The AwardsWatch Podcast

Podcasts from AwardsWatch on the Oscars, Emmys, Golden Globes, SAG and more.

AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 316 - Reviewing 'Wicked: For Good' 11/24/2025

AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 315 - 'Wicked: For Good,' 'Marty Supreme' and the Oscar Acting Categories 11/21/2025

Director Watch Podcast Ep. 127 - 'Beau Travail' (Claire Denis, 1999) 11/20/2025

Director Watch Podcast Ep. 127 - 'Beau Travail' (Claire Denis, 1999) 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 127 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by AwardsWatch Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson discuss the next film in their Claire Denis series, Beau Travail (1999). Jumping ten years into Denis’ filmography, the boys hit the film of the series with Beau Travail, a film that follows the story of a section of French Foreign Legion soldiers training in the desert of Djibouti. What can seem like a macho, male dominate setting it quickly, slowly shown to be a memory piece about longing, desire, regret, attention, and more as she centers the film on a Adjudant-Chef Galoup and his evolutionary yet repressive time within the group. In doing this, Denis created a defining piece of filmmaking that cemented her legacy in cinema, giving us one of the greatest films of all time. Ryan, Jay, and Erik break down the film, its themes of sexual repression, how things that are super straight and masculine can be something else entirely, the ending featuring "The Rhythm of the Night," and an update on where Madonna was at in 1999. You can listen to the Director Watch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music, YouTube and more. This podcast runs 2h07m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of Claire Denis with a review of her film, 35 Shots of Rum. 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). /episode/index/show/awardswatchpodcasts/id/39112850

AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 314 - Reviewing 'The Running Man' (2025) 11/17/2025

Director Watch Podcast Ep. 126 - 'Chocolat' (Claire Denis, 1988) 11/13/2025

Director Watch Podcast Ep. 126 - 'Chocolat' (Claire Denis, 1988) 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 126 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys discuss the first film in their Claire Denis series, Chocolat (1988). One of the most singular, influential filmmaker of modern independent, French cinema is the subject of the boy’s new series, Claire Denis. Known for making immersive, emotional films about repression and love, Denis’ first film explores her childhood through the lens of a young girl who sees her country, France, imposing their will onto the people of Africa, at the same time her Mother’s starts a longing, flirtatious relationship with the family’s household servant. It’s a stunning debut, instantly setting the bar high for the series and Denis’ career. Ryan and Jay break down their thoughts on the film, the idea of who this film is being shown through, Denis’ personal connection to the story, the central romance, their cultural, racial ties at the center of the film’s conflict, and a story about Ryan’s recent trip to the theater that you’ll want to hear. You can listen to the Director Watch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music, YouTube and more. This podcast runs 1h29m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of Claire Denis with a review of her film, Beau Travail. 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). /episode/index/show/awardswatchpodcasts/id/39022415

AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 313 - Original Song and Score Oscar Predictions, Best Picture/Director Temperature Check 11/10/2025

Director Watch Podcast Ep. 125 - 'The Book of Eli' (The Hughes Brothers, 2010) 11/07/2025

Director Watch Podcast Ep. 125 - 'The Book of Eli' (The Hughes Brothers, 2010) 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 125 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys discuss the final film in their Hughes Brothers series, The Book of Ell (2010). In their final collaboration as an artist pair, the Hughes Brothers take a dive into the end of the world, action genre where a man is roaming from town to town, searching for the haven of humanities last chance for hope within a broken country, where water is a privilege and knowledge is a weapon. In a making a film about the hunt for the last bible on Earth, the brothers tackle the rotten core of our humanity when faced up against each other, and the lust for power something as simple as a book can bring out of people. This plus it’s just a cool idea for an action movie where Denzel Washington is being the best movie star on the planet and Gary Oldman is doing his villain thing that he does so well. But the real question with The Book of Eli is, why isn’t it an all timer, why does it look the way it does, and why was this the last film the Hughes Brothers made together? Ryan and Jay breakdown all these questions, as well as look at the careers of Washington, Oldman, and Mila Kunis, what they learned from this series, what the Hughes Brothers are doing now, give their series rankings for the sibling duo, and preview their next director series. You can listen to the Director Watch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music and more. This podcast runs 2h22m. The guys will be back next week to begin their new series on the films of Claire Denis with a review of her film, Chocolate. 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). /episode/index/show/awardswatchpodcasts/id/38953615

AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 312 - Oscar Retrospective of the 78th Academy Awards 11/03/2025

AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 312 - Oscar Retrospective of the 78th Academy Awards On episode 312 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson alongside AwardsWatch contributor Josh Parham to go back 20 years and take a look at the 78th Academy Awards, covering the films of 2005. We are finally out of film festival season and the team is back to give you one of their most anticipated Oscar retrospectives of the year, taking a look back at 2005, the year Crash beat Brokeback Mountain for Best Picture. In a time where the center of the film world was focused on a film centered around two gay men falling in love, the Oscars swung the opposite direction and gave it to one of the worst Best Picture winners of all time, a film so vile that its win hasn’t aged well the moment it won. Beyond that, it was a fascinating year when the critically acclaimed films of the year took over the top eight categories, while the more populist films made up the winners in the below the line categories; an interesting split in the Oscar wins. In their in-depth discussion, the AW team talked about the film year of 2005, briefly discuss talk about Crash as a Best Picture winner, 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, YouTube and more. This podcast runs 2h40m. We will be back in next week for an update of the 2025 Oscar season. Till then, let’s get into it. Music: “Modern Fashion” from AShamaleuvmusic (intro), “B-3” from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro). /episode/index/show/awardswatchpodcasts/id/38900155

Director Watch Podcast Ep. 124 - 'From Hell' (The Hughes Brothers, 2001) 10/30/2025

Director Watch Podcast Ep. 124 - 'From Hell' (The Hughes Brothers, 2001) 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 124 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by AwardsWatch contributor Josh Parham to discuss the next film in their Hughes Brothers series, From Hell (2001). After making two independent films that feel very much like the Hughes Brothers announcing their style and cinema language to the world, they took a detour to making a studio film, one that had been in development for some time. Based on the beloved Alan Moore graphic novel, From Hell centers around a renowned detective who is hunting down Jack the Ripper and using his helpful powers of deduction to save the girls being harmed by this mad man before it’s too late, while also discovering the truth around who the Ripper is. Convoluted and silly, From Hell is a piece of early 2000s nostalgia for millennial audiences that works more as a fun, disposable period thriller than the next film within the Hughes Brothers’ filmography, as it seems that they were directors for hire and doesn’t have much of their voice found within their first two films. Ryan, Jay, and Josh talk about their thoughts on the film, how it fits in the Hughes Brothers filmography, the careers of Johnny Deep and Heather Graham, Josh’s connection to the history of Jack the Ripper, how much a nice guy Alan Moore seems (sarcasm), and what the hell is going on with the James Bond franchise and plenty of more tangents. You can listen to the Director Watch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music, YouTube and more. This podcast runs 2h19m. The guys will be back next week to conclude their series on the films of the Hughes Brothers with a review of their last film, The Book of Eli. 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). /episode/index/show/awardswatchpodcasts/id/38851125

AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 311: AFI FEST Wrap-Up, Best Actor, Actress Oscar Predictions, Gotham Nominations 10/28/2025

Director Watch Podcast Ep. 123 - 'Dead Presidents' (The Hughes Brothers, 1995) 10/23/2025

Director Watch Podcast Ep. 123 - 'Dead Presidents' (The Hughes Brothers, 1995) 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 123 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys discuss the next film in their Hughes Brothers series, Dead Presidents (1995). After their astonishing debut feature film, the Hughes Brothers took a big swing with their next project, making a coming of age, period piece that is equal parts war film, heist film, and historical fiction, all set within the late 1960s to early 1970s. The scope of Dead Presidents is expansive, larger than their previous film, showing an elevation of filmmaking from the duo at such a young stage in their career. But the problem within the film lies its aimless pace, and the fact that most of their ideas don’t gel as one, leading to a fascinating second feature that doesn’t reach the heights of debut, which also leads the duo away from making mostly African American stories after this feature; a move that seems very disheartening upon retrospect. Ryan and Jay break down their thoughts on the film, which section they think is the best one, how the influences of the past shape the narrative of the film as well as how influential this seems to be for future filmmaking, if they were the right age to tell this story, how this is a pivotal point in their filmography, and how Jay’s trip to Europe went along with his hot takes on the state of modern pop music. You can listen to the Director Watch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music, YouTube and more. This podcast runs 1h55m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of the Hughes Brothers with a review of their next film, From Hell. 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). /episode/index/show/awardswatchpodcasts/id/38756775

Director Watch Podcast Ep. 122 - 'Menace II Society' (The Hughes Brothers, 1993) 10/16/2025

Director Watch Podcast Ep. 122 - 'Menace II Society' (The Hughes Brothers, 1993) 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 decisionmaking 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 122 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys discuss the first film in their Hughes Brothers series, Menace II Society (1993). Leaving the world of Ozu, the boys return to a more contemporary setting by explore the films of Allen and Albert Hughes, identical twin brothers who became known for their bold music videos in the late 1980s, early 1990s for artists like Tone Loc and Tupac Shakur. But it was their first feature, Menace II Society, that took the world by storm as it followed the life young black men in LA trying to making it out the neighborhood they lived in, surrounded by the accepted violence that’s systemic, perpetrated by a country willing to allow this section of the world fall apart from within. Released a few years after Boyz in the Hood, this is a sharper, edgier, meaner, realist look at the Watts and Crenshaw neighborhoods that we’ve ever seen before on screen, introducing the world to a duo of vital voices in cinema. Ryan and Jay break down their thoughts on the film, it’s comparisons to other African American coming of age films made in the early 1990s, the violence found within the film, the strong directorial voices found within this debut feature, the strong cast that make up the film, and their relationship with the directors and their filmography. You can listen to the Director Watch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music, YouTube and more. This podcast runs 1h53m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of the Hughes Brothers with a review of their next film, Dead Presidents. 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). /episode/index/show/awardswatchpodcasts/id/38608575

AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 310 - 63rd NYFF Wrap-Up and the Film Editing and Cinematography Oscar Races 10/13/2025

Director Watch Podcast Ep. 121 - 'An Autumn Afternoon' (Yasujirō Ozu, 1962) 10/09/2025

Director Watch Podcast Ep. 121 - 'An Autumn Afternoon' (Yasujirō Ozu, 1962) 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 121 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys discuss the final film in their Yasujirō Ozu series, An Autumn Afternoon (1962). The boys have come full circle within the end of their Ozu series, as the director takes a similar story structure of a father wanting his daughter to get married, and elevates to beyond what he’s shown before on screen; a lasting note within a masterful filmography. In An Autumn Afternoon, Ozu explores what the future holds not just for his characters, but his country as a whole, while also examining the events and actions of his characters in the film through the lens of someone grieving the idea of losing their parent, as Ozu’s mother had passed away shortly around the making of this film. A heartbroken director crafted his most personal family drama yet, and a beautiful note to end his career and this series on. Ryan and Jay break down their thoughts on the film, get personal with what Ozu is showing here one last time, look at how the past shapes the present and future of Japan and their cinema, while also giving their Ozu rankings and previewing their new exciting directors’ series that begins next week. You can listen to the Director Watch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music, YouTube and more. This podcast runs 2h01m. The guys will be back next week to begin their new series on the films of The Hughes Brothers with a review of their first film, Menace II Society. 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). /episode/index/show/awardswatchpodcasts/id/38529120

AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 309 - 'The Smashing Machine,' 'One Battle' Box Office and the Screenplay Oscar Categories 10/05/2025

AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 309 - 'The Smashing Machine,' 'One Battle' Box Office and the Screenplay Oscar Categories 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). /episode/index/show/awardswatchpodcasts/id/38469945

Director Watch Podcast Ep. 120 - 'Floating Weeds' (Yasujirō Ozu, 1959) 10/03/2025

Director Watch Podcast Ep. 120 - 'Floating Weeds' (Yasujirō Ozu, 1959) 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 120 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys discuss the next film in their Yasujirō Ozu series, Floating Weeds (1959). On the penultimate episode of the Ozu series, the boys take a look at the second feature film form 1959 from the Japanese director that was also a remake of his own work from 1934, A Story of Floating Weeds. In retelling this tale of an estranged father that returns with his theater company to the city former love and their son live in, Ozu explores the dynamics of jealousy and how the decisions of the past shaped the present and there is no fixing them because explore them could lead to even more disastrous outcomes that shape the future of the characters. Heartbreaking and real, Ozu perfected this storyline the second go-round with a prickly film about how keeping things a secret might be best for all. Ryan and Jay break down their thoughts on the film, the idea of a director remaking their own work, how harmful the ending is to all involved, films releasing in the Fall that Jay will love, their thoughts on the packaging of the new Wes Anderson box set, and so much more. You can listen to the Director Watch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music, YouTube and more. This podcast runs 1h38m. The guys will be back next week to conclude their series on the films of Yasujirō Ozu with a review of his next film, An Autumn Afternoon. 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). /episode/index/show/awardswatchpodcasts/id/38456145

Director Watch Podcast Ep. 119 - 'One Battle After Another' (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2025) 09/29/2025

Director Watch Podcast Ep. 119 - 'One Battle After Another' (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2025) 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 119 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by AwardsWatch Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson and AwardsWatch Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello to discuss the latest film from director Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another (2025). On the podcast, Ryan and Jay love nothing more than sitting back and seeing a passion project from a major director be given the greenlight to be shown to the masses, and such is the case for One Battle After Another, the latest invention from PTA, who has spent nearly twenty years tinkering away at this story, making it perfect for the big screen. Loosely based off the novel Vineland by Thomas Pynchon, the film follows an ex-revolutionary who must find his daughter once a dangerous, evil enemy resurfaces after 16 years. What seems like a simple premise evolves into the grandest feature film PTA has made, combining social, political commentary with a wicked, sharp sense of humor, and centering it all around a father, mother, and daughter dynamic that heartwarming, sincere, and emotionally profound. By doing this, Anderson has made a successful odyssey that is the culmination of his career so far while pushing the director do things he’s never done before and also things audiences have never seen on the big screen. It’s the movie of our time and there was no way the boys weren’t going to talk about it. Ryan, Jay, Erik, and Sophia breakdown their thoughts on the film, the various formats they’ve seen the film in, PTA’s sentimental heart clashing with his audacious direction, how timely the film feels, how every performance is pitch-perfect, thoughts on the Christmas Adventurers club, and so much more including a new wrinkle in Jay’s Oscar game where we put his expertise to the test and make him predict how many Oscars this film will be nominated for. It’s a fun, long, wild ride full of SPOILERS, so if you haven’t seen the film, you’ve been warned. You can listen to the Director Watch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music, YouTube and more. This podcast runs 3h09m. The guys will be back later this week to continue their series on the films of Yasujirō Ozu with a review of his next film, Floating Weeds. 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). /episode/index/show/awardswatchpodcasts/id/38395270

Director Watch Podcast Ep. 118 - 'Good Morning' (Yasujirō Ozu, 1959) with Special Guest Ross Bonaime 09/26/2025

Director Watch Podcast Ep. 118 - 'Good Morning' (Yasujirō Ozu, 1959) with Special Guest Ross Bonaime 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 118 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by Ross Bonaime, Senior Movies Editor of Collider, discuss the next film in their Yasujirō Ozu series, Good Morning (1959). In the ultimate transition for Ozu, the rest of the films in this series goes from his elegant black and white filmmaking to the world of technicolor, as he slowly transitions into more modern forms of visual storytelling. By doing this, he’s also going back in time, reimagining his own work, as Good Morning is a loose remake of his own 1932 silent film I Was Born, But..., and follows the story of two boys going on a silent strike against their parents in order to get a television. In what is an innocent film, is slowly morphs in a tale of gossip within a community and how perception by some doesn’t make it a reality, leaving the film an introspective look at the shifting times in Japan. Ryan, Jay, and Ross break down their thoughts on the film, Ozu’s evolution within the form, the running fart gags, the defiance of a stubborn child, and so much more. You can listen to the Director Watch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music, YouTube and more. This podcast runs 1h50m. The guys will be back next week to continue their new series on the films of Yasujirō Ozu with a review of his next film, Floating Weeds. 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). /episode/index/show/awardswatchpodcasts/id/38369025

AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 308 - The International Feature Film Oscar Race and Previewing the 63rd New York Film Festival 09/24/2025

AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 308 - The International Feature Film Oscar Race and Previewing the 63rd New York Film Festival On episode 308 of the AwardsWatch podcast, Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade and Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello look at the competitive International Feature Film contenders and provide a preview of some of the major titles coming to the 63rd New York Film Festival. With more than having submitted films for the International Feature Film Oscar so far, now was a good time to look at the frontrunners like Sentimental Value, It Was Just an Accident and The Secret Agent, the NEON dominance of them and how many can really make the final five. We also look outside of those Cannes winners for titles that could pique the voters' interest as uniquely named films have done in the past. Next up is the preview of the 63rd New York Film Festival, which begins this Friday with the opening film, Luca Guadagnino's After the Hunt. After taking a critical drubbing at its Venice bow, we examine if it can rebound here in the states. Two world premieres will be a part of the festival including Anemone, the feature debut from Ronan Day-Lewis starring his three-time Oscar-winning father Daniel Day-Lewis, back on screen for the first time since 2017's Phantom Thread. At the time of recording both Sophia and I had just seen the film but were under embargo (until September 28). The Venice Golden Lion winner Father Mother Sister Brother from Jim Jarmusch is the Centerpiece film and then Bradley Cooper's third directorial effort, the stand-up comedian story Is This Thing On? will close the festival. Could this be Cooper's attempt to rein it in and silence some of the critics of Maestro? This podcast runs 1h07m. We will be back next week with xxxxx Till then, let’s get into it. Music: “Modern Fashion” from AShamaleuvmusic (intro), “B-3” from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro). /episode/index/show/awardswatchpodcasts/id/38342775

Director Watch Podcast Ep. 117 - 'Tokyo Twilight' (Yasujirō Ozu, 1957) with Special Guest Matthew Huff 09/19/2025

Director Watch Podcast Ep. 117 - 'Tokyo Twilight' (Yasujirō Ozu, 1957) with Special Guest Matthew Huff 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 117 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by Matthew Huff, Senior Editor of Parade Magazine, discuss the next film in their Yasujirō Ozu series, Tokyo Twilight (1957). Following up an all-time masterpiece is always a task for the Director Watch hosts but Ozu strikes again with another beautiful, dark film about two sisters finding out the existence of their long-lost mother, exploring parental history and hidden secrets in a way only the master director could. This brilliant examination of a broken family is heartbreaking, but also the most mature film in the series to date, tackling an issue not normally discussed at the time in Japan, much less the rest of the world. Ryan, Jay, and Matthew breakdown their thoughts on the film, the impact this revelation has on each sister, how Ozu demonstrates the passage of time, how patient the film is as it is slowly building up to the finale, childhood backgrounds, VeggieTales, and more. You can listen to the Director Watch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music, YouTube and more. This podcast runs 1h55m. The guys will be back next week to continue their new series on the films of Yasujirō Ozu with a review of his next film, Good Morning. 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). /episode/index/show/awardswatchpodcasts/id/38278030

AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 307 - Oscar Predictions in a post-Venice/Telluride/Toronto World and 'One Battle After Another' 09/15/2025

AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 307 - Oscar Predictions in a post-Venice/Telluride/Toronto World and 'One Battle After Another' Living in a post-Venice/Telluride/Toronto world means it's time get serious about our Oscar predictions and that's just what we're doing this week. On episode 307 of the AwardsWatch podcast, AW Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson is joined by Executive Editor Ryan McQuade and Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello to look at what shined at the fests, what lost its luster and the introduction of a new bombshell in the villa. In our conversation, we begin with the top winners at Venice and with Alexander Payne's contentious jury, including how Jim Jarmusch's Father Mother Sister Brother could factor in and if Benny Safdie's Silver Lion Best Director win for The Smashing Machine was what that film needed. Next we move to Telluride, where Hamnet was the most-liked film (while we still await the results of Michael's Telluride Blog polls of critics and non-critics) and how the Cannes winners held their ground. Moving to Toronto and Hamnet's People's Choice Award win keeps it at as a top tier contender and we talk about some films, like 1st runner-up Frankenstein, fared better at TIFF than it did at Venice and Telluride. Then we dive into Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another, which began screening last week. While Ryan and Sophia had the film at the top of their predictions list last month, I was the idiot who rashly dropped it out of my top 10. That mistake is corrected here and we talk about the narratives at play for PTA, Chloé Zhao for Hamnet, Ryan Coogler for Sinners and Joachim Trier for Sentimental Value. 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 1h37m. We will be back next week with a preview of 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). /episode/index/show/awardswatchpodcasts/id/38227910

Director Watch Podcast Ep. 116 - 'Tokyo Story' (Yasujirō Ozu, 1953) 09/13/2025

AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 306 - Breaking Down the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival 09/13/2025

Director Watch Podcast Ep. 115 - 'Early Summer' (Yasujirō Ozu, 1951) 09/06/2025

Director Watch Podcast Ep. 115 - 'Early Summer' (Yasujirō Ozu, 1951) 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 115 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys discuss the next film in their Yasujirō Ozu series, Early Summer (1951). Coming off of seeing and discussing Late Spring, the boys dive deep into the next evolution of a similar story for Ozu, about a family changing their culture post-WWII. In Early Summer, it is less so about a woman not wanting to leave her father for a new life with a husband, but more so about a young girl choosing the match for herself that she wants rather than the set life her family arranged for her, causing strife within her family. Hilarious, insightful, and heartwarming, Ozu’s evolution as a storyteller grows stronger and stronger with each project, leading up to next week’s masterpiece with Tokyo Story. Ryan and Jay break down their thoughts on the film, the expanded scope of this story, if it’s as emotionally relevant to them as Late Spring, early football predictions from the guys as well as what would Ozu have served at a Super Bowl party, and more. You can listen to the Director Watch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music and more. This podcast runs 1h49m. The guys will be back next week to continue their new series on the films of Yasujirō Ozu with a review of his next film, Tokyo Story. 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). /episode/index/show/awardswatchpodcasts/id/38114500

AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 305 - 2025 Telluride Wrap-Up 09/03/2025

Director Watch Podcast Ep. 114 - 'Late Spring' (Yasujirō Ozu, 1949) 08/22/2025

Director Watch Podcast Ep. 114 - 'Late Spring' (Yasujirō Ozu, 1949) 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 114 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys discuss the first film in their Yasujirō Ozu series, Late Spring (1949). Known as one of the defining directors of Japanese cinema, Yasujirō Ozu is a staple of slow-burn, emotionally impactful cinema that evolved over time as his nation was coming to terms with what their identity was going to be post-World War II. Ozu, a popular director of domestic dramas and comedies before the war, made propaganda pictures for his country during the world struggle to entertain the people of Japan while the horrific violence of war played on throughout multiple countries over many years. The events of the war changed the country forever, and so did the director, as he started to question in his later films the traditions of the past with the western ideas that would become a part of modern culture around the world. In Late Spring, he does this within a father, daughter dynamic about when is the right time to leave one’s family to create their own life, and when is it okay for a parent to let go of their child. In reviewing this first film, Ryan and Jay not only review the film and its themes, but explore their own personal relationships within the decisions Ozu makes within the framework of the narrative, making for one of their most personal podcasts to date as they start this new discovery into the world of Ozu. You can listen to the Director Watch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music, YouTube and more. This podcast runs 1h39m. The guys will be back next week to continue their new series on the films of Yasujirō Ozu with a review of his next film, Early Summer. 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). /episode/index/show/awardswatchpodcasts/id/37926785

Ep. 304 - Oscar Talk: Best Actor, Best Actress, Supporting Actor 08/22/2025

Director Watch Podcast Ep. 113 - 'Benedetta' (Paul Verhoeven, 2021) 08/21/2025

Director Watch Podcast Ep. 113 - 'Benedetta' (Paul Verhoeven, 2021) 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 113 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by AwardsWatch Associate Editor Sophia Ciminello discuss the last film in their Paul Verhoeven series, Benedetta (2021). For Verhoeven’s latest film, the director reteamed with his Elle collaborator David Birke, to make a religious film, as he’s an expert scholar of the Jesus Seminar, even writing a book in 2007 entitled Jesus of Nazareth. Though his adaptation of his book, along with several other projects, didn’t come to head, he was able to make Benedetta, a loose adaptation of Judith C. Brown’s Immodest Acts: The Life of a Lesbian Nun in Renaissance Italy, following the life of a nun (Virginie Efira) who joins the Italian convent while she was a young child and later has a forbidden love affair with another nun, while also seeing religious visions that make her seem like she has direct contact with Jesus. Wickedly hilarious, sensual, and fascinating, Benedetta is a thorny tale of the complexities of faith, as well as Verhoeven’s critique of the church, an institution that he’s examined for all of his life. Ryan, Jay, and Sophia break down their thoughts on the film, just how funny the film is, if it has more to say than what Verhoeven is bringing up on the surface, the dream sequences, Benedetta’s struggles with temptation, Jay’s love of The Great Gatsby, Sophia’s story about seeing the film at the world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, and splinters. And seeing that it is the end of the series, the boys give out their Paul Verhoeven rankings as well as preview their new director series starting new week. You can listen to the Director Watch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music, YouTube and more. This podcast runs 2h44m. The guys will be back next week to begin their new series on the films of Yasujirō Ozu with a review of his film, Late Spring. 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). /episode/index/show/awardswatchpodcasts/id/37905875

'Severance' Star Adam Scott on Defiance and Truth Merging as Mark’s Worlds Collide in Season 2 08/19/2025

'Severance' Star Adam Scott on Defiance and Truth Merging as Mark’s Worlds Collide in Season 2 For over thirty years, Adam Scott has been one of the most engaging, hilarious, versatile actors we have working today. Born in Santa Cruz, California, Scott, the son of two teachers and the youngest of three children, sent all of his schooling in The Golden State, as he was a graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Post college, Scott started to get acting gigs in several feature films like Star Trek: First Contact, The Lesser Evil, High Crimes, and a notable supporting role in The Aviator, sharing scenes with Leonardo DiCaprio. At the same time, he had made a name for himself on the small screen with appearances on shows like Boy Meets World, Party of Five, and as a love interest on Six Feet Under. Growing up, Scott always dreamed of becoming either the next Al Pacino or David Letterman, becoming obsessed with Pacino as a beacon of acting for a generation as well with Letterman’s obscure sense of humor tickling his funny bone. It’s funny how life works out, because as Scott was making his mark in more dramatic work, the summer of 2008 changed his career forever when he starred in the latest comedy from director Adam McKay, Step Brothers, and without any improve skills to his resume, was able to land giant laughs opposite the biggest comedy star of the time, Will Ferrell. From this moment, things took off for Scott, as the following summer saw the release of the cult comedy television classic, Party Down, which followed a group of caterers in Los Angeles as they hope to make it in Hollywood. The show was cancelled after two seasons in 2010 (though it was brought back in 2023 for a third season), but as that door closed for Scott, another one opened with his role as Ben Wyatt on Parks and Recreation, a state auditor who slowly becomes the love interest for Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler). As a fan of the acclaimed NBC show, I can say that the best thing to happen to Parks and Recreation was the addition of Scott as Ben Wyatt, delivering one of the funniest characters on the show as well as one of the best television couples of the last twenty years. Since his time with the gang from Pawnee, Indiana, he’s continued to showcase his range as an actor, with guest comedic spots on shows like The Good Place and Veep, was part of the ensemble for Big Little Lies, appeared in the sequel to Wet Hot American Summer, and even hosted comedic physical game show called Don’t in 2020. But all of this work has lead him to the biggest role of his career so far as Mark on hit Apple TV+ drama, Severance. From the mind of creator Dan Erickson, Severance follows employeesat a mysterious company called Lumon Industries that have undergone a procedure known as “severance” to ensure that they have no memories to the outside world while they are at work, with no memory of their work life once they leave the building. This creates then the idea of an “innie” and “outie” personality within one’s self, which would be dangerous if the worlds crosses, but that’s exactly what happens to Mark at the end of season one, as he and his other colleges at Lumon briefly are able to bring their innie selves into the real world in their outie’s body. The second season grapples with the repercussions of the rebellious Lumon employee’s actions, as well as goes down various rabbit holes to show that the company that Mark works for is various dangerous as well as a deeper, personal connection to him that he could’ve ever known. It’s riveting, thought-provoking, thrilling television that has slowly become the best show on television in large part to the excellent writing by Erickson, the inventive direction by Ben Stiller, and the incredible work by the show’s massive ensemble, led by Scott, who in season two, not only gives the best performance of his career so far, but the best performance by any actor on television this year. In his glowing review of the season, our television editor Tyler Doster stated that Scott was “at his best this season,” finding “a new hunger” within his performance that grows this season as the mystery around Mark and the other characters begins to take shape. In my in-depth conversation with the Emmy nominated actor and producer, we discussed the anticipation of filming season two, the differences in playing Mark S. and Mark Scout, how trust is a key theme throughout the second season, and what it is like to be part of a global television phenomenon similar to The Twilight Zone and Lost; two shows that mean a lot to him and speak to the power of character forward storytelling. We also spoke about the dueling romantic relationships Mark finds himself in, what it is like working with co-stars Britt Lower and Dichen Lachman, the technical challenges of filming the camcorder and running sequences found in first and last episode of the season, as well as his versatility as a character actor; moving from drama to comedy, and how that helped him form who Mark is. In between all of this, Scott shared his favorite flavor of Gatorade, the need for bananas when performing stunts on set, his fondness for his time on his other beloved television series Party Down and Parks and Recreation, and why he loves the Fast and The Furious franchise. From comedy to drama to everything in between, Scott can do it all, and with Severance, he’s showcasing a confidence of an actor who is destiny to continue to empty the tank until it’s time to punch out his time card a long time from now. Adam Scott is Emmy-nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for the episode "Cold Harbor" of Severance. Music: (intro) and “B-3” from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro). /episode/index/show/awardswatchpodcasts/id/37880835

Ep. 303 - 52nd Telluride Film Festival Preview 08/18/2025

The AwardsWatch Podcast

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