Watch With Jen™

As Leo Tolstoy wrote in the first sentence of Anna Karenina, "happy families are all alike, every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." Joining me to discuss five wide-ranging international films centered on families with varying levels of dysfunction is NYU trained freelance television editor and writer, producer, director Steven Santos.A New York City native who now lives in Los Angeles, for nearly fifteen years, Steven Santos has edited nonfiction TV shows for a variety of cable channels including Discovery, Animal Planet, The Travel Channel, NatGeo, A&E, TLC, History Channel, HGTV, and Oxygen.In 2010, Steven also began to produce and cut video essays solo as well as in a creative partnership with film and TV critic Matt Zoller Seitz, which led to some top-notch work both online and off as the two developed a television show about film for Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail.Returning to his first love of writing and filmmaking, after relocating to Hollywood in 2018, Steven has written and developed several film and TV projects, including scripting a full season of television by himself, while still working as a TV editor.Filled with both personal stories and cinematic analysis, in this extended episode, we dissect My Family aka Mi Familia from 1996 (set in Mexico and America), Secrets & Lies, which was made a year later in England, Festen or The Celebration, which came out of Denmark in '98, The Royal Tenenbaums from America in 2001, and France's A Christmas Tale, which was released in '08.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveOriginally Posted on Patreon (6/11/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/52386781

Joining me today is a Rotten Tomatoes approved critic and a podcaster in her own right, the wonderful Rosa Parra. A member of the Hollywood Critics Association, the Latino Entertainment Journalist Association, GALECA, and a fellow member of the Online Association of Female Film Critics, Rosa is also the co-founder and co-host of Latinx Lens. In her fun and informative podcast and companion website, Rosa focuses on highlighting Latinx representation and contributions in film and television. Additionally, Rosa, along with her co-writers and co-hosts, review all films with their unique Latinx Lens, lending a vital underrepresented perspective on cinema. An endlessly kind and supportive Twitter presence, I was so pleased to welcome her to this podcast to discuss three of the most vital filmmakers of the past 30 years, three gifted Mexican filmmakers whose groundbreaking work ushered in the Mexican New Wave in the 1990s, and three good friends who collectively call themselves the Three Amigos. The men to whom I'm referring are, of course, the marvelous Alfonso Cuarón, Guillermo del Toro, and Alejandro González Iñárritu, whose rich films inspire and challenge not just film fans but also each other. In this celebratory yet highly analytical feature-length episode, Rosa and I take a look at two movies from each director to compare and contrast their films and styles, and also chat about their collaborators, while taking the rest of their work into consideration as well. Whether it's Cuarón's unique one-two punch of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Children of Men, del Toro's feminist fantasies Crimson Peak and The Shape of Water, or the gritty realism of Iñárritu's Amores Perros and 21 Grams, Rosa and I explore it all. Needless to say, this episode is a must for film geeks! Enjoy.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveOriginally Posted on Patreon (6/3/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/52077664

In this entertainingly super-sized episode, we have two guests for the price of one! First up, is a teacher and writer from Lafayette, Louisiana. After graduating from AFI with an MFA in directing, Mike Miley first got his start as an award-winning short filmmaker. Having left life in the L.A. entertainment industry behind to work in education in California and Louisiana, Mike has taught middle and high school English for fifteen years and Film Studies at his alma mater Loyola University (New Orleans) for the past six.Additionally, an essayist and author who's written about both subjects in popular and academic publications including TheAtlantic.com and Bright Lights Film Journal, in 2015, one of his works was included as a notable literary essay in 2015's Best American Essays. Mike's first book, Truth and Consequences: Game Shows in Fiction and Film was published by the University Press of Mississippi in 2019, Conversations with Steve Erickson, which he co-edited will be released from there in July, and he is currently working on his next book - about filmmaker David Lynch - to be published in the future.Joining me to discuss four films from the '90s and early '00s that made game shows either a central focus or the goal of its characters, we move from Ron Shelton's terrifically funny White Men Can't Jump to Robert Redford's classy yet now largely forgotten Quiz Show to Paul Thomas Anderson's epic Magnolia to George Clooney's messily ambitious Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. Dissecting key points in these movies and sharing our own experiences watching these films growing up and/or in the theater, it was great fun both reminiscing and hyper-analyzing all four with Mike.Adding in a bonus round because how can you not when you're discussing game shows, after my chat with Mike, I welcomed my pal, actor, writer, and film buff Rob Belushi - who serves as a real live game show host on Game Show Network's Get a Clue - to the podcast. In a short, breezy chat, Rob shares his take on the movies Mike and I discussed and then lets us behind-the-scenes of life working on a game show. Answering some of your burning questions from social media and sharing some amusing stories, this conversation with Rob was the perfect coda to this episode.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveOriginally Posted on Patreon (5/28/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/51800513

An animation lover since childhood with fond memories of belting out songs from the contemporary Disney classic The Little Mermaid, this week I'm joined by the Rotten Tomatoes approved film critic and podcaster Rachel Wagner.In addition to covering as many films as she can each year on her website Rachel's Reviews, Rachel has a particular love of interviewing others - from actors to directors to composers to animators - anyone with an interesting story to tell. A prolific podcaster in her own right, Rachel is the founder of the very popular Hallmarkies Podcast and her own Rachel's Reviews podcast and YouTube channel which covers all things animated, including a monthly Talking Disney and Obscure Animation show.A member of the Utah Film Critics Association and the Online Association of Female Film Critics, when she isn't busy with all of that, you can find Rachel on Twitter (@rachel_reviews). Discussing her exciting adventures in podcasting and film coverage, in this fascinating hour-long episode, we take a look at three obscure works of foreign animation, including The Girl Without Hands (2016), Louise by the Shore (2016), and Away (2019). Incredibly knowledgeable on the subject, you might want to listen to Rachel's recommendations with a notebook and pen!Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveOriginally posted on Patreon (5/21/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/51530018

