Watch With Jen™

This week, we have back a wonderfully talented writer I enjoyed chatting with last year: Robert Daniels. A freelance film critic based in Chicago who holds an MA in English, Robert is the founder of 812FilmReviews and has written for RogerEbert.com, The Playlist, Polygon, Consequence of Sound, and more.

In this lively episode, we dissect 5 of the most offbeat characters that America's Dad - the incredible actor Tom Hanks - has embodied over the past 40 years. From the Safdie brothers' favorite Punchline to The Ladykillers, The Terminal, Cloud Atlas, and A Hologram for the King, we take a look at what Hanks brings to these unusual roles and evaluate the films themselves as well. Referencing some of our other favorites including The 'Burbs and Road to Perdition, we hope you'll enjoy this laugh-filled, rapid-fire conversation half as much as we did!

Note: Exciting news! If you love the podcast and Kate Gabrielle's fabulous logo, you can now shop us on Threadless & bring home a t-shirt, sticker, &/or tote bag of your very own. More cool designs will be added soon. Check it out here

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

Originally Posted on Patreon (4/21/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/50310048

A film critic for publications such as L.A. Weekly, New York Magazine/Vulture, The New York Times, and formerly The Village Voice, Bilge Ebiri is one of my favorite journalists working today. Additionally, he is a writer-director known for the movies New Guy, Purse Snatcher, and The Barber of Siberia.

Joining me for a chatty, fast-paced, feature-length exploration of 6 legal thrillers made during the golden age of the genre in the '80s and '90s, we discuss The Verdict, Suspect, Class Action, A Few Good Men, The Pelican Brief, and The Rainmaker. And in taking a closer look at these films, we question why Hollywood stopped making them, whether or not audiences would enjoy the genre today, and the writers, directors, and stars that brought these works to life.

Originally Posted on Patreon (4/14/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/50038940

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

As witty as she is articulate, Diana Drumm is a critic, historian, researcher, and self-described "full-time nerd." An assistant editor at Cineaste Magazine, which is America's leading magazine on the art and politics of cinema, Diana is also the marketing coordinator at Quad Cinema, New York's first small four-screen multiplex theater. Additionally, she is assisting in the production of the upcoming memoir of the late movie theater owner and film distributor Dan Talbot of New Yorker Films and Lincoln Plaza Cinemas. She also runs the Female Film Critics Twitter account, amplifying women and gender nonbinary voices in film on social media.

Particularly knowledgeable when it comes to classic British cinema and the filmography of James Mason, in a lively two-hour conversation, Diana and I dissect the Sinister Men of The Wicked Lady, Marnie, Inside Daisy Clover, Smooth Talk, and Baby Driver. From Face/Off to the psychology of Hitchcock to our own misadventures in the dating world and beyond, this is one often hilarious, wide-ranging discussion you won't want to miss.

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

Originally Posted on Patreon (4/9/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/49837807

BenDavid Grabinski is a television and film writer, director, and producer based out of Los Angeles. His 2010 short film Cost of Living played at festivals around the world and then his first screenwriting credit came with Skiptrace, which starred Jackie Chan and Johnny Knoxville, and was directed by the great Renny Harlin.

In 2019, he served as the writer, executive producer, and showrunner of the Are You Afraid of the Dark? series reboot, and most recently, he made his feature filmmaking debut with the inventive Happily, which is now playing in theaters, on digital and demand, or any place you can rent or buy a movie on the internet. It will also be released to DVD in May so if you're a physical media fan - and you should be - pre-order yours today!

A film with a remarkable cast (including Kerry Bishé, Joel McHale, Stephen Root, and beyond), Happily is a work that was influenced by many of Grabinski's favorite films and directors. Chief among his inspirations is director Robert Altman.

Altman not only specialized in epic casts, but he also made three incredibly trippy, experimental, female-centric works in the late '60s to the late '70s, which reveal that he could've had quite a career in horror if he would've been so inclined.

In this episode, we take a closer look at Robert Altman's That Cold Day in the Park, Images, and 3 Women. Titles that just don't get discussed enough compared to his universally acclaimed masterpieces from the same era, although they're three distinctly separate works, the movies form something of a thematic trilogy. So pull up a chair, try not to look over your shoulder, and join us as we Happily lead you on an exploration into the scary side of Robert Altman.

Originally Posted on Patreon (4/3/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/49584884

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

A singular and passionate writer, Kate Hagen's work has appeared in Playboy, The Hollywood Reporter, 538, Seed & Spark, and more. In 2019, she brought her essay "The Last Great Video Store" to TedX and she also appears in the new documentary The Last Blockbuster to discuss the importance of video stores in our lives.

Since 2014, Kate has served as the Director of Community at The Black List where she's an executive and producer, edits, curates, and writes for the Black List Blog, manages the entire Black List online community, is the point person on all website partnerships, and oversees their social media ecosystem with over 250,000 followers as well.

