Watch With Jen™

In addition to sharing 5 new titles that just might help liven things up around your house, topics discussed this week include: The Cadillac of microphones, Michelle Pfeiffer using & fighting against her beauty, Neil Simon, an imaginary Michael Haneke film festival, Howard Hawks: Hawksian Women & Men in Love, & digging the flawed side of Denzel Washington. Stay safe and stream on!Originally published on Patreon (3/16/20): https://www.patreon.com/posts/34958634Theme Music: The Guitarist by Jahzzar, Free Music Archive

The training wheels have started to come off in the second episode of Watch With Jen & our host begins to talk. After news and notes on Episode 1, you'll find 5 stellar film streaming picks that Jen Johans would undoubtedly make you watch if you were hanging out in real life.She serves up spicy anecdotes about how Scorsese's lasagna ruined Quentin Tarantino's dating life, why dating fellow creatives is tough in general, Bon Jovi and 1960s records, plays filmography detective, chats about eastern westerns, fesses up about that time she accidentally snubbed Bobby Cannavale, gives a couple of shout-outs to friends, and talks about Stockholm Noir and Swedish crime.Originally published on Patreon (3/10/20): https://www.patreon.com/posts/watch-with-jen-2-34770104Theme Music: The Guitarist by Jahzzar, Free Music Archive

After 14 years and 2,500 reviews published on FilmIntuition.com (and thousands of odes to movies on Twitter @FilmIntuition), Jen Johans has kicks off her first podcast - Watch With Jen - where she recommends 5 great streaming movie recommendations each week for you to enjoy.Originally uploaded on Patreon (3/3/20): https://www.patreon.com/posts/34563654Theme Music: The Guitarist by Jahzzar, Free Music Archive

A staff writer at WBUR's The ARTery and a contributing writer at North Shore Movies, Sean Burns was Philadelphia Weekly's lead film critic from 1999-2013 and worked as the movie section contributing editor at The Improper Bostonian from 2006-2014.Having graduated from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and received an award for excellence in criticism from The Greater Philadelphia Society of Professional Journalists in 2002, Sean's reviews, interviews, and essays have also appeared in Metro, The Village Voice, The Boston Herald, Nashville Scene, Time Out New York, Philadelphia City Paper, Movie Mezzanine, The House Next Door, and RogerEbert.com. Sean's writing has been called "jocular but serious, more like a 1940's daily reporter pounding out columns on a manual typewriter than a typical 21st-century novel gazing critic," but if you ask Sean's sisters, they'll just tell you that he swears too much and drives like an old lady.Very funny and imaginative, Jen once had the misfortune of sharing a podcast episode of Blake Howard's THE LAST (12 Minutes) OF THE MOHICANS with Sean and it's safe to say that everyone that had been laughing and marveling along with Sean was undoubtedly disappointed by the time they reached her half of the conversation.Today's episode starts out pretty traditionally as she asked Sean questions about his life and career but after about fifteen minutes or so, they loosened up, latched onto some tangents, and just went with it. Riffing on the most random of topics (apologies to Michael Douglas!), the last thirty minutes flew by in a fit of laughter.Originally Posted on Patreon (9/28/20) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/42116374Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

A positive, sunny, and earnest spirit on social media, where she's known as The Film Bee (or @TheFilmB on Twitter), Bee Garner is the founder and editor of the website In Their Own League, which is dedicated to promoting diversity on film and shining a light on the roles that women have played in cinema throughout history.Additionally, a freelance writer who contributes to such outlets as Next Big Picture, InSession Film, Vodzilla, All the Right Movies, Zavvi, and more, Bee is a film studies program graduate whose favorite movies include American Psycho, Phantom Thread, Days of Heaven, The Piano, and Shoplifters.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

