Ask Jessie is a regular advice column answering all your burning film and entertainment-related questions. Have a question on your mind? Email it to moviejawnthefixer@gmail.com.

Hi Jessie,

My friend and I recently saw a movie together. (I won’t say which because its doesn’t matter to my question.) She disliked the movie and made no point to spare me her thoughts on EVERY LITTLE THING she found “distasteful, annoying, boring, lame” to use her words. I thought the movie was funny and liked it.

She kept going on and on until we both went home. I didn’t want to start an argument so I just kept quiet during her ranting.

My question is, what’s the best way to handle this type of movie aftermath in the future?

I would’ve liked to have given my opinion but figured it wasn't worth the argument that would likely ensue. She was so heated!

Signed,
Next Time I’ll Go Alone, NY

Dear Alone in NY,

Thank you for your question! What you’re asking about speaks to Movie Etiquette or ME.

Whenever we go to the cinema with another person - friend, significant other, family member, we should practice ME. So what does that mean and what do we do if our movie buddy is stomping all over ME? First rule of Movie Etiquette is, “When you go to the cinema, don’t ruin for others what you wouldn’t want ruined for yourself." In response to your situation, you showed excellent ME because you understood that a debate on the movie’s merits would end up in an argument and ruin your friendship. Good choice! No movie is worth wrecking a friendship. Well, maybe Star Wars. The force will always be with you, can we say the same for our friends?

The takeaway here is to keep Movie Etiquette’s golden rule in mind & act accordingly.

Spread the word! Because I think everyone reading this would like for movie trolls to keep their big, ugly, Robert DeNiro in Cape Fear cigar-smoking negativity (and hee-haws) to themselves. Seriously. We go to the movies because Movies Are Life, to have fun, to escape, to culture ourselves - not to be miserable or be in miserable company.

I mean, that's just common sense.

Yours in movies,
Jessie

Dear Jessie,

I have a long commute to work. What are some cool movie or movie-themed podcasts that I can listen to?

Guy On a Train

Dear Guy,

Good question! I know of a couple of podcasts that will get you back and forth in a zip.

First up is my favorite podcast, We Hate Movies. It is a weekly podcast that smashes up bad movies with witty, LOL-funny commentary from four guys who went to film school. (At my alma mater, nonetheless!) The concept is akin to Mystery Science Theater 3K - the centerpieces of both are bad movies with guys cleverly riffing on them. WHM takes that concept and zooms it forward. They talk about movies that 30-somethings & 40-somethings will remember clearly (and possibly fondly). Need some episode recommendations?

Episode 34 - Poison Ivy starring Drew Barrymore

Episode 59 - The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking

Episode 133 - Copycat

Episode 279 - Demolition Man

We Hate Movies podcast can be accessed via iTunes Podcast, via Amazon for Android,  and through their website.

Second recommendation is Filmspotting. This is a weekly podcast that reviews movies and features interviews with directors, writers, journalists, and other movie podcasters (to name a few). FS was my gateway to the world of podcasts! The two guys who host Filmspotting don’t limit their discussions to any specific genres or decades. They hold a balance of being informative and intelligent without sounding pretentious. Even better: they’re inclusive of the points of view of women and people of color. Within the movie world of male-dominated everything, it's a refreshing oasis. P.S. if you come across movie podcasts hosted by women or people of color please write me back!

Need some episode recommendations?

Episode 477 - Philip Seymour Hoffman Tribute

Episode 600 - Top 5 Movies Future Historians Will Remember, with Chuck Klosterman

Episode 605 - Top 5 Denzel Performances with W. Kamau Bell

Episode 613 - Edge of Seventeen / Top 5 Teen Girl Movies Directed by Women

Filmspotting podcast can be accessed via iTunes Podcast, Amazon for Android, and through their website.

Happy travels!

Yours in movies,
Jessie

Dear Jessie,

How come I don't see more articles about kids movies in Moviejawn? Not Gen-X'er favorites like The Goonies (yuck) but current kids movies.

What gives?

Sincerely,
A Mom Who Loves Zines

Dear Zine Mommy,

Because you haven't written any!

Seriously, Moviejawn is always on the lookout for uniquely written content on movies. Write an article, get in touch, and be the change you wish to see in the world of zines. 

DIY, mama!

Yours in momhood and movies,
Jessie 

Jessie, aka Lady Snowblood, is an avid cinephile and frequent contributor to Moviejawn. She owns an independent online bookshop, Wolfgang Vintage, and a portable DVD player. Her favorite types of movies typically involve a woman seeking revenge, most likely with a sword. Jessie lives in southern New York with her husband and young son. Follow her on Instagram at ladysnowbeatrix.