Amélie (2001) w/ Liz Gotauco

"You mean she would rather imagine herself relating to an absent person than build relationships with those around her?"

If you were a quirky film girlie in the 2000s, chances are, you resonated very deeply with a young French woman named Amélie. This week, The Wives Colangelo are joined by the brilliant Liz Gotauco to discuss the aestheticization of twentysomethings' coming of age, fixating on fixing other people's problems to ignore your own, and falling in love through photobooth slides.

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MONTHLY SPOTLIGHT

Equality Ohio: https://www.equalityohio.org

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Liz Gotauco: @cosbrarian

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Logo Design: Haley Doodles @HaleyDoodleDo

Theme Song: The Sonder Bombs 'Title': https://thesonderbombs.bandcamp.com/

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005)

"I feel like our lives changed because they had to."

As chosen by our Patreon supporters, The Wives Colangelo are kicking off April with a story of summer, sisterhood, and magical pants. Let's talk about four different stories about coming-of-age, the blessing of well-rounded characters, and maybe cry a little bit about the stories that hit a little close to home. Together and apart!

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Equality Ohio: https://www.equalityohio.org

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Theme Song: The Sonder Bombs 'Title': https://thesonderbombs.bandcamp.com/

A Very Brady Sequel (1996) w/ Chelsey Weber-Smith

"That's funny, I've never heard of George Glass at our sküle."

Didn't The Wives Colangelo JUST cover The Brady Bunch Movie? And they're already doing A Very Brady Sequel? YEAH, SO WHAT? WANNA FIGHT ABOUT IT?! After catching Brady Fever, This Ends at Prom is jumping from the Jan Brady movie to the one about Greg and Marcia wanting to kiss each other. It's wild, it's raucous, and American Hysteria host Chelsey Weber-Smith is back to gush all about it.

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MONTHLY SPOTLIGHT

Resources for Trans Youth in Kansas: https://southernequality.org/ks/

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Follow Our Guest!

Chelsey Weber-Smith is @AmericanHysteriaPodcast on IG

Listen to American Hysteria wherever you get your podcasts!

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Logo Design: Haley Doodles @HaleyDoodleDo

Theme Song: The Sonder Bombs 'Title': https://thesonderbombs.bandcamp.com/

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023)

"We all do things we're not proud of to survive."

Sequel Month is getting the prequel treatment as The Wives Colangelo return to Panem for THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES. This week's episode might be a bit of a heavier one, considering, well, everything, but to fight fascism, you have to know how it operates. Fortunately, the dystopian prequel does a pretty bang-up job at showcasing how leaders like Coriolanus Snow come to power, why you should never trust state-controlled media, and how the seeds of resistance take so long to come to harvest. Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds, as always, be ever in your favor.

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MONTHLY SPOTLIGHT

Resources for Trans Youth in Kansas: https://southernequality.org/ks/

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Article Mentioned

In ‘The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,’ Lucy Gray Is a Different Kind of Hero in Katniss’ World

(https://www.teenvogue.com/story/the-ballad-of-songbirds-and-snakes-lucy-gray-katniss-hunger-games )

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Logo Design: Haley Doodles @HaleyDoodleDo

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Return to Oz (1985)

"I have always valued my lifelessness."

We love a sequel that goes completely bugnuts off the rails compared to its original, and RETURN TO OZ has enough kindertrauma to do the trick. Somehow, Harmony missed this classic twisted fantasy that altered the brain chemistry of multiple generations, but sequel month is taking The Wives Colangelo back down what WAS the yellow brick road with a sassy chicken, dismembered heads, and electroshock therapy on minors. BEWARE THE WHEELERS!!!

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MONTHLY SPOTLIGHT

Resources for Trans Youth in Kansas: https://southernequality.org/ks/

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Logo Design: Haley Doodles @HaleyDoodleDo

Theme Song: The Sonder Bombs 'Title': https://thesonderbombs.bandcamp.com/

Scream 4 (2011)

"I don't need friends. I need fans."

Sequel month 2026 is kicking off with a title chosen by the Patreon supporters, SCREAM 4. This week, The Wives Colangelo are heading back to Woodsboro to dissect the second generation of Ghostface victims and speculate why so many people despise this entry (despite it being Harmony's favorite). It's gonna be a scream, baby!

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Resources for Trans Youth in Kansas: https://southernequality.org/ks/

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Logo Design: Haley Doodles @HaleyDoodleDo

Theme Song: The Sonder Bombs 'Title': https://thesonderbombs.bandcamp.com/

Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead (2024)

"We have a company to save. / I'm right on top of that, Rose."

Did you know that they recently remade DON'T TELL MOM THE BABYSITTER'S DEAD? Did you know that it is shockingly wonderful? This week, The Wives Colangelo are tackling a remake of one of BJ's all-time-favorite movies, and a movie that Harmony has only ever seen once (don't worry, they're gonna remedy that). The BET+ Original Film is one of the better '90s remakes, and we hope this episode encourages you to seek it out and see for yourselves.

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MONTHLY SPOTLIGHT

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Logo Design: Haley Doodles @HaleyDoodleDo

Theme Song: The Sonder Bombs 'Title': https://thesonderbombs.bandcamp.com/

Say Anything... (1989) w/ Alex Steed

"I gave her my heart, and she gave me a pen."

Cameron Crowe's directorial debut is a film solidified in pop culture history thanks to the singular image of John Cusack holding a boom box above his head, but SAY ANYTHING... has a lot more than a Peter Gabriel song to say. This week, The Wives Colangelo are joined by the incomparable Alex Steed to talk about one of the greatest teenage romance flicks ever made, and allow ourselves to believe in love.

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The Springfield Unity Fund: https://givebutter.com/SpringfieldUnityFund

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@AlexSteed

@YouAreGood

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Logo Design: Haley Doodles @HaleyDoodleDo

Theme Song: The Sonder Bombs 'Title': https://thesonderbombs.bandcamp.com/

Warm Bodies (2013)

"There's a lot of ways to get to know a person. Eating her dead boyfriend's brains is one of the more unorthodox methods, but..."

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, PROM PARTY! Love is in the air, and The Wives Colangelo are celebrating by talking about a Romeo & Juliet story where Romeo is a zombie and Juliet is... John Malkovich's military brat daughter. Let's dive into the post-Twilight boom of monster romance stories, Nicholas Hoult starting his weird lil' guy era, and why love will always conquer all.

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MONTHLY SPOTLIGHT

The Springfield Unity Fund: https://givebutter.com/SpringfieldUnityFund

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Logo Design: Haley Doodles @HaleyDoodleDo

Theme Song: The Sonder Bombs 'Title': https://thesonderbombs.bandcamp.com/

Smart House (1999) w/ Ross Benes

"The more I've learned about your world outside my walls, the more I've realized how dangerous and unpredictable it is."

Long before AI was being shoehorned into every aspect of our existence, the Disney Channel was warning a generation about the dangers of technological dependency with the iconic SMART HOUSE. Arguably the "best" DCOM ever made, it's time to have an existential crisis about how many people have completely ignored the dangers of letting a supercomputer control every aspect of your life! Joining The Wives Colangelo this week is Ross Benes, author of '1999: The Year Low Culture Conquered America and Kickstarted Our Bizarre Times.' LET'S GET BIZARRE!

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Become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/thisendsatprom

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MONTHLY SPOTLIGHT

The Springfield Unity Fund: https://givebutter.com/SpringfieldUnityFund

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Follow Ross Benes and buy his books!: https://www.rossbenes.com/

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Logo Design: Haley Doodles @HaleyDoodleDo

Theme Song: The Sonder Bombs 'Title': https://thesonderbombs.bandcamp.com/

My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

"Try laughing, then whatever scares you will go away."

Few films capture the magic of girlhood quite like MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO, one of the few films that actually prioritizes the perspective of children rather than an "all-ages" affair. This week, The Wives Colangelo are recontextualizing their feelings about Hayao Miyazaki's classic fantasy tale, and celebrating his objective masterpiece exploring imagination, nature, age-appropriate anxiety, and adorable forest spirits.

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Article Mentioned

Towards a True Children’s Cinema: on My Neighbor Totoro: https://www.brightwalldarkroom.com/2017/03/13/towards-a-true-childrens-cinema-on-my-neighbor-totoro/

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The Flytrap Media (https://www.theflytrapmedia.com )

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Logo Design: Haley Doodles @HaleyDoodleDo

Theme Song: The Sonder Bombs 'Title': https://thesonderbombs.bandcamp.com/

The Runaways (2010)

"Well, what were you thinking? Publicize the music! Not your crotch!"

The Runaways completely changed what was possible for women in rock music, and the stories of Cherie Currie and Joan Jett are the stuff of legend. This week, The Wives Colangelo are taking the 2010 biopic about the band starring Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning, and discussing the exploitation of teenage girls by the music industry and what it means when something brilliant is born out of absolute rot.

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Become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/thisendsatprom

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The Flytrap Media (https://www.theflytrapmedia.com)

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Logo Design: Haley Doodles @HaleyDoodleDo

Theme Song: The Sonder Bombs 'Title': https://thesonderbombs.bandcamp.com/

Drop Dead Fred (30th Anniversary)

"It takes more than a fire truck to stop Drop Dead Fred."

Some of us aren't lucky enough to have an imaginary friend like DROP DEAD FRED, but plenty of people are fortunate enough not to need him. In honor of the film's 35th anniversary, we're dissecting a quarter-life crisis nervous breakdown movie about a young woman who finds the key to happiness is embracing the person society tried to keep trapped in a jack-in-the-box. Let's go, snot-faces!!

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MONTHLY SPOTLIGHT

The Flytrap Media (https://www.theflytrapmedia.com)

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Logo Design: Haley Doodles @HaleyDoodleDo

Theme Song: The Sonder Bombs 'Title': https://thesonderbombs.bandcamp.com/

Let the Right One In (2008)

Content Warning: LET THE RIGHT ONE IN features troubling topics that may be difficult for some listeners. Please do your due diligence and check for potential triggers.

"I'm twelve. But I've been twelve for a long time."

In 2008, one of the greatest vampire films in cinema history was released, and it doubled as one of the most beautiful examinations of the type of yearning for someone to understand you that can only take place during adolescence. LET THE RIGHT ONE IN is a haunting, stunning, and devastating film that sincerely changed the lives of The Wives Colangelo forever.

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Become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/thisendsatprom

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MONTHLY SPOTLIGHT

The Flytrap Media (https://www.theflytrapmedia.com )

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Logo Design: Haley Doodles @HaleyDoodleDo

Theme Song: The Sonder Bombs 'Title': https://thesonderbombs.bandcamp.com/

Life-Size (2000)

"Do you know I'm anatomically correct?"

While everyone is celebrating entering their "new year, new me" era, This Ends at Prom is kicking off 2026 with the long-awaited discussion of LIFE-SIZE. The movie that strut in plastic heels before Barbie could rollerblade down Venice Beach, The Wives Colangelo are talking about unapologetic feminine presentation, the power of dollhood, why Lindsay Lohan continues to rock, and what the hell that line about anatomical correctness means.

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MONTHLY SPOTLIGHT

The Flytrap Media (https://www.theflytrapmedia.com )

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Podcast Reference

American Hysteria: Blame it on Barbie (https://open.spotify.com/episode/0nqy5sz15xeOLhIVGD420r )

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@ThisEndsAtProm

@BJColangelo

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Logo Design: Haley Doodles @HaleyDoodleDo

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Little Women (2019)

“I’m so sick of people saying that love is just all a woman is fit for. I'm so sick of it."

The best way to spend the holidays is curled up next to a warm fire and waxing poetic about the March sisters and LITTLE WOMEN. This year, The Wives Colangelo are dissecting Greta Gerwig's adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's novel, and debating the parallel storytelling device. And not to pit strong LITTLE WOMEN against each other, but they're also going to compare and contrast this version with the sacred 1994 film covered in 2023.

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Rainbow Railroad (https://www.rainbowrailroad.org )

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Logo Design: Haley Doodles @HaleyDoodleDo

Theme Song: The Sonder Bombs 'Title': https://thesonderbombs.bandcamp.com/

Saint Frances (2020) w/ Amelia Emberwing!

"That's what I like about you. I never know what you'll say next."

Alex Thompson and Kelly O'Sullivan's SAINT FRANCES was one of the best films released during quarantine, and no one has been a bigger champion of it than writer, editor, critic, and host Amelia Emberwing. The Wives Colangelo are joined by Emberwing to dissect what a coming-of-age film looks like as life milestones become increasingly unattainable, what adults can learn from children, the ways womanhood is scrutinized even in progressive spaces, and how period blood can be used to tell a story

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Rainbow Railroad (https://www.rainbowrailroad.org )

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@ThatWitchMia

https://www.picketywitch.com/

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Logo Design: Haley Doodles @HaleyDoodleDo

Theme Song: The Sonder Bombs 'Title': https://thesonderbombs.bandcamp.com/

Desperately Seeking Susan (40th Anniversary)

"That's what I like about you. I never know what you'll say next."

40 years ago, Madonna transcended into pop star superstardom and helped turn a quarter-life crisis film into a coming-of-age classic that helped define teen fashion for a decade. Many women are shaped by the women who came before them and showed them what was possible, and that's precisely what Susan provided for a generation. Sometimes being desperate is the best thing for you.

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Become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/thisendsatprom

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MONTHLY SPOTLIGHT

Rainbow Railroad (https://www.rainbowrailroad.org )

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Articles Mentioned

The Cut: https://www.thecut.com/2015/04/ode-to-desperately-seeking-susans-dgaf-style.html

CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/26/style/remember-when-desperately-seeking-susan-madonna-signature-style

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@ThisEndsAtProm

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Logo Design: Haley Doodles @HaleyDoodleDo

Theme Song: The Sonder Bombs 'Title': https://thesonderbombs.bandcamp.com/

Battle Royale (25th Anniversary)

"So today's lesson is, you kill each other off till there's only one left. Nothing's against the rules."

25 years ago, Kinji Fukasaku brought the infamous novel BATTLE ROYALE to life, and essentially invented a new subgenre of dystopian teen cinema. In honor of the film's anniversary, The Wives Colangelo are exploring the incredibly bleak messaging the film has about generational division, government-sanctioned violence, and the disposability of youth. Don't worry, this week's episode will also get into the discourse surrounding the film's connection to THE HUNGER GAMES, and why Quentin Tarantino doesn't know what he's talking about.

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Become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/thisendsatprom

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MONTHLY SPOTLIGHT

Rainbow Railroad (https://www.rainbowrailroad.org)

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@ThisEndsAtProm

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Logo Design: Haley Doodles @HaleyDoodleDo

Theme Song: The Sonder Bombs 'Title': https://thesonderbombs.bandcamp.com/

Sweethearts (2024)

"I... have a girlfriend. She lives in Ohio."

The first fall break after leaving your hometown and going off to college is one of the weirdest adjustment periods in a young person's life, and it's weird that SWEETHEARTS is one of the only movies to talk about it! This week The Wives Colangelo are heading back to the Midwest to discuss "Turkey Dumps," taking the jump without the safety net of familiarity, and the importance of intergenerational queer friendships in small towns.

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