Fresh, knowledgeable, and funny, film critic Danielle Solzman remembers not only the first movie she saw on the big screen - which was The Land Before Time - but also recalls falling in love with film while watching Jurassic Park and Star Wars in the mid-1990s.A Kentucky native, Danielle initially relocated to Chicago to study improv and sketch comedy and although instead, she transitioned to becoming a film critic, she has never given up her love of comedy and tries her best to inject humor in film reviews when possible. Since 2018, she has traveled across the U.S. and Canada to cover Sundance, South By Southwest, Tribeca, and The Toronto International Film Festival.With quarantine keeping her stuck at home, she shifted from the feature film screenplay she'd been working on to write a short film instead. The first project that Danielle has made since she came out as transgender in 2015, Pandemic Therapy, which she not only wrote but also directed and starred in, made its online debut on September 15.In this freewheeling discussion, Danielle and Jen discuss her love of classic film books, plan an epic day of movies at Chicago's Music Box Theatre, discuss the epiphanies you get in the shower, lament the technical woes that come with screener trouble, and more.Originally Posted on Patreon (9/20/20) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/41822548Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

A prolific crime writer, Nikki Dolson's work has been published in such well-respected places as Shotgun Honey, Tough, Thuglit, and Bartleby Snopes. Additionally, the author of what she affectionately describes as "a novelish thing" called All Things Violent, Nikki has also released a short story collection entitled Love and Other Criminal Behavior.With outstanding taste in not only crime movies but all film, Jen's greatly enjoyed following her on Twitter and couldn't wait to bring her on the pod to discuss some of her favorite underrated heist movies.In this all-encompassing chat, they discuss the weird noises you hear in old desert homes, the polite British murderers of Hitchcock, three stellar heist movies where the real draw is everything besides the heist, finding movie treasure in clearance bins, & their love of Sam Rockwell as a dancer. In fact, Nikki and Jen were so in sync throughout that if you took a shot for every time Jen exclaimed, "I know" you'd be dead in roughly five minutes flat. (So maybe don't do that!) Just be sure to listen with a notepad as this episode feels like it doubles as a new installment of her solo film recommendation pod Watch With Jen.Originally Posted on Patreon on 9/17/20 here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/41714366Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

A well-respected veteran critic who is based in New York, Glenn Kenny has written for publications such as Premiere Magazine - which is where I first read his byline in the '90s - as well as Film Comment, The Village Voice, and Rolling Stone. He also contributes reviews to The New York Times and RogerEbert.com.Additionally, a film professor at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, Glenn is the author of the books Robert De Niro: Anatomy of an Actor, along with today's brand new release Made Men: The Story of Goodfellas, and has appeared in such films as Steven Soderbergh's The Girlfriend Experience and Ricky D'Angelo's The Sky is Clear and Blue Today.Looking back on his career writing about film, music, and video components, in this highly entertaining chat, Glenn shares his evolution as an entertainment writer and also gives us an amazing behind-the-scenes look at Scorsese, De Niro, Pileggi, Goodfellas, and what class is like with Professor Kenny at NYU.Originally Posted on Patreon (9/15/20) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/41636882Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

A gifted, in-demand composer of film, television, theater, and dance scores, Tony-nominated and Drama Desk award-winner Grant Olding is often brought onboard projects early on to help shape the narrative as well as craft the music.Impressed with his musical contributions to the animated 2013 musical Saving Santa with Tim Conway and Tim Curry, I first met Grant on Twitter after I reviewed the film and learned that he actually started his career as a child actor and dancer in the 1980s.Cast in Jim Henson and Frank Oz's The Dark Crystal at the age of seven, which was the same year that he appeared onstage in Danton's Death at the National Theatre in London, Grant continued acting and played a number of roles in high-profile West End productions, opposite such co-stars as Daniel Day-Lewis, Brian Cox, and Judi Dench. Leaving school at sixteen, he performed in the original West End production of Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods and went on to study acting at the Central School of Speech and Drama.Always playing, writing, and working on music in the background (whether with a band or solo as a singer-songwriter), when he performed in his now frequent collaborator Nicholas Hytner's original production of Miss Saigon, he wrote his first musical and stopped acting to concentrate on composing full time.Most famous for the smash hit One Man, Two Guvnors - for director Nicholas Hytner and starring James Corden - that ran for over three years in the West End, on Broadway, and played internationally, Grant has written dozens of scores since for The Royal Shakespeare Company, the BBC, and others.As funny and personable as he is sincere, it was a joy and a privilege to speak with Grant about all of this and more - including some of his favorite composers and film scores - in this fascinating episode.Note: As September has proven to be exceptionally busy, I've had to delay new episodes of my solo film recommendation pod Watch With Jen for a moment but with such engaging and diverse guests, I know you'll enjoy these conversations on Watch With Jen & Friends as much as I have.Originally Posted on Patreon (9/12/20) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/41534060Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

A Los Angeles based film critic, journalist, podcast host, and event moderator, the witty and wonderful Katie Walsh reviews weekly film releases for the Tribune News Service and The Los Angeles Times.Additionally, a frequent guest host of the Maximum Fun podcast Switchblade Sisters and one half of Miami Nice (which is the video podcast she hosts alongside our friend Blake Howard), Katie's work has been published by Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Playboy, The Playlist, Slate, Indiewire, Women & Hollywood, Town & Country, and more.In this lively exchange, she serves up some of the pearls of wisdom she shares with her students at Chapman University, where she works as a part-time lecturer teaching the Film Studies course Practices of Writing About Film. And whether she's championing some of her favorite female filmmakers (shout-out to Allison Anders, Kathryn Bigelow, & Karyn Kusama, among others) or talking about RuPaul's Drag Race, Katie is a woman who always entertains.Originally Posted on Patreon (9/8/20) with links to items & people mentioned here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/41387832Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

A gifted film writer, critic, and historian with an engaging, inquisitive voice and bylines at such prestigious outlets as The New York Times, Vulture, The Playlist, and others, Jason Bailey is the editor-in-chief of the site Crooked Marquee. Additionally, the author of four books on film on such wide-ranging topics as Pulp Fiction and Richard Pryor, Jason's fifth book, on one hundred years of New York in the movies - entitled Fun City Cinema - is slated to be released in the Fall of 2021 from Abrams.Having recently kicked off his entertainingly informative companion podcast (also called Fun City Cinema), I was so excited to talk to my longtime Twitter friend about all of this and more. From our mutual childhoods spending time raiding the film section of B. Dalton's and Walden Books in the '80s and '90s to his move to New York City and evolution as an eventual film writer, this all-encompassing chat is sure to delight.Note: While you'd normally have a new episode of my solo film podcast Watch With Jen today, between deadlines and recording several episodes of Watch With Jen & Friends this week ahead of the long weekend, I've pushed the solo pod out one week so you get another awesome conversation instead!Originally Posted on Patreon (on 9/4/20) with links to items mentioned here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/41243131Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

An eye-opening and thoughtful writer with a special focus on film criticism and history, Christina Lane has written the books Magnolia, Feminist Hollywood: From Born in Flames to Point Break, and the critically acclaimed new title Phantom Lady: Hollywood Producer Joan Harrison, the Forgotten Woman Behind Hitchcock.The Chair of the Department of Cinematic Arts at the University of Miami, Christina's writing and commentary has also been featured in numerous outlets including "The Daily Mail" and "NPR."In this episode of Watch With Jen & Friends, Jen was honored to talk to Christina about motion picture history, her books, and the film program where she teaches courses in media history, gender representation, film studies, and more.Originally Posted on Patreon (8/31/20) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/41070924Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

Delightful, irreverent, and incredibly funny, Maria Lewis is an author, screenwriter, and journalist based in Australia. After first getting her start as a police reporter, Maria's writing on pop culture has appeared in publications such as the New York Post, The Guardian, Penthouse, The Daily Mail, Empire Magazine, Gizmodo, Huffington Post, The Daily and Sunday Telegraph, i09, Junkee and many more. Previously seen as a presenter on SBS Viceland’s nightly news program The Feed and as the host of Cleverfan on ABC, she has been a journalist for over 16 years.Maria's best-selling debut novel Who's Afraid? was published in 2016, followed by its sequel Who’s Afraid Too? in 2017, which was nominated for Best Horror Novel at the Aurealis Awards in 2018. Who’s Afraid? is being developed for television by the Emmy and BAFTA award-winning Hoodlum Entertainment. Her Young Adult debut, It Came From The Deep, was released globally on October 31, Halloween, 2017 and is a twist on The Little Mermaid meets Creature From The Black Lagoon.Maria's fourth book, The Witch Who Courted Death, was released on Halloween, 2018, and won Best Fantasy Novel at the Aurealis Awards in 2019. And her fifth novel set within the shared supernatural universe - The Wailing Woman - was nominated for Best Fantasy Novel at the Aurealis Awards in 2020.Maria, who Jen first met on Twitter through her best friend Blake Howard, was the host of the limited One Heat Minute Productions podcast series, Josie and the Podcats, about the 2001 cult film. In this chatty, free-spirited episode, the incredibly charming Maria regales us with lively tales about her career, podcasting, Blake Howard, Josie and The Pussycats, and, oh yeah, that time she almost ran down Gerard Butler with her car.Originally Posted on Patreon (10/5/20) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/42405274Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

