On episode 209 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch contributors Josh Parham and Kevin L. Lee discuss Ridley Scott’s latest film Napoleon and give out their Top 5 Ridley Scott films.

With one of the most interesting filmographies of all time, director Ridley Scott’s mark on cinema is one that will always leave you curious. In making some of the best, most influential films of his time, Scott has become a Hollywood journeyman, specializing in visual spectacle. Though he has just as many misfires as he does hits, there is always something drawing you into the theaters to see his latest film, regardless of how good or bad the last one was. With this in mind, Ryan, Josh, and Kevin review Napoleon, Scott’s nearly three-hour epic about the French Emperor and the love of his life Josephine, played by Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby. Their reactions to the film vary, leading to a very good conversation. Afterwards, they transitioned into talking about their Top 5 Ridley Scott films, with discussions over titles such as The Last Duel, Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator, Thelma and Louise, Matchstick Men, and more.

You can listen to The AwardsWatch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music and more.

This podcast runs 1h46m. We will be back next week to talk about our updated Oscar predictions and our Top 5 Films We Saw Way Too Young. Till then, let’s get into it.

Music: “Modern Fashion” from AShamaleuvmusic (intro), “B-3” from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro)

Welcome to Director Watch! On this AwardsWatch podcast, co-hosts Ryan McQuade and Jay Ledbetter attempt to breakdown, analyze, and ultimately, get inside the mind of some of cinema’s greatest auteurs. In doing so, they will look at their filmographies, explore what drives them artistically and what makes their decision making process so fascinating. Add in a few silly tangents and a fun game at the end of the episode and you’ve got yourself a podcast we truly hope you love. On episode 20 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by Managing Editor of RogerEbert.com Brian Tallerico to discuss the next film in their Paul Thomas Anderson series, Magnolia (1999).

After making a giant statement with Boogie Nights, Paul Thomas Anderson took it up a notch with his third feature film centered around a cast of lonely characters connected grief, chance, divine intervention, and the music of Aimee Mann. Inspired by the films of Robert Altman, in particular Short Cuts, PTA creates a masterful examination of the human condition and the complexities that exist in order to find peace within one’s self. Ryan, Jay and Brian dive deep into the dozens of interpretations Magnolia presents, if the film is a religious movie, PTA find his voice so early on, the darkness surrounding each story line, the performances from one of the best ensembles of the 1990s, and where Magnolia ranks in the epic year of cinema that was 1999.

You can listen to the Director Watch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music and more.

This podcast runs 1h32m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series covering the films of Paul Thomas Anderson with a review of his next film, Punch Drunk Love. You can rent it via iTunes and Amazon Prime rental in preparation for the next episode of Director Watch. Till then, let’s get into it.

Music: MUSICALIFE, from Pond5 (intro) and “B-3” from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro)

Welcome to Director Watch! On this AwardsWatch podcast, co-hosts Ryan McQuade and Jay Ledbetter attempt to breakdown, analyze, and ultimately, get inside the mind of some of cinema’s greatest auteurs. In doing so, they will look at their filmographies, explore what drives them artistically and what makes their decision making process so fascinating. Add in a few silly tangents and a fun game at the end of the episode and you’ve got yourself a podcast we truly hope you love. On episode 19 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by AwardsWatch Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello to discuss the next film in their Paul Thomas Anderson series, Boogie Nights (1996).

By the time you are done watching Hard Eight, you can just feel that there was something wonderful just waiting to get out, and that was the sexy, wild comedy-drama that PTA made as his second feature. Set during the late 1970s, early 1980s in the San Fernando Valley, Boogie Nights falls the rise and fall of the porn industry through the eyes of a hot shot actor, his filmmaker mentor, and a cast of eccentric, heartbreaking characters that make up this broken family. Inspired by John C. Holmes, a real life porn star, and his own short from high school called The Dirk Diggler Story. Anderson through everything but the kitchen sink at the creation of his film, ruffling feathers with his cast, crew, audiences, and people in the industry. But in doing so, he created the first of his signature masterpieces, and a film that is an essential piece of filmmaking from the 1990s. Ryan, Jay, and Sophia breakdown what makes the film so special, if PTA’s directorial influences get in the way of his creation, how is the MVP of this cast, if Leonardo DiCaprio would’ve made a good Dirk Diggler, and which character they identify with.