Kind, witty, and wildly gifted, Nikki Dolson is a prolific crime writer whose work has been published in such well-respected places as Shotgun Honey, Tough, ThugLit, and Bartleby Snopes. The author of what she affectionately calls "a novelish thing" - the book All Things Violent - Nikki has also released a short story collection entitled Love and Other Criminal Behavior. And later this year, one of Nikki's outstanding pieces will appear in the prestigious Best American Mystery and Suspense stories anthology for 2021, edited by Alafair Burke and Steph Cha.In this intriguing episode that's sure to delight bibliophiles and cinephiles alike, Nikki returns to the pod to consider all things western. From the adaptations of two stellar short western stores by Elmore Leonard and Annie Proulx (including 3:10 to Yuma and Brokeback Mountain, respectively) to Young Guns and beyond, we evaluate both what makes an adaptation successful and the genre as a whole. A woman whose wit and intelligence shines through no matter what topic, this wide-ranging installment is filled with laughter and irresistibly rapid-fire conversation. (Note: This episode contains plot spoilers)Originally Posted on Patreon (5/14/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/51266960Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

Washington City Paper film critic Noah Gittell joins me to discuss two cult-favorite Gen X titles from the '90s - our mutual favorite "Zero Effect" and the brilliant "Fight Club" - in this nerdily analytical episode. A reporter at BBC Talk Movies and a guest lecturer at Smithsonian Associates, Noah is also a freelance contributor for a number of outstanding outlets, including The Atlantic, The Ringer, The Guardian, Polygon, and The Economist.Filled with spoilers about "Zero Effect" and "Fight Club" as well as a few other twisty, unreliable narrator centrist films from the same era, in this in-depth conversation, we dissect not only what makes them great but also pinpoint their place in history then and now.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveOriginally Posted on Patreon (5/3/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/50825689

A witty and wonderful writer-director currently living in Los Angeles, Jessica Ellis attended UCLA and the prestigious American Film Institute. Having recently made her feature filmmaking debut with the lovely coming-of-age movie What Lies West, Jessica's film is now available for pre-order at all online retailers and will be released on VOD on May 11. A bright light on Twitter, in this episode, she takes us behind-the-scenes of What Lies West before dissecting some of her favorite summer adventure movies, including Dirty Dancing, Now and Then, and The Way, Way Back from her perspective as a cinematic storyteller in her own right.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveOriginally Posted on Patreon on 4/27/21 here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/50551103

This week, we have back a wonderfully talented writer I enjoyed chatting with last year: Robert Daniels. A freelance film critic based in Chicago who holds an MA in English, Robert is the founder of 812FilmReviews and has written for RogerEbert.com, The Playlist, Polygon, Consequence of Sound, and more. In this lively episode, we dissect 5 of the most offbeat characters that America's Dad - the incredible actor Tom Hanks - has embodied over the past 40 years. From the Safdie brothers' favorite Punchline to The Ladykillers, The Terminal, Cloud Atlas, and A Hologram for the King, we take a look at what Hanks brings to these unusual roles and evaluate the films themselves as well. Referencing some of our other favorites including The 'Burbs and Road to Perdition, we hope you'll enjoy this laugh-filled, rapid-fire conversation half as much as we did!Note: Exciting news! If you love the podcast and Kate Gabrielle's fabulous logo, you can now shop us on Threadless & bring home a t-shirt, sticker, &/or tote bag of your very own. More cool designs will be added soon. Check it out hereTheme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveOriginally Posted on Patreon (4/21/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/50310048

Bilge Ebiri, a prominent film critic and writer-director, dives into the golden age of legal thrillers from the '80s and '90s. He shares insights on classics like 'The Verdict' and 'A Few Good Men,' discussing their structured narratives and emotional depth. The conversation ponders why this genre has faded from Hollywood, and whether it could still engage modern audiences. They also dissect character dynamics in films like 'Suspect' and 'The Pelican Brief,' highlighting the moral complexities found within these gripping stories.

As witty as she is articulate, Diana Drumm is a critic, historian, researcher, and self-described "full-time nerd." An assistant editor at Cineaste Magazine, which is America's leading magazine on the art and politics of cinema, Diana is also the marketing coordinator at Quad Cinema, New York's first small four-screen multiplex theater. Additionally, she is assisting in the production of the upcoming memoir of the late movie theater owner and film distributor Dan Talbot of New Yorker Films and Lincoln Plaza Cinemas. She also runs the Female Film Critics Twitter account, amplifying women and gender nonbinary voices in film on social media.Particularly knowledgeable when it comes to classic British cinema and the filmography of James Mason, in a lively two-hour conversation, Diana and I dissect the Sinister Men of The Wicked Lady, Marnie, Inside Daisy Clover, Smooth Talk, and Baby Driver. From Face/Off to the psychology of Hitchcock to our own misadventures in the dating world and beyond, this is one often hilarious, wide-ranging discussion you won't want to miss.Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveOriginally Posted on Patreon (4/9/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/49837807