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 119 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by AwardsWatch Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson and AwardsWatch Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello to discuss the latest film from director Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another (2025).

On the podcast, Ryan and Jay love nothing more than sitting back and seeing a passion project from a major director be given the greenlight to be shown to the masses, and such is the case for One Battle After Another, the latest invention from PTA, who has spent nearly twenty years tinkering away at this story, making it perfect for the big screen. Loosely based off the novel Vineland by Thomas Pynchon, the film follows an ex-revolutionary who must find his daughter once a dangerous, evil enemy resurfaces after 16 years. What seems like a simple premise evolves into the grandest feature film PTA has made, combining social, political commentary with a wicked, sharp sense of humor, and centering it all around a father, mother, and daughter dynamic that heartwarming, sincere, and emotionally profound. By doing this, Anderson has made a successful odyssey that is the culmination of his career so far while pushing the director do things he’s never done before and also things audiences have never seen on the big screen. It’s the movie of our time and there was no way the boys weren’t going to talk about it. Ryan, Jay, Erik, and Sophia breakdown their thoughts on the film, the various formats they’ve seen the film in, PTA’s sentimental heart clashing with his audacious direction, how timely the film feels, how every performance is pitch-perfect, thoughts on the Christmas Adventurers club, and so much more including a new wrinkle in Jay’s Oscar game where we put his expertise to the test and make him predict how many Oscars this film will be nominated for. It’s a fun, long, wild ride full of SPOILERS, so if you haven’t seen the film, you’ve been warned.

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

This podcast runs 3h09m. The guys will be back later this week to continue their series on the films of Yasujirō Ozu with a review of his next film, Floating Weeds. 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 118 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by Ross Bonaime, Senior Movies Editor of Collider, discuss the next film in their Yasujirō Ozu series, Good Morning (1959).

In the ultimate transition for Ozu, the rest of the films in this series goes from his elegant black and white filmmaking to the world of technicolor, as he slowly transitions into more modern forms of visual storytelling. By doing this, he’s also going back in time, reimagining his own work, as Good Morning is a loose remake of his own 1932 silent film I Was Born, But..., and follows the story of two boys going on a silent strike against their parents in order to get a television. In what is an innocent film, is slowly morphs in a tale of gossip within a community and how perception by some doesn’t make it a reality, leaving the film an introspective look at the shifting times in Japan. Ryan, Jay, and Ross break down their thoughts on the film, Ozu’s evolution within the form, the running fart gags, the defiance of a stubborn child, 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, YouTube and more.

This podcast runs 1h50m. The guys will be back next week to continue their new series on the films of Yasujirō Ozu with a review of his next film, Floating Weeds. 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 308 of the AwardsWatch podcast, Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade and Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello look at the competitive International Feature Film contenders and provide a preview of some of the major titles coming to the 63rd New York Film Festival.

With more than 70 countries having submitted films for the International Feature Film Oscar so far, now was a good time to look at the frontrunners like Sentimental Value, It Was Just an Accident and The Secret Agent, the NEON dominance of them and how many can really make the final five. We also look outside of those Cannes winners for titles that could pique the voters' interest as uniquely named films have done in the past.

Next up is the preview of the 63rd New York Film Festival, which begins this Friday with the opening film, Luca Guadagnino's After the Hunt. After taking a critical drubbing at its Venice bow, we examine if it can rebound here in the states. Two world premieres will be a part of the festival including Anemone, the feature debut from Ronan Day-Lewis starring his three-time Oscar-winning father Daniel Day-Lewis, back on screen for the first time since 2017's Phantom Thread. At the time of recording both Sophia and I had just seen the film but were under embargo (until September 28). The Venice Golden Lion winner Father Mother Sister Brother from Jim Jarmusch is the Centerpiece film and then Bradley Cooper's third directorial effort, the stand-up comedian story Is This Thing On? will close the festival. Could this be Cooper's attempt to rein it in and silence some of the critics of Maestro?

This podcast runs 1h07m. We will be back next week with xxxxx 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 117 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by Matthew Huff, Senior Editor of Parade Magazine, discuss the next film in their Yasujirō Ozu series, Tokyo Twilight (1957).

Following up an all-time masterpiece is always a task for the Director Watch hosts but Ozu strikes again with another beautiful, dark film about two sisters finding out the existence of their long-lost mother, exploring parental history and hidden secrets in a way only the master director could. This brilliant examination of a broken family is heartbreaking, but also the most mature film in the series to date, tackling an issue not normally discussed at the time in Japan, much less the rest of the world. Ryan, Jay, and Matthew breakdown their thoughts on the film, the impact this revelation has on each sister, how Ozu demonstrates the passage of time, how patient the film is as it is slowly building up to the finale, childhood backgrounds, VeggieTales, and more.

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

This podcast runs 1h55m. The guys will be back next week to continue their new series on the films of Yasujirō Ozu with a review of his next film, Good Morning. 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).

Living in a post-Venice/Telluride/Toronto world means it's time get serious about our Oscar predictions and that's just what we're doing this week. On episode 307 of the AwardsWatch podcast, AW Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson is joined by Executive Editor Ryan McQuade and Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello to look at what shined at the fests, what lost its luster and the introduction of a new bombshell in the villa.

In our conversation, we begin with the top winners at Venice and with Alexander Payne's contentious jury, including how Jim Jarmusch's Father Mother Sister Brother could factor in and if Benny Safdie's Silver Lion Best Director win for The Smashing Machine was what that film needed. Next we move to Telluride, where Hamnet was the most-liked film (while we still await the results of Michael's Telluride Blog polls of critics and non-critics) and how the Cannes winners held their ground. Moving to Toronto and Hamnet's People's Choice Award win keeps it at as a top tier contender and we talk about some films, like 1st runner-up Frankenstein, fared better at TIFF than it did at Venice and Telluride.

Then we dive into Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another, which began screening last week. While Ryan and Sophia had the film at the top of their predictions list last month, I was the idiot who rashly dropped it out of my top 10. That mistake is corrected here and we talk about the narratives at play for PTA, Chloé Zhao for Hamnet, Ryan Coogler for Sinners and Joachim Trier for Sentimental Value.

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

This podcast runs 1h37m. We will be back next week with a preview of the 2025 New York 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 116 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by AwardsWatch contributor Kevin L. Lee discuss the next film in their Yasujirō Ozu series, Tokyo Story (1953).

Sometimes you see a film and it’s so incredible, you wonder why you never saw it before you first screen. Such is the case with the transcendent film Tokyo Story, one of the greatest films of all time about an aging couple who travel to Tokyo to visit their family and see how they all turned out after moving away from home and growing up. Tender, reflective, and personal, Ryan, Jay and Kevin breakdown the dozens of layers found in this masterpiece, telling reflective, emotional stories of their past as they dive deep into explore the human themes found in this masterpiece from Ozu.  

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 continue their new series on the films of Yasujirō Ozu with a review of his next film, Tokyo Twilight. 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 306 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello to break down the films, awards buzz, and wild moments they had at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.

Packing the conversation is talk about No Other Choice, The Testament of Ann Lee, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Rental Family, The Lost Bus, Wake Up Dead Man, Hedda, The Smashing Machine and more.

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

This podcast runs 1h25m. We will be back in next week for post-TIFF Oscar predictions and a preview of the 2025 New York 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 115 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys discuss the next film in their Yasujirō Ozu series, Early Summer (1951).

Coming off of seeing and discussing Late Spring, the boys dive deep into the next evolution of a similar story for Ozu, about a family changing their culture post-WWII. In Early Summer, it is less so about a woman not wanting to leave her father for a new life with a husband, but more so about a young girl choosing the match for herself that she wants rather than the set life her family arranged for her, causing strife within her family. Hilarious, insightful, and heartwarming, Ozu’s evolution as a storyteller grows stronger and stronger with each project, leading up to next week’s masterpiece with Tokyo Story. Ryan and Jay break down their thoughts on the film, the expanded scope of this story, if it’s as emotionally relevant to them as Late Spring, early football predictions from the guys as well as what would Ozu have served at a Super Bowl party, and 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 1h49m. The guys will be back next week to continue their new series on the films of Yasujirō Ozu with a review of his next film, Tokyo Story. 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).

The 52nd Telluride Film Festival has wrapped up and that means it's time for the AW team to gather and talk about what we saw, what we heard and what it means for the rest of the fall season of festivals and films.

As we began to record this podcast upon returning to our hotel in Montrose, Colorado, we thought it might be fun to record live from the lobby of the hotel. It's not a busy place, there was no one around for hours. But, as fate would intervene, as we started recording, people started filing in, talking across the room, microwave bings reverberated like sounds from a morning radio disc jockey. Add to that more than a little wine and it was a disaster not waiting to happen but happening live. We relented and headed up to one of our room's for some solitude (and to keep from laughing as much as we did) to fully give ourselves, and to our listeners, our thoughts on the films we saw and what people told us were their favorites (I'm looking at you, Hamnet).

On episode 305 of the AwardsWatch podcast, AwardsWatch Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson is joined by Executive Editor Ryan McQuade, Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello, contributor Mark Johnson and Pop Culture Confidential's Christina Birro to recall and reminisce about our time on the mountain; the things we loved, the things that surprised us and more.

You can listen to The AwardsWatch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music, YouTube and more. And to everyone at the festival who told us they follow AW and listen to the podcast, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts, it means the world.

This podcast runs 1h23m. We'll be back next with a recap of the Toronto International Film Festival, which kicks off on September 4. Til then, let’s get into it.