Watch With Jen™

This week, I was so pleased to welcome a new friend to the podcast. An actor and an acting teacher in his native Canada, Robert Bellissimo has appeared in numerous television shows, feature films, commercials, and plays. Two recent credits include PRIVATE EYES starring Jason Priestly and ROBBERY, which starred Art Hindle as well. A passionate cinephile for twenty years, in his late twenties, he re...

This week, I'm thrilled to welcome back one of the sharpest critical minds working today, plus a guest that longtime listeners will remember hearing discuss Sofia Coppola's entire filmography with me in the first season of this show. I had such a fun and engaging conversation with the great Roxana Hadadi in that episode that it inspired me to shape the future of this podcast accordingly as a serie...

A very talented, versatile, and witty performer with more than 150 credit listings on IMDb, as an actor, James Urbaniak has brought to life Dr. Venture on Adult Swim's The Venture Brothers , the scene-stealing Arthur (who was my favorite character) on Hulu's Difficult People , and Grant on Comedy Central's Review . Additionally, he's also a podcaster in his own right and the creator of the scripte...

Returning to the podcast this week, we have the impressive critic, in-demand lecturer, and insightful author Mr. Adam Nayman, who longtime listeners will remember hearing last summer around this time as he joined me to discuss the life and career of actress Gene Tierney. A contributor to The Ringer , Criterion, CinemaScope , and more, additionally, our Toronto-based guest has written thoughtful bo...

This week, I'm so happy to welcome a fellow podcaster to Watch With Jen. Conrado Falco is a filmmaker, film lover, foodie, soccer fan, and co-host of the excellent pod The Criterion Project along with my good friend Rachel Wagner. Additionally, he's the co-host of the podcast Foreign Invader and co-creator and co-star of the science fiction comedy series Wormholes , which you can find on YouTube b...

Returning to the podcast once again, we have my very talented friend and an official (and very popular) friend of the show. William Boyle is the acclaimed novelist behind such titles as Gravesend , The Lonely Witness , A Friend is a Gift You Give Yourself , City of Margins , and the brand new Shoot the Moonlight Out . In addition to crafting these wondrously humanistic Lumet-like character-driven...

This week, we have a very special episode featuring not one but two wonderful guests. First up, we have the return of the talented Los Angeles-based writer and a Senior Vice President at The Black List, Kate Hagen. Having bonded last year over our affection for the career of actor James Spader whom we did two podcast episodes about (one here on Watch With Jen & one on Screen Drafts), Kate join...

Quick-witted, loyal, caring, and so very talented - this week, I was thrilled to welcome one of my best pals and honorary brothers back to the podcast. An actor, former host of the excellent Game Show Network series "Get a Clue," and longtime improv teacher at Second City, plus a writer, producer, entrepreneur, and gifted impressionist who regularly turns my voicemail into the funniest comedy club...

As, thankfully, my recent life/med stress ended early (quick - where's a piece of wood to knock on?), that means our temporary hiatus is ending a week early too! Editing this lively episode yesterday made me laugh multiple times. I figured that right now laughter is something we all could use in this grim world as of late so I wanted to deliver this conversation to you ASAP to hopefully brighten y...

Every so often, I receive requests from longtime listeners who miss the way this podcast first began with me recommending and telling solo tales about excellent films you might've missed. And while I'm seriously flattered and thrilled you enjoyed those very humble, low-fi, old school eps, I would just as soon stick to the format of conversations with thoughtful, funny, brilliant, and charismatic f...

Returning to the podcast this week, we have a woman who needs no introduction and one whose voice is or should be - especially if you're a cinephile - her own introduction. A film writer I remember reading as far back as her days at "Cinematical" and "The Village Voice," as well as the author of "Seduction: Sex, Lies, and Stardom in Howard Hughes' Hollywood," and books on George Lucas, Al Pacino,...

A favorite among my circle of crime writer friends, this week I was pleased to welcome Dennis Tafoya to the podcast. Author of the novels "Dope Thief," "Wolves of Fairmount Park," and "The Poor Boy's Game," Dennis Tafoya's work has not only been optioned for film and television but his short stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies, including "Philadelphia Noir" and "Best American Myster...

This week, I was so honored to welcome back my favorite crime writer working today. Novelist Megan Abbott is the Edgar-winning author of such acclaimed, rich works as "Give Me Your Hand," "You Will Know Me," "The Fever," "Dare Me," "Queenpin," and more. Her latest novel - "The Turnout" - was a "Today Show" Read with Jenna book selection as well as a "New York Times Bestseller" and most recently th...

