Watch With Jen™

A film critic for publications such as LA Weekly, New York Magazine, Vulture, The New York Times, and formerly, The Village Voice, the brilliant Bilge Ebiri is one of my favorite journalists working today. Although we've discussed some of his favorite directors like Terrence Malick & Neil Jordan tangentially in the past, I was thrilled to bring him back to the podcast this time to focus on the filmmaker who helmed his favorite movie of all time Barry Lyndon. An engaging and insightful journey into Ebiri's own life & career exploring the work of Stanley Kubrick, which is one of his particular areas of expertise, over the course of two jam-packed hours of conversation, we explore the films Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, & The Shining. Unable to stop asking him questions about the rest of Kubrick's filmography, the result is a highly entertaining, story-filled exchange that's sure to be a new favorite among cinephiles. Moreover, following the podcast's three most recent installments covering French Crime Movies, the oeuvre of actor-producers Amy Robinson & Griffin Dunne, & the Ranown Westerns of Budd Boetticher, this episode is the perfect way to close out what has unofficially become Watch With Jen's Criterion Collection-centric July. Originally Posted on Patreon (7/22/23) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/86458886 Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive Logo: KateGabrielle.com

The director behind the hilarious LEGO BATMAN MOVIE, the popular series ROBOT CHICKEN, as well as the films THE TOMORROW WAR starring Chris Pratt for Prime, & the brand new RENFIELD with Nicholas Hoult & Nicolas Cage, this week, I was so pleased to welcome filmmaker Chris McKay to the podcast.A huge film buff who fell in love with the films of Alfred Hitchcock early, thanks to his cinephile mom, Chris McKay is such an enormous fan of B-movie director Budd Boetticher that his Twitter handle is even @BuddBoetticher in his honor. And with The Criterion Collection releasing a captivating new Ranown Westerns box set featuring jaw-dropping 4K restorations of a handful of the best films that Boetticher made with his most important collaborator & star Randolph Scott, it was the perfect time to team up with McKay to discuss a quartet of his favorites.Zeroing in on the outstanding SEVEN MEN FROM NOW (which is not included in the Criterion box), THE TALL T, COMANCHE STATION, & RIDE LONESOME, in this spirited, fast-moving episode, we set out for the wide open spaces of Boetticher's westerns with Scott. Along the way, we pay particular attention to not only the great supporting players who stole scenes from the leading man as antagonists but also the screenplays from Burt Kennedy for films that all seem to be in conversation with one another. Whether you're new to Boetticher's filmography, Westerns in general, or are a devotee of the genre, you're sure to find this installment a delight.Originally Posted on Patreon (7/17/23) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/86244952Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free MusicLogo: KateGabrielle.com

In Season 3 of the podcast, my good friend Kate Hagen - a talented writer & Senior Vice President at The Black List - joined me to kick off a fascinating new series of conversations with the people behind the movies we love. We launched it with what is still one of my all-time favorite episodes: a long, career-spanning discussion with the great filmmaker Allison Anders & then a few months later, we reunited to chat with Allison's daughter, the hard-working & acclaimed music supervisor Tiffany Anders. And recently, Kate returned to help me welcome two extraordinary guests, actors & producers Griffin Dunne & Amy Robison, who, along with their company Double Play Productions, were behind some of the best movies when we were growing up, including director Joan Micklin Silver's CHILLY SCENES OF WINTER, director John Sayles' BABY IT'S YOU, Martin Scorsese's AFTER HOURS (which also starred Dunne), Sidney Lumet's RUNNING ON EMPTY, & more. An actor I think most people in my generation first remember as the teacher upon whom Anna Chlumsky's character had an impossible crush in MY GIRL, Griffin Dunne has had an impressive career on both sides of the camera, acting in films as diverse as AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON & QUIZ SHOW, & directing films such as PRACTICAL MAGIC & the wonderful Joan Didion documentary THE CENTER WILL NOT HOLD. Amy Robinson made a stunning debut as an actress in director Martin Scorsese's MEAN STREETS, in which she played Teresa. And in addition to the films she's produced with Dunne, Robinson has also produced director Joan Chen's AUTUMN IN NEW YORK, the Hughes brothers' FROM HELL, Michael Cuesta's 12 & HOLDING, Nora Ephron's JULIE & JULIA among others. In this feature-length episode, the warm & thoughtful duo behind Double Play Productions take us on a tour of their memories making some of the most acclaimed films from the late '70s through the early '90s & beyond. Timed to release this week as AFTER HOURS debuts on disc from The Criterion Collection (a few months after CHILLY SCENES OF WINTER did as well), film buffs, & especially those interested in the business of making movies are sure to enjoy this endearing conversation. Note: SAG strike rules prevent actors from discussing or promoting any projects they made under past contracts. This conversation was recorded prior to the strike in May of 2023. Originally Posted on Patreon (7/14/23) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/86100088 Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive Logo: KateGabrielle.com

Returning to Watch With Jen this week, 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 Shoot the Moonlight Out. In addition to crafting these wonderfully humanistic Lumet-like character-driven ensemble crime epics, Bill is quite the pop culture buff and one hell of a good movie trivia game player too. Although he's a distinctly American writer-, given that he sets his sometimes interconnected tales in Brooklyn neighborhoods, Bill has quite a following for his work in France where he routinely visits for appearances and book events. Knowledgeable in his love of film, and continuing to foster his keen interest in the country, its people, as well as its cinema, this episode seemed like the perfect starting point for a new series that Bill & I will be revisiting in the future that's devoted to our love of French Crime Movies. To kick us off, Bill bypassed some of the most obvious iconic titles like ELEVATOR TO THE GALLOWS, RIFIFI, PURPLE NOON, and LE CERCLE ROUGE, and selected slightly deeper cuts from the '50s, '60s, and '70s respectively. In this fascinating 86-minute installment that we're calling Part 1, we explore the films TOUCHEZ PAS AU GRISBI, SHOOT THE PIANO PLAYER, and MAX & THE JUNKMEN, while also championing other titles you'll want to be sure to jot down. Vive La France!Vive La France!Originally Posted on Patreon (7/5/23) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/85589343 Logo: KateGabrielle.com Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

Whether you're embarking on an exotic vacation or staying close to home, we're back from our month-long hiatus a few days early to give you something you can escape into your headphones & enjoy over the long holiday weekend. Delivering a month of hotly anticipated episodes featuring a killer lineup of guests & themes, we begin with the return of the brilliantly insightful Roxana Hadadi on HBO's remarkable "Succession," which is one of the most popular watercooler shows of the twenty-first century. A TV critic with Vulture, who also writes about film & pop culture, previously Roxana was the film editor & a critic with Pajiba, & her reviews, essays, recaps, and other writing have also been published by The AV Club, Polygon, RogerEbert.com, The L.A. Times, Crooked Marquee, The Playlist, Fox Digital, GQ, & Inverse. Back together for the first time since last summer's great installment devoted to "The Americans," here we cover the entire 4-season run of "Succession." An in-depth conversation that's filled with spoilers, it doesn't take long for Roxana & I to throw ourselves into the emotional highs & lows of Jesse Armstrong's incredibly well-written, brilliantly acted, masterful series in this feature-length episode that fans of the show will love. From "Columbo" to "Mr. Inbetween," we've only covered television a handful of times on this podcast because it's time intensive & best dissected once a series has ended, but we hope to keep bringing you these occasional celebratory explorations of shows we can't stop thinking about in the future so if you enjoy them, please share, subscribe, review, & let us know. Originally Posted on Patreon 6/29/23 here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/85260037 Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive Logo: KateGabrielle.com

Returning to the podcast this week for the first time since I chatted with him and other wonderful writer-editors of the online film journal BW/DR (Bright Wall/Dark Room) about their favorite comfort movies a few seasons back, we have Ethan Warren.A member of the Boston Society of Film Critics who holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of North Carolina - Wilmington, plus the writer-director of the film WEST OF HER, Ethan stopped by to give us the inside scoop on his rich, fascinating new cinema studies book for Columbia University Press. Part of the publisher's Directors Cuts series which focuses on the work of the most significant contemporary international filmmakers, Ethan Warren's outstanding work entitled "The Cinema of Paul Thomas Anderson: American Apocrypha" is now available and I highly recommend you check it out.Having just recorded my own contributions on Paul Thomas Anderson's SYDNEY aka HARD EIGHT for the tie-in Pod Thomas Anderson podcast that Ethan collaborated on with One Heat Minute Productions and Blake Howard, I opted to have Ethan join me to chat about Anderson's two collaborations with the great actor Daniel Day-Lewis. Opening the episode with an appreciation of Anderson's work, including stories of seeing his films in the theater and our evolving relationship with them, plus more information about the author's book and writing process, the second half of this roughly hour-long conversation zeroes in on THERE WILL BE BLOOD and PHANTOM THREAD.Note: This will be the last new installment of the podcast for roughly a month, as I'm giving myself a little time to recharge ahead of our upcoming 200th episode. Rest assured, I'll be sharing recommendations and other surprises on our Patreon next month and will also continue working on shows behind the scenes but am giving myself a little break to heal from an injury and creating a cushion of episodes in case I travel, anything unforeseen arrives, or life gets busier. Thank you for your listenership and support!Originally Posted on Patreon (5/27/23) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/83634986 Logo: KateGabrielle.comTheme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

This week, it was so great to welcome Peter Avellino back to the podcast. A talented and thoughtful writer (& Film Twitter royalty), Peter Avellino's long-form essays on the movies that fascinate & frustrate him in equal measure have long made his blog Mr. Peel's Sardine Liqueur a must-read for cinephiles. Just in time for the Memorial Day kickoff of Summer Movie Season in 2023, Peter & I go back in time thirty years in order to highlight three intelligent thrillers for grown-ups released in the summer of '93: GUILTY AS SIN, THE FIRM, & THE FUGITIVE. Celebratory & nostalgic, yet clear-eyed, while all Watch With Jen listeners are bound to enjoy this conversation, those with a special place in their heart for moviegoing in the early '90s are sure to find this episode particularly entertaining. Originally Posted on Patreon (5/22/23) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/83393401 Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive Logo: KateGabrielle.com

Welcome to Dennis Hopper in the 1990s aka Watch With Jen's third & final installment in our first spotlight series devoted to the careers of iconic character actors that we love to see onscreen. Timed to be running the same week as his birthday, we kick off our Hopper finale with an extended appreciation of his return to the director's chair for the 1990 film THE HOT SPOT c/o its biggest fan, my Pandemic Movie Club buddy & fellow erotic thriller devotee Travis Woods. Then we take you on a tour of Hopper's prolific & diverse '90s period of memorable performances in films such as THE INDIAN RUNNER, BOILING POINT, RED ROCK WEST, TRUE ROMANCE, SPEED, & WATERWORLD, & wrap everything up with some bonus recommendations by my brilliant guests. Included in this episode, you will hear from Jed Ayres, Duncan Birmingham, William Boyle, Elizabeth Cantwell, S.A. Cosby, Jordan Harper, & Travis Woods. The feedback on this series has been extraordinarily gratifying & I want to thank you so much for your listenership & support. While I will be taking a very short hiatus at the start of summer after we release S4: E20 to rest & recharge due to a recent injury, Watch With Jen has much more in store for you very soon, including two tie-in episodes that are focused on highly anticipated July Criterion releases with VIP guests, as well as our 200th episode. One of these conversations was recorded yesterday & it was staggeringly great so I can't wait to share it with you.Note: Due to language & subject matter, once again, this episode is for mature audiences only.Originally Posted on Patreon (5/18/23) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/83198058Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveLogo: KateGabrielle.com

Between the fact that I'm a bit overscheduled next week & I've loved hearing from listeners who enjoyed the first installment in this series, I decided to take advantage of a free morning to edit & upload this episode early! Releasing just in time for Dennis Hopper's birthday on the 17th (& mine a couple of days later), welcome to the second installment of our three-part series devoted to the actor. Filled with analysis & appreciation of some of his most popular films & performances from a panel of seven outstanding guests, plus excerpts from a lifetime of interviews with Hopper voiced by yours truly, this episode covers the decade that made him an icon all over again with the film BLUE VELVET. I guess technically you could call this Dennis Hopper's Blue Period! Centered on the 1980s, we open with the controversial OUT OF THE BLUE & then talk about his great comeback year of 1986, & the films BLUE VELVET, RIVER'S EDGE, & HOOSIERS. Featuring great stories about seeing these films with audiences &/or way too young, plus insights from Hopper on directing actors & learning about women, along with Lynch's chronicle of casting him to play Frank Booth, this has been our most hotly anticipated release since I mentioned this project, so I hope you dig it. Originally Posted on Patreon (5/14/23) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/82997515Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive Logo: KateGabrielle.com

Around the time that the very first episode of Season 4 was uploaded, I embarked on a months-long journey to prepare & record the podcast's first entry in a new spotlight series devoted to some of the greatest character actors in screen history. Reaching out to good friends & past guests who I knew had a special interest in the life, films, characters, & performances of our first subject, Dennis Hopper, over the course of two months, I interviewed every participant one by one. Kicking off each conversation by inquiring what it was about Hopper that they found most compelling as a viewer (as well as their earliest memories of the actor), I challenged them even further, asking each guest to choose one or more of their favorite roles to dissect with me in a limited amount of time. While most people immediately gravitated to BLUE VELVET, I was thrilled by their willingness to touch on a number of his lesser-known or celebrated works, including some of the films that Dennis Hopper made as a director, & soon wound up with over 3.5 hours of stellar audio, primarily focused on the 1970s-1990s. Knowing that my overly ambitious idea for one episode was best reconfigured as a 3-part miniseries, I cut highlights from these conversations together & incorporated excerpts from interviews with Dennis Hopper I'd discovered in my research & then read them aloud as Hopper to add some variety to our stellar yet mostly masculine* lineup. Today, we're kicking things off a week ahead of Dennis Hopper's birthday with a look at the first part of his career. Although it's primarily set in the 1970s, we take a few forays into his earlier years as an actor & his iconic feature filmmaking debut EASY RIDER, plus flirt briefly with the '80s in order to cover his reunion with APOCALYPSE NOW director Francis Ford Coppola in RUMBLE FISH as well. Along with those titles, you'll also hear us discuss THE LAST MOVIE, THE AMERICAN FRIEND, KID BLUE, & others in Dennis Hopper - Part 1. Boasting a wonderfully insightful roster of contributors, this episode features the following guests in alphabetical order: Mitchell Beaupre, Duncan Birmingham, William Boyle, Elizabeth Cantwell, S.A. Cosby, Jordan Harper, Blake Howard, Mike Miley, & Travis Woods. Following this installment, next week's Part 2 is a must for fans of Dennis Hopper's '80s Renaissance era, including his iconic turn as Frank Booth in BLUE VELVET, & Part 3 will take us to the '90s. I hope you enjoy this long-in-the-works series & if you'd like to encourage the show's efforts to try new things like this in the future, please consider joining our Patreon (HTTPs://www.patreon.com/FilmIntuition) to support our research for as little as $1 per month, if you haven't joined us already, & be sure to recommend Watch With Jen to others to help spread the word. Thank you so much! *Note: our next subject is the remarkable Julianne Moore so I'm hoping that will help balance things out a little! Originally Posted on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/82813775 Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive Logo: KateGabrielle.com

You've heard Chris and Elizabeth Cantwell on past episodes solo but recently, I was thrilled to be joined by this dynamic duo together for a hilarious & thoughtful conversation about one of their favorite movie stars. The co-creator and showrunner of one of my favorite television series Halt and Catch Fire (which he joined me to discuss in season 2), Chris Cantwell is an incredibly talented & prolific writer working on the TV projects Devil in Silver & Max Headroom, & also writing such comics as Star Trek: Defiant, Hellcat, Briar, Namor, Obi-Wan, Iron Man, Dr. Doom, & Regarding the Matter of Oswald's Body. His brilliant wife Elizabeth Cantwell is a poet, teacher, & writer-editor at Bright Wall/Dark Room whose essays on movies & men are always must-reads. Everyone says that their spouse is their best friend but for these two, it's legit! In this wildly funny, rapid-fire banter & tangent-filled celebration of Kurt Russell, we investigate the many eras & sides of the actor in the films SILKWOOD, OVERBOARD, THE COMPUTER WORE TENNIS SHOES, & TOMBSTONE. The perfect listen for a relaxing summer afternoon & our most hilarious installment since our Adrian McKinty conversation on EXCALIBUR & LORD OF THE RINGS released earlier this season, this episode is sure to make you laugh. Originally Posted on Patreon (5/6/23) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/82606292 Logo: KateGabrielle.com Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

