:15):
really leaned right back into it. When the pendulum goes
one way, the pendulum always goes the other way, and
then anyone but You came out with Sidney Sweeney and
Glen Powell, which was right back to sort of that
traditional rom com. But I thought very well done. I've
watched it multiple times. I don't know if you liked
it or saw it, but that sort of like kick
started this idea of, hey, maybe we should go back

(02:36):
to doing more romantic films because it did so well
at the box of office. But like, yeah, we're going
to talk about a couple today that are, you know,
coming out in theaters. One of them that I wouldn't
call it a It's not a rom com by any
stretch of the imagination, but yeah, it's I can't wait
to dive in and talk to you about it.

Speaker 2 (02:52):
Well, well, now I need to know what it is.

Speaker 3 (02:55):
Well, Wuthering Heights. Yeah, so that's coming out day before
Valentine's Day, And I know, have you heard about all,
like all the buzz that is happening for this movie
with Margot, Robbie and Jacob A little?

Speaker 2 (03:08):
I have, And I will say so, you know, obviously
I've seen the trailers and stuff, and I haven't watched
it yet, but I'm actually interested in seeing this.

Speaker 3 (03:17):
Yeah, well, if you like, I mean, they seemed like
a cinepas. So like if you love, if you love
Emerald Fanel movies, you know that she's going to take
something and she's gonna twist it a little and make
it dark. So it is. And I hate using these
types of phrases because like sometimes they don't age, Like
I go back and I go, oh, did I really

(03:37):
feel that way? But I truly think it's one of
the greatest romantic films I've seen. Wow, and it's it's
I just think she just had I mean, she obviously
loved the book. I actually interviewed the whole cast in
December in London, and I asked her about the fact
that the film was in quotation marks. And you know,
this is the Emily Bronte novel from eighteen forty seven,
and you know it's been done a couple of times

(03:58):
in film and p people who are you know, book
lovers are very precious about the book. But she is
one of those book lovers. And she said to me, look,
it's so dense the book. It's this is not even
an adaptation. This is my interpretation. This is like me
reading the book and what I glean from it, But
I just feel like, not only is it excellent, but

(04:19):
it's hit the zeitgeist in a way that like Barbie did,
where people are already planning their dress. It like what
they're gonna wear to the theater where it's going to
be like an event. It's going to mean more than
a movie. It's gonna be an event. Jacob A. Lordie's
having a moment. You know, he was nominated for Frankenstein
for an Oscar. People love him. He's delightful. But they
just did a really good job with this film. It's

(04:41):
so gut wrenching. It's one of the most stunning, like
not even it's you know, sometimes people say, oh, the
movie's pretty and it's gorgeous to look at, and that
doesn't say a lot, but it's the way she sort
of weaves to get the story into the shots that
she chooses. I can't say enough good things about it.
But Alison all of Her, who plays this sister, people,

(05:04):
mark my words, this is a name that she's going
to get cast in a million things off this. She
is like a scene stealer. She plays this crazy character
like and you talk to her and she's this English flower,
like really sweet and her character's so over the top,
but yeah, it's kind of got everything.

Speaker 2 (05:17):
Well, now you have me actually excited, because it was
already abnormal for me to be like, here's a trailer
for a romantic movie that I'm interested in. So I
was already kind of like, you know what, maybe I'll
see that. Yeah, But now with with you know how
you're hyping it up, now I'm like, okay, like maybe

(05:39):
I'm going to make a point to go see this
in the theater early opening weekend sort of thing.

Speaker 3 (05:43):
I do. I do think it is a theatrical movie.
It's one of those you really have to see it,
Like even the way, like there's one shot in the
film I'm like, I don't even know how she did it,
but you know it takes place on the moors and that.
But it's I think the reason too, Like it's it's romantic,
but it's very dark. I mean, if you know the story,

(06:03):
it's a very dark story. It's not necessarily a romance.
It's more about obsession, class difference, that kind of thing.
And I just I sort of love I mean, I
like Sultburn, I liked her other films, but this is
definitely my favorite of Emeralds movies.

Speaker 2 (06:18):
So okay, well now I'm super hyped. What else can
we expect in theaters for people you know, kind of
looking for that, for that type of theater experience, date
night on you know, Valentine's weekend sort of thing.

Speaker 3 (06:35):
So this is a good one if you don't want
to go and see a traditional romance. But there's romance
in it, so it's crime one on one. It stars
Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, who we know from Marvel very well,
also stars Halle Berry and he plays this jewel thief.

(06:56):
It's really like a nineties throwback to like the ninety
these heat movies. It's kind of like I went into
it being totally honest, and I'm like, it's probably not
gonna be that good. Hadn't heard much about it. I
walked down and went and one of my colleagues had
seen it, and we text each other and we're like, wait,
that was amazing. And so anyway, Chris plays this jewel thief.

(07:21):
He's a peaceful one. He's not committing, like, not hurting anybody,
but he you know, he has this boss that he
works for he doesn't like, so he decides to go
off on his own and do this one last heist
to set himself up for life. He meets Monica Babara,
the actress Monica Babarro's character, but his whole mantra has
been like I am flawless at my job because I

(07:44):
don't have personal relationships. And then he meets this girl.
But really the story so there is a bit of
a romance. So it's perfect for Valentines if you want
to go out in a daylight night, like if you're
going out as a couple and the guy's like, well,
I don't I want to see an action movie and
she's I don't want to see a mental movie. This
is movie. Okay, that's kind of about both. But the

(08:04):
thing I'll say most about it, it's one of those
when you're you know, when you're watching a movie and
you go, I really hope they stick the landing, Like
I hope the ending is as good as this thing
is because you're on the edge of your seat, and
if the payoff isn't good, the whole movie falls apart.
The payoff is phenomenal.

Speaker 2 (08:22):
Awesome, Yeah, awesome.

Speaker 3 (08:24):
Mark Ruffalo plays a cop, which he does a lot,
but he says, you know, he's got all those mannerisms.

Speaker 2 (08:29):
Yes, great. Have you seen Dracula A love Story?

Speaker 3 (08:33):
I haven't seen the new I haven't seen that, Yeah,
the one that came out earlier this month.

Speaker 2 (08:36):
Yes, so I love it. I'm a huge horror fan obviously,
and and this take is extremely interesting, you know, I
love I've watched all of the kind of Dracula interpretations
over the years, and this is more romance focused. Actually, yeah,

(08:58):
it's more you know of It's more of a Dracula.
You know, his love, the love of his life has
passed away and he is waiting, you know, four hundred
years later we essentially meet him, and this whole time
he's been trying to figure out how do I bring

(09:18):
the love of my life back?

Speaker 3 (09:20):
And this sounds like Withering Heights by the.

Speaker 2 (09:22):
Way, Okay, oh I love that. Okay, yeah, yeah. And
so this it was a super unique take that I
had never seen before. I had always kind of seen
Dracula as the villain obviously, or the anti hero. And
you know, I was telling I had interviewed the cast
and all, and I was telling calib Landrie Drones plays Dracula,

(09:43):
and I love him. He always dives into you know,
his character, and I was like, you know, I don't
know that the lengths that you go through in this
movie for a love like I mean, I really love tacos,
maybe like I would do it for tacos or something,
but like, I don't know that I could go to
the lengths like you have to love somebody so much,

(10:05):
and obviously I do, but but it's very it's way
it's a way different take than you know, the traditional
kind of Dracula story, is it, And so it's really
fresh and interesting and I absolutely love it. And I
was surprised going in. I mean, they kind of were
putting on a love story subtitle and then taking it

(10:28):
off in the promotion, and I think they ended up
dropping it for the release. But it really is this
take is really a love story and talks about, you know,
how far will we go for the people that we love?

Speaker 3 (10:41):
You know, it's interesting you say that, And maybe that's
sort of what is gripping people about that movie and withering,
is that it sort of harkens back to people like
who're just hopeless romantics and that's the focus of their
life and they will go to those lengths because I
feel like we live in this society where people are like, oh,
I don't like the way you ate that, Chip, I'm out,

(11:01):
you know, like dating, like all of like online dating.
So maybe it's people are just craving that, like all
encompassing love. I have to ask you, then, did you
like Frankenstein the Germo?

Speaker 2 (11:13):
I love everything Gharama does. Uh, and and that was
that was no different. I love the interpretation of that.
I as soon as I heard that he was signed
on for it, I was excited because I feel like that,
you know, if there was a project I could choose
for him, it would be that, it would be Frankenstein.

(11:35):
And so I just think he absolutely nailed at Jacob
was amazing. I mean everything. I love that movie so much.

Speaker 3 (11:41):
I thought she was amazing. She is that she was
perfectly cast. Yeah, and she doesn't get as not as
many people are talking to her. I think obviously Jacob
was sort of like the breakout star of it. What's
your favorite Del Toro movie?

Speaker 2 (11:55):
Ah, I would say either Frankenstein or war Pans Labyrinth.

