Watch With Jen™

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

Talented freelance writer and notable film critic Candice Frederick returns to the podcast to discuss some of her favorite holiday movies in this engaging, laugh-filled conversation that takes listeners chronologically from classic Hollywood films of the '30s through the animated smash How the Grinch Stole Christmas and all the way up to Elf.Originally Posted on Patreon on 12/16/20 here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/45120600Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

One of the hardest working women behind-the-scenes of a major brand, Annie Jung is the marketing manager of DVD Netflix (which amazingly, is a team of one) and is constantly coming up with great ideas for engagement both for the site's official blog as well as through a variety of fun DVD Chats on Twitter. Additionally, a lover of good books, with - under normal circumstances - a passion for travel, Annie enjoys quality scotch, fine cheese, and finding new films to add to her DVD Netflix queue.Eager to explore her great affection for period pictures, in this entertaining overview of five of her favorites, we discuss everything from American Girl Dolls and the treasures waiting for you at Goodwill to memorable film scores and the surprising amount of agency women have in period vs. modern fare.Originally Posted on Patreon on 12/7/20 here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/44775370Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

Just in time for the holidays, here's a new episode of Watch With Jen where I'm recommending not just five but - thanks to one trilogy - seven fun ensemble films for you to track down. From a foreign comedy to a globe-trotting screwball romantic comedy action movie to two modern adaptations of a classic play to an epic '70s puzzle, there's bound to be something here for every type of film fan.Originally Posted on Patreon on 11/25/20 here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/44310048Theme Music: The Guitarist by Jahzzar, Free Music Archive

Witty, singular, and iconoclastic, Iranian-American feminist pop culture writer Roxana Zivar Hadadi is a film and television critic who's been published by RogerEbert.com, The A.V. Club, Crooked Marquee, Vulture, The Playlist, and Bright Wall/Dark Room. A bright light on Twitter with her fresh perspective and bold humor, the Baltimore based Roxana – who holds a Masters in Literature – is a member of the D.C. Area Film Critics Association, the Alliance of Women Film Journalists, the Online Film Critics Society, and is a contributing, approved critic to Rotten Tomatoes.I couldn't have been more excited when Roxana suggested Sofia Coppola's filmography as the topic of this episode. Coppola is not only one of my very favorite directors and someone whose work I've written about multiple times, but oddly enough, she also inspired my film school nickname of "Sof," which was bestowed upon me by a guy who insisted I looked like the gorgeous filmmaker, despite my arguments to the contrary.In this super-sized episode, which runs the length of Lost in Translation, Roxana and I embark on a chronological journey through each one of Coppola's seven feature films. Offering an insightful, entertaining, and in-depth analysis of what these movies mean to us, we discuss recurring themes in Coppola's work and the way that her films reflect both the female experience as well as her own unique point-of-view.A must-listen for Sofia Coppola fans and/or a conversation that will hopefully inspire you to take a closer look at her filmography, it was a joy and a privilege to chat with Roxana in what is easily one of my favorite episodes of Watch With Jen & Friends so far.Originally Posted on Patreon (11/12/20) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/43828132Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

Award-winning novelist and cinephile William Boyle returns to the podcast for a terrific hour dedicated to some of the most overlooked films and performances of gifted, tough but tender character actor Mickey Rourke, including Rumble Fish, Homeboy, Year of the Dragon, Johnny Handsome, among others.Yet while a bulk of the episode is dedicated to Rourke, the wide-ranging conversation eventually veers into musical territory as they chat about their mutual love of Tori Amos, before closing things out by discussing the Halloween (and everyday) horrors that await viewers in the work of David Lynch.Originally Posted on Patreon (10/30/20) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/43334046Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive

I'm joined once again by the highly entertaining, encyclopedic film critic and lawyer Nell Minow of MovieMom.com and RogerEbert.com for a timely episode on fall and Halloween movies you're sure to enjoy.Fast-paced and fresh, whether she's discussing the vacations taken by Alan Alda and Carol Burnett in The Four Seasons, Haynes at his most Sirkian in Far From Heaven, the nonsensical joys of Hitchcock's The Trouble With Harry, or those geniuses at Laika studios, Nell delivers great film insights with a friendliness that makes her both a must-listen and a must-read.Originally Posted on Patreon (10/24/20) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/43110692Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive