Shows
Star Vehicle”While You Were Sleeping” Starring Sandra Bullock!"While You Were Sleeping" is a fun holiday (Christmas) movie that exists in a universe where sleep is the preferred medical term for coma. Sandra Bullock stars as Chicago's top token taker who rescues Peter Gallagher after he plummeted 3ft, max, and settled into a long Christmas sleep. Important to note that if this film was recut with different music, it would be a psychological thriller. Even more importantly this is a story desperately craving for a stage adaptation.
2023-11-211h 21Star Vehicle”Nights In Rodanthe” Starring Diane Lane!"Nights in Rodanthe" and/or "On the Front Lines" is a movie where Diane Lane has to put her life on the line to look after Viola Davis' beachfront inn during a hurricane. Richard Gere is also there auditioning for "Beauty and the Beast" while Diane runs around closing shutter after shutter. The only thing missing was Tabatha Coffey to take the keys and take over. Think of this as "Under the Tuscan Sun" part due.
2023-09-051h 05Star Vehicle”Hope Floats” Starring Sandra Bullock!"Hope Floats" is a movie about radical honesty and taxidermy. Sandra Bullock stars as a down on her luck beauty queen who just needs a long weekend at the spa. Instead, the ambiguous Texas town of her ancestors refuses to take their collective foot off her neck and let her relax for one minute. Sandra Bullock and Gena Rowlands both deserve Academy Awards. In current events, Shanelle reminds everyone that she lives in Los Angeles.
2023-08-291h 15Star Vehicle”Picture Perfect” Starring Jennifer Aniston!It's back-to-school season, which means it's time for season 3! In our season 3 premiere, we have a new subject - star (television) Jennifer Aniston. It's Paris in the 1920s and you just watched "Picture Perfect", light a chic cig and listen to us dive into a movie with a real point of view. What exactly are gateway flowers? Should women have husbands? Would you stay at a job for $150 more a week? "Picture Perfect" BEGS you to draw a line in the sand and you have to.
2023-08-221h 20Star Vehicle”Hot Pursuit” Starring Reese Witherspoon and Sofia Vergara!“Hot Pursuit”, or “In Pursuit of Being Hot”, is a movie where Reese Witherspoon and Sofia Vergara spend the better part of 24 hours together in a car. The movie is only 80ish minutes and yet.. feels like a lifetime. Luckily in those sweet 80 minutes, Reese is able to learn how to be hot and Sofia learns how easy it is to be charged with obstruction of justice. Cheers to two actresses on the road!
2023-05-301h 22Star Vehicle”The Mother” Starring Jennifer Lopez!Up-and-coming Mother's Day classic "The Mother" employs JLo as a marine (and/or FBI agent) who has never met a fur-lined hood she didn't like. Luckily for all mothers across the world, "The Mother" is more violent than "Saw" and experiences colder temps than "Winter's Bone". Oscar nomination for Jennifer Lopez is imminent.
2023-05-231h 51Star Vehicle”Under the Tuscan Sun” Starring Diane Lane"Under The Tuscan Sun" is the greatest movie of all time. Not up for debate. Diane Lane stuns in this timeless movie and deserves a retroactive Oscar. This movie is for any fan of House Hunters International, TLC programming, haunted houses, sensible linen clothing, and purple grapes. We also discuss improvements McDonalds has made with their mobile app. Ciao!
2023-04-111h 25Star Vehicle”View from the Top” Starring Gwyneth Paltrow"View From The Top" is the title of a movie where Gwyneth Paltrow plays a flight attendant (stewardess) AND the title of the eventual tv movie about her ski trial. As an original goop-head and Gwyneth Paltrow FAN, Stephen has been dying to talk about his favorite movie star. And just as we prefer our interactions with flight attendants to go, this movie has NO conflict. Although its a Gwyneth vehicle we can't help but enjoy the work of Kelly Preston, Christina Applegate, Mike Myers, and Mark Ruffalo. And I guess Rob Lowe too.
