L.A. Story

We're celebrating 100 episodes this week by returning to not one but two recurring themes from nearly two years of the podcast: the filmography of Steve Martin and the belief that February belongs to romance -- two concepts that combine decently well with some magical realism in our movie of the week, an absurdist take on life and love in Los Angeles that still feels like a cutting send-up of the city more than 30 years later. It's 1991's L.A. Story, directed by Mick Jackson, written by Steve Martin, and starring Martin, Victoria Tennant, Richard E. Grant, Marilu Henner, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kevin Pollak, Patrick Stewart, Frances Fisher, Iman, Larry Miller, Woody Harrelson, Rick Moranis and John Lithgow. So tonally cartoonish that it feels Martin is moments away from being crushed by a grand piano and popping out the top of it unscathed at any moment, that silliness conceals an earnest goodness about love, the universe, and everything finding a way to work out as it should. Are these beliefs that go hand-in-hand with the movie's wacky exterior, or does the film find itself at odds with itself? Find out, as we dive into a movie Hayley recently picked up on VHS. Plus: J Mo's still sore from having climbed into the wrestling ring over the weekend! If you'd like to watch the movie before listening along to our discussion, L.A. Story is currently streaming for free on the CTV app in Canada at the time of publication. Other works discussed in this episode include the video games Mario & Luigi: Brothership and Balatro, as well as TMNT: Mutant Mayhem, Only The Brave, 24, The Departed, The Nice Guys, Mission: Impossible - Fallout, Jurassic Park, the JJ Abrams Star Trek trilogy, the Disney Star Wars sequel trilogy, A Goofy Movie, Bowfinger, The Lonely Guy, Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid, Cheaper By The Dozen, The Tooth Fairy and They Came Together. Feb2ary Is For Lovers continues next week as we run it back for another 100 episodes beginning with Nicolas Cage and Cher in 1987's Moonstruck, which may be the most readily available film we've ever covered as it's currently streaming on Amazon Prime, Crave, Starz, Criterion Channel, Tubi and Hoopla as we release this. Thank you so much for listening for 100 episodes, or however long you've been on the ride. We love you, and see you at the movies!!