Watch With Jen™

One of the most prestigious and well-respected film journals on the web, Bright Wall/Dark Room is dedicated "to exploring the relationship between movies and the business of being alive." Over the past month, I was fortunate enough to speak with seven members of its editorial staff (including Bright Wall founder and editor-in-chief Chad Perman) about their favorite comfort movies and why they personally relate to and endorse each one.Comprised of seven separate conversations that play surprisingly well together, this super-sized, feature-length episode gives you the chance to hear from the passionate, articulate people who've written and/or edited some of the magazine's most moving pieces. I want to thank Chad Perman, Kelsey Ford, Ethan Warren, Carrie Courogen, Elizabeth Cantwell, Spencer Williams, and Travis Woods for their time, insight, and for trusting me enough to bring Bright Wall/Dark Room to the pod waves. Enjoy!Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveOriginally Posted on Patreon (3/8/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/48499124

A Brit with a lovely accent who's currently living in La La Land, the articulate and supportive Jumpcut Online Editor-in-chief Fiona Underhill joins me to discuss a man we both love - Mr. Paul Newman. Dissecting four of his more overlooked, unchampioned, or forgotten films that have gotten lost in the shuffle of his legendary career, Fiona takes us through four decades of his work. Along the way, we zero in on The Rack (1956), What a Way to Go! (1964), Absence of Malice (1981), and Nobody's Fool (1994) in this fast-paced, roughly hour-long episode.Originally Posted on Patreon (3/3/21) with links to items discussed here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/48286977Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

Continuing the David Morse appreciation that I began with my recent long article for DVD Netflix, talented veteran film critic Nell Minow and acclaimed novelist William Boyle return to the podcast to dissect five great performances by the remarkable character actor. Selecting a handful of diverse films that flew under-the-radar (which are all currently available to stream), we discuss recurring themes and what Morse manages to bring to each role in this entertaining episode.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveOriginally posted on Patreon (2/27/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/48089095

As kind and humble as he is knowledgeable and articulate, Blacktop Wasteland author Shawn Cosby (aka S.A. Cosby) returns to the podcast to dissect the aesthetics of Neon Noir in the movies Thief, Drive, and Good Time.Not just an award-winning writer, Shawn is also a fellow major film buff. In fact, what I loved most about this long analytical conversation is that even though we went into it assuming we'd chat about 3 movies for roughly an hour, we quickly found ourselves referencing dozens more in what soon became a feature-length conversation. (In a fitting tribute, the episode clocks in at a length that's only a few minutes longer than Drive and a few minutes shorter than Good Time.)Needless to say, if you're as nerdy as we are, you might want to listen to this episode with a notebook and pen so you can write down some of the films we excitedly fired off as we wax philosophically about all things neon and noir throughout. Hope you enjoy it!Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveOriginally Posted on Patreon (2/19/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/47755256

My dear friend - insightful and humanistic Film Freak Central senior critic and scholar Walter Chaw - returns to the podcast for a nice long soulful chat about five fascinating depictions of writers on film. In this episode, we mentally return to college English class before we escape with our favorite mentors for a deep, feature-film length evaluation of the compulsive nature of writing, film, and why we're so passionately drawn to the arts. Join us.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveOriginally Posted on Patreon (2/6/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/47205190

This week, my good friend (and official friend of the show), the talented screenwriter and Edgar award-winning author Jordan Harper returns to the podcast to share his wit and wisdom with us once again. In this episode, which runs roughly the length of STATE & MAIN and SPARTAN, we discuss the enviable filmography and singular critical theories of the Pulitzer Prize winning raconteur David Mamet. (Note: this episode contains spoilers, especially with regard to THE SPANISH PRISONER, HEIST, and SPARTAN, so please proceed with caution).Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive.Originally Posted on Patreon (1/29/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/46830352

Breaking down four of his roles that don't often get discussed, talented artist Kate Gabrielle returns to the podcast to celebrate the incredibly versatile chameleon-like character actor Ed Harris. Note: This episode does contain spoilers, particularly when we start dissecting the unsung early '90s neo-noir CHINA MOON, so please proceed with caution.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive.Originally Posted on Patreon (1/25/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/46659886

A talented film critic and podcaster based in England, Leslie Byron Pitt is a writer for Set the Tape and Vodzilla and has also been published on Film Stories and Little White Lies. Additionally featured on Inside Cinema for the BBC iPlayer, when he isn't writing or creating new pieces for print, Leslie can be found on Hustlers of Culture, a film podcast from a minority perspective, and the erotic thriller podcast Fatal Attractions.A man with terrific taste who's routinely supportive and kind to others on Film Twitter, it was a joy speaking to Leslie about three unique tales of human connection in the form of California Split, Before Sunrise, and In the Mood for Love.An engrossing and thoughtful conversation that initially raises some vital questions about contemporary cinema and social media discourse before we venture into the films just before the half-hour mark, this is a wide-ranging chat that runs the length of a feature film! So escape from the news and curl up with some great film geek speak, made even more palatable thanks to Leslie's mellifluous British accent.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive.Originally Posted on Patreon (on 1/13/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/46172484

Anthony, Edgar, Barry, and International Thriller Writers award-winner Megan Abbott is one of my favorite writers working today. Not only the prolific author of acclaimed short stories and novels, including Queenpin, You Will Know Me, and Give Me Your Hand, she has also written White Masculinity in Hardboiled Fiction & Film Noir. Formerly a staff writer on David Simon's HBO original series, The Deuce, as a screenwriter, Megan Abbott recently adapted her gorgeous novel Dare Me for the USA Network and served as a co-creator, executive producer, and showrunner of the series, which was repeatedly named one of the best TV shows of 2020 and has also just been made available to stream on Netflix as well. A Grosse Pointe Michigan native who fell in love with old movies as a child and is still a highly respected film buff, she's also been a contributor to and essayist for The Criterion Collection. Megan, who received her PhD in English and American Literature from New York University, has worked as a professor at NYU, the State University of New York, as well as the New School University, and in 2013-2014, she served as the John Grisham writer-in-residence at Ole Miss. Well known for her rich prose and female-centric spin on the crime genre, in the past, Megan edited the anthology A Hell of a Woman, which was devoted to female crime fiction, and her work has appeared in The New York Times, Salon, The Wall Street Journal, The L.A. Times Magazine, The Guardian, and more. Megan's hotly-anticipated tenth novel, The Turnout, is due to be released this summer on July 6, 2021. It was both an honor and a privilege to speak to Megan about the underrated or overlooked films of Martin Scorsese - one of her favorite filmmakers as well as mine - in this enlightening and engaging episode, which fans of her work and Scorsese's are sure to love.Note: Be sure to stay tuned after our conversation for a postscript, where I fill listeners in on the changes to the podcast this "season" in 2021.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveOriginally Posted on Patreon (1/1/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/45644845

Peckerwood novelist and Hardboiled Wonderland blogger Jed Ayres returns to the podcast to dissect classic crime movies with me along with their many remakes. Covering a total of 11 films, this episode is packed with information and great conversation, care of my intelligent, passionate friend Jed.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveOriginally Posted on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/45254657