Watch With Jen™

Welcome back to the podcast! Taking a look at the work of legendary director John Huston and the films "Key Largo," "Fat City," and "Prizzi's Honor," today's installment, featuring "New York Times" bestselling "Razorblade Tears" author S.A. Cosby, is a little different from what longtime listeners are used to hearing on the pod. Sprinkled throughout this extended conversation, which covers everything from post-war existential noir to down-and-outers, hitmen, and southpaws, you'll discover memorable excerpts I've recorded about Huston's life and incorporated for your listening pleasure.

A high-water mark for the series so far, our 2022 premiere is only the beginning. For the past month and a half, I've been busily planning for the exciting third season launch of Watch With Jen. This year, you'll be treated to not only the return of some of your favorite guests but the appearance of some wonderful new ones and VIPs as well so I hope you'll check back often to see which contributors and themes we'll have available for you soon. Thank you for your support and happy listening.

Originally Posted on Patreon (2/1/22) with links to items discussed here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/61911795

Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

Wrapping up our Physical Media series with this third and final installment, which also brings this season of Watch With Jen to a close, I hope you've enjoyed listening to these freewheeling episodes half as much as my collaborators and I did making them as well.

Continuing on from where we left off yesterday with Walter Chaw and Nikki Dolson in Part 2, today we're kicking things off with my friend (and frequent guest), the gifted novelist William Boyle discussing The Window (1949), Harold and Maude, and Heaven Can Wait (1978).

Then, after he and I dissect that unexpected trio of films, I serve up a trio of a different kind in the form of a hilarious, awkward, and enlightening three-way conversation about Reds, which just so happens to be my buddy, actor Rob Belushi's mother Sandi's favorite film of all time. Enlisting Rob to not only sit down and watch it for the very first time but also, to join in for a fun, anything goes discussion of Warren Beatty's 1981 epic alongside Sandi, Rob took his task seriously, teasing and interrogating his mother in equal measure throughout our extended conversation.

And following these two fun yet very different chats, you'll hear me review the recent Paramount releases of Ragtime and the new steelbook edition of the celebrated holiday favorite Planes, Trains, and Automobiles as well.

A nice way to wrap up the season before I return in 2022, if you're looking for more Watch With Jen in the meantime, please be sure to check out our backlog of over 120 episodes and also join the conversation with me on Patreon or Twitter (via the user name FilmIntuition) in order to find out who and what you'll be hearing on the podcast soon. Until next time, I want to thank you so much for listening, subscribing, and supporting the show. I'm wishing you and your loved ones a very safe, happy, and healthy holiday season and happy movie-watching to you all!

Originally Posted on Patreon (12/15/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/59921295

Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

We're back with Part 2 of 3 of this season's final series of episodes devoted to recent physical media releases. Joining me today, we have the brilliant film critic Walter Chaw (whose video essay on Walter Hill's 48 Hrs. dubbed "Profane and Profound" you can find on Netflix's new series VOIR) and the witty and wonderful crime writer Nikki Dolson as well.

After investigating The Naked Spur and The Last of Sheila with Chaw and diving into Nicholas Ray's Party Girl with Dolson, I take a look at two new French releases entitled Who You Think I Am and White as Snow from Cohen Media Group. Another installment packed with great conversation and astute observations, get ready for one more (final) episode dropping very soon as well.

Originally Posted on Patreon (12/14/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/59911369

Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

I'm wrapping up the second season of Watch With Jen with three holiday presents for you. Starting today, they arrive in form of this trio of laid-back, conversational episodes devoted to recent physical media releases.

Featuring some of your favorite recurring guests (and my closest friends) as well as analysis by yours truly solo, Part 1 finds me tackling the Brian Wilson style symphony of taste and existential ennui of Cameron Crowe's Vanilla Sky, going in-depth into an appreciation of Scream with Kate Gabrielle, and talking to Blake Howard about the under-discussed, Michael Mann linked 1978 masterpiece Straight Time. So download, dive in, and/or savor this gift - which will be followed in quick succession by Parts 2 & 3 soon - as I thank you for listening and supporting this show with these casual yet rich discussions.

Originally Posted on Patreon (12/13/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/59867340

The name is Moore, Roger Moore. In this lively, research-intensive episode on 007, I'm joined by Julia Ricci, the delightful Emmy nominated documentary researcher and senior programmer at the well-respected Heartland Film, which hosts two terrific festivals every year.

Having recently completed a year-long project to watch each and every James Bond film for the first time, Julia sat down with me to chat about the effervescent, winking tenure of Roger Moore as 007 in the films The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker, and For Your Eyes Only.

Covering everything from the villains to the girls to the action to the gadgets to Moore on The Muppet Show, I hope you'll enjoy this affectionate look at the notably macho franchise by two thoughtful women who love its history, humor, and the various tenors, subgenres, approaches, and tones that have colored it over the years.

James Bond Update: This conversation was recorded in early November. I've since seen No Time to Die and it's become one of my favorite films in the entire franchise.

Podcast Note: This is the final traditional episode of Season 2 (aka 2021), but I will be uploading a few more episodes within the next week (!) consisting of fun laid-back conversations about recent physical media releases with some of your favorite guests. Also, for those of you who've said that you miss hearing me talk about films solo, these episodes will feature a few segments of me doing just that (so be careful what you wish for).

Originally Posted on Patreon (12/10/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/59753959

Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

If you're going to go gothic, the best person to bring along is undoubtedly victorian literature and romantic poetry scholar Walter Chaw.

A very good friend and the sharp yet humanistic critic whose work you can and should read at FilmFreakCentral, it's always an honor and a pleasure to talk about film, art, life, writing, sex, gender, and Hitchcock with Walter and today's discussion is no exception.

