From WXXI news.

This is connections.

I'm your guest host Scott Powers.

Our connection this hour takes place June 16th, 1994.

Two young strangers meet on a train and cure up an American, Jesse, and a French student returning to Paris.

Celine.

They strike up a conversation, flirtatious but meaningful too, as they're about to part their separate ways.

They take a chance.

They shoot their shot, if you will.

Instantly enamored with each other, they get off the train together in Vienna.

They wander the city together, laughing, bantering, stealing romantic glances.

It's a magical evening.

Unforgettable, even.

But as the day ends and their sunrise deadline looms, they must make a decision.

This, of course, is the plot to the 1985 indie romance gem Before Sunrise, directed by Richard Linklater.

This iconic Valentine's Day movie is screening tonight, February 14th at 7:30 p.m. at the Little Theater.

And if you're just realizing now it's Valentine's Day and you need plans.

We have you covered this hour.

We'll preview what movies are playing here in Rochester, including at the Dryden Theater, where we have Down With Love tonight at 7:30 p.m., the lady Eve, Saturday at 2 p.m., and Sabrina Saturday at 7:30 p.m. all three of those projected on 35mm film at the Dryden Theater.

Plus, we'll break down what makes for the ultimate Valentine's Day movie.

Is it a classic rom com, a mindbender like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, or a tale of twisted love like Phantom Thread or Gone Girl?

I'd like to welcome my guest this hour.

We have Jared Case, curator of film exhibitions for the Dryden Theater at the George Eastman Museum.

Welcome, Jared.

Thanks, Scott.

Happy to see you again.

We have Danielle Del Plato, member of the Greater Western New York Film Critics Association and a VHS collector at Danny's Video.

I believe Danielle, the proper term for that is VHS queen.

Is that correct?

That is very correct.

Welcome to the show.

And we also have Joanna Lester, digital communications specialist at the University of Rochester, freelancer for City Magazine and rom com connoisseur.

You had me at hello, Scott.

Do you have business cards with rom com?

Kind of see where I.

Well, now.

I feel you should.

It's time.

And you send those out.

Danielle, I'm going to start with you.

So we mentioned you are a collector.

VHS, VHS tapes.

You have hundreds, nearly a thousand.

So the big question is, what what are you picking for today?

Okay, so I thought about this very long and hard.

And I always come back to her.

My girl, Nora Ephron.

So I'm Paul and Sleepless in Seattle.

Oh, that's gotta pick.

We will be talking about Nora at this hour.

That's a promise.

Do not worry about that.

Joanna, what's your ultimate Valentine's Day pick?

I have to go with when Harry met Sally.

So we're vibing in this room, or we're on it.

Yep.

Nora.

She just gets us forever.

Jared.

So you, of course, curate at the Dryden Theater.

What's the difference between picking a Valentine's Day movie that maybe you'd want to watch versus programing one at the Triton?

Well, yeah.

I was a little disappointed you didn't ask me what my pick for Valentine's Day was.

Before we get into the business, we do on it.

But, I think probably if it was just for me, if I was watching it alone and not with my wife, I might pick le story, with Steve Martin and Sarah Jessica Parker just because of the mix of high and low humor and the fact that he actually changes the weather to to to keep his his love with him.

but to answer your actual question, it's it's not tricky, but it's, you need to balance what you like versus what is going to be, fulfilling to the audience.

luckily, I had, each of those films that we're screening this weekend actually belongs to a different series.

So sometimes, you know, if you look far enough out, you can arrange it so that it it fits within a certain weekend.

the, Down With love, which we're showing tonight, is actually a print that we recently received into the collection, back in 2022.

The collection is still growing at the Museum.

so, I chose that one to go along with, actual Valentine's Day lady Eve, we're doing a Henry Fonda series currently.

So that's an encore screening in that series.

And Sabrina was my attempt to expand on, what we're calling from Rochester With love, a series of, films featuring people who were born in or studying in or visited in Rochester.

And, of course, Audrey Hepburn was here, quite frequently towards the end of her life.

But then I just realized Jim Beam was, with us for a roundtable earlier this month, and he had an article talking about Humphrey Bogart and how he and his family would actually summer at Seneca Point, up until they sold the house in, like 1918.

So both visitors to the Rochester area.

So it just kind of all culminates in this wonderful weekend of romance.

Yeah.

I did not realize that.

Tell us, reading your description of like, Audrey Hubbard, who visited Rochester frequently, I'm like, how did I not know that?

Ironically, yeah.

our friend at the museum, Allen Buell, who runs the events, he's the events coordinator.

it was his first year there, and Audrey Hepburn was coming in to help with the Gregory Peck George Award ceremony.

He didn't know who she was, so she tried to come in, but the private entrance and announced like, no, no, no, no, no, you need to go to the public entrance.

Nobody comes in through here.

And of course, he was he was, you know, corrected in what was going on.

But that was his first experience with a Hollywood superstar.

Our viewers on YouTube just got a treat.

So you got to see us all gasp, which normally you can't see on the radio, but now you can.

so let's talk a little about Down With Love and we have a clip that we'll get to in one moment.

so again, this is 35 millimeter Renee Zellweger, Ewan McGregor, and play you and McGregor playing tonight.

can you tell us a little bit about this movie if someone is unfamiliar?

Yeah.

I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if, the audience was unfamiliar.

It didn't do well when it came out, but it's really a love letter to film, specifically films of the 1960s.

The Pillow Talk, lover, Come Back, Doris Day, Rock Hudson films.

It's a pastiche that takes place in the 60s, about, a woman who's written a book called Down With love.

where she's, a proponent of, taking more of a male stance, typically male stands at the time where you're, not, emphasizing, romantic love with sex.

you're sort of separating those.

So it's, sort of a battle of the sexes between her and Ewan McGregor playing, a journalist who is sort of a headmaster.

He he, tries to write articles that, take people down.

So he's interested in taking her down and showing that she's actually a romantic at heart while she's, you know, fighting for, the rights of women to act as they they would like.

So, if you want to set up the clip, this is, actually an audio clip.

The first time that they're meeting, although it's over, over the phone.

So this is the first.

This is setting up their tete a tete.

Okay, let's go to this clip, please.

My first New York phone call.

Oh, it must be no magazine.

No one else has your first.

It must be.

Catch your block.

Oh.

This is Barbara Novak.

This is catcher.

Block catcher, block catcher.

Block no.

Magazine.

Oh, yes.

Of course.

What can I do for you, Mr. Block?

I think it's what I can do for you.

Miss Novak, I'd like to invite you to lunch so we can discuss your book.

Well, that sounds very nice, but I'll have to check my schedule to see what I'm famous.

Well, we've already ordered.

Can you be in the mahogany room in ten minutes?

I'm afraid that will be impossible, Mr. Block.

Well, some other time then.

Right.

I'll see you in 15.

Oh, so.

Yes, very apparent 1960s vibes there.

I love that little scream it.

Yeah, I knew I was coming.

I forgot about it.

so you'd mentioned this maybe is underrated.

So I'm going to ask our guests here.

Joanna, have you have you seen down with love?

I saw Down with Love in the theater when it came out.

He, Ewan McGregor is so charming in this movie.

He looks.

I mean, he's a babe, but he looks so good in the 60s esthetic and the perfectly tailored suits and his perfectly coiffed hair.

Oh, they're so good.

It's so.

It's such a charming movie to have you.

Have you seen it?

I haven't seen it, but I am very familiar with the production design because it's iconic.

So yeah, I haven't either, I think.

So I should mention to our listeners too, who don't know, I work for the little theater.

Jared, of course, is at the Triton, and one of my favorite things of when I introduce a film or we talk about it, is having introducing an audience to a movie for the first time.

So no matter how popular or iconic, there's always people coming in who have not seen this movie yet.

And watching that and the communal experience with a crowd, other big screen, there's just nothing that really can replicate that.

So again, if you if you need plans, we we have you covered tonight here in Rochester.

To quote another romance, ditto.

Jared, do you want to give us.

So if someone's listening, they're like, oh, I'm with love.

I'm in.

Yeah.

How could they get tickets?

How can they find out more information?

well, yeah.

ever since the pandemic, we've been selling tickets online.

So you can go to eastman.org/strident theater or, you know, there's 500 seats in the theater.

And unless something really drastic happens, I don't think we'll sell out.

so you can always come to the door.

doors open at 645, and, we sell tickets at the door.

Awesome.

And, of course, we'll be offering a lot of movie recommendations this hour.

we would like to hear from you as well, so you can call in at 844295 talk or (585) 263-9994.

Or you can leave a comment on our YouTube stream.

so I think maybe we're going to shift and talk a little bit about Nora Ephron now, because we have to prop it up.

So, Danielle, what are what are some of your other favorite Nora Ephron ones?

Do you is Sleepless in Seattle the top one or are there other ones here?

So I think when Harry met Sally is definitely top.

I just don't have it on VHS.

So like if anyone wants to donate, you know, I'm not going to say no.

but I mean, she is just so raw with like, her screenplays.

There's like something very real about them and relatable that it's not like shellacked in cliches, you know?

but yeah, I think when Harry met Sally is like the ultimate Valentine's Day movie.

It's also like the ultimate Christmas fall New Year's movie.

Like watching every day for it.

Right?

But yeah, she's she's everything.

She's perfect.

My memory of when Harry met Sally, we played at the little, In 2020, Valentine's Day, we reopened our main theater.

Theater one for the first time.

Played this movie.

I remember I was like, I need to capture this moment.

So I took a photo of the crowd.

There was, like, people kissing.

It was very romantic.

and then we close, of course.

Closed, for 13 months, which was just a month later in March.

So.

So it's still a special movie, but also, I have that memory guy I got in there.

so, Danielle, you had mentioned you don't have that on VHS yet.

if someone has a copy and they're interested, can they follow you on Instagram?

How can they find Danny's video?

Danny's video at Danny's dot and is underscore video.

yeah.

DM me if you have VHS tapes.

I'll take any of them.

All right.

Joanna, what are some of your what what are some things that you really when you watch a Nora Ephron movie, what are the things you're feeling?

What what is the story?

She's got all of the feelings.

I, I think that she just perfectly captures, how people speak to each other.

like, her dialog is just pristine.

It's so specific.

It's so if you've if you've read heartburn, even if you haven't seen heartburn, the movie, you should read heartburn, the book, which is by Nora Ephron.

based on her marriage.

it includes recipes in the book, too, which is like always a selling point for me as well.

Like, like spaghetti carbonara.

Like that you like in bed?

Like I make the vinaigrette because it's perfect.

Like Nora Ephron.

Yes.

she was just iconic.

She was such a, She just wrote love letters to New York City.

Like, that was her vibe.

That was her esthetic.

And she.

Nobody did it like her.

she has such a short filmography.

Like, she didn't make that many films.

So I think we're so lucky with the ones that we did get, you know her?

You've got mail.

I think it's a little more divisive.

I think people don't love it as much, but it holds such a special place in my heart, too.

I was at the little when you guys screened that.

I think, last year.

so, I mean, I feel like we could just talk about Nora all day, I think.

I don't think anybody has done it better.

I'm very happy you brought up.

You've Got mail.

It's.

We do have a clip, which we'll get to in one second, but, can you tell me a little bit about why that's one of your favorites and maybe why there is maybe some contention about it as well?

Oh, man, that one I have probably seen, I've probably seen You've Got mail way more than most other movies across my lifetime.

It was just one of those that I had on DVD.

I had it on VHS at some point, I believe I was just like, pop it in it and so it became so familiar to me.

I do think Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan together are just, you know, as with Sleepless in Seattle, like they just have that really lovely natural chemistry.

I think there's so like, there's something every man about and every woman about the two of them, even though they're, you know, kind of cute and quirky together.

I think Meg Ryan in You've got males just who didn't want to own a tiny bookstore, who didn't want someone sending them a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils as a token of their love.

All of us.

so I think it hits at something very, natural and pure about about love that not a lot of other movies do.

And you help me set up this clip that we're going to play perfectly.

And it's really I wanted something that kind of showed the the writing and the banter between Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.

So this is a part where Tom Hanks kind of has a big declaration.

So, let's take a listen.

You know, sometimes I wonder what.

Well.

If I hadn't been Fox Books and you hadn't been to the shop around the corner, and you and I had just met by now.

Yeah, yeah, I would have asked for your number.

And I wouldn't have been able to wait 24 hours before calling you up and saying, hey, how about.

Oh, how about some coffee or, you know, drinks or dinner or a movie?

For as long as we both shall live.

Joe.

And you and I would never have been at war.

And the only thing we'd fight about would be which video to run on a Saturday night.

Well, I would fight about that.

Something.

Not us.

We would never.

If only.

If only so good and so good.

yeah.

So, Jared, we're listening to a little someone who programs films.

What?

What about, like, Nora Ephron's writing, do you think?

Really just resonates with audiences who are coming to see these classics?

in a movie theater?

I was thinking about that as we were talking.

I think Joanna put it perfectly.

I mean, her dialog is so naturalistic, and it balances this aspirational aspect of romantic comedies where you're you, you want to see them be happy, but it also faces, real world problems, that, are not necessarily handled in the same way.

You know, she, she gets deep into the characters and what they're feeling and how they react to each other.

So, you know, when Harry met Sally would definitely be my favorite, but another one that's less seen and probably less romantic in this context, as well as a film called This Is My Life, where, it's not necessarily about a romantic partnership, but it's about a single mother and her two daughters and how they're dealing with that.

She's becoming a stand up comedian, I believe, at the time.

So, that's a lot of fun, too.

and I should mention, which we have not mentioned yet, but we will we won't have big spoilers this hour, but we are going to have minor spoilers.

So, yeah, if you're just tuning in, we're talking Valentine's Day movies.

We have some recommendations.

We're diving deep into the genre.

I'm joined by Jared Case, curator a film exhibitions at the Trend Theater.

Danielle del Plata, member of the Greater Western New York Film Critics Association, and Joanna Lester, who is our rom com connoisseur.

so we are talking about rom coms and Nora Ephron, and this is something we chatted a little bit about before we are on the air.

but I was looking at I'm like, looking up these clips for Nora Ephron and thinking, they don't make them like this anymore.

And then I'm like, wait, do they really mean like, I don't see as many rom coms, Joanna or is the rom com genre?

Is this I don't want to say dying, but are we are we seeing less and less of these type of really distressing?

Yes.

We are.

I was kind of like going through a sort of like trying to identify some like recent rom coms, and there's so few and far between that are worth recommending.

I mean, I could come up with like, a few of, you know, that I jotted down, but it is I think it's a tricky genre to nail, to, like, really get right.

And I think that I don't I mean, maybe moviegoing trends are saying one thing, but I also think people always want to see that kind of story.

And I think there is there is a market for it.

And the fact that they're not being made, is a real shame and is a real loss for like, moviegoing culture.

Danielle, what do you agree?

Do you think we're seeing fewer romcoms?

I think, like we saw last year with anyone but you like, audiences really want to see rom coms like they do really well in the box office, but the problem is, we're kind of living in a world where everything is IP driven.

So what's being made is Marvel.

And when do we want to see romance and love?

Studios don't want to like, shell out the money for that.

So it's unfortunate.

And like, do I play the lotto every week to try to like start a production company?

Absolutely.

But it's just it's sad.

I some of the romance movies that we are getting are also straight to streaming, which is a big bummer, but maybe it will change.

Maybe one day it's are you seeing that when you look at a program, if you are looking for a rom com, are you always digging into something that's like decades old at this point?

Well, sure.

I mean, there's this is the this year's 130th anniversary of the first, actual film program.

So there's a lot to choose from over that 130 years.

But, the rom com, the budget of the rom com tends to fall in that middle ground where it's not it's low budget enough to, be worthwhile to, to, to make.

But it's not big budget enough where they're going to just throw a whole bunch of, money at it and try to push it as a big thing.

So I think a lot of the romantic comedy aspects get shoved into other films.

with, Ryan Gosling or, or Ryan Reynolds, where they're having a romantic thing and it's comedic, but it's also part of a big action epic.

And I was just reading as I was doing research about Down With Love, there was this wonderful article in The New York Times on the 20th anniversary, and the author was saying that, you know, the there's expectations for romantic comedy that are difficult to meet and also make it new.

So when we consolidate all these, these studios, there's all these studio notes that are not making anything original and new, but still trying to hit that expectation.

So it tends to be samey over and over again, which doesn't create that that desire for seeing something slightly different, but still creating that aspirational aspect.

A part of it is do we?

I don't agree with this, but do we not have the movie stars for this?

So you mentioned anyone but you with Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, which seem to be pretty big movie stars, but maybe not to the Tom Hanks level.

I mean, do you agree with this?

Do we have the movie stars for these rom com?

I think the movie star has changed a lot.

Like I got to bring him up, but my boy Tom cruise, we don't have anyone like him right now, you know?

And that's why we're still watching movies with Tom cruise.

It's just like the whole dynamic of the movie star is very much kind of skewed because of the influencer.

I hate to say it, but that's kind of like the way society is going.

And unfortunately, like, I would love for us to have like a new Tom cruise or like a new Meg Ryan, but it's just like we don't have the movies to support that to begin with, and then we just don't have the star power.

So yeah, at least until you win the lotto, maybe I'll find the next Tom cruise.

enjoy.

That's why we were talking a little beforehand about types of rom coms, and I asked, is each one of our cast of what they want to talk about?

And so we were talking about Tom cruise.

You talked about one that we don't see a lot, which is sports romance, of course, Jerry Maguire, which is one of the ultimate it's a perfect movie.

It's a perfect movie.

I loved that you brought Tom cruise out because I always bring him up.

Okay, good.

Kindred spirit.

Oh, yeah.

Jerry Maguire is.

I think I watch that movie, like, once a year without fail.

I think it's perfect.

I think the dialog is perfect.

That movie is great.

I love a sports romance movie.

I love a movie about hot people being good at their jobs, which I think also interest sex regularly with like a romance movie and especially like a sports romance movie.

So you have a redemption arc, but you also have a romance built in.

I love everything about that.

Jerry Maguire, Wimbledon, which I think is really underrated, with Paul Bettany and Kirsten Dunst, love and basketball, which is just absolutely gorgeous.

If you've never seen that.

I feel like that's also maybe underselling an underappreciated rent that stream that immediately, love a sports romance movie.

Now, when you listed some off in your email to me, I did see challengers as well, which a little a little darker perhaps, but still a little bit of like romance element to it across several variations in that movie, I think.

but again, has that like competing for a person competing in a sport there, there's similar, story arcs happening, I think, in that in challengers, which I loved, and I should mention challengers of course, won the Quinn FBI movie of the year, which Daniel posted on and recently screened again at the Triton Theater as well, which was watching that movie on the big screen this is so electric.

so yeah.

Jared, any thoughts on sports romcoms?

Would you like to see more?

Do you think that it's something?

Maybe we will see more of?

The two loves of my life are films and baseball.

So I've seen plenty of, baseball films that have romance.

I think my my wife would probably punch me in the face if I didn't bring up her love of the game, with Kevin Costner.

as somebody who's trying to pitch perfect game while still reflecting back on his relationship, and I think, there's, there's romance in it, but Major League, there's gotta.

I always got to return to that one.

All right.

so we're going to take a short break in a while, but I do want to read.

We do have some, comments going on here.

Michael, who emailed in and says my favorite is before and after sunrise.

so I'm reading this off as we're going to actually be talking about, before sunrise, hour after sunset, before sunrise, after the break.

this is confusing to me.

it's it's like being able to observe two real people interacting.

he says I'm going to watch them again tonight.

Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck is also an excellent movie for today.

So if you're listening now we're talking about Valentine's Day movies.

We have tons of recommendations.

we're going to take a short break and then we'll be back for more connections.

I'm Evan Dawson Monday on the next Connections Black History Month specials coming your way, the first hour from the BBC World Service.

And then the second hour, a conversation hosted by activist DeRay McKesson, who celebrates black history through authors and politicians who have tried to rethink and rewrite the narratives that we tell ourselves about our shared history as a country who we are as a nation.

That's Monday.

President Trump has been making changes at breakneck speed, and he's been using emergency powers to do so.

This time, the Trump administration is much more confident and much more emboldened.

I'm Ailsa Chang.

Hear more about the emergency powers that Trump has been using and the very few checks and balances on them.

On All Things Considered, from NPR news.

This afternoon at four.

All right.

We're back this hour with more connections.

If you're just tuning in.

We're talking Valentine's Day movies.

I'm joined here in studio.

We have Jared Case from Triton Theater, Daniele Del Pato, VHS Queen at Daddy's Video, and Joanna Lester rom com Kind of Sir.

Now, during my intro a little, I teased, Before Sunrise, which is playing tonight at the little at 730.

It's a 30th, 30th anniversary of this film came out in 85. so it takes place, as I mentioned in my intro.

June 16th, 1994.

So I have a little story about the first time I watch this, which was on June 16th, and it was very emotional to me because it was after a recent breakup and both my last two long term partners.

Their birthday was June 16th.

Weird.

So I'm like, do I just people born June 16th?

Like what is happening?

So I watch this movie for the first time and felt a ton of emotions, but it has one of those vibes I really like, which is just people hanging out.

It's just it's very romantic.

Just these two people.

There isn't a lot happening and like, not a lot of plot, but it's very charming and whimsical.

and then, of course, it's part of a trilogy, which I watch later in, December 2023, The Drive and played all three of the before movies, right in a row, which I went to all three of them felt a lot of emotion.

Are you feeling that?

Oh, yes.

I was feeling great.

Great watching, great cinema.

True.

A big it was very emotional stuff.

Jerry, what was the reaction when you showed all these before movies?

Right in a row?

Well, the personal reaction as I was rewatching them for the screenings, I was like, wow, I'm relating more and more to the later movies.

Like, the older I get, the more I relate to the later stages of the relationship.

Yep.

but it was it.

Linklater is so good at capturing that.

And as you said, Scott, that's the hangout.

They're all within 24 hour periods, and it's just about these two people talking and relating or not relating and the, the, the conflict that comes out of not being able to express who they are internally.

So, I think there was this sort of adoration for the films, and that's one of the reasons I wanted to bring them all in between Christmas and New Year's.

One of these series that we like to do.

but I think there's, you know, it's it's got that fanatic base of fans that, that really love the films.

So Danielle, do you have a favorite of the before trilogy.

I think Before Sunset is probably my favorite which is the second one.

But I think Before Midnight is really underrated because like Linklater sets you up to be like love exists in the first two and then he just takes it all away and you're like, wait, what do you mean?

So I don't know.

I think like as a whole it's amazing.

But like, if you really want to feel love, watch the second one.

If you're like, I hate love, watch the third.

But it's like a little bit something for everyone.

Yeah, exactly.

No, but I think that's the point is that, you know, as as I become older and the relationship I'm in, it becomes longer.

It's about love not being necessarily just an emotion.

But it's about work.

It's about making it work.

It's about commitment and dedication and how difficult that is.

And it may seem like, not not loving from the outside, due to the actions, but the reason that they're still together and still communicating, even if it's in the, in this very vehement way, is because they do love each other.

They want it to work.

So that's what resonates with me about the last film.

Now we have to have a clip that we're going to go to in just a second.

So again before sunrise is playing tonight at the little at 730. you can go to the little.org for tickets.

So in this clip this is the beginning of it all.

This is their train ride.

This is when they take a chance, when they're like, maybe we should do this.

And it sets up the whole movie.

So let's take a listen.

All right.

I have an admittedly insane idea, but if I don't ask you this, it's just, you know, it's going to haunt me the rest of my life, but, I want to keep talking to you.

You know, I have no idea what your situation is, but, But I feel like we have some kind of, connection.

Right?

Yeah.

Me too.

Yeah, right.

Well, great.

So, listen, here's the deal.

This is what we should do.

You should get off the train with me here in Vienna and come check out the town.

What?

Come on.

It'll be fun.

That's what we do.

I don't know.

All I know is I have to catch an Austrian Airlines flight tomorrow morning at 930, and I don't really have enough money for a hotel, so I was just going to walk around, and it'd be a lot more fun if you came with me.

And if I turned out to be some kind of psycho, you know, you just get on the next train.

All right, all right.

Think of it like this.

jump ahead ten, 20 years.

Okay?

And you're married.

only your marriage doesn't have that same energy that it used to have.

You know, you start to blame your husband.

You start to think about all those guys you've met in your life and what might have happened if you picked up with one of them.

Okay, well, I'm one of those guys that's me, you know?

So think of this as time travel from then to now.

to find out what you're missing out on.

See what this really could be is a gigantic favor to both you and your future husband.

To find out that, you know, I'm missing out on anything.

I'm just the biggest loser as he is totally unmotivated, totally boring.

And, you made the right choice, and you're really happy.

He.

Let me get my back.

And that, of course, sets up before sunrise.

Ethan Hawke and Julie.

Definitely very charming there.

Joanna, do we.

Is this something that you think happens in real life?

Oh, there are people doing this, or is this happening out there in that little, like, part of my brain that, like, lives like in, like, rom com land?

The other part of my brain is, like, really cynical, but there is like a very, like small part that.

Yeah, I think that does I like to think that that does happen, that that has happened.

nobody's ever done it better than Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, I think, especially if you, like, grew up watching like Dead Poets Society, Ethan Hawke.

And you get to, you know, before sunrise, Ethan Hawke, you're like, okay, yeah, this is this is totally his.

This is what would happen to him.

This is exactly how it would how it would go then.

Now, same question is this is this out?

There's romance out there like this in the trade in Europe.

No, sorry.

It's not.

If you want to be like, I don't know, like we're just on apps.

That's all that's happening.

Like, if someone wants to sweep me off my feet in a train station, like, I'm not going to say no, like, it's not going to happen, do you think they'll be more likely to be on hinge and.

Oh, yeah, you're from behind.

no thanks.

Chair.

Do you think, like, with technology and dating apps that that has maybe changed even movies like this are we.

We haven't seen as many vibes.

One, although we I've seen one that's similar that I'm going to break up in one second.

But but do you do you are we seeing fewer of this type of movie?

Well, sure.

Yeah.

I think as Danielle points out, you know, we're not only focused on the screens in front of us, but so much of what our life is comes from that screen in front of us.

So we've got the dating apps are connecting with other people.

It's it's I can imagine being on a train in Europe and not wanting to talk to necessarily anybody to give them a chance to sweep me off my feet.

But it's listening to that clip, you know, that with the cynical part of your brain, I can really think like, wow, this is kind of creepy.

He's trying to encourage her to get off the train with him.

This would never fly.

Now, I don't think and that and feel completely safe.

So the movie that I hinted that is I think similar is right Lane oh it's okay.

Yeah, yeah.

2022 maybe.

and unfortunately so this is a movie that we would love to screen at the little and I'm sure probably you'd have interest in the tried and, but it's unfortunately one that is not allowed to be screened in theaters.

So this is you can find it in a streaming service and watch it there, but it has very similar plot where it's there's a breakup, there's just vibes.

It's I think it takes place over a very short period of time as well.

and again, it's just one that's charming and funny.

So as I was thinking, like, we don't see movies like this quite anymore, I'm like, oh, wait, right, Lane.

It's one.

So they're out there.

They just are.

Maybe there may be harder to find.

so we have a couple other comments here on YouTube.

this is from, another member of Gwyneth, Matt Matt Parsons, you know, who is out of the city newspaper critic.

He says, my best friend's wedding is one of the best rom coms.

and he says, we love an antique rom com.

And instead he says it.

It stars the ultimate Brocco bro.

So which is actually Julia Roberts Erin Brockovich.

so I was I was reading that mostly because it's a Matt I had brought up here antique rom com.

It's this a little in my intro talking about movies that you'd watch on Valentine's Day that yeah, maybe are anti, maybe they aren't rom com, maybe they're about twisted love.

Like I said something like Gone Girl Joanna are is this the type of movie we should be watching today?

That's absolutely.

Absolutely.

I think I watch them all, honestly.

but yeah, I think there is something to be said for like a dark I, I sort of hesitate to call garden Girl even like a dark romance because it is so messed up, but it's so perfectly executed.

Ben Affleck has never been better.

you just know he's somebody who, like, he feels this character so deeply.

He's so good.

He's such a scumbag.

But, we kind of.

We kind of root for him in the end, right?

Which is the magic of that movie.

but, yeah, I think you can totally watch go for dark Romance today.

Absolutely.

And conquer all.

It's kind of that type of movie to where it's like the characters.

It's like they aren't good people.

I wouldn't want to know them in real life, but they're meant for each other.

This is romance.

and we've seen that with other stuff like Phantom Thread as well.

Jared, what what is do you have any favorites in that anti romance or twisted love?

Well, I think there's one we just showed last year.

some a little film called Vertigo where it's, it's certainly it feels like love from Scottie's perspective, but from the outside that necessarily.

And the way he goes about trying to achieve that love is, is a little creepy.

But I know that Daniel's got one right on the tip of her tongue.

I do, wild at heart.

David Lynch, my boy.

I don't I like my romance movies to have, like, a little dark to them.

Right.

So also Fatal Attraction.

Really?

Like, I watched that maybe twice a year, like Valentine's Day and, like, around Halloween, you know, because why not?

But I don't know.

You don't have to love, love and, like, watch the rom coms.

Watch some of the little crazy you, the cynical one.

Kind of a little, you know, I mean, love Nora.

She's a gem.

She's a god.

But, like, Fatal Attraction, like, I. I'm not going to say no.

You know, I can't move my chair further away.

It's not on camera.

Okay.

You're locked.

Okay.

I'm.

I, yeah.

So that that anti love sentiment it just it there's so many different like examples bouncing around in my head of that.

are there any other ones that you really would want to recommend to people.

Jared.

Maybe you have some other ones, dark ones.

I it's I guess I don't necessarily center that when I'm thinking about romantic films that that darkness, Vertigo is the one that that really jumped out.

But, I suppose we could go into other genres that have that sort of edge of romance, but I'm not sure right now.

Yeah, that's why I think it's one of the ones that I. John Ross category that I really like is sci fi.

So I was trying to think of, of one that I, I don't know if this is anti romance, but as I mentioned, wearing an eternal sunshine of the Spotless Mind shirt, we played that last Valentine's Day at the little, in my head, that's a very romantic movie.

I'm like, let's play that.

But of course, if anyone's not familiar with the plot, it is about a breakup and Jim Carrey's character wants to forget.

So he goes to Lacuna Inc, the the company that erases Clementine, Kate Winslet's character from his brain, which isn't what you would think of as a typical Valentine's Day movie, but I think it really works as a Valentine's Day watch.

Are we in agreement with that here?

Oh, 100%, yeah, it's a good yeah.

And we had a huge crowd.

So I think most people did agree.

so I do like the science fiction angle is I feel you could touch upon more creative aspects of romance.

So it's whether it's time travel or time loop.

Do you have any favorites?

Joanna perhaps a a time travel one?

well, we did talk briefly to offline about Palm Springs, and I think that's one of the best romantic movies of the past.

I don't know, five seven years.

it's so funny.

It's so charming.

It does have a scientific bent to it.

that really kind of sets it apart from other from other movies.

because I think, too, when you you don't get a lot of sci fi rom com, like you might get a science fiction romance, which I think is what Eternal Sunshine is.

I don't think there's a ton of like, calm in, in, and Eternal Sunshine, but but Palm Springs is so funny.

It's so dark.

It's.

They have such good chemistry.

I recommend that all the time.

So we actually we're going to go to a clip in a second of Palm Springs that kind of sets up what it's about.

But, my one of my favorite genres of any story is the time loop.

I love it so much.

And with the movie, it's tough because you have Groundhog Day, which is such a standard, so iconic.

And to try to make a movie like that, it's like, oh, that's, that's difficult.

But Palm Springs, I think it just takes some creative, inventive turns.

Of course, Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti are so charming together.

which helps a ton.

So this clip here is going to set up kind of the premise of Palm Springs.

Let's take a look.

I guess you followed me.

What's going on?

I tried to stop you, but what is this?

When is this?

Yeah.

About that.

So this is today.

Today is yesterday, and tomorrow is also today.

It's one of those infinite time loop situations you might have heard about that I might have heard about.

Yeah, a classic infinite time loop situation.

Listen, I always tell partners or friends, I'm like, if you come up to me and you tell me you are in a time loop, I will believe you because I feel bad.

That's usually what is made.

Problems is someone in the time loop and they just no one believes them.

Are you hoping that that happens to maybe a little bit?

Yeah, I think it might be.

I think I would thrive.

Yeah, I think I would be in my element that time loop.

so other sci fi romances that I was thinking of and I can go to you all as well, Molly and Max in the future.

Has anyone seen this?

Wow.

So this is a newer one, played it part of Anomaly Film Festival and then came back to the little.

It's basically when Harry met Sally met with Futurama.

So it's like that will they won't they vibe but with zany space stuff happening as well which I have to be like, I, I'm sure like if anyone's listening, they'll be like, say no more.

I mean, I don't need to know anymore.

about time.

Which is, of course, time travel romance, which we talked a little bit beforehand.

I think we all adored that.

Right?

Oh, yes.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah, I haven't seen it yet.

one that I really also like.

which came up so at our little podcast, we were talking about movies and there's a movie called spontaneous.

Are we familiar with this?

Oh, is that with the exploding?

Yeah, yeah.

I'm familiar.

So it's a teen rom com, and it's.

There is something happening to these teens in the town where they spontaneously combust.

So it's it's gory.

It's like over-the-top bloody.

But despite that, it's very sweet and romantic.

Like, Brian Duffield, the director, did a great job with it.

and so that kind of, I think fits both the sci fi and that like maybe anti romance or not, it's, it's a romantic movie, but it also involves a lot of blood guts, which isn't typically what you think of.

But that's why that's why I like touching upon these, these two different type vaginas.

so one thing where this hour is going by so quickly, I'm realizing, but one thing that reminded me of is the blood.

And the guts is oftentimes Valentine's Day.

It's a day that you're going on a date to a movie and talking with coworkers.

I found a lot of people in long term or happy relationships.

The first movie that they saw together were, in some cases, a what we'd consider a not very good first date movie.

I have a colleague, here in City Magazine who, him and his fiancee.

The first movie they saw was The killing of a sacred deer.

Oh, my God, yes.

Which, if anyone has seen it, you'll know.

Not the best date movie.

I have a, colleague at the little who, again, is in a very happy long term relationship.

First date movie was midsummer.

yes.

True movie.

Which kind of falls.

We're not going to spoil anything, but kind of falls in the good for her category.

is it a Joanna?

Do you have any story or example of this type of thing?

Yeah.

So, shout out to Josh from AP physics in 1998, because we went on a first date to see Saving Private Ryan.

which great movie.

I cried for three hours straight, essentially to the point where he was like, I remember him looking at me just like really wondering, are you are you like, are you okay?

Like, are you going to are we going to make it out of here?

Okay.

Are you going to pull it together?

so great movie.

Not a great not a great date movie.

Just generally definitely not a great first date movie.

just sobbing uncontrollably.

sort of like reassuring pats on the hand, just like endearment with their.

I thought at one point that that would be a good date movie.

Don't really know how it even happened.

It was a really long time ago, but, I think we were like, oh yeah, this movie's supposed to be great.

Let's go.

just instantly regretted that.

So I was tricked into I went to one that I thought would be a good early relationship date movie.

It's a film called Goodnight Mommy.

it's a European one.

It looked like the trailer made it look like just kind of a fun horror movie, which I'm like, oh yeah, that's good.

But it's not that it involves a lot of torture, like like children, doctor, a woman, it's what you would call not a good date movie.

but it makes for a good story.

So, Jared, if you were programing something and you wanted to kind of have a bad first date movie, is there anything that, well, comes to mind?

my, my first date with my wife was to contact, so not not so bad there.

Although I do still have a crush on Jodie Foster.

So, but I was just thinking, as you were talking, that we're we're still creating first dates.

Now, I assume somebodys first date with their girlfriend was to a Nora, which would have been interesting, especially if the guy was the one that recommended it.

but a bad first date movie.

Eraserhead.

Oh, that's a great one.

Which we're showing next month.

at the end of the month.

what other bad for?

Since something where it's really creepy and especially, you know, not necessarily gory, but, you know, really in the in their personalities.

Creepy.

Oh, audition.

Oh, there you go, daddy.

Do you have any examples of this?

So I actually when I start to date someone, I have like a litmus test movie, which is Tusk by Kevin Smith.

I don't know if you guys have seen it, but it's basically a guy kidnaps another guy and turns him into a walrus.

