AwardsWatch Oscar and Emmy Podcasts

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 131 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by AwardsWatch Associate TV Editor Karen Peterson to discuss the final film in their Claire Denis series, High Life (2019) In the final look into the cinematic world of Claire Denis, we see the guys, alongside Karen, give into what is widely known as the director's most celebrated modern film, about a futuristic, sci-fi film that examines the flaws and humanity of those who have harmed or destroyed other human beings. Set on a spaceship travelling to the ends of our galaxy, carrying a group of dangerous group criminals being experimented on by a crazed, horned up doctor, Denis examines if these humans who have committed the most heinous crime should be treated like decent members of society, and what it is life to care for life at the end of the space and time; it's simple beautiful as well as complexly unique in terms of style and story, essentially Denis at her best. Ryan, Jay, and Karen break down their thoughts on the film, Robert Pattinson's performance, if these characters deserve a second chance, "the box" scenes, what this film says about being a parent, as well as the boys' rankings of Denis' filmography and a preview of their newest series. 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 2h03m. The guys will be back later this week to begin their series on the films of Warren Beatty with a review of his first film, Heaven Can Wait. 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 321 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch contributor Cody Dericks to review the latest film from director James Cameron, Avatar: Fire & Ash. 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 1h01m. We will be back later in the week with a 2025 award season focused podcast before the holiday break. Till then, let's get into it. Music: "Modern Fashion" from AShamaleuvmusic (intro), "B-3" from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro).

Oscar pre-season is in full swing and nothing says that more than the annual Oscar shortlists, which expand to 12 categories this year, adding Casting and Cinematography. On episode 320 of the AwardsWatch podcast, Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson is joined by Executive Editor Ryan McQuade and Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello break down the morning's shortlist announcement, discussing what surprised, what was snubbed and how it impacts the Oscar races overall. 12 categories for the 98th Academy Awards were announced this morning: Animated Short Film, Casting, Cinematography, Documentary Feature Film, Documentary Short Film, International Feature Film, Live Action Short Film, Makeup and Hairstyling, Music (Original Score), Music (Original Song), Sound and Visual Effects. Leading the way with eight mentions apiece were Sinners and Wicked: For Good. Both films made the cut in the exact same categories: Casting, Cinematography, Makeup and Hairstyling, Score, two in Song, Sound and Visual Effects. Frankenstein came in with six: Casting, Cinematography, Makeup, Score, Sound and Visual Effects. Up next, with five mentions apiece were F1 and One Battle After Another but possibly one of the day's biggest surprises was the huge showing for Spain's Oscar entry and Cannes Grand Prize winner Sirāt. Also earning five spots on the shortlist, it showed up in International Feature, Sound and Score as was relatively easy to predict, but also in Casting and Cinematography. The Academy added two new shortlists this year. Well, one new one and one returning after several decades. The much-anticipated new Casting category that debuts this season brought contenders like The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value and Weapons but shockingly didn't have room for Wake Up Dead Man, the third in the Knives Out trilogy packed with a hearty ensemble. Cinematography is back on the menu after a 46-year absence with finalists that included the major players like Sinners, One Battle After Another and Hamnet but also Ballad of a Small Player, Die My Love, Nouvelle Vague and Song Sung Blue to the table. We focus a good deal of time on these new categories but also look to how sound and film editing are often in sync, if this means Wicked: For Good is back, if Hamnet might be in trouble, what the hell is Veni Verdi and much 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 1h1m. We will be back in next week for a review of the last big film of the year, Avatar: Fire and Ash. 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 319 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch contributors Dan Bayer, Mark Johnson, and Josh Parham to go back five years and take a look at the 93rd Academy Awards, covering the films of 2020. On this retrospective, the AW team take one last trip to the past for the year to talk about the pandemic year of cinema that saw one of the worst Oscar telecasts of all time. Baffling decision after another, the night ended on a sour note instead of one of celebration for Nomadland winning the top prize and Chloé Zhao becoming the second female director to win Best Director. Still, even with the ceremony being so divisive, the year presented plenty of films the team wanted to highlight and discuss over the course of changing the Academy's nominations, with films such as The Nest, Tenet, Miss Juneteenth, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Clemency, Dick Johnson is Dead, I'm Thinking of Ending Things, The Father, Sound of Metal, Minari, Judas and the Black Messiah, and more. In their in-depth discussion, the AW team talked about the film year of 2020, briefly discuss talk about Nomadland as a Best Picture winner, how this year is full of celebrities that are problematic or "cancelled" and how that speaks to the legacy of their nominates and or wins, 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 four films to make up the final set of eight 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, YouTube and more. This podcast runs 2h41m. We will be back in next week for a review of the last big film of the year, Avatar: Fire and Ash. Till then, let's get into it. Music: "Modern Fashion" from AShamaleuvmusic (intro), "B-3" from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro).

No one is having as much fun making films as Rian Johnson. Over the course of the last twenty years, Johnson has delivered some of the most original, bold, entertaining films, dazzling audiences with noir mysteries, a sci-fi action thriller, and a journey to a galaxy far far away. But in his latest three pictures, Johnson has crafted his own IP, creating a new cinematic detective series with the help of one of the biggest movie stars on the planet, Daniel Craig. The director, alongside his famed actor and a crew of regular collaborators over the course of his career, delivered the smash hits Knives Out in 2019 and Glass Onion in 2022, whodunit mysteries following the cases of Detective Benoit Blanc. Known for the hilarious tone, massive ensemble casts, and immaculate third act resolutions, the first two entries of the franchise were widely acclaimed by audiences and critics, leading to Johnson landing two Oscar nominations for his screenplays. With the third entry in the Knives Out franchise, the director (in his own words) takes us "back to church" with a mystery centered around Reverend Jud Duplenticy (Josh O'Connor), a new priest who is framed for the murder of an another priest from a small parish in upstate New York. In trying to clear his name, Blanc hears of the case and is willing to assist Father Jud in clearing his name and getting the heart of who committed this horrible crime. In my review out of the Toronto International Film Festival, I raved about the film, calling it "the best entry in the Knives Out franchise to date" and also stating "Johnson and company pull out all the stops to create a dark, tense, comical, sharply-written mystery that sticks the landing." It's an entry that is not only darker, but seems more personal than ever for Johnson, as Wake Up Dead Man dabbles in ideas of faith, wickedness, revenge, spitefulness, how dangerous our world is, and how we need forgiveness more than ever if we are to heel as a species. In my recent, extensive, spoiler-filled discussion with the writer-director, we spoke about Johnson's approach to this entry, when he knew he was going to enter the world of the gothic mystery, and working with Craig on their third film together. We also spoke about collaborating with the new cast, the social, political, religious themes found at the center of the film, as well as his film and literary inspirations for Wake Up Dead Man, as well his thoughts on modern cinema, the importance of celebrating cinema, and if he could get a director to confess their secrets to him, who would he select and why. It's a more serious conversation than the last time Johnson and I spoke when Glass Onion was coming out, but that's a prime example of not just the tonal versatility found within the Knives Out, but also within the person its creator. Insightful, lively, introspectively honest, Rian Johnson is a real original and there aren't many left in Hollywood who are like him. Music: A Minor Omission, Nathan Johnson

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 130 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys discuss the next film in their Claire Denis series, Let the Sunshine In (2017). Over the last couple of years, Denis has had a bit of a renaissance with her contemporary work, exploring complex stories with female characters at the forefront, mostly portrayed by the incredible Juliette Binoche. In their first collaboration together, the duo takes us on a journey of a woman who is uncertain in the male relationships she's in, but knows that she wants more than ever to not be alone, forcing herself into situations that aren't healthy. By doing this, they show how heartbreaking it can be to grow old alone without someone to share a life with. Ryan and Jay break down their thoughts on the film, how grateful they are in the relationships they are in, how lonely it must be to grow old without a partner, Binoche's performance, and a couple of fun tangents as well. 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 conclude their series on the films of Claire Denis with a review of her film, High 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 129 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys discuss the next film in their Claire Denis series, White Material (2009). Within the latest film of the Denis series, she heads back to Africa to explore a family drama set in the background of an unstable, unknown country, but as the film plays out, seems to be more interested in what is in the background rather than the characters that are focused on within the film. Instead of making a "white savior" movie, Denis is using this film as a honest, reflective look at her own place within this world as a white woman, commenting on the violent world that surrounds these white characters, and mirrors her own childhood. While it's not her best film, it's her most personal, and a bold piece of filmmaking that isn't looking for a pat on the back, but rather exposing the flaws within power dynamics in a part of the world we will never be able to fix or understand. Ryan and Jay break down their thoughts on the film, Denis' relationship to the source material, the violence in the background of the film, the lingering questions about the open ending, as well as plenty of fun tangents post-Thanksgiving for the boys, highlight some of their favorite films they've been catching up with lately. 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 1h57m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of Claire Denis with a review of her film, Let the Sunshine In. 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).

It's been a big first week of December with no less than five sets of critics groups announcing winners and nominations as we kick off the next three months of nonstop awards season. On episode 318 I am joined by AwardsWatch Executive Editor Ryan McQuade and Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello to break down the awards landscape and more. Before we get into that we have to talk about the other huge piece of news this week and that was yesterday's announcement that Netflix had won the battle to buy Warner Bros and all of its properties, which includes the DC Universe films and HBO/HBO Max. Unsurprisingly, there is no one on the podcast thinks this move is a good idea and sees the Netflix model as intentionally destructive of the theatrical model. Next we move the Critics Choice Awards nominations, announced this morning, where Sinners and One Battle After Another lead the way, where Sentimental Value and Hamnet made comebacks and where Wicked: For Good faltered. Then it's onto the AFI and NBR lists, the New York Film Critics and the Gotham Awards, where Sophia gives her in the room insight of the event. This podcast runs 1h 18m You can listen to The AwardsWatch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music, YouTube and more. Music: "Modern Fashion" from AShamaleuvmusic (intro), "B-3" from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro).

On episode 317 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson alongside AwardsWatch contributors Dan Bayer and Josh Parham to go back 30 years and take a look at the 68th Academy Awards, covering the films of 1995. On this retrospective, the AW team take a trip to 1995, where actor Mel Gibson rode off the with multiple Oscars, winning Best Picture for his war epic, Braveheart. While a hit within its own right, it was a bit of a shocking win considering many believed that Apollo 13 was going to take home Oscar's top prize. It's a massive upset that would have ripple effects over the course of Academy history that would have make up wins not just for Ron Howard, but for other nominees in this Oscar field. 1995 is a stacked, incredible year of cinema that the gang tries to reflect a little better than what the Academy nominated with films like Heat, Showgirls, Get Shorty, Clueless, Seven, Before Sunset, Friday, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar and more getting either mentions, nominations, or wins in the big top eight categories.Maybe one of them wins Best Picture, maybe they don't, you'll have to listen and try not to fall down a flight of stairs to find out. In their in-depth discussion, the AW team talked about the film year of 1995, briefly discuss talk about Braveheart 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, YouTube and more. This podcast runs 2h47m. We will be back in next week for another retrospective over the 83rd Academy Awards, covering the films of 2010. 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 128 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys discuss the next film in their Claire Denis series, 35 Shots of Rum (2008). Sometimes when you are planning a series, you don't think about the connections between the directors and their films, so this week is a happy surprise as Denis' 35 Shots of Rum is inspired by Yasujirō Ozu's film Late Spring, a film they covered earlier this year. Following a father-daughter relationship that is challenged by the arrival of a younger man who wants to date the daughter, Denis uses Ozu's masterpiece to reflect the racial, societal changes within France and Japan, as well as the differences between the two co-dependent family members, and the need for both to move on with their lives, no matter how heartbreaking it is. Ryan and Jay breakdown their thoughts on the film, its relationship to Ozu, how each film is different, as well as random thoughts on films from this year, Thanksgiving food, Jay's recent family vacation, and the pull quote that broke the internet this past 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 1h50m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of Claire Denis with a review of her film, White Material. 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 316 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch contributors Josh Parham and Trace Sauveur to review the latest film from Universal Pictures, Wicked: For Good 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 1h54m. We will be back in next week for an Oscar retrospective for the 68th Academy Awards, covering the films of 1995. 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 315 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade and Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson give their reactions to Wicked: For Good, Marty Supreme and give their updated thoughts on how both films will do in the Oscar race as well as an overview of where the race is at within the four acting categories. 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 1h16m. We will be back on Monday for a full review of Wicked: For Good. 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 127 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by AwardsWatch Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson discuss the next film in their Claire Denis series, Beau Travail (1999). Jumping ten years into Denis' filmography, the boys hit the film of the series with Beau Travail, a film that follows the story of a section of French Foreign Legion soldiers training in the desert of Djibouti. What can seem like a macho, male dominate setting it quickly, slowly shown to be a memory piece about longing, desire, regret, attention, and more as she centers the film on a Adjudant-Chef Galoup and his evolutionary yet repressive time within the group. In doing this, Denis created a defining piece of filmmaking that cemented her legacy in cinema, giving us one of the greatest films of all time. Ryan, Jay, and Erik break down the film, its themes of sexual repression, how things that are super straight and masculine can be something else entirely, the ending featuring "The Rhythm of the Night," and an update on where Madonna was at in 1999. 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 2h07m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of Claire Denis with a review of her film, 35 Shots of Rum. 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 314 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch contributor Trace Sauveur to review the latest film from director Edgar Wright, The Running Man. 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 1h24m. We will be back in next week for a review of Wicked: For Good. 