Watch With Jen™

It's here! Recording my 250th episode introduction was tougher than I thought it'd be for a few reasons. The first is, of course, because I'm a total cheeseball & much too earnest, which is a curse both Midwestern & Italian-American since I tend to treat everyone like family and am much too passionate about what interests me. But the second reason is because right now it's such a rough time in our history (& most of our lives) that celebrating this accomplishment feels silly & self-indulgent. Then I realized, however, that this milestone is everyone's accomplishment who's ever listened to or guested on the podcast, as well as the people in my life who've supported me from the moment I first started Watch With Jen as a humble little film recommendation show five years ago & I'm so incredibly grateful for those souls so I hope it makes them proud. I know I'm the woman running the podcast behind the scenes (which is why it's not as technologically advanced as others, I fear) but I'm not being disingenuous when I say that it really is our show overall.

And with this in mind, I wanted to feature a film franchise that has brought so much joy and laughter to the lives of moviegoers around the world since it first started in the early 1960s. So sit back and listen to my knowledgeable friend & fellow film historian & essayist Peter Avellino & I explore the world of Blake Edwards & Peter Sellers' THE PINK PANTHER.

Originally Posted on Patreon (3/17/25) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/124502377

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Last week's launch of Season 6: Episode 1 generated more downloads than we'd received for quite some time & I want to thank you so much for warmly welcoming back the podcast in 2025 in the same week we celebrated its fifth anniversary. A few days ago, I uploaded a new film recommendation video in a supplemental series for patrons that I'm calling Watch With Jen: Bonus Recs & I'm keeping them unlocked to the public for a few months before they'll become strict subscriber exclusives. We've had a huge increase in subscribers to our Patreon at the free level & I hope that will continue & you'll consider supporting the show for as little as $1 per month, which covers our RSS hosting fees, research, equipment, & more.

In this week's brand new installment, we're continuing the conversation we began last week that's devoted to the films of Los Angeles. Paying tribute to a beautiful city that I love & its wonderful spirited people, I'm hoping that these lively, funny, thoughtful chats about some of our favorite films that were shot & set within the city limits will bring a little joy after the devastating fires of early January. Clocking in at a little over 90 minutes, you will hear SAINT OF THE NARROWS STREET author William Boyle on MULHOLLAND DR., film critic Courtney Howard on TROOP BEVERLY HILLS & SPEED, & author Nikki Dolson on TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A. (Note: previously announced guest, author S.A. Cosby had a scheduling conflict & will be appearing on another installment soon instead.) I enjoyed all of these discussions immensely & tend to get a little rowdy with my friends (as longtime listeners have noticed) so we go everywhere from recalling our early David Lynch experiences to giving Shelley Long her due to wondering why I find the sequence in TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A. where Willem Dafoe makes funny money so intensely erotic. It's a lot... in a good way (& please be aware that there are spoilers galore in that chat).

It's wild, I lost track of how many episodes I uploaded by the end of 2024 because it was a very overwhelming time & in my head, I assumed that we'd be hitting the 250th episode of the podcast closer to summer. This week, I decided to sit down & do the math (twice) & realized that I was completely mistaken. I will actually be hitting the 250th episode of the show next week, which blows my mind. There would be no point in doing this if my generous, talented guests didn't share their time with me & people didn't listen so while this is a one-woman endeavor behind the scenes, its success is a group effort. Your support, enthusiasm, & involvement has kept it going so you're all vital & valued & I hope you'll stay tuned.

Originally Posted on Patreon (3/10/25) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/124000003

