The Watchers

This week, we watched Top Secret!, a favorite movie of both Jodie's dad and the great Weird Al Yankovic. It features Val Kilmer in his debut role as a rock and roll singer who becomes involved in a secret plot to rescue a scientist imprisoned in East Germany, and it makes absolutely zero sense, but that's kind of besides the point because the plot is the least important thing in this movie. We talk about whether or not Top Secret! holds up in 2023, how it compares to the movies that came before and after it, Airplane! and The Naked Gun, and admit that it did make both of us laugh out loud at least a few times.

Next week is Andrea's pick, and she chose the most fitting movie for this podcast and this time of year, a John Hughes film that isn't about teenagers, but is instead about Steve Martin and John Candy trying to make it home for Thanksgiving. It's Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. You can rent it pretty much everywhere, including free on Pluto with ads.

Referenced in this episode:

“Weird Al” Yankovic answers our 11 Questions

‘Weird Al’ Yankovic Explains Why Top Secret! Is the Funniest Film Ever Made

The Agoraphobic Cowboy episode of Left of the Dial

If you're reading this, that means you've probably got your podcatcher of choice open right now. It would be SO helpful if you gave our little new show a follow. If you like what you hear, you could even leave us a review. ☺️

Follow:

The Watchers on Twitter and Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)

Andrea on Twitter and Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)

Jodie on Twitter (@jodiemim) and Instagram (@jodie_mim)

Our sister show, New Jersey Is the World, on Twitter (@njistheworld) and Instagram (@newjerseyistheworld)

Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."

What a day for a podcast, huh? This week, Andrea asked Jodie to watch one of her favorite movies, Nora Ephron's technically-kind-of sequel to Goodfellas, 1990's My Blue Heaven. It stars Steve Martin as mafia-informant Vinnie Antonelli, and Rick Moranis as Barney Coopersmith, the FBI agent tasked with watching over him in witness protection, and it is a capital-R Romp. We talk about the real life informant who inspired both Goodfellas and My Blue Heaven, why the real antagonist in this movie is small town cops, and the subversive masculinity of Steve Martin.

Next week, we're watching a favorite movie of both Jodie's dad and the great Weird Al Yankovic, Top Secret! It features Val Kilmer in his debut role as a rock and roll singer who becomes involved in a secret plot to rescue a scientist imprisoned in East Germany. You can watch it a few different places.

Referenced in this episode:

"The Campy Masculinity of Steve Martin" - plazmaburn

"'My Blue Heaven,' Steve Martin's Comedic, Spiritual Sequel to 'Goodfellas'" - Jake Rossen

Last week, Jodie and I mentioned the found footage movie that preceded The Blair Witch Project and, more importantly, takes place in New Jersey, The Last Broadcast. We covered it this week over on the New Jersey Is the World podcast with Andrea's other co-host, Chris Gethard. You can listen to that on Patreon.

If you're reading this, that means you've probably got your podcatcher of choice open right now. It would be SO helpful if you gave our little new show a follow. If you like what you hear, you could even leave us a review. ☺️

Follow:

The Watchers on Twitter and Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)

Andrea on Twitter and Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)

Jodie on Twitter (@jodiemim) and Instagram (@jodie_mim)

Our sister show, New Jersey Is the World, on Twitter (@njistheworld) and Instagram (@newjerseyistheworld)

Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."

The Watchers are back in the woods this week for the last installment of our Movies That Are Thematically Appropriate to Watch in the Month of October series, and against her horror-averse judgment, Jodie picked what has become a classic in the world of found footage horror, 1999s The Blair Witch Project. She and Andrea talk about how this movie was a direct product of its time, the influence of reality TV and early horror novels on the found footage genre, the lasting effect Blair Witch had on its stars, and so much more. For a movie neither of us found particularly scary, we have a lot to share with you about this one.

For next week, Jodie demanded some levity in Andrea's pick, so she chose a favorite movie from her childhood, My Blue Heaven. If you've never seen it, all you need to know is that Steve Martin plays a mobster named Vinnie Antonelli who goes into witness protection, and Rick Moranis plays the FBI agent assigned to watch over him, and HIS name is Barney Coopersmith. Vinnie Antonelli and Barney Coopersmith. What more do you need to know?

Happy Halloween! And Happy Post-MischiefGooseyCabbage Night to all our Jersey listeners. We hope, if your house was TP'd, it wasn't too bad.

If you're reading this, that means you've probably got your podcatcher of choice open right now. It would be SO helpful if you gave our little new show a follow. If you like what you hear, you could even leave us a review. ☺️

Follow:

The Watchers on Twitter and Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)

Andrea on Twitter and Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)

Jodie on Twitter (@jodiemim) and Instagram (@jodie_mim)

Our sister show, New Jersey Is the World, on Twitter (@njistheworld) and Instagram (@newjerseyistheworld)

Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."

Gather 'round ghosts and ghouls, Jodie and Andrea are back with another bone-chilling edition of The Watchers. This week, Andrea shares one of her favorite movies, Josh Ruben's 2020 horror comedy Scare Me, a movie with two major villains: toxic masculinity and noisy eaters. We talk about how much can be done with thoughtful sound design, the power of collaborative storytelling, and what Ruben has described as one of the most savage combinations there is: a brilliant woman and a fragile man.

Mentioned in the Episode:

Check out the pitch deck for Scare Me.

Watch Werewolves Within

Watch Make Some Noise on Dropout.tv

Follow Ruben on Instagram @joshruben

Jodie is being SO BRAVE and has chosen, of her own volition, to watch the 1999 found footage movie, The Blair Witch Project. Here's where you can watch it.

If you're reading this, that means you've probably got your podcatcher of choice open right now. It would be SO helpful if you gave our little new show a follow. If you like what you hear, you could even leave us a review. ☺️

Follow:

The Watchers on Twitter and Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)

Andrea on Twitter and Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)

Jodie on Twitter (@jodiemim) and Instagram (@jodie_mim)

Our sister show, New Jersey Is the World, on Twitter (@njistheworld) and Instagram (@newjerseyistheworld)

Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."

It is better that you should rush upon this blade than enter the podcast with fear in your heart. How do you enter?

This week, Jodie and Andrea kick off a month of Movies That are Thematically Appropriate to Watch in October with 1996’s supernatural teen horror (ish) movie, The Craft. We talk about the enduring legacy of this movie, its aesthetic influence, and the way it probably created a generation of cool-rock collectors. We also spend a lot of time debating whether it would be worse to hold a rat or a roach.

CW: The Craft includes elements of self harm, violence, and sexual assault. We discuss these elements throughout the episode.

Referenced in This Episode:

• The Craft Inspired a Generation of Teenage Witches. Now a Sequel Is Poised to Do the Same
• Relax, It's Only Magic: An Oral History Of 'The Craft'
• The Profound, Enduring Legacy of The Craft
• How The Craft Realized the Power of Teen Girls and Made Witchcraft Cool
• “The Craft: Legacy” Atones For The Sins Of The Original
• Roger Ebert’s review of the movie

We’re taking off next week while Jodie travels across the country, but we’ll be back on October 24th to talk about Josh Ruben’s horror movie, Scare Me. You can watch it a few places including Amazon Prime and Shudder (which offers a 7 day free trial). 

If you're reading this, that means you've probably got your podcatcher of choice open right now. It would be SO helpful if you gave our little new show a follow. If you like what you hear, you could even leave us a review. ☺️

Follow:

The Watchers on Twitter and Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)

Andrea on Twitter and Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)

Jodie on Twitter (@jodiemim) and Instagram (@jodie_mim)

Our sister show, New Jersey Is the World, on Twitter (@njistheworld) and Instagram (@newjerseyistheworld)

Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."

You knew this had to happen eventually. We watched Garden State, a movie we are all contractually obligated to say we hate now because we loved it so much in 2004. For this week’s review, Andrea and Jodie made a promise to themselves that they would come to this movie for the first time in over a decade with an open mind and an open heart. And what they found while exploring the infinite abyss may surprise you. They talk about the dangers of quitting your psychiatric meds cold turkey, Natalie Portman’s baby voice, unprocessed family trauma, why Zach Braff hates dogs, and how the soundtrack to Garden State still kinda slaps. Plus a whole lot more. We had a lot to say about this movie.

And next week, we’re kicking off our "Movies That Are Thematically Appropriate to Watch During the Month of October" mini-series with the 1996 teen supernatural horror movie, The Craft. You can watch it everywhere.

Mentioned in this episode:

- It’s the Ten-Year Anniversary of Realizing Garden State Sucked

- In Defense of Zach Braff’s Garden State

- The Bataan Death March of Whimsy Case File #1: Elizabethtown

- Sally Hayward’s review of Garden State for Disability Studies Quarterly

- Zach Braff on You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes

If you're reading this, that means you've probably got your podcatcher of choice open right now. It would be SO helpful if you gave our little new show a follow. If you like what you hear, you could even leave us a review. ☺️

Follow:

The Watchers on Twitter and Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)

Andrea on Twitter and Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)

Jodie on Twitter (@jodiemim) and Instagram (@jodie_mim)

Our sister show, New Jersey Is the World, on Twitter (@njistheworld) and Instagram (@newjerseyistheworld)

Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."

Oooooh, y’all. This week, we got ourselves a Jersey. Ass. Jersey. Movie. Jodie tasked Andrea with watching Geremy Jasper’s 2017 coming-of-age drama, Patti Cake$, starring Danielle McDonald, Bridget Everett, Siddharth Dhananjay, Mamoudou Athie, and Cathy Moriarty. We talk about the complicated nature of race and class in this movie, Jasper’s history as a music video director, the ways in which Patti Cake$ follows all the beats of the archetypal hero’s journey, and–most importantly–we talk about New Jersey. Like a lot about Jersey.

For next week, Andrea’s decided it’s time to revisit another Jersey movie. Zach Braff’s Garden State. We're gonna try to come at this one with an open heart and a clear mind. You can watch it pretty much everywhere.

If you're reading this, that means you've probably got your podcatcher of choice open right now. It would be SO helpful if you gave our little new show a follow. If you like what you hear, you could even leave us a review. ☺️

Follow:

The Watchers on Twitter and Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)

Andrea on Twitter and Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)

Jodie on Twitter (@jodiemim) and Instagram (@jodie_mim)

Our sister show, New Jersey Is the World, on Twitter (@njistheworld) and Instagram (@newjerseyistheworld)

Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."

We're closing out our Allan Moyle mini-series with his 1980 coming-of-age drama, Times Square. This is the first movie we've covered that wasn't already one of our favorites, and it was kind of fascinating to see how many of our recurring themes also show up in this movie. We discuss the queer history of the movie's making, its Moyle-esque soundtrack, how the film manages to act as a (certainly romanticized) snapshot of New York City in the 80s, and even manage to tie in our favorite Tomboy-focused dissertation.

Next week, we're shifting away from movies we consider foundational to our identities as two queer women from Jersey. Jodie's picked a much more recent film, Geremy Jasper's Patti Cake$. Released in 2017, it's an extremely Jersey movie about a young North Jersey woman who dreams of making it as a rapper. It stars Danielle Macdonald and one of our favorites, Bridget Everett. Here's where you can rent it.

Mentioned in this episode:

For the fiftieth time, just read it already: Unhappy Medium: Filmic Tomboy Narrative And Queer Feminist Spectatorship by Lynne Stahl

When in doubt, look at a chart.

Vanishing New York: How a Great City Lost Its Soul by Jeremiah Moss

If you're reading this, that means you've probably got your podcatcher of choice open right now. It would be SO helpful if you gave our little new show a follow. If you like what you hear, you could even leave us a review. ☺️

Follow:

The Watchers on Twitter and Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)

Andrea on Twitter and Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)

Jodie on Twitter (@jodiemim) and Instagram (@jodie_mim)

Our sister show, New Jersey Is the World, on Twitter (@njistheworld) and Instagram (@newjerseyistheworld)

Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."

It's a big day here at Watchers HQ–not Rex Manning Day big, but still, pretty big. We're watching Andrea's most beloved movie, Empire Records. We discuss the reasons this movie bombed and how it became a cult classic. We talk about what makes it feel like a real Jersey movie, even though it's mostly set in Delaware. Andrea reflects on why this movie takes up such a special place in her heart and Jodie weighs in on what it felt like to watch it for the first time as an adult. And, of course, we talk about its iconic 90s soundtrack.

Next week, we're closing out our trio of Allan Moyle-directed films with his 1980 teen drama, Times Square. You can rent it in a few different places or watch for free at archive.org.

Mentioned in this episode:

"How Empire Records Became The Unlikely Film Of A Generation" by Anne Helen Peterson

If you're reading this, that means you've probably got your podcatcher of choice open right now. It would be SO helpful if you gave our little new show a follow. If you like what you hear, you could even leave us a review. ☺️

Follow:

The Watchers on Twitter and Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)

Andrea on Twitter and Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)

Jodie on Twitter (@jodiemim) and Instagram (@jodie_mim)

Our sister show, New Jersey Is the World, on Twitter (@njistheworld) and Instagram (@newjerseyistheworld)

Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."

Yellowjackets might be taking a break, but The Watchers doesn't quit. Jodie and Andrea are using the off-season break to share the movies that made them the kind of people who were destined to be obsessed with a show like Yellowjackets.

We've reached a pivotal moment in The Watchers history. Jodie has finally made us watch what might be the most formative movie of her younger years, the 1990 Christian Slater coming-of-age teen drama, Pump Up the Volume. We talk about teenage rebellion, youth empowerment, out-of-touch authority figures, and this movie's incredible soundtrack. Also, Samantha Mathis.

Next week, Andrea is bringing the movie most important to her youth, 1995's Empire Records, which, coincidentally, shares a director with Pump Up the Volume, Allan Moyle.

You can rent Empire Records in lots of places.

Mentioned in this episode:

Pump Up the Volume: can Christian Slater’s teen movie become a musical hit like Heathers?

Death Becomes Her Musical Releases Teaser Trailers

If you're reading this, that means you've probably got your podcatcher of choice open right now. It would be SO helpful if you gave our little new show a follow. If you like what you hear, you could even leave us a review. ☺️

Follow:

The Watchers on Twitter and Instagram (@WatchersPodNJ)

Andrea on Twitter and Instagram (@AQAndreaQ)

Jodie on Twitter (@jodiemim) and Instagram (@jodie_mim)

Our sister show, New Jersey Is the World, on Twitter (@njistheworld) and Instagram (@newjerseyistheworld)

Thanks to Kitzy (@heykitzy) for the use of our theme song, "No Book Club."