Speaker 3 (12:02):
Yeah, that's the classic. Yeah, everybody chooses. I really loved
the Shape of Water. I thought that was beautiful. You
get some backlash, but I loved it.

Speaker 2 (12:09):
Yeah, so I have mixed feelings. I do love it,
and I do you know, I love him, but I
felt weird because I'm like, I know it's like metaphorical
or whatever, but I'm like, it's a it's like a
fish man, Like that's kind of weird. But then it's like,
but then I have to think, like, okay, beauty and
the beast and that sort of thing. But mate, it

(12:31):
was one of Tom Hanks ohlas flash yes, yeah, oh,
I never even thought about that. Geez. Yeah. So I
had to kind of keep saying to myself, Kyle, it's
not a real fish man, Like she's not, you know,
making love to a fish man. I kind of had
to but she is. Yeah, so I kind of had

(12:51):
to be like, let's go a little bit more metaphorical, Kyle,
Like it's all.

Speaker 3 (12:54):
Right, that's how yeah. Yeah, And I just I also
loved I think the visuals on it, yeah, or stunning, stunning, yes,
like some of his best, but Frankenstein really maybe maybe
topped it. I saw I went to the premiere of
that one, and it was like I saw it at
the Academy Museum in LA and the Academy Museum is

(13:16):
the most insane theater of course, as you would expect
it to be. And it's brand new and it's called
these red Velvet Chairs and it's very classic but new.
The sound of the whole thing it was unbelievable.

Speaker 2 (13:26):
Yeah, that would it sounds like it would be the
perfect place to see that. Yeah, what else? What else
are you thinking? You know, people would be interested in
for like the Valentine's Day holiday timeframe.

Speaker 3 (13:46):
So okay, So there's a couple more if you really
want to lean into, like eighties nineties nostalgia. Pretty in Pink?
Have you ever seen Pretty in Pink?

Speaker 2 (13:55):
I have not.

Speaker 3 (13:56):
I know it's I had a feeling, That's why I asked.

Speaker 2 (14:00):
So.

Speaker 3 (14:00):
Pretty and Pink is one of my favorite romantic films
and it starred Molly Ringwall, Andrew McCarthy, John Cryer, And
it's back in theaters. It's celebrating its fortieth anniversary. So
it's back in theaters just February thirteenth to sixteen, oh,
just for the Valentines. And that is what I am

(14:22):
going to see in the theater, because you know, when
you have the opportunity to see any of you love
that much back on the big screen, you're so used
to seeing it at home, and it really does make
difference to see it that way. So yeah, so i'd
recommend that one.

Speaker 2 (14:35):
Is that really quick? Is that John Hughes?

Speaker 3 (14:39):
Yeah he wrote it, okay, correct. Howard Deutsch directed it
and he wrote it. I there was like a twist. Yeah,
so yeah, so that's it's such a classic. Do you
like classic films? I am, yes, but probably not the
wrong gaming But yeah, I would say, like people always

(15:02):
talk about sixteen Candles being like the greatest sort of
teen angst love movie of all time, but I think
Pretty in Pink blows it away.

Speaker 2 (15:08):
Okay, it's yeah, all right, so it is something I
should check out. Okay, I will, I will.

Speaker 3 (15:16):
I feel you will?

Speaker 2 (15:18):
No no no no. If I say well, I really will?

Speaker 3 (15:20):
Yeah yeah yeah yeah. And then and then the other
thing you can watch at home would be Bridgerton, which
just came out with its fourth season and they're breaking
it up into two parts. So the first half of
it dropped at the end of January and then they
announced you know, I had like forty million households watched it.

(15:41):
Of course, it's like the number one movie on Netflix.
But I don't know if you've watched Bridgerton. But every
season they have kind of like the same cast of characters,
but they focus on a new couple, okay, and so
what they've really managed to do like you know when
you watch a show and you're really into the characters, yeah,
you love and no, and you want to see what's
happening with them. So they had a huge task because

(16:04):
the first season, the couple that they had were so
successful and became you know culturals, you know, pop culture
z eitegeys kind of thing that people are like, Oh,
I don't want to not see them in season two
because it's gonna be a whole new couple, whole new storyline.
They're going to be in the background. But then they
did it again and like they had another couple that
like popped and they've so this is the fourth season
and I had to I think this might be my

