Watch With Jen™

Jen first encountered talented writer-director Paul Osborne while reviewing his 2009 documentary Official Rejection, which explored the wild world of film festivals as experienced by independent filmmakers & we soon became friends. Particularly skilled at crafting twisty low-budget character-driven thrillers like her personal favorite Favor, she'd been looking forward to bringing him on Watch With Jen & Friends from the very beginning and just minutes into this chat - which finds Paul telling one intuitive, funny, and analytical story after another - it becomes clear why. So pull up a chair, listen, and have no fear: Paul's brother from another mother, Blayne Weaver will be appearing on a similarly entertaining episode very, very soon.

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Shrewd, witty, and wise, Atlanta based film researcher and writer Jill Blake is one of Jen's favorite people to interact with on Twitter (@BiscuitKitten) so it was such a treat to sit down and have a virtual conversation with her for this episode.

They talked about pandemic life as two blue women in two red states (sadly, just days before Georgia's governor actually did sue the city of Atlanta about the mask mandate), her website The Retro Set and podcast DWT: Drinking While Talking, as well as Marvel movies, TCM, Waiting for Guffman, Fredric March, and more.

A really fun, breezy film chat that moves back and forth in time throughout film history, Jill Blake is a treasure.

Originally posted on Patreon (7/20/20) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/39524398

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A journalist turned Hollywood screenwriter turned Edgar award-winning novelist, when it comes to writing, David Handler has pretty much done it all. A man Jen Johans first encountered on Twitter sharing his intricate thoughts about old movies (as an avowed fan of Turner Classic Movies), in this fascinating, nearly hour-long discussion, David moves back and forth between storytelling and analysis to deliver great insights about some of Hollywood's most famous legends including his mentor William Goldman, Robert Redford, Paul Newman, Humphrey Bogart, and more.

Originally Posted on Patreon (7/17/20) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/39426342

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An ardent film lover and unwavering champion of physical media, the articulate, supportive, and always entertaining Brian Saur has run the well-respected film blog Rupert Pupkin Speaks since 2009. Dedicated to shining a light on forgotten or overlooked movies from decades past, in addition to his blog, Brian co-hosts the acclaimed Pure Cinema Podcast for the New Beverly Cinema and also hosts the Blu-ray centric Just the Discs Podcast as well.

Having been honored to contribute to Rupert Pupkin Speaks a handful of times over the years, Jen was so excited to talk to him about podcast editing, Julie Hagerty, John Heard, the secrets of DVD Netflix queues, Scorsese's After Hours, and so much more in this fast-paced episode.

Originally Posted on Patreon (7/13/20) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/39279095

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An award-winning author from southeastern Virginia, Jen was thrilled and honored that Shawn Cosby - who writes professionally as S.A. Cosby - took the time to chat with her via Skype during what is an insanely busy week for the writer as his critically acclaimed upcoming novel Blacktop Wasteland is scheduled to drop on July 14.

A man who's passionate about the arts, during this wide-ranging interview, Jen talks to Shawn about the music he listens to and the actors he imagines when he writes, the essential crime books he recommends to new genre readers, his Top 10 (or 15) favorite movies, and his idea for an after-credits sequence that would've been perfect for Pulp Fiction.

Note: There was a slight audio delay so Jen apologizes for any small technical glitches in the discussion but thankfully they're pretty minor, plus you'll barely notice them when the funny, kind, and intelligent Shawn starts to share his thoughts.

Originally posted on Patreon on 7/10/20 here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/39186267

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Friendly, feisty, fresh, and oh, so very funny, Bright Wall/Dark Room staff writer and contributing editor Travis Woods is as passionate about film as he is endearingly supportive of all who love it. The host of the podcast Increment Vice (which takes a look at Paul Thomas Anderson's Inherent Vice one scene at a time), host Jen Johans chats with her friend about his obsession with "toxic masculinity in need of redemption" plotlines, devotion to L.A. topography on film, and notorious hatred of writing.

Wrapping up the first round of her Missouri Boys Trio, which began with their pals Jordan Harper and Jed Ayres (both of whom get some major shout-outs in this episode), for Jen, it was an absolute delight to break down movies with Travis and ask him to program a fantasy quadruple feature at the New Beverly Cinema.

A nearly hour-long episode that flies right by - pull up a seat, maybe pour yourself some Johnnie Walker, and settle in for a fittingly Breathless chat you can listen to here or wherever you get your podcasts.

Originally Posted on Patreon (7/6/20) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/39034809

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A gifted artist, Brianna Ashby's richly humanistic paintings of some of cinema's most memorable moments & famous figures dazzle the pages of the highly regarded online film journal BWDR (which she co-founded).

A joy on social media for her funny, passionate takes on pop culture - including the great records she's adding to her collection - in this episode, Brianna & Jen take on dad rock, Wes Anderson, their love of nostalgia (& especially the '90s), Gilmore Girls, and the soul of art and vintage clothes.

Originally Posted on Patreon (6/30/20) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/38800226

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Friendly, genuine, and laid-back, Courtney Howard is as easy to talk to in real life as she is on Twitter. Recorded in the last week of May (and before the vital protests and current events began), in this wide-ranging exchange, Courtney discusses her background in film and the interesting road that led her to write about movies as well as some of the films she's currently watching in quarantine.

Veering off-topic for a terrifically fun segment about '80s music, at the end of the episode, Jen took the opportunity to ask the devoted nail polish collector about some of her favorite polishes (including 2 that tie in with film).

Originally Posted on Patreon (6/18/20) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/38377839

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A talented, thoughtful writer, Peter Avellino's long-form essays on the movies that fascinate and frustrate him make his blog Mr. Peel's Sardine Liqueur a must-read for cinephiles. One of Jen's first friends on Twitter, it was such a pleasure for her to talk to Peter live and in-person through the magic of Skype and she knows you'll enjoy this chat about Peter's quest to hunt for buried treasure as he unearths great streaming library finds, how and why certain films compel him to write about them, and movies in general. This is Jen's first time including an epilogue or post-script after their conversation and if you listen to this episode on Spotify, Apple, Google Play, or Stitcher, etc., please check back to her Patreon's original upload of this episode to visit some of the links below so you can check out Peter's writing as well as some of the topics and titles they mentioned throughout.

Originally Posted on Patreon (6/8/20) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/38027546

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From her early days learning how to keep readers interested with creative letter writing to what life is really like for critics when they show up for a film festival, Jen Johans greatly enjoyed her wide-ranging conversation with the talented and always friendly New York based freelance writer Tomris Laffly.

A fellow fan of Steven Spielberg's often overlooked film The Terminal, in this episode, Tomris not only shares some great ideas for art and classic movies to watch but also two apps that will give us the opportunity to watch with friends long-distance that you just might want to check out right now.

Originally Posted on Patreon (6/1/20) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/37791727

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