2023-04-041h 19Star Vehicle”Shotgun Wedding” Starring Jennifer LopezJoin us in the pool as we discuss this DIY wedding film, which also has guns. And grenades. While Jennifer Coolidge keeps the drama in the pool to a shout, JLo lights up an ambiguous island with her charm and explosive devices. Is "Shotgun Wedding" eligible for an Academy Award next year? Which A-lister will create a viral campaign to secure her nomination next year? Gwyneth?
Finally, we address our role in landing Jamie Lee Curtis an Oscar.
2023-03-211h 25Star Vehicle”Bride Wars” Starring Kate Hudson and Anne HathawayIt's 2009 and war is on the nation's brain. Thanks to TLC's burgeoning wedding content, the public is also enraptured with all things wedding. There was no better time for June Diane Raphael and Casey Rose Wilson to pen "Bride Wars". An 89-minute romp that could have used more Brides and more War. However, Kristen Johnson deserved an Oscar nomination (at least) for her work in this film. We welcome anyone brave enough to remake this film with an R rating!
2023-02-141h 21Star Vehicle”Ticket to Paradise” Starring Julia Roberts and George ClooneyWow, do we have a real treat for you! One of us (Stephen) drained the research fund and went to Bali to scope the scene! He's here to report that the movie appears like it takes place in Bali. In this ep we explore a movie with seemingly no conflict but lots of zingers and answer the age-old question, Bali: do you have that trip in you?
2023-01-241h 27Star Vehicle”Christmas With the Kranks” Starring Jamie Lee CurtisDid we ever think Jamie Lee Curtis would be our most studied "star" on Star Vehicle, no we did not. And neither would Jamie Lee Curtis if you ask her. But we're not mad about it! We contemplate what genre this movie belongs to. Holiday? Horror? Magical-realism? Crime? Family drama? Like Jamie Lee Curtis herself, this film can't be tied down to one genre. Also, Tim Allen is in the movie too. As per usual, we dance a devil's dance with big tech but don't fret, that doesn't stop us from enjoying this Christmas masterpiece.
*This episode wa...2022-12-131h 21Star Vehicle”The Holiday” Starring Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz (and Hans Zimmer’s Score)In this episode, we begin at the birthplace of Airbnb, the Kate and Cameron house-swapping holiday romp where Nancy Meyers has us asking the big questions! Would you let a stranger in your house? Does Kate picking up that old man constitute elder abuse? And finally, can someone please put us in contact with The Killers (serious responses only)?
2022-12-061h 31Star Vehicle”Falling for Christmas” Starring Lindsay Lohan!In this episode, we skip ahead 37 days to bring you some Christmas cheer! Confused? You shouldn't be-- nothing could be clearer. The only person with a right to be confused is Lindsay. I mean would YOU miss an opportunity to cover Lindsay's "Citizen Kane," a month early?
Don’t forget to scream “thanks for staying at the North Star!” to every family member this holiday season!
2022-11-191h 23Star Vehicle”Halloween Ends” Starring Jamie Lee Curtis!For our season two premiere, we tackle Halloween Ends, the movie that closes out our Jame Lee Curtis obsession (for now!). This movie has everything from trauma, kills, and many days that aren't Halloween! For the thinking listeners, Stephen peddles a working theory that Michael Myers is a T-Rex equivalent.
2022-11-121h 25Star Vehicle”Top Gun” Starring Tom Cruise!In the season finale of The Star Vehicle Podcast, we tackle Tom Cruise and his need for speed! Stephen tells a plane anecdote of his own and we chit-chat our way through the ambiguous enemy plaguing the boys of Top Gun Academy! Is this a movie for the guys or the gals? We're not sure that it's even up to us to decide!
2022-05-241h 28Star Vehicle”Georgia Rule” Starring Jane Fonda and Lindsay LohanHate to break it to you, Georgie Rule does not in fact take place in Georgia. But fortunately for us, that's where the disappointment ends!
Lindsay Lohan does Long Island in Idaho and Jane Fonda and Felicity Huffman do Lee Strasberg in the living room. Strap in, Star Vehicle is getting serious this week as we unpack the drama surrounding life under Georgia's Rule.
2022-05-031h 21Star Vehicle”Freaky Friday” Starring Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis"Freaky Friday" is Shanelle's favorite movie. She knows every line and she won't let you forget it! Shockingly, this is our first encounter with Lindsay Lohan and our umpteenth with Jamie Lee Curtis.
This week we travel to ambiguous California in 2003 to explore the body-swapping romp that is "Freaky Friday". Let's be honest, Jamie Lee Curtis should have snagged an Oscar nom for this role. Lindsay Lohan should have at least snagged a Golden Globe nom. At the very least, according to Shanelle, "Ultimate" should have snagged a Grammy nom.
2022-04-191h 24Star Vehicle”Runaway Bride” Starring Julia Roberts PLUS (our) Academy AwardsWe begin with a presentation of our very own Academy Awards (name tbd) based on the films we have covered so far. To our winners, congrats. To our losers, even if you miss you are still among the stars!
Then we try and tame the hoofed beast that is "Runaway Bride". A two hour movie about how men get to write mean mean articles about women in the press. And then get away with it! Also Detective Elliot Stabler plays a lovable fool. Julia Roberts does her best and Richard Gere is there.
2022-04-051h 13Star Vehicle”My Best Friend’s Wedding” Starring Julia Roberts and Cameron Diaz!After recapping a recent trip to Italy, we travel from NYC to Chicago to watch big-haired food critic Julia Roberts disrupt a wedding because she loves her best friend. Not only does Julia play a disrupter, she also plays a criminal guilty of mail fraud and grand theft auto (at a minimum).
Also, it's a shame if you think, even for a minute, that Julia Roberts and that guy are BFFs. The film's title is a HUGE misdirect so please don't fall prey to that trick. George is her only friend and Cameron Diaz was nice...2022-03-221h 24Star Vehicle”The 355” Starring Jessica Chastain, Lupita Nyong’o, Diane Kruger and Penelope Cruz! In this episode, Shanelle and Stephen tackle the hard-hitting topic of getting up early, and wonder if "The 355," was the correct choice for a morning watch.
We're asking all of the questions that keep you up at night... For example, could you spill a drink on an evil henchman and make it look natural? How many takes would you need? How would you react if you had some hot hot coffee spilled on you? And finally what exactly is The 355?
2022-03-081h 42Star Vehicle”Bring It On” Starring Kirsten Dunst and Gabrielle UnionRegrettably, we have never had the opportunity to say "Bring It On" to another human being earnestly. If you have, wow we love that for you. If you haven't, don't worry we don't think they even say it in this movie either.
This week the Star Vehicle heads to nationals to enjoy another classic high school romp, "Bring It On". True to form there are no adults or adult supervision to be found. If you thought this movie might be magical realism, well we agree. We wouldn't be mad if this was eventually renamed "Spirit Stick"...2022-02-221h 29Star Vehicle”Marry Me” Starring Jennifer Lopez and Owen WilsonThe "Marry Me" era is upon us. This week we raced to see "Marry Me" starring Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson and we are pleased to report that we loved! We knew it would be entertaining, of course, but what we didn't expect was how informational it would be.
Finally, JLo shows us her line of work after exploring so many other careers in her past romps. JLo taught us how to sell Vitamix blenders, how to solve middle school level math problems, and how to tastefully steal from a charity donation of Coach bags.
If...2022-02-121h 22Star Vehicle”Gigli” Starring Jennifer Lopez and Ben AffleckSay it with us: "It's turkey time. Gobble gobble."
"Gigli" is a movie starring Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck. "Gigli" is NOT the worst movie of all time. "Gigli" is also not a masterpiece.
This week the Star Vehicle takes a kidnapping themed road trip as we finally watch "Gigli". The good news is that we found a way to, significantly, rewrite the film to make it work for us.
2022-02-091h 21Star Vehicle”The Wedding Planner” Starring Jennifer Lopez (with Matthew McConaughey)This week the Star Vehicle tours "The Wedding Planner" starring Jennifer Lopez. Please note the title is NOT "A Wedding Planner" starring JLo.
Along the way we share our respect for Fran and Massimo, wonder why Judy Greer didn't bring this energy to "Halloween Kills", and question if all wedding planners work at elaborate firms.
Additionally, we question what this film is suggesting about Scrabble players and Stephen shares a personal story about being the president of his high school Scrabble Club.
2022-02-011h 42Star Vehicle”Legally Blonde” Starring Reese Witherspoon with Selma BlairThis week the Star Vehicle drives directly on the quad at Harvard as we discuss "Legally Blonde". If your brain isn't immediately playing "Perfect Day" please stop what you are doing, rewatch "Legally Blonde", and then listen to this episode.
Additionally, we invite you to heal with us as Shanelle recounts a traumatizing roller blading accident. Luckily neither her spirit nor bones were broken in the process.
2022-01-251h 28Star Vehicle”Cruel Intentions” Starring Sarah Michelle Gellar and Reese WitherspoonIf you fully understood the plot of "Cruel Intentions" you are lying to yourself (and now us). This week the Star Vehicle heads to our favorite locale, NYC, as we untangle a web of events that took place during one hot summer.
Is "Cruel Intentions" problematic? That's the wrong question. Instead, we viewed this film as a fever dream where teens act on their immediate impulses. They should honestly screen this at Lamaze classes as a pro-parenting tool.
Come for our intimate look at the movie, stay for our detailed analysis of what...2022-01-181h 26Star Vehicle”Sweet Home Alabama” starring Reese WitherspoonIs Reese Witherspoon from Alabama? Does it matter? What is clear is that the "Sweet Home Alabama" poster should be Alabama's new state flag.
This week the Star Vehicle takes a tour of NYC before making the trek to non-specific Alabama. Our discussion get heated as we explore the intricacies of long-distance divorce in this romp about Alabama (and also New York)?
Join us as we debate a classic chicken-or-the-egg question, which came first the movie or the song?
2022-01-121h 23Star Vehicle”Down with Love” Starring Rene Zellweger & Sarah PaulsonWe watched "Down with Love," and we're warning you now--You can NEVER get back your first time, so savor the experience and meet us back here so we can talk parodies of the 60s, Sarah Paulson's star-making performance, and how getting coffees as an intern really put us in the headspace of the times
*Strap in or you'll get whiplash from the twist that M. Night Shyamalan wishes he wrote (unconfirmed)
2022-01-041h 19Star Vehicle”In Her Shoes” Starring Cameron Diaz and Toni ColletteFull disclosure, we watched “In Her Shoes” because we thought it was a shopping movie. Instead, we learned how sharing a shoe size with someone is a very powerful connection.
Cameron Diaz and Toni Collette give career-best performances in this movie that we didn't know we wanted until we were an hour deep and it was too late to turn back! Beep-beep the Star Vehicle is off to Philadelphia and non-specific Florida.
2021-12-281h 33Star Vehicle”A Castle for Christmas” Starring Brooke ShieldsClose your eyes and imagine a sequel to "Under The Tuscan Sun", this time in Scotland. Fun! Open your eyes and watch "A Castle For Christmas" on Netflix. You're welcome!
This week the Star Vehicle picks up Brooke Shields and heads to Castle Dun Dunbar by way of Scotland. We chat about trespassing, the grumpy to happy character arc for men, and how we would financially turn around a failing castle.
We pray the "Under The Tuscan Sun" cinematic universe continues to expand!
