Watch With Jen™

It's finally here! Behold our Season 5 finale episode, which, in true Watch With Jen form is a group chat extravaganza celebrating the best new physical media releases in recent months. In this feature-length compilation, you'll hear thoughtful, articulate, occasionally personally revealing, funny, & fresh spins on NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (with novelist S.A. Cosby), Scarface - 1932 (with critic Sean Burns), THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY & GALAXY QUEST (with novelist Jed Ayres), myself on PAPER MOON, PULP FICTION, & THE SHAPE OF WATER, & A SIMPLE PLAN & PARIS, TEXAS (with novelist William Boyle). Afterward, I've included a special bonus section featuring the official Watch With Jen introduction to the film WHITE PALACE that was recorded live at the American Cinematheque in August of '24 with myself, Kate Hagen, & words by Amy Robinson. I'd dub it an Easter Egg but given the date, let's call it a Holiday Present instead. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your listenership & support this season. 2024 was our biggest year yet & I have a lot of exciting plans for 2025 in store so I hope you'll stay tuned. You'll find more writing & film recommendation videos on our Patreon soon & then the podcast should return in February of '25.Originally Posted on Patreon (12/28/24) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/118848959Listen to the Watch With Jen™ Podcast on RSS, Spotify, Google, Stitcher, Apple, Pandora, and More Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive Shop Watch With Jen logo Merchandise in Logo Designer Kate Gabrielle's Threadless Shop (+ Direct Link to the Mug) Donate to the Pod via Ko-fi

In this super-sized celebration of the Muscles from Brussels, three of my dearest friends and your listener-favorite guests return to the podcast to discuss the life and career of action star Jean-Claude Van Damme. Offering an extensive overview of his entire filmography, courtesy of the show's two certified Van Damme experts in film essayist Priscilla Page and novelist Jed Ayres, and with sharp insights on the industry from novelist-screenwriter-producer Jordan Harper, this sunny, research-filled, frequently hilarious, occasionally downright wild conversation is sure to delight film fans. Focusing on some of his most famous movies as well as other titles that illustrate his range and willingness to take risks, in one of the final installments of the fifth season of Watch With Jen: Season 5, we cover BLOODSPORT, CYBORG, LIONHEART, HARD TARGET, SUDDEN DEATH, DOUBLE TEAM, JCVD, and THE BOUNCER. Note: Today's release coincides with the 18th birthday of my website Film Intuition. While I'm currently sidelined by a nasty case of pneumonia following COVID and unable to record a video or a new full-length episode with a strong voice, I hope to do so soon. In the meantime, I truly want to thank you for your listenership and readership over the years. Your support means the world. Originally Posted on Patreon (12/9/24) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/117577434

A film critic for publications & companies such as LA Weekly, New York Magazine, Vulture, The New York Times, The Criterion Collection, & formerly, The Village Voice, the brilliant Bilge Ebiri is one of my favorite journalists working today. Reuniting with Bilge to celebrate & evaluate the filmography of the great actor Russell Crowe, in this warm, chatty conversation, we look back at the movies that made Crowe a star along with some of his most legendary turns, including PROOF, ROMPER STOMPER, THE INSIDER, GLADIATOR, CINDERELLA MAN, & THE NICE GUYS. Originally Posted on Patreon (12/2/24) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/117182519 Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive Shop Watch With Jen logo Merchandise in Logo Designer Kate Gabrielle's Threadless Shop Donate to the Pod via Ko-fi

To celebrate the 55th birthday of "Sesame Street," I had a wonderfully inspiring chat with the legendary Noel MacNeal about his incredible decades-spanning career. From wrangling puppets on "Sesame Street" in 1982 to becoming "Bear in the Big Blue House" in 1997 to currently working as the resident puppeteer on "Last Week Tonight" Noel's rich, candid, & witty stories about everything from the tricks of the trade to how children on the spectrum & with special needs respond to puppet characters will warm your heart. Bio: Noel MacNeal launched his career performing on PBS’s award-winning Sesame Street, where he honed his craft with puppetry legends Jim Henson and Frank Oz. He is a script and television directorial adviser and consultant for the international versions of Sesame Street, and has directed episodes of Sesame Street, Bear in the Big Blue House, and has won an Emmy Award for his direction on Sesame Street. Noel is currently the resident puppeteer for the HBO series Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. His puppet-making book 10-Minute Puppets with Noel MacNeal and the follow-up BOX are both with Workman Publishing. He’s also written his autobiography “Hey, This Was Really Fun: Life Lessons from Sesame Street to The Big Blue House & Beyond” available on Amazon. Noel lives in Brooklyn with his wife, novelist Susan Elia MacNeal (of the award-winning Maggie Hope historical mystery series and Mother, Daughter, Traitor, Spy from Penguin Random House). Originally Posted on Patreon (11/18/24) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/116245968Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive Shop Watch With Jen logo Merchandise in Logo Designer Kate Gabrielle's Threadless Shop Donate to the Pod via Ko-fi

My dear friend, Letterboxd managing editor Mitchell Beaupre returns to the show to discuss the filmography & mystique of one of cinema's coolest counterculture icons, Elliott Gould. Giving a thoughtful overview of the way that his work has evolved over the years, in this engaging conversation, we focus on three of what we consider to be Gould's greatest cinematic staples: THE SILENT PARTNER, THE LONG GOODBYE, & CALIFORNIA SPLIT. Mitchell's Bio:Mitchell Beaupre is the Managing Editor for Letterboxd, whose writing on film has also appeared at Paste Magazine, The AV Club, The Film Stage, Little White Lies, & The Playlist. Originally Posted on Patreon (11/10/24) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/115729513Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive Shop Watch With Jen logo Merchandise in Logo Designer Kate Gabrielle's Threadless Shop Donate to the Pod via Ko-fi

It’s Jen x2! In easily the most stressful week of an incredibly fraught fall, I know we could all benefit from a little extra kindness and positivity, which just so happen to be two of the qualities most filmgoers associate with actor Paul Rudd. Chatting with Vulture's delightful TV critic Jen Chaney, who literally wrote the book on writer-director Amy Heckerling's masterful 1995 romcom CLUELESS, the two of us spent a breezy hour celebrating some of Rudd's most iconic & intriguing roles, including the films CLUELESS, WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER, ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND OF RON BURGUNDY, I LOVE YOU MAN, OUR IDIOT BROTHER, & ANT-MAN, in particular. Touching on everything from his ability to play both broad & more character-based comedy to his work on the small screen as well as his loyalty to the friends he collaborates with repeatedly (sometimes in tiny indies with next to no budget), I hope this episode gives you a mini-escape from election week stress, especially because Jen tells so many stories that are sure to make you smile.Guest Bio: Jen Chaney is a TV critic and writer for Vulture and New York magazine. She's also the author of the book AS IF: THE COMPLETE ORAL HISTORY OF CLUELESS. She previously worked at The Washington Post and has contributed to the New York Times, Vanity Fair, and other publications. Originally Posted on Patreon (11/3/24) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/115288406Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive Shop Watch With Jen logo Merchandise in Logo Designer Kate Gabrielle's Threadless Shop Donate to the Pod via Ko-fi

Author Stephanie Wrobel takes a break from the busy book tour for her acclaimed, addictive new mystery novel THE HITCHCOCK HOTEL to talk about writing, what it takes to navigate multi-character arc narratives, & lessons in suspense from the Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. In addition to covering her exciting mystery, we discuss three of the biggest Hitchcockian sources of inspiration for the work via the films PSYCHO, ROPE, REBECCA, & much more. Bio: Stephanie Wrobel is an international and USA Today bestselling author. Her debut, DARLING ROSE GOLD, has sold rights in twenty-one countries and was a finalist for the Edgar Award for Best First Novel & her latest novel is the wonderful THE HITCHCOCK HOTEL. Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive Shop Watch With Jen logo Merchandise in Logo Designer Kate Gabrielle's Threadless Shop Donate to the Pod via Ko-fi Originally Posted on Patreon (10/24/24) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/114580335

We don't cover TV very often on Watch With Jen so you know that when my guests & I dedicate an entire episode to a television series, it's something we wholeheartedly recommend you seek out. (In fact, THE AMERICANS, COLUMBO, TERRIERS, HALT & CATCH FIRE, MR. INBETWEEN, & SUCCESSION are among the few exceptions to this film-centric show in over 200 podcast installments.)As the opposite of a true crime buff who usually avoids serial killer stories in entertainment (except ZODIAC), this season, my good buddies, actor-producer Rob Belushi & the prolific podcaster Blake Howard challenged me to watch & discuss Netflix's critically lauded series MINDHUNTER, produced by David Fincher. Although I warned them at the beginning of the experiment that if I started having nightmares, they'd get a phone call no matter what time it was, I soon found myself fully hooked on the marvelous series about the start of the FBI criminal profiling unit, starring Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany, & Anna Torv.Coming together to hash everything out in this surprisingly rollicking, enlightening, & story-filled analytical chat, we investigate MINDHUNTER, bond over our affection for McCallany as Bill Tench (as well as the rest of the amazing cast), enjoy Rob's impressions, share some experiences from my life that scare the boys, & more. While unfortunately, we can't deliver the third season of the show so many of you want, we hope you'll consider this appreciation of MINDHUNTER the next best thing to tide you over.Originally Posted on Patreon (10/14/24) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/114006176Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music ArchiveShop Watch With Jen logo Merchandise in Logo Designer Kate Gabrielle's Threadless ShopDonate to the Pod via Ko-fi

One of my most soulful & philosophical guests, my good friend, Vulture TV critic Roxana Hadadi returns to Watch With Jen to discuss character actor Edward Norton's career. Paying particular attention to his '90s & early aught heyday, in this thoughtful conversation, we discuss his films & performances in PRIMAL FEAR, AMERICAN HISTORY X, FIGHT CLUB, 25TH HOUR, KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, & more. Along the way, we share our connections to & memories of some of these generation &/or decade-defining works.Roxana's Bio:A TV critic with Vulture, who also writes about film & pop culture, previously Roxana was the film editor & a critic with Pajiba, & her reviews, essays, recaps, and other writing have also been published by The AV Club, Polygon, RogerEbert.com, The L.A. Times, Crooked Marquee, The Playlist, Fox Digital, The Criterion Collection, GQ, & Inverse. Originally Posted on Patreon (10/8/24) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/113547920Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive Shop Watch With Jen logo Merchandise in Logo Designer Kate Gabrielle's Threadless Shop Donate to the Pod via Ko-fi

This week, I was delighted to be joined by two New York Times best-selling novelists who happen to live right here in Arizona & both of whom I met through Barbara Peters' wonderful world-famous independent Poisoned Pen Bookshop in Scottsdale. Jenn McKinlay is the award-winning bestselling author of several mystery & romance series & her work has been translated into multiple languages & in countries all over the world. Hard at work on her next books, Jenn's latest releases include LOVE AT FIRST BOOK, FONDANT FUMBLE, & her upcoming holiday-themed mystery A MERRY LITTLE MURDER PLOT is available on October 8. Paige Shelton had a nomadic childhood, as her father's job as a football coach took the family to seven different towns before she was twelve years old. After college at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, Paige moved to Salt Lake City, where she thought she'd only stay a few years, but she fell in love with the mountains & a great guy who became her husband. In 2015, her family moved to Arizona. In addition to the SCOTTISH BOOKSHOP MYSTERIES, she also writes the ALASKA WILD book series which began with THIN ICE. Her other series include the FARMERS' MARKET, COOKING SCHOOL, & DANGEROUS TYPE mysteries. PERFECT STORM, the sixth ALASKA WILD series title will be out on December 3, 2024, & WRITTEN IN STONE, the 10th SCOTTISH BOOKSHOP mystery is coming to stores on April 1, 2025.Given that not only do Jenn & Paige adore libraries & indie bookstores like Poisoned Pen but they also write mysteries set in bookshops, the idea of doing an episode centered on our love of books, movies, & bookshop movies seemed like a perfect fit! Warm, breezy, funny, & fast-paced, in addition to discussing the films DESK SET, 84 CHARING CROSS ROAD, & YOU'VE GOT MAIL, this wide-ranging episode touches on everything from their love of literature to the writing process itself. I had the best time with the prolific & insightful Jenn & Paige & you're sure to love our conversation as well.Originally Posted on Patreon (10/2/24) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/113178419Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive Shop Watch With Jen logo Merchandise in Logo Designer Kate Gabrielle's Threadless ShopDonate to the Pod via Ko-fi