You can listen to the Director Watch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music and more.

This podcast runs 1h59m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series covering the films of Paul Thomas Anderson with a review of his next film, Magnolia. You can rent it via iTunes and Amazon Prime rental in preparation for the next episode of Director Watch. Till then, let’s get into it.

Music: MUSICALIFE, from Pond5 (intro) and “B-3” from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro).

On episode 208 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello and AwardsWatch contributor Jay Ledbetter discuss David Fincher’s latest film The Killer and give out their Top 5 David Fincher films.

One of the most celebrated directors of our time is a man that is fully obsessed with every detail about making a film. Known for being a perfectionist, director David Fincher has made a body of work that stands amongst many as one of the best to ever do it. From police procedurals to adaptations of popular novels to important stories based on a real life events, he prides himself in being a man that loves to showcase the process of how things are done or how we arrive at the most difficult moments humans can make. On this episode, Ryan, Sophia, and Jay breakdown why Fincher is one of their guys, what they love about him, and how his movies have shaped the good and bad tendencies of modern Hollywood. This includes talking about his latest thriller The Killer, which is streaming on Netflix and is one of the best films of the year so far, with stellar performances from Michael Fassbender and Tilda Swinton, as well as the usual excellent craft work done by Fincher and his collaborators. After that, the group breakdown their Top 5 Fincher films, that include Se7en, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Social Network, Gone Girl, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Zodiac.

You can listen to The AwardsWatch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music and more.

This podcast runs 2h25m. We will be back next week to talk about our Top 5 Best and Worst Prequels of all time. Till then, let’s get into it.

Music: “Modern Fashion” from AShamaleuvmusic (intro), “B-3” from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro).

Welcome to Director Watch! On this AwardsWatch podcast, co-hosts Ryan McQuade and Jay Ledbetter attempt to breakdown, analyze, and ultimately, get inside the mind of some of cinema’s greatest auteurs. In doing so, they will look at their filmographies, explore what drives them artistically and what makes their decision making process so fascinating. Add in a few silly tangents and a fun game at the end of the episode and you’ve got yourself a podcast we truly hope you love. On episode 18 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by Ethan Warren, Senior editor at Bright Wall/Dark Room and author of The Cinema of Paul Thomas Anderson: American Apocrypha Ethan Warren, to discuss the first film in their Paul Thomas Anderson series, Hard Eight (1996).

So begins a new series about a director that might not only be the best of his generation, but is a foundation filmmaker for both Ryan and Jay. But before he influenced them, a young PTA had to find his voice, and after breaking out with the short film Cigarettes & Coffee, he was given the chance to turn it into a feature film. In this somber directorial debut, Hard Eight follows an older gambler takes a younger, homeless kid (John C. Reilly) under his wing, and they do well making money, till they both meet a waitress (Gwyneth Paltrow) that will change their life, for better and for worse. Led a stellar performance from veteran actor Philip Baker Hall, Ryan, Jay and guest Ethan talk about the legacy of Anderson’s debut, if he wears his influences too much on his sleeve, how this movie lead to Boogie Nights, the final shot of the film, and read an interesting review for Ethan’s fantastic book.

You can listen to the Director Watch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music and more.

This podcast runs 1h38m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series covering the films of Paul Thomas Anderson with a review of his next film, Boogie Nights. You can stream Boogie Nights on Paramount + with the Showtime plan, as well as rent it via iTunes and Amazon Prime rental in preparation for the next episode of Director Watch. Till then, let’s get into it.