As friendly as he is thoughtful, host Jen Johans greatly enjoyed her chat with Rotten Tomatoes certified, Chicago based film critic Robert Daniels. Chronicling his interest in writing about film from his time in college when he launched a film site and also took a life-changing film course with a terrific professor and local filmmaker, Robert gives us the scoop on the Chicago critic scene and provides some great advice to aspiring critics. From daring to love Cats to the unsung movies he wishes we discussed more, Robert's love of film is infectious in this episode.Originally Posted on Patreon (8/5/20) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/40140177Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

Back in the '90s, one of Jen's favorite things to do on a Friday night was visit her local mom and pop video store and cruise the shelves, particularly the Staff Recommends section, which more often than not consisted of clever, buried treasure you might've missed on a casual walkthrough.A crime movie buff with a specific interest in the trashy, low-budget indies we both came of age watching in the '90s, Jen's friend, Edgar award-winning novelist and screenwriter Jordan Harper is someone who you just know would've put together a killer shelf of movie selections had he worked at your local store.One of Jen's favorite people to watch and talk movies with - which they do so often that he's undoubtedly pretty sick of her at this point - she was so excited to invite Jordan back to Watch With Jen & Friends to share some of his recommendations with you all.A fast-paced, hour-long overview of some of Jordan's favorite forgotten '90s movies - with a few brief forays into '80s & '90s fare - we know you'll enjoy this freewheeling chat. And hopefully, it's the first of many thematic episodes to come. So put on your headphones (this one isn't for the kiddos) and settle in for the first episode in a series that - taking a cue from the video stores of their youth - we're calling Jordan Harper Recommends.Originally Posted with Links on Patreon (8/28/20) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/40957291Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

The always adorable entertainment writer Kristen Lopez returns to Watch With Jen & Friends for the first time since Episode 3 to talk gorgeous men, formative crushes, the embarrassment that comes with working in a field that puts you in direct contact with the objects of your affection, her fruitless search for hot English majors, and other things that together she and Jen probably shouldn't admit to on air. It's a fun, breezy episode that's guaranteed to make you laugh (and them blush) and the perfect way to turn your Monday around. Enjoy!Originally Posted on Patreon (8/24/20) with links here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/40808191Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

Insightful, hard-working, and incredibly prolific, Brian Tallerico is the editor-in-chief of the prestigious RogerEbert.com website and the president of the Chicago Film Critics Association. A friendly and thoughtful writer and engaging conversationalist, it was an honor to talk to Brian about growing up with a love of movies, his advice to up-and-coming writers, as well as his background passionately covering everything from film to books to music to television from a very young age.Originally Posted on Patreon (8/17/20) with links to people & items discussed here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/40559183Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

One of the first film critics that Jen remembers reading religiously as a girl growing up in Minnesota in the 1990s, Chris Hewitt has the unique distinction of having been hired to review movies for both of the primary newspapers in her home state.Originally working at "The St. Paul Pioneer Press," thirty years later, Chris is now covering film for "The Minneapolis Star Tribune." Friendly, engaging, and articulate, in addition to movies, Chris is a noted lover of Agatha Christie and fun novelty floaty pens, and in this fast-paced chat, he discusses not only those hobbies and what it's been like reviewing film professionally over the last three decades but he also dabbles in gourmet popsicle making and serves up some great South Korean film recommendations as well.(Note: the conversation was recorded using Google Voice so while it isn't perhaps as crystal clear as some of the others, it's so entertaining, we know you'll easily forgive any technical issues.)Originally Posted on Patreon (8/13/20) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/40422768Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

A knowledgeable classic movie blogger and devotee of all things film, it was such a delight to chat with the talented writer Raquel Stecher about growing up in the '90s with strong female screen role models, her annual summer reading challenge and love of books, and more.Listen in as she shares some of her favorite cinematic discoveries, introduces the world to the charming Ginger Rogers vehicle Bachelor Mother (a Watch With Jen recommendation as well), and comes up with some terrifically obscure recommendations of films and stars we should try to seek out if we can find them.Originally Posted on Patreon with links to items mentioned (8/10/20) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/40314140Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

A friendly, passionate, and impressive Indiana based classic film lover, Julia Ricci is an Emmy nominated documentary researcher and a senior programmer at Heartland Film, which hosts two well-respected film festivals every year.From a behind-the-scenes look at what it's like to run a film festival known for showcasing short films that go on to receive Oscar nominations (and wins!) to her experience introducing a film on TCM with Ben Mankiewicz, this episode is filled with great stories and film chat.Originally posted on Patreon (8/3/20) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/40053687Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

One of the leading early voices of online film criticism in the days of Ain't It Cool News and HitFix, the friendly and knowledgeable Drew McWeeny shares his insights on his liberating evolution of writing about cinema out of passion instead of publicity, which he does in his popular subscription newsletter Formerly Dangerous.In an episode that's sure to delight movie lovers everywhere, he discusses the unparalleled thrill of talking about the movie you've just seen at the theater with your friends in the parking lot, his cult-favorite podcast '80s All Over and its upcoming companion book, and the joys of introducing great movies to his sons in order to foster thoughtful discussion.Wrapping things up by serenading us with a terrific trio of Unjustifiably Unloved movies he would program at the New Beverly Cinema in a minute, this all-encompassing, entertaining episode flew right by when we recorded it and we know it will do the same for you when you press play.Originally Posted on Patreon (7/29/20) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/39851490Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

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

Shrewd, witty, and wise, Atlanta based film researcher and writer Jill Blake is one of Jen's favorite people to interact with on Twitter (@BiscuitKitten) so it was such a treat to sit down and have a virtual conversation with her for this episode.They talked about pandemic life as two blue women in two red states (sadly, just days before Georgia's governor actually did sue the city of Atlanta about the mask mandate), her website The Retro Set and podcast DWT: Drinking While Talking, as well as Marvel movies, TCM, Waiting for Guffman, Fredric March, and more.A really fun, breezy film chat that moves back and forth in time throughout film history, Jill Blake is a treasure.Originally posted on Patreon (7/20/20) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/39524398Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

A journalist turned Hollywood screenwriter turned Edgar award-winning novelist, when it comes to writing, David Handler has pretty much done it all. A man Jen Johans first encountered on Twitter sharing his intricate thoughts about old movies (as an avowed fan of Turner Classic Movies), in this fascinating, nearly hour-long discussion, David moves back and forth between storytelling and analysis to deliver great insights about some of Hollywood's most famous legends including his mentor William Goldman, Robert Redford, Paul Newman, Humphrey Bogart, and more.Originally Posted on Patreon (7/17/20) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/39426342Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

An ardent film lover and unwavering champion of physical media, the articulate, supportive, and always entertaining Brian Saur has run the well-respected film blog Rupert Pupkin Speaks since 2009. Dedicated to shining a light on forgotten or overlooked movies from decades past, in addition to his blog, Brian co-hosts the acclaimed Pure Cinema Podcast for the New Beverly Cinema and also hosts the Blu-ray centric Just the Discs Podcast as well.Having been honored to contribute to Rupert Pupkin Speaks a handful of times over the years, Jen was so excited to talk to him about podcast editing, Julie Hagerty, John Heard, the secrets of DVD Netflix queues, Scorsese's After Hours, and so much more in this fast-paced episode.Originally Posted on Patreon (7/13/20) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/39279095Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

An award-winning author from southeastern Virginia, Jen was thrilled and honored that Shawn Cosby - who writes professionally as S.A. Cosby - took the time to chat with her via Skype during what is an insanely busy week for the writer as his critically acclaimed upcoming novel Blacktop Wasteland is scheduled to drop on July 14.A man who's passionate about the arts, during this wide-ranging interview, Jen talks to Shawn about the music he listens to and the actors he imagines when he writes, the essential crime books he recommends to new genre readers, his Top 10 (or 15) favorite movies, and his idea for an after-credits sequence that would've been perfect for Pulp Fiction.Note: There was a slight audio delay so Jen apologizes for any small technical glitches in the discussion but thankfully they're pretty minor, plus you'll barely notice them when the funny, kind, and intelligent Shawn starts to share his thoughts.Originally posted on Patreon on 7/10/20 here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/39186267Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

Friendly, feisty, fresh, and oh, so very funny, Bright Wall/Dark Room staff writer and contributing editor Travis Woods is as passionate about film as he is endearingly supportive of all who love it. The host of the podcast Increment Vice (which takes a look at Paul Thomas Anderson's Inherent Vice one scene at a time), host Jen Johans chats with her friend about his obsession with "toxic masculinity in need of redemption" plotlines, devotion to L.A. topography on film, and notorious hatred of writing.Wrapping up the first round of her Missouri Boys Trio, which began with their pals Jordan Harper and Jed Ayres (both of whom get some major shout-outs in this episode), for Jen, it was an absolute delight to break down movies with Travis and ask him to program a fantasy quadruple feature at the New Beverly Cinema.A nearly hour-long episode that flies right by - pull up a seat, maybe pour yourself some Johnnie Walker, and settle in for a fittingly Breathless chat you can listen to here or wherever you get your podcasts.Originally Posted on Patreon (7/6/20) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/39034809Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

A gifted artist, Brianna Ashby's richly humanistic paintings of some of cinema's most memorable moments & famous figures dazzle the pages of the highly regarded online film journal BWDR (which she co-founded).A joy on social media for her funny, passionate takes on pop culture - including the great records she's adding to her collection - in this episode, Brianna & Jen take on dad rock, Wes Anderson, their love of nostalgia (& especially the '90s), Gilmore Girls, and the soul of art and vintage clothes.Originally Posted on Patreon (6/30/20) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/38800226Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

Friendly, genuine, and laid-back, Courtney Howard is as easy to talk to in real life as she is on Twitter. Recorded in the last week of May (and before the vital protests and current events began), in this wide-ranging exchange, Courtney discusses her background in film and the interesting road that led her to write about movies as well as some of the films she's currently watching in quarantine.Veering off-topic for a terrifically fun segment about '80s music, at the end of the episode, Jen took the opportunity to ask the devoted nail polish collector about some of her favorite polishes (including 2 that tie in with film).Originally Posted on Patreon (6/18/20) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/38377839Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

A talented, thoughtful writer, Peter Avellino's long-form essays on the movies that fascinate and frustrate him make his blog Mr. Peel's Sardine Liqueur a must-read for cinephiles. One of Jen's first friends on Twitter, it was such a pleasure for her to talk to Peter live and in-person through the magic of Skype and she knows you'll enjoy this chat about Peter's quest to hunt for buried treasure as he unearths great streaming library finds, how and why certain films compel him to write about them, and movies in general. This is Jen's first time including an epilogue or post-script after their conversation and if you listen to this episode on Spotify, Apple, Google Play, or Stitcher, etc., please check back to her Patreon's original upload of this episode to visit some of the links below so you can check out Peter's writing as well as some of the topics and titles they mentioned throughout.Originally Posted on Patreon (6/8/20) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/38027546Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

From her early days learning how to keep readers interested with creative letter writing to what life is really like for critics when they show up for a film festival, Jen Johans greatly enjoyed her wide-ranging conversation with the talented and always friendly New York based freelance writer Tomris Laffly.A fellow fan of Steven Spielberg's often overlooked film The Terminal, in this episode, Tomris not only shares some great ideas for art and classic movies to watch but also two apps that will give us the opportunity to watch with friends long-distance that you just might want to check out right now.Originally Posted on Patreon (6/1/20) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/37791727Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

The kind, wise, quick-witted, and talented critic Nell Minow of MovieMom.com clicks so quickly with Jen in this episode that this half-hour flies right by. In fact, Jen agreed with her taste so often that she's sure she said the phrase "I love that" or "love it" at least thirty times. From Turner Classic Movies and outstanding film recommendations for families to a thoughtful discussion about writing reviews online and her adventures seeing movies reel-to-reel at the Library of Congress, Episode 6 is sure to delight film lovers.Originally Posted on Patreon (4/30/20) with links to topics & films mentioned here.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