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Welcome back to Watch With Jen. Just in time for the fifth anniversary of the podcast (which officially began on March 3, 2020), I'm releasing the first of at least a two-part episode devoted to L.A. Movies. Like everyone else, I watched in horror as the Santa Ana wind wildfires ripped through a city that I dearly love at the start of 2025. Unable to contribute financially to the many worthy charities and Go Fund Me accounts that were launched in its wake, nor volunteer on the ground from where I live in Phoenix, I figured the next best thing that I could do was to pay tribute to some of the wonderfully rich, diverse, & creatively inspiring films that have been made in the city. My earnest hope is that it might inspire more productions to shoot there in the future (which would bring necessary jobs back to L.A.) and also to give listeners a nice little reprieve from the stresses of this impossibly difficult year. Each week has felt like its own horror movie for so many people in my orbit, including myself. Our inaugural episode for season six features a staggeringly great lineup of artists & film minds. You'll hear from CALIFORNIA BEAR author Duane Swierczynski on JACKIE BROWN, Senior Vice President of The Black List Kate Hagen on MIRACLE MILE, film critic and UC Denver professor Walter Chaw on THE DRIVER & HICKEY & BOGGS, and WHO INVITED THEM filmmaker and author Duncan Birmingham on SWINGERS. A feature length tour of Los Angeles in the movies, I hope you enjoy the launch of Season 6. And as we head into my favorite season, perhaps it'll inspire you to get ready to visit the City of Angels again or at the very least, eagerly anticipate the second part of these talks which wander into Lynchian and Friedkin territory. Thank you so much for joining me these past five years; we'll be hitting the 250th episode of the podcast this season which is mind-boggling to me & I couldn't do it without your support.

Originally Posted on Patreon (3/3/25) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/123479696

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It's finally here! Behold our Season 5 finale episode, which, in true Watch With Jen form is a group chat extravaganza celebrating the best new physical media releases in recent months. In this feature-length compilation, you'll hear thoughtful, articulate, occasionally personally revealing, funny, & fresh spins on NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (with novelist S.A. Cosby), Scarface - 1932 (with critic Sean Burns), THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY & GALAXY QUEST (with novelist Jed Ayres), myself on PAPER MOON, PULP FICTION, & THE SHAPE OF WATER, & A SIMPLE PLAN & PARIS, TEXAS (with novelist William Boyle). Afterward, I've included a special bonus section featuring the official Watch With Jen introduction to the film WHITE PALACE that was recorded live at the American Cinematheque in August of '24 with myself, Kate Hagen, & words by Amy Robinson. I'd dub it an Easter Egg but given the date, let's call it a Holiday Present instead. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your listenership & support this season. 2024 was our biggest year yet & I have a lot of exciting plans for 2025 in store so I hope you'll stay tuned. You'll find more writing & film recommendation videos on our Patreon soon & then the podcast should return in February of '25.

Originally Posted on Patreon (12/28/24) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/118848959

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In this super-sized celebration of the Muscles from Brussels, three of my dearest friends and your listener-favorite guests return to the podcast to discuss the life and career of action star Jean-Claude Van Damme. Offering an extensive overview of his entire filmography, courtesy of the show's two certified Van Damme experts in film essayist Priscilla Page and novelist Jed Ayres, and with sharp insights on the industry from novelist-screenwriter-producer Jordan Harper, this sunny, research-filled, frequently hilarious, occasionally downright wild conversation is sure to delight film fans. Focusing on some of his most famous movies as well as other titles that illustrate his range and willingness to take risks, in one of the final installments of the fifth season of Watch With Jen: Season 5, we cover BLOODSPORT, CYBORG, LIONHEART, HARD TARGET, SUDDEN DEATH, DOUBLE TEAM, JCVD, and THE BOUNCER.

Note: Today's release coincides with the 18th birthday of my website Film Intuition. While I'm currently sidelined by a nasty case of pneumonia following COVID and unable to record a video or a new full-length episode with a strong voice, I hope to do so soon. In the meantime, I truly want to thank you for your listenership and readership over the years. Your support means the world.

Originally Posted on Patreon (12/9/24) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/117577434

A film critic for publications & companies such as LA Weekly, New York Magazine, Vulture, The New York Times, The Criterion Collection, & formerly, The Village Voice, the brilliant Bilge Ebiri is one of my favorite journalists working today. Reuniting with Bilge to celebrate & evaluate the filmography of the great actor Russell Crowe, in this warm, chatty conversation, we look back at the movies that made Crowe a star along with some of his most legendary turns, including PROOF, ROMPER STOMPER, THE INSIDER, GLADIATOR, CINDERELLA MAN, & THE NICE GUYS.

Originally Posted on Patreon (12/2/24) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/117182519

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To celebrate the 55th birthday of "Sesame Street," I had a wonderfully inspiring chat with the legendary Noel MacNeal about his incredible decades-spanning career. From wrangling puppets on "Sesame Street" in 1982 to becoming "Bear in the Big Blue House" in 1997 to currently working as the resident puppeteer on "Last Week Tonight" Noel's rich, candid, & witty stories about everything from the tricks of the trade to how children on the spectrum & with special needs respond to puppet characters will warm your heart.

Bio: Noel MacNeal launched his career performing on PBS’s award-winning Sesame Street, where he honed his craft with puppetry legends Jim Henson and Frank Oz. He is a script and television directorial adviser and consultant for the international versions of Sesame Street, and has directed episodes of Sesame Street, Bear in the Big Blue House, and has won an Emmy Award for his direction on Sesame Street. Noel is currently the resident puppeteer for the HBO series Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. His puppet-making book 10-Minute Puppets with Noel MacNeal and the follow-up BOX are both with Workman Publishing. He’s also written his autobiography “Hey, This Was Really Fun: Life Lessons from Sesame Street to The Big Blue House & Beyond” available on Amazon. Noel lives in Brooklyn with his wife, novelist Susan Elia MacNeal (of the award-winning Maggie Hope historical mystery series and Mother, Daughter, Traitor, Spy from Penguin Random House).

Originally Posted on Patreon (11/18/24) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/116245968

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My dear friend, Letterboxd managing editor Mitchell Beaupre returns to the show to discuss the filmography & mystique of one of cinema's coolest counterculture icons, Elliott Gould. Giving a thoughtful overview of the way that his work has evolved over the years, in this engaging conversation, we focus on three of what we consider to be Gould's greatest cinematic staples: THE SILENT PARTNER, THE LONG GOODBYE, & CALIFORNIA SPLIT.

Mitchell's Bio:

Mitchell Beaupre is the Managing Editor for Letterboxd, whose writing on film has also appeared at Paste Magazine, The AV Club, The Film Stage, Little White Lies, & The Playlist.

Originally Posted on Patreon (11/10/24) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/115729513

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It’s Jen x2! In easily the most stressful week of an incredibly fraught fall, I know we could all benefit from a little extra kindness and positivity, which just so happen to be two of the qualities most filmgoers associate with actor Paul Rudd. Chatting with Vulture's delightful TV critic Jen Chaney, who literally wrote the book on writer-director Amy Heckerling's masterful 1995 romcom CLUELESS, the two of us spent a breezy hour celebrating some of Rudd's most iconic & intriguing roles, including the films CLUELESS, WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER, ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND OF RON BURGUNDY, I LOVE YOU MAN, OUR IDIOT BROTHER, & ANT-MAN, in particular. Touching on everything from his ability to play both broad & more character-based comedy to his work on the small screen as well as his loyalty to the friends he collaborates with repeatedly (sometimes in tiny indies with next to no budget), I hope this episode gives you a mini-escape from election week stress, especially because Jen tells so many stories that are sure to make you smile.

Guest Bio:

Jen Chaney is a TV critic and writer for Vulture and New York magazine. She's also the author of the book AS IF: THE COMPLETE ORAL HISTORY OF CLUELESS. She previously worked at The Washington Post and has contributed to the New York Times, Vanity Fair, and other publications.

Originally Posted on Patreon (11/3/24) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/115288406

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Author Stephanie Wrobel takes a break from the busy book tour for her acclaimed, addictive new mystery novel THE HITCHCOCK HOTEL to talk about writing, what it takes to navigate multi-character arc narratives, & lessons in suspense from the Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. In addition to covering her exciting mystery, we discuss three of the biggest Hitchcockian sources of inspiration for the work via the films PSYCHO, ROPE, REBECCA, & much more.

Bio: Stephanie Wrobel is an international and USA Today bestselling author. Her debut, DARLING ROSE GOLD, has sold rights in twenty-one countries and was a finalist for the Edgar Award for Best First Novel & her latest novel is the wonderful THE HITCHCOCK HOTEL.

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Originally Posted on Patreon (10/24/24) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/114580335