AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 309 - 'The Smashing Machine,' 'One Battle' Box Office and the Screenplay Oscar Categories
Release Date: 10/05/2025
Director Watch Episode 133 - 'Reds' (Warren Beatty, 1981)
The AwardsWatch Podcast
On episode 133 of the Director Watch Podcast, co-hosts Ryan McQuade and Jay Ledbetter are joined by Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello discuss the next film in their Warren Beatty series, Reds (1981). 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...
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AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 324 – Our Favorite Films of 2025 Part 2
The AwardsWatch Podcast
On episode 324 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello, AwardsWatch contributors Jay Ledbetter, Josh Parham, Griffin Schiller, Cody Dericks, and Trace Sauveur to discuss their favorite films of 2025 in part two of the AW end of the year show. As we are about to begin an exciting new year of cinema in 2026, we say goodbye to 2025 with our AW team’s favorite films of the year. Instead of having everyone on one call together, the show is split up into two episodes this year, each covering a selection of the nine...
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AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 323 - Our Favorite Films of 2025 Part 1
The AwardsWatch Podcast
On episode 323 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson, TV Editor Tyler Doster, Associate TV Editor Karen Peterson, as well as AwardsWatch contributors Mark Johnson and Dan Bayer to discuss their favorite films of 2025 in part one of the AW end of the year show. As we are about to begin an exciting new year of cinema in 2026, we say goodbye to 2025 with our AW team’s favorite films of the year. Instead of having everyone on one call together, the show is split up into two episodes this year, each covering a selection...
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AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 322 - Predicting the Critics Choice Awards Winners
The AwardsWatch Podcast
On episode 322 of the AwardsWatch podcast, Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson is joined by Executive Editor Ryan McQuade and Mark Johnson, aka The Awards Alchemist, to give their predictions for the upcoming Critics Choice Awards taking place on January 4, 2026. Recording the day after Christmas, the trio give a short version of their holiday experience (wine, so much wine) and then jump right into predicting who they think will be the winners of the 31st Critics Choice Association Awards, as well as reveal what some of our own votes were, including some races that feel very close. With Critics...
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Director Watch Podcast Ep. 132 - 'Heaven Can Wait' (Warren Beatty, 1978)
The AwardsWatch Podcast
On episode 132 of the Director Watch Podcast, co-hosts Ryan McQuade and Jay Ledbetter discuss the first film in their Warren Beatty series, Heaven Can Wait (1978). Welcome 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...
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Director Watch Podcast Ep. 131 - 'High Life' (Claire Denis, 2019)
The AwardsWatch Podcast
Welcome to Director Watch! On this AwardsWatch podcast, co-hosts Ryan McQuade and Jay Ledbetter 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. On episode 131 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by AwardsWatch Associate TV Editor Karen Peterson...
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AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 321 - Reviewing 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'
The AwardsWatch Podcast
On episode 321 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch contributor Cody Dericks to review the latest film from director James Cameron, Avatar: Fire & Ash. You can listen to The AwardsWatch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music, YouTube and more. This podcast runs 1h01m. We will be back later in the week with a 2025 award season focused podcast before the holiday break. Till then, let’s get into it. Music: “Modern Fashion” from AShamaleuvmusic (intro),...
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AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 320 - The Oscar Shortlists for the 98th Academy Awards
The AwardsWatch Podcast
Oscar pre-season is in full swing and nothing says that more than the annual , which expand to 12 categories this year, adding Casting and Cinematography. On episode 320 of the AwardsWatch podcast, Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson is joined by Executive Editor Ryan McQuade and Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello break down the morning's shortlist announcement, discussing what surprised, what was snubbed and how it impacts the Oscar races overall. 12 categories for the 98th Academy Awards were announced this morning: Animated Short Film, Casting, Cinematography, Documentary Feature Film,...
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AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 319 - Oscars Retrospective of the 93rd Academy Awards
The AwardsWatch Podcast
On episode 319 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch contributors Dan Bayer, Mark Johnson, and Josh Parham to go back five years and take a look at the 93rd Academy Awards, covering the films of 2020. On this retrospective, the AW team take one last trip to the past for the year to talk about the pandemic year of cinema that saw one of the worst Oscar telecasts of all time. Baffling decision after another, the night ended on a sour note instead of one of celebration for Nomadland winning the top prize and Chloé Zhao becoming the second female...
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Interview: Rian Johnson on How Faith and Humanity Make Peace Within His Latest Mystery 'Wake Up Dead Man'
The AwardsWatch Podcast
No one is having as much fun making films as Rian Johnson. Over the course of the last twenty years, Johnson has delivered some of the most original, bold, entertaining films, dazzling audiences with noir mysteries, a sci-fi action thriller, and a journey to a galaxy far far away. But in his latest three pictures, Johnson has crafted his own IP, creating a new cinematic detective series with the help of one of the biggest movie stars on the planet, Daniel Craig. The director, alongside his famed actor and a crew of regular collaborators over the course of his career, delivered the smash...
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On episode 309 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson and Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello to give brief thoughts on The Smashing Machine, take a look at Oscar contenders at the Fall Box Office, and breakdown their thoughts on the 2026 Best Original and Best Adapted Screenplay categories.
We are in the middle of the New York Film Festival (more on that next week) and at the beginning of the Mill Valley Film Festival, but festival season is in full swing as movies that premiered earlier in the year are making their way to the theaters with The Smashing Machine this weekend. The MMA-biopic vehicle to get The Rock an Oscar seems to be between a rock and a hard place after a lackluster showing at the box office and audience score. The team break down their thoughts of the film, why they think it didn’t hit at the box office, as well as look at the other films releasing this weekend and circle back to the numbers for One Battle After Another.
In the back half of the episode, Ryan, Erik, and Sophia take a deep look at the screenplay categories, Original and Adapted, which have become a vital category to win if a film is going to win Best Picture. Films mentioned are Sentimental Value, Sinners, Jay Kelly, One Battle After Another, Hamnet, Weapons, Train Dreams, It Was Just An Accident, and many more as possibilities that could make up the ten films that will become the nominees in March 2026.
You can listen to The AwardsWatch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music, YouTube and more.
This podcast runs 59m. We will be back in next week to recap and wrap up the 2025 New York Film Festival. Till then, let’s get into it.
Music: “Modern Fashion” from AShamaleuvmusic (intro), “B-3” from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro).