Watch With Jen™

This week, I was so pleased to welcome back one of the funniest guests I've ever had, the quick-witted, fresh, and very clever Sean Burns. A staff writer at WBUR's The ARTery and 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. Additionally, a graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and the recipient of 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, The House Next Door, Movie Mezzanine, RogerEbert.com, and more. Additionally, he's also a projectionist who can tell you exactly what's wrong if you're messing up the presentation of a movie at an AMC Theater.Following up on an impromptu pact we made the last time Sean was a guest where we impossibly discovered that although we were both movie-obsessive teens at the time, neither one of us had ever bothered to see Disclosure, we turned that promise into today's theme. Investigating the sexy, sleazy side of Michael Douglas, in this very funny, adults-only episode, we take a closer look at Fatal Attraction, Basic Instinct, Disclosure, and Solitary Man in order to evaluate the man, the myth, the Michael in Lothario Mode. The ideal soundtrack for your household chores or whatever you decide to do in the kitchen (just please, take the dishes out of the sink first) and the ultimate conversation to hear on your way to dance awkwardly in a deep v-neck sweater in a nightclub on a Saturday night, I know you'll dig this one.Note: Due to content & language - perfectly fitting our subject, of course - this episode is rated E for Explicit.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveOriginally Posted on Patreon (9/18/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/56321819

Pack your sunglasses, suits, smokes, and Stetson hats, and get ready for a tour of international crime movies. In case the title of today's show didn't already give it away, this episode is different. Inspired by some of the requests I received from Patreon donors at "The Right Stuff" level who were looking for segments about new westerns, John Woo, and crime movies in general, I put together my first compilation episode based solely on the wishes of Watch With Jen fans.Fine-tuning the topics and enlisting the help of a few friends, including Blake Howard, Jordan Harper, and Kate Gabrielle, I created this epic collaboration that clocks in at the length of Ivan Sen's brilliant Aussie western Goldstone, which is one of the films you'll hear discussed today. I hope you'll enjoy these terrific conversations and want to thank you so much for your continued support! There are plenty of surprises ahead, including a new monthly spin-off podcast you'll learn about towards the end of this episode.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveOriginally Posted on Patreon (9/14/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/56159326

This week, I welcome one of my dearest friends back to the podcast. A talented freelance illustrator, blogger, and film fan, Kate Gabrielle is the designer of both the season one and two versions of our gorgeous Watch With Jen logo. As a professional artist, she's not only worked with the TCM Film Fest, Netflix, Doubleday, Mental Floss, and more but also runs her own brightly colored, uplifting shop KateGabrielle.com as well.In her third solo and fourth total appearance on the show so far, Kate returns to discuss four movies starring one of her favorite actors, the gifted Dirk Bogarde. Focusing on So Long at the Fair, Darling, Modesty Blaise, and Accident - all of which she introduced to me - we delve into what makes these titles distinct works of classic British cinema and of course, what Bogarde does so well in all of them.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveOriginally Posted on Patreon 9/10/21 here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/56012404

Nobody makes a creative, ultra-specific crime subgenre Letterboxd list quite like my good friend, Peckerwood and Fierce Bitches author Jedidiah Ayres. Inspired by his inventive and comprehensive "Just Dew It" list of Extreme Sports Crime Films (and their close relatives), we selected four titles to watch and discuss which were made and released during our childhood and teen years. Although we reference several movies throughout, in this episode, we focus on BMX Bandits, Point Break (1991, of course), Cliffhanger, and Drop Zone.In sharing stories about our relationships to the films as well as what we think makes them so special (or at least intriguing!), Hardboiled Wonderland blogger Jed Ayres relays the single greatest "how I first saw ___" story I've heard on this podcast so far. It has everything - subterfuge, daring, ingenuity - and it's honestly, very incredible and very Jed. So buckle up, make sure your parachute works, and try to avoid any flamethrowers or kids on bike as you listen to this fun installment of Watch With Jen.Note: Recorded in mid-August, I referenced my vaccinated dad's recent Covid diagnosis. I'm pleased to report that he is well today, thanks to that vaccine!Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveOriginally Posted on Patreon here (9/5/21): https://www.patreon.com/posts/55798166

This week, I'm honored to welcome back my favorite crime writer working today. Novelist Megan Abbott is the Edgar-winning author of such acclaimed, rich works as Give Me Your Hand, You Will Know Me, The Fever, Dare Me, Queenpin, and more. Her newest title The Turnout was released on August 3rd and became not only a Today Show "Read with Jenna" book pick but also a New York Times bestseller as well.An impressive film buff who is as delightful as she is intelligent, I loved hearing Megan's fresh perspective on Martin Scorsese movies at the start of our 2021 season and was so thrilled to have her back to talk about the incredible Judy Holliday for this podcast today. Essentially discussing all of her movies, we focused mainly on The Marrying Kind, It Should Happen to You, Phffft, and The Solid Gold Cadillac. In the process, we take a look at what Holliday brought to these films, how with a 172 IQ, she was so much more than the stereotypical "dumb blonde" synonymous with her Oscar-winning performance in Born Yesterday, and also considered how she might have been gray-listed after cleverly refusing to name names during a HUAC hearing in 1950.Clocking in at under an hour, this celebratory yet thorough chat is as quickly paced as one of Holliday's deliciously brisk films. And the result is an episode that classic movie fans, in particular, will be sure to love!Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveOriginally Posted on Patreon on 8/31/21 here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/55580653