Music: MUSICALIFE, from Pond5 (intro) and “B-3” from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro)

On episode 207 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch Associate Editor Sophia and AwardsWatch contributors Josh Parham and Jay Ledbetter discuss who might they think will be the future stars of Hollywood with the Movie Star Stock Market.

For months, the AW podcast team have talked about the state of modern movie stars, and what the future of cinema looks like. Given how the trend of the film industry is leaning more towards IP driven films as well as a big point of emphasis on director’s names attached to projects, the role, and criteria of what we have considered a traditional movie star has changed. With this in mind, Ryan, Sophia, Josh, and Jay put together a list of forty names of actors mostly under the age of forty who they believe have the potential to be the movie stars of the future and help carry movies like the stars before them. The list of names included a wide range of talent like Timothée Chalamet, Margot Robbie, Emma Stone, Daniel Kaluuya, Austin Butler, Paul Mescal, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and many more the team had to decide if they were going to buy, sell, or hold the stock of these potential movie stars. It was a lot of fun doing this episode, we hope you enjoy it.

You can listen to The AwardsWatch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music and more.

This podcast runs 2h35m. We will be back next week to talk David Fincher’s The Killer and our Top 5 David Fincher films. Till then, let’s get into it.

Music: “Modern Fashion” from AShamaleuvmusic (intro), “B-3” from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro)

Welcome to Director Watch! On this AwardsWatch podcast, co-hosts Ryan McQuade and Jay Ledbetter attempt to breakdown, analyze, and ultimately, get inside the mind of some of cinema’s greatest auteurs. In doing so, they will look at their filmographies, explore what drives them artistically and what makes their decision making process so fascinating. Add in a few silly tangents and a fun game at the end of the episode and you’ve got yourself a podcast we truly hope you love. On episode 17 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys discuss the last film in their Lynne Ramsay series, You Were Never Really Here (2018).

In her fourth film of her career, Ramsay seemed to change direction back to the style of films she was making before We Need to Talk About Kevin, and strip everything back to a singular focus and tone rather than grander ideas. In doing so, she collaborated with one of Hollywood’s most in demand actors, Joaquin Phoenix, to create a violent, tight neo-noir crime thriller about a mercenary haunted by his past, who is hired to rescue a politician’s daughter who was kidnapped by a human trafficking network. Premiering at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017, Ramsay and Phoenix would go on to win prizes for her screenplay and his fully committed performance as Joe, some of the best work of his celebrated career. Ryan and Jay break down the film, speak briefly about Phoenix’s filmography, the film’s beautiful yet haunting ending, Jonny Greenwood’s subtle score, and give out their rankings of Lynne Ramsay’s small but fascinating body of work.

You can listen to the Director Watch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music and more.

This podcast runs 1h18m. The guys will be back next week to begin their next series covering the films of Paul Thomas Anderson with a review of his debut film, Hard Eight. You can stream Hard Eight on Pluto TV, as well as rent it via iTunes and Amazon Prime rental in preparation for the next episode of Director Watch. Till then, let’s get into it.

Music: MUSICALIFE, from Pond5 (intro) and “B-3” from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro).

On episode 206 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch contributor Sophia Ciminello recap the AFI FEST 2023.

Before they get into their final festival experience of the year, the 2023 Gotham Awards were announced last week, giving us the first nominations of the upcoming Oscar season. Voted on by a jury system of selected critics, the films listed comprised of some of the best indie films of the year, including Past Lives, Passages, Showing Up, A Thousand and One, All of Us Strangers and more. This year, the organization removed the budget cap requirements, which limited the film’s that could be considered for consideration to anything made for less than $35 million. Once they were done discussing that, Ryan and Sophia moved on to briefly talk about a big release that debuted in theaters while the podcast was off last week, Killers of the Flower Moon, and why it is one of the best films of the year, in their opinion.

After they were done talking about Scorsese’s latest, they moved on to the AFI FEST, that saw the world premieres of films like Leave the World Behind and Freud’s Last Session and closed with Bradley Cooper’s Maestro. Ryan and Sophia talk about those films, as well as their thoughts on Perfect Days, La Chimera, American Fiction, and two highlights, A Matter of Life and Death and All That Jazz, from Greta Gerwig’s special Guest Director section, showcasing five big screen classics.

You can listen to The AwardsWatch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music and more.

This podcast runs 1h27m. We will be back next week to talk about a really fun topic, our Top 5 Modern Movie Stars. Till then, let’s get into it.

Music: “Modern Fashion” from AShamaleuvmusic (intro), “B-3” from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro)

Welcome to Director Watch! On this AwardsWatch podcast, co-hosts Ryan McQuade and Jay Ledbetter attempt to breakdown, analyze, and ultimately, get inside the mind of some of cinema’s greatest auteurs. In doing so, they will look at their filmographies, explore what drives them artistically and what makes their decision making process so fascinating. Add in a few silly tangents and a fun game at the end of the episode and you’ve got yourself a podcast we truly hope you love. On episode 16 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys discuss the next film in their Lynne Ramsay series, We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011).

After coming out with two films back to back early in her career, Ramsay took nine years to return to the big screen with her third feature film that sparked tons of divisive reactions and was regarded as one of the best films of 2011 and of the 2010s decade. A tense psychological thriller about a mother’s bond with her strange, disturbed child showcased Ramsay’s unique ability to build tension throughout a complicated story, as well as the talents of one of the best working actresses in modern cinema, Tilda Swinton. Ryan and Jay breakdown their thoughts on the film, if it’s still relevant subject matter about massive killings in America is handled properly as well as the narrative logistics of the aftermath, Swinton’s stellar career, the titular actor in this film and their body of work, and how much bleak punishment is okay to put on the audience with a movie like this.

You can listen to the Director Watch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music and more.

This podcast runs 1h32m. The guys will be back next week to conclude their series covering the films of Lynn Ramsay with a review of her fourth feature film, You Were Never Really Here. You can stream You Were Never Really Here on Amazon Prime Video, as well as rent it via iTunes and Amazon Prime rental in preparation for the next episode of Director Watch. Till then, let’s get into it. 

Music: MUSICALIFE, from Pond5 (intro) and “B-3” from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro).

Welcome to Director Watch! On this AwardsWatch podcast, co-hosts Ryan McQuade and Jay Ledbetter attempt to breakdown, analyze, and ultimately, get inside the mind of some of cinema’s greatest auteurs. In doing so, they will look at their filmographies, explore what drives them artistically and what makes their decision-making process so fascinating. Add in a few silly tangents and a fun game at the end of the episode and you’ve got yourself a podcast we truly hope you love. On episode 15 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys discuss the next film in their Lynne Ramsay series, Morvern Callar (2002).

Three years after making her feature film debut, Lynne Ramsay returned with another fascinating character study in Morvern Callar, which follows a young woman whose life completely changes for better and worse following the suicide of her boyfriend. Based on the novel by Alan Warner, Ramsay and her co-writer Liana Dognini took the experimental nature of the book and expanded the scope of who this protagonist is and created a fascinating look into the life of someone who is making things up as they go in order to run away from their grief. Led by an extraordinary performance from Samantha Morton, Ryan and Jay discuss the vibrant direction by Ramsay, Morvern’s decision making process and how it fits within the rules of the film, the unsettled feeling they both had watching the film, and how this was their first experience using Freevee to watch a movie with commercials.

You can listen to the Director Watch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music and more.

This podcast runs 1h22m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series covering the films of Lynn Ramsay with a review of her third feature film, We Need to Talk About Kevin. You can stream We Need to Talk About Kevin on Amazon Prime Video, as well as rent it via iTunes and Amazon Prime rental in preparation for the next episode of Director Watch. Till then, let’s get into it.

Music: MUSICALIFE, from Pond5 (intro) and “B-3” from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro)