The Awards Watch Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Director Watch Podcast Ep. 107 - 'Basic Instinct' (Paul Verhoeven, 1992) with Special Guest Brandon Streussnig Jul 10, 2025

Show notes

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 107 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by film critic Brandon Streussnig discuss the latest film in their Paul Verhoeven series, Basic Instinct (1992).

We enter a new chapter in the Verhoeven series, as the guys talk about one of the most iconic erotic-thrillers of all time with the most iconic image of the genre. But beyond that one scene lies an ode to Hitchcock, as we follow a sleazy detective down a rabbit hole of deception, sex, and murder as he investigates the death of a wealthy rock star, and the prime suspect is his old girlfriend, a writer whom wrote about his death in her latest book. Purposive, wild, and slightly progressive and regressive at the same time, Basic Instinct is the crown jewel of a type of film that audiences used to obsess over, perfectly made by a director at the height of his powers, featuring an all-time performance from Sharon Stone. Ryan, Jay, and Brandon breakdown their thoughts on the film, the history of the erotic thriller, the controversy over the iconic scene, how sex is weaponized throughout, the introduction to Joe Eszterhas as a writer to the world, the laughable sequel made several years later, ice picks, and just how good of a cop is Michael Douglas' Nick Curran.

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 1h56m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of Paul Verhoeven with a review of his film, Showgirls. You can rent it via iTunes and Amazon Prime rental or stream on HBO Max 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).

AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 294 - Director Stock Market Game Jul 07, 2025

Show notes

On episode 294 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch contributors Josh Parham and Jay Ledbetter to play the Director Stock Market Game.

Two years ago, the AW podcast team talked about the state of modern movie stars and discussed who might be the future movie stars of films. Given how the trend of the film industry is leaning more towards IP driven films and becoming a director's medium, it's only right the team did a follow-up episode to talk about some of the bright talent from behind the camera, and who could become the premiere visionary directors that we will follow for years of releases to come.

With this in mind, Ryan, Josh, and Jay put together a list of directors under the age of fifty who they believe have the potential to join the rank of some of the greatest filmmakers of the modern era of cinema. The list of names included a wide range of talent like Emerald Fennell, Damien Chazelle, Ryