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 66 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by hosts of the Screen Drafts podcast Clay Keller and Ryan Marker to discuss the next film in their Terrence Malick series, Song to Song (2017).

The final film in Malick’s modern, personal trilogy finds the director searching for love, loss, inspiration and faith in the music scene set in Austin, Texas. Filmed over multiple years, and at various music venues and festivals, Malick was able to explain the dirtiness that surrounds being in an artistic industry and how much of your soul you have to give up in order to find success. At the same time, he displays a location of this country that is evolving from it’s “weird” roots and becoming more conventional, losing the very thing that makes the fabric of a town like Austin so unique. In one of the liveliest DW episodes the boys have ever had, Ryan, Jay, Clay, and Ryan break down the thoughts on the film, the use of real life musician’s as actors throughout the film, Malick’s relationship with casting movie stars, their love for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, first reactions to seeing a Malick film, which one of the guys on the show is actually in the film, who got cut from the film, how it is showcases Austin, and what is the best Malick movie to show someone if they have never seen one of his films.

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 2h11m. The guys will be back next week to conclude their series on the films of Terrence Malick with a review of his next film, A Hidden Life. 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 65 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by film critic Jesse Nussman to discuss the next film in their Terrence Malick series, Knight of Cups (2015).

The second entry in Malick’s modern, personal trilogy finds the director exploring fame, love, family, faith, and one’s purpose in the city of angles with Knight of Cups. Centered around the idea of chapters in a person’s life, he uses tarot cards and their meanings to reflect on his own life, using Christian Bale as a surrogate to funnel the pain, love, and loss of his life. The result is a beautiful odyssey through the chaos and confusion of life that has been fully lived in, and doesn’t know where to go next upon reflection of the past. Ryan, Jay, and Jesse break down the film, explore Bale’s filmography, discuss the meaning behind each tarot card talked about in the film, examine Malick’s thoughts on LA and Las Vegas as his version of hell, the use of comedians throughout the film, and a special surprise at the end of the episode that you aren’t going to want to miss.

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 on the films of Terrence Malick with a review of his next film, Song to Song. 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 “Malick Mode” by Jesse Nussman (outro).

On episode 254 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch contributors Karen Peterson and Dan Bayer to review and give their reactions to the movie everyone is talking about, The Substance.

Since its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, audience can’t stop talking about the latest body horror thriller from director Coralie Fargeat, The Substance. Led by powerhouse performances from actresses Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley, and filled with tons of blood, twists, and turns, the film just came off of winning the TIFF People's Choice Award for the Midnight Madness section of the program. As it heads into theaters across the country, Ryan, Karen, and Dan break down their inventive, unique world that Fargeat created, the make-up design as well as the stellar work by the entire ensemble, making for one of the team’s favorite films of the year. They did their best to not give any of the film’s reveals away, knowing audiences show go into The Substance knowing little to nothing about it in order for the full wave of shocking moments Fargeat’s second feature presents. Also on the show this week was brief thoughts by Karen about Transformers One, and Dan’s thoughts on the TIFF Audience Winner, The Life of Chuck. A rare one-hour episode with lots packed in, so we hope you enjoy!

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 1h08m. We will be back next week to do discuss the latest film release, Megalopolis.

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 64 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by Managing Editor of RogerEbert.com Brian Tallerico to discuss the next film in their Terrence Malick series, To the Wonder (2012).

A year after his most celebrated film was released, Malick returned with something new, experimental for even his own standards. The director had looked to turn away from even more traditional storytelling, filming hours on end, searching for the meaning of his film in the edit as he made his first contemporary setting about a couple’s troubled marriage. Mirroring a lot of his own personal life, Malick examines his role in his past marriage and in turn, makes one of his saddest, brutally open films of his filmography. Ryan, Jay, and Brian breakdown their feelings on the film, why it might be considered Malick’s least successful work, the weight of expectations a movie can have on its shoulders, the wild career of Benjamin Affleck, how faith and love are tested to their ultimate limits, and how the director sees himself in this film, and if he is successful in pointing the finger at his past transgressions to make a compelling narrative.

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 on the films of Terrence Malick with a review of his next film, Knight of Cups. 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 253 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade and Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello take a look at the awards landscape now that we're in a post-Venice, Telluride and Toronto film festival world.

With Venice, led by jury president Isabelle Huppert, choosing Pedro Almodóvar's The Room Next Door, Telluride critics and audiences both going for Sean Baker's Anora and Toronto voters choosing Mike Flanagan's currently distributor free The Life of Chuck as the People's Choice, there's plenty to talk about in how these choices impact the Oscar race, solidifying some early predictions and changing up others. Telluride saw strong showings for early frontrunner Conclave and late surprise September 5, which just got a Paramount pick up and a prime awards release date while Saturday Night seems to have peaked and cratered in a matter of days.

With Nicole Kidman winning the Volpi Cup at Venice for Babygirl and Sony Pictures Classics choosing to push both Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore in TRND for lead consideration, the Best Actress conversation gets more exciting and fruitful by the day. Angelina Jolie, Mikey Madison, Amy Adams and more are all circling that final five. But a lot of internet chatter hyper-focused on that TIFF win for The Life of Chuck and understandably so; all of but one of the last 15 winners there earned a Best Picture Oscar nomination. That stat caused lots of scurrying, lots of extra math, and for many, finding a place for it in their new top 10. But, stats fall every year and sometimes instinct beats out overthinking.

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 51m. We will be back next week to do discuss the latest film release, The Substance. Till then, let’s get into it.

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

On episode 252 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello and AwardsWatch contributors Karen Peterson and Josh Parham to go back 50 years to take a look at the 47^th Academy Awards, celebrating the films of 1974.

Fifty years ago, the Academy Awards gave out the Best Picture Oscar to the first sequel in their history by awarding The Godfather Part II their highest award, as well as Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Art Direction and Best Original Dramatic Score. 1974 not only featured one of the greatest sequels of all time, but multiple masterpieces like Chinatown, The Conversation, Young Frankenstein, and many more. The Best Picture lineup, as well as the nominees, showcased a pretty stacked, diverse year at the movies, with comedies, ensemble action films, costume dramas being represented alongside prestige crime dramas that spoke to the moment. In their in-depth discussion, the AW team talked about the film year of 1974, briefly discuss talk about The Godfather Part II as a Best Picture winner, do an extensive conversation over the below the line categories and nominees for the year, and then the new version of the AW Shoulda Woulda Coulda game, where instead of individual replacements, they must decide as a group who the nominees and winners should be in the top eight categories. The rules of the game state they can only replace two of the nominees that year from each category, except in Best Picture, where the group could replace up to three films to make up the final set of five nominated films. Like past retrospective episodes, it was a fascinating, fun conversation including spirited debates, alliances, vote swinging, celebrating various movies, performances that aren’t normally talked about and more that we all hope you enjoy.

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 3h17m. We will be back next week to do discuss the latest film release, The Substance.

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 63 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson to discuss the next film in their Terrence Malick series, The Tree of Life (2011).

We’ve come to the midpoint mark of the Malick series and have hit the most important film in the filmography of the director, not just in terms of accolades and being known as one of the most important films of the 2010s, but it is also the film Jay claims as his favorite film of all time. A very personal episode of Director Watch is in store as the guys, alongside Erik, break down Malick’s most personal film to date about a journey through time, our place in the universe, what our stamp on history is, and what the meaning of life is through the eyes of a family living in a small Texas town. Ryan, Jay, and Erik talk about their relationship with The Tree of Life, how well the film has aged from when they first saw it due to growth and experience in their lives, the masterful imagery conveyed by cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, the work of Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain as not just parents to the boys in the film but as the personification of nature vs. nurture, the dinosaur sequence, the glorious ending mixed into the fascinating scenes feature Sean Penn as a grown up version of Jack, how Malick is able to evoke the viewer’s memories of their past and juxtapose it to what he is showing on screen through his characters and setting, and of course, talk about the wild Oscar season that covered the films of 2011.

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 2h17m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of Terrence Malick with a review of his next film, To the Wonder. 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 251 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch contributos Karen Peterson and Cody Dericks to discuss Tim Burton’s latest film, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, and talk about some of the favorite (and least favorite) “legacy sequels.”

While everyone is making their way back from Venice and Telluride, and others are in Toronto for TIFF, the new release of the week spark a surprise hit at the box office, and a return to form for its director, Tim Burton. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, a legacy sequel to the 1988 cult classic, took in close to $145 million at the worldwide box office after premiering to a mostly positive reception out of Venice just two weeks ago. The team break down the film, how it fits in with the original, Keaton’s performance, the evolution of the existing characters alongside the addition of new one, and what Burton should do next.

After talk about Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, they transitioned to talking about the “legacy sequel,” which is a film that follows the continuity of the original movie(s), but takes place further along the timeline and focuses on new characters with the original ones still existing in the new story. Sometimes the film can even follow the same formula as the original film, just adding in new special effects or characters to make the audience feel like they are witnessing this world for the first time; essentially a nostalgia bomb. While these don’t always work, there are some that are an exception to the rule, as Ryan, Karen, and Cody discuss when they talked about films like Top Gun: Maverick, Creed, Doctor Sleep, The Color of Money, Before Sunset, Mad Max: Fury Road, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Mary Poppins Returns, and more, including some legacy sequels that frustrate them like the recent Scream and Indiana Jones films.

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 2h05m. We will be back next week to do another AW Oscar Retrospective episode about the 47^th Academy Awards, covering the films of 1974. 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 62 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by AwardsWatch contributor Karen Peterson to discuss the next film in their Terrence Malick series, The New World (2005).

Entering a new millennium, Malick embarked on a mission to create a vision of timeless story that he had been trying to make since the 1970s. After finally getting the financing to create The New World, he sent out to create a definitive take on the story of historical figures Captain John Smith (Colin Farrell), Pocahontas of the Powhatan tribe (Q'orianka Kilcher), and Englishman John Rolfe, without having to hold true to being one hundred percent accurate to their history. He uses this love story to breakdown our human relationship with exploration and nature, and how when these worlds collide, it provides change that irreversible, beautiful, and tragic. In short, he created another masterpiece. Ryan, Jay, and Karen give their reaction and relationship to the film, speak about how hot Colin Farrell was during this era of his career, Emmanuel Lubezki luscious cinematography, Q'orianka Kilcher’s transformational performance, the movie’s connection with the past, present, future via water and boats, the poor animated Disney version of this story, and how the freedom, if the extended version of this film is worth it, and how the experimental filmmaking of this movie set a path for the modern Malick we’ve come to know.

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 2h02m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of Terrence Malick with a review of his next film, The Tree of Life. 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 250 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson, Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello, and special guest Christina Birro of Pop Culture Confidential come together to discuss their reactions to the films at the 51^st Telluride Film Festival.

The 2024 film festival season has begun and many of the biggest titles of the fall film slate, Oscar season are being released over the last week with both the Venice Film Festival and Telluride Film Festival. Based on our past episode, the Telluride Film Festival announced their line-up with the world premieres of Conclave, Nickel Boys, Saturday Night, The Piano Lesson, The End alongside with several other films, as well as movie that have premiered at other festivals like Anora, The Outrun, Maria, A Real Pain, September 5, Emilia Perez, and more. It made for a great lineup over the Labor Day weekend, and the group break down their time at the festival, talk about all the movies they saw above 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 2h01m. We will be back next week to discuss Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and talk about our favorite “legacy sequels.” 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 61 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by film critic Jake Tropila to discuss the next film in their Terrence Malick series, The Thin Red Line (1998).

After making two of the most celebrated, respected films of the 1970s, Terrence Malick spent the next twenty plus years crafting multiple projects, with nothing to show for it. Towards the beginning of the 1990s, the director was approached with the idea of crafting an adaptation of the World War II novel The Thin Red Line, which intrigued Malick enough to start working on this film, which seemed to spark every male actor in Hollywood to audition for him so they could be a part of this epic. The results of being gone from cinema for two plus decades gave us not only one of Malick’s most signature films, but what some consider to be the greatest war film of all time. Ryan, Jay, and Jake discuss their thoughts on the film, the insane roster of actors in this film, how Malick cut Adrian Brody mostly out of the film to create a new vision from the original source material, the brutality of war and what it does to a soldier’s morality, how it compares from Saving Private Ryan which came out from the same year, how something as so necessary as water becomes vital for the everyone involved, and the continued look into the career of Jim Caviezel.

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 1h58m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of Terrence Malick with a review of his next film, The New World. 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 249 of the AwardsWatch Podcast it's another all editors edition as yours truly, Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade and Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello are packed and ready to head to mountains of Colorado for the 51st Telluride Film Festival with special guest Christina Birro of Pop Culture Confidential.

As Telluride famously does, the actual lineup of films isn't released until the day of the festival (August 30) but with Venice, Toronto and New York announcements and designations of films as a 'world premiere,' 'international premiere,' 'North American premiere' or 'Canadian premiere' we have a pretty good idea of many of the films we'll be seeing, with all important world premiere titles that we'll likely be seeing before anyone like Edward Berger's papal thriller Conclave (Focus Features) starring Ralph Fiennes, John Lithgow and Stanley Tucci, Michael Gracey's Robbie Williams biopic Better Man (Paramount Pictures) with the UK star playing himself, Jason Reitman's Saturday Night (Sony Pictures), telling the story of the first night of SNL in 1975 with Gabriel LaBelle, Dylan O'Brien, Rachell Sennott, Cory Michael Smith and Willem Dafoe, Malcolm Washington's adaptation of August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning The Piano Lesson starring Samuel L. Jackson, Danielle Deadwyler and John David Washington and RaMell Ross's Nickel Boys (Amazon MGM), adapting Colson Whitehead's Nickel Boys with Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Hamish Linklater and more.

We also expect a healthy selection of Sundance and Cannes features to make their way to Telluride for a fall resurgence like A Real Pain, Emilia Pérez, Anora, The Seed of the Sacred Fig and more. Telluride medallions are also a topic of conversation with three traditionally up for grabs. Based on the expected lineup we think it will be Jason Reitman, Angelina Jolie and Samuel L. Jackson but there's a handful of possible contenders here.

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 1h10m. We will be back the week after next to recap the 2024 Telluride Film Festival. 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 60 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by AwardsWatch Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello to discuss the next film in their Terrence Malick series, Days of Heaven (1978).

Five years after delivering one of the best debut films of all time, Terrence Malick returned with an essential piece of art within his filmography, and one of the best films of the 1970s, Days of Heaven. Shot mostly in Alberta, Canada, Malick’s epic follows lovers who travel to the Texas Panhandle for work harvesting crops for a wealthy grain farmer, only for the three of them to turn into a love triangle of biblical, spiritual proportions. While the shoot and edit of the film ran so long that additional editors and crew members had to be added to the film in order to get the film to the finish line, Malick was able to deliver a mesmerizing, lyrical cautionary tale about love, lust, greed, anger, desire, and finding your sense of freedom in a new world forming around. In other words, a masterpiece. Ryan, Jay, and Sophia breakdown their relationship with the film, the beautiful house built by Jack Fisk, the logistics of the locus scene, the film’s incredible performances led by Richard Gere, Sam Shepard, and Brooke Adams, the troubled production of the film, the director’s relationship with water, the insightful narration, if Malick’s career relates to any other modern director, and how the film’s ending full encapsulates all the themes suggested or mentioned throughout the film.

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 2h16m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of Terrence Malick with a review of his next film, The Thin Red Line. 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 248 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch contributor Josh Parham to breakdown the various films in the Alien franchise and then give their thoughts on the latest entry, Alien: Romulus.

For listeners of last week’s episode, which covered the films of 1979 via a Oscar retrospective, you would’ve heard the team was really high on Ridley Scott’s masterpiece, Alien. Known as one of the most celebrated films of the 1970s, as well as one of the greatest sci-fi films ever made, Alien set a standard of excellence for the sci-fi horror genre that everyone has tried to recreate. The film then spanned many sequels, prequels, spin-off films going on for the past 45 years. Ryan and Josh discuss their relationship with the franchise, their favorite and least favorite things about each film, which includes Alien, Aliens, Alien3, Alien: Resurrection, Prometheus, Alien: Covenant, and the two Alien vs Predator films. Once they’ve gotten through all of those titles, they jump right into a SPOILER-FILLED conversation about Fede Álvarez’s Alien: Romulus (review here by Sophia Ciminello), which is a low stakes prequel set between the first two films in the franchise and stars Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson. While the film provides some decent kills, Ryan and Josh give their full thoughts on how disappointed they were by this film, and how they don’t know where the future of this franchise will go after this confusing, wasted entry left things off. It’s a very in-depth conversation we hope you like.

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 1h56m. We will be back on the next episode to preview the 2024 Telluride Film Festival. Till then, let’s get into it.

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

There aren’t many actors that are having, and about to have, a year like Jonathan Bailey.

For Showtime’s Fellow Travelers, a sprawling look at the Lavender Scare of the 1950s to the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s as told through the eyes of two lovers spanning these three decades, Bailey earned a Critics Choice Award for his performance in the series at Tim Laughlin and cheekily during his now viral speech thanking co-star Matt Bomer, “Those of you who have seen Fellow Travelers will know that Matt and I come together” and that was a moment I couldn’t let pass by in my conversation with him after earning an Emmy nomination for Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie last month.

He’ll be guest starring on the third season of Netflix’s Emmy-winning YA hit series Heartstopper in October and then the silver screen in November with the feature film version of the smash Broadway musical Wicked, portraying Fiyero, the prince of princes in the land of Oz. He’s set to return to the stage next year in Richard II and oh, he’ll also have the fourth Jurassic World film to catapult him into even more mainstream screen stardom next summer.

For Bailey though, his focus is being able to talk about Fellow Travelers and like his co-star and fellow Emmy nominee Matt Bomer (read our interview with Bomer here), bringing the truth about this period in American history is something he’s passionate about. Based on the 2007 novel by Thomas Mallon and created for television by Ron Nyswaner (Philadelphia), the story chronicles the lives of staid State Department official Hawkins ‘Hawk’ Fuller (Bomer) and rebellious but deeply Catholic political neophyte with the eagerness of a golden retriever, who wants to work in the Eisenhower administration in the late 1950s as the government began weeding out anyone suspected of homosexuality. Through marriages and children, secret retreats and rendezvous that push into the civil rights era of the 1960s, the gay sexual liberation of the 1970s and the brutality of the political reaction to the AIDS crisis of the 1980s, Hawk and Tim live deeply complicated and conflicting lives; of love and commitment, or lack thereof, of unbridled passion and sex, and ultimately acceptance.

He goes into great detail about how the book and series came to him, how much he wanted to do a gay romance of this scope after hitting such a starry stride from the huge success of Bridgerton. With both of us being gay men, Bailey’s language quickly becomes an inclusive ‘we’ and ‘our’ and he also takes time to ask what my experience and knowledge was like. I mention my grandparents, who probably never knew what the Lavender Scare was and he talks about how his 92-year old nana, who was born the same year as his character, watched the show and recalled someone she knew and worked alongside with who was gay and killed himself and that the show was able to reveal a way for her to process and understand it. He wants to relate and wants Fellow Travelers to reach and be related to. But through serious questions, Bailey and I take time to have fun. To joke about his Critics Choice speech, to talk about carrying Kylie Minogue to the stage at Hyde Park with Andrew Scott. “The real trophy for any gay man is carry Kylie Minogue,” he says, and he can’t help but comment on Bomer’s toes (“the most delicious I’ve ever come across”) and we venture into the show’s nakedly erotic and vulnerable sex scenes. So cheeky.

Bailey also wants to make sure that I knew the collective effort it took for him to bring Tim to life, shouting out his agents and reps (“The power of asking ‘why not?'”), and the cumulative nature of allyship in aligning him with gay journalists that ‘get it’ because we’re a part of the same community. “This is interview is knockout, one of my favorites,” he says, not to toot my own horn too much but then again, why not? As he says, “The conversations open when opportunities arise.”

Jonathan Bailey is Emmy-nominated in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Fellow Travelers with the episode “Make It Easy.”

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 59 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by AwardsWatch contributor Dan Bayer to discuss the first film in their Terrence Malick series, Badlands (1973).

With the summer of Tony Scott in the rearview mirror, the newest Director Watch takes a look at one of the most celebrated, unique, creative, innovative, and important American directors of all time, Terrence Malick. Within Malick’s filmography lies questions about nature, spirituality, creativity, violence, conflicting internal and external human emotion, and the longing for purpose in life. He is not only the perfect director to explore for a series, but he also happens to be Jay Ledbetter’s favorite director, setting the expectations for this director deep dive at higher levels than usual. With Malick’s first film, Badlands, the director took his first crack at tapping into the soul of the American culture he grew up in with a tale about a two young lovers who go on a killing spree in the summer of 1959. While it may seem as the most straight forward of Malick’s narrative feature film, Badlands is an engrossing examination of the past that reflects the unstable, violent world we create amongst the love and beauty that surrounds us. Ryan, Jay, and Dan discuss their thoughts on the film, what they think of Malick overall, Sheen and Spacek’s incredible performances, the exquisite, detailed work of production designer Jack Fisk, the narration sprinkled throughout the film, the loss of innocence between each of the main character and how that effects their overall love for one another, and the final fifteen minutes of the movie, which features one hell of a car chase sequence. A good start to a promising new series that is lengthy, but filled with tons of insightful detail (mostly to make sure the guys attempt to sound like they are smart when talking about the thematically heavy films of Terrence Malick).

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 2h25m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of Terrence Malick with a review of his next film, Days of Heaven. 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 247 of the AwardsWatch podcast, AwardsWatch Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade and Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello take a look at the newest announcements from the Toronto International Film Festival and New York Film Festival, changes to the Gotham Awards and the kickoff of International Feature Film Oscar submissions.

Beginning with the TIFF announcements of new Gala and Special Presentations, we look into the heavy Venice to TIFF crossover with titles like Babygirl, Queer and The Brutalist (all skipping Telluride) as well as the 'Canadian Premiere' of Jason Reitman's Saturday Night, detailing the 90 minutes leading up to the first ever episode of NBC's Saturday Night Live's debut in 1975. Toronto will also get the world premiere of On Swift Horses, with Jacob Elordi, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Diego Calva, which appears to be its sole major fest showing. We then venture into today's NYFF Spotlight additions, including A Real Pain, Emilia Pérez and Maria. We talk about studio strategies and the paths festivals can create for determining awards contenders and how flying a bit under the radar, like Netflix is doing this year, becomes a vehicle for audience discovery. Next we move to the 2024 Gotham Awards, which announced this week the introduction of two new categories (Best Director and the return of Breakthrough Performer) as well as the rules that come with each of them. Finally, the submissions for the International Feature Film Oscar have started to roll in with Ireland's Kneecap, Austria's The Devil's Bath and Latvia's animated film Flow as the first out of the gate.

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 45m. We will be back next week on this show for our Telluride Film Festival preview and predictions and on the main show to talk about Alien: Romulus, the state of blockbusters and more. And keep your eyes out for the Thursday drops of Director Watch episodes, which kicks off its Terence Malick series this week. Till then, let’s get into it.

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

On episode 246 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello and AwardsWatch contributor Josh Parham to go back 45 years to take a look at the 52nd Academy Awards, celebrating the films of 1979.

Before we step back into another AW Oscar retrospective, the team take a look at the summer movie box office game as we enter the final month of the summer. With Deadpool and Wolverine, Inside Out 2, and Despicable Me 4 dominating the box office, they take a look at how the summer has shown to prove many of their initial thoughts right about the box office, as well as the couple of surprises that took over the box office like Longlegs. Ryan’s team is in the lead by there is still plenty of time left for Erik’s team to make a comeback.

Onto the main portion of the podcast, Ryan, Sophia, and Josh travel back forty-five years, to 1979, where Hollywood was in the middle of a transition from the auteur filmmaking of the 1970s to the more conventional, franchise, populist filmmaking of the 1980s. The 52nd Academy Awards were a good showcase for this shift in focus as Kramer vs Kramer took home five Oscars, including Best Picture, a small family drama that was one of the top grossing films of the year; beating out All that Jazz, Apocalypse Now, Breaking Away, Norma Rae for the top prize. In their in-depth discussion, the trio talked about the film year of 1979, briefly discuss talk about Kramer vs Kramer as a Best Picture winner, do a little Oscar trivia as it relates to this year, and then the new version of the AW Shoulda Woulda Coulda game, where instead of individual replacements, they must decide as a group who the nominees and winners should be in the top eight categories. The rules of the game state they can only replace two of the nominees that year from each category, except in Best Picture, where the group could replace up to three films to make up the final set of five nominated films. As usual, it was a fascinating, fun conversation including spirited debates, alliances, vote swinging and more that we all hope you enjoy.

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 2h42m. We will be back next week to talk about the latest release, Alien: Romulus, as well as break down the Alien franchise as a whole. 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 58 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by AwardsWatch contributor Kevin L. Lee to discuss the last film in their Tony Scott series, Unstoppable (2010).

In 2009, Tony Scott received a script based on a real life event where a runaway freight train ran uncontrolled through a small, rural area of Ohio. The true story saw two men, who worked for the railroad company, chase down the coaster on their own train, saving thousands of civilians from the danger of the toxic chemicals on board the runaway train that could lay waste to a unspeakable amount of devastation. Thus laid the premise for Scott’s last film, Unstoppable, starring his longtime actor, collaborator Denzel Washington and Chris Pine (whom Washington and Scott personally wanted to do this film), which is not only one of the best action films of the 2010s, but is a top-tier film in Scott’s filmography due to its blend of incredible practical effects and a deeply earned emotional story found at the heart of this movie. Ryan, Jay, and Kevin break down their relationship to the film, Washington and Pine’s chemistry, the film’s chaotic behind the scene’s production, the film’s edge of your seat pacing, their thoughts on the lasting legacy of Tony Scott, as well as give out their rankings of the filmmaker’s filmography.

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 2h17m. The guys will be back next week to begin their series on the films of Terrence Malick with a review of his first film, Badlands. 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 245 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, we're doing things a little different. Splitting off from the main pod that drops on Mondays, AwardsWatch Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade and Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello focus on the fall festivals and the awards contenders that will potentially come from them. A leaner, shorter conversation, we'll be sharing hosting duties and digging into how important these festival plays, and which ones, can be a crucial part of the awards campaign.

Looking at the Venice, New York and Toronto film festivals (which was recorded ahead of yesterday's TIFF's Centerpiece and NYFF main slate announcements), we talk about New York's Opening, Centerpiece and Closing films with RaMell Ross's Nickel Boys, Pedro Almodóvar's The Room Next Door and Steve McQueen's Blitz, respectively. NYFF is also a great playground for Cannes winners, which we expect to see show up. We also have a few potential outliers, Jason Reitman's Saturday Night and James Mangold's A Complete Unknown, that haven't been announced for any festival yet that could pop up later. We talk a bit about Telluride (we'll do a singular pod on that soon), where the Reitman film could debut, and even earning the director a medallion on the mountain. We have a lot to say about Pablo Larraín's Maria and Luca Guadagnino's Queer, both premiering at Venice in a matter of weeks, still not having any U.S. distribution. While Maria, based on the date it's hitting the Lido, is likely to show up at Telluride, Queer definitely won't. Where else could it be this season?

We talk about the strange reveal of Edward Berger's Conclave earning a PG rating from the MPA. The buzzy papal thriller beach read could be reverse appealed by Focus Features to up it to a PG-13 to give the film more adult gravitas (the only recent Best Picture nominee rated PG has been Greta Gerwig's Little Women). Searchlight Pictures dropped news that Jesse Eisenberg's Sundance winner A Real Pain will move off its original October 18 bow to November 1, opening the door for a much bigger fall festival run right before it premieres. We close with BAFTA revealing a host changes to voting and eligibility in nearly all categories (including getting rid of the way the juries decide nominees) and introducing a whole new category, Best Children's and Family Film.

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 51m. We will be back next week on the main show to do another Oscar retrospective episode over the 52nd Academy Awards and the films of 1979. Till then, let’s get into it.

On episode 244 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch contributor Karen Peterson to give their thoughts on the career of director M. Night Shyamalan and then give out a SPOILER review of his latest film, Trap.

As we step into the second half of the year, one of the most anticipated films arrives from one of Hollywood’s most fascinating figures with M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap. The new thriller seems to be dividing audiences and critics alike, much like man of the films within the director’s filmography, leading to a interesting conversation between Ryan and Karen as their review took place shortly after they saw the film opening night. But before they give their thoughts on Trap, the duo talked about the director’s previous fifteen films, the good ones, the bad ones, and his place in Hollywood stands in the pantheon of the other directors from his era as well as where he stands as an artist today. Then they get into a full SPOILER review of Trap, where they talk at length about Hartnett’s killer performance, the film’s thoughts on fame, serial killers, being a dad, as well as the music and, of course, the film’s ending. If you think this conversation was a good and in-depth about Shyamalan’s career, go to our website and read both Ryan’s ranking piece on Shyamalan’s entire career, as well as Cody Dericks’ retrospective review of the director’s twenty year old classic, The Village.

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 2h10m. We will be back next week to do another Oscar retrospective episode over the 52nd Academy Awards and the films of 1979. 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 57 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by InSession Film podcaster and film critic Brendan Cassidy to to discuss the latest film in their Tony Scott series, Déjà Vu (2006).

There have been many types of films Tony Scott has wanted to make throughout his celebrated career, but one of them wasn’t science fiction. Scott didn’t like the idea of the focus being taken away from the characters in exchange for a high concept idea like the one at the heart of Déjà Vu. But after some convincing from frequent collaborators Denzel Washington and Jerry Bruckheimer, Scott was able to get on board, as the sci-fi, time travel thriller slowly morphed into a character piece on one man’s journey to save an innocent girl, along with a boat full of murdered Navy soldiers, from an attack by a psychopath. Scott also used the film as a chance to make a love letter to the city, spirit, and people of New Orleans, and in doing so, made one of his best films the guys have talked about in the series so far. Ryan, Jay and Brendan break down the logic of the film, their love for it, Denzel’s stellar low-energy performance, the incredible chase sequence between both the past and the present, make a couple of Tenent jokes, and marvel at the blockbuster era of the early 2000s.

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 2h07m. The guys will be back next week to conclude their series on the films of Tony Scott with a review of his last film, Unstoppable. 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 243 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson and AwardsWatch Television Editor Tyler Doster to talk about Deadpool & Wolverine and discuss their favorite films of 2024 so far.

Before we get into the meat of this week’s episode, a couple of major pieces of news dropped this past week. First up is the first trailer for James Mangold’s A Complete Unknown, starring Timothée Chalamet as music legend Bob Dylan. The film will be releasing in December, most likely heading straight to theaters and skipping the upcoming fall film festivals. Erik and Tyler were largely positive on the trailer, but Ryan had some…other thoughts that’s well worth the listen. After that, the team broke down the announcements of the full line-ups for the Venice and Toronto Film Festival, as well as the opening night film for the New York Film Festival. We are starting to find out where all the films are going for each festival, setting up the upcoming Oscar season. More on that and some predictions of next week’s podcast.

Moving right along to the main review for the week, Deadpool & Wolverine, which destroyed all competition at the box office this past weekend while also showing a divide amongst critics and audiences. Ryan and Erik give their thoughts, which were just as mixed as our review from our own Jay Ledbetter that is up on the website. After talking about the film, Ryan, Erik, and Tyler discussed at length their favorite films of 2024, as we are pasted the halfway mark of the year and there have been plenty of good movies to discuss. Some of the titles mentioned are Babes, I Saw The TV Glow, Challengers, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Ghostlight, National Anthem, Sing Sing, 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 1h42m. We will be back next week to talk about the latest release, Trap, as well as talk about some Oscar predictions before the fall festival season begins. 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 56 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by Managing Editor of RogerEbert.com Brian Tallerico to discuss the latest film in their Tony Scott series, Domino (2005).

In the early 1990s, Tony Scott was sent an article about a young English woman who was the daughter of a movie star that turned into a bounty hunter, hunting down wanted people in the greater Los Angeles area. This intrigued the director so much that he tracked down Domino Harvey and spoke with her about turning her life story into a film. After getting her permission, and going through two versions of a screenplay, Scott and screenwriter Richard Kelly set out to make a thorny, sex, over-the-top action crime drama about the seedy underbelly of America through the lens of Harvey and her counterparts adventures, some real and some fictional. It made for one of the most divisive films in Scott’s filmography and one of the more anticipated films to talk about within the series. Ryan, Jay, and Brian break down their relationship to the film, Kelly’s screenplay and other directorial work, Scott’s wild visual language throughout the film, Knightley’s bold performance, and why a movie like this would never get made by modern studios.

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 1h28m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of Tony Scott with a review of his next film, Déjà Vu. 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 242 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson and AwardsWatch contributors Josh Parham and Karen Peterson to give their thoughts on Twisters and discuss their favorite disaster movies.

Before a big political announcement right before the recording of this episode, the news of the weekend was the success of Lee Isaac Chung’s Twisters, which made over $80 million dollars, shattering expectations made by box office prognosticators. Though this is one victory for the film, the AW team’s review of the film was rather mixed in their in-depth, layered conversation about the follow-up film to the original 1996 film. The team talked about the film as a whole, as well as the weak script, half-hearted attempts at connecting the original film to this new version, the chemistry between the film’s leads, and the impressive visual effects that are on full display. We have a full review up on the site written by Erik, where he describes Twisters perfectly, as it is “more fizzle than sizzle.”

In the back half of the episode, inspirited by Twisters and the fondness for Twister, the team had a fun discussion over some of their favorite disaster movies; films that cover some form of natural disaster, accidents, attacks or global catastrophes such as a pandemic. The films mentioned included The Poseidon Adventure, The Towering Inferno, Contagion, The Day After Tomorrow, Titanic, War of the Worlds, Sunshine, Jurassic Park, Dante’s Peak, Armageddon Unstoppable, Airplane, Deep Impact, Volcano, Crawl, The Happening, The Perfect Storm, 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 2h11m. We will be back next week to talk about the latest release, Deadpool & Wolverine, breakdown the lineup for the 2024 Venice Film Festival, and talk about their favorite films and performances of the year so far. 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 55 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by Editor-In-Chief of InSession Film Dave Giannini to discuss the latest film in their Tony Scott series, Man on Fire (2004).

Back in 1980, when Tony Scott was trying to make his first film, he grew fond of a book series written by author A. J. Quinnell about an American-born former member of the French Foreign Legion. He wanted to make it as his follow-up to The Hunger, but studios didn’t think he had enough experience to make this movie work. Twenty years later, Scott finally got the chance to make his passion project, and alongside his frequent collaborator Denzel Washington, set out and made one of the defining films of their careers and one of the great action films of the 21^st century. Updating the story for the protagonist John Creasy, we see a one-man death machine reborn looking for closure and peace after the abduction of the young girl he was in charge of is kidnapped. In doing this, Scott creates a cathartic, violent, uniquely visual experience very rarely found in modern cinema. Ryan, Jay, and Dave break down the film, the film’s visual style, Denzel Washington’s performance and where is ranks in his career, the emotionally beautiful ending, why Rotten Tomatoes is frustrating, if Creasy earns his redemption, and the complicated shout out to the country of Mexico in the end credits of Man on Fire.

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 2h27m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of Tony Scott with a review of his next film, Domino. 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 241 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson, Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello and AwardsWatch contributors Josh Parham and Jay Ledbetter go back 25 years to take a look at the 72nd Academy Awards, celebrating the films of 1999.

Two and a half decades ago marked on of the richest years of cinema, showcasing some of the most influential films within popular culture that have lived on as classics that brought us into the 21^st century. But with such a rich selection of cinema released by Hollywood, with innovated blockbusters, stellar comedies, groundbreaking international selections, and introspective, auteur driven projects that rank as some of the best films of the careers for filmmakers like Stanley Kubrick, The Wachowskis, David Fincher, Paul Thomas Anderson, Michael Mann, and more. But when it came to the Oscars for this year, the Academy went with a newcomer in director Sam Mendes and his suburban drama, American Beauty, a beloved film at the time that has become complicated and disliked by many, as well as most of the winners from this ceremony.

On this episode, the team talk about where they were in 1999, their thoughts on the overall film year as well as the Oscar ceremony, briefly discuss talk about American Beauty as a Best Picture winner, do a little Oscar trivia as it relates to this year, and then the new version of the AW Shoulda Woulda Coulda game, where instead of individual replacements, they must decide as a group who the nominees and winners should be in the top eight categories. The rules of the game state they can only replace two of the nominees that year from each category, except in Best Picture, where the group could replace up to three films to make up the final set of five nominated films. It made for a lively, fun show with spirited debate, alliances, vote swinging and more that we all hope you enjoy.

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 3h04m. We will be back next week to talk about the latest release, Twisters, and our favorite disaster movies. 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 54 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by Kelsi and Trey of The Extra Credits podcast to discuss the latest film in their Tony Scott series, Spy Game (2001).

There is a phrase the Director Watch hosts like to use a lot when it comes to films starring two movie stars where one of the stars is a legend of the past and the other is a future star in the making that goes on to be one for their generation. This is called the “baton passing” film; think of Paul Newman and Tom Cruise in The Color of Money and you will understand the kind of film Spy Game is should be because it should not just be a passing of the movie star mantel, but it should also be a movie to showcase what makes these two actors so special; with Spy Game being that for Robert Redford and Brad Pitt. Instead, director Tony Scott gives us a political spy thriller that feature the duo less than one would want, making this more a vehicle for late career Redford to take center stage and face both the realities of his life as a spy, and the protégé (Pitt) he misguided on his way into the field. It makes for a messy, complicated, fascinating film to break down as Ryan, Jay, Kelsi and Trey talk about their reactions to the film, the release of this film post 9/11, the poorly written love interest played by Catherine McCormack, the lack of veteran actors that made Scott’s other films shine, an examination of Redford and Pitt’s career, and some remarks on the better spy movie from 2001, Robert Rodriguez’s Spy Kids.

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 1h51m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of Tony Scott with a review of his next film, Man on Fire. 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 240 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson is joined by AwardsWatch TV Editor Tyler Doster to give our final predictions for the 2024 Primetime Emmy Awards nominations in Drama and Comedy Series, Limited Series and TV Movie and all lead and supporting acting categories.  

I know it seems like we just had the Emmy Awards and because...we did. Just six months ago, the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards were held in January after the Television Academy vacated their usual September date due to the ongoing writers and actors strikes last year. Not only did we have the Emmys plunked right down in the heart of Oscar season, because the Television Academy uses its traditional eligibility period of June 1 - May 31 and groups like the Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild use a regular calendar year (January 1 - December 31) that put, for example, the first season of The Bear winning Emmy Awards and the second season (which aired last June) winning Globes and SAGs. Messy and confusing for the average viewer, to say the least.

Speaking of The Bear, after its domination last season (winning Comedy Series, Directing, Writing, Lead Actor, Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress), the second season should find itself among the most-nominated comedy seasons of all time when nominations are announced next week. The current record holder for a comedy is 30 Rock when it earned 22 in 2009. With expanded supporting and guest categories, The Bear is very likely to tie if not surpass that this year.

This year's nominations will also give us a wealth of new contenders, both as first seasons and as one or more in, as many shows have either ended their run or did not make the eligibility cutoff. Shows we won't hear on nomination morning include The White Lotus, House of the Dragon, The Last of Us, Yellowjackets, Jury Duty, and Wednesday while shows canceled or that have ended their run include Succession, Better Call Saul, Barry, and Ted Lasso.

As Tyler and Erik break down who we think is getting in, it becomes clear that not only will some of these five-nomination slot categories be bloodsport competitive, the move by FX to soft greenlight more seasons of Shōgun, therefore allowing it to submit in Drama Series, has really shaken up the race. A race that seemed like a bit of a cake walk for the final season of The Crown as it limped to its finale. We start off with the limited series categories, which prove to be the most competitive with so many categories limited to five spots. Faves will fall on nomination morning. Moving into comedy, the dominance of The Bear after its season one triumphs point to a likelihood of it being able to take up half of any given supporting (or guest) acting category. Finishing off with drama, it's a similar story, figuring out how many actors from Shōgun will make it in.

The 76^th Primetime Emmy Awards nominations will be announced on Wednesday, July 17^th at 8:30am PT by previous Emmy winners Tony Hale and Sheryl Lee Ralph (Hale is in Unfrosted and Quiz Lady, Ralph is in Abbott Elementary) on emmys.com.

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 1h30m. We will be back next week for a Oscar retrospective covering the 72nd Academy Awards, celebrating the films of 1999. Till then, let’s get into it.

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

On episode 239 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello and AwardsWatch contributors Karen Peterson and Dan Bayer to review Ti West’s latest in his X franchise, MaXXXine, and talk about their favorite films set in Los Angeles.   

While the Minions dominated the box office this past weekend, it was Ti West newest horror film that got the attention of the AW team. Known for being one of the teams most anticipated films of the summer, MaXXXine continues the adventures of Mia Goth’s titular character after her survival of the events of 2022’s X, and finds her on the run for her life against a mysterious killer in 1985’s L.A. While Ryan gave the film a mostly positive review on the website, the film has been received with mostly a mixed reaction by critics and audiences, which made for a fascinating conversation by the team as their thoughts varied in all different directions, much like the plot of the film.

In the back half of the episodes, inspired by the setting of MaXXXine, the AW team got to sit down and talk about films that are some of their favorites set in the City of Angels, Los Angeles. Being one of the premiere destinations in all of the United States, and the birth place of Hollywood, L.A. can be a magical, daunting, mystical, romantic, terrifying, complex setting for a film, and thus makes it such an interesting place to talk about. Some of the films mentioned in the conversation ranged from Clueless, Mulholland Dr., Singin’ in the Rain, Sunset Boulevard, Speed, Collateral, Heat, Chinatown, Double Indemnity, Once Upon a Time in…Hollywood, L.A. Confidential, The Player, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Licorice Pizza, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, 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 2h11m. We will be back next week for a Oscar retrospective covering the 72nd Academy Awards, celebrating the films of 1999. 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 53 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by Robert Daniels, Associate Editor of RogerEbert.com, to discuss the latest film in their Tony Scott series, Enemy of the State (1998).

The paranoid conspiracy, political thriller seemed like a perfect vehicle for Tony Scott at this moment in his career, and with Enemy of the State, it turned out to be the excellent choice after Crimson Tide. Based on a script by David Marconi, with additions by writers Aaron Sorkin, Henry Bean and Tony Gilroy, Scott and his team set out to create on the great paranoid thrillers that existed in a pre-9/11 world, using one of the biggest movie stars in the world, Will Smith, and pairing him with veteran actor Gene Hackman, who is no stranger this genre as his performance in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Conversation was an inspiration on the film. Ryan, Jay, and Robert break down their thoughts on the film, the stacked supporting cast of the film, how Will Smith’s career seems like a massive missed opportunity, Hackman’s incredible work in Enemy of the State, and reminiscing on the nominations for the 1999 MTV Movie Awards.

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 1h33m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of Tony Scott with a review of his next film, Spy Game. 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 238 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch contributor Josh Parham to review the latest film releases, Kinds of Kindness and Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1, as well as discuss their Top 5 Westerns.

While A Quiet Place: Day One was dominating the box office this past weekend, two other releases caught the attention of the AW team, Kinds of Kindness and Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1, both of which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. For Kinds of Kindness, we find acclaimed director Yorgos Lanthimos returning to the big screen with his follow up to Poor Things with a nearly three-hour anthology film with an all-star cast lead by Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe, Hong Chau, Margaret Qualley, and more that focuses on three separate stories that center around the idea of control. In the case of Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1, we see the big screen return, and gamble, of director Kevin Costner, with a three hour sweeping epic set in the old west that takes place over five different storylines. Ryan and Josh (who saw both films at Cannes) break down their reactions to both films, the pros and cons of both, and whether they think they will dive into the remaining chapters of Horizon and what they hope to see in Lanthimos’ next film coming out next fall.

In the back half of the episode, the duo dive into a Top 5 based on the western genre, inspired by the release of Horizon. One of the oldest genres in the history of cinema, the western is one that speaks to the roots and fabric of America, while also being one to speak brilliantly of how our current world can be reflected so bold, brash, and violent as our past. This makes for the perfect conversation to talk about some of the best films in not just the genre, but some of greatest films of all time. Mentioned in this discussion were films like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Unforgiven, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Once Upon a Time in the West, McCabe and Mrs. Miller, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, and so many 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 2h18m. We will be back next week to talk about latest film from A24, MaXXXine, and discuss their Top 5 films set in Los Angeles. 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 52 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by AwardsWatch Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello to discuss the latest film in their Tony Scott series, Crimson Tide (1995).

Back in 1993, the U.S Navy allowed studio executives to come in and film their day-to-day operations in the hope of Hollywood making a submarine film in the vein of Top Gun. But what director Tony Scott and producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer took from their experience was a much more serious, deeper connection to the mindset of the officers below, thus became the beginning of a research process that would result in one of the great action thrillers of the 1990s, Crimson Tide. Based on a script by Michael Schiffer (with significant additions by Quentin Tarantino), Scott crafted a masterpiece in tension, pitting two generational actors, Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington, against each other for the battle of not just the ship they are on or the idea of going to all-out war with their enemy, but an examination of who people really are when they are faced with pressure, and just how dangerous or stubborn they can become in the name of having to be provide right. Ryan, Jay, and Sophia break down their feelings on the film, talk way too much about college football, the behind-the-scenes disagreement between Washington and Tarantino, dive deep into Hackman’s career at this time, the racial component at the core of the film, the stacked supporting cast, and even sing a little bit of Seal once they get to the Oscar conversation at the end of the episode.

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 2h13m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of Tony Scott with a review of his next film, Enemy of the State. 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 237 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch contributor Karen Peterson to discuss the latest film from Jeff Nichols, The Bikeriders, and talk about their Top 5 Hang Out Movies.

Before getting into this week’s topics, Ryan and Karen give a little update to the AW Summer Box Office Game as we are about to head into the month of July. For most of summer, Team Erik held a healthy lead in the friendly competition but things have changed with the entrance of Pixar’s Inside Out 2. With Despicable Me 4, Deadpool and Wolverine, and each teams “bomb pick” still in play, the game looks to still have plenty of twists and turns that we will keep you updated on throughout the upcoming weeks.

Transitioning to the main discussion, Jeff Nichols returns to theaters with his first film in eight years, The Bikeriders. Following a gang of bikers in the 1960s in Illinois, the film has been considered on the best releases of the year so far, but our two podcasters were left impressed that others and explained their thoughts as to way Nichols’ latest effort felt half baked. Once they gave their thoughts on The Bikeriders, they used this new release as a chance to do a Top 5 over their favorite “hang out” movies, stories where the plot takes a back seat to a group of characters and their usually fun, vibrant interactions. During their Top 5, some of the films discussed during this conversation included Empire Records, Almost Famous, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Lost in Translation, American Graffiti, Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, Everybody Wants Some, A Hard Day’s Night, 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 Yorgos Lanthimos’ latest film, Kinds of Kindness, and discuss our Top 5 Westerns inspired by the release of Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter One. 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 51 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by the host of Two Peas On A Pod Podcast, Gerald Morris to discuss the latest film in their Tony Scott series, True Romance (1993).

Continuing his trend of gravitating towards collaborations with in-demand screenwriters, Tony Scotts next project following The Last Boy Scouts has him teaming up with one of the most celebrated writers of the last thirty years right as he is breaking out, Quentin Tarantino. Coming off the heels of Reservoir Dogs releasing, Scott was able to direct the film after Tarantino sold the screenplay to the studio after losing interest himself in directing it. However, Tarantino is on record of saying that True Romance is one of his most autobiographical films to date, and while he tussled with Scott over aspects of the final cut, including the ending, Tarantino and Scott respected the hell out of each other by the end of this. The result was a cult classic about two cinema loving newlyweds on the run from the Mafia after stealing a shipment of drugs, and another signature film in Scott’s filmography. Ryan, Jay, and Gerald talk about their thoughts on the film, the career of Christian Slater, the film’s ending, the incredible supporting cast of veteran actors, Tarantino’s controversial dialogue, the score by Hans Zimmer, and just how long should a movie really be.

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 2h11m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of Tony Scott with a review of his next film, Crimson Tide. 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 236 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson, Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello and AwardsWatch contributors Karen Peterson and Jay Ledbetter to participate in a draft of the greatest movie stars of all time.

A recurring question surrounding the talks about the future of modern cinema is the absence of the ‘movie star,’ a person audiences can trust when spending their money to go to the theaters. For close to a hundred years, the film industry has survived on the movie star to survive, though the idea of what makes one had changed as time has gone on. In trying to understand potentially the future of the ‘movie star,’ the AW team decided to have some fun with this topic by doing a Greatest Movie Star draft, consisting of six rounds where the team, in a ‘snake order’ draft picks the best movie stars that represent various decades that include 1930s-1940s. 1950s-1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s-2000s, and a wild card round where the team picks a current movie star that is under 35 years old that they think will be the new faces of Hollywood. Some of the stars mentioned in this draft are Denzel Washington, Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford, Meryl Streep, Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson, Eddie Murphy, Katharine Hepburn, Julia Roberts, Robert Redford, Paul Newman and many more. Listen and see who everyone drafted and then go and vote to see which team is the best ensemble of the greatest movie stars of all time.

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 2h53m. We will be back next week to talk about Jeff Nichols’s latest film, The Bikeriders, and discuss our Top 5 Hang Out Movies. Till then, let’s get into it.

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

On episode 236 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson, Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello and AwardsWatch contributors Karen Peterson and Jay Ledbetter to participate in a draft of the greatest movie stars of all time.

A recurring question surrounding the talks about the future of modern cinema is the absence of the ‘movie star,’ a person audiences can trust when spending their money to go to the theaters. For close to a hundred years, the film industry has survived on the movie star to survive, though the idea of what makes one had changed as time has gone on. In trying to understand potentially the future of the ‘movie star,’ the AW team decided to have some fun with this topic by doing a Greatest Movie Star draft, consisting of six rounds where the team, in a ‘snake order’ draft picks the best movie stars that represent various decades that include 1930s-1940s. 1950s-1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s-2000s, and a wild card round where the team picks a current movie star that is under 35 years old that they think will be the new faces of Hollywood. Some of the stars mentioned in this draft are Denzel Washington, Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford, Meryl Streep, Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson, Eddie Murphy, Katharine Hepburn, Julia Roberts, Robert Redford, Paul Newman and many more. Listen and see who everyone drafted and then go and vote to see which team is the best ensemble of the greatest movie stars of all time.

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 2h53m. We will be back next week to talk about Jeff Nichols’s latest film, The Bikeriders, and discuss our Top 5 Hang Out Movies. 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 50 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by the host of The Waffle Press Movie Podcast, Diego Crespo to discuss the latest film in their Tony Scott series, The Last Boy Scout (1991).

After the mild success of Days of Thunder, Tony Scott transitioned away from the protective arms of producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer to move over to a Joel Silver project with a script pinned by screenwriter Shane Black, who was coming off of writing Lethal Weapon and turning that into a franchise. But Black was kicked off the second installment of Lethal Weapon, and the script for The Last Boy Scout, a buddy action sports comedy about a private eye and a former pro Quarterback teaming up to stop corruption involving professional football and the US government, became the hottest thing in Hollywood (Black earned a record $1.75 million for the script, with over a $1 million guaranteed up front), and intrigued Scott immensely because of Black’s overall vision. Led by the impeccable duo of Bruce Willis and Damon Wayans, this dark, even dystopian vision of 1990s Los Angeles is a relic of 90s action films with tons of politically incorrect, problematic moments of humor that is a cult classic and is a wildly impressive piece of filmmaking within Scott and Black’s careers. Ryan, Jay, and Diego break down this complicated film, their history with it, kid acting, the body of work by its two stars Willis and Wayans, their relationship with the game of football, and why we don’t get movies like this made anymore.

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 2h03m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of Tony Scott with a review of his next film, True Romance. 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 235 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello and AwardsWatch contributors Dan Bayer, Cody Dericks, and Josh Parham conclude their tier ranking of the 97 Best Director winners from the Academy Awards.

In the second part of the Best Picture tier rankings (listen to Part 1 here), the AW team start in the 1980s and go all the way to the most recent winners of Best Director. This is where our hosts and audience are able to talk about the films they have most likely seen the most, and see the expansion of the limited “S tier,” where compromise and sacrifices of some member’s favorites are placed lower than you would be expected. But there are plenty of surprises amongst the team, leading to a fascinating final ranking of these 97 winners, including Ang Lee, Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, Sam Mendes, Steven Soderbergh, Christopher Nolan and Chloé Zhao. This was another fun exercise getting to talk about some of the best (and not so great) winners of all time and the team really hopes you enjoy this part as much as part one.

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 3h06m. We will be back next week to review Richard Linklater’s latest film Hitman and participate in a fun draft to determine who are the greatest movie stars 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 49 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by AwardsWatch contributor Karen Peterson to discuss the latest film in their Tony Scott series, Days of Thunder (1990).

Four years after making the monster hit that was Top Gun, Tony Scott reteamed with Tom Cruise and producers Dom Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer to take their collaboration from the skies to the racetrack with Days of Thunder. After making Beverly Hills Cop II and Revenge (which are discussed briefly on the show), Scott was tapped to recreate the magic of his 1986 hit, this time with his leading man a bigger star and co-writer on the project, inspired by Cruise falling in love with racing, as well as the producers loving this new idea. While Scott clashed with Simpson and Bruckheimer throughout the production, the end result is an entertaining sports action drama with tremendous performances by Cruise and Robert Duvall, as well as the breakout role for Nicole Kidman. Ryan, Jay and Karen (the biggest Tom Cruise fan we know) discuss the film, their relationships to the sport of racing and their overall love of sports, Karen’s favorite Tom Cruise movie, the overt boyish behavior the characters have throughout the film, if the ending/John C. Reilly side plot works, the racing scenes, the infamous wheelchair race scene between Cruise and Michael Rooker, and if this movie is better than Top Gun.

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 2h05m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of Tony Scott with a review of his next film, The Last Boy Scout. 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 234 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello and AwardsWatch contributors Dan Bayer, Cody Dericks, and Josh Parham to tier rank the 97 winners for Best Director from the Academy Awards.

While everyone is breakdown the summer box office and the state of movies from the month of May, the AW team turn to the month of June by going back to a favorite exercise from last year, an extensive tier of an Oscar category. After doing Best Picture last year, the team moves onto the next most prestigious category at the Oscars; Best Director and its 97 winners. In trying to place these winners in the correct spot, the team had to come together and decide on whether to place the films in the S (all-time winner), A, B, C, D, or F tier and explain the ranking. The episode was so much fun that it had to be split into two parts, with this episode covering all the films up to 1980, placing a couple of classics making their way into the S tier early on.

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 2h46m. We will be back next week with Part 2 of the Best Director tier rankings. 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 48 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by founder and podcast host at InSession Film JD Duran to discuss the latest film in their Tony Scott series, Top Gun (1986).

The Tony Scott series heads into the DANGER ZONE this week at Ryan, Jay and JD dive into one of the most popular films of the 1980s, Top Gun. After The Hunger, Scott was brought on to make a film fighter pilots in the Navy after a successful profile article done in “California” magazine. Used as both a vessel to entertain audiences and recruit young Americans into the military, Scott ultimately made a subversive, deeply emotional action packed spectacle that launch himself and the film’s star, Tom Cruise, into the figures we know them today. In this lengthy, entertaining discussion, the guys talk about their relationship with Top Gun, famous aerial warfare moments in history, Cruise’s rise as a movie star, the beach volleyball scene, the film’s soundtrack, the homosexual, hyper masculine undertones throughout the film. They also talk about how the film handles grief, the modern phenomenon that was Top Gun: Maverick, and what the guys call signs would be.

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 2h25m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of Tony Scott with a review of his next film, Days of Thunder. 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 233 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson to discuss director George Miller’s latest film, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, talk about the winners from the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, and preview the 2024-2025 Oscar season.

We are getting close to the halfway point of the film season, and you know what that means; Oscar season is around the corner. Before talking about the season though, Ryan and Erik give their thoughts on Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and has been buzzed as one of the best films of the year so far. Erik would strongly disagree with that statement while Ryan, who wrote the review on the website, would say that Furiosa is “one of the greatest prequels of all time” as well as consider it one of the year’s best. After have a well-rounded conversation about the film, they transitioned to talking about the winners at the Cannes Film Festival, which saw director Sean Baker take home the Palme d'Or for his latest film, Anora. This sparked a discussion that got Ryan and Erik talking about the impact this year’s Cannes Film Festival will have on the rest of the award season, what films from the first half of the year have a shot at breaking into the race, and which films to keep an eye out for at the fall festivals, as studios start to get into their positions for another race towards a Best Picture win. The films discussed ranged from Dune Part 2, Sing Sing, Kinds of Kindness, Blitz, Conclave, Queer, Maria, The End, A Real Pain, Gladiator 2, We Live in Time, Emilia Perez, The Nickel Boys, Wicked, The Piano Lesson, The Fire Inside, Inside Out 2, Joker: Folie à Deux, 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 1h34m. On our next episode, we will be doing a tier ranking episode based on Best Director winners at the Oscars to determine who the greatest winners of the category are.

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 47 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by AwardsWatch contributor Josh Parham to discuss the first film in their Tony Scott series, The Hunger (1983).

Director Watch is entering the summer of Tony Scott, as they dive deep into the career of one of the most prolific directors of blockbuster entertainment of the last forty years. But before all the big budget, action packed spectacle, he started his career with an independent erotic, vampire thriller centered around two vampires (the insanely hot David Bowie and Catherine Deneuve) who have been together for hundreds of years. But when one starts to age in a rather hasty fashion, the other must finds their next companion in the form of a doctor (Susan Sarandon) in 1980s New York City. Known for being a controversial film at the time of release due to its steamy sex scene and being a commercial failure at the box office, The Hunger has been revaluated over the years as the first step in Scott’s career of being known for mastering tone, and visually separating himself from his brother. Ryan, Jay, and Josh break down their thoughts on the film, the incredible vibes throughout the film, the logic around the film’s nonclinical ending, some sports comparisons, and the forming of a question that will be asked to every guest throughout this series; whose filmography would you choose, Ridley or Tony Scott?

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 2h14m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of Tony Scott with a review of his next film, Top Gun. 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 232 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch TV Editor Tyler Doster to discuss NEON’s latest film, Babes, and then dive into a conversation about the 2024 Emmy Race.

Back at SXSW this year, Pamela Adlon’s Babes premiered to glowing reviews, including Tyler’s review that called it “the comedy of the year.” Releasing in limited theaters this past weekend, Ryan and Tyler give their thoughts on the hilarious comedy starring the talented Ilana Glazer and Michelle Buteau. Once they are done talking about the film, Ryan and Tyler dive deep into the Emmy Race, as things are heating up since episode 226 when Tyler spoke with Erik about how things are going to look for the latest season. With Shōgun moving to the Drama Series categories, Baby Reindeer announcing itself in the Limited Series race, and shows like Hacks, The Sympathizer releasing their episodes, the Emmy season is looking to be one of the most head scratching yet exciting batch of nominees we’ve seen in a long time. The two editors go back and forth on the shows they are watch, the questions they have about the latest movements in the categories, and the impact a season like this could have on future Emmy seasons.

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 1h01m. On our next episode, we will be discussing Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, 2024 Cannes Film Festival winners and get into our first 2025 Oscar predictions of the year.

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 46 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by film critic Ema Sasic to discuss the final film in their Sofia Coppola series, Priscilla (2023).

