Mrs At the Movies – Love in the Age of Podcasting

We at Pod Bible love a podcast with a fun structure to it – and how much fun would it be to convince your significant other to try something new and then record their feelings afterward? That’s exactly the level of hilarity we get with each new episode of The Mrs at the Movies, when host Lewis shows films to his partner Beth and then records her reactions to share with us lucky listeners. We spoke to Lewis and Beth about how they came up with their shows, and what they’ve learned so far.

Pod Bible: Who are you and what’s your podcast about?
Lewis: So we are The Mrs at the Movies, a podcast where myself (Lewis), and my wife to be (Beth) discuss and quite frequently argue about some of cinema’s finest offerings, as I try to educate her on some of the most popular and critically acclaimed films.

PB: Beth, what is it about films that have never interested you before?
Beth: They’re too long and my attention span can be quite short at times often resorting to going on my phone. That’s why I prefer TV series. Short 25min episodes that last for lots of seasons, so I can get emotionally invested in ways I don’t really get with a film. 

PB: What’s the first podcast you ever listened to?
Lewis: The first podcast I listened to was The Ricky Gervais Show when I was about 15 while doing my paper round. Now 10 years later, my Spotify is completely rammed with so many different podcasts. Mainly to do with film.
Beth: I am fairly new to the whole podcast scene, it is more of Lewis’ thing, so the first one I actually listened to properly was the Office Ladies podcast that started earlier this year. I am a huge fan of The Office, so to get a podcast dedicated to it is amazing!

PB: Why did you decide to start podcasting in the first place?
Lewis: There are quite a few reasons, really. I am doing a PhD in film at Sheffield Hallam University and I wanted something that was a bit more of a casual/creative outlet than writing about films academically. I have wanted to get back into podcasting since I did one with three friends back in 2016, and now with the abundance of podcasts around, it seemed the perfect time. Also I had this idea, I thought it would be entertaining to show Beth, who does not like films in any sense of the word, critically acclaimed and popular films and then record her reaction as we discussed the film. I pitched it to her and she was really taken with the idea. Although I am pretty sure she is regretting it now with the films I have shown her. 

PB: Beth, what made you say yes to Lewis’ idea?
Beth: I know how passionate Lewis gets, and he eventually wore me down. Joking aside though, it’s a nice opportunity for us to do something together and air any of our dirty laundry on the airwaves if need be. 

PB: Lewis, how do you choose the films for Beth to watch? What is your criteria?
Lewis: I wanted to establish a base of episodes to entice people, so I have picked films that people would be interested in. So it has sort of been random to begin with. I have initially picked films that I know Beth won’t like or will have strong opinions on, to provoke a reaction. but also that cross over to the critically acclaimed/popular category.
An idea that I have always had since beginning this podcast, and will probably use in the coming weeks, would be to go down the IMDb 250 list. I feel that’s a really good place to start if you want to educate someone on great films. However, we are open to suggestions. So feel free to contact me with a film you want us to watch. 

PB: Which podcasts do you take inspiration from?
Lewis: There are so many that I could say. In terms of the content and how we approach discussing it, I would say Films to be Buried With by Brett Goldstein, Fatman Beyond by Kevin Smith and Marc Bernardin, and How Did This Get Made by Paul Scheer, June Diane Rapheal and Jason Mantzoukas. But in terms of form, and how we structure the episodes, I would say Shagged Married Annoyed by Chris and Rosie Ramsay, and The Cinemile by Dave and Cathy (something that I have only really just discovered).

PB: Who’s your dream guest for the podcast?
Lewis: Either, Brett Goldstein because I just really enjoy his podcast and I feel that we have very similar thoughts on film in general. But also Chris and Rosie Ramsay, for the same reasons really. Much of the humour in our podcast comes from the fact we are a couple and ‘like’ to bicker with one another. So throwing another couple into the mix would definitely make for interesting listening.
Beth: A bit left field but I’d like to have Julie Walters on, I think she would have the same outlook on the stuff Lewis comes out with as me and she just seems like a kind, lovely person. I can imagine she would be quite vocal about the films we watch.  

PB: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt so far as a podcaster?
Lewis: The whole process has been a learning curve. When I have been part of casual podcasts in the past, I have just had to show up, talk and then leave. Now that is what Beth does, and it is me that is doing everything: the editing, the publishing, and the promotion. However, I think the biggest lesson I have learnt so far, and I say that because we are fairly new, is to remain consistent. Making sure our brand is consistent, posts are consistent, the weekly release date is consistent.
Beth: Not to trust Lewis with his choice of films he picks! He says they are nice and aren’t too bad, but then he made me watch the Lobster. So trust is a bit of an issue at the moment. Joking aside, a real learning curve has been getting our dog to keep quiet. If you go back over a few of the past episodes you will hear him barking and squeaking his toy. But I suppose that is the charm of our podcast, you get a real homemade quality from it. 

PB: Which episode would you say is the perfect introduction to your podcast?
Lewis: That is a tricky one. Normally I would say the first episode; however, with each episode we release I feel that the quality and content is only improving. So at the moment, while episode 1 still has some great stuff, it is quite different from our later episodes. The film that Beth really didn’t like was The Lobster, so I would probably say if you’d like a flavour of what the podcast is about, start with Episode 4 – The Lobster. Then obviously go back and listen to the other episodes as there is some great stuff in there. 

PB: Where can the Pod Bible readers find out more about you?
Lewis: We have yet to get our own webpage; we thought we would get a strong bank of episodes and establish ourselves on social media before that. So at the moment, you can find us on Twitter @mrsatthemovies Instagram @themrsatthemovies and on Facebook by just typing our name into the search bar. 

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