One of our very first guests, this week, I was so pleased to welcome Kristen Lopez back to the podcast. Currently working as the Film Editor of The Wrap, Kristen, who is also the creator of the classic film podcast Ticklish Business, has worked as an entertainment journalist for more than fifteen years. And this year, she's published her very first book in conjunction with TCM dedicated to literary adaptations. Focused on 52 different feature films and the works that inspired them, this cheerily written release, entitled BUT HAVE YOU READ THE BOOK? is now available everywhere, and you should definitely check it out because it's a lot of fun. In this brisk and enthusiastic overview of some of Kristen's favorite screen literary adaptations, we move quickly from Ernest Hemingway to Harper Lee to Cormac McCarthy to Dennis Lehane and more. Focusing primarily on the films TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, and THE GREAT GATSBY (2013), while touching on several others, book lovers are sure to enjoy this conversation. Originally Posted on Patreon (5/2/23) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/82404328 Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive Logo: KateGabrielle.com

A talented film critic, photographer, & podcaster based in England, Leslie Byron Pitt has written for Set the Tape & Empire Magazine, & has also been published on Vodzilla, Film Stories, & Little White Lies online. Additionally featured on Inside Cinema for the BBCi Player, when he isn't writing, doing expressive photography, or creating new pieces for print, Leslie can be found on the erotic thriller podcast Fatal Attractions. A returning guest from early in Season 2, when we did a really thoughtful episode devoted to three unique tales of human connection onscreen, in this terrific, fascinating conversation that's filled with research & rich insights, Watch With Jen continues its exploration into erotic cinema & the films of Paul Schrader this season with an in-depth look at Richard Gere's early breakout role in AMERICAN GIGOLO. Recently captivated by the way Gere skyrocketed to fame while taking on very daring roles that dealt with sexuality & questions of masculinity, Leslie & I move from GIGOLO to director Taylor Hackford's Oscar winner AN OFFICER & A GENTLEMAN, & then take a sharp left into Jim McBride's neon, rock 'n roll, comic book, & sex soaked remake of Jean-Luc Godard's BREATHLESS, which was a major influence on Quentin Tarantino. Jen's Note: I greatly respect and enjoy the level of analysis & research that Leslie brings to film discussions, & I know you'll enjoy this episode! However, while it isn't terribly explicit, due to the subject matter, much like the Schrader & Erotic '80s and '90s discussions, it's still one you should listen to without the kids. Originally Posted on Patreon (4/26/23) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/82090309 Logo: KateGabrielle.comTheme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

In the middle of the pandemic, I was invited by my friends at The B-Side Podcast - past guests Conor O'Donnell & Dan Mecca - to play with them as part of Team The Film Stage vs. Team Letterboxd on a Cinephile Game Night. I had so much fun playing that game & making new friends that night that I couldn't wait to start throwing my own virtual game nights with a close group of crime writer & film writer pals, & it's become a near-monthly thing that we've done since the summer of 2021. While some nights, we wind up just telling stories & catching up, the Cinephile card game has been a mainstay & a source of so much fun that we wound up picking up expansion packs to bring in new actors to shake things up. It was both a pleasure & an honor to bring the creator of the game Cory Everett onto the podcast this week. A writer with bylines at IndieWire, & a contestant on the short-lived IFC show ULTIMATE FILM FANATIC, Cory lives in Los Angeles with his wife & two sons. As kind as he is creative, in addition to that wonderful game, in this spirited, upbeat conversation, Cory & I discuss his new cinephile books for kids, MY FIRST FILM NOIR, MY FIRST FRENCH NEW WAVE, & MY FIRST GIALLO HORROR, as well as A IS FOR AUTEUR. Delving into a trio of excellent film examples of Noir, New Wave, & Giallo, in the last half of this hour-long chat, we take a closer celebratory look at Stanley Kubrick's THE KILLING, Jacques Demy's THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG, & Dario Argento's DEEP RED. Originally Posted on Patreon (4/20/23) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/81797373Logo: KateGabrielle.comTheme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive Note: As you may have already heard, this week it was announced that our podcast sponsor (& my current main home for my writing) DVD Netflix will be closing in September. A great loss for movie buffs & fans of physical media, Watch With Jen is proud to remain sponsored by the service until the end & you should consider taking advantage of their incredible library of titles before it's too late.

A very talented, versatile, and witty performer with more than 150 credit listings on IMDb, as an actor, today's guest James Urbaniak has brought to life such memorable characters as 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 I Will Never Lie to You. Reuniting with James for the first time since I was lucky enough to hang out with him in Los Angeles (which occurred shortly after we recorded the podcast's 150th episode devoted to actress Faye Dunaway), this time, James and I take a look at the fascinating life and career of the gifted yet today, largely overlooked filmmaker George Stevens. Analyzing the groundbreaking classic films GUNGA DIN, THE MORE THE MERRIER, A PLACE IN THE SUN, SHANE, and THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK, in this eighty-minute episode, you'll hear us discuss not only the recurring themes and motifs we see throughout his oeuvre but also pay particular attention to key scenes, riveting performances, & memorable directorial choices that make them work so extraordinarily well. Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive Logo: KateGabrielle.com Originally Posted on Patreon (4/13/23) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/81476122

Returning to the podcast this week, we have a woman who needs no introduction and one whose voice is or should be - especially if you're a cinephile - her own introduction. A film writer I remember reading as far back as her days at "Cinematical" and "The Village Voice," as well as the author of "Seduction: Sex, Lies, and Stardom in Howard Hughes' Hollywood," and books on George Lucas, Al Pacino, and Meryl Streep, the wonderful Karina Longworth is the historian and podcaster behind the acclaimed, addictive, and utterly fascinating series You Must Remember This and the recent show Love is a Crime for "Vanity Fair" as well. Having joined us in the past two seasons for episodes about Dean Martin and Erotic '80s titles, I was so happy and honored to have her back once again to tell us all about the new season of You Must Remember This devoted to the Erotic '90s. Taking time out of her busy schedule, in this fast-paced, jam-packed conversation, Karina not only gives us a sneak preview of what's to come on her show but also helps dissect the popular early '90s films PRETTY WOMAN, THELMA & LOUISE, and INDECENT PROPOSAL. Originally Posted on Patreon (4/7/23) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/81181158Logo: KateGabrielle.com Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

This week, I was the luckiest host because shortly after both Rob Belushi and Jordan Harper dropped into Phoenix separately this year, I was once again able to reunite on the pod with not one but two of my favorite guys. The closest you can get to know what it's like to hang out with Rob and Jordan in real life, I was honored to have them join me for a long, funny, vulnerable, surprisingly philosophical conversation about God, addiction, acting, and the highs and lows of gambling movies, including OWNING MAHOWNY, MISSISSIPPI GRIND, and ROUNDERS. So double down or split your aces and settle in because this is one of the richest and deepest season four episodes we've released so far. Bios: An actor, former host of the excellent Game Show Network series GET A CLUE, longtime improv teacher at Second City, plus a writer, producer, entrepreneur, and gifted impressionist, Rob Belushi is a loyal and caring friend, husband, father, son, and a man who wears many hats. In his last two appearances on Watch With Jen, Rob joined me to help cover the FX series MR. INBETWEEN and also went back in time to discuss a handful of Steven Soderbergh's best films from his late '90s, early aught heyday. And returning alongside Rob, we have Jordan Harper, who was the podcast's very first guest, the Edgar award-winning author of SHE RIDES SHOTGUN, LAST KING OF CALIFORNIA, and EVERYBODY KNOWS as well as the screenwriter and producer of such series as THE MENTALIST, GOTHAM, and HIGHTOWN. Although you've heard him on a wide variety of episodes so far including ones devoted to David Mamet, Preston Sturges, and others, most recently, we discussed the Hong Kong INFERNAL AFFAIRS series on the second to the last physical media episode in Season 3, and also the topic of Crime Families as well. Originally Posted on Patreon (4/1/23) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/80884212 Logo: KateGabrielle.comTheme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

At the end of classic 007 pictures, the words "James Bond will return" filled the screen. And although there is no actual screen available on Watch With Jen because it isn't a video podcast, James Bond has indeed returned for the second time in our series run so far, following the success of our very popular Roger Moore episode in season two. And once again, my lovely, funny, crackerjack guest Julia Ricci is back. A Film Programming Manager at Heartland Film in Indianapolis, Indiana, which organizes the Heartland International Film Festival, and the Academy Award-qualifying Indy Shorts International Film Festival, Julia has been part of the programming team since 2018. Selecting films for the festival's shorts, features, and retrospective slates, she has programmed 17 short films that went on to become Oscar nominees and winners in the Live Action, Documentary, and Animated Short categories. Prior to Heartland Film, Julia was a researcher for Turner Classic Movies and The Criterion Collection's former streaming platform FilmStruck, and appeared on TCM as a Guest Fan Programmer. She has a degree in History from Ball State University and is a regional Emmy nominee for the documentary short LEGACIES OF PERFECTION: AUBURN, CORD, DUESENBERG, from 2013. While we will definitely continue these conversations about James Bond with the latest man to wear the suit in the form of Daniel Craig in the future, we decided to have some fun traveling back in time to the '90s to when Pierce Brosnan picked up Timothy Dalton's shaken-not-stirred martini in what can best be described as the second Roger Moore era. Taking a look at every single Brosnan entry, in this lively hour-long conversation, join us as we dive deeply into the actors, the action, the songs, and the way the franchise has evolved in the films GOLDENEYE, TOMORROW NEVER DIES, THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH, and DIE ANOTHER DAY. Logo: KateGabrielle.com Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive Originally Posted on Patreon (3/27/23) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/80618553

Joining me this week is Jason Carney, who is not only a colleague and friend but also, the incredibly hard-working Executive Director of the Phoenix Film Festival, which is a fun, filmmaker-friendly nationally acclaimed, impressive event that has run for 23 years. Held at the wonderful Harkins Scottsdale 101 Theatre, this year's festival is set to open on Thursday, March 23 with Ray Romano's directorial debut SOMEWHERE IN QUEENS, and will run through Sunday, April 2nd with director Chris McKay's RENFIELD, starring Nicolas Cage, which is slated to close down the festivities.Taking time out of his busy schedule to chat with me about the history of the festival, its humanistic mission as a non-profit, and all of the incredible plans they have this year, Jason offers great insights that filmmakers and fans of film festivals will find fascinating. A passionate movie lover, which obviously goes with the territory, in this brisk, infectious forty-five-minute conversation, he also zeroes in with me on a few favorites that have played there over the years including ANDREW JENKS - ROOM 335 and SING STREET, along with additional shout-outs to a mutual favorite THE MERRY GENTLEMAN as well.Originally Posted on Patreon (3/23/23) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/80435799Logo: KateGabrielle.comTheme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

Having recorded several extra episodes in February & March in the lead-up to Season 4, it's a true delight to sprinkle a bunch of these bonus conversations into the new season, both as a surprise & also my sincere way of thanking you for making the podcast more successful than it's ever been before. While eventually, we will ease back into weekly releases, for now, I hope you're enjoying these frequent uploads & finding a lot of great movies to explore. Returning for the first time since season one, we have the witty & wonderful Maria Lewis. A bestselling author, screenwriter, & film curator based in Australia, over the past eighteen years of her career, Maria Lewis has built a great reputation as a storyteller across a diverse range of mediums she's the author of over ten internationally published novels, including the upcoming MOCKINGBIRD: STRIKE OUT from Marvel, slasher THE GRAVEYARD SHIFT, & the Aurealis award-winning SUPERNATURAL SISTERS series. As a screenwriter, she has worked on projects for AMC, Netflix, SBS, Stan, ABC, DC Comics, Ubisoft, & many more. She is the writer, producer researcher, & host of AWGIE award-winning audio documentaries THE PHANTOM NEVER DIES about the first superhero & JOSIE & THE PODCATS about the 2001 cult film, which was produced by her best friend Blake Howard. And this year, she's making her directorial debut with the short film THE HOUSE THAT HUNGERS, based on her Aurealis and Ditmar-award nominated short story of the same name. In this highly freewheeling lively conversation, Maria & I take a look at two excellent, though overlooked studio-made genre hyphenate romcoms from the 2010s, including James Mangold's hilarious screwball action romantic comedy KNIGHT AND DAY from 2010 & 2019's political romcom LONG SHOT from director Jonathan Levine. With frequent shout-outs & asides to other films, stars, & more that we enjoy, ranging from director Philip Noyce's brilliant SALT to other films which manage to subvert the romcom genre trope of a power imbalance between couples in inventive ways, this discussion, which breezes by in 52 minutes, is guaranteed to make you smile. Warning: This episode contains explicit language, best suited for adults. Originally Posted on Patreon (3/19/23) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/80241353Logo: KateGabrielle.com Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

A writer and filmmaker based in Los Angeles, today's guest Duncan Birmingham was an executive producer and screenwriter for IFC's MARON and also served as a co-executive producer and writer on the Starz series BLUNT TALK as well. Additionally, Duncan's short films have premiered at such festivals as Sundance and AFI, and his screenplay SWINGLES, which was bought by Paramount, was also on The Black List. Recently, his lively, irreverent short-story collection THE CULT IN MY GARAGE was published by Maudlin House in 2021, & last year, he wrapped & released his excellent first feature-length film as a writer-director called WHO INVITED THEM. Having joined me in 2022 for one of my favorite conversations devoted to director Hal Ashby in the fifth episode of the third season, he's back for the fifth episode of the fourth to discuss writer-director Noah Baumbach's career over the decades & the films KICKING AND SCREAMING, THE SQUID & THE WHALE, GREENBERG, FRANCES HA, & MARRIAGE STORY. Note: If you hear me blank on things a bit more than usual in this episode, it's because I was battling an unrelenting sinus infection but was determined to power through & have an analytical conversation about outstanding talky indies with Duncan, who was coming off of the tail end of a bad cold himself! 'Tis the season! Nonetheless, it's a very rich discussion for fans of the filmmaker's work wherein we assessed recurring themes, compared the ways in which newer films & characters commented on past ones, & celebrated Baumbach's rich collaborators as well. Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive Logo: KateGabrielle.com Originally Posted on Patreon (3/16/23) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/80110999

This week, I was so happy to welcome back my good friend Rachel Wagner who was my guest for the most downloaded episode of Season 3 devoted to LOL Funny '90s Romcoms. The woman behind not only the website, pod, & YouTube channel Rachel's Reviews as well as The Criterion Project podcast, the Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic also runs the incredibly popular Hallmarkies podcast, & is a veteran interviewer in her own right.Additionally, she has a keen interest in both obscure animation & the genre that brings her back today, which finds us dishing out an '80s-themed sequel to last year's episode & celebrating the films SPLASH, MOONSTRUCK, BULL DURHAM, & WHEN HARRY MET SALLY. A fast-paced, funny, & freewheeling hangout-styled conversation that delves into what makes these films work while also serving up some romantic & biographical tales of our own, we set out to make you laugh along with us while reliving some of the decade's most delightful movies.Originally Posted on Patreon (3/12/23) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/79916599Logo: KateGabrielle.comTheme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

As soon as this episode was announced & I began researching it, there was a massive amount of interest from listeners to hear what turned out to be an absolutely hilarious yet still very insightful conversation with author Adrian McKinty. So in that spirit, & because I've recorded a pretty healthy backlog of episodes for the new season so far, I thought I'd upload it early for all of you as a bonus surprise release.This week, I was so pleased to welcome to the podcast one of my crime writer friends' favorite crime writers & a man whose taste in film, literature, & poetry is an endless source of delight on Twitter. Adrian McKinty was born & raised in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and then studied philosophy at Oxford University before he moved to Australia & New York. He is the author of more than a dozen crime novels, including his Dagger & Edgar nominated debut DEAD I WELL MAY BE, the critically acclaimed Sean Duffy series, as well as the smash international bestseller & award-winning standalone thriller THE CHAIN. A man whose books have been translated into over thirty languages, Adrian has won the Edgar Award, the International Thriller Writers Award, the Ned Kelly Award (three times), the Anthony Award, the Barry Award, the Macavity Award, the Theakston Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year Award. His latest bestseller THE ISLAND is set to be a Hulu original series & will be hitting paperback soon as well, & he shares more book news in this episode.In this very lively 87-minute discussion, I join Adrian to embark on a quest & return with elixir, while learning more about a genre about which I am far from an expert! Dissecting two popular fantasy films that he's passionate about as both a writer & cinephile - John Boorman's divisive yet beloved 1981 Arthurian epic EXCALIBUR & Peter Jackson's smash blockbuster adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RINGS - fans of storytelling, film, & McKinty's work are sure to adore this amusing installment. A nice break from traditional deep dives into the careers of filmmakers & actors, I hope this conversation makes you laugh as hard as I did throughout the recording.Originally Posted on Patreon (3/8/23) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/79754710Logo: KateGabrielle.comTheme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

