Watch With Jen™

If you follow me on social media, you'll recall that earlier this year, I fell head over heels for Columbo. From creating a popular episode-by-episode mega-thread on Twitter to deciding that Peter Falk (who I'd long loved) was going to be one of my most-watched actors for the year on Letterboxd, I soon began steering even the most casual conversations with acquaintances back to my new favorite television obsession.Interacting with a number of fellow fans on Twitter, I started getting requests for an episode devoted to the series and eagerly recruited the great Noel Murray to join me to discuss five of his favorite Columbo mysteries. His selections include "Murder By the Book," "Étude in Black," "An Exercise in Fatality," "By Dawn's Early Light," and "Columbo Goes to College."An Arkansas-based freelance writer who covers TV, movies, and pop culture for The A.V. Club, The New York Times, The L.A. Times, Polygon, Vulture, and more, it was so great to chat with Noel about all things Columbo in this celebratory, fast-paced episode.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveOriginally Posted on Patreon (10/15/22) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/57445815

Is there a doctor in the house? Well, as it happens, this week there definitely is. A doctor of women surrealists and a freelance writer specializing in visual culture, art, couture, Old Hollywood, and more, the lovely Sabina Stent joins us to talk about some of her favorite generational soundtrack movies, including American Graffiti, Dazed and Confused, and Reality Bites in this warm, nostalgic, analytical episode that's bound to make you want to pack a mix CD, jump into your car, and drive all night. Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive Originally Posted on Patreon (10/8/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/57166998

On the podcast this week, I welcomed back a very talented and thoughtful writer as well as a man recently (and affectionately) dubbed "Film Twitter Royalty." 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. In a conversation that's equal parts witty nostalgia and astute film criticism, we took a look at the (recently) late, beloved comedy star Charles Grodin's work in the films "The Heartbreak Kid," "Seems Like Old Times," "The Lonely Guy," and "Midnight Run," and in the midst of discussing all of the food in these movies, found ourselves getting very hungry along the way.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveOriginally Posted on Patreon (9/30/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/56816129

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, this week, I was so pleased to welcome back the friendly and wise Nell Minow. The author of over 3,000 reviews since the 1990s, Nell has also written a handful of terrific film books, including 101 Must-See Movie Moments and The Movie Mom's Guide to Family Movies.Expanding upon a thoughtful, well-researched, and eye-opening article she wrote for RogerEbert.com on "19 Films That Celebrate the Art of Female Friendship," in this episode, we discuss the evolution of women in film over the years. Taking a closer look at the difference between sidekicks, frenemies, and true friendships onscreen, the pros and cons of the Bechdel Test, rebuttable presumption, and the stuffed animals we told all our secrets to as kids, in this fun, freewheeling chat, we focus on the films How to Marry a Millionaire, Steel Magnolias, and Set It Off and serve up plenty of food for thought.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveOriginally Posted on Patreon on 9/24/21 here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/56568689

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