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 126 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys discuss the first film in their Claire Denis series, Chocolat (1988). One of the most singular, influential filmmaker of modern independent, French cinema is the subject of the boy's new series, Claire Denis. Known for making immersive, emotional films about repression and love, Denis' first film explores her childhood through the lens of a young girl who sees her country, France, imposing their will onto the people of Africa, at the same time her Mother's starts a longing, flirtatious relationship with the family's household servant. It's a stunning debut, instantly setting the bar high for the series and Denis' career. Ryan and Jay break down their thoughts on the film, the idea of who this film is being shown through, Denis' personal connection to the story, the central romance, their cultural, racial ties at the center of the film's conflict, and a story about Ryan's recent trip to the theater that you'll want to hear. 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 1h29m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of Claire Denis with a review of her film, Beau Travail. 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 313 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello is joined by Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade, Associate TV Editor Karen Peterson, and Contributor Josh Parham to discuss the Original Score and Original Song categories at the Oscars and to do a quick state-of-play on the Best Director and Best Picture categories.  First, they share their predictions for the Original Score category, discussing how this branch may vote, the old favorites that might return, and which potential new composers they could see in the category. Will any of the top scores be ruled ineligible? They dig into all of that and more. Next, it's time to talk about Diane Warren, the "Golden" ticket to the Oscars, and the potential for double nominations for Sinners and Wicked: For Good in the Original Song category. Finally, the team does a brief check-in on the Best Picture and Best Director categories. They chat about the excitement surrounding a potential coronation year for Paul Thomas Anderson, Hamnet's audience prizes, and why One Battle After Another is the movie of the moment. What makes an awards season hero or villain? It's November, and the vultures are already circling.  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 1h17m. We will be back soon with a brand new episode. Until 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 125 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys discuss the final film in their Hughes Brothers series, The Book of Ell (2010). In their final collaboration as an artist pair, the Hughes Brothers take a dive into the end of the world, action genre where a man is roaming from town to town, searching for the haven of humanities last chance for hope within a broken country, where water is a privilege and knowledge is a weapon. In a making a film about the hunt for the last bible on Earth, the brothers tackle the rotten core of our humanity when faced up against each other, and the lust for power something as simple as a book can bring out of people. This plus it's just a cool idea for an action movie where Denzel Washington is being the best movie star on the planet and Gary Oldman is doing his villain thing that he does so well. But the real question with The Book of Eli is, why isn't it an all timer, why does it look the way it does, and why was this the last film the Hughes Brothers made together? Ryan and Jay breakdown all these questions, as well as look at the careers of Washington, Oldman, and Mila Kunis, what they learned from this series, what the Hughes Brothers are doing now, give their series rankings for the sibling duo, and preview their next director 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 2h22m. The guys will be back next week to begin their new series on the films of Claire Denis with a review of her film, Chocolate. 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 312 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson alongside AwardsWatch contributor Josh Parham to go back 20 years and take a look at the 78th Academy Awards, covering the films of 2005. We are finally out of film festival season and the team is back to give you one of their most anticipated Oscar retrospectives of the year, taking a look back at 2005, the year Crash beat Brokeback Mountain for Best Picture. In a time where the center of the film world was focused on a film centered around two gay men falling in love, the Oscars swung the opposite direction and gave it to one of the worst Best Picture winners of all time, a film so vile that its win hasn't aged well the moment it won. Beyond that, it was a fascinating year when the critically acclaimed films of the year took over the top eight categories, while the more populist films made up the winners in the below the line categories; an interesting split in the Oscar wins. In their in-depth discussion, the AW team talked about the film year of 2005, briefly discuss talk about Crash 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, YouTube and more. This podcast runs 2h40m. We will be back in next week for an update of the 2025 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 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).

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.

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 114 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys discuss the first film in their Yasujirō Ozu series, Late Spring (1949). Known as one of the defining directors of Japanese cinema, Yasujirō Ozu is a staple of slow-burn, emotionally impactful cinema that evolved over time as his nation was coming to terms with what their identity was going to be post-World War II. Ozu, a popular director of domestic dramas and comedies before the war, made propaganda pictures for his country during the world struggle to entertain the people of Japan while the horrific violence of war played on throughout multiple countries over many years. The events of the war changed the country forever, and so did the director, as he started to question in his later films the traditions of the past with the western ideas that would become a part of modern culture around the world. In Late Spring, he does this within a father, daughter dynamic about when is the right time to leave one's family to create their own life, and when is it okay for a parent to let go of their child. In reviewing this first film, Ryan and Jay not only review the film and its themes, but explore their own personal relationships within the decisions Ozu makes within the framework of the narrative, making for one of their most personal podcasts to date as they start this new discovery into the world of Ozu. 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 1h39m. 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, Early Summer. 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).

It's time for our weekly Oscar talk and the one before everything changes. Next week begins the fall festival season with Venice and Telluride on top of each other, then bleeding into Toronto in the first week of September. Everything that looked 'good on paper' now has to put up or shut up because this is where real buzz begins. On episode 303 AwardsWatch Editor-In-chief Erik Anderson is joined by Executive Editor Ryan McQuade and Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello look at the trailers for Anemone and Hedda and break down the Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress Oscar races. 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 57m. We'll be back next with a Telluride wrap up. Til 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 113 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by AwardsWatch Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello discuss the last film in their Paul Verhoeven series, Benedetta (2021). For Verhoeven's latest film, the director reteamed with his Elle collaborator David Birke, to make a religious film, as he's an expert scholar of the Jesus Seminar, even writing a book in 2007 entitled Jesus of Nazareth. Though his adaptation of his book, along with several other projects, didn't come to head, he was able to make Benedetta, a loose adaptation of Judith C. Brown's Immodest Acts: The Life of a Lesbian Nun in Renaissance Italy, following the life of a nun (Virginie Efira) who joins the Italian convent while she was a young child and later has a forbidden love affair with another nun, while also seeing religious visions that make her seem like she has direct contact with Jesus. Wickedly hilarious, sensual, and fascinating, Benedetta is a thorny tale of the complexities of faith, as well as Verhoeven's critique of the church, an institution that he's examined for all of his life. Ryan, Jay, and Sophia break down their thoughts on the film, just how funny the film is, if it has more to say than what Verhoeven is bringing up on the surface, the dream sequences, Benedetta's struggles with temptation, Jay's love of The Great Gatsby, Sophia's story about seeing the film at the world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, and splinters. And seeing that it is the end of the series, the boys give out their Paul Verhoeven rankings as well as preview their new director series starting new 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 2h44m. The guys will be back next week to begin their new series on the films of Yasujirō Ozu with a review of his film, Late Spring. 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).

For over thirty years, Adam Scott has been one of the most engaging, hilarious, versatile actors we have working today. Born in Santa Cruz, California, Scott, the son of two teachers and the youngest of three children, sent all of his schooling in The Golden State, as he was a graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Post college, Scott started to get acting gigs in several feature films like Star Trek: First Contact, The Lesser Evil, High Crimes, and a notable supporting role in The Aviator, sharing scenes with Leonardo DiCaprio. At the same time, he had made a name for himself on the small screen with appearances on shows like Boy Meets World, Party of Five, and as a love interest on Six Feet Under. Growing up, Scott always dreamed of becoming either the next Al Pacino or David Letterman, becoming obsessed with Pacino as a beacon of acting for a generation as well with Letterman's obscure sense of humor tickling his funny bone. It's funny how life works out, because as Scott was making his mark in more dramatic work, the summer of 2008 changed his career forever when he starred in the latest comedy from director Adam McKay, Step Brothers, and without any improve skills to his resume, was able to land giant laughs opposite the biggest comedy star of the time, Will Ferrell. From this moment, things took off for Scott, as the following summer saw the release of the cult comedy television classic, Party Down, which followed a group of caterers in Los Angeles as they hope to make it in Hollywood. The show was cancelled after two seasons in 2010 (though it was brought back in 2023 for a third season), but as that door closed for Scott, another one opened with his role as Ben Wyatt on Parks and Recreation, a state auditor who slowly becomes the love interest for Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler). As a fan of the acclaimed NBC show, I can say that the best thing to happen to Parks and Recreation was the addition of Scott as Ben Wyatt, delivering one of the funniest characters on the show as well as one of the best television couples of the last twenty years. Since his time with the gang from Pawnee, Indiana, he's continued to showcase his range as an actor, with guest comedic spots on shows like The Good Place and Veep, was part of the ensemble for Big Little Lies, appeared in the sequel to Wet Hot American Summer, and even hosted comedic physical game show called Don't in 2020. But all of this work has lead him to the biggest role of his career so far as Mark on hit Apple TV+ drama, Severance. From the mind of creator Dan Erickson, Severance follows employeesat a mysterious company called Lumon Industries that have undergone a procedure known as “severance” to ensure that they have no memories to the outside world while they are at work, with no memory of their work life once they leave the building. This creates then the idea of an “innie” and “outie” personality within one's self, which would be dangerous if the worlds crosses, but that's exactly what happens to Mark at the end of season one, as he and his other colleges at Lumon briefly are able to bring their innie selves into the real world in their outie's body. The second season grapples with the repercussions of the rebellious Lumon employee's actions, as well as goes down various rabbit holes to show that the company that Mark works for is various dangerous as well as a deeper, personal connection to him that he could've ever known. It's riveting, thought-provoking, thrilling television that has slowly become the best show on television in large part to the excellent writing by Erickson, the inventive direction by Ben Stiller, and the incredible work by the show's massive ensemble, led by Scott, who in season two, not only gives