The AwardsWatch Podcast

AwardsWatch

Podcasts from AwardsWatch on the Oscars, Emmys, Golden Globes, SAG and more.

  1. 3D AGO

    Director Watch Podcast Ep. 155: 'Batman Begins' (Christopher Nolan, 2005) with Special Guest Bob Goochman

    On episode 155 of the Director Watch Podcast, co-hosts Ryan McQuade and Jay Ledbetter are joined by podcaster, film critic Bob Goochman discuss the next film in their Christopher Nolan series, Batman Begins (2005). Welcome back to Director Watch! On this AwardsWatch podcast, the boys 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. In the summer of 2005, Warner Brothers took the risk of handing over the world of Batman to Christopher Nolan, hoping he could revive a franchise that leaned too much into the cheesy nature of the Schumacher era, and had run the character into a bit of a joke on the big screen. With Nolan at the helm, he created a comic book film set in a world not too different than ours, and allowed for us to go on an emotional, action packed journey not just with the Caped Crusader, but with his real identity, Bruce Wayne. In doing this, Nolan delivered a massively entertaining blockbuster that would elevate his status to another level than what he was before, and showed he could handle such a monumental task; thus he never stopped making films of this size again. Ryan, Jay, and the Gooch break down their thoughts on the film, why the Batman property got stuck, Nolan's vision and version of Gotham City, how scary the film is at times, the use of mostly unknown villains at the time, the acting of Christian Bale and Katie Homes, and that epic reveal of the Joker card at the end of the film, signaling something grand is on its way. You can listen to the Director Watch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music and more. You can also listen on the AW YouTube page. This podcast runs 1h49m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of Christopher Nolan with a review of his next film, The Prestige. 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).

    1h 49m
  2. MAY 15

    Director Watch Podcast Ep. 154 - 'Insomnia' (Christopher Nolan, 2002) with Special Guest Christina Jeurling Birro

    On episode 154 of the Director Watch Podcast, co-hosts Ryan McQuade and Jay Ledbetter are joined by Pop Culture Confidential host Christina Jeurling Birro discuss the next film in their Christopher Nolan series, Insomnia (2002). Welcome back to Director Watch! On this AwardsWatch podcast, the boys 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. What does one do after making their big breakthrough? For Christopher Nolan, it was his chance to step up another level and work on a American remake of the 1997 Norwegian film of the same name, Insomnia, which follows a washed up cop investigating a murder case in a small town, stuck in a web of lies connected to his past mistakes and getting tangled in a cat and mouse game with a smart criminal who wants to get away with the crime they've committed. Obsessed with the original when he was making Following, the young director set out to make his version of the modern cautionary crime tale, which for the guys and Christina seems like a misstep for him following his monumental statement of Memento. Ryan, Jay, and Christina break down their thoughts on the film, their connection with the original, the sleepiness of Al Pacino (with an impression by Ryan once or twice on the show), the dramatic work of Robin Williams, the appeal of Hilary Swank, not being able to sleep with the lights on, and how this is the least "Nolan" movie of his filmography, both in good ways and mostly bad ways. You can listen to the Director Watch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music and more. You can also listen on the AW YouTube page. This podcast runs 1h041m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of Christopher Nolan with a review of his next film, Batman Begins. 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).

    1h 41m
  3. MAY 9

    Director Watch Podcast Ep. 153: 'Memento' (Christopher Nolan, 2000)

    On episode 153 of the Director Watch Podcast, co-hosts Ryan McQuade and Jay Ledbetter discuss the next film in their Christopher Nolan series, Memento (2001). Welcome back to Director Watch! On this AwardsWatch podcast, the boys 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. After making his debut film and showcasing it at film festivals around the world, Christopher Nolan caught the attention of audiences and studios, given small prizes and a chance to level up with his next film with resources needed to make his latest mind trip work. In getting those resources, he was able to make Memento, a crime thriller spliced together within the present and the past that showcases a broken man recreating a mystery over and over again to run away from the trauma he inflicted years ago. With this second feature, Nolan announced himself as a force to be reckoned with, as Memento is a deeply personal, heartbreaking looking in the mind of someone who simple wants to forget. Ryan and Jay break down their thoughts on the film, Leonard's secrets past and his plan to keep his secrets at bay, Nolan's use of black and white photography mixed with the scenes of color and how they play with time, the incredible performance of Guy Pearce, and the morality found within the shocking ending. You can listen to the Director Watch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music and more. You can also listen on the AW YouTube page. This podcast runs 2h05m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of Christopher Nolan with a review of his next film, Insomnia. 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).

    2h 5m
  4. MAY 4

    AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 343: Reviewing 'The Devil Wears Prada 2'

    On episode 343 of the AwardsWatch podcast, Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson is joined by Associate TV Editor Karen Peterson to review the spring blockbuster sequel The Devil Wears Prada 2, starring Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci. It's been 20 years since we spent time with Miranda Priestly, Andy Sachs, Emily Charlton and Nigel Kipling and it's been well worth the wait. In this spoiler-filled review of the sequel to the 2006 hit, Erik and Karen talk about what the first film means to them, how successful the sequel is to follow up their story, the choice to focus on the state of journalism not just in the digital age but in the age of disappearing jobs in the industry, the new fashion and much more. Written review here: https://awardswatch.com/the-devil-wears-prada-2-review-the-long-awaited-sequel-proves-that-fashion-is-always-in-vogue-b/ You can listen to The AwardsWatch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music and more. You can also listen on the AW YouTube page. This podcast runs 1h8m. We will be back later this week with an episode of Director Watch, where Ryan McQuade and Jay Ledbetter will be continuing their Christopher Nolan series with a review of his film, Memento (2000). Till then, let's get into it. Music: "Modern Fashion" from AShamaleuvmusic (intro), "B-3" from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro).

    1h 8m
  5. APR 30

    Director Watch Podcast Ep. 152 - 'Following' (Christopher Nolan, 1998)

    On episode 152 of the Director Watch Podcast, co-hosts Ryan McQuade and Jay Ledbetter discuss the first film in their Christopher Nolan series, Following (1998). Welcome back to Director Watch! On this AwardsWatch podcast, the boys attempt to break down, 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. At our current moment in cinema history, there is no other living director that compares to Christopher Nolan; he reigns supreme. In making some of the most memorable, eventful, successful films of the last 30 years, it was only a matter of time before Ryan and Jay tackled his filmography, and in doing so, they must start all the way back at the beginning, where Nolan lacked the resources he has today, making a noir thriller (on the weekends while working his day job) about a man who follows people and ends up following the wrong person down a rabbit hole of con artistry at its finest. A very small debut for Nolan that laid out the good and the bad tendencies that would be discovered about the famed director over the course of his bigger projects. Ryan and Jay break down their thoughts on the film, the smaller scale and scope compared to his bigger projects, their relationships with Nolan as a director, the lack of momentum in the film's story and pace, and how, in this early era of his filmography, Nolan will never get back to this small size of filmmaking ever again. You can listen to the Director Watch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music and more. You can also listen on the AW YouTube page. This podcast runs 1h44m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of Christopher Nolan with a review of his next film, Memento. 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).

    1h 44m
  6. APR 27

    Director Watch Podcast Ep. 151 - 'The Annihilation of Fish' (Burnett, 1999)

    On episode 151 of the Director Watch Podcast, co-hosts Ryan McQuade and Jay Ledbetter discuss the last film in their Charles Burnett series, The Annihilation of Fish (1999). Welcome back to Director Watch! On this AwardsWatch podcast, the boys attempt to break down, 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. After making a wild turn with The Glass Shield in 1994, Burnett went back to his roots, making a smaller indie drama about two people who are polar opposites that fall in love. The Annihilation of Fish is another gem from the director, exploring love at an older age, the effects of mental health on the lonely, and how hard it must feel to grow old alone; a thought too painful to even think about. Ryan and Jay break down their thoughts on the film, the performances of Lynn Redgrave and James Earl Jones, how The Annihilation of Fish fits within the themes of the series so far, give their rankings for the series, as well as tease what their next film series is going to be. You can listen to the Director Watch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music and more. You can also listen on the AW YouTube page. This podcast runs 1h28m. The guys will be back next week to begin their series on the films of Christopher Nolan with a review of his film, Following. 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).

    1h 28m
  7. APR 23

    Director Watch Podcast Ep. 150 - 'To Sleep with Anger' (Burnett, 1990)

    On episode 150 of the Director Watch Podcast, co-hosts Ryan McQuade and Jay Ledbetter discuss the next film in their Charles Burnett series, To Sleep with Anger (1990). Welcome back to Director Watch! On this AwardsWatch podcast, the boys 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. After breaking through with Killer of Sheep and My Brother's Wedding, Burnett made a massive statement, and the best film of his career, with To Sleep with Anger. In following a family whose world is rocked by an old friend coming in and turning their world dangerously upside down, the director chose to explore the internal emotions of those closest in our lives, and how we've spent years building up anger, resentment, jealousy, rage within ourselves, only for our worst impulses to come out when pushed to expose them. Darkly funny and harrowing, Burnett made an independent film statement that defined the time, and his career. Ryan and Jay break down the film, their thoughts on Danny Glover's performance, how this film mirrors Burnett's past work, the families battle with the good and the evil, seeing their world through the eyes of a child, and how the indie film world looked like in the 1990s. You can listen to the Director Watch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music and more. You can also listen on the AwardsWatch YouTube page. This podcast runs 1h19m. The guys will be back next week to conclude their series on the films of Charles Burnett with a review of his film, The Annihilation of Fish. 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).

    1h 58m
3.7
out of 5
71 Ratings

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Podcasts from AwardsWatch on the Oscars, Emmys, Golden Globes, SAG and more.

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