The AwardsWatch Podcast

On episode 159 of the Director Watch Podcast, co-hosts Ryan McQuade and Jay Ledbetter are joined by Trey Flynn of The Extra Credits podcast to discuss the next film in their Christopher Nolan series, The Dark Knight Rises (2012). 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. Riding high off the success of his two biggest films to date, Nolan went back to the world of Gotham City to conclude his Dark Knight trilogy with a full circle, political warfare, myth busting epic, settling one and for all his ties to the genre, while deconstructing what it means to put on the mask, and how does one carry on a legacy when faced with so much pain. After the death of actor Heath Ledger, it took a lot for Nolan to step back into his vision of Batman, but with the help of two memorable villains, and leaning into the political, social aspects found in the first film, he left the franchise on a financial high, with some questionable story choices that have aged well for some (Trey) and no so much for others (Ryan and Jay). Controversial, dated, unique, The Dark Knight Rises ends Nolan's superhero vision on his own terms, for better or for worse. The guys and their guest break down their thoughts on the film, what worked for them and what didn't, the appeal of Anne Hathaway, Nolan's use of the original characters throughout the third film, how radical or dull the film's politics are, the choices Bruce makes throughout the film, the puzzling ending, the opening plane sequence, and plenty of Bane voice impressions. 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 2h47m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of Christopher Nolan with a review of his next film, Interstellar. 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 158 of the Director Watch Podcast, co-hosts Ryan McQuade and Jay Ledbetter are joined by AwardsWatch contributor Griffin Schiller discuss the next film in their Christopher Nolan series, Inception (2010). 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. How does someone follow up one of the most popular, important films of the last 25 years? Make one of the most original films of a generation, as Nolan cashed in his blank check from The Dark Knight to create a heist, action film set within the world of people's dreams. Inception became the next obsession for audiences, fully trusting Nolan to take them on a thrilling ride, making him more than just the guy who can director the Batman films, but a filmmaker that conjures up event films that every needs to see urgently once they are released. Over time, Inception has become, for people like Griffin, an important piece of art that has shaped their movie-going experience, or for Ryan and Jay, a nostalgic experience that's legacy is complicated due to its pacing issues and over-explanations; thus making for an episode where a balanced conversation over this complicated movie takes place. Ryan, Jay, and Griffin break down their thoughts on the film, when and where they saw it, Nolan's action set pieces in the film, DiCaprio's involvement in the making of the film, what ultimately works and doesn't work inside the film, and if Nolan should ever make a Bond film. 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 2h27m. 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 Dark Knight Rises. 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 157 of the Director Watch Podcast, co-hosts Ryan McQuade and Jay Ledbetter are joined by founder and podcast host at InSession Film JD Duran and Editor-In-Chief of InSession Film Dave Giannini discuss the next film in their Christopher Nolan series, The Dark Knight (2008). 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 what might be the single most important film of the 21st century for blockbuster filmmaking, The Dark Knight turned Christopher Nolan into the legend, iconic filmmaker he is today, creating a comic book, action packed crime thriller that elevated the entire genre, creating a film that audiences would obsess over for decades to come; the definitive comic book movie. With an all-time performance from the late Heath Ledger, Nolan upped the stakes of this second Batman film to be more about the fight to save soul of Gotham City, and gain hope in the future beyond the capes and clowns, and created a epic masterpiece. Ryan, Jay, JD, and Dave break down their thoughts on the film, the action set pieces, the battles for Gotham with our flawed heroes, Ledger's iconic Joker, the special effects work on Two-Face, the legacy of this film and why it's (more or less) aged so well. 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 2h53m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of Christopher Nolan with a review of his next film, Inception. 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 156 of the Director Watch Podcast, co-hosts Ryan McQuade and Jay Ledbetter are joined by film critic Jake Tropila discuss the next film in their Christopher Nolan series, The Prestige (2006). 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. Just a year after dazzling audiences with Batman Begins, Nolan returned with a film that would become one of the best films of his career, about two magicians dueling each other for the right to produce not only the best magic trick of all time, but to be the last man standing in a feud that costs more than anyone could imagine. In being a film about filmmaking as well as a stellar adaptation of the Christopher Priest novel, Nolan made his darkest, most cynical film to date; a twisted tale about the sacrifices it takes to create art, and the obsession that consumes someone when they are close to reaching an immortality level of fame. Ryan, Jay, and Jake break down their thoughts on the film, how much The Prestige is a cousin to Memento in terms of tone, where Christian Bale is within his career, why Hugh Jackman has never delivered a better performance than this, the power of David Bowie, the horrid accent of Scarlett Johansson, the logic of the film's twist, the wild differences between the film and the original novel, and if seeing/knowing a film's twist helps or hurts a film's rewatchability. 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 2h15m. 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 Dark Knight. 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 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).

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).

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).

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).

On episode 342 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello to give their thoughts on the news out of CinemaCon, and then give a review of David Lowery's latest film, Mother Mary, starring Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel. 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 1h52m. We will be back later this week with an episode of Director Watch, where Ryan McQuade and Jay Ledbetter will be wrapping up their Charles Burnett film series with a review of his film, The Annihilation of Fish (1999). 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 149 of the Director Watch Podcast, co-hosts Ryan McQuade and Jay Ledbetter discuss the first film in their Charles Burnett series, Killer of Sheep (1978). 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. Over the course of time, cinema of various time periods that was once considered lost is remastered, reborn, and reexamined as they reenter the public conscience. For the case of director Charles Burnett, this has been true as his films have been restored to their former glory on physical media over the last couple of years, thus giving the DW boys the opportunity to tackle a vital African-American voice who made films about the structure of family, the innocence of the youth within the black community, and finding the emotions with characters that deal with real life problems. With the case of his debut film, Killer of Sheep, Burnett examined the life of a weary slaughterhouse worker whose family life is slowly being tested every single day; it's impressive debut, one that still resonates to this day. Ryan and Jay break down the film, its themes on family dynamics, the innocence of a child, the incorporation of Italian neorealism with the narrative, their favorite shots within the film, as well as a discussion as to who the best professional athlete is in the world right now. 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 1h19m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of Charles Burnett with a review of the film, To Sleep With Anger. 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 340 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson and contributors Mark Johnson, Karen Peterson, and Josh Parham to go back 35 years and take a look at the 64th Academy Awards, covering the films of 1991. On this retrospective, the AW team takes a look back in time to when the Oscars last rewarded a film for winning the "Big Five" awards, with The Silence of the Lambs taking home Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay. In being only the third film in Oscar history to ever do that, and it being 35 years since it's big night, the wins for the film are historic, so the question would be for this episode, will The Silence of the Lambs stay a "Big Five" winner? In a wide ranging conversation, the Best Picture winner is mentioned alongside films The Prince of Tides, JFK, Beauty and the Beast, My Own Private Idaho, The Addams Family, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Cape Fear, Thelma & Louise, Boyz n the Hood, and more, as well as spicy, first time moment for the game that you'll want to listen to asap! In their in-depth discussion, the AW team talked about the film year of 1991, briefly discuss talk about The Silence of the Lambs as a Best Picture winner, 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 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. You can also listen on the AW YouTube page. This podcast runs 2h32m. We will be back in next week for a review of Mother Mary, the latest film from director David Lowery. 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 339 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch contributor Josh Parham discuss their spoiler-filled thoughts on the latest film from A24, Kristoffer Borgli's The Drama, starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson. 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 1h1m. We will be back next week with an Oscar retrospective for the 64th Academy Awards, covering the films of 1991. Till then, let's get into it. Music: "Modern Fashion" from AShamaleuvmusic (intro), "B-3" from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro).