Watch With Jen™

When you ask Film Freak Central senior critic and former University of Denver film professor Walter Chaw a question, you're going to get an answer that's as articulate as it is profound. Friendly and contemplative, for Jen Johans, it was both an honor and a delight to speak with the former VP of Operations at Denver's Alamo Drafthouse about life during quarantine for introverts, advice he has for aspiring critics, his philosophy of film writing as personal excavation, the many rich and varied experiences he's had hosting movies and watching them with filmmakers, as well as his recent movie and music discoveries.

The type of conversation that begs to be listened to at least twice to fully absorb all of the striking anecdotes and pearls of wisdom he tosses off as easily and selflessly as if he were sharing the ingredients to his favorite recipe, Jen hopes you'll enjoy this chat with the great Walter Chaw as much as she did.

Originally Posted with Links to Titles & Articles Mentioned on Patreon (5/15/20) here.

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

Taking you around the world for 4 of the 5 features, we go from the underworld of contemporary Northern Ireland to Guernsey island in WWII, then travel to the American south in the 1990s, the beaches of southern France in the early '00s, before we meet a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders in modern day Denmark.

A lively episode, E9 is filled with observations about hammers as weapons, letter writing as the perfect way to get to know someone, why Francis Ford Coppola is too hard on himself, sexless sex comedies, how stressful it is for a habitual check splitter like Jen Johans to watch a woman take a man to the cleaners, and the power of a compelling one man show. Needless to say, this one covers a wide range of topics and titles. Enjoy!

Originally posted on Patreon (5/11/20) with links to titles & topics discussed here.

Theme Music: The Guitarist by Jahzzar, Free Music Archive

Warm, witty, and a wonderfully fun conversationalist, Peckerwood author and Hardboiled Wonderland blogger Jedidiah Ayres and Jen Johans dove right into a free-flowing discussion about blogging, the perils and pleasures of adapting books to film, great double feature ideas, and mutual pals on Twitter and the result is this fast-paced episode.

Originally Posted on Patreon (5/6/20) with links to people, films, and sites mentioned here.

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

Intelligent, thoughtful, and kind, when you speak to author William Boyle (whose new critically acclaimed novel City of Margins has just been released), he takes you on a trip through his influences and current filmic obsessions. Digging for new treasure, whether it's in the stacks of physical media that both he and Jen have in common or through the many streaming services he scours when he's pursuing a certain thread of titles, this 45-minute conversation spans everything from his work guest editing the newest volume of ByNWR to a cool overview of the movies of Tony Scott. And while the freewheeling chat may have gotten off to an embarrassing start as Jen plum forgot to hit record, it led them in so many great directions - and to a few shout-outs to their mutual pals - that Jen recommends listening with a notebook and pen so you can jot down some of the movies he mentions throughout.

Note: Originally Posted on Patreon (5/3/20) with links to films, sites, and people mentioned HERE.

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