Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr.

In the past few years, few films have been as controversial as writer/director Darren Aronofsky's mother! So, this week, Jefferson Grubbs of the recently launched Oscar site Thin Gold Line  joins us for a deep dive into the divisive psychological horror film. Love it or hate it, mother! — which stars Oscar winners Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem — is a rich cinematic experience loaded with pos...

This week, Zach Mathews of the Proper Gentlemen Podcast  stops by to marvel at Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the ninth entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Released in 2014, the film marked directors Joe and Anthony Russo's entrance into the franchise and solidified Chris Evans' Steve Rogers as one of the series' most beloved. With less than a month until the pivotal events of Avengers...

On this week's episode, Nguyen Le  (of the Houston Chronicle and beyond) joins the Crooked Table Podcast to discuss writer/director Hirokazu Kore-eda's latest release, Shoplifters. The Japanese family drama triumphed at the Cannes Film Festival — winning the Palme d'Or — and competed as the nation's submission for Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards, ultimately losing to Roma. We...

It's taken 21 movies, but the Marvel Cinematic Universe finally has its first solo female superhero. And Brie Larson's Captain Marvel has certainly been causing quite a splash in the lead-up to her big-screen debut. Now that she's here, we take it upon ourselves to investigate whether the film actually succeeds in bridging the Earth and cosmic sides of the MCU, how it plays into Avengers: Endgame...

With several high-profile releases mere weeks from hitting the big screen, Rob decides to test a new concept in this week's episode. Rather than bringing on a guest to discuss a film of their choice, as normal, we take a look at the films hitting theaters throughout March 2019. It's that weird compromise between the relative dead period of the beginning of the year and the thick of the summer movi...

Less than 24 hours after the 91st Academy Awards took place, Rob takes to the mic to vent/celebrate the Oscar wins. It was a big night for films like Green Book , Black Panther and Bohemian Rhapsody , much to many people's delight/dismay. But the evening also marked major wins for Roma , The Favourite , BlacKkKlansman and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse . All in all, it was a rollercoaster ride...

In this week's episode, Rob welcomes Will Ashton , co-host of Cinemaholics , to the show to talk Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Based on the Roald Dahl book, the 1971 musical classic gave Gene Wilder the opportunity to embrace both warmth and mania and, in the process, created a cinematic icon. Not to mention one of the most ubiquitous memes the internet has ever seen. Despite being a box...

When it comes to cinema history, few filmmakers compare to Alfred Hitchcock. This week,  Robert Yaniz Jr. and guest Rodrick Colbert (producer of the upcoming 2nd annual Sigmund Freud Film Festival ) discuss Hitchcock's seminal 1960 classic Psycho. The film boasts not only one of cinema's most notorious twists but essentially serves as the original slasher film. Listen in as Rob and Rodrick talk ab...

In the second half of our milestone celebration,  Robert Yaniz Jr.  and Freddy Yaniz continue their deep dive into everything about The Matrix. Follow as we journey into the film's latter half, in which Neo and company embark on a perilous journey to save Morpheus from the sweat-sniffing machinations of Smith. Also, can Rob possibly stop himself from constantly referencing the sequels? Perhaps he...

In Episode 100 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr.  welcomes back original podcast cohost Freddy Yaniz back to discuss their mutual favorite film of all time, The Matrix. The landmark 1999 film by The Wachowskis inspired both men to fall head over heels with cinema and remains one of the most significant science fiction films of all time. Are you ready to begin tumbling down the rabbit...

In Episode 99 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr.  welcomes Jackson Smith of Screen Fever  to the show to discuss one of our favorite films of 2018 ( no, really ), writer/director Bo Burnham's Eighth Grade .  Anchored by an all-too-real performance by Elsie Fisher, the film chronicles the final days in the life of your average middle-school girl. In his debut film, Burnham captures the...

In Episode 98 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr.  takes a break from the show's regular format for a BONUS on this year's crop of Oscar nominations. As always, the Academy snubbed many of the year's best films, while focusing their energies on less deserving, though more "Oscar-friendly," fare. But the fun of awards season is that anything can happen. The 91st Academy Awards is still...

In Episode 97 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr.  brings Kerri Jones onto the show to discuss Wong Kar-wai's acclaimed 2013 action drama The Grandmaster. Based on the life legendary martial arts master Ip Man, the film stars Tony Leung as the man who would ultimately change the course of history by training a young Bruce Lee. The Grandmaster explores the events that led Ip Man to this...

In Episode 96 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr.  welcomes writer and photographer extraordinaire The Famous Ashley Grant to the show. The longtime friends, former co-workers and fellow content creators discuss director James Foley's (Fifty Shades Freed) 2003 heist thriller Confidence. Edward Burns stars as a veteran confidence man who must pull off an impossible job when he and his t...

In Episode 95 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr.  sets aside the show's regular format to mark the end of 2018. The year in cinema has been jam-packed with tons of highlights, from the big studio fare to low-budget gems that many moviegoers may have missed. So join Rob as he reveals some of his favorite 2018 films. Thanks in part to the 2018 Holiday Binge , many strong contenders emer...

In Episode 94 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr.  brings Michael Hinman — host of Alpha Waves Radio — onto the show to discuss his all-time favorite film, 1999's comedy/drama American Beauty. Winner of five Academy Awards (including Best Picture), the Sam Mendes-directed film is emblematic not only of the kind of fearless filmmaking that rarely breaks into the mainstream these days bu...

In Episode 93 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr.  recruits his mom, Jeannine Yaniz, for her podcast debut, as they discuss the joys of the holiday season as well as the latter's long-standing love of the 1954 musical White Christmas. Starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen, the film capitalizes on not only the enduring appeal of its four stars but the iconic...

In Episode 92 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr.  brings Adam Barnard of Screen Fever back to the show to discuss writer/director Rian Johnson's 2012 sci-fi thriller Looper. After winning indie cred with Brick and The Brothers Bloom but before he became a target of online vitriol for Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Johnson brought a wholly original vision of the future to life. Set in a gri...

In Episode 91 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr.  turns the attention over to returning guest Kai Yaniz, who has chosen to discuss 1995 teen comedy Clueless. Starring Alicia Silverstone and written and directed by Amy Heckerling, the film was a landmark of 1990s cinema and remains one of the most beloved films of its kind this side of John Hughes. With a remake apparently on the horiz...

In Episode 90 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr.  ushers in a new era of the show (check out episode 88 for more details on the updated premise). With the help of wife/frequent podcast guest Kai Yaniz, Rob looks back on the now-problematic 1994 Jim Carrey comedy Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. The film may not have aged particularly well (which Kai and Rob most definitely will get into),...

In Episode 89 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr.  goes in-depth with independent filmmaker Jeff Witzeman, director of the powerful new documentary, Flipping the Script: When Parents Fight Back ( read our review of the film ). During the conversation, Jeff reveals what inspired him to make a film that sheds such startling light on the reality of healthcare in the United States. In the...

In Episode 88 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr.  returns after a two-month " Crooked Hiatus " to commemorate International Podcast Day by unveiling plans for the upcoming next phase of Crooked Table Podcast. Rather than focusing strictly on new releases or relying on a regular co-host, the Crooked Table Podcast version 2.0 will feature new guests each episode, who will join us for in...

In Episode 87 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr.  takes another detour from the world of movies to lavish praise on Dirty Computer, the third studio album by Janelle Monáe. Released back in April, this latest work is a concept album — complete with a 49-minute "emotion picture" — celebrating individuality, free expression and being true to who you are. For Monáe, Dirty Computer repres...

In Episode 86 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr.  shares his thoughts on the bonkers absurdism of Sorry to Bother You, the feature debut for writer/director Boots Riley, and why the film represents a natural extension of the growing trend of satirical films tackling issues like race, class and conformity in increasingly over-the-top ways. Amid the current social and political landscap...

In Episode 85 of the Crooked Table Podcast,  Robert Yaniz Jr. and  Kai Yaniz  strap in for our third Crooked Commentary. After years of wishful thinking, we finally rewatched Edgar Wright's 2010 flop-turned-cult-classic Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Based on the comics by Bryan Lee O'Malley, the film stars Michael Cera as a bassist in Canadian indie rock band Sex Bob-Omb who just so happens to be a...