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)