Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr.

Close Watch completes its journey down the Yellow Brick Road with 2025's Wicked: For Good , the second half of director Jon M. Chu's adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical and the final chapter in our Oz-focused series. And this is perhaps the most politically and emotionally charged entry yet. Rejoicifying with us are our wonderful guests Will Ashton of Cinemaholics , Kevin Thomas aka Kevin t...

We’re heading back down the Yellow Brick Road. But this time, it’s all about how the Wizard became “great and powerful.” On the latest Close Watch, Kevin Thomas aka Kevin the Critic joins us to revisit Sam Raimi’s big, bold, and sometimes bizarre 2013 film  Oz the Great and Powerful. We'll discuss James Franco’s polarizing performance, how the film frames the witches of Oz, and whether Raimi’s sig...

As we continue our journey down the yellow brick road, Close Watch host Robert Yaniz Jr. is joined by his wife, Kai Yaniz, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of one of Disney’s strangest, darkest, and most fascinating cult classics:  Return to Oz . Released in 1985 as a sort-of sequel to The Wizard of Oz , this eerie fantasy took audiences by surprise, bringing electroshock therapy, a walking pumpk...

Ease on down the road with us as Close Watch returns to Oz one more time, this time through the soulful, big-city reimagining of 1978's The Wiz . We're joined by Phoenix Clouden of  Curtain to Curtain , for a deep dive into one of the boldest movie-musical swings of the 1970s.  We'll explore how the film ambitiously reframes L. Frank Baum’s world through the lens of 1970s New York, Motown aestheti...

Just like Dorothy, we’re returning to the yellow brick road!   In this episode of Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr., Will Ashton of Cinemaholics joins us to explore the often-overlooked animated sequel Journey Back to Oz (1972). With Judy Garland’s own daughter, Liza Minnelli, stepping into Dorothy’s ruby slippers, this curious continuation of the Oz legacy offers a blend of nostalgia, whimsy, and...

We’re off to see the Wizard! On this episode of Close Watch, host Robert Yaniz Jr. and returning guest The Famous Ashley Grant take a trip down the Yellow Brick Road to explore how 1939’s The Wizard of Oz became one of the most beloved and enduring films of all time. From Judy Garland’s timeless performance and “Over the Rainbow” to the movie’s dreamy themes, clever symbolism, and surprising behin...

Grease is the word on this episode of Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr., which also closes out our recent series on movie musicals. So we’re heading back to Rydell High to revisit the 1978 blockbuster that made a vibe of summer lovin’.   With its unforgettable soundtrack, iconic performances from John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, and a rebellious streak that sets it apart from other musicals o...

Michael Jackson didn’t just dominate the charts—he redefined the music video and took it to the big screen with Moonwalker .   On this episode of Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr., we take a deep dive into Michael Jackson’s 1988 film. Part music video anthology, part retrospective, and part sci-fi parable, Moonwalker also serves as a quintessential (and often overlooked) piece of Michael Jackson’s...

The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to watch—and discuss—a movie in return!   On this episode of Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr., we step into the dazzling, high-energy world of Moulin Rouge! , the 2001 jukebox musical that redefined modern movie musicals. Directed by Baz Luhrmann and starring Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman, this visually stunning spectacle is equal parts romance, trag...

Murder, media, and musical numbers—oh my!   On this episode of Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr., we take center stage with The Famous Ashley Grant to explore the razzle-dazzle of the 2002 film Chicago , the Oscar-winning musical that brought Broadway’s show-stopping energy to the silver screen. Directed by Rob Marshall and starring Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Richard Gere, Chicago...

The hills are alive with the sound of podcasting! On this episode of Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr., we celebrate one of the most beloved musicals in cinematic history, 1965’s The Sound of Music .   Directed by Robert Wise and starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, this Rodgers and Hammerstein adaptation became an instant classic, winning five Academy Awards (including Best Picture). R...

For this episode of Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr., we raise a glass—L’Chaim!—to one of the most celebrated musicals of all time.   Robert is joined by Pete Abeyta of Middle Class Film Class to dive into 1971’s Fiddler on the Roof , Norman Jewison’s sweeping adaptation of the beloved Broadway show. With Topol’s unforgettable performance as Tevye and a soundtrack full of iconic songs, the film c...

Rejoicify! Close Watch is back with the first Crooked Table podcast of 2025. As we continue talking movie musicals, we’re off to see the wizard with the highest-grossing Broadway adaptation of all time. Lauren Knight of That Movie Is Fine joins us to discuss Wicked: Part I  (2024), the first of Jon M. Chu's ambitious two-part adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical. This long-awaited cinematic...

Although its sister show Franchise Detours has been trucking along, the feed for Close Watch has been deafening quiet throughout 2024. But fear not, dear listener, the podcast is far from over. In fact, ahead of its triumphant return in 2025, here's another in our series on movie musicals. Rachel Wagner of Rachel's Reviews joins Close Watch to dive into Lin-Manuel Miranda’s directorial debut tick,...

In a harmonious double feature, Close Watch continues venturing through the world of movie musicals with an in-depth breakdown of both the 1961 classic West Side Story and Steven Spielberg's 2021 remake. Does the Oscar-winning original still hold up, and was its update worth the creative risk? Darin Lundberg of NostalgiaCast joins us in this melodic journey through two versions of Maria and Tony's...

Every episode, Close Watch gives us the chance to get to know our guest through the movie they love. But more recently, the show has sharpened its focus on the wide world of movie musicals. And after the man-eating plant of  Little Shop of Horrors and the cultural celebration of In the Heights , musical icon Gene Kelly has officially entered the chat. Philip Boone of the Ultimate Gilmore Girls Mov...

Way back in 2020, a few hardcore Hamilfans -- including this episode's guest -- united for the  first-ever Crooked Roundtable to talk up the Disney+ release of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tony-winning musical Hamilton. Now, at last, loyal listeners get the long-awaited spiritual sequel to that discussion. On this episode, Close Watch continues its year-long analysis of movie musicals as The Lady-Wan of S...

It's 2023, and Close Watch has a song in its heart this year. For the next year, we're dedicating this podcast to movie musicals. Every month, the show will feature at least one episode in which Rob and a guest go in-depth on a beloved movie musical. And what better way to celebrate one of cinema's most beloved genres than with a man-eating plant from outer space?! Film critic Morgan Roberts joins...

After UHF , "Weird Al" Yankovic fans faced a wait of more than three decades for another movie featuring the musical icon. And finally, along comes Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. Starring Daniel Radcliffe as "The Weird One" himself, the movie pokes fun at Yankovic's life and career as well as the very notion that someone would make a biopic about him. Lauren Carey of the Beer'd Al Podcast joins us...

Cate Blanchett might be poised to win a third Academy Award for her performance in Tár. But more than two decades ago, the actor -- who was already well on her way to becoming one of the best actors of her generation -- co-starred with Bruce Willis and Billy Bob Thornton in an under-seen crime comedy-drama. And unsurprisingly, she steals the film. The Famous Ashley Grant joins us to discuss 2001's...

Some movies are too big to cover in a single conversation. Cloud Atlas -- the 2012 epic directed by the Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer -- is definitely such a movie. So to celebrate the film's tenth anniversary, we invited Brian Skutle of the Sonic Cinema Podcast to help us dig into the movie and its ensemble cast, which includes Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, and Jim Broadbent. In this first half of a massiv...

Unless superheroes, hobbits, or boy wizards are involved, fantasy films are all too rare these days. But in the 1980s, the genre was thriving on the big screen. Filmmakers coupled state-of-the-art visual effects with puppetry, make-up, and good ol' movie magic to create worlds fans could previously only imagine. Director Ron Howard's 1988 film Willow is one such film. Featuring a story by George L...

Cinema -- like all art forms -- is wholly subjective. And within that, comedy is perhaps most subjective of all. That being said, 1980's Airplane! remains widely considered one of the funniest movies of all time. So as Close Watch emerges from a lengthy hiatus, we'll take to the skies for an in-depth chat. On this episode, film critic Albert Lanier returns to break down how Airplane! works not onl...

It's showtime. Close Watch kicks off a new year with the "ghost with the most" himself. Tim Burton's 1988 comedy Beetlejuice made mega-stars out of both Burton and Michael Keaton ahead of their next film, Batman. On this episode, Bri Azmoudeh of the Geeky Waffle Network 's new podcast, Killer Waffles, joins the show to talk about why Bri connected so strongly to Beetlejuice, its balance of horror...

The Dark Universe might have been dead on arrival, but 1999's The Mummy remains just as beloved as ever. More than two decades later, fans continue to revisit Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz's sweeping adventure. On this episode, Catherine Gonzales of Latinx Lens joins the show as we talk about the film's influence on modern blockbusters, its iconic cast of unforgettable characters, and how well i...