In this richly philosophical, inquisitively minded, film obsessives only two-hour episode, we take a look at five twentieth-century cinematic classics, including Rebecca, Jane Eyre (1943), My Name is Julia Ross, The Night of the Hunter, and The Innocents (1961). Going deeper into plenty of other movies as well (because this is Walter Chaw and me, after all), we went into so much detail here that this installment was recorded over two separate chats to bring you our very best insights. The perfect accompaniment to running across the moors or investigating a strange noise in a crumbling Cornwall estate on a dark and stormy night, we hope you enjoy this foray into films that are black, white, and gothic all over.

Originally Posted on Patreon (12/3/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/59472097

Returning to the podcast once again, we have my very talented friend and an official (and very popular) friend of the show. William Boyle is the acclaimed novelist behind such titles as Gravesend, The Lonely Witness, A Friend is a Gift You Give Yourself, City of Margins, and the brand new Shoot the Moonlight Out. In addition to crafting these wondrously humanistic Lumet-like character-driven ensemble crime epics, Bill is also quite a pop culture buff and one hell of a good movie trivia game player as well.

A huge fellow fan of great character actors, there seems to be an unspoken rule that whenever Bill and I get together, we're going to champion actors' actors, indies from the '90s, and/or anything Italian American onscreen, and in this episode about the amazing Mr. Nicolas Cage, we did all three.

Clocking in right around the length of Red Rock West, here you'll hear us discuss that movie, plus Valley Girl, Moonstruck, Wild at Heart, and Joe, and offer an overview and appreciation of several other Cage films and roles. One of the most popular actors in the history of this podcast, with past installments covering films like Adaptation, Vampire's Kiss, Mandy, Bringing Out the Dead, Rumble Fish, and more, I'm always happy to discuss Cage and had so much fun doing so with Bill. Releasing just in time for Thanksgiving in the United States (because who isn't thankful for Nicolas Cage), I hope this episode will entertain you and yours over the long holiday weekend.

Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

Originally Posted with links to films, people, & items discussed on Patreon (11/22/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/59012566

This week on Watch With Jen, we have a very special guest and the man behind one of my favorite shows in recent memory. The TV writer, director, producer, showrunner, and co-creator of Halt and Catch Fire, which, along with The Americans, Succession, and Better Call Saul, is easily one of the best series of the 2010s, Christopher Cantwell is here to tell us all about the cult favorite AMC show that you can watch in its entirety right now on Netflix. (And you should totally do that and then come right back to listen to the podcast!)

In addition to his TV work, which also includes co-executive producing Lodge 49 and Paper Girls, Chris has been very active as of late in the world of comic books, where he is currently writing Marvel's monthly Iron Man series, as well as his own original titles in collaboration with some truly fantastic artists and imprints such as Vault Comics' The Blue Flame, Regarding the Matter of Oswald's Body from Boom Studios, She Could Fly, Volume 3 from Berger Books and Dark Horse. You can find the latest issues of these titles on comic book store shelves throughout the month.

Running the length of a feature film, in this epic episode (which serves up some details about the critical favorite that have never before been revealed), Cantwell shares the funny and fascinating behind-the-scenes saga of Halt and Catch Fire from its initial idea to its eventual series run on AMC. Here you'll hear about the casting process including the way that the actors informed their characters, as well as the decision to constantly shift the show's setting and power dynamics each season, along with production stories, Halt's pitch-perfect use of music, and so much more.

As a fan of the series from the very beginning and someone who greatly enjoyed chatting with Chris's brilliant wife Elizabeth about horror movies earlier in the year as well, this conversation was a true honor and a pleasure and I'm thrilled to share the story of Halt and Catch Fire with all of you all.

Originally Posted on Patreon (11/16/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/58774714

Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

A marketing and social media manager at Turner Classic Movies, you can see the work of today's wonderfully delightful guest Diana Bosch on the network's social accounts creatively spreading the joy of classic movies with fans around the globe. Diana's love of old Hollywood and the classics can be traced back to TV's I Love Lucy and the film noir that's similarly one of my favorites, Laura. Additionally, one area of her research and expertise is on the actor William Holden, which comes in very handy this week as we take a closer look at the life and career of Audrey Hepburn in honor of Paramount's new seven-film Blu-ray collection, and discuss the movies Roman Holiday, Sabrina, and Paris When it Sizzles (the latter two of which co-star Holden).

Originally Posted on 11/13/21 here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/58635625

Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

As I recently discovered, one of the best things about having an actor on the podcast is that not only do they bring a valuable and unique perspective to these discussions about film and craft but they also have the ability to do all of the voices we're talking about! (And this particular guest is especially gifted in that department.)

A very talented, versatile, and witty performer with more than 150 credit listings on IMDb, as an actor, James Urbaniak has brought to life Dr. Venture on Adult Swim's The Venture Brothers, the scene-stealing Arthur (who was my favorite character) on Hulu's Difficult People, and Grant on Comedy Central's Review. Additionally, he's also a podcaster in his own right and the creator of the scripted shows Getting On With James Urbaniak, A Night Called Tomorrow, and the upcoming I Will Never Lie to You.

Joining me to discuss one of his all-time acting heroes and favorite periods of filmmaking in the form of Charles Laughton in the 1930s, in this lively and often laugh-out-loud funny episode, you'll hear us take a closer look at The Private Life of Henry VIII, The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1934), Ruggles of Red Gap, Les Miserables (1935), Mutiny on the Bounty (1935), and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939).

Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

Originally Posted on Patreon (11/9/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/58460341