This week, I happily welcomed Beth Ann Gallagher to the podcast. A very talented film writer and the mother of one of the most photogenic and adorable babies you'll ever see in your life, she is the founder of the classic film blog Spellbound with Beth Ann which has been running since 2008. Last year, we were both honored to contribute essays on film noir to the dazzling Columbia Noir 4 Blu-ray bo...

This week, I was so pleased to welcome to the podcast a fellow writer and a tennis fan - yes, I had to get that in there - Isaac Butler. Co-author of "The World Only Spins Forward: The Ascent of Angels in America," which NPR.Org named one of the best books of 2018, Isaac Butler’s writing has appeared in "New York Magazine," "Slate," "The Guardian," "American Theatre," and other publications. For "...

This week, it was a true honor to welcome a very special guest that I recently made the acquaintance of following our episode dedicated to FX's superb 2010 series TERRIERS. He's the first of two individuals related to the show whom you'll hear this season – series star Donal Logue is also forthcoming – but first up we have the show's creator and executive producer, along with the writer and direct...

This week, I was so pleased to welcome to the podcast a friend I made last summer during Cinephile Game Night where we played on opposite sides, me as a guest with Team The Film Stage at Lincoln Center and Mitchell Beaupre as part of the delightful Team Letterboxd. Currently based in Newark, Delaware, Mitchell is not only the Senior Editor at one of my favorite services (via Letterboxd) but they'r...

Returning to the podcast this week, we have the witty and wonderful Los Angeles-based writer-director Jessica Ellis. A graduate of UCLA and the American Film Institute who last year made her feature filmmaking debut with the acclaimed coming-of-age movie What Lies West , Jessica is one of the brightest lights on Twitter and never fails to make me smile. Filled with sharp insights into the craft of...

A film critic for publications such as "L.A. Weekly," "New York Magazine," "Vulture," "The New York Times," and formerly, "The Village Voice," Bilge Ebiri is one of my favorite journalists working today. Additionally, a writer-director who's known for the films "New Guy," "Purse Snatcher," and "The Barber of Siberia," whenever you talk to Bilge, you're bound to not only learn something new but als...

Returning to the podcast today, we have a fan favorite and one of my besties - that's right it's our very first guest and my Pandemic Movie Club buddy - the Edgar award-winning author of "She Rides Shotgun" and "Love and Other Wounds," Jordan Harper. A screenwriter and producer of such shows as "The Mentalist" and "Gotham," who also crafted one of the most beautiful pilots for "L.A. Confidential,"...

You're receiving an early bonus episode this week because daylight saving time is on Sunday and winter is almost gone, so I figured the best way to say goodbye to the days of cool temperatures and early darkness is with a roundup of recent Blu-ray releases. Featuring a very eclectic collection of titles that were largely so obscure that guests weren't able to track them down to join me, the first...

This week, I was thrilled to welcome Washington City Paper film critic Noah Gittell back to the podcast for the first time since he joined me for an epic discussion last May on '90s duality in the films "Zero Effect" and "Fight Club." A reporter at BBC Talk Movies and a guest lecturer at Smithsonian Associates, Noah is also a freelance contributor at such notable outlets as The Atlantic , The Ring...

In this very special episode, The Black List's Director of Community Kate Hagen returns to the podcast to help me welcome one of our all-time favorite filmmakers to Watch With Jen. A Los Angeles based independent writer-director who's won both a MacArthur Genius Grant along with a Peabody Award, Allison Anders' acclaimed films include her terrific debut "Border Radio" (co-directed with UCLA classm...

This week, I'm so thrilled and proud to welcome back one of my dearest pals and the hardest working man in pod business, Mr. Blake Howard. The brains behind the stellar One Heat Minute Productions that launched with an in-depth minute-by-minute investigation and appreciation of Michael Mann's "Heat," he's released numerous pods since, including "All The President's Minutes," "Josie and the Podcats...

Joining me for a fun, feisty, fast-paced conversation about some of the funniest romcoms from the period we both came of age is prolific Rotten Tomatoes approved film critic and podcaster Rachel Wagner. The woman behind not only the website, pod, and YouTube Channel Rachel's Reviews but also the incredibly popular Hallmarkies Podcast as well, Rachel is a veteran interviewer in her own right and ha...