This week, I was so excited to welcome back my friend, author S.A. Cosby, who I'm fortunate to know well enough to call Shawn.An Anthony award-winning writer from southeastern Virginia, with My Darkest Prayer and Brotherhood of the Blade already under his belt, last year, Shawn burst onto the scene with his multiple award-winning breakthrough hit Blacktop Wasteland, which drew raves from Stephen King and Harlan Coben, among others. This summer, he released his acclaimed bestselling follow-up Razorblade Tears, which was one of the books selected as a potential Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon Summer Read.As a fellow Godfather obsessive, I was thrilled when Shawn suggested exploring the career of Al Pacino in the '70s in today's episode. Delving into not only the Godfather series but also taking a closer look at two extraordinary films by Sidney Lumet - Serpico and Dog Day Afternoon - in this nearly two-hour episode, we discussed these works as well as the relative newcomer actor's rise to fame as one of the greatest character actors of his generation.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveOriginally Posted on Patreon (8/27/21) here with links to items referenced & related: https://www.patreon.com/posts/55412305

What better way to celebrate the 100th episode of Watch With Jen than with a Titanic-sized conversation about passionate Titanic filmmaker James Cameron with the ever-passionate Tomris Laffly?A contributor to Variety, RogerEbert.com, The Playlist, Timeout New York, Filmmaker Magazine, and Vulture, Tomris Laffly is a member of the prestigious New York Film Critics Circle. A noted lover of the director's work (and especially Titanic, which is one of her favorite movies), while we left out The Abyss, True Lies, and his documentaries due to time, over the course of this in-depth two-hour discussion, we take a closer look at the life, career, films, recurring themes, and obsessions of James Cameron.One of my favorite episodes that I've recorded this summer (though believe me when I say there is some GREAT stuff ahead), you won't want to miss this conversation.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveOriginally Posted on Patreon (8/22/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/55207246

In the tradition of my collaborative episodes with Bright Wall/Dark Room and the Classic Film Collective, I have another one for you today that is sure to make you see red (in a good way!).Since 1998, DVD Netflix has delivered more than 5 billion DVD & Blu-ray rentals to movie lovers in every American zip code and to military bases around the world in their famous, iconic red envelopes. With an extensive library of movies from the early 1900s to today and shows from such premium networks as HBO and Showtime, DVD Netflix is a must for physical media lovers. In this fun, chatty episode, we'll go behind the scenes to talk to some of the people behind not only DVD Netflix but also its popular online movie blog.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveOriginally Posted on Patreon (8/18/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/55055653Visit FilmIntuition.com to find links to our Patreon and the official Watch With Jen merch shop.

This week, I was honored to welcome back my gifted friend and an official friend of the show. William Boyle is the acclaimed novelist of such books as Gravesend, The Lonely Witness, A Friend is a Gift You Give Yourself, City of Margins, and the upcoming Shoot the Moonlight Out.A knowledgeable film buff and a bard of Italian-American New York life, especially in the era he came of age in the 1990s (which I love since we're roughly the same age), in the past, Bill appeared to discuss the career of David Morse along with critic Nell Minow, and stopped by twice last year to chat including once about actor Mickey Rourke.This time, he joined me to discuss five of his favorite underrated, overlooked, and/or largely forgotten Italian-American films, including Fatso (1980), Mac (1992), Household Saints (1993), Angie (1994), and Two Family House (2000). In this delightfully breezy yet reflective chat, we shared some of our own family tales, our thoughts on the movies, and agreed that since we have no idea how to pronounce a few of the gorgeous Italian names, we'd say them multiple ways to ensure we were right at least once. So pull up your chair, prepare and plate some pasta, and enjoy it along with a hearty sauce and this rich conversation.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveOriginally Posted on Patreon (8/7/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/54636577

This week's guest is the impressive critic, in-demand lecturer, and insightful author, Mr. Adam Nayman. A contributor to The Ringer, Criterion, CinemaScope, and more, the Toronto-based Adam has written books on Showgirls, Ben Wheatley, the Coen Brothers, and Paul Thomas Anderson. His newest title, David Fincher: Mind Games is available for pre-order now and will be released in November from Abrams.If you're a fan of his work, it should come as no surprise that Adam Nayman is a very well-prepared and knowledgeable guest. In fact, he actually went above and beyond to track down a copy of an out-of-print autobiography by our subject in order to share it with us today. In this fascinating episode, he joins me to discuss the life and career of Gene Tierney as well as her films Laura, Leave Her to Heaven, Whirlpool, and Night and the City.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveOriginally Posted on Patreon (7/29/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/54276854