(16:26):
favorite one. Oh okay, yeah, because it's kind of a
Cinderella story where this this guy, Benedict Bridgerton, who's part
of this prominent family, goes to this ball and the
queen every year picks a diamond, she picks a female
where she's like, Okay, you're going to go off and
meet all these men and then you're gonna be engaged
by the end of the season. Well, for the first time,
she picks a guy, and at the same ball, he

(16:49):
meets this woman who's like wearing a mask because it's
a masquerade ball, and they like he looked. He's like
mesmerized and he's like a complete like party boy. Before that,
he won't settle down. He sees his girl memory Mesmeriz
turns out she's like crash the party. She's a maid
and in those times, this is not happening, and so
she takes off and so then they meet again and

(17:10):
he doesn't realize it's her. That's the part of you
have to like suspend your disbelief because you're like, there's
no way he doesn't realize it's her, right, But they
still get you because it's so good. I don't expect
you to watch that one. But Bridgerton fans out there
four more episodes to go at the but we have
to wait till after Valentine's are not dropping on Netflix

(17:31):
till like February twenty six, but you know they drop
them like the first four just in time left us
on a cliffhanger that you have to like, you know, yeah,
you gatta, you gotta wait for it.

Speaker 2 (17:43):
What what are some of your favorites like at home?
Like you're kind of classic, you know, you decide you're
staying in it's a snowstorm in LA for some reason,
or you're out in New York and and you're staying in.
What are some of your kind of favorites that you
know we could flip on fandom and go at home
and fire up some some good stuff.

Speaker 3 (18:03):
So I'm going to start with one that's maybe maybe
not well that well known past lives. Okay, I don't
know if you've heard it. Is that Jolie Ah, it's Selene. Yeah,
Selene's song was the director of it, and then she
did Materialists after that.

Speaker 2 (18:24):
Yes, yes, m but it's this.

Speaker 3 (18:28):
It's based on her life story and she grew up
I want to say South Korea. She grew up in
South Korea and she had this childhood friend and they
were like best friends. And then her family moves to
the United States and she never doesn't see him, like

(18:49):
you know, back then, no social media, none of that
sort of stuff or connecting through iPhones or whatever. And
then she ends up getting married to this guy. This
is not a spoiler. She ends up married, getting married
to this guy, and then her childhood friend finds her
online like twenty years later. It's like, I'm coming to
the States. I'd love to see you. And it's this
crazy story of how she just sort of like is

(19:14):
torn because she sees him and they fully have like
you can tell they're fully like if they weren't torn apart,
they would have married each other. They are soulmates. But
she deeply loves her husband, and the sort of not
a twist, but is that the husband fully embraces like, no,
you need to go and hang out with him, and

(19:35):
while he's here, and then they all go out to
dinner one night and it's like the most awkward but
it's I don't even know if I'm doing it justice.
But you know those movies that you watch and you go,
this is gonna be one of my favorite movies of
all time.

Speaker 2 (19:53):
Yeah, yep, it's that movie.

Speaker 3 (19:55):
It's that good.

Speaker 2 (19:56):
Wow.

Speaker 3 (19:56):
It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture.
So a romance, but it's just beautifully done. I liked Materialists,
I didn't love it, but this one is just phenomenal.

Speaker 2 (20:06):
Okay, one of mine. Have you seen Blue Valentine? Yes,
was you say it was the last part?

Speaker 3 (20:15):
I said, Oh, you mean my Rye Ry Yeah, yeah,
I mean I.

Speaker 2 (20:20):
It is. So it's definitely I feel like kind of
an anti Valentine's movie. But but I think it is
so masterfully done.

Speaker 3 (20:30):
Uh and.

Speaker 2 (20:32):
I that's one that I would fire up on, like
on Valentine's Day weekend. I just think it's beautiful from
start to finish. And you know, Ryan is is I mean, really,
everybody in it is amazing. It's so well directed. I
mean it's you know, well directed, it's well written. It's
just a I think it's a beautiful film. I really do.

Speaker 3 (20:54):
Yeah, I agree, it's it's I feel like that movie
comes up when you talk about great romances, great romance films,
because it's a little darker too, you know. It's like
not like you said that traditional. But yeah, I I
I'll add I'll add a couple to the Ryry lists.

Speaker 2 (21:12):
Okay, the notebook.

Speaker 3 (21:15):
I'm so cliche. Yes, yes, Lala Land, I'm so cleased
Lalla Land.

Speaker 2 (21:19):
See I like La La Land, Like I feel like
La La Land. I don't know. I for me, it's
different than like the Notebook. And I don't don't mean
to roll my eyes when I say the Notebook, but
I have to every time I say it. It's like,
I don't know, it's like a bodily reaction. But like
I feel like the Notebook is one of those things
that it is like your traditional when you think of

(21:41):
a romance movie, like it's that, you know what I mean?
And I feel like, yes, girls like teenagers love it
and and like every age you know, and there's I'm
sure tons of men that like it too, But I'm
saying like it's one of those things that if you
talk to a girl and you know you're discussed saying
a romance movie, like they're going to bring up the Notebook,

(22:03):
you know what I mean?

Speaker 3 (22:03):
Where, Yeah, there's certain ones. And it's funny because like
sometimes when people ask me, like my favorite romance films,
I feel like it is so cliche to say films
like that, But every time you put it on, there's
a reason, like I get engrossed all the same. I
have to say, though, like I I have to turn
that movie off at a certain point. Okay, I haven't

(22:25):
when they get to the oh okay, never mind, you
haven't seen it. No, Okay, there's a certain point where
it gets so sad that I just have to turn
it off because I've seen it a million times, Like
I've probably seen it fifty times, if not more so.
A certain point, I'm like, I know where this goes
from here. I don't need to cry today. I'm not gonna.

(22:48):
I'm not. I'm not doing it.

Speaker 2 (22:50):
That's that's Nicholas Sparks right wrote, wrote the book.

Speaker 3 (22:54):
Yeah, yeah, and then Cassavetti's directed it, okay, cases Nick, Yeah,
that's his name. Clearly doing really well with director's names today. Yeah, No,
he's He's It's just it's just this is gonna sound
super visual. But I don't think there's ever been two

(23:16):
more beautiful people on screen, never than those two. The
way he shot it, the whole thing. I'll throw one
out there. Yeah, because it's not it's platonic love. That's
one of my favorite films of all time is Lost
in Translation, directed by Sophia Coppola. You've seen it?

Speaker 2 (23:37):
Bill Murray, Yeah, Bill Murray at.

Speaker 3 (23:40):
His finest, Scarlett Johansson her breakout role, Scarlett Johansson with
a mullet. But I I feel like, would you would
could you classify that as a romantic film or like
Friendship or how would you classic?

Speaker 2 (23:57):
I would say it's like a romantic film or at
least romantic, like adjacent, you know, you know, I feel
like kind of the catch All is a drama, you
know that you could just throw it under, but it
is one of those films that's kind of multifaceted in
you know, you could have so many hyphenits with that

(24:18):
where it's you know, but I feel like a lot
of her work is like that.

Speaker 3 (24:22):
You know, Yeah, she's cool. She doesn't do that many movies,
so every time she does something I get pretty excited.
But that was, by hands down my favorite. I did
work in Japan a long long time ago, and just
the Bill Marie scene where he's doing the Century Times
the drink so exactly my experience, and so I think

(24:45):
I have a personal connection to it too. But the
ending when he whispers in her ear. Every time I
watch that movie, and I have this superstition that every
time I fly over water, they usually have it on
the plane. I watch it lot, but every time the
same thing happens. Because no one really knows what he
whispered in your ear at the end, and they've even tried,

(25:07):
like turning up in posts like and they kind of
can't figure it out. But every time I watch it again,
I go back and I Google again to see if
anybody's figured it out, because it breaks my heart, Like
I want them. It's weird because there's obviously a huge
age difference, but like I really wanted them to continue
their relationship in some form. I just don't want to

(25:28):
think that they never saw each other. I talk to
each other again.

Speaker 2 (25:30):
Yeah, Yeah, that can happen.

Speaker 3 (25:32):
Where you have this moment with somebody and then you
leave and then that was the moment was captured in
that space and time and would never be the same.

Speaker 2 (25:40):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (25:40):
And that kind of stuff makes like drives me crazy, breaks.

Speaker 2 (25:44):
My heart me too. See, I like interesting films like that,
even no matter what genre they are, where it's like
it's almost a twist on so in the you know,
in the genre of romance, it's it's almost a twist.

Speaker 3 (25:57):
On the.

Speaker 2 (25:59):
Kind of more cliche version where they're happy and you know,
and it's a nice repped bow at the end. I
like that where really because to me, that's real life.
You know, you could meet somebody and that could legitimately happen.
I mean not that you can't, you know, do the
rom com cliche life, but I mean, to me, that's
like the real day to day life where you had

(26:22):
this amazing time with somebody that you met at the
beach or something when you were on vacation, and your
lives go separate ways, and it's it's so amazing that
you know, night or a few days or whatever that
you shared with them, but it doesn't exist outside of that.
And so those are the things that really that's more
challenging things.