And so like, if you can make it through that film, like you're a good hang, like, maybe I'll, I'll hang out with you again, you know?

Tusk test.

Yeah.

That should be like an official movie.

Yeah.

I don't think I've ever seen that one.

It's, It's a time I cannot, It's it kind of like, along along the lines of the substance, in a way.

it's the first time Oscar nominated someone was being turned into a walrus.

So, I do like that guy.

I think you could talk me into that as a romantic evening turned into a walrus.

I think it works.

so we are running out of time, but, Jared, before we go, we're going to switch gears again.

Do you want to give us another rundown of what people can watch tonight and tomorrow at the Triton?

Yes.

Tonight we are screening down With love, the 2003 film that's a 1960s pastiche of 60s rom coms with Doris Day and Rock Hudson, stars Ewan McGregor and Renee Zellweger in the leads.

Tomorrow afternoon, we have the lady Eve, part of our Henry Fonda for president series, with Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck in a classic, screwball comedy.

And tomorrow night, we are bringing in Rochester visitors as, Audrey Hepburn and, Humphrey Bogart to, show us once again, Sabrina, which was a blind spot for me until I started, doing research for this series.

And it's just great film.

I should have trusted Billy Wilder, and I didn't.

I love canceling off a movie blind spot on.

Like, it's one of my favorite things.

so some again, if anyone listening, some that we have going on tonight at the little there is Before Sunrise, which again at 7:30 p.m.. and one that I haven't mentioned yet, which is a 4K restoration 60th anniversary of The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, which is a film, a musical that inspired La La Land and countless others.

So I think if you're in Rochester and you need plans and want to see a movie come down East Avenue, East Avenue, I would go to Paris, go tried it, and I may I might go to the the little at 230 before I go back into work.

So it's it's the rate of catch.

so, you know, we have been talking a lot this hour about Valentine's Day movies and usually the the thought is you're watching with a partner or Valentine's Day.

Maybe you're watching with a group of friends.

But one of my absolute favorite things is going to a movie by myself, a solo thing.

And I think, Valentine's Day is perfect for that.

To go see a movie, whether it's one of the little or the dried and, especially, Jared, I haven't told you this, but when I go see a movie at the try, I feel like a character in a movie or a show that goes to see, like, in the middle of the day, just a movie.

If it's arthouse and has this magical experience, that's always how I feel when I go to The Dry.

That's very sweet.

so I just feel and I'll, I'll go to YouTube and Joanna first, do you feel Valentine's Day is good for that?

A solo watch as well?

Sure.

I think there's I mean, I think everybody in this room agrees there's no bad time to go to a movie or to watch a movie.

So given that, yeah, absolutely.

Take yourself on a date, get the good popcorn, get the good snacks.

absolutely.

I think going to a movie by yourself is such a treat and such a gift.

Also, you don't have to, like, capitulate and see what somebody else wants to see.

You can just go and see whatever you want.

so feels like a little bit of self-care.

Yeah, I think once, once you realize that, like, going to a movie.

So it's like you have the power.

You can do whatever you want.

Absolutely.

Did y'all are you are you a fan of solo movie guy usually only go to the movie solo because, like, I sit wherever I want, I eat whatever I want, I see whatever I want, like it's amazing.

It is like self care, honestly.

and if you go to the little, you can go to the cafe and get like a little wine and like treat yourself.

It's very nice.

I mean, I'm all about it.

So thanks for that pitch.

Yeah.

Which does sound like a fun evening.

Jared, how about you?

You're a fan of the solo movie?

I guess I like watching solo VHS, screenings, but.

Yeah, absolutely.

it's my my my schedule takes me away most nights.

So the, the ability to get out and see everything that I want to see with family or my wife is nearly impossible.

So when, the little offers, Friday afternoon matinees, it's wonderful are getting out to the other one of the other ones and.

Yeah, all the time.

Do you ever like to I one of the thing I like to do, too, when I go to movie solo, is to chat with other people.

You see people conversing with, they go to the drive and making friends more often.

The films I go to, I hear people complaining on the way out, like when I saw A Tree of Life and the couple was sitting down there.

That was the worst thing I've ever seen, which I did not gauge them.

They seemed very upset, but I disagreed.

Do you?

I don't know if any of the I think some of our twisted love type ones, like maybe Tusk, we would get a similar reaction of Tusk.

You would get walk out.

So I didn't get to play Tusk next year on Valentine's Day.

We make this happen.

I will be seated.

I will see what happens.

You notice I didn't say we were going to play at the level.

I was like, that can leave.

That's right in front place.

Maybe both.

It could be a double feature.

Oh, ice Tusk matinee at the little at some point.

Then go down safe and do the trade and and check it out.

It could be the movie.

It's not like we've never played the same film on the same night at the same time before Die hard.

All right.

Yeah.

can you give us a quick rundown?

If someone wants to buy tickets or get more information on the movies playing tonight, where can they go?

eastman.org/dryden theater or just come to the box office?

There you have it.

Thanks, guys.

thank you again to my guest.

We have Jared Case from the Triton Theater, Daniel Plato of Greater Western New York Film Critics Association and VHS Queen.

Yeah, Danny's video and Joanna Lester, who is our romcom connoisseur and freelancer for City Magazine.

Thank you for listening.

Thank you to our wonderful crew behind the class, the best in the business.

Have a great weekend.

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