2023 brought us Sofia Coppola’s latest examination of the past, as she dives into the life of one of the most famous spouse’s in music history, Priscilla Presley. Adapting the film from Presley’s autobiography titled Elvis and Me, Coppola’s showcases the real life story about how an American teenager girl met, fell in love with, and married the “King of Rock and Roll”, all the while become a caged birded trapped within Graceland while Elvis was on the road. In making the perfect counterweight to Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, Coppola added one of best films of her filmography, continuing her examination of women trapped within a world of powerful, dangerous men. Ryan, Jay and Ema break down the film, their relationship with Elvis’s music, the stunning performances from Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi, the film’s production design, a little Austin Butler talk, what the characters eat in the Dune franchise, as well as giving out their Sofia Coppola rankings and teasing their Tony Scott movie series that starts next week.

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 1h52m. The guys will be back next week to begin their series on the films of Tony Scott with a review of his debut film, The Hunger. 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 231 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch contributor Dan Bayer to review the latest film from A24, I Saw The TV Glow, and give out their Top A24 films.

Since its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, audience have been raving about Jane Schoenbrun’s psychological drama, I Saw the TV Glow, which is a fascinating examination of our consumption of media as well as a queer allegory about trying to find yourself within a small town that doesn’t accept you. The movie is considered by many to be the film of the year, with our own Savina Petkova calling it “fiercely beautiful” with her review out of the Berlin Film Festival. Ryan and Dan breakdown all the beautiful, complex aspects of this stellar second feature in a lengthy, spoiler free discussion.

In the back half of the episode, in honor of the latest film released by the famous yet young studio, the duo takes a trip down memory lane and talk about their favorite film released by A24. With films ranging from modern horror classics, heartwarming coming of age comedies, experimental genre films, and even two Best Picture winners, A24 has released a wide range of films that can be considered some of the most vital, celebrated cinema from any studio in the last two decades. Some of the films they talked about included The Green Knight, Hereditary, Eighth Grade, 20^th Century Women, A Most Violent Year, Past Lives, Moonlight, The Zone of Interest, Lady Bird, and many 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 2h18m. On our next episode, we will be discussing the latest release from NEON, Babes, and talking about our favorite films about parenthood.  

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 45 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by Oscar Wild co-host and film critic Nick Ruhrkraut to discuss the next film in their Sofia Coppola series, On the Rocks (2020).

We needed places to escape to during the COVID-19 lockdown of 2020, and leave it to Sofia Coppola to deliver an easy, breezy father-daughter hang out movie. On the Rocks not only feature fantastic chemistry between Rashida Jones and Bill Murray, but it has Coppola going back to the ideas she explored within the beginning of her career; the relationship she had with her father and where she is at currently in life as an artist as well as a parent and a spouse. What she delivers is a hilarious, insightful look at someone’s life who is seeking too much instead of appreciating the good things they have in front of them. Ryan, Jay, and Nick break down their reactions to the film, Bill Murray’s charm, Rashida Jones’s career, what it’s like to pal around in New York City, where this ranks in Coppola’s filmography, and if they’d like to see this story continue or not.

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 1h45m. The guys will be back next week to conclude their series on the films of Sofia Coppola with a review of her most recent film, Priscilla. You can stream the film on MAX, 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 230 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch contributors Dan Bayer, Josh Parham, and Karen Peterson to give their thoughts on The Fall Guy and discuss their favorite movies that are about making movies.

The summer movie season is in full swing as stars Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt take to the big screen again, this time ditching their Barbie and Oppenheimer crews to come together for The Fall Guy, an action-adventure-romance spectacle about a stunt guy who is hired by a Hollywood producer to find the missing star (whom he used to double for) of a major studio film that is being directed by his ex-girlfriend. Lead by the chemistry between Gosling and Blunt, The Fall Guy is a kind of movie that “can remind you that going to the movies is a magical, highly entertaining experience.”, Ryan, Dan, Josh and Karen break down their reactions to the film, its underperformance at the box office, and why they think people should give it a shot and go see it before it leaves theaters.

In the second half of the show, the gang discuss their favorite movies about movies, which is a big part of the overall plot of The Fall Guy, speaking a ton about the film industry and the personalities that are at the center of it. But movies about movies can be a multitude of things, ranging from being a love letter to the art form to an examination of the dangerous, heartbreaking mirage that fame and filmmaker can be. This allowed the team to talk about a wide selection of films that included Sunset Boulevard, Get Shorty, Singin’ in the Rain, The Player, American Movie, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Sullivan’s Travels, Ed Wood, Dolemite Is My Name, Pain and Glory, Mank, and many 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 1h47m. On our next episode, we will be discussing the latest release from A24, I Saw the TV Glow, and revealing our top five A24 films.

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 44 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by Lead News Editor for Collider Maggie Lovitt to discuss the next film in their Sofia Coppola series, The Beguiled (2017).

Four years after her most modern film to date, Sofia Coppola swerved back into a historical dramatic setting with The Beguiled, a remake of the 1971 Southern Gothic thriller set in Virginia during the American Civil War. When a young girl finds a wounded Union soldier right outside her all-girls school where she lives with several other women of various ages, the ladies nice, quiet way of life is turned upside down by the arrival of this sensual, seductive, ultimately menacing presence. Led by an all-star cast that includes Nicole Kidman, Kristen Dunst, Elle Fanning, and Colin Farrell, Coppola dives beautifully and patiently into the physiological nature of what it is like when a figure like this infuriates these women’s lives and how their nature and unnatural responses to this soldier’s inclusion in their life speaks to their basic human desires, and how temptation can overwhelm and get the best of them when it is all said and done. Ryan, Jay, and Maggie break down their reactions to the film, its connections to the original film, where it ranks in Coppola’s filmography, Farrell and Kidman’s career retrospective, how devilish Farrell’s character is in the film, and if her second attempt at a period piece is just as successful as Marie Antoinette.

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 2h01m. The guys will be back next week to begin their new series covering the films of Sofia Coppola with a review of her next film, On the Rocks. You can stream the film on Apple TV+ 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 229 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson and Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello to review Luca Guadagnino’s latest film Challengers, and then discuss their favorite sexiest/horniest films.

Releasing this past weekend was one of the best reviewed films of the year so far, Challengers, which was supposed to come out last year but was delayed because of the SAG/WGA strikes. In his follow-up to 2022’s Bones and All, Luca Guadagnino’s tennis love triangle became the number one film at the box office, and had the AW team talking about it all week long. Ryan, Erik, and Sophia break down their overall reactions to the film, its excellent performances from its all-star cast, the innovated editing, fist-pumping score from Reznor and Ross, and of course, the hot, sexual tension at the core of this incredible film. Listen to their spoilers be damned review as well as read Josh Parham’s written review of the film on the website.

After they are done talking about Challengers, the gang transition into a conversation about their favorite films that they find sexy and/or horny. In trying to go within the vein of Challengers tone, they talked about some great films that not only just had sex scenes, but the feeling of falling in love, longing for the person they want to be it, as well as repressing one’s love and how tragic that can feel. There are also just some obvious picks that are just straight up horny fun. Included into the conversation was Out of Sight, Don’t Look Now, Wet Hot American Summer, Brokeback Mountain, Y tu mamá también, In the Mood for Love, Moonlight, Bull Durham, The Age of Innocence, 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 2h22m. On our next episode, we will be reviewing The Fall Guy and talking about our favorite movies about movies.

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 43 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by Nicole Ackman to discuss the next film in their Sofia Coppola series, The Bling Ring (2013).

Following her most subtle work to date, Sofia Coppola took a full swing the other way in tackling a larger than life, true story that is all about how we consume celebrity culture and consumerism. The Bling Ring follows a group of young, fame-obsessed teenagers in the late 2000s, that use the internet to track where their favorite movie and reality stars are so they can rob their homes while the stars are away. Led by Emma Watson, Taissa Farmiga, and a mostly unknown cast, Coppola examines the newest generations obsessions with the figures and institutions that she grew up around, how this mindset has gotten worse since the actions seen in the film, and how it all seems inconsequential in the grand scheme of things once all the dust settles on the robbers. Ryan, Jay, and Nicole break down their impressions on the film, if Coppola was the right choice to tackle this modern subject matter, Watson’s career path (a lively, respectful argument between Ryan and Jay), the minimalist approach to the screenplay, the sharp contrast in the cinematography between the day and night sequences, what is the best sandwich they’ve ever had, and is this the best social film commentary released in 2013.

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 2h01m. The guys will be back next week to begin their new series covering the films of Sofia Coppola with a review of her next film, The Beguiled. You can stream the film on Netflix, 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 228 of the AwardsWatch podcast, it's a full house as Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson and Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello are joined by AwardsWatch contributors Jay Ledbetter, Josh Parham, Dan Bayer, Kevin Lee and new to the AW team, Karen Peterson, on her first pod with us. Executive Editor Ryan McQuade was unable to join today.

This episode we're tackling the 2024 Summer Box Office Draft and we noticed something right away. Not only is there nothing close to resembling a 'Barbenheimer' like last year, it feels like a soft summer for most of us. After COVID decimated theaters and theater attendance in 2020 and 2021, it started to bounce back in 2022, if slightly. Then double industry strikes - first writers then actors - over the summer of 2023 sent scrambling studios moving some of their high profile films around (like Amazon MGM's Challengers and Warner Bros' Dune) to spring and beyond.

But even without clear box office behemoths like Barbie and Oppenheimer, there still look to be a few juggernauts that could spell a win for either Team Ryan (with Sophia, Josh and Karen) or last summer's winner, Team Erik (with Kevin, Jay and Dan). Shuffling through sequels, prequels, franchises and a handful of original films, the teams built their drafts with Team Ryan going first, followed by Team Erik, picking five films we think will get us across the finish line and one bomb we think will ding the other team's chances. Animated films like Despicable Me 4, Inside Out 2 and The Garfield Movie making the list, as did the long-awaited teaming up of Deadpool & Wolverine. But smaller films found their way in to, with Trap and MaXXXine showing up. We close talking about some major titles that just the missed the cut, how this year's horror films have shaken out 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 1h56m. On our next episode, we will reviewing Luca Guadagnino's hot, love triangle tennis drama Challengers, starring Zendaya, Mike Faist and Josh O'Connor.

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 42 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys discuss the next film in their Sofia Coppola series, Somewhere (2010).

With the underwhelming commercial and critical reaction to Marie Antoinette, Sofia Coppola took a step back in terms of approach and returned to making a smaller, vibes based film set in modern day Los Angeles. By doing this, it was almost a reset for the director, and yet she delivered her most underrated film within her filmography, as she dives into making another personal, profound film about the anxiety of growing up as an adult, and the responsibility it takes to be a parent. Led by an incredible performance by Stephen Dorff and a breakout role for Elle Fanning, Ryan and Jay break down their reaction to the film, Coppola’s loose filmmaking for this project, the mundanity found in being a celebrity, how much of Coppola is found in both Dorff or Fanning’s character, the meaning behind the film’s ending and how it might tie into Lost in Translation, the Fanning Sister’s careers, and the appreciation of Chris Pontius as well as a look into the Jackass movies.

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 1h42m. The guys will be back next week with a review of her next film, The Bling Ring. You can stream the film on MAX, 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 227 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson, Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello and AwardsWatch contributor Josh Parham to discuss the latest film from director Alex Garland, Civil War, and discuss their favorite political and journalism thrillers.

Before they jumped into the review of Civil War, the 2024 Cannes Film Festival was announced this past week, with dozens of American and European films dominating the lineup. Films from Francis Ford Coppola, Paul Schrader, Andrea Arnold, Yorgos Lanthimos, Sean Baker, Jacques Audiard, Paolo Sorrentino, David Cronenberg and more will be having their world premiere next month at the prestigious festival. Not only is it one of the biggest film festivals in the world, but it has become an important stomping ground for International Features, especially the ones that make it into the Oscar categories later in the season. The gang break down what they can’t wait to see since Josh is going to the festival next month while Ryan, Erik, and Sophia will catch a lot of these titles at Telluride later in the year.

Moving onto the main event of the podcast, Civil War has become one of the most talked about films of 2024 so far, even before its premiere at SXSW. The trailer alone sparked discussion and anger from many thinking it is not the right time to be releasing a film like this as the United States is ramping up for another Presidential Election. But much to the surprise of all, early reactions indicated a much different movie than the trailer suggested. The gang break down their reaction to it the film, covering everything from the film’s political stance, the screenplay, the performances and so much more. After that, they dive into a fascinating, in-depth conversation over their favorite political and journalism thrillers, a topic that all of them love considering some of their favorite films of all time came out of the genres. Some of the films discussed in the extensive conversation include All the President’s Men, Nightcrawler, JFK, Zodiac, Munich, The Hunt for Red October, Blow Out, The Ghost Writer, Zero Dark Thirty and so many 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 2h17m. On our next episode, we will be doing the 2024 AwardsWatch Summer Movie Draft. You won’t want to miss 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 41 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by AwardsWatch Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello to discuss the next film in their Sofia Coppola series, Marie Antoinette (2006).

Three years after Sofia Coppola was riding high off her Oscar winning, smash hit Lost in Translation, she cashed in her black check to create a stylized, personal account of the life of one of history’s most recognizable figures. With Marie Antoinette, she took a forty-million-dollar budget and made it feel like a hundred-million-dollar epic about a young women force into a social, political world she is not ready for, and must find a way to blend in before she is devoured from the inside out. Led by a magnificent ensemble, as well as luscious costumes, production design and a modern soundtrack, Marie Antoinette may have been criticized by audiences at the time of release for not being the movie they wanted after Coppola’s era defining masterpiece, but over time, it has become an essential piece of filmmaking within her celebrated career. Ryan, Jay and Sophia break down Dunst’s brilliant performance, the non-existing French accent work by the casts, Coppola’s confident scope and vision for the film, the idea of a ‘birds in a cage’ that the director loves to explore, the career of Jason Schwartzman, and what their favorite type of pie is (they aren’t that big on cake).

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 2h13m. The guys will be back next week to begin their new series covering the films of Sofia Coppola with a review of her next film, Somewhere. 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).

Although the Emmy Awards were just earlier this year in January due to the SAG-AFTRA strike in summer and fall of 2023, we're back into the Emmy season once again as April and May find networks and streamers cramming content under the wire to hit the May 31 deadline. On episode 226 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson and TV Editor Tyler Doster break down the top categories for a preview of what this new Emmy race could look like.

We start with the most competitive section of this year's race, Limited or Anthology Series or Movie categories. While other top series categories have been expanded to eight nomination slots by the Television Academy, Limited or Anthology Series have just the classic five and as each year sees a meteoric rise in limited series content, it's going to be one of the toughest races in decades with Shōgun (FX), Fargo (FX), Lessons in Chemistry (AppleTV+), True Detective: Night Country (HBO/Max), Feud: Capote vs The Swans (FX), Masters of the Air (AppleTV+), The Regime (HBO/Max), Ripley (Netflix), Fellow Travelers (Showtime), The Sympathizer (HBO/Max) and more all vying for one of those previous five spots. That's before you even get into the acting categories, which could prove to be even more cutthroat with A-list Oscar winners like Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Brie Larson, Julianne Moore, Nicole Kidman and Michael Douglas in the mix.

In Comedy, we have several returning winners and previous nominees in the race (like Abbott Elementary (ABC), Hacks (HBO/Max) and reigning champ The Bear), shows waving farewell like Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO/Max) and Reservation Dogs (FX), and new hopefuls like Palm Royale (AppleTV+) and The Gentlemen (Netflix).

But it's Drama that has proven to be the bleakest of the bunch, with so many non-returning shows that it's practically an easy coronation for The Crown (Netflix) in its final season. We'll see The Morning Show (AppleTV+) for its third season but after that it's a Wild West of programs never nominated like The Gilded Age (HBO/Max), Loki (Disney+) and Slow Horses (AppleTV+) going up against a flood of new programming, some of which has or could be strategically submitted here instead of Limited Series where they more likely belong (like Showtime's The Curse or Prime Video's Mr. and Mrs. Smith, neither of which have been renewed for a second season). Flooding the market with their first seasons include: 3 Body Problem (Netflix), Fallout (Prime Video), Sugar (AppleTV+), Hijack (AppleTV+) 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 1h15m. On our next episode, we will be latest film from director Alex Garland, Civil War, along with discussing our favorite political thrillers, and breaking down the 2024 Cannes Film Festival line-up.

On episode 225 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson and Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello to discuss Dev Patel’s directorial debut, Monkey Man, and talk about some of their favorite directorial debuts from actor turn directors.

Some of the best debuts feature films within a yearly film slate come from actors taking their turn behind the director’s chair. This is year is no different as Oscar nominee Dev Patel has released, alongside the help of Universal Studios and producer Jordan Peele, Monkey Man, an action revenge thriller that is a reimagining of childhood stories and myths Patel heard when he was growing up. Premiering earlier this year at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, the film was received extremely well, with Ryan’s review from the fest stating that “Patel has announced himself as a directorial voice to be reckoned with a knockout, confident debut.” Erik and Sophia were able to catch up with it this past week and gave their thoughts on this personal, action pack thrill ride from Patel.

After talking about Monkey Man, the conversation shifted to a large discussion on the groups favorite directorial debuts by actor turn directors, which covered a large range of personalities and genres. Already being the public eye, and having some form of cache in the business, along with something to say, there can be a lot of pressure on actors who step into the role of directors and make their first films and beyond. Some go on to use their first film as a launch pad for a big career behind the camera, while others peck within their first project, never able to capture the magic again. In a wide-ranging conversation, some of the films discussed by Ryan, Erik and Sophia were Ordinary People, This is Spinal Tap, Get Out, Reds, Eve’s Bayou, Yentl, A Star is Born (2018), The Virgin Suicides, Confessions of Dangerous Mind, Lady Bird, Whip It, The Night of the Hunter, 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 2h2m. On our next episode, we will be latest film from director Alex Garland, Civil War, along with discussing our favorite political thrillers, and breaking down the 2024 Cannes Film Festival line-up.

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 40 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by Pop Culture Confidential host Christina Jeurling Birro to discuss the next film in their Sofia Coppola series, Lost in Translation (2003).

Four years after her confident, striking debut, Sofia Coppola returned with her most celebrated, revered film to date with Lost in Translation. Set in modern day Tokyo, we follow a veteran movie star going through a mid-life crisis and a young woman neglected by her husband who form an unlikely bond after crossing paths in the hotel they are staying at. This innocent, sweet friendship blossoms into an awakening for the both of them, realizing what they must do going forward to live out their lives as well as continue to move on in their marriages. Shot on location in Japan a relatively cheap budget, Coppola was able to tap into her personal life, looking both at her family’s material history as well as her own as she had just recently married at the time. In doing so, she created one of the most talked about, acclaimed films of the 21^st century. Ryan, Jay, and Christina break down their relationship with the film, the aspects that have agreed well as well as the ones that haven’t over time, fish out of water stories, personal stories of random connections they have had over time, Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson’s performances, and how no one likes to cook their own meal at a restaurant.

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 2h. The guys will be back next week to begin their new series covering the films of Sofia Coppola with a review of her next film, Marie Antoinette. You can stream the film on Pluto TV. 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 224 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch contributors Dan Bayer and Cody Dericks to take a look back and review The Matrix for its 25^th anniversary and give out their Top 5 1990s Action Films.

As talked about a couple of times on the AwardsWatch Podcast as well as on Director Watch, 1999 is one of the greatest years for cinema, not just in the modern era but of all time. The collective batch of films released in that last year of the 20^th century profoundly spoke to the times they were released, while also paving the way for the next 25 years of films and filmmakers to come. One of the most influential films from that year was The Matrix, which just celebrated its anniversary of release just a few days ago. In a wonderful conversation, Ryan, Dan, and Cody break down this one-of-a-kind sci-fi-noir- action spectacle, talking about what the films means to them and so many others, as well as it’s substantial legacy that has made it stand as one of the best films of all time.

In the back half of the show, in honor of speaking about The Wachowski’s masterpiece, the AW team go back to their nostalgic pasts and talk about their Top 5 action movies released within the 1990s. A bountiful decade to choose from, they were able to narrow this difficult exercise down with films like Mission: Impossible, Twister, Heat, Speed, Face/Off, Saving Private Ryan, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and more were discussed.

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 2h14m. On our next episode, we will be reviewing Dev Patel’s directorial debut, Monkey Man, and talking about our favorite actor-director debut feature films.

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 39 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys discuss the first film in their Sofia Coppola series, The Virgin Suicides (1999).

Over the past thirty years, there have been few female filmmakers who have been as influential as Sofia Coppola. As the child of one of cinema’s greatest America directors, the deck could be stacked against them to succeed. But Sofia Coppola directorial vision was focused from the beginning because when she read Jeffrey Eugenides’s acclaimed novel, she knew exactly how to make this story come to life. Setting aside her acting career, her transition to writer director proved to be the correct decision as The Virgin Suicides was not only one of the great films released in 1999, but it was one of the best directorial debuts of all time. As we follow a group of young boys who become enamored with five mysterious sisters who are sheltered by their strict, religious parents in suburban Detroit in the mid 1970s, we see that Coppola is also examining not just how these boys see these girls, but rather the society around them. As a commentary on suburbia, adolescence, desire, and human insecurities, The Virgin Suicides is still as relevant as when it premiered 25 years ago. Ryan and Jay give a full break down into their thoughts on the film, Coppola’s style and visual language, the incredible ensemble at work here, and give their overall thoughts on Sofia Coppola as an artist as they jump into this brand new, exciting series.

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 1h46m. The guys will be back next week to begin their new series covering the films of Sofia Coppola with a review of her next film, Lost in Translation. You can stream the film on Amazon Prime Video. 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 223 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson, Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello and AwardsWatch contributor Josh Parham and Dan Bayer to do a look back twenty years at the 77^th Academy Awards, celebrating the films of 2004.

As the 2023 Oscar season and the 2024 SXSW Film Festival is behind us, the AW team are refreshed after a week off and ready to go back in time twenty years to discuss the Oscar ceremony where Million Dollar Baby took home the top prize, giving director Clint Eastwood his second Best Director Oscar of his career, and rewards Jamie Fox, Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman, and Cate Blanchett the acting awards for their work in Ray, Million Dollar Baby, and The Aviator. Hosted by comedian Chris Rock (his first time hosting), the ceremony represented a pretty good year in cinema, with movies like The Incredibles, Sideways, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Collateral, Vera Drake, Shrek 2, Closer, Finding Neverland, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and more making up the winners and nominees.

On this episode, the team talk about where they were in 2004, their thoughts on the overall film year as well as the Oscar ceremony, what they think of Million Dollar Baby as a Best Picture winner, do a little Oscar trivia as it relates to this year, and then they play a new version of the AW Shoulda Woulda Coulda game, where instead of individual replacements, they must decide as a team who the nominees and winners should be in the eight categories. Only catch is, they can only replace two of the previous nominees from each category. It made for a lively, fun show that we all hope you enjoy.

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 3h12m. On our next episode, we will be covering a retrospective review of The Matrix for its 25^th anniversary and talk about their favorite 90s action movies.

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 38 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys discuss the final film in their William Friedkin series, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (2023).

After a 12-year absence from making a feature film, William Friedkin returned with a faithful, reverent adaption of one of the most celebrated plays of all time, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial. Being a movie he’d wanted to make his entire career, the film came together over the course of two months in early 2023; a modern, relevant version of Herman Wouk's classic text, only to sadly pass away before the film premiered at the 2023 Venice Film Festival. For a final film, it is a perfect end to a celebrated career by one of Hollywood’s most unique directorial talents. With an extraordinary cast lead by incredible performances from Kiefer Sutherland and Jason Clarke, Ryan and Jay break down Friedkin’s last film, the modern setting of his adaption, Lance Reddick’s career, the film’s explosive ending, favorite court room dramas, and they give their definitive rankings of William Friedkin’s filmography.

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 1h48m. The guys will be back next week to begin their new series covering the films of Sofia Coppola with a review of her debut film, The Virgin Suicides. You can stream the film on Pluto TV. 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 37 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys discuss the latest film in their William Friedkin series, Killer Joe (2011).

After the successful collaboration with screenwriter Tracey Letts on his last film Bug, Freidkin went right back to work with him on an adaptation of Letts’s debut play about a family who hire a corrupt police detective with a side career as a contract killer to take out their estranged mother for her insurance policy. Based in a small Texas town, Killer Joe is slowly unfolds into a twisted, violent American Southern Gothic crime drama that explodes with one of the craziest endings in the acclaimed director’s career. Ryan and Jay break down their reactions to the film, if the ending justifies it’s grizzly conclusion, the overall journey of the McConaissance, fried chicken legs and so much more.

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 1h35m. The guys will be back next week to conclude their series covering the films of William Friedkin with a review of his last film, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial. You can stream the film on Paramount+. 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 222 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch contributors Dan Bayer and Josh Parham to give their thoughts on the 96th Academy Awards and wrap up the 2023-2024 Oscar season.

The Oscar season has come to an end as the 96^th Academy Awards were announced this past Sunday, and not shocking anyone at all, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer took home seven Oscars including the night’s top prize, Best Picture. Nolan walked away with the Best Director prize, and his leading man Cillian Murphy won Best Actor, alongside his co-star Robert Downey Jr. for Best Supporting Actor. Emma Stone pulled the upset over Lily Gladstone to take home Best Actress for Poor Things, giving her a second Best Actress Oscar within her career. And Da'Vine Joy Randolph was able to complete her season dominance as she won Best Supporting Actress for her work in The Holdovers. A full list of the winners can be found in our article on the site. Beyond the winners, there was plenty to discuss including Jimmy Kimmel’s hosting, the telecast itself, Ryan Gosling’s incredible “I’m Just Ken” performance, favorite speeches, and shocking upsets within our predictions. Ryan, Dan, and Josh cover it all as they close the book on what was another long but successful Oscar season.

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 1h21m. On our next episode, we will be doing an Oscar retrospective on the films of 2004. 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 36 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys discuss the latest film in their William Friedkin series, Bug (2007).

Moving away from his early 2000s action thrillers era, Friedkin set his sights on a project of much small scale, as he saw a play by writer/actor Tracy Letts that blew him away. Set mostly in a single location, motel room, Bug follows Agnes (a fantastic Ashley Judd) as she begins a new relationship with Peter (an excellent Michael Shannon), a stranger that turns unstable and unpredictable as layers of his past unfold and we start to see the lines of what is real and what is fake collide. With this, Friedkin creates an effective paranoid thriller with stellar performances and a scorching good ending. Ryan and Jay break down what they like about the film, the careers of both Judd and Shannon, the wild choices made by Harry Connick Jr. with his work in the film, how the film handles PTSD, and once again discuss the great film year that was 2007.

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 1h35m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series covering the films of William Friedkin with a review of his next film, Killer Joe. You can stream the film on Amazon Prime Video. 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 221 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson and Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello to give out their final 2024 Oscar winner predictions.

And just like that, the time has come for the final winner predictions for the 96^th Academy Awards. In a year where the critic and industry awards have been dominated by Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, the chances are near zero that the three-hour epic won’t walk away with the top prize this coming Sunday. But just because Best Picture is all but certain doesn’t mean some of the below the line categories and Best Actress race aren’t still open for discussion. In an extension conversation, Ryan, Erik and Sophia break down every possible outcome as well as pick their winners for all twenty-three categories. They also speculate which former winners will show up in the presentation of the acting categories, something that hasn’t been done on the telecast since the Oscars in 2009.

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 2h48m. On our next episode, we will be back to wrap up the Oscar season. 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 35 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by AwardsWatch Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello to discuss the latest film from director Denis Villeneuve, Dune: Part Two (2024).

Due to the WGA and SAG strikes from 2023, Warner Bros decided to move the second installment in their new franchise, Dune, thus making moviegoers around the world, as well as Ryan and Jay, have to wait till March 2024 to not only see the film, but to truly conclude their Denis Villeneuve movie series from last year. Well, the time has come to talk about one of the year’s most anticipated films; one that has been called “a masterpiece” by many and worthy of being in the same conversation as movies like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Lawrence of Arabia, and even The Godfather. On this special episode of Director Watch, Ryan, Jay, and Sophia break down their thoughts on the latest sandworm epic by talking looking back on their thoughts on the first film, the relationship with the source material, and what about Dune: Part Two didn’t fully work. In a very tough but fair overview of the film, the trio thoroughly explain the parts of Dune: Part Two that worked for them (the performances from the all-star cast, the production design of each world, the final thirty minutes of the film) and what didn’t work (the screenplay and lack of visual wonder found in the first part), as well as look to the future and briefly talk about the film’s Oscar chances.

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 2h. The guys will be back next week to continue their series covering the films of William Friedkin with a review of his next film, Bug. You can stream the film on Pluto TV. 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 34 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys discuss the latest film in their William Friedkin series, The Hunted (2003).

In the early 2000s, William Friedkin had transitioned into work in some mainstream adult action-dramas that looked into ideas of the military industrial complex and how those institutions can break and corrupt a man. With his 2000 feature, Rules of Engagement, he unsuccessfully tried to tackle these issues in a run of the mill court room drama that fell flat for most audiences, as well as Ryan and Jay. But with The Hunted, Friedkin makes a bloody, lean, mean action thriller about an FBI deep-woods tracker who attempts to capture a trained assassin he mentored who is going on a killing spree and must be stopped. Led by two entertaining performances from Tommy Lee Jones and Benicio del Toro, the guys break down this underrated gem in Friedkin’s filmography, the wild action sequences, Tommy Lee Jones’s career, the biting commentary Friedkin is able to pull off with making a cat and mouse thriller, and they get into a little bit of a debate on the correct year you should say when referring to a previous Oscar season.

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 William Friedkin with a review of his next film, Bug. You can stream the film on Pluto TV. 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 220 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson, Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello and AwardsWatch contributor Josh Parham to give their reactions to the 2024 SAG Awards.

Before we get into talking about the SAG Awards, the first significant release of 2024 screened this past week, as many were able to get a first look at Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two before it arrives in theaters later this week. Ryan and Erik were able to be some of the lucky critics to catch it, and gave their quick, spoiler free reactions to the film at the top of the show. The full review from Ryan is live on the website, and there will be a new episode of Director Watch coming soon to discuss the film is its totality.

Onto the main topic for this week, the gang come together to talk about the 2024 SAG Awards, which streamed live on Netflix this past Saturday night. While the show was a bit of a mess, the winners for the acting categories started to take full shape for the Oscars as Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Robert Downey Jr. continue their award season dominance for Supporting Actress and Supporting Actor, while Cillian Murphy and Lily Gladstone took the lead in Best Actor and Best Actress as we head into the final week of Oscar voting. Listen as the AW team breaks it all down and previews next week’s show as we head into the final Oscar predictions for the season.

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 1h09m. On our next episode, we will be giving our final 2024 Oscar predictions. 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 33 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys discuss the latest film in their William Friedkin series, Blue Chips (1994).

Since the mid-1980s with To Live and Die in L.A., Friedkin started a stretch that would fully cement his journeyman status for the remainder of his career. After a couple of flops and uninteresting project, Friedkin was given a script by acclaimed screenwriter Ron Shelton (Bull Durham, White Men Can't Jump) that dives deep into the world of college basketball, and the questionable tactics a coach would take to recruit players in the modern era. In what feels like a movie ahead of its time in terms of speaking out about the corruption within college athletics, as well as also outdated in some aspects given that the film is over 30 years old, Friedkin makes a more interesting film to discuss rather than one to watch. Led by a committed performance from Nick Nolte, Ryan and Jay discuss their relationship to the sport of basketball, their overall thoughts on the film, the connection between Nolte’s character and legendary coach Bobby Knight, the use of real players, Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway, where this film ranks in the genre of sports movies, and if the final speech at the end is earned.

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 1h41m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series covering the films of William Friedkin with a review of his next film, The Hunted. You can stream the film on Max. 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 219 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson and AwardsWatch contributor Dan Bayer to give their reactions to the 2024 BAFTA Awards, and give out their predictions for the upcoming 2024 PGA, SAG, and Independent Spirit Awards,

As discussed on last week’s show, the 2024 BAFTA awards were this past Sunday, with Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer taking home seven awards including Best Film, Best Director and Best Actor for Cillian Murphy. With the film’s other wins in Supporting Actor, Cinematography, Editing and Score, it has solidified itself not only as the frontrunner for Best Picture at the Oscars, but it is the forgone conclusion that it will be our winner this year. But with three weeks to go, can any other film set forward as a challenger and take Best Picture right at the last second? Poor Things looked to be the latest challenger to Oppenheimer as made its case by winning five BAFTA’s including Best Actress for Emma Stone. But it lost Best British Film in a upset to Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest, thus making it clear which film the BAFTA voting membership was going to reward its top prize to. Anatomy of a Fall, The Holdovers, and American Fiction also took home prizes, while films like Barbie. Saltburn, All of Us Strangers, Maestro, and Killers of the Flower Moon went home empty handed. The gang discuss the impact of these results and how much they will factor them in going into the final stage of season.

After discussing the BAFTAs, Ryan, Erik, and Dan gave their full predictions for the PGA, SAG, and Independent Spirit Awards, which included plenty of talk about Oppenheimer another big step towards it’s Best Picture win, discuss how the four acting races will conclude, how SAG will vote in their television categories, and what they think the unpredictable Film Independent voters will vote on for its winners. All in all, it was a fun predictions portion segment filled with tons of possibilities for various winners to walk away with the top prizes at each show.

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. On our next episode, we will be giving our reactions to the SAG Awards, as well as doing a review of the latest sci-fi epic, Dune: Part Two. 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 32 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys discuss the latest film in their William Friedkin series, To Live and Die in L.A. (1985).

At the midpoint of the 1980s, Friedkin found himself in no man’s land, as the studios had made the full switch to more stylized, commercial vehicles that audiences would want to see, rather than blank check films made by popular directors. After failing hard with one of the worst films in his filmography in 1983’s Deal of the Century, he set his sights on an adaptation of Gerald Petievich’s novel To Live and Die in L.A., in which we follow two Secret Service agents go on a wild investigation to arrest a dangerous counterfeiter. Wild a mild success at the time, it’s influences could be traced throughout the rest of the decade, especially in the works of Michael Mann (whom Friedkin may have took a lot of ideas from). What we get in return is a lean mean neo-noir that ranks as one of the last great films from Friedkin. Ryan and Jay break down the film, the connections to Mann and other films and shows of the 1980s, the gruesome violence, the careers of William Petersen and Willem Dafoe, how cool it looks to make counterfeit money, and morality at play with the film’s ending.

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 1h44m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series covering the films of William Friedkin with a review of his next film, Blue Chips. 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 218 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson and AwardsWatch contributor Dan Bayer to give their 2024 BAFTA predictions and talk about their favorite romantic comedies.

Before getting into the meat of this week’s show, there was major Oscar news this past week, as the Academy announced the addition of a brand new category for the 2025/2026 season, Best Casting. While there is a lot of speculation as to the rules of this new category, but this is a welcome addition to the Oscar lineup. The gang speculate what they want to hear from the Academy when they announce the specifics to their new category in April 2025.

Moving onto the awards talk, the guys talk about the recent wins at the DGA and ADG awards ceremonies from this past weekend, which saw not only Christopher Nolan get closer to an Oscar win for Best Director, but a real race for Best Production Design between Poor Things, Oppenheimer, and Barbie. This led right into the BAFTA predictions conversation, which could open up the race and lead to some surprises from this overseas voting body that has a big cross over with the Academy. Films like Oppenheimer, Poor Things should do well, with The Zone of Interest, Anatomy of a Fall, The Holdovers and All of Us Strangers looking to play spoiler in a few categories. Winners will be handed out next weekend and we will discuss them on next week’s show.

Then in the back half of the episode, as Valentine’s Day rolls around this coming week, Ryan, Erik and Dan discuss their favorite romantic comedies. They talk about what they love about the genre, what makes them work, some of their favorite films and memorable theater experiences seeing them, as well as what they would like to see going forward when it comes to rom-coms. Some of the films discussed included My Big Fat Greek Wedding, When Harry Met Sally, Moonstruck, Bottoms, Fire Island, Annie Hall, Harold and Maude, The Shop Around the Corner, Sleepless in Seattle, and so many 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 1h53m. On our next episode, we will be giving our reactions to the BAFTA awards, as well as give our predictions to the SAG Awards and talk about the latest film from Ethan Coen, Drive-Away Dolls. 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 31 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined AwardsWatch Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson to discuss the latest film in their William Friedkin series, Cruising (1980).

Entering the 1980s, Friedkin is still reeling from the fall out of the box office mess of Sorcerer and the flop that followed it up with The Brink’s Job. But as we entered the new decade, right as we is able to become a mostly “director for hire” for the good chunk of the next two decades, Friedkin delivered one of his most talked about features in Cruising, which is about a police officer that goes undercover in the underground, S&M gay subculture of New York City to catch a serial killer. After being approached by multiple producers to adapt reporter Gerald Walker’s novel, Friedkin became interested in the project after string of an unsolved killings within gay leather bars within the 1970s. Working with the local Mafia members of New York City who owned the bars shot in the film, and having Al Pacino as his lead actor, Friedkin set out to make another significant, yet controversial film within not just his filmography but a milestone in the history of queer cinema. Ryan, Jay, and Erik break down the film’s legacy, the film’s depiction of S&M culture, the lost forty minutes of footage cut from the film, Pacino’s laughable performance, Friedkin’s intentions with the ending and violence throughout Cruising, pleasure vs. pain, and so much more.

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 2h03m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series covering the films of William Friedkin with a review of his next film, To Live and Die in L.A. 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 217 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, AwardsWatch Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson stands in for AW Executive Editor Ryan McQuade and welcomes AW Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello and AwardsWatch contributor Josh Parham to talk a bit about the Oscars, review Argylle and dive into our favorite films of the spy and espionage genre.

Early February is a quiet time for Oscar predicting; there are very few critics groups to still chime in and all guilds and industry nominations have landed. It’s voting time for several, including SAG, DGA and PGA and idle hands are the devil’s playground. In our opening, Erik, Sophia and Josh root around the lead acting and screenplay categories which seem more open and elusive than usual and we take an early stab at what could shake things up and why.

Then it’s Argylle, Apple Films’ colossal box office, critical and audience flop that opened this weekend and Josh is tasked with stewarding that sinking ship as the only person on the pod who saw it. With its $16M opening, mid-40s Rotten Tomatoes score and C+ Cinemascore, the film is not long for theaters and Josh will tell you why.

Then we get to the meat of the podcast and that’s talking about spy and espionage films that do work for us and those that we count among our favorites. With the Mission: Impossible and Bond franchises looming so large over this genre – we give them space and due – we talk about some formative film in the genre for us like Goldfinger and the spy spoof Condorman and then into the films that we love the best like The Manchurian Candidate (1962), From Russia with Love (1963), Three Days of the Condor (1975), The Conversation (1974), No Way Out (1987) and Spy (2015). Plus, what list would be complete without Hitchcock?

But we return to Bond and give out some of our choices to replace the iconic figure now that Daniel Craig is officially retired from the role. Hit us up in the comments with who you want to see play the dashing, rogue agent.

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 1h36m. On our next episode, we will be talking about our favorite rom-coms just in time for Valentine’s Day and our predictions for the BAFTA winners. Till then, let’s get into it.

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 30 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined film critic Jake Tropila to discuss the latest film in their William Friedkin series, Sorcerer (1977).

Riding off the high of two of the biggest films of his career, and having the cachet to make whatever film he wanted, Friedkin set out to make a semi remake of the classic film The Wages of Fear, about four outcasts who are forced to take a job transporting unstable dynamite through the Colombian jungles. On the screen, it is one of the most tense, cynical thrillers of the 1970s, looking deeply into the souls of these men, their circumstances, and the inevitability of their dangerous actions catching up to them; thus it is a masterpiece. But behind the scenes, Sorcerer was a financial disaster, and consider one of many films that push studios to get away from the auteur, blank check driven vehicles of the 1970s, and the studios controlled filmmaking processes of the 1980s. Ryan, Jay and Jake break down the creation of this project, where the production went wrong, the restoration of this film, how this movie impacted Friedkin’s career going forward, and how a little film from a galaxy far, far away came in and stole Sorcerers thunder, and if the title of the movie actually fits the film.

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 1h44m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series covering the films of William Friedkin with a review of his next film, 1980's Cruising. 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 29 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined film critic Jesse Nussman to discuss the latest film in their William Friedkin series, The Exorcist (1973).

How does a director follow up his Oscar winning effort that landed him the prize for Best Director? That’s simple, he goes on to make one of the greatest, most influential horror films of all time, and in the process, makes the film we would all remember him by. Friedkin’s The Exorcist, which follows the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother's attempt to rescue her through an exorcism by two Catholic priests, was one of the biggest films of the 1970s. Controversial upon release, it’s staying power in the mind of cinephiles is in large part to creating the template for every exorcist/possession/horror film to come along after it, as well as being notoriously known for its rocky behind the scene’s production. But through all the good and the bad, Friedkin, alongside screenwriter and author of the original novel William Peter Blatty, made a flat out masterpiece. Ryan, Jay, and Jesse break down their love for The Exorcist by talking about the ambiguous opening to the film, their favorite scene, Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair’s performances, the film’s iconic score, the god awful sequels in this franchise, and ponder how long they would last in a room where an exorcism was being performed.

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 2h03m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series covering the films of William Friedkin with a review of his next film, Sorcerer. 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 216 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson and AwardsWatch contributor Josh Parham to give their reactions to the 96th Academy Award nominations.

Bright and early on Tuesday, January 23, 2024, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the 96^th Oscar nominations, celebrating the films released within the year 2023. If you have been listening to the show, and following the race this season, it is no shock at all that Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer lead all films on nomination morning with 13 nominations, followed by Poor Things with 11 nominations, Killers of the Flower Moon with ten, and Barbie with eight. Speaking of Barbie, the biggest snubs and surprise of the nominations came when director Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie missed in the Best Director and Best Actress category, only for America Ferrera to sneak into the Best Supporting Actress line-up. There were other surprises that included five-nomination tallies for Anatomy of a Fall and The Zone of Interest, The Holdovers (but missing Best Director), and a solid showing for American Fiction. Ryan, Erik, and Josh break down every aspect of the above the line nominees, which predictions they got right as well as the ones they missed, and as they get into the below the line categories, question some of the stranger choices the members of the Academy made. An overall good conversation surrounding a (for the most part) good group of nominees.

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 1h12m. On our next episode, we will be talking about our favorite spy/espionage films due to the release of Matthew Vaughn’s latest film, Argylle. Till then, let’s get into it.

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

On episode 215 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson, Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello and AwardsWatch contributor Kevin L. Lee to give out their final 2024 Oscar nomination predictions.

Tuesday, January 23, 2024 will mark the moment we have all been waiting for; this year’s Oscar nominations. We’ve seen the Golden Globes and Critic Choice Awards hand out their winners, with SAG, PGA, BAFTA and many more industry groups hand out their nominations so far and it is shaping to be a big day for Oppenheimer, Poor Things, Barbie, Killers of the Flower Moon, and The Holdovers.

But before we find out the nominations, out team came together early to break down who they think will get in, as well as which films they could see being shut out on Oscar nominations morning, and which film could pull out some surprise nominations. Early in their discussion, they give a brief overview of the below the line categories before they dive in the big eight categories (Best Picture, Best Director, the four acting and two screenplay categories), as well as Best Animated Feature, Best Documentary, and Best International Feature. It was a very detailed, fun show where the team laid out all the various scenarios in each category that could take place, leaving plenty of room for doubt as many categories are still wide open for surprises on the morning of the nominations.

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 2h39m. We will be back next week to talk about the 2023 Oscar nominations, what got in, what didn’t and everything in between. 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 28 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined AwardsWatch Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello to discuss the latest film in their William Friedkin series, The French Connection (1971).

Though The Boys in the Band was a significant film in Friedkin’s filmography, the young director hadn’t quite yet made a hit, and was running out of chances within the Hollywood system. But along came The French Connection, a movie made right around the success of Bullitt, where audiences were ready for a cat and mouse cop movie with really good chance sequences. Though it fits that templet, The French Connection finds Friedkin dabbling into the grimy workings of a anti-hero cop who is looking to break the case of a lifetime, regardless of the collateral damage he leaves in his path. Led by an all time, Oscar winning performance from Gene Hackman, Friedkin made the hit of the year, and went on to win the Oscar for Best Director, and the film landed the Best Picture win of 1971. Ryan, Jay and Sophia breakdown all the crazy behind the scene stories from the making of the film, Friedkin’s account of the events, Friedkin thought’s on Hackman, the original ending of the film, the French New Wave influences, if Popeye Doyle is good at his job, if this is an all-time Best Picture winners for Dads, and more than a couple of signature tangents from the gang.