The human embodiment of sunshine, Jen joins freelance illustrator, blogger, and film fan Kate Gabrielle for a fun conversation covering a wide variety of topics including Target, the power of perfume, Kate's new classic movie game show Box Office Draw on YouTube, the creative ideas you have in the shower, Dante's Peak, Sandra Dee and Bobby Darin movies, the little details you'll find in the films of Truffaut, fan letters, and what Alain Delon has in common with Arnold Schwarzenegger.Note: There were technical difficulties with the recording so format the finished audio isn't quite as polished and clear as the other podcasts you've heard so far. Thank you in advance for your understanding!Originally posted on Patreon (4/17/20): https://www.patreon.com/posts/watch-with-jen-5-36101751Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

Jen joins her brother from another Illinois mother - actor, writer, Second City teacher, and Game Show Network Get a Clue & Daily Draw host Rob Belushi - for a fun Heat, Tombstone, and Scorsese movie quote filled wide ranging discussion about their mutual film obsessions, unputdownable books and the authors who wrote them, the great Joe Pesci, creative friends, Kurt Russell, and Rachel Maddow.Note: Originally posted on Patreon (4/16/20) with links here.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

In this episode, host Jen Johans joins one of her oldest Twitter friends, the incredibly talented and delightful podcaster, Indiewire TV editor, and freelance entertainment writer Kristen Lopez for a lively chat about Turner Classic Movies, disability representation onscreen, film books, her podcast Ticklish Business, as well as her work fostering kittens until they're ready for adoption.Originally Posted on Patreon (4/14/20): https://www.patreon.com/posts/36015522Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

Enjoy a thoughtful conversation with the always entertaining, warm, passionate, and talented freelance film and TV journalist Candice Frederick. A writer who's contributed to numerous publications including Harper's Bazaar & The New York Times, Candice discusses everything from therapeutic cooking to the joy of comfort movies like Pretty in Pink as well as how she's adapting to quarantine life.Originally Published on Patreon (4/8/20): https://www.patreon.com/posts/35760814Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

If her main podcast Watch With Jen is the studio track with lots of research and a dozen takes to get the right sound, then Jen's sister podcast Watch With Jen & Friends is the fun, live acoustic version where each week, she calls up a friend and they just talk movies and riff.Today's guest is Jordan Harper. A brilliant author with a quick, fresh wit, really cool taste, and a laid back conversationalist, it's inspiring to hear him wax about everything from MTV's The Challenge to Japanese women in prison films with the reverence most would save for Fellini and Bergman. Definitely a great way to open up this series - Jordan's first visit won't be his last.Originally published on Patreon (4/5/20): https://www.patreon.com/posts/35683689Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

A talented actor turned writer-director, from shooting a TV movie in his teens alongside Oscar winners to voicing Disney's Peter Pan to writing a film for actors Don Cheadle and Joseph Gordon-Levitt to helming his own well-respected indies, Blayne Weaver has had an extraordinary career.Jen first befriended Blayne roughly ten years ago, after she saw, loved, and reviewed his romantic comedy Weather Girl and then watched him have the most polite (and justified) freakout known to man in Paul Osborne's film festival documentary Official Rejection. She's been looking forward to having him on the show since she launched it back in March.In this lively discussion, Blayne regales us with great behind-the-scenes stories from three decades of making movies, discusses the difficulties of directing a Christmas film in the middle of the summer (and in the middle of a pandemic!), and breaks down his influences from James Bond to Batman. A terrifically fun chat, there's something for everyone in this episode.Originally Posted on Patreon on 7/31/20 here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/39931225

Thoughtful, kind, and ambitious, Blake Howard is a podcaster, critic, and the man behind the acclaimed podcast One Heat Minute, who spun off his success with that show into a whole collection of great new film obsessive podcasts under the One Heat Minute Productions umbrella.Relishing the chance to have another fun discussion with Jen's favorite Australian, in this fast-paced episode, Blake shares his advice for podcasters, generously gives a number of shout-outs to their mutual friends and faves, and reveals what he's been watching lately.Knowing that his fans would be as curious as Jen was as to whether or not the insanely prolific man sleeps, what first hooked him on film, and his new and upcoming shows, Jen Johans will admit that she picked his brain far more than they just kicked back and talked about movies. Luckily, however, the best thing about Blake is that you’re always going to get a nice mix of philosophy, film, and life regardless of the topic and this episode is no exception.Originally Posted on Patreon (3/25/20) with links here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/37521588Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

A talented film writer and podcaster with an infectious love of cinema & physical media, Stephanie Crawford's passion for film shines through on her popular Twitter account and also in real life, as Jen Johans quickly discovered when she chatted with her last week.In a freewheeling, wide-ranging discussion, the two discuss DVD commentary tracks, what not to use for an online password, director Ken Russell's work, the perils and pleasures of organizing one's movie collection, and agreed that it's about time to give Kirsten Dunst's filmography and Donald O'Connor's contribution to Singin' in the Rain the reverence their work deserves.Originally Posted on Patreon on 5/22/20 here complete with links to titles & topics discussed: https://bit.ly/36v0WEATheme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

We've reached the 10th episode of Watch With Jen, which means that this installment brings the number of films that host Jen Johans has recommended to 50! From journalism movies to a 19-year-old summer comedy, as well as Hitchcockian train fare, a foodie film, & a contemporary classic from Argentina, here's hoping you'll find something you can't wait to check out in these wide-ranging picks.Originally Posted on Patreon (5/18/20) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/37270109.Theme Music: The Guitarist by Jahzzar, Free Music Archive

When you ask Film Freak Central senior critic and former University of Denver film professor Walter Chaw a question, you're going to get an answer that's as articulate as it is profound. Friendly and contemplative, for Jen Johans, it was both an honor and a delight to speak with the former VP of Operations at Denver's Alamo Drafthouse about life during quarantine for introverts, advice he has for aspiring critics, his philosophy of film writing as personal excavation, the many rich and varied experiences he's had hosting movies and watching them with filmmakers, as well as his recent movie and music discoveries.The type of conversation that begs to be listened to at least twice to fully absorb all of the striking anecdotes and pearls of wisdom he tosses off as easily and selflessly as if he were sharing the ingredients to his favorite recipe, Jen hopes you'll enjoy this chat with the great Walter Chaw as much as she did.Originally Posted with Links to Titles & Articles Mentioned on Patreon (5/15/20) here.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

Taking you around the world for 4 of the 5 features, we go from the underworld of contemporary Northern Ireland to Guernsey island in WWII, then travel to the American south in the 1990s, the beaches of southern France in the early '00s, before we meet a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders in modern day Denmark.A lively episode, E9 is filled with observations about hammers as weapons, letter writing as the perfect way to get to know someone, why Francis Ford Coppola is too hard on himself, sexless sex comedies, how stressful it is for a habitual check splitter like Jen Johans to watch a woman take a man to the cleaners, and the power of a compelling one man show. Needless to say, this one covers a wide range of topics and titles. Enjoy!Originally posted on Patreon (5/11/20) with links to titles & topics discussed here.Theme Music: The Guitarist by Jahzzar, Free Music Archive

Warm, witty, and a wonderfully fun conversationalist, Peckerwood author and Hardboiled Wonderland blogger Jedidiah Ayres and Jen Johans dove right into a free-flowing discussion about blogging, the perils and pleasures of adapting books to film, great double feature ideas, and mutual pals on Twitter and the result is this fast-paced episode.Originally Posted on Patreon (5/6/20) with links to people, films, and sites mentioned here.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

Intelligent, thoughtful, and kind, when you speak to author William Boyle (whose new critically acclaimed novel City of Margins has just been released), he takes you on a trip through his influences and current filmic obsessions. Digging for new treasure, whether it's in the stacks of physical media that both he and Jen have in common or through the many streaming services he scours when he's pursuing a certain thread of titles, this 45-minute conversation spans everything from his work guest editing the newest volume of ByNWR to a cool overview of the movies of Tony Scott. And while the freewheeling chat may have gotten off to an embarrassing start as Jen plum forgot to hit record, it led them in so many great directions - and to a few shout-outs to their mutual pals - that Jen recommends listening with a notebook and pen so you can jot down some of the movies he mentions throughout.Note: Originally Posted on Patreon (5/3/20) with links to films, sites, and people mentioned HERE.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive