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Okay, so I have a lot to say about this movie, much of which comes down to the bizarro geography all over Toronto. To answer June and Paul's incredulity: yes, Little Italy is a real place in Toronto, and while it's not as famous as the New York version, arguably the wide streets and family neighbourhoods you can get here in Toronto would potentially make for a charming local story. Potentially, I said, since this movie is a hot mess. Toronto is a city made up of little cultural neighbourhoods, and along with our three separate Chinatowns, we have a Polish district on Roncesvalles, a thriving Greektown on the Danforth, a wonderful Indian Bazaar on Gerrard (which features in the movie, briefly), amongst many others. There is even a one-block long Maltese District: Toronto has been called for good reason the most multicultural city in the world. The problem is, NONE of this movie was actually shot in Little Italy. The feuding pizza shops are actually east of Little Italy, nearer to Kensington Market (at College and Robert), in a couple of abandoned storefronts. The 'Taste of Little Italy' festival (which is a real festival on College Street each year) is actually shot in the Distillery District in the east side of the city, which is distinctive for its cobblestoned streets. The banner that reads 'Welcome to Little Italy': Yeah, that doesn't exist. In fact, that's not Toronto at all. That's the Little Italy street sign FROM Mulberry Street, NEW YORK CITY. No wonder June was confused! WHY would you show the New York sign while setting up Toronto? WHY? This, however, IS our Little Italy. Enjoy!

Hi guys! I actually got my act together this week to see this horrible movie and listen to the episode in time to get in to the C+Os! Excited to bring all sorts of sanctimonious Toronto-based perspectives soon. Miss you all!

Years and years of listening to this podcast and something in one of these movies finally broke me to the point that I have to post about it. And it's just SUCH an awful reason. It's 7 minutes in, and Emma Roberts says that Jane Seymour is teaching her how to cook, "like, four Michelin stars cook". The Michelin guide tops out at 3 stars. And the line VO where she says it *almost* makes it sound like a joke, but IS IT A JOKE? I honestly can't tell if this was just an awful non-joke or they couldn't be arsed to know how the Michelin Guide works. In a movie centered around food. I had June's reaction to the release date of this movie.

From what I have read, David O. Russell had been trying to make this film in 2008 between Huckabees and The Fighter, but everything broke down and was abandoned without finishing shooting. However, some time in the recent past, whoever ended up with the footage decided to take the pieces of what was filmed and stitch together a "movie." On paper it sounds like it would draw an audience, it has some major stars and is from an acclaimed director, but sits at a 7% on RT. This came to my attention because of an AV Club article where someone took a completely out of context fragment and used it to make it look like the reviewer had called it a "comedic masterstroke" when in context the opposite was being said. http://www.avclub.com/article/no-i-didnt-call-your-shitty-movie-comedic-masterst-221227 This looks like an attempt at ham-fisted political commentary and it sounds like it would be a good one to do only if they were able to get someone involved in the trainwreck

Not so far as I know - the big food festival is the Taste of Little Italy (modelled on the original, the Taste of the Danforth, which is all Greek food), and it's a pretty lively district, especially around World Cup times. I wouldn't be surprised if there were figgy pizzas, although I'm sure the traditional places don't mess with that stuff. A 'Canadian pizza' is mozzarella, bacon, pepperoni, tomato sauce, and mushrooms. ALSO: Hawaiian Pizza was invented in Chatham, Ontario, so you can thank Canada for that too... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaiian_pizza

They were definitely dressing the sets like Little Italy in New York which was why it was confusing. Like if they said no this is the Toronto Little Italy from the jump, it wouldn’t feel so odd. Like the sign in the front is like New York and the sign further down the street (which you can only half see in this shot) is ALSO from here. It’s for the San Gennaro festival which is celebrated every September. I know it’s not just a red/white/green Italy banner because now that you have screencapped it, I can see the Saint’s bishop hat—fun fact from Catholic school, it’s called a miter not a Pope hat—in that picture. Does Toronto’s Little Italy have a San Gennaro festival? He is the patron saint of Naples so only Napolitano Italian immigrants would celebrate it, and when I Googled “San Gennaro Toronto” it said it was “closed.” And a follow up, if I may, do you allow figs on pizza is Canada?

