Watch With Jen™

This week, I was delighted to be joined by two New York Times best-selling novelists who happen to live right here in Arizona & both of whom I met through Barbara Peters' wonderful world-famous independent Poisoned Pen Bookshop in Scottsdale.

Jenn McKinlay is the award-winning bestselling author of several mystery & romance series & her work has been translated into multiple languages & in countries all over the world. Hard at work on her next books, Jenn's latest releases include LOVE AT FIRST BOOK, FONDANT FUMBLE, & her upcoming holiday-themed mystery A MERRY LITTLE MURDER PLOT is available on October 8.

Paige Shelton had a nomadic childhood, as her father's job as a football coach took the family to seven different towns before she was twelve years old. After college at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, Paige moved to Salt Lake City, where she thought she'd only stay a few years, but she fell in love with the mountains & a great guy who became her husband. In 2015, her family moved to Arizona. In addition to the SCOTTISH BOOKSHOP MYSTERIES, she also writes the ALASKA WILD book series which began with THIN ICE. Her other series include the FARMERS' MARKET, COOKING SCHOOL, & DANGEROUS TYPE mysteries. PERFECT STORM, the sixth ALASKA WILD series title will be out on December 3, 2024, & WRITTEN IN STONE, the 10th SCOTTISH BOOKSHOP mystery is coming to stores on April 1, 2025.

Given that not only do Jenn & Paige adore libraries & indie bookstores like Poisoned Pen but they also write mysteries set in bookshops, the idea of doing an episode centered on our love of books, movies, & bookshop movies seemed like a perfect fit! Warm, breezy, funny, & fast-paced, in addition to discussing the films DESK SET, 84 CHARING CROSS ROAD, & YOU'VE GOT MAIL, this wide-ranging episode touches on everything from their love of literature to the writing process itself. I had the best time with the prolific & insightful Jenn & Paige & you're sure to love our conversation as well.

Originally Posted on Patreon (10/2/24) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/113178419

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Welcome to the second physical media episode of season five. Inundated by first-rate releases on disc over the last several months, this casual installment primarily consists of my takes on the stack of films you see in the cover photo, but I wanted to break up the rhythm of this one by inviting friends like Sean Burns & Blake Howard to help me cover a trio of titles as well. Additionally, Sean & Blake dive into a few bonus releases they've picked up or worked on (not included in the list below) that you might want to check out.

Films Covered: DOGFIGHT, GIRLFIGHT, BRINGING OUT THE DEAD (with Sean Burns), PERFECT DAYS (with Sean Burns), THE LINGUINI INCIDENT, ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST, ENNIO, EL MARIACHI, DESPERADO, ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO, ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND OF RON BURGUNDY, & COLLATERAL (with Blake Howard).

Guests: Sean Burns is a Boston-based film critic for WBUR. Blake Howard is the podcaster behind One Heat Minute Productions.

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Originally Posted on Patreon (9/24/24) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/112690553

This month, I was pleased to welcome back Dan Mecca & Conor O'Donnell, two friends & the hosts of The Film Stage's excellent podcast The B-Side, which covers movie stars in a fascinating way, by focusing not on the films that made or kept them famous but on the ones that actors made in between.

Equally skilled at coming up with highly original show themes for their guest appearances here, Dan & Conor joined me in Season 4 to discuss the role of work in the films of director Ron Howard & in 2022, we focused on the transition that gifted crew members such as Jack Fisk & Douglas Trumbull made to the position of director.

This season, they're back to celebrate the '90s to early aught renaissance of old-fashioned Errol Flynn-style swashbuckler pictures. Charting the resurgence in genre popularity after the surprise success of ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES (& the Bryan Adams theme song), Dan & Conor walk listeners through the changes '90s filmmakers made from not only the '20s & '30s but also the sword spectaculars of their more fantastical '80s counterparts.

Focusing primarily on the films FIRST KNIGHT, THE MASK OF ZORRO, THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO, & PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL, we dissect the style, actors, productions, & filmmakers of these films & others in this same genre or old-fashioned adventure epic mold from A KNIGHT'S TALE to THE MUMMY to CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON & beyond. Along the way, we coin a new catchphrase in "buckle some swash," I tell a story about a dude I went out with once who didn't realize that Keith Richards & Mick Jagger were two different people, & we go on several memorable tangents. It's a delightfully spirited feature-length chat that's fun for all... who are all for fun.

Dan & Conor's Bio:

A producer & filmmaker living in Pittsburgh, Dan Mecca started The Film Stage with Jordan Raup in college at Buffalo & Conor O'Donnell is a post-production supervisor based in New York City & also serves as a critic for The Film Stage.

Originally Posted on Patreon (9/18/24) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/112258625

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It's the season five return of my good friend & longtime Watch With Jen fan-favorite guest, cinephile, Hardboiled Wonderland blogger, & author Jed Ayres. This time, Jed & I journey into stealthy mid-twentieth-century international spy terrain via four noir war films from the masterful British director Carol Reed.

Kicking things off with the incredible classic THE THIRD MAN, we then join the pursuit of James Mason in Reed's expressionistic ODD MAN OUT & THE MAN BETWEEN before we let Graham Greene show us the ridiculous side of espionage in the humorous yet darkly clever OUR MAN IN HAVANA.

A thoughtful evaluation of not only Reed's work as a director but also the way his filmmaking techniques & emphasis on everything from great production design to Dutch angles, even Christian symbolism, surprising musical counterpoints, & trust in his collaborators crafted four remarkable works, this is an episode that classic movie fans will love.

Originally Posted on Patreon (9/4/24) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/111371653

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This week, I'm honored to be joined by not one but two brilliant screenwriters, Larry Karaszewski & Daniel Waters.

Larry Karaszewski & his writing/directing/producing partner Scott Alexander are best known for writing unusual true stories such as the films ED WOOD, THE PEOPLE VS. LARRY FLYNT, MAN ON THE MOON, AUTO FOCUS, BIG EYES, DOLEMITE IS MY NAME, & the hit television miniseries THE PEOPLE VS. OJ SIMPSON: AMERICAN CRIME STORY. The team has won Emmys, Golden Globes, Producers, & Writers Guild Awards. Additionally, Larry is also a former Governor & Vice President of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences.

Born in Ohio & raised in Indiana, Daniel Waters is the Edgar award-winning screenwriter of the 1988 cult classic HEATHERS starring Winona Ryder & Christian Slater. Additionally, the man who wrote or co-wrote the films BATMAN RETURNS, HUDSON HAWK, THE ADVENTURES OF FORD FAIRLANE, DEMOLITION MAN, & more, he's also the writer-director of HAPPY CAMPERS & SEX & DEATH 101.

Best friends & movie buddies since their teenage years in Indiana, in the fourth season of Watch With Jen, the two joined me to dissect the films of director Michael Ritchie, & this year, they're back to take us on another trip through the films of the 1970s, courtesy of actor Jan-Michael Vincent whose luscious blonde hair & laid back approach made him one of the most popular up-and-coming stars of the era. Although initially, we agreed on five films, including BUSTER & BILLIE, THE MECHANIC, WHITE LINE FEVER, THE WORLD'S GREATEST ATHLETE, & VIGILANTE FORCE, Larry & Dan made it their mission to do as much extra credit as possible, watching everything from obscure TV movies like TRIBES & SANDCASTLES to bigger hits like HOOPER & more. Along the way, we discuss Dan's issues with JMV in the '70s & this dream (or nightmare) he had where I ruined the vibe of his party, Larry's decision to watch two JMV movies on the ceiling under laughing gas at the dentist, & much, much more. What can I say? This conversation is a journey - a rollicking, thoughtful, & very engaging journey - & you're sure to love it.

Originally Posted on Patreon (8/20/24) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/110417546

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This week, my good friend William Boyle returned to the podcast to discuss a terrific character actress we both love. Celebrating Edie Falco beyond her tour de force performance as Carmela Soprano on THE SOPRANOS, in this fast-paced conversation, we offer an overview of her work in early indies like LAWS OF GRAVITY, THE UNBELIEVABLE TRUTH, & TRUST, her darling turn in JUDY BERLIN, & the films SUNSHINE STATE, OUTSIDE IN, & THE LAND OF STEADY HABITS.

Bio: William "Bill" Boyle is the award-winning author of 8 works of fiction set in the southern Brooklyn neighborhood of Gravesend, where he was born & raised. His books have been nominated for the Hammett Prize, the John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger Award in the UK, & the prestigious Grand Prix de Litterature Policier in France, & have been included on best-of lists in Washington Post, CrimeReads, & more. He currently lives in Oxford, Mississippi.

Originally Posted on Patreon (8/14/24) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/110053462

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This week, I was thrilled to welcome a longtime Twitter mutual who's a huge cinephile with outstanding taste, a veritable encyclopedia of Film Noir, & an author as well. Christa Faust writes crime novels, comics, & tie-ins. She worked in the Times Square peep booths, as a professional dominatrix, & in the adult film industry, both behind & in front of the cameras. Her forthcoming Hard Case Crime novel THE GET OFF, the final book in the Angel Dare trilogy, is set in the world of rodeo & will be out in February of 2025.

From the 2 years she spent following rodeos around the United States for her upcoming novel to her love of John Huston's THE MISFITS & movies about the sport in general, in this richly fascinating conversation, Christa gives us an insider's view of what it's like to train, live, & work in rodeo. Filled with interesting asides about topics deeply entrenched within it, including traumatic brain injuries, the vital role of women within the rodeo community, & metaphors involving the death of rugged individualism & working in Hollywood, I learned so much from this conversation & I know you will too. Spending a bulk of our time on THE MISFITS, we also touch on THE LUSTY MEN (which listeners will remember was covered in our S4 Robert Mitchum episode too), plus the contemporary films NEON BULL, BULL, & THE RIDER.

Originally Posted on Patreon (8/7/24) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/109652602

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It's a pleasure to welcome one of my longtime Twitter faves to the podcast. Katie Stebbins is a knowledgeable cinephile, academic librarian, & the author of truly creative film zines. For the uninitiated, that's "zines" as in magazines or literary journal-styled books filled with collages & writing on films within a given calendar year. Described as a personal, passionate, & unique way to engage with cinema & create a scrapbook that reflects the full experience of doing a deep dive into a year of film, these ingenious zines gave Katie a chance to explore not only her favorite movies but make new discoveries as well, which is so cool.

In this breezy, spirited, nostalgia-fueled ode to the heyday of TV adaptations from the late '80s through the early aughts, we investigate the highs & lows of this new cinematic subgenre. Along the way, Katie & I take a closer look at THE ADDAMS FAMILY, THE BRADY BUNCH MOVIE, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, DUDLEY DO-RIGHT, & CHARLIE'S ANGELS.

Originally Posted on Patreon (7/31/24) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/109183487

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After our brief midsummer break, we're back with an episode featuring two outstanding new guests, Natalie Jenner & Sarah Kozloff.

Natalie Jenner is the internationally bestselling author of THE JANE AUSTEN SOCIETY & BLOOMSBURY GIRLS which have been translated into more than 20 languages worldwide. A former lawyer, career coach, & independent bookstore owner who lives in Oakville, Ontario with her family & two rescue dogs, Natalie’s latest work of historical fiction is the wonderfully well-researched novel EVERY TIME WE SAY GOODBYE.

Sarah Kozloff is a professor emerita at Vassar College, where she taught film history for 33 years. Her publications include the BFI Classic volume on THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES & the chapter on romantic comedy in the NORTON: INTRODUCTION TO FILM GENRES. And since Sarah Kozloff is an expert on THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES, she was the ideal person for Natalie Jenner to invite to join us for this episode dedicated to a legendary filmmaker we all love, William Wyler, who received more Oscar nominations than any other director (so far) yet is still vastly under-discussed by film fans today. While we give an overview of his life, career, filmography, & staggering contributions to motion picture history (as Bette Davis, Laurence Olivier, Barbra Streisand & more credit him for teaching them how to act for the camera), the two films we dive into most in this episode are his beloved works THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES & ROMAN HOLIDAY.

Originally Posted on Patreon (7/24/24) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/108744042

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It's always a pleasure to bring on another podcaster & even more so when they're from my home state of Minnesota! That's right, gang, this week, you'll hear Minnesotan accents at full power as I'm joined by Clay Keller, who's the engaging & knowledgeable co-creator & co-host of the sensational Screen Drafts podcast. In this joyous, in-depth, classic film-centric episode devoted to one of our favorite unsung character actors, we discuss the westerns, noir, B-movies, & gritty overlooked films & performances of the legendary Robert Ryan.

Finding it impossible to limit our conversation to just 5 films, we reference several movies but mainly focus on CROSSFIRE, THE SET-UP, BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK, ODDS AGAINST TOMORROW, ON DANGEROUS GROUND, THE NAKED SPUR, & THE DIRTY DOZEN. Clay & I adored getting lost in our Robert Ryan research & rewatches & our enthusiasm is sure to inspire you to queue up some of these amazing titles as well. Enjoy!

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Originally Posted on Patreon (6/26/24) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/106943967