Babies are cute, but the nine months before they come out aren't usually the best. That's at least true for some of the faux-moms in the new romantic comedy, "What to Expect When You're Expecting." The dads aren't at their most glamorous either, but the film delivers on the comedy of having a kid. Wondering if this pregnancy movie will make a good date? Kristen and Rafer let us in on what to expect out of this ensemble rom-com.

Finally, a vampire movie that really gets vampires. The undead get a bad rap, but this week Kristen and Rafer offer praise to "Dark Shadows," Tim Burton's latest foray into creepy. One part soap opera, one part Johnny Depp, and one part 70s shag carpet, "Dark Shadows" moves this cult classic into new territory. 

This week, the fate of Joss Whedon's 'The Avengers' hangs in the balance. Who will come to the rescue this awesome, hulking green monster of a film? And who will come down on the movie like a giant hammer? Listen to find out where Kristen and Rafer stand on this superhero saga.

He's got to be strong. He's got to be able to build a barn and get along with children. Being able to play a sultry, sexy musical instrument also helps. In case it wasn't apparent already, this week we're talking about Kristen's fantasy man. And also some movie called "The Lucky One," starring Zac Efron. Let Kristen and Rafer's sultry voices and razor-sharp smarts woo you in this week's podcast.

Heavy stuff this week. "October Baby" tells the story of a woman's discovery that her mother almost aborted her. Intended or not, the movie's politics — see what happens when you don't have an abortion? — align comfortably with those of the religious Right. Likewise, the recent film "The Lorax" and 2006's "Happy Feet" decry the ills of global warming in a quintessentially liberal parlance. But not all movies have agendas, right?

The Titanic sank 100 years ago this month. To mark the anniversary, James Cameron is re-releasing his mega-blockbuster "Titanic" in 3D, prompting some critics to say its strictly a marketing ploy while others cheer the innovation.

Will "Titanic 3D" burn a hole in your wallet, or will it blow your mind? This week, Rafer and Kristen put that question to Daniel Engber, senior editor at Slate. Listen to find out what he's got to say.

This week, Kristen and Rafer watched "Bully," the new documentary from the Weinstein Company that takes on the controversial topic of grade school ridicule. "Bully" was in the news this week for hitting theaters unrated after the MPAA promised an R rating. The hype has certainly drummed up support for the movie, but does "Bully" do its subject justice? Or is "The Hunger Games" actually a better tool for teaching kids about violence?

The long-awaited 'The Hunger Games' is finally here! If you wanted to like the Twilight movies but thought Bella was kind of a wimp, this movie is for you. Protagonist Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) leads a cast of young adults through a fictional reality TV show in which children battle to the death. It's an awesome take on the teen movie genre, but is this sci-fi flick about homicidal adolescents a good date movie?

Listen to this week's podcast to find out what Rafer Guzman, film critic for Newsday, and Kristen Meinzer, culture producer for the Takeaway, think about this long-awaited and super-hyped blockbuster.

This week, Movie Date is heading back to high school. And so are Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum as a couple of young-looking rookie cops in "21 Jump Street," a remake of the 80s TV show. Listen to find out what grade Kristen and Rafer give this revisited classic.

Jennifer Westfeldt's "Friends with Kids" asks an important question: do I really have to have kids? When two single friends realize that all of their friends are parents, they ditch bachelor life to have a baby of their own. "Friends with Kids" has an all-star comedic cast, but it's also rife with some language you might not want your own kids to hear. As always, Movie Date is brought to you by Rafer Guzman, film critic for Newsday, and Kristen Meinzer, culture producer for the Takeaway.

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There are two kinds of people: those who love Christmas movies and those who hate them. Rafer and Kristen are each one of those kinds of people. Can you guess who is the Grinch and who is little Susan Walker? Either way, both have their holiday favorites — even if they don't all have to do with Christmas. Take a listen and add your own favorites in the comments! 

Yes, it's finally here; the first part of the last installment of the "Twilight" movies. And it's got everything the others didn't: vampire marriage, sex, pregnancy, baby monsters. Kristen and Rafer talk about the latest (and possibly greatest?) movie that all the tweens are talking about. What do a couple of grown adults think? They kind of liked it! Find out why in this week's podcast.

As Kristen says in this latest podcast, "It's Oscar season." And if there's a movie out that hopes to bring a few of those statues in, it's "J. Edgar." But does the Leonardo Dicaprio-starring film deliver the goods? Not quite. Listen to this week's Movie Date podcast to find out why Kristen and Rafer are looking forward to some of the other assumed contenders and perhaps trying to forget this one.

"Melancholia" is being called perhaps director Lars von Trier's most commercial work, but that doesn't mean it's not a bit of a downer. Focusing on a pair of sisters contemplating the end of the world — a "rogue planet" named Melancholia is on a collision course with earth — von Trier ponders whether one sister's depression actually makes her better-equipped to deal with existential emergency.

What does Brett Ratner's new movie "Tower Heist," have to do with Occupy Wall Street? You don't necessarily have to turn to Ben Stiller, Tea Leone, Casey Affleck, and Eddie Murphy; our intrepid movie-going podcasters have already watched the movie for you. But if you want to know whether the now-spurned Oscar producer's movie is any good, you'll have to listen! The two also discuss "Harold and Kumar: 3D Christmas," and some prescient Occupy Wall Street imagery. 

Mindy Kaling's character on "The Office," Kelly Kapoor, somehow walks the line between annoying and sympathetic. And Kaling, who also writes and produces for the hit comedy, surely meant it that way. The actress and writer has a new book out called "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns). Kristen Meinzer interviewed Kaling about her TV personality, portraying a South Asian "ditz," and her new book.

It brought in the big bucks, but did "Paranormal Activity 3" actually scare our intrepid movie date podcasters? Well, the review is mixed. Neither really lost any sleep about it, even though Kristen has a long history of being kept up by scary ("The Shining") and non-scary ("The Hulk") movies and TV shows. Unsurprisingly, the podcast turns into a discussion of Kristen and Rafer's favorite scary movies as well as a review of the latest blockbuster. 

This week our Movie Date podcasters get a special treat: a visit from "Mad Men" actress Christina Hendricks. Hendricks, who is also in two fall films, including "Drive," talks about approaching the differences between acting for movies and for TV, and about the next season of "Mad Men." 

You can't say Kristen and Rafer don't go to great lengths to make their movie date fit the bill. This week's topic is epic mixed martial arts film "Warrior," and how do they discuss it? With a "Movie Date throwdown," of course! After a few weeks of surprised agreement, Rafer and Kristen are back in separate corners, ready to go to (friendly) blows at the ring of the bell. Who wins? Who loses? You have to listen to find out! 

In this week's Movie Date podcast, Kristen and Rafer take a look back at the summer that was...a "bummer summer." But rather than harp on how they were disappointed with the list of blockbusters that didn't deliver, they look forward at the movies being released this fall, and talk about what they're looking forward to and what they're dreading. From that list, our critics make picks for each other to see. What do they pick and how do they react? You'll have to listen to find out.