Wonder Watchlist

Welcome back to the next installment of my interview series, More Than Movies, where I chat with someone who has made an impact on me throughout my time online and share them with the world! From the reaction to the debut, it was noted that there’s a lot of interest in this series, which means it’s doing its job! There’s a long list of movie lovers that I have my eye on with a lot more to come, but this month I wanted to highlight a real LOVER GIRL! Since it’s the month of love, and there’s still a vampy chill in the air, I couldn’t think of a better person to highlight than the ultimate pop culture diva herself, Bobbi.

Getting to chat with her about where she came from, what inspires her, and what it’s like being a marginalized woman in fandom spaces was a joy. From her podcasting work to her at-home crafts, she holds a unique voice that has always been within her but has grown into something truly inspiring. So take a few minutes today and get to know a cinephile that makes the film community worth engaging in.

Megan Loucks: “For those who haven’t had the pleasure of running into you online, can you give readers a peek into who you are and what made you want to become an online creator? What are the things that make you want to keep creating and having conversations?”

Bobbi: “I’m Bobbi! I’m a culture critic and host of Culture Kitsch on YouTube and Substack. I got my start around 6 years ago on TikTok with The Afternoon Special (my oldest baby) after I graduated college in 2020 (a famously great time to do that). I had my whole life upended, so I found myself with a lot of time on my hands, and I thought I would just give making videos a shot. It took off like a runaway train, and here I am today. 

I love pop culture, and I’ve got an educator’s spirit (I come from a family of teachers), so my online presence is a combination of those two things. I love to teach, and I love to learn, and that’s largely how I’ve explored online spaces. Art has been a constant in my life, so I’m always driven by conversations that dig deeper into it.”

ML: What are some of your favorite genres? And why are they your favorite? And who are some of your favorites that have done those genres justice?

B: “Oh gosh! This is such a hard question because there’s so many genres I love. I’ll give you my top 3. 

• Comedy – I’m a diva who LOVES to laugh so I’m most likely to watch, listen, or read anything that is even remotely funny. I mark times in my life by how funny they are, so it’s natural that comedy would be a genre that I frequent. I think comedies are a lot more complex than people give them credit for. It takes so much to make someone laugh (on purpose).
  • My faves (today, because they change so much): The Nice Guys (2016), The Great Muppet Caper (1982), Schitts Creek (2015), Living Single (1993), The Simpsons (1989), and anything with Conan O’ Brien in it. 

• Coming of Age: This genre bleeds into comedies, because I love teen comedies from the 80’s and 90’s. Coming of age is one of those genres that has stuck with me more in adulthood than when I was a kid. Aging is such a gift, and to see the ways in which we are shaped by the passage of time is one of the most fascinating parts of storytelling. Growing up is messy and complex, but also deeply rewarding. I’m 27 now, so I’m at the proper age to look back at my life so far with more perspective (and kinder eyes). My favorite thing about this genre is that while it’s primarily about coming of age into adulthood, I love stories that depict how coming of age is an ongoing process. We never really stop growing up and there’s something cool about that to me because there’s always something new to discover about ourselves or life.
  • My faves: Dìdi (2024), Pen15 (2019), an Booksmart (2019).  

• Erotic Thrillers/Erotica: In the grand scheme of my wholesome list so far, it is hilarious to include this one. However, I can’t deny that I’m Horny Freak #1 and #2 (shout out to Bottoms). I’m a Scorpio Sun and Venus (with a Lillith in Scorpio too, as if I wasn’t scary enough), so liking erotic anything should be a shock to no one. There’s so much to be understood about human connection through these films. It’s a very misunderstood genre, because it obviously has a very scandalous reputation that can lean on the harmful or sensational. I’m this genre’s biggest PR rep because I think if people understood how vast it is, they’d find something that resonates with them. It’s a genre that often depicts the unknown of what gets us going as people. What we think or feel, but can not explain. And beyond all the heady stuff, it’s FUN! There’s something so freeing about sensuality and people letting loose (consensually, of course). And in especially regressive times, we NEED this type of storytelling.
  • My faves: Bound (1996), In the Mood for Love (2000), Interview With the Vampire (2022), Secretary (2002), Pillion (2026) 

• Bonus category vampires: I love vampires for many of the reasons that I love erotic thrillers. Vampires are hot. That’s kinda it. 

ML: When I was imagining making this interview series you were one of the first people to pop into my head, we’ve only been following each other for less than a year, but you are such a unique voice online. I remember recently watching your video on Del Toro’s Frankenstein film and thinking, “Wow, I have got to talk to her”. When you were a child, maybe even a teen, did you expect that so many people in the world would resonate with your work? 

B: “That is so incredibly sweet, thank you! And oh my gosh, not at all. I think me from 6 years ago would be very shocked, and teenage Bobbi wouldn’t believe that you were talking about the same person. I was (and still am) incredibly shy, so I never foresaw myself having the courage to do something like what I do now. I’ve really learned a lot about myself in the time that I’ve been creating online, and I am deeply grateful for the journey that I’m on, no matter how troublesome it can be sometimes. It’s the coolest thing in the world to me that people know who I am or the work I produce. Like I’ve been recognized in public a few times, and it never fails to floor me. That feeling will never get old, and I appreciate it with every fiber of my being. For so long, I knew I had a voice, but I never knew how to use it. Now I do. So if you’ve ever read, listened, or watched anything I’ve done, thank you. Seriously.”

ML: Do you remember what sparked your interest in movies? Was it a particular movie, and if so, what was the film? And what about it made you fall in love with this kind of storytelling?

B: “I’m a TV girl at heart, so I think my love of visual storytelling started there, but my love of film is in large part to animation and Steven Spielberg. I grew up watching all the Disney animated classics and Studio Ghibli films. I have a very visceral memory of watching Spirited Away for the first time on TV and having my mind blown at this herculean feat of humanity. I didn’t know humans could do that. By the time I was a tween, I discovered Steven Spielberg via E.T the Extra Terrestrial. It was a similar experience to Spirited Away, but I didn’t know movies could make you feel that way.

Of course, there are other movies that I watched in that time that resonate, but those stand out to me. Being real, I honestly think I loved the ritual of going to movies first and foremost. I have vivid memories of going to the movies during the summer with my cousins, and I loved being whisked away into another world for a bit. The practice of watching movies is still my favorite thing.” 

ML: If someone wants to get a better idea of the kind of films you are into, give us 5 films that capture your taste in film, and tell us why you picked those exact ones.

B: “1. Jurassic Park (1993) – Probably my favorite Spielberg film. It feels like a fruitless task to try and describe the greatness of Jurassic Park because…duh, it’s amazing. However, it’s one of those movies that I’ll never grow tired of. Spielberg, as a director, has an animator’s mind so his films have that boundless fantasy quality to them. It’s so meticulously made and holds up so well still. 

2. Bring It On (2000) – I can quote this movie up and down. I said I love teen comedies, and this is the large reason why. This movie had such a major impact on me as a kid, and it was the reason that I did cheerleading for 6 or 7 years. A blueprint film and very few comedies have come close to its impact. A true DIVA convention happening in that movie. 

3. In the Mood for Love (2000) – I saw this film first when I was in college. I was a film minor, so screenings were mandatory for class. Equal parts sexy and smooth, this movie knocked me off my feet with how it was able to showcase so many competing emotions with extreme subtlety. It’s all stolen glances and deep lust without even so much as a kiss. Truly a masterclass in eroticism and might’ve been what got me curious about erotica in film as a whole. I also love this film because it left me delightfully unsatisfied. When I first saw it, I thought the ending was going to be different than it was, but I didn’t walk away upset. I was almost satisfied with my dissatisfaction. It felt like the film had challenged me, and I hadn’t had an experience like that with movies before. It made me a better cinephile.“

4. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1989) – I think I gained sentience when I watched this movie for the first time. Whenever anyone tries to be reductive about the power of film, my first question is “Have you seen Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” There are tons of films that stretch the limits of the medium with their production, but drop the ball on the story. This film accomplishes the feat of doing both. If you’ve seen me anywhere on the Internet, you’d know I’m a behind-the-scenes nerd, and the production history of this film could be a movie in itself. It’s a brilliant effort of a film and endlessly enjoyable. I also learned a lot about myself watching Jessica Rabbit (love wins).

5. Sinners (2025) – Perhaps it’s too soon to add this movie to my list, but I think I’ve thought about some aspect of it every day in the year since I’ve seen it. As a culture critic, I’m often considering movies beyond the impact they make in the theater, but the wider pop cultural conversation around it. Seeing the ways that this film has touched people while feeling so wholly original has been a beautiful thing to observe and study. This film is deeply personal to me for many reasons. It’s something that if I loved it less, I could probably talk about it more. Just know, this film is tattooed on my heart.“

ML: Are there any challenges that you run into navigating online spaces, especially fandom spaces, that you don’t think enough people address? And what are your favorite fandom moments that made you feel part of the community?

B: “As a marginalized person, I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with online fandom spaces. They can be deeply enriching, but also straight up terrifying. I’ve definitely found myself as a public enemy no. 1 for a fandom or two (sorry to the Swifties) and it is #not #fun. I do think there is some credence to the idea that people online more has made us a bit meaner as a collective. I think a lot of people aren’t seen in real life, and the only way they know how to be seen in an online space is to be inflammatory. I try my best to meet people I interact with online in good faith, but it can be a toss up of the response you get. In fandom spaces, you’re all united by a shared love of the same thing, but infighting can be inevitable. However, I’ve had some great fandom experiences. The fandom I’m closest to is for Interview With the Vampire (2022) and I really appreciate all the people I’ve met through it. I even started a rewatch podcast with other fans called Just Start the Tape! It’s because of the fandom that I’ve been able to meet the cast so that’s something I treasure deeply.”

ML: If there were a director you’d want to make a movie based on your life story, who would you choose and why? 

B: “I think having an animated film based on my life directed by Brad Bird would be sick. Bird has such a keen ability to balance realism with the boundless fantasy that the animation medium can allow. If not that, I’d love to have a film about my life directed by Nia DaCosta or Ryan Coogler. I’d have no requests or complaints. I’d simply take whatever masterpiece they made and be immensely grateful.”

ML: Theater experiences are some of my favorite stories to hear from people, do you have one that sticks out to you? And in a sea of streaming and direct to VOD movies what about the movie going experience do you fear people are missing out on?

B: “One of my favorite theater stories is when I saw Spider-Man: No Way Home on opening night. I was living in NYC at the time and was in the worst depressive funk. My lifeline was the movies at that time, so I was excited for the experience. I went to the theater, and it was absolutely packed. 

I wish I could bottle the electricity in that room. It felt like the room was coming unglued as the possibility of the Internet rumors on who was in it were quickly turning into a reality. It was food for the soul. An amazing experience. I think people are missing out on the collective effervescence of experiencing a piece of art with other people. It can be almost intimate.  Like I mentioned earlier, I love the ritual of going to the movies. Getting your snacks, finding your seat, and escaping. You can’t beat that.”

ML: I know you are a monster-loving girlie like myself, as I mentioned earlier about our shared loved for 2025’s Frankenstein, are there any other monster f*cker movies out there that you think deserve more love? And what makes you interested in this kind of story?

B: “EVERYONE WATCH YOUR MONSTER (2024) TODAY!!!!! This was one of my favorite films from that year and I still make sure to watch it as often as I can. I tend to frequent the vampire side of monster f*cker movies, but there was something about this movie that just #gotme. Melissa Barrera and Tommy Dewey had such amazing chemistry and the movie as a whole is so so good. A monster f*cker that becomes a musical at the end? They made that for ME. 

I love this genre because it leans into what I was talking about with erotic thrillers, where it explores what cannot be explained about desire. This genre often has to play with subtlety and finding less direct ways to show desire, and that ends up being very romantic and erotic. LOVE these movies!”

ML: Recently you have been cataloging the films you watch in such a fun way. With a physical planner, posters covering the days that you watched them, both first watches and rewatches. What was the thought process behind this, and why do you think it’s important to keep these kinds of journals/archives of our lives that don’t revolve around app-based usage?

B: “I honestly did it on a whim! I’ve been trying to find ways to be more consistent with using my planner, and I thought logging my movies would keep me incentivized to do that. It’s funny because I started doing this, and then I was given a Letterboxd Patron sub in the middle of the month, but I use both to log what I watch. I’m an arts and crafts gal, so I’m naturally drawn to making things. I love apps like Letterboxd, but sometimes I feel like I’m performing the act of watching and loving movies. There’s a consumptive nature to this performance where you have to have seen everything and logged it, or else, you don’t love the movies enough. I wanted to step away from that a bit. (I still love Letterboxd and you’ll have to pry my Patron sub from my cold, dead hands.)

It was a great mindfulness exercise away from a screen. As I was cutting out the tiny movie posters to glue down, I was remembering the experience of watching each movie. I wanted to have a way to remember what I watched that wasn’t being tracked by anyone else but me. Now, I did post a picture of it so I am being a bit hypocritical, so I’ll probably keep the next few spreads to myself.”

ML: To close us out, a loaded question, sorry! I’m someone who believes movies are more than just entertainment, that they heal us, and also welcome us into new worlds. Allowing us to get to know one another without having to tell someone who we are. But if you had to explain to someone what movies mean to you, what would you say?

B: “Movies are the only way that life makes sense. Whenever I’ve felt sad or happy or confused or angry or any emotion, there’s a movie that I can turn to. It’s the closest thing (save for maybe the Bible) that we have to a guidebook on life. I’ve learned so many things about myself simply by seeing someone else’s story play out on the big screen. Where would we be without them?”

Want to connect with Bobbi? Check out her socials linked here!

Thank you for reading another installment of More Than Movies, see you in next one!