She was awful in it. It's the only season I've seen because I'm a scardy cat but I personally was thrilled when she died. I feel that's just who she is?

I loved The Experts. It was on Comedy Central a lot in the mid 90s. I haven't seen it since then but I think I'd have trouble finding flaws in a very obviously flawed movie.

Another thing I forgot. The Starbucks. Did we all just accidentally give Howard Schultz money by renting this?

She would have been way better than Roberts to. I never feel like she's her character I always feel like "oh Emma Roberts is here"

Saturday 2/2 is Groundhog's Day and oh, would you look at that, it happens to be my birthday, I was going to tell you about parking around the venue but since you brought it up I should remind you that due to ancient birthday/holiday laws I'm eventually going to find myself in a Bill Murray/Groundhog's Day/time loop situation when I wake up on 2/2. So to cover all my bases I thought I'd ask anyone going to the show what their dream birthday present would be. Because if I'm looping tomorrow? Sure I'll have time to rob banks and master piano playing (if your birthday wish is for a time wizard to play a solid gold piano for you you are already covered) but for those with bigger, less weird dreams let me potentially make them come true. Don't worry about identifying yourself because after 10,000 live HH shows every single one of you will be on stage eventually or I'll just pick your pocket and read your license (don't worry about your valuables, it's for identification purposes only, remember, I will be a master jewel thief/bank robber by then and don't need the 43$ out of your wallet). Chef Kevin, if you are reading this I can't make Anime girls become real no matter how many loops so pick something practical.

This is a Paul-level tangent into my history, but I am Italian-American. Except we didn’t know it until I was in high school (my great grandfather came here from Italy in the early 1900s but he died young and we didn’t know about him, it’s a long story). So when we learned we were Italian my dad and his siblings would do a lot of Italian -American voices and jokes—mostly from the Sopranos and mob movies. And that is what the accents in this movie are. People with no actual connection to the culture. Taylor Anne made me feel really angry for Alyssa Milano. She is Italian too! She should’ve been the lead!

Quick question: is Andrea Martin making a joke at the end when she says that she is pregnant? I hope so, because she’s 72 YEARS OLD. I’m not an ob-gyn, but that doesn’t sound biologically possible. And if it is, it seems irresponsible.

I'm not Italian, but I am Indian and I get to be offended by this movie too! Fun for all!

I don't think enough emphasis was put on how crazy it is that an entire bar full of people were willing to go out in the pouring rain to watch a bartender and some girl who just got to the bar do a soccer shootout. Does Luigi close the bar for this? I'd be pissed if I was sitting there on a cold rainy night, sipping a beer, and the owner tells me and everyone to get the fuck out to go watch these people do some flirty, mildly athletic activity in the rain. It would be impossible to convince everyone to leave, and it's horrible for business. I, for one, would never go back if that happened.

My cousin got married pretty much right at the place where the pizza competition at the end was filmed! (The brick-lined Distillery District on the above map.) That was the best part of the movie for me - recognizing the Toronto spots I'd been to. Anyway - gotta love yet another "throw your career away, ladies", unromantic, unfunny rom-coms. Thanks to HDTGM, I know this is a whole genre.

Can we talk about how the only decent joke in the movie was almost a direct quote from Gordon Ramsey? They just changed it from idiot sandwich to moron sandwich (unless that’s what they call it in Canada like subs and hoagies).

In the event that there were no Simpsons references this week, The Critic had them covered.

Where is my video!

Patrick Noth, Alexandra Dickson, and Sebastian Conelli join Matt Besser this week for improvised scenes about making a bold fashion statement on the first date, a romantic chicken coop fantasy, and a family dispute over prophetic dreams. Plus, a football game turns a boy into a man, a couple goes shopping for a merkin, and the military implements child-rearing punishments into its combat regimen.

I actually do like Chef Kevin and hope he stays for at least a few more weeks

I love Kevin. I am his biggest fan. But Tom is completely in right and Kev needs to go NOW! that a la mode tip was very helpful though

Bad boys 4 life? You don't say...

This was massively entertaining and someone please get Dana on Questions For Lennon

Ok, I admit it. I cried. Seeing Cathy's joy and love and Jamie literally walk out on that?!? Too much.