An episode that we've been planning since we recorded our first conversation devoted to Martin Scorsese in Season 2, this week, I was so honored to welcome back my favorite crime writer working today to dissect one of her most significant sources of inspiration, the fascinating & controversial writer-director Paul Schrader.Novelist Megan Abbott is the Edgar-winning author of such acclaimed, rich works as GIVE ME YOUR HAND, YOU WILL KNOW ME, THE TURNOUT, DARE ME, QUEENPIN, and more. Her newest book, BEWARE THE WOMAN, is set to release on May 30 from Penguin Random House and is already available for pre-order.Much like when we discussed Martin Scorsese and opted to tackle some of her underrated or under-discussed favorites from his filmography, we did the same here. For this episode, Megan selected five Schrader films that are often overlooked, including HARDCORE, PATTY HEARST, THE COMFORT OF STRANGERS, LIGHT SLEEPER, and AUTO FOCUS. Sprinkled into this deeply analytical & appreciative conversation, I've included first-person accounts from filmmaker Paul Schrader that I encountered in the book SCHRADER ON SCHRADER during my research. Except, as I was unable to find them voiced by Schrader himself, doing the honors today, we have past guest and veteran film critic Sean Burns graciously bringing the man, the myth, the Michigan accent to life for your listening pleasure. The result is an episode that I know film buffs will cherish. It's two sharp women on Schrader, seediness, Scottsdale, & sex. What more could you want?!Originally Posted on Patreon (3/4/23) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/79557830Logo: KateGabrielle.comTheme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

We are back in 2023 with the first episode of the fourth season of Watch With Jen & it's a nice long, chatty, analytical one that's as surprisingly moving as it is filled with great Hollywood stories. RAVENOUS, OCEAN'S ELEVEN, & MATCHSTICK MEN screenwriter Ted Griffin (who also created FX's TERRIERS & produced THE WOLF OF WALL STREET) returns to the podcast to pay tribute to his old late mentor, the beloved yet still widely unsung writer-director Curtis Hanson.A man who began his career as a film critic, journalist, & photographer for "Cinema" magazine before he cut his teeth at Roger Corman's American International Pictures, Hanson went on to become a terrific director of crackerjack Hitchcockian thrillers before directing his masterpiece LA CONFIDENTIAL, & delving into more character-driven work like WONDER BOYS & IN HER SHOES.Focusing on the start of his career & rise to become a master of genre filmmaking, in this roughly ninety-minute conversation, we discuss the works THE SILENT PARTNER (adapted from a Danish crime novel by Hanson for director Daryl Duke), THE BEDROOM WINDOW, BAD INFLUENCE, THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE, & THE RIVER WILD.A heartfelt ode to Hanson - the man as well as the filmmaker - this was such a wonderful discussion & Ted Griffin went above & beyond in calling the director's old friends, family, & collaborators, including the incredible cinematographer Robert Elswit, in order to paint the most accurate portrait of Hanson. I'm so honored to be in a position to not only hear all of these stories but share them with all of you as well, & I know you'll enjoy our celebration of the life & career of the great Curtis Hanson.Originally Posted on Patreon (2/27/23) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/79288476Logo: KateGabrielle.comTheme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

Behold our final episode of not only this 3-part holiday bonus special, but also the final episode of Season 3. For fun last night, I used a calculator to add up the number of installments of Watch With Jen that have been uploaded in the show's history so far & was stunned to discover that this one is number 170! That's A LOT of conversations about film, you guys, & I want to thank you so much for digging it & joining us along the way. I hope you will return for what is shaping up to be a thrilling Season 4! Today's episode involves a handful of larger-than-life figures that most of us in the past few generations grew up loving in the form of Tennessee Williams, Richard Burton, Ava Gardner, Deborah Kerr, John Huston, Elvis Presley, & Angela Lansbury. Joining me to discuss the newly released & remastered edition of THE NIGHT OF THE IGUANA, we have my very good friend & one of the show's most frequent guests, author William (Bill) Boyle, plus one of the greatest film writers & Elvis experts working today, the wondrous Sheila O'Malley on BLUE HAWAII. Sheila & I had a ball tackling the scandalous world of sexy, violent pre-code Hollywood midway into the second season & I was so honored to have her back once again to cover a topic she's so passionate & knowledgeable about. Both Bill & Sheila will be back in Season 4, as will all of the other guests you heard this week, & I know you'll get a kick out of this chatty, celebratory, funny, & eye-opening roughly 52-minute episode. Originally Posted on Patreon (12/22/22) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/watch-with-jen-76243968

Welcome to the second of three bonus episodes on films you can now find on physical media. Zeroing in on some of my favorite contemplative foreign & art-house releases, in this 82-minute installment of Watch With Jen, we discuss three films you can now find on Criterion disc, including THE POWER OF THE DOG, DRIVE MY CAR, & THE INFERNAL AFFAIRS TRILOGY, as well as MONSIEUR HIRE, which Cohen Films just made available on Blu-ray. An engaging, alternately soulful & funny chat, in a gem of an episode, you'll hear from three more of my dearest friends & your favorites from the show, including author/critic Walter Chaw, author/blogger Jed Ayres, & author/screenwriter Jordan Harper. Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveLogo: KateGabrielle.comOriginally Posted on Patreon (12/21/22) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/watch-with-jen-76199157

Welcome to the first of three bonus physical media episodes that I'll be releasing this week to celebrate the end of the third season, the end of the year, and above all, to thank you for your support throughout 2022. In this installment, which is devoted to '22 releases, you'll hear film critic Sean Burns and critic/podcaster Blake Howard on TOP GUN: MAVERICK, "New York Times" bestselling author S.A. Cosby on NOPE, & crime writer Nikki Dolson on THE BAD GUYS, DC's LEAGUE OF SUPER-PETS, & MOONFALL (which made us laugh so hard that I deleted sections of us just howling). Blake - the absolute prince among men that he is - gave us all the coolest holiday present by editing the TOP GUN section himself & splicing in audio from the film so you can lose yourself in its soundscape & it sounds amazing so I know you'll love it!Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveLogo: KateGabrielle.comOriginally Posted on Patreon (12/20/22) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/watch-with-jen-s-76157436

For the third season finale of Watch With Jen, I was thrilled and proud to welcome back one of my dearest pals and the hardest-working man in pod-business, Mr. Blake Howard.The brains behind the stellar One Heat Minute Productions that launched with an in-depth minute-by-minute investigation and appreciation of Michael Mann's "Heat," he's released numerous pods since, including "All The President's Minutes," "Josie and the Podcats," "Zodiac: Chronicle," and also, the excellent "Increment Vice," hosted by our good friend, the film essayist Travis Woods. With several more releasing now like "Miami Nice," "Rum and Rant," "Too Much Movie," plus essays on heist films at Vague Visages, his busy family life with his lovely wife and two young children, and a new career as a teacher, Blake Howard is one of the busiest and most talented people I know... and also, the nicest.In this thoughtful, funny, and passionate episode devoted to one of our favorite filmmakers, Blake and I discuss the career of Australian master director and recent honorary lifetime Oscar winner Peter Weir. Celebrating his diverse career of groundbreaking work that set a new bar for Australian film and helped kick off the country's new wave in the 1970s along with fellow directors like George Miller and Bruce Beresford, in this fast-paced conversation, we investigate what makes GALLIPOLI, WITNESS, and THE TRUMAN SHOW (still) so powerful, entertaining, and profound.Our final regular season episode of the year, Watch With Jen will be delivering a bonus Physical Media episode in mid to late December first for our Patreon subscribers (before making it available to all). We will also return in February of 2023 with Season 4 and have many exciting future installments in various planning stages that you're sure to love. Thank you so much for your loyalty, enthusiasm, and support, and for making this year our biggest yet.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveLogo: KateGabrielle.comOriginally Posted on Patreon (12/5/22) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/75508099

This week, I'm so pleased to welcome back to the podcast a very talented, supportive, and funny friend. Currently based in Newark, Delaware, Mitchell Beaupre is not only the Senior Editor at one of my favorite services (via Letterboxd), but they're also the co-host of the Weekend Watchlist and Four Favorites podcasts, which you can find in the stream for The Letterboxd Show. Additionally, a prolific freelance film journalist and stellar interviewer for prestigious outlets such as "The Film Stage," "Paste Magazine," "The Playlist," and "Little White Lies," you can keep up with all of their impressive work on Twitter @ItIsMitchell.The biggest fan of Willem Dafoe, Mitchell's passion for their favorite character actor shines through in this rich, in-depth feature-length conversation. Zeroing in on TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A. (which is a legit obsession for both of us), THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST, SPIDER-MAN, THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU, 4:44: LAST DAY ON EARTH, and THE FLORIDA PROJECT, we cover everything from the way Dafoe uses his sexuality and spirituality to seduce and captivate to his generosity with other actors and joy just doing the work every day as a self-described restless "nomad."It's an engaging and thoughtful episode that acting nerds will especially appreciate. And since Mitchell's earlier appearance covering Jim Jarmusch movies was one of the most popular installments of Watch With Jen released this season, I know you'll enjoy this one as well!Note: There is only one regular episode left of Watch With Jen S3! Next week's Peter Weir discussion with Blake Howard marks our season finale, save for a bonus physical media episode that will drop sometime in December, initially as a Patreon exclusive, in order to thank you for your kind support.Logo: KateGabrielle.comTheme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveOriginally Posted on Patreon (11/30/22) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/75311857

Watch With Jen started 2022 with an episode featuring fan favorite S.A. Cosby, so as we begin wrapping up our third season, it's only fitting that we bring Shawn back to discuss more movies he loves. As kind and genuine as he is knowledgeable and gifted, the first time I ever chatted with Shawn was one week before he released the book that would become a smash success and put him on the map.The remarkable Blacktop Wasteland won an avalanche of well-deserved praise and awards, including the Anthony and the International Thriller Writers Award for Best Hardcover Fiction Novel. Impressively, his follow-up title Razorblade Tears met and/or exceeded all expectations, becoming a runaway New York Times bestseller, earning Shawn another boatload of accolades, including repeat honors from organizations that celebrated Blacktop Wasteland the previous year. Perhaps the most staggeringly awesome achievement for Razorblade Tears, however, was when it was included as one of the titles on former President Obama's list of summer reads! Yet still as gracious as ever and well-loved among his colleagues, we're all so very proud of Shawn, and, considering that he was working intensely on the final edits of his next novel All the Sinners Bleed (out June 2023), I appreciated all the more his taking the time to tackle a filmmaker that fascinates him in this roughly one hundred minute conversation.While the first part of our chat is devoted to his own work because fans always want to know what's going on with the screen adaptations of his books and all other news (including my attempts to make him blush with questions from his best friend Nikki Dolson), we then venture north to Toronto to look at the weird, wild, kinky, yet morose filled world of Armenian-Egyptian-Canadian writer-director Atom Egoyan.Drawn to stories of tragedy, regret, alienation, isolation in modern society, and our struggles to connect with one another, in this episode, we look at his two career high-water marks of the 1990s with Exotica and The Sweet Hereafter, as well as his biggest box office hit from 2009 in Chloe. Analyzing the films' rich characterization, performances, and our impressions of what Egoyan is trying to say, while we do get deep, we also entertain, whether it's in the tale I share about this time in college when this woman in the quad tried to recruit me to join her escort agency (she had the wrong girl!) or Shawn talking about the beauty of ambiguous endings while touching on his own work. Cinephiles will dig this episode.Logo: KateGabrielle.comTheme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveOriginally Posted on Patreon (11/14/22) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/74615939

A film critic for publications such as LA Weekly, New York Magazine, Vulture, The New York Times, and formerly, The Village Voice, the brilliant Bilge Ebiri is one of my favorite journalists working today. And recently, he was kind enough to name Watch With Jen one of the best current film podcasts in an article for Vulture. Additionally, a writer-director who's known for the films New Guy, Purse Snatcher, and for assistant directing The Barber of Siberia, Bilge and I had so much fun with our Colin Farrell episode last March that while talking about In Bruges, we knew immediately that Ralph Fiennes should be next.Celebrating the great range and remarkable films of the powerful and unpredictable performer who fluctuates between charm and menace, while we cite numerous movies from Fiennes' career, in this nearly two-hour episode, we spend the most time on Sunshine, The End of the Affair, Coriolanus, The Invisible Woman, and The Dig. One of my favorite things about chatting with the great Bilge is just how wonderfully descriptive he is, often using his hands to drive home precisely what it is that makes actors' faces and physicality so unique. The end result is a delightful and illuminating conversation about acting, character, filmmaking, and storytelling - including what Fiennes has in common with Prince - that cinephiles are bound to appreciate.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveLogo: Kate Gabrielle (KateGabrielle.com)Originally Posted on Patreon (11/7/22) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/74350007

Returning to Watch With Jen this week, 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 Shoot the Moonlight Out. In addition to crafting these wonderfully humanistic Lumet-like character-driven ensemble crime epics, Bill is quite the pop culture buff and one hell of a good movie trivia game player as well. Someone with whom I frequently discuss great character actors - such as Jennifer Jason Leigh and Nicolas Cage - in this thoughtful feature-length conversation, we take a look at the films, themes, actors, and style of the work of writer-director John Sayles. A humanistic sociologist of sorts with a passion for exploring human relationships among largely hardworking, blue-collar characters, while Sayles has a career that's spanned several decades, we opted to zero in primarily on his prolific, acclaimed '80s and '90s output via the films Matewan, Eight Men Out, City of Hope, Lone Star, and Limbo. Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive Logo: Kate Gabrielle (KateGabrielle.com) Originally Posted on Patreon (10/31/22) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/74025916

This week's guest is a terrific character actor with over thirty years in the industry. A veteran of more than seventy Hollywood movies and hundreds of episodes of television, Donal Logue is the beloved scene-stealer of such films as Sneakers, Blade, and Zodiac, and TV series as Grounded for Life, Sons of Anarchy, Vikings, Gotham, and of course, the great Terriers, which Jed Ayres and I celebrated earlier this year in a full episode. Additionally, the recipient of the Special Jury Prize for Outstanding Acting at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival for the indie favorite The Tao of Steve, Donal also has quite the passion and talent for writing.In 2021, he co-wrote the brilliant New York Times bestseller Trejo: My Life of Crime, Redemption, & Hollywood, along with his good friend Danny Trejo. Currently hard at work on his next book, Donal has just been added to the third season of the popular Queen Latifah CBS series The Equalizer, which I'm looking forward to checking out. Needless to say, he's a very busy guy! Someone I'm honored to have gotten to know after the Terriers episode, Donal has not only become a very good friend but has also consistently given me the best film recommendations, including several that we discuss in this fascinating episode.In a thoughtful roughly two-hour conversation, Donal shares his affection for the gritty, social realism centric tales of the so-called "angry young men" that took the world by storm in the UK Kitchen Sink Drama movement of theater and film in the late 1950s and early '60s. Focusing primarily on Look Back in Anger, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, Billy Liar, This Sporting Life, Kes, A Taste of Honey, Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, and The Entertainer, this is an episode to listen to with a pen and a pad of paper as masterful films get cited throughout. With sharp insights about acting, filmmaking, and storytelling from his perspective as a film fan first and a professional second, this engaging chat is a treat for cinephiles everywhere. Enjoy!Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveLogo: Kate Gabrielle (KateGabrielle.com)Originally Posted on Patreon (10/24/22) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/73713693

About a decade ago now, my mom read a WWII-era historical thriller novel called Mr. Churchill's Secretary and became an instant fan of both the main character - Maggie Hope, an intrepid young spy, and codebreaker who rose up to meet the challenges of that time - as well as author Susan Elia MacNeal. In the years that followed, she would eagerly anticipate each new installment and I remember going to track down a few on pub day at Barnes and Noble.A New York Times bestselling novelist of not only the Maggie Hope series, but also her recently published standalone book Mother Daughter Traitor Spy, in the last decade, MacNeal has won the Barry Award and also been nominated for the Edgar, Macavity, Agatha, Left Coast Crime, Dilys, and ITW Thriller awards.Joining me to discuss first her new book as well as her writing and research process, Susan and I then dive into the world of spies in the films North By Northwest, Valkyrie, and BlacKkKlansman in a fun and fascinating hour of conversation.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveLogo: Kate Gabrielle (KateGabrielle.com)Originally Posted on Patreon (10/19/22) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/73508358

This week, I was so pleased to welcome back a very dear friend to the podcast. A senior film critic who writes the most soulful, insightful, and humanistic pieces at FilmFreakCentral.net, Walter Chaw's bylines have also appeared in LA Weekly, The New York Times, New York Post, The Washington Post, Criterion, New York Magazine, and more. Additionally, the author of a book about the film MIRACLE MILE, Walter's in-depth critical study of Walter Hill is scheduled to be published by Matt Zoller Seitz's MZS Press before the end of the year.After serving up an extended behind-the-scenes look at his book on Hill and the discoveries that he made writing it along the way, we spend the rest of this fast-paced roughly hour-long episode dissecting and celebrating the SCREAM franchise, which was launched by director Wes Craven and screenwriter Kevin Williamson in 1996. Releasing it early this week to coincide with the brand new 4K edition of SCREAM 2, it's the perfect listen to get you in the mood for Halloween. (And don't miss last year's episodes on Horror Remakes with Scott Weinberg, Sex, Gender, & Final Girls of Horror with Elizabeth Cantwell, and/or my conversation about the first SCREAM film on the first Adventures in Physical Media episode from Season 2 with Kate Gabrielle.)Logo: Kate Gabrielle at KateGabrielle.comTheme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveOriginally Posted on Patreon (10/10/22) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/73124925

Returning to the podcast this week, we have a very talented freelance writer and lecturer specializing in women surrealists and visual culture. Sabina Stent's bylines include Magnum Photos and Crime Reads and she also writes a substack newsletter called Love Letters During a Nightmare. Her next online lecture is for the Morbid Anatomy Museum and is titled Cinematic Surrealism in Los Angeles: Maya Deren and David Lynch. (Tickets are available on the museum's website, which you can also find a link to in Sabina's current pinned tweet.)Joining me to discuss the fantastic range of character actor Robert Downey Jr. (whom she's dubbed Walking Charisma), in this thoughtful celebratory conversation, we analyze what it is that makes him so unique, and champion his work in the films ONLY YOU, KISS KISS BANG BANG, FUR: AN IMAGINARY PORTRAIT OF DIANE ARBUS, ZODIAC, & IRON MAN.Note: This episode also includes a lengthy introduction covering what you can expect to hear on the podcast for the rest of Season 3 and a few guests we have lined up for S4.Originally Posted on Patreon (10/4/22) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/72872065Logo: KateGabrielle.comTheme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

In this highly-requested feature-length episode, dear friends and past guests Jed Ayres, Rob Belushi, and Blake Howard join me to explore the critically acclaimed, award-winning FX Australia series Mr. Inbetween, which ran for three seasons from 2018-2021. Created and written by the show's charismatic lead Scott Ryan, the series finds the actor starring as muscle, debt-collector, hitman, and Underworld-Jack-of-All-Trades for-Hire Ray Shoesmith, whom Ryan's fans will recall was the same character he portrayed in his 2005 Australian independent feature film The Magician.Beginning like a traditional episode of Watch With Jen where we serve up a roughly forty-minute analytical overview and appreciation of the growing word-of-mouth cult favorite series, from there we move into an extended conversation the four of us were fortunate enough to recently have with the funny, disarming, and kind Scott Ryan.Covering everything from how much he hates "raw" sandwiches to his love of writing believable dialogue that isn't solely dependent on moving the plot forward, Ryan discusses the pros and cons of TV vs. film, celebrates his gifted co-stars, along with series director Nash Edgerton, and lets us in on what he's hoping to do next. A spoiler-filled installment that's best appreciated after you've seen Mr. Inbetween, we hope you'll enjoy it, and recommend both Ryan's series and this podcast to others to help spread the word.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveLogo: KateGabrielle.comOriginally Posted on Patreon (2/27/22) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/72500093

This week, I'm very excited to bring back one of our warmest & most knowledgeable guests who's become synonymous with fall. In fact, this is her third consecutive fall episode and fifth appearance overall!An accomplished lawyer and a highly readable film critic at her own site MovieMom.com and at RogerEbert.com where she's also an editor, Nell Minow has written over 3,000 movie reviews since the 1990s. Additionally, she's also authored a handful of terrific film books, including 101 Must See Movie Moments and The Movie Mom's Guide to Family Movies.Playing almost like a companion piece to Nell's last episode in the fall of 2021, which focused on female friendships in film, in this fast-paced, fun, and informative conversation, we take a look at the history of the role of the cinematic best friend as epitomized by Eve Arden in Mildred Pierce and Anatomy of a Murder and Judy Greer in 13 Going on 30 and 27 Dresses.Logo: KateGabrielle.comTheme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveOriginally Posted on Patreon (9/22/22) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/72336836

Returning to the podcast today, we have a fan favorite in the form of Mr. Jordan Harper. One of my dearest friends, this podcast's very first guest, and my Pandemic Movie Club, and Game Night crew buddy, Jordan is the Edgar award-winning author of She Rides Shotgun, Love & Other Wounds, The Last King of California - releasing in September in the UK - and Everybody Knows, which will be available everywhere in 2023.Additionally, a screenwriter and producer of such shows as The Mentalist, Gotham, and Hightown, Jordan crafted one of the most beautiful pilots for L.A. Confidential, which CBS stupidly did not pick up, but was so acclaimed he screened and did a virtual panel on the show at the ATX TV Festival. A Missouri native - and yes, that will come up in today's conversation, Jordan currently lives in L.A. along with his talented screenwriter girlfriend Megan Mostyn-Brown, and adorable dog Ellroy.Welcoming Jordan back to celebrate the release of The Last King of California next week in the UK, in this rich, thoughtful, fresh conversation, we explore a trio of films that center on criminal families (of the blood variety), including James Foley's At Close Range, David Michôd's Animal Kingdom, and Debra Granik's Winter's Bone.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveLogo: KateGabrielle.comOriginally Posted on Patreon (9/14/22) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/71974209

In his last appearance, film writer Sean Burns joined me to take a look at Michael Douglas in lothario mode in one of the pod's most hilarious and popular adults-only episodes. And this week, he's back to dissect five films starring one of the podcast's most beloved and covered character actors in the form of Jack Nicholson's turns in Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, The Shining, Terms of Endearment, and The Crossing Guard. In addition to astute insights and Nicholson storytelling, you'll hear the hilarious Burns bring out my feistier side the deeper we get into the episode. So sit back as we curse like sailors, critique strip club numbers, lovingly poke fun at filmmaking pretensions, and compare the pretty, dull young actors of today to salad dressing. It's another fun conversation indeed!A film critic for WBUR's Arts & Culture and a contributing writer at North Shore Movies and Crooked Marquee, he was Philadelphia Weekly's lead film critic from 1999-2013 and worked as contributing editor at the Improper Bostonian from 2006-2014. His reviews, interviews, and essays have also appeared in Metro, The Village Voice, Rolling Stone, The Boston Herald, Nashville Scene, Time Out New York, Philadelphia City Paper, and RogerEbert.com.A graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, Burns was a recurring guest on the late David Brudnoy's WBZ 1030 AM radio show, and in 2002, received an award for Excellence in Criticism from the Greater Philadephia Society of Professional Journalists. His writing has been called "jocular but serious, more like a 1940's daily reporter pounding out columns on a manual typewriter than a typical twenty-first-century navel-gazing film critic." Meanwhile, his sisters still tell him that he "swears too much and drive like an old lady."Logo: KateGabrielle.comTheme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveOriginally Posted on Patreon (9/9/22) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/71745247

This week, we're welcoming back a woman I had so much fun dissecting Roger Moore's Bond era with the last time she appeared on the podcast towards the end of Season 2. Julia Ricci is a Senior Programmer at Heartland Film in Indianapolis, Indiana, which organizes the Heartland International Film Festival and the Academy Award-qualifying Indy Shorts International Film Festival. She has been part of the programming team since 2018, selecting films for the festivals' shorts, features, and retrospective slates, and has programmed 17 short films that went on to become Oscar nominees and winners in the Live Action, Documentary, and Animated Short categories.Prior to Heartland Film, Julia was a researcher for Turner Classic Movies and The Criterion Collection's former streaming platform FilmStruck, and appeared on TCM as a Guest Fan Programmer. She has a degree in History from Ball State University and is a regional Emmy nominee for the documentary short "Legacies of Perfection: Auburn, Cord, Duesenberg," from 2013.Returning to celebrate three classic underdog sports stories set in Indiana, in this episode, we look at beloved family favorites Breaking Away, Hoosiers, and Rudy, and also investigate our relationships to these films and sports in general, and discuss what makes the genre so timeless and compelling.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveLogo: Kate Gabrielle (KateGabrielle.com)Originally Posted on Patreon (9/2/22) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/71424071

This week, I was so pleased to welcome two friends and the hosts of The Film Stage's excellent podcast The B-Side, which covers movie stars in a fascinating way by focusing not on the films that made or kept them famous but the ones that actors made in between. The delightful show just celebrated its four-year anniversary and I had such a fun time joining hosts Dan Mecca and Conor O'Donnell to discuss a handful of films starring Marisa Tomei last year.A producer and filmmaker living in Pittsburgh, Dan Mecca started The Film Stage with Jordan Raup in college at Buffalo and Conor O'Donnell is a post-production supervisor based in New York City and also serves as a critic for The Film Stage.Joining me to celebrate four former crew members turned directors and the diverse films that resulted from their work, in this episode, we tackle Douglas Trumbull's Silent Running, Jack Fisk's Violets are Blue, Ava DuVernay's Selma, and Jesse V. Johnson's Avengement.Originally Posted on Patreon (8/26/22) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/71068857Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveLogo: Kate Gabrielle (KateGabrielle.com)

This week, I was so pleased to welcome a new friend to the podcast. An actor and an acting teacher in his native Canada, Robert Bellissimo has appeared in numerous television shows, feature films, commercials, and plays. Two recent credits include PRIVATE EYES starring Jason Priestly and ROBBERY, which starred Art Hindle as well.A passionate cinephile for twenty years, in his late twenties, he realized he wanted to explore storytelling in a more in-depth way. When the Covid-19 lockdown began in March of 2020, he took advantage of his free time and created his high-quality YouTube Channel Robert Bellissimo at the Movies. Reviewing and introducing viewers to some of cinema's greatest films, over the past two years, he's interviewed many industry professionals who work in and around theatre, TV, and/or film, including yours truly who's been honored to appear on the channel twice - the first to discuss Scorsese's GOODFELLAS and more recently, returning to tackle Hitchcock's NOTORIOUS as well.Joining me to discuss the life and career of his favorite filmmaker John Cassavetes, in this in-depth feature-length episode, we focus on the beginning, middle, and end of Cassavetes' oeuvre in the form of SHADOWS, A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE, and LOVE STREAMS. Additionally sprinkling in throughout our conversation some of the director's thoughts on filmmaking, acting, men, women, and life in general, this is an episode that I hope Cassavetes devotees will love.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveLogo: Kate Gabrielle - KateGabrielle.comOriginally Posted on Patreon (8/17/22) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/70659691

This week, I'm thrilled to welcome back one of the sharpest critical minds working today, plus a guest that longtime listeners will remember hearing discuss Sofia Coppola's entire filmography with me in the first season of this show. I had such a fun and engaging conversation with the great Roxana Hadadi in that episode that it inspired me to shape the future of this podcast accordingly as a series devoted to these in-depth deep dives on topics my guests are truly passionate about.A TV critic with Vulture, who also writes about film and pop culture, previously Roxana was the film editor and a critic with Pajiba, and her reviews, essays, recaps, and other writing have also been published by The AV Club, Polygon, RogerEbert.com, The L.A. Times, Crooked Marquee, The Playlist, Fox Digital, GQ, and Inverse.Today, Roxana joins me for a richly analytical conversation to appreciate and evaluate the moral, ethical, political, interpersonal, stylistic, and narrative implications of one of the best television shows of the 2010s in the form of FX's THE AMERICANS. Approaching the series through various critical lenses, this spoiler-filled feature-length conversation is a must for fans of the show and I hope it's as enjoyable for you to listen to as it was for us to record. The second television-focused episode of the season so far - following an early installment devoted to TERRIERS - the next series that you'll hear dissected on Watch With Jen is MR. INBETWEEN, coming in early fall, and more episodes devoted to the medium will be announced soon.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveLogo: Kate Gabrielle (KateGabrielle.com)Originally Posted on Patreon (8/10/22) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/70336915

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 I Will Never Lie to You.Returning for the first time since our fascinating and very fun Charles Laughton episode late last season where he gave me a crash course in the '30s era of the great British actor, it was so great to have him back this time to discuss a character actress of a different decade. In this, our 150th episode of Watch With Jen (yes, really!), we take a look at a woman who is synonymous with the 1970s, in the form of Faye Dunaway.Focusing on her tremendous turns in notable classics, we begin in the late '60s with Dunaway's breakout turn in Bonnie and Clyde, then move into the '70s with Chinatown, Three Days of the Condor, and Network, and finally wrap things up with the controversial Mommie Dearest in the early '80s, which she considers the end of an era. An engaging and research-filled episode full of great Urbaniak witticisms and observations, devotees of Dunaway, acting, and/or '70s cinema lovers won't want to miss this conversation.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveLogo: Kate Gabrielle (KateGabrielle.com)Originally Posted on Patreon (7/28/22) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/69704390

Returning to the podcast this week, we have the impressive critic, in-demand lecturer, and insightful author Mr. Adam Nayman, who longtime listeners will remember hearing last summer around this time as he joined me to discuss the life and career of actress Gene Tierney. A contributor to The Ringer, Criterion, CinemaScope, and more, additionally, our Toronto-based guest has written thoughtful books on SHOWGIRLS, Ben Wheatley, the Coen brothers, Paul Thomas Anderson (which will come in handy today), and the recently released David Fincher: Mind Games from the great publisher Abrams.In this fascinating and rich conversation, we take a look at the way that John Huston's previously classified post-World War II documentary LET THERE BE LIGHT, John Frankenheimer's 1962 classic THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE, and writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson's 2012 film THE MASTER all deal with elements of mind control and psychotherapy where U.S. veterans are concerned.Note: Although it isn't overly graphic, in an abundance of caution, I checked the Explicit box for this week's episode across your favorite podcast platforms due to our analysis of a certain infamous scene in THE MASTER, so you might not want to listen with young children.Logo: Kate Gabrielle (KateGabrielle.com)Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveOriginally Posted on Patreon (7/22/22) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/69440460

This week, I'm so happy to welcome a fellow podcaster to Watch With Jen. Conrado Falco is a filmmaker, film lover, foodie, soccer fan, and co-host of the excellent pod The Criterion Project along with my good friend Rachel Wagner. Additionally, he's the co-host of the podcast Foreign Invader and co-creator and co-star of the science fiction comedy series Wormholes, which you can find on YouTube by searching for Wormholes: The Series.Joining me for a thoughtful, celebratory, and humanistic celebration of the actor Owen Wilson, in this fast-paced conversation, we sum up the appeal, strengths, and career of Wilson and the films Zoolander, The Darjeeling Limited, and How Do You Know, in particular.Logo: Kate Gabrielle (KateGabrielle.com)Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveOriginally Posted on Patreon (7/13/22) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/69050335

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.One of the biggest things we have in common, beyond just a real love for film in general (of course), is our great affection for character actors - especially when it comes to the true "actors' actors" we grew up watching onscreen in the '80s and '90s. In past episodes, we tackled the careers of Nicolas Cage, David Morse, and Mickey Rourke, and today, we're adding another incredibly talented performer to the roster.In this very comprehensive and celebratory two-hour conversation, we zero in on the prolific, staggeringly great, and endlessly inventive early to mid-'90s work of actress Jennifer Jason Leigh. Delving into the films Rush, The Hudsucker Proxy, Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle, Georgia, and Kansas City, we take a look at her power, range, vulnerability, and courage in these vital performances and reference her other films as well.Note: In citing a shockingly funny anecdote involving our subject giving a very gritty audition for a romcom, I said a certain word that I thought might not be appropriate for audiences listening with their children so am marking the box for "Explicit" on this one out of an abundance of caution.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveLogo: Kate Gabrielle (KateGabrielle.com)Originally Posted on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/68321241

This week, we have a very special episode featuring not one but two wonderful guests. First up, we have the return of the talented Los Angeles-based writer and a Senior Vice President at The Black List, Kate Hagen.Having bonded last year over our affection for the career of actor James Spader whom we did two podcast episodes about (one here on Watch With Jen & one on Screen Drafts), Kate joined me once again on this show a few months back for a rich, soulful, wide-ranging conversation with one of our favorite filmmakers - the wondrous Allison Anders.Later that night, we hatched an idea for our next podcast conversation where we looked forward to learning and seeking inspiration from talented women by inviting Allison's wildly gifted daughter Tiffany Anders to come and talk to us and all of you about her stellar career and a trio of her favorite obscure music documentaries as well.A Los Angeles native who was recently selected by Variety as one of the Music Supervisors to Watch in 2022, in addition to her outstanding work in the field on acclaimed TV shows such as Reservation Dogs, You're the Worst, Pen15, The Chair, Sorry for Your Loss, she's been the music supervisor on films such as To the Stars, Rust Creek, The Circle, and The End of the Tour. Having also worked as a musician, journalist, Radio DJ, plus a co-founder/co-head curator of LA's Don't Knock the Rock Film Festival, Tiffany's critically lauded debut album as a singer-songwriter, "Funny Cry Happy Gift" was produced by the legendary PJ Harvey as well.Taking you behind the scenes of her incredible life and career, in this candid, fascinating conversation, Tiffany shares her thoughts on the music business and also introduces and educates us about the obscure music documentaries Scott Walker: 30 Century Man (2006), Bayou Maharajah: The Tragic Genius of James Booker (2013), and Syl Johnson: Any Way The Wind Blows (2015) and their subjects as well.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveLogo: KateGabrielle.comPatreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/posts/68064737