the best performance of his career so far, but the best performance by any actor on television this year. In his glowing review of the season, our television editor Tyler Doster stated that Scott was “at his best this season,” finding “a new hunger” within his performance that grows this season as the mystery around Mark and the other characters begins to take shape. In my in-depth conversation with the Emmy nominated actor and producer, we discussed the anticipation of filming season two, the differences in playing Mark S. and Mark Scout, how trust is a key theme throughout the second season, and what it is like to be part of a global television phenomenon similar to The Twilight Zone and Lost; two shows that mean a lot to him and speak to the power of character forward storytelling. We also spoke about the dueling romantic relationships Mark finds himself in, what it is like working with co-stars Britt Lower and Dichen Lachman, the technical challenges of filming the camcorder and running sequences found in first and last episode of the season, as well as his versatility as a character actor; moving from drama to comedy, and how that helped him form who Mark is. In between all of this, Scott shared his favorite flavor of Gatorade, the need for bananas when performing stunts on set, his fondness for his time on his other beloved television series Party Down and Parks and Recreation, and why he loves the Fast and The Furious franchise. From comedy to drama to everything in between, Scott can do it all, and with Severance, he's showcasing a confidence of an actor who is destiny to continue to empty the tank until it's time to punch out his time card a long time from now. Adam Scott is Emmy-nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for the episode "Cold Harbor" of Severance. Music: Severance, Opening Title Sequence: Season 2 (intro) and “B-3” from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro).

We're a mere 11 days before the 52nd Telluride Film Festival kicks off on Labor Day weekend and we have a packed show. On episode 303 AwardsWatch Editor-In-chief Erik Anderson is joined by Executive Editor Ryan McQuade, Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello, contributors Mark Johnson and Jorge Tenreiro and Christina Birro of Pop Culture Confidential to break down what we think will be at Telluride this season, who might be getting Silver Medallions and much more. On this episode the crew looks at how Toronto and New York film festival designations give us the clues we need to see what will, or might, be showing up at Telluride including coveted world premieres, Chloé Zhao's Hamnet starring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, and Edward Berger's Ballad of a Small Player with Colin Farrell and Tilda Swinton among them. Telluride is also full of Cannes winner carryovers and we expect to see Jafar Panahi's Palme d'Or winner It Was Just an Accident, Joachim Trier's Sentimental Value (Grand Prize winner) and Kleber Mendonça Filho's double winner The Secret Agent (Best Director, Best Actor Wagner Moura) -- all NEON films -- in the lineup. There's also a certain amount of sleuthing involved in the guessing game and is there a chance that A24 debuts Mother Mary here? We'll have to wait and see... 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 1h4m. We will be back in next week to talk about Spike Lee's newest film Highest 2 Lowest and talk about our Top 5 Spike Lee joints. 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 112 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by AwardsWatch contributor Dan Bayer discuss the latest film in their Paul Verhoeven series, Elle (2016). After a full decade without making a film, Verhoeven returned to the big screen doing what he does best; pushing buttons. With Elle, he made one of his most talked about, controversial films of his entire career about a successful businesswoman who get caught up in a dangerous, sexual game of cat and mouse with the man whom she believes raped her. Blurring the lines between a female's liberation, sexual desire, and abuse, Elle explores the complex emotions attached to those who have been abused. Ryan, Jay, and Dan break down their thoughts on this complex masterpiece, the performance from Isabelle Huppert, the sexual politics presented in the film, how controversial the film was at the time, if this would've been embraced more by the Academy if it was released today, how the film foreshadows the film will cover next week on the show, and the differences between video games now and the ones made from our childhood in terms of the graphics. 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 2h32m. The guys will be back next week to conclude their series on the films of Paul Verhoeven with a review of his film, Benedetta. 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 302 of the AwardsWatch podcast, Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson is joined by Executive Editor Ryan McQuade and Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello as we look at the state of the Oscar race post-TIFF and NYFF lineup announcements and ahead of the Venice and Telluride film festivals. In our conversation, which begins looking at how a film's surplus of festival appearances can help or hurt its chances and, on the other side, how a minimal footprint can be a hindrance or a benefit, especially for voters who feel they can discover a film rather than be told what to vote for. We turn our eyes to two specific categories on this episode: Best Casting and Best Supporting Actress. With the new Casting category making its Oscar debut this season, we wanted to look at not just the types of films we expect to see - like Sinners, Jay Kelly, Sentimental Value, Wicked: For Good and more - but also why, and how much the branch might raise up titans in their industry who will be earning the highest accolade for the first time. Our focus then moves to Best Supporting Actress as the fervor over Amy Madigan's performance as Aunt Gladys in Zach Cregger's horror hit Weapons this last weekend has people pounding the alarm to take her seriously as a potential nominee. We look at the reality of it happening in a race full of potential contenders. 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 47m. We will be back in next week for a preview of the 2025 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).

On episode 301 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson alongside AwardsWatch contributor Karen Peterson to give their thoughts on the latest horror film from director Zach Cregger, Weapons. This podcast contains full SPOILERS! 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 1h27m. We will be back in next week for a preview of the 2025 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 111 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by film critic Ben Miller discuss the latest film in their Paul Verhoeven series, Black Book (2006). After a six-year absence from the film world following Hollow Man, Verhoeven resurfaced with a World War II drama about a young Jewish woman in the Netherlands who becomes a spy for the resistance. In doing so, as she gets deeper behind enemy lines, she starts to fall in love with one of the high ranking members of the Nazi military. As scandalous and provocative as Verhoeven usually is, this is a whole other level and reminds his audience of the director that he once was before he went to Hollywood; asking questions and pushing buttons with sophisticated intrigue. In the years since its release, it's not only become one of his more underrated film of his filmography that people have discovered as genius work, but the Dutch public voted it the best Dutch film ever made, which is very high praise. Ryan, Jay, and Ben breakdown their thoughts on the film, the performance of Carice van Houten, the murkiness of the love interests in the film, the depictions of violence and sex, how both sides of the fight mirror each other, the interesting final shots of the film, and what kind of cake do the host think the Germans made for their leader's birthday depicted in the film. 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 2h05m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of Paul Verhoeven with a review of his film, Elle. 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 300 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson alongside AwardsWatch contributors Karen Peterson and Josh Parham to go back 35 years and take a look at the 63rd Academy Awards, covering the films of 1990. On this retrospective, the AW team take a trip to 1990, where actor Kevin Costner rode off the with multiple Oscars, winning Best Picture for his western Dances With Wolves. While a massive hit at the time, history has not been kind to the winner here as it has become one of the biggest mistakes in Best Picture history, with many believing this was the right time to give Martin Scorsese his due with his masterpiece, Goodfellas. Alongside talking about that, the team explores a turning point of cinema, where the big Hollywood hits made or released from the 1980s were starting to blend with the independent cinema that would dominate the 1990s. It's a fascinating year at the intersection of Hollywood's biggest night. In their in-depth discussion, the AW team talked about the film year of 1990, briefly discuss talk about Dances With Wolves 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 2h07m. We will be back in next week for a review of the latest horror, Weapons. 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 110 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by AwardsWatch contributor Josh Parham discuss the latest film in their Paul Verhoeven series, Hollow Man (2000). In his final project within the Hollywood system, Paul Verhoeven entered the new millennium looking to make a new take on a classic horror film, about a scientist working on a special government project that turns you invisible by taking a special serum. In aiming to make a more conventional blockbuster, the director made one of his most controversial, thorny pictures as the main protagonist of the film is a downright psycho, hell bent on staying invisible despite being told how dangerous he has become by his long time co-workers on the project. It's a mostly entertaining throwback to the 2000s with excellent special effects as well as a deeply disturbing commentary attached to it. Ryan, Jay, and Josh break down their thoughts on the film, the creepy nature of tech-bros, the unfocused nature of who really is the lead of this film, the filmography of Kevin Bacon, how cool this movie poster was at a Blockbuster video, and just how many jokes can Josh make about Jay relating to the main characters of this 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 2h23m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of Paul Verhoeven with a review of his film, Black Book. 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 299 of the AwardsWatch Podcast, it's an all editors show as Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade and Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello look at the wealth of fall festival lineup announcements that came in this week from Venice and Toronto. In the pod, the trio start with Venice, which will be the kickoff of no less than three Netflix titles: Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein, Noah Baumbach's Jay Kelly and the return of Kathryn Bigelow with A House of Dynamite. With a few other Netflix titles rolling around, we talk about the impact of these three titles starting off here and where else we'll see them this season. Yorgos Lanthimos' newest collab with Emma Stone, Bugonia, will also bow at Venice, leaving Focus Features' other top title Hamnet, rip for Telluride. Mona Fastvold, fresh off The Brutalist last year (with her partner Brady Corbet), has The Testament of Ann Lee with Amanda Seyfried, something has all of us buzzing. Then there's The Smashing Machine from Benny Safdie and starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt. We also dig into the Out of Competition titles, specifically Luca Guadagnino's After the Hunt, which has some internet folks thinking it means something more than it does. Onto TIFF, always the most helpful as specific designations are listed for each film, we talk about Rental Family starring Brendan Fraser, Sydney Sweeney in Christy and where the big Cannes winners from NEON and MUBI, like Sentimental Value, It Was Just an Accident, The Secret Agent, Sirāt and Sound of Falling landed. 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 1h14m. We'll be back next week with an Oscar retrospective of the 63rd Academy Awards, covering the films of 1990. 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 109 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by AwardsWatch contributor Trace Sauveur discuss the latest film in their Paul Verhoeven series, Starship Troopers (1997). After making a cult classic with Showgirls, Verhoeven took to space to go back to his political, social satire with an adaptation of Robert A. Heinlein's novel, Starship Troopers. The director readapted the book heavily, not liking the politics of the book, making his film more aware that these characters were fascists in a fascist country that didn't know that they are fascists. By using this tool, he made a masterpiece grilling the military industrial complex, and our countries obsession with concurring other nations. Ryan, Jay, and Trace break down their thoughts on the film, their thoughts on the films politics, the casting in the film, the visual effects that have aged well and are horrific, the spin-off sequels, how relevant the film is in the modern era, and how clever Verhoeven is able to mix the horror of war with his usual, twisted humor found in his films. 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 2h08m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of Paul Verhoeven with a review of his film, Hollow Man. 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 298 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch contributor Griffin Schiller to review the latest film in the MCU, The Fantastic Four: The First Steps. You can also read the published review from Trace Sauveur on the website here. 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 1h27m. We will be back soon to talk about the fall festivals and give a preview to the upcoming 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).

On episode 297 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson, AwardsWatch Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello and AwardsWatch contributors Dan Bayer, Josh Parham, and Jay Ledbetter to go back 50 years and take a look at the 48th Academy Awards, covering the films of 1975. On this retrospective, the AW team take a look back at what might've been the greatest Best Picture lineup of all time, featuring the films One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Barry Lyndon, Nashville, Dog Day Afternoon, and Jaws. This group of five films collectively encapsulate the type of films audiences clamored for fifty years ago and are all considered all-time classic in their own right, some being the best film within their respected director's filmography. But the interesting exercise with this line-up is looking at the lackluster films surrounding these masterful films. But this is the fun part of the process of looking back and talking about a year like this, if it is a landmark year like others in the 1970s or if it just top heavy. In their in-depth discussion, the AW team talked about the film year of 1975, briefly discuss talk about One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest 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 2h40m. We will be back in next week for a review of the latest film from Marvel, The Fantastic Four: First Steps. 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 108 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by AwardsWatch Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson discuss the latest film in their Paul Verhoeven series, Showgirls (1995). Following the massive cultural, commercial success of Basic Instinct, Verhoeven and screenwriter Joe Eszterhas turned their eye to the world of professional dancing as a young, ambitious girl, with a mysterious past, sets her sights on becoming a star as the main showgirl in over-the-top production set on the Las Vegas strip. The film was set up with massive expectations and the largest budget ever for an NC-17 film ($45m), Showgirls was hailed as one of the worst films of the 1990s, a box office bomb, and ruined star Elizabeth Berkley chances at becoming a star on the big screen like she was on television. But the film became a cult classic, and has now been fully reevaluated as a “masterpiece” of excess and the dangers women face within the entertainment industry; Verhoeven's The Red Shoes. Ryan, Jay, and Erik breakdown their relationship with the film, their favorite lines within the movie, the definition of “camp,” Berkley's rocky relationship with the film, how horrifying the sex is within the film, the legendary performance given by Gina Gershon, which characters they relate to, and which modern day pop-star Jay says has had a better 21st century success on the Billboard Charts than Madonna; a move that might see the end of the co-host as we know. Listen now to find out who mentions. 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 2h45m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of Paul Verhoeven with a review of his film, Starship Troopers. 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).