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 124 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by AwardsWatch contributor Josh Parham to discuss the next film in their Hughes Brothers series, From Hell (2001).

After making two independent films that feel very much like the Hughes Brothers announcing their style and cinema language to the world, they took a detour to making a studio film, one that had been in development for some time. Based on the beloved Alan Moore graphic novel, From Hell centers around a renowned detective who is hunting down Jack the Ripper and using his helpful powers of deduction to save the girls being harmed by this mad man before it’s too late, while also discovering the truth around who the Ripper is. Convoluted and silly, From Hell is a piece of early 2000s nostalgia for millennial audiences that works more as a fun, disposable period thriller than the next film within the Hughes Brothers’ filmography, as it seems that they were directors for hire and doesn’t have much of their voice found within their first two films. Ryan, Jay, and Josh talk about their thoughts on the film, how it fits in the Hughes Brothers filmography, the careers of Johnny Deep and Heather Graham, Josh’s connection to the history of Jack the Ripper, how much a nice guy Alan Moore seems (sarcasm), and what the hell is going on with the James Bond franchise and plenty of more tangents.

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 2h19m. The guys will be back next week to conclude their series on the films of the Hughes Brothers with a review of their last film, The Book of Eli. 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 311 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson and Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello to give their thoughts on the 2025 edition of the AFI FEST, their updated thoughts on the Best Actor, Actress categories, and give their live thoughts to the 2025 Gotham Award nominations.

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 1h23m. We will be back in next week to do an Oscar retrospective for the 78th Academy Awards, covering the films for 2005. 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 123 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys discuss the next film in their Hughes Brothers series, Dead Presidents (1995).

After their astonishing debut feature film, the Hughes Brothers took a big swing with their next project, making a coming of age, period piece that is equal parts war film, heist film, and historical fiction, all set within the late 1960s to early 1970s. The scope of Dead Presidents is expansive, larger than their previous film, showing an elevation of filmmaking from the duo at such a young stage in their career. But the problem within the film lies its aimless pace, and the fact that most of their ideas don’t gel as one, leading to a fascinating second feature that doesn’t reach the heights of debut, which also leads the duo away from making mostly African American stories after this feature; a move that seems very disheartening upon retrospect. Ryan and Jay break down their thoughts on the film, which section they think is the best one, how the influences of the past shape the narrative of the film as well as how influential this seems to be for future filmmaking, if they were the right age to tell this story, how this is a pivotal point in their filmography, and how Jay’s trip to Europe went along with his hot takes on the state of modern pop music. 

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 series on the films of the Hughes Brothers with a review of their next film, From Hell. 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 decisionmaking 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 122 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys discuss the first film in their Hughes Brothers series, Menace II Society (1993).

Leaving the world of Ozu, the boys return to a more contemporary setting by explore the films of Allen and Albert Hughes, identical twin brothers who became known for their bold music videos in the late 1980s, early 1990s for artists like Tone Loc and Tupac Shakur. But it was their first feature, Menace II Society, that took the world by storm as it followed the life young black men in LA trying to making it out the neighborhood they lived in, surrounded by the accepted violence that’s systemic, perpetrated by a country willing to allow this section of the world fall apart from within. Released a few years after Boyz in the Hood, this is a sharper, edgier, meaner, realist look at the Watts and Crenshaw neighborhoods that we’ve ever seen before on screen, introducing the world to a duo of vital voices in cinema. Ryan and Jay break down their thoughts on the film, it’s comparisons to other African American coming of age films made in the early 1990s, the violence found within the film, the strong directorial voices found within this debut feature, the strong cast that make up the film, and their relationship with the directors and their filmography.

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 1h53m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of the Hughes Brothers with a review of their next film, Dead Presidents. 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 310 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello is joined by Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson and Executive Editor Ryan McQuade to chat about the 63rd edition of the New York Film Festival and two below-the-line Oscar categories. 

First, the gang shares their overall experience at the festival before diving into quick reviews on the World Premieres of Anemone, Mr. Scorsese, and Is This Thing On? Then, they discuss the hype surrounding the electric Secret Screening of Josh Safdie's Marty Supreme. The film, starring Timothée Chalamet, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Odessa A'zion, had a tremendous response at the festival, but what does that mean for Oscar season and the movie's upcoming Christmas release?

Finally, Sophia, Erik, and Ryan take a look at two major technical categories, Film Editing and Cinematography. They discuss the upcoming Cinematography shortlist, the potential for history to be made, and the possible crossover between these two categories and Best Picture. Films mentioned include One Battle After Another, Hamnet, Sinners, Sentimental Value, Frankenstein, F1: The Movie, Marty Supreme, 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 1h8m. We will be back soon with a brand new episode. Until 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 121 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys discuss the final film in their Yasujirō Ozu series, An Autumn Afternoon (1962).

The boys have come full circle within the end of their Ozu series, as the director takes a similar story structure of a father wanting his daughter to get married, and elevates to beyond what he’s shown before on screen; a lasting note within a masterful filmography. In An Autumn Afternoon, Ozu explores what the future holds not just for his characters, but his country as a whole, while also examining the events and actions of his characters in the film through the lens of someone grieving the idea of losing their parent, as Ozu’s mother had passed away shortly around the making of this film. A heartbroken director crafted his most personal family drama yet, and a beautiful note to end his career and this series on. Ryan and Jay break down their thoughts on the film, get personal with what Ozu is showing here one last time, look at how the past shapes the present and future of Japan and their cinema, while also giving their Ozu rankings and previewing their new exciting directors’ series that begins next week.

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 2h01m. The guys will be back next week to begin their new series on the films of The Hughes Brothers with a review of their first film, Menace II Society. 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 309 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson and Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello to give brief thoughts on The Smashing Machine, take a look at Oscar contenders at the Fall Box Office, and breakdown their thoughts on the 2026 Best Original and Best Adapted Screenplay categories.

We are in the middle of the New York Film Festival (more on that next week) and at the beginning of the Mill Valley Film Festival, but festival season is in full swing as movies that premiered earlier in the year are making their way to the theaters with The Smashing Machine this weekend. The MMA-biopic vehicle to get The Rock an Oscar seems to be between a rock and a hard place after a lackluster showing at the box office and audience score. The team break down their thoughts of the film, why they think it didn’t hit at the box office, as well as look at the other films releasing this weekend and circle back to the numbers for One Battle After Another.

In the back half of the episode, Ryan, Erik, and Sophia take a deep look at the screenplay categories, Original and Adapted, which have become a vital category to win if a film is going to win Best Picture. Films mentioned are Sentimental Value, Sinners, Jay Kelly, One Battle After Another, Hamnet, Weapons, Train Dreams, It Was Just An Accident, and many more as possibilities that could make up the ten films that will become the nominees in March 2026.

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 59m. We will be back in next week to recap and wrap up 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 120 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys discuss the next film in their Yasujirō Ozu series, Floating Weeds (1959).

On the penultimate episode of the Ozu series, the boys take a look at the second feature film form 1959 from the Japanese director that was also a remake of his own work from 1934, A Story of Floating Weeds. In retelling this tale of an estranged father that returns with his theater company to the city former love and their son live in, Ozu explores the dynamics of jealousy and how the decisions of the past shaped the present and there is no fixing them because explore them could lead to even more disastrous outcomes that shape the future of the characters. Heartbreaking and real, Ozu perfected this storyline the second go-round with a prickly film about how keeping things a secret might be best for all. Ryan and Jay break down their thoughts on the film, the idea of a director remaking their own work, how harmful the ending is to all involved, films releasing in the Fall that Jay will love, their thoughts on the packaging of the new Wes Anderson box set, 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 1h38m. The guys will be back next week to conclude their series on the films of Yasujirō Ozu with a review of his next film, An Autumn Afternoon. 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).