2021-12-211h 30Star Vehicle”‘The Princess Switch” (2018) Starring Vanessa HudgensImagine competing in an "International Christmas Baking Competition" only to spend your sole two days off trading lives with a disgruntled royal. This week the Star Vehicle traveled to Belgravia (Genovia's neighbor) with Vanessa Anne Hudgens holding the reins. This week we learn all about Belgravian culture, debate if there's room for science at the Christmas table, and pray that Vanessa Hudgens is able to pull this fabulous ruse off again in the sequel.
2021-12-141h 27Star Vehicle”Four Christmases” Starring Reese Witherspoon (with Vince Vaughn)In 2008 Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Mary Steenburgen, and Jon Voight cleared their schedules (and opened their homes) to participate in Four Christmases. Sadly, only one home was needed in the end. Lament with us as we grapple with the hard-hitting truth that "Four Christmases" isn't very, well-- Christmassy (spelling?). We thank Reese Witherspoon for her efforts as Star Vehicle takes a turn for the holidays.
2021-12-071h 28Star Vehicle”New in Town” Starring Renée ZellwegerRenée has an Oscar and unfortunately, it is not for "New in Town". This week we brave the elements as we explore the foreign country that is Minnesota (through PG goggles). If you are looking for a perfect winter movie unrelated to the holidays, well thank Renée Zellweger.
2021-11-301h 33Star Vehicle”The Proposal” Starring Sandra Bullock (with Ryan Reynolds)This week on Star Vehicle we're back on the Sandy train! This movie is just chock full of your favorite star vehicle fodder and we can't get enough! -- a stationary bike ride, dead parents, an abundance of line cutting, and a big teary-eyed speech at a wedding... How bad could that be?
2021-11-231h 30Star Vehicle“The Sweetest Thing” starring Cameron Diaz and friends!Imagine a movie where Cameron Diaz, Selma Blair, and Christina Applegate all get locked in a chocolate factory... That sounds fun but is not this movie. This week we savor "The Sweetest Thing" by remembering the sweetest thing we've ever eaten, admiring lighting design in early 2000s clubs, and praying a copy of "10 Commandments of Love" is still available.
*Warning, don't watch The Sweetest Thing with your parents!
2021-11-161h 49Star Vehicle”True Lies” Starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Arnold SchwarzeneggerThis week we worked overtime to explore Jamie Lee Curtis' 1994 turn in "True Lies," a movie that's um...hard to find! Why is a movie deeply invested in horses, luxury hotel chains, and the 6th century so inaccessible? Well... Join us as we unravel that question (amongst others) and wonder if "Omega Sector The Last Line of Defense" is taking job applications.
2021-11-091h 35Star Vehicle“Knight and Day” Starring Cameron Diaz and Tom CruisePlease don't hurt yourself trying to figure out what "Knight and Day" means. Here is what we know for sure: "Knight and Day" is to cinema as Rachel Ray's "40 Dollars a Day" is to television. Join us as Shanelle nurses a summer cold, Stephen gives himself a Presidential Fitness Award, Cameron Diaz dazzles the world with physical comedy, and Tom Cruise does his best Tom Cruise.
2021-11-021h 58Star Vehicle”Practical Magic” Starring Nicole Kidman and Sandra BullockWe love Autumn and luckily “Practical Magic” is a shot of pure Autumnal energy. This week we explore just how practical the magic is in this movie, admire how “Practical Magic” scratches an itch that “Hocus Pocus” doesn’t, and wonder what actually happened at Salem.
2021-10-261h 26Star Vehicle”Halloween Kills” (2021) Starring Jamie Lee CurtisBreaking news! “Halloween Kills” premiered and (while we weren’t invited to the premiere) we can’t wait to share our experiences with this journey. We heap praise on Kyle Richards’ performance, lament that Judy Greer is still in a Christmas sweater, and harbor jealousy that Jamie Lee Curtis got to act while horizontal. “Halloween Kills” is a movie no one could have predicted and as a result we all reap the rewards.
Please (we beg of you) watch the movie before listening as we can’t be held liable for spoilers.
2021-10-181h 32Star Vehicle”Halloween” (2018) starring Jamie Lee CurtisThis week we look to the stars for a seasonal scare and Jamie Lee Curtis delivers. That’s right, this week we are diving into 2018's “Halloween”! We explore the differences between haunted hayrides and houses, lament at how all the men in this movie are of no help, identify proper etiquette when interviewing a serial killer, and beg for more time with Jamie Lee Curtis in this movie. Sorry in advance to the actor who plays the weird dad in this movie, this episode may not be for you.
2021-10-121h 34Star Vehicle”Second Act” starring Jennifer LopezThis week on Star Vehicle we are setting our sights on Jennifer Lopez’s starring role in “Second Act”. Much like JLo’s all-in-one organic skin care product, this movie has it all! From the twist to end all twists, Leah Remini turning in the performance of a lifetime, and Jennifer Lopez’s continued fascination towards what it means to a civilian who goes to work. Alexa, play “Limitless” by Jennifer Lopez NOW!
*The makers of this pod would like to note this episode contains spoilers and you should watch Second Act, before consuming this product.
**Medical Discla...2021-10-051h 36Star Vehicle”Two Weeks Notice” starring Sandra BullockStar Vehicle is back with an enthralling look at Sandra Bullock’s starring role in “Two Weeks Notice”. We have to put our medical mystery investigator hats on as we digest the film’s relationship to overeating. 2002 was a banner year for movies and it’s impossible to ignore the intimate connections between “Two Weeks Notice” and “Maid in Manhattan”.
2021-09-281h 22Star Vehicle”Miss Congeniality” starring Sandra Bullock
This week on Star Vehicle we witness Sandra (Sandy) Bullock’s starring role in “Miss Congeniality”. Sandra Bullock has a milkmaid outfit and we have questions. What happened to explosives being the punch line of a movie? Where have all the pageants gone? And why doesn’t the FBI have jurisdiction over a domestic beauty pageant? Let’s get chip-faced together!
2021-09-211h 04Star Vehicle”Maid In Manhattan” starring Jennifer LopezThis week on Star Vehicle we joyfully allow Jennifer Lopez’s starring turn in “Maid in Manhattan” to wash over us. However, the shock of the film’s ulterior motives is almost too much for us to bear. Join us as we reconcile what we had always thought this movie was about with the text on the page. “I am not a crook!” - Richard Nixon and Jennifer Lopez
2021-09-141h 36Star Vehicle”Monster in Law” starring Jennifer Lopez and Jane FondaWe are faced with dueling co-stars on the first episode of Star Vehicle as we discuss “Monster in Law”! Join us as we explore Jennifer Lopez’s take on being a temp, admire Jane Fonda’s surgical line delivery, and unpack the film’s controversial relationship with mental health.
2021-09-071h 45Star VehicleTEASER #4 - Everyone is CorrectThe hallmark of a good movie? Make sure all of your characters are correct. Remind us again why this movie didn't get any Academy Awards? Julia Roberts deserves a retroactive Oscar for this work and we're here to make sure everyone knows it.
2021-09-0601 minStar VehicleTEASER #3 - Julia Roberts vs The 1950sJulia Roberts stands out in more ways than with just her remarkable performance -- In this teaser we talk about her wardrobe in 2003's Mona Lisa Smile.
2021-09-0502 min
Star VehicleTEASER #2 - The Syllabus is OptionalShanelle shares a personal anecdote about the most important piece of paper a college student can hold onto and how that relates to her potential GPA in Ms. Katharine Watson's class in 2003's Mona Lisa Smile.
2021-09-0101 min
Star VehicleTEASER #1 - Mona Lisa Smile as a TitleIn this short teaser Shanelle and Stephen discuss what might be a better title for 2003's Mona Lisa Smile
2021-08-2602 min