Speaker 3 (26:40):
That I think I and yeah, and I think that
when you try to capture a moment or an essence
on screen, it's hard to do. And I think that's
why we do have cliche romances, because the cliche things
are easier. But that film, and then I would say,
Past Lives does this thing where a look a touch,
like when he touches her hand in bed, Like that
was so like such a charged moment, but it was

(27:03):
just him touching her hand. And I'm thinking of like
what that script must have looked like. Yeah, like the
script was probably awesome, but like so much of it
was captured between the performances in the moment it reminded me.
I'll tell you a quick Bill Murray story if you
want to hear it. So Bill Murray is like, you know,
like I interview people for a living and probably interviewed

(27:23):
like five thousand actors, but like had never interviewed Bill Murray.
He was sort of like the goat, you know, I
always wanted to and everybody was like, oh, well he
can be a little cranky. I'm like, I'll charm him.

Speaker 2 (27:35):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (27:37):
So I'm at this Golden Globes after party and he's standing.
It was the year that Green Book Ye was on
a run and I think it had won that night.
He's friends with, you know, Peter Fairley, and so he was, oh,
he Actually, here's the funny thing. So I was backstage
doing interviews in that I didn't see the end of

(27:58):
the show, so I didn't see who announced best Picture.
Well he announced best Picture. I didn't know that. All
I know is I go to this afterparty and he's there,
and he's standing in the corner at this bar setup
and he's like super cranky looking and he has all
this security around him, and so I'm like, I'll just
step past that security and I'll go over and he

(28:23):
starts like instantly like I said to him, I said,
I was like, so what brings you here? He goes
he's like, oh, I just announced best Picture and I
was like, oh, I said, I had no idea. So
he instantly thought I was so dumb, like how are
you at the Golden Glove if you don't know this?
And I said I didn't know. I was backstage or whatever.
So he starts making fun of me, and so I
start making fun of him, and then he says to

(28:45):
a security like, you know, give this girl some water
because she's on fire. He was clearly like like not
into it. I was just like, okay, you have a
nice night, belt nice to meet you. And I like off,
and all my friends were like on one side of
the room and they're all like snapping pictures of the
moment and they're like, oh my god, oh my god.

(29:07):
They didn't realize. I was just like, I don't think
you wanted to talk to me.

Speaker 2 (29:11):
Yeah, but that such a Bill Murray story.

Speaker 3 (29:14):
Then I did not charm him whatsoever, But that's.

Speaker 2 (29:18):
Such an awesome Bill Murray story. Like now you have
your very own Bill Murray story.

Speaker 3 (29:24):
I have my very own lost and friend. We were
definitely lost in translation. He didn't get like my deal,
I didn't get his deal. I was yeah, but I
still love the guy, love him.

Speaker 2 (29:44):
Speaking of those kinds of you know, kind of twists,
the breakup with Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston, Like, to me,
that's such a great anti Valentine's Day movie, Like it's
so real life. And I think that's why I'm attracted
to it, or you know, drawn to it, is because like, yeah,
we have these ups, but we also have these downs.

(30:06):
And I feel like a lot of movies don't ever
go and focus on the downs, and so that's why
I think it's so interesting. And and these are two
I think, you know, beautiful people that at the surface
should a very surface level like should work, you know,
in the context of the film, but it doesn't because
they have, you know, various life things and they're growing

(30:29):
apart and all that. So I love that movie. And
I feel like it's like slept On even though at
the time, if I remember correctly, it was a hit,
but I feel like nobody like brings it up anymore.
And I think it's such a good film.

Speaker 3 (30:42):
No I think people, I actually think people do as
the anti romancing, and I think, yeah, yeah, and I
think it's one of those movies. I think I only
watched like twice because it's hard to watch. It is
because you relate to it so much of how painful
it is to go through a breakup and you you
don't work and you know it can't work, but you

(31:03):
still want it to work, and you keep trying different
angles and then it just doesn't and then it just
deteriorates badly from there. I'm speaking of the anti romance
Phantom Thread. Have you seen Phantom Thread?

Speaker 2 (31:14):
I have not, you know what. It was on my
list for a long time and then I kind of
forgot about it.

Speaker 3 (31:20):
So that is did you like One Battle? Are you
like a PTA?

Speaker 2 (31:23):
I am yes, I did like One Battle, yes, but
Phantom Thread, so you do like that?