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 2h10m. The guys will be back later this week to continue their series covering the films of William Friedkin with a review of his next film, The Exorcist. You can stream the film on Max. 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 this special episode of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by the Head of Content for The Ringer and co-host of The Big Picture podcast Sean Fennessey to give out the first awards for a Director Watch series, the PTA Awards.

Towards the end of last year, Ryan and Jay set out to cover the films of writer, director Paul Thomas Anderson, thus breaking down one of the great modern filmographies of any contemporary director. In doing this, they talked about dozens of great performances, lines of dialogue, needle drops, favorite scenes, and so much more. So it only made sense to come back one more time to the world of PTA to break down and single out the various categories and reasons why they love PTA’s films. Joined by Sean (a fellow lover of PTA’s work), they discuss give out awards ranging from Best Male Performance, Best Female Performance, Best Direction, Best Screenplay, Best Needle Drop, Best Scene, the PTA Acting Muse award, Most Valuable Collaborator, and talk about the actor they would love to see in a future PTA film that hasn’t already worked with the director. It was a very loose, fun conversation that we hope you all enjoy.

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 1h27m. The guys will be back later this week to continue their series covering the films of William Friedkin with a review of his next film, The French Connection. You can stream the film on Max. 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 27 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by AwardsWatch contributor Josh Parham to discuss the first film in their William Friedkin series, The Boys in the Band (1970).

Early in his career, director William Friedkin started out unlike most directors, making studio for hire work like Good Times starring Sonny Bono and Cher. After a couple of other moderate to unsuccessful films, Friendkin was brought onto a project that would change his career, as he helmed one of the most influential LBGTQ+ films of all time, The Boys in the Band. Centered around a group of friends celebrating one of their owns birthday, the movie unravels into a look at the regrets and unspoken truths gay men were and still are feeling to this day. In this episode, Ryan, Jay, and Josh break down the film’s themes, if it holds up, the over the top performances, if Friedkin’s style and voice is found in the project, the 2020 Netflix remake, and if they would nominate this movie for any Oscars for the 1971 ceremony.

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 1h54m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series covering the films of William Friedkin with a review of his next film, The French Connection. You can stream the film on Max. 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 214 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson break down the winners of the 81st Golden Globes.

As we flip our calendars to 2024, the Oscar race has started to heat up at the winners of the 81st Golden Globe Awards were honored from The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, live on CBS and Paramount +. The evening marked the first televised award show of the season, giving actors, writers, directors, producers and more the necessary opportunity to make the first speeches of the season, and see who can emerge as a front runner on the night. With an impressive haul, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer took home the most awards with 5 wins including Best Picture, Drama.

Over on the Comedy-Musical side of things, Yorgos Lanthimos’s Poor Things took home the Best Picture prize, with Barbie, Anatomy of a Fall, The Holdovers, and The Boy and the Heron taking home many of the film awards.

For television it was a dominating night for Succession, The Bear, and Beef, showcasing their strength in the industry right before the long-delayed Primetime Emmy awards next week. Ryan and Erik discuss it all, and talk about how these wins will shape what we see further in the Oscar and Emmy races.

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 51m. We will be back next week to break down the winners of the SAG and DGA nominations and the winners of Critics Choice. 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 26 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by AwardsWatch contributor Dan Bayer to discuss the final film in their Paul Thomas Anderson series, Licorice Pizza (2021).

In his latest film to date, PTA embarked on a cinematic return to his home, the San Fernando Valley, to create a nostalgic look back on the time and place he grew up in. In collecting stories from friends, permission to create characters based on real life people, and filming a movie with his friends and family during the end of the 2020 pandemic, PTA set out to make a hot bottom film that got a lot of people talking about the story of Alana and Gary, to lost souls that collide for a series of adventures during the summer of 1973. With two all-time first-time performances from Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman, PTA made relaxed comedy on the surface that works equally as a commentary on the uneven power dynamics men and women deal with throughout their lives. In this film episode of the series, Ryan, Jay, and Dan talk about the central relationship of the film, what the ending really means, some of the internet chatter surrounding the film, the veteran actor work from Sean Penn and Bradley Cooper, Alana Haim’s real life family playing roles in the film, water beds, pinball machines, gas shortages, peanut butter sandwiches and a whole lot more.

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 2h15m. The guys will be back next week to begin their series covering the films of William Friedkin with a review of his next film, The Boys in the Band. 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 213 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson, Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello, TV Editor Tyler Doster and AwardsWatch contributor Josh Parham, Dan Bayer, Cody Dericks, and Jay Ledbetter to discuss their favorite films of 2023.

As we begin the new year, we say goodbye to 2023 with our AW team’s favorite films of the year from a year filled with so many exceptional movies, it looks like we will be talking about 2023 as one of the great movie years for a long time. Instead of having everyone on one call together, the show is split up into four sections, each section covering the four films the team loved the movies. Those films included Andrew Haigh’s All of Us Strangers (Erik and Josh), Celine Song’s Past Lives (Tyler and Dan), Todd Haynes’s May December (Sophia and Cody), and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer (Ryan and Jay).

In each segment, each person talks about why they selected the film as their favorite of the year, as well as an in-depth discussion over the film. At the end, the team gave honorable mentions for other films that they loved that included The Zone of Interest, Killers of the Flower Moon, Barbie, The Taste of Things, The Killer, Asteroid City, Priscilla, Passages, Godzilla Minus One, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret., and many more. Please enjoy this wonderful first episode of 2024, thank you all for reading everything on the website as well as listening to the show in 2023. We hope you all have a Happy New Year.

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 2h55m. We will be back next week to break down the winners of the 2024 Golden Globes. Till then, let’s get into it.

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 25 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, Phantom Thread (2017).

The idea for PTA’s eighth film came to him when he was ill. As he laid helpless on his back in bed, he saw the look of his wife taking care of him, and knew there was something there to latch onto. In creating Phantom Thread, Anderson recruited his There Will Be Blood lead actor Daniel Day-Lewis, to craft a story about an eccentric, meticulously mannered dressmaker who meets his match with a strong-willed woman that becomes his muse. Within this period piece lies honest, captivating power dynamics that showcase not only what it is like to fall in love and live with an artist, but the realistic, day to day interactions one has with someone whom they’ve been in a long term relationship with. These interactions can be sad, sexy, hilarious, deliciously evil, or a combination of all of them at once, much like the film. Led by three fantastic performances, Ryan, Jay, Sophia breakdown why this is Sophia’s favorite film of all time, if the dress in the film are actually good dresses, the iconic breakfast order, if this is really Daniel Day-Lewis’s final role, their favorite lines from the film, their thoughts on Taylor Swift using the film as inspiration for one of her songs, and which of one our Director Watch co-hosts has the film as their favorite PTA film.

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 2h33m. The guys will be back next week to conclude their series covering the films of Paul Thomas Anderson with a review of his next film, Licorice Pizza. The film is streaming on Amazon Prime. 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 24 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys discuss the next film in their Paul Thomas Anderson series, Inherent Vice (2014).

In what is his most controversial film of his career amongst cinephiles, PTA set out to do what many in the literary and film world deemed impossible; adapt a novel by author Thomas Pynchon. In doing this exercise, he was able to take this stoner neo-noir comedy and mold it into another brilliant examination of how power structures of the world is built on a system of corrupt that will eat you alive the more you go down the rabbit hole looking for answers. With an all-star cast led by a gonzo performance by Joaquin Phoenix, Inherent Vice rewards viewers more and more over time, making it a rewarding, layered puzzle box film within Anderson’s filmography. Over the course of this episode, Ryan and Jay discuss their initial viewing experiences with the film, PTA’s love of making movies in LA, the wild adaption process PTA took to bring the book to the screen, how great Josh Brolin and Reese Witherspoon are, how much paranoia was at play in the 1970s, the use of perfect needle drops throughout the film, and showcase their Jay Leno impressions.

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 1h40m. 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, Phantom Thread. The film is streaming on Netflix. 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 212 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson and AwardsWatch contributor Dan Bayer to discuss their reactions to the Golden Globe and Critics Choice nominations, as well as talk about a slew of films releasing during the holidays.

Right as we head into the holiday break, the 2023 Golden Globe and Critics Choice nominations were announced last week, with similarities and major differences to consider for the race to Oscar nominations next month. With the Globes, major love was found in the form of International films with Past Lives, The Zone of Interest, Fallen Leaves and Anatomy of a Fall landing big nominations in many of the major categories. At Critics Choice, Saltburn and The Color Purple landed in the Best Picture lineups, something they weren’t able to do at the Golden Globes. But what was clear is the four films that collected a ton of nominations at both, with Barbie, Oppenheimer, Killers of the Flower Moon, and Poor Things leading all films at both ceremonies. Ryan, Erik and Dan break it all down and even give a give a Golden Globe prediction or two.

After this lovely, lively conversation, the guys transition to reviewing three of the major award season and commercial releases of the holidays, The Iron Claw, Wonka, and The Color Purple. While these weren’t all glowing reviews of these new titles, Ryan, Erik and Dan had a balanced discussion of what worked and didn’t work for each of them when it came to these titles.

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 2h23m. We will be off next week but we will be back the following week for our end of the year, best of 2023 episode. Till then, let’s get into it.

Music: “Modern Fashion” from HAAWK via 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 23 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by AwardsWatch Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson to discuss the next film in their Paul Thomas Anderson series, The Master (2012).

How does someone follow up one of the most important films of the 2000s you may ask? It’s simple, you make a film that is to its level and one of the best films of the 2010s. That’s what PTA did with The Master, a philosophical drama with dark humor splashed throughout about a World War II vet who’s struggling to fit back into society and finds himself in a religious movement (a cult) under the leadership of its charismatic leader and wife, who is always keeping a watchful eye on everything. What forms from there is one of Anderson’s most complex films, exploring the dangers of religious fanaticism, toxic masculinity, mental health, alcoholism, and just about everything else you can think about when it comes to the human condition. Led by three titanic performances, Ryan, Jay and Erik dive right into deep process to discuss the film’s themes, Amy Adams' career choices of late, weird Joaquin Phoenix performances, scientology, the film’s lack of Oscar recognition for PTA, missing Philip Seymour Hoffman, and how the visual language of the film is so alluring.

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 2h02m. 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, Inherent Vice. 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 211 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch contributor Dan Bayer to discuss the four acting categories within the 2023 Oscar race.

Before we get into the Oscar conversation, two titles came out this past weekend that have sparked a ton of acclaim and conversation, Yorgos Lanthimos’s Poor Things and Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron. Considered by many to be two of the best films of the year, Ryan and Dan briefly dive into both, talking about the themes these two director’s present in their respective new films, as well as the stunning visual language both offer. So far in their runs at the box office, both have been a success and look to continue to pick up critic’s and industry prizes throughout the rest of the season.

Once they are done talking about the new release, Ryan and Dan switch their attention to the four Oscar acting categories. While there are frontrunners in each category so far, no one has yet stuck out as clear winners this early in the race. With this, they dive deep into a long, detailed conversation about all four of the major categories, who they think they are confident could get in, who they are less sure about, and who are the long shots that need some help from critics groups or other outside help to get back into the mix.

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 1h45m. We will be back next week to talk about our reactions to the 2023 Golden Globe nominations, and talk a little bit about Wonka. Till then, let’s get into it.

This podcast is supported by Amazon MGM Studios presenting AIR, from award-winning director Ben Affleck and starring Matt Damon, Chris Messina, and Viola Davis. The film follows the gamble of an unconventional team and the uncompromising vision of a mother who knows her son’s worth.  RogerEbert.com calls it "a timeless underdog story of grit, dreams, and moxie" and Variety says it's "this generation’s ‘Jerry Maguire.’ AIR is awards eligible in all categories.

Music: “Modern Fashion” from HAWWK and 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 22 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by AwardsWatch contributor Josh Parham to discuss the next film in their Paul Thomas Anderson series, There Will Be Blood (2007).

At the midpoint of the series, the boys have reached one of the most important films of the 21^st century, and a vital film for both hosts in terms of their film taste and inspired them to become the writers/podcasters they are today. With There Will Be Blood, PTA created a film that broke through the zeitgeist, crossing over with audiences and the Academy, and thus he made the film he’d arguable be most remembered for, as Anderson constructed a captivating, darkly humorous masterpiece that clashes capitalism and religion in an oil filled epic set in the small, imaginary town of Little Boston. Led by an all time performance by Daniel Day Lewis, Ryan, Jay, and Josh discuss the film overall, Day Lewis and Paul Dano’s performances, how There Will Be Blood shares a bond with No Country for Old Men in more ways than one, downloading movies in the early 2000s, Jonny Greenwood’s iconic score, the morality of these characters, milkshakes and so much more.

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 1h57m. 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, The Master. The film is streaming on MAX. 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 2010 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson, Associate Editor Sophia and AwardsWatch contributors Kevin L. Lee discuss the 2023 Best Picture race and the movies they watched way too young.

It is December so that means we are right at the beginning of awards season, where the various critics groups are going to start handing out prizes to the best films and performances from the year. This past week saw the Gotham Awards give Past Lives Best Feature Film, Lily Gladstone (The Unknown Country) and Charles Melton (May December) taking the Best Lead and Supporting Performance awards. Sophia was able to attend the ceremony and gave her reactions to the night’s events before the group talked about these wins alongside the NYFCC announcing their winners later in the week.

This led right into the first major discussion of the episode about the Best Picture race and where everything stands. As of now, there seems to be three films that stand as the frontrunners for Best Picture, and those are Barbie, Killers of the Flower Moon, and Oppenheimer. The group discuss the strengths and weaknesses in these films chances of winning Hollywood’s biggest prize, as well as the various films, The Holdovers, American Fiction, Maestro, Poor Things, The Color Purple, that are right there in the mix to win the Oscar.

After that great conversation, they transitioned into talking about a topic the team has wanted to talk about for a long time, movies that they were way too young to see. In a deep dive into their taste in films, Ryan, Erik, Sophia and Kevin revealed the films that they were shocked they got to watch at such a young age, as well as movies that scared them, and made them cry. Titles included Jaws, Alien, Jurassic Park, Basic Instinct, As Good as It Gets and a ton of Disney animated films.

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 1h45m. We will be back next week to talk about the Oscar Acting Categories, review Poor Things, and talk about our favorite coming of age 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 21 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by Associate Editor of RogerEbert.com Robert Daniels to discuss the next film in their Paul Thomas Anderson series, Punch Drunk Love (2002).

Following his previous two features, PTA looked to strip things back, opting out of making another three-hour epic of storytelling, and instead making something that was ninety minutes. Hand selecting one of the biggest stars on the planet at the time in Adam Sandler, Anderson set out to make a unconventional romantic-comedy that challenged himself as a filmmaker to stay within the lines and parameters he personally set on himself. In doing so, he created what many consider to be his most underrated film of his career, with the best performance Sandler has within his career, In diving into Punch-Drunk Love, Ryan, Jay, and Robert explore their love of Sandler from this era, Barry and Lena’s relationship, an all-time supporting turn from the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, a minor discussion on Robert Altman’s Popeye, and puka shells.

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 1h33m. 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, There Will Be Blood. 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 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)