Kate is also well-known on Twitter for her love of erotic movies and actor James Spader - two subjects we initially bonded over on the social media platform years ago! And although I usually let each guest choose a unique theme for their episode, when it came time to bring Kate Hagen on the podcast, I straight up insisted that she chat with me about sexy James Spader movies today. (Don't worry, Kate, next time, you can totally choose the topic!)

This brings me to an important note. If you're listening to this episode on a podcast platform (Spotify, Apple, etc), you might have noticed that I checked the box for explicit content on this episode. Rest assured, it isn't overly graphic but because of the mature sexual themes within James Spader's filmography (re: sex, lies, & videotape, Bad Influence, and Crash), I thought that sensitive listeners and those with children might appreciate a warning. So sit back and get in the mood for sex, James Spader, and James Spader sex in film.

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

Originally Posted with links to items discussed (3/28/21) here on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/49312644

I'm so delighted to welcome one of my oldest Twitter friends - Marya E. Gates - to the podcast for what I hope will be the first of several episodes.

A writer, film lover, and former editorial manager for Netflix, Marya was also the social media manager for Rotten Tomatoes and Film Struck. Additionally, she created such viral film movements as A Year with Women, where she spent a year watching and logging films made by female directors, and Noirvember, where movie buffs spend the month of November watching and learning about the noir genre.

Now a freelance writer for such outlets as MovieFone and RogerEbert.com, Marya is also a podcaster currently working on getting her new show Prog Save America (about progressive rock) out to listeners soon. As a fellow Dylan and Springsteen fan, I can't wait to tune in because - with her passion behind it - I know it'll be awesome.

In this breezy, spirited chat, we dissect Daisies, Foxfire (1996), and Skate Kitchen - three films about rebellious girls made in three different eras by three different female filmmakers. Sharing our own funny stories about getting in fights, teen medical drama, coming-of-age in the '90s and '00s, and finding our tribe, we follow the conversation wherever it leads, including a cool digression about Surfer Zen and the wisdom of Ethan Hawke. If any of that appeals (and how could it not?), you're bound to dig this one.

Originally Posted on Patreon (3/22/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/49067826

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

A multiple award-nominated crime writer and Emmy nominated professional editor who lives and works in Los Angeles, Eric Beetner is a creative jack-of-all-trades with an impressively encyclopedic knowledge of vintage Film Noir. Selecting four movies directed by another jack-of-all-trades, Mr. Anthony Mann, in this entertaining discussion, Eric and I take a closer look at Desperate, T-Men, Raw Deal, and Side Street, and briefly touch on Mann's post-noir career helming westerns.

Although I was occasionally (and embarrassingly!) distracted by the sounds of roofers stomping around above me, thankfully, whenever I lost my train of thought, the kind and articulate veteran podcaster Eric dove in to take the reins, which helped keep the conversation flowing throughout.

Originally Posted on Patreon with Links (3/15/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/48599293

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One of the most prestigious and well-respected film journals on the web, Bright Wall/Dark Room is dedicated "to exploring the relationship between movies and the business of being alive." Over the past month, I was fortunate enough to speak with seven members of its editorial staff (including Bright Wall founder and editor-in-chief Chad Perman) about their favorite comfort movies and why they personally relate to and endorse each one.

Comprised of seven separate conversations that play surprisingly well together, this super-sized, feature-length episode gives you the chance to hear from the passionate, articulate people who've written and/or edited some of the magazine's most moving pieces. I want to thank Chad Perman, Kelsey Ford, Ethan Warren, Carrie Courogen, Elizabeth Cantwell, Spencer Williams, and Travis Woods for their time, insight, and for trusting me enough to bring Bright Wall/Dark Room to the pod waves. Enjoy!

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

Originally Posted on Patreon (3/8/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/48499124

A Brit with a lovely accent who's currently living in La La Land, the articulate and supportive Jumpcut Online Editor-in-chief Fiona Underhill joins me to discuss a man we both love - Mr. Paul Newman. Dissecting four of his more overlooked, unchampioned, or forgotten films that have gotten lost in the shuffle of his legendary career, Fiona takes us through four decades of his work. Along the way, we zero in on The Rack (1956), What a Way to Go! (1964), Absence of Malice (1981), and Nobody's Fool (1994) in this fast-paced, roughly hour-long episode.

Originally Posted on Patreon (3/3/21) with links to items discussed here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/48286977

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

Continuing the David Morse appreciation that I began with my recent long article for DVD Netflix, talented veteran film critic Nell Minow and acclaimed novelist William Boyle return to the podcast to dissect five great performances by the remarkable character actor. Selecting a handful of diverse films that flew under-the-radar (which are all currently available to stream), we discuss recurring themes and what Morse manages to bring to each role in this entertaining episode.

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

Originally posted on Patreon (2/27/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/48089095