Speaker 3 (31:27):
So actually one of my favorite PTA movies because Daniel
da lewis number one. We don't see enough of him anymore.
He retired and then he came out of retirement for
his son's movie. But now he's who knows if he's
going to do anything else, But yeah, it's kind of
a wild premise. He plays a fashion designer, so you
think you know, the trailers made it just look like

(31:48):
he meets this woman and she's kind of like his muse,
so to speak, and so you know, he's this revered
fashion photographer and then the tables turn and it gets
very dark. And if you like Paul Thomas Anderson movies,
or you know Paul Thomas Anderson movies, and you remember,

(32:10):
like even Magnolia when it's rain frogs and I hate
Frogs and ruin the movie for me, but that's another story.
But yeah, he loves to throw a wrench in at
the end. And something happens at the end of this
movie that is like, yeah, craziest endings of a movie
I've ever seen. It's bizarre. And I think when it

(32:32):
came out, you either love that ending or you were
like what, so I hope I have you intrigued?

Speaker 2 (32:38):
Now, yeah, you do, And now I'm like, no, I mean,
and it's it's actually the only film of his I
think that I have not seen. So you've like bumped
it back up on my watch list now because now
I'm like, hmmm. And Magnolia, I mean, that's one of
my favorite movies of all time. And that whole frog
scene was like a what and so now you've got me.

(32:58):
I'm like, what did he come up with with this one?

Speaker 3 (33:00):
So?

Speaker 2 (33:01):
Yeah, where can we get more information about you? Where
can we follow all of your awesome stuff?

Speaker 3 (33:07):
You're so sweet? All the channels I'm on mostly I'm
on Instagram. I don't really tweet anymore. I lurk. I
don't really tweet. But at nikkiy Novak you can always
find me. At Fandango, I'm I'm you know, doing a
lot of you know, exciting interviews for them all the time.
We have this thing that people should definitely check out

(33:29):
that we have that's really unique, as I think everybody
kind of knows what a junket is these days, and
that actors sit there and they talk to like many
different outlets in a day. But we have this thing
called Big Ticket, our big ticket interviews where we sit
down with the cast before anybody else. It's usually several
months before the movie comes out, and we sit down
not just like one on ones, but it's like the
whole cast together, and then we air them when the

(33:50):
tickets go on sale. So we sort of have, you know,
a little run like we put ours out for Withering Heights.
I interviewed the cast in December in London, and it
trended and went all over the place. But they're really
fun sit downs because we get to sit down with
the whole cast together for like thirty twenty thirty minutes.
So definitely check those out. But yeah, and I just

(34:11):
started doing TikTok. I didn't do it for so long
and then I had and this will put a bow
on everything. But I had this moment at the Critics'
Choice Awards because when I interviewed Jacob in December in
London for Withering Heights, he had just been nominated for
Critics Choice and I just have a real instinct about
who's going to win. And I just said, I think

(34:31):
you're winning. But everybody at the time thought it was
Sean Pennerbiat sales Al Toro for one Battle. And so
when he won, I went up to his table and
I told you, and he's like, you're a sorceress. And
then he came ran up and gave me like a
big hug and a kiss as he was walking out
the door. Well, if you know anything about Jacob Eulerdi's fandom,
my friend who was big on TikTok, like put this
TikTok together and she was literally recording the behind the scenes.

(34:53):
I'd't even take a picture with him, and she like
she was like, no, No'll put it up on TikTok
and just see what happens. It was like my first
post ever and I got like a million and a
half use So I'm like, I'm doing TikTok. This is amazing. Yeah,
And now like I'm posting other stuff and I'm trying
to get it going. I haven't added anything.

Speaker 2 (35:10):
Like that, but yeah, what do you My problem is,
I've been so bad about my own socials. Uh, And
so now I'm like you, I'm like, okay, you got
to start posting some of this stuff to your own
socials because mine goes out to iHeart and all these
stations and all, and I'm like, what about your own
So I've been trying to take a more active stance

(35:32):
and like being like, okay, you did this interview, it's
airing this week. Let's get some of those clips up
to your own stuff, you know what I mean?

Speaker 3 (35:39):
But like, no, absolutely, but it's a funny thing because
TikTok's a whole other animal, Like that's not really something
I would put on Instagram because usually I'll put up
an interview with voice and sound and she's like, no,
it's literally like a five seconds of him and she
put it in slowo and then she put his face
up close and she like turned it into this. She
turned it into a movie into a romantic com moviy

(36:01):
and listen, I'm not saying it is romantic in any way,
but that's how she made it look. And so like, yeah,
it's every time I turn on I have new notifications
of people like, oh my gosh.

Speaker 2 (36:11):
I love that, And where where is all of your
Like is there a social we can go to or
a site that you can get all of your links?

Speaker 3 (36:19):
Yeah, so at Nikki Novak is my own. Definitely check
out Fandango's socials because they post me, they post my interviews,
and then I also do Rotten Tomatoes as well, so
Rotten Tomatoes channels, and then definitely check out our YouTube
channel and our homepage and Fandango at Home. Like we
talked about before, there's like all those every basically all

(36:40):
the old movies that we talked about are all on
Fandango at Home. But yeah, if you want to find me,
I'm at Nikki Novak and if you scroll way, way, way,
way way back on Instagram, you'll see the photo of
me and Bill Murray that somebody to find this.

Speaker 2 (36:54):
I'm going to do that because I want to see it.
Now what, finally, what? And I'm sorry I've gone way
over your time. What will you be doing or watching
on Valentine's weekend?

Speaker 3 (37:10):
So I will. I'm definitely gonna see Pretty Opinion in
theaters because I don't think I ever saw it in
a theater.

Speaker 2 (37:18):
That's you know, oh yeah yeah.

Speaker 3 (37:20):
So I'm just really curious how it translates when you're
so used to seeing a certain way. But I do
have plans to see Wuthering Heights again, like a Gallantine's
kind of thing, because I saw it. You know, you
see it at a screening and you're trying to think
of questions and you're doing all that kind of thing,
but looking forward to seeing that and now you can

(37:42):
horror movie? So tell me what I should go see?
What horror movie are you recommending to me as the
anti Valentine?

Speaker 2 (37:49):
Oh what? Now I got to look really quick.

Speaker 3 (37:55):
It doesn't have to be in theaters.

Speaker 2 (37:56):
Just any oh heart eyes, heart eyes. I don't know,
did you see it. You did? Did you like it?

Speaker 3 (38:05):
I mean, this is gonna like we're lever talking it
after I say this. But horror is my least favorite genre.

Speaker 2 (38:11):
It makes sense. I so horror is my favorite genre.
I mean, obviously I'm like a cinophile, but but horror.
I like bad horror, good horror. It doesn't matter, you know,
made with a three dollar budget, made with a three
hundred million dollar budget. I love horror, and which probably
says a lot about a lot of things, but for me,

(38:32):
but Heart Eyes I really loved because it was so
kind of weird or quirky, I'll say, uh, and it
kind of was satirical on like the slasher genre, but
also had this like kind of fun satirical romance angle.

(38:52):
Like I just loved it. I loved it. It's so
weird and fun and kind of out of the box.
Is that the word? Is that the term out of
the box?

Speaker 3 (39:01):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (39:02):
That that's That's what I would have recommended if you
hadn't seen it. Dracula a Love Story, though, I'm gonna
I should.

Speaker 3 (39:11):
See that because I had meant to see it, and
I know it came out like today very right, Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 (39:17):
Yeah, depending on when they watch or listen. But yeah,
and it is not it's not a horror. I mean,
it has horror elements, but it's more like a gothic
romantic drama, you know, tragic drop gothic romantic drama, if
that makes sense. But it really is. I really do.

(39:37):
I really do love it. I love Caleb Caleb and
and Zoe Blue plays his uh love and she's really great.
I mean it really, I really really enjoyed it.

Speaker 3 (39:50):
So I'm going to go see that, and you're gonna
go see.

Speaker 2 (39:55):
I'm going to watch Pretty in Pink oh and Wuthering Heights.

Speaker 3 (40:00):
Yes, yeah, mus see. You should do a double feature.

Speaker 2 (40:03):
That would actually be cool.

Speaker 3 (40:04):
And next time I see you, you're gonna be wearing
a shirt that says I love romance.

Speaker 2 (40:10):
You never know, crazier things have happened, or I heart
with like a bloody heart romance. Actually that's a good idea.
Actually the h and.

Speaker 3 (40:19):
I'll be in black and I'll be like I mean
the Plasure movies.

Speaker 2 (40:22):
Now that's so funny. Thank you so much. I really
really appreciate it, and please come on again and we'll
talk whatever sounds good.

Speaker 3 (40:33):
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you for having
me and look forward to chatting again and happy Valentine's.

Speaker 2 (40:38):
Yes you too, you too.

Speaker 1 (40:40):
Thank you for listening to pop Culture Weekly. You're all
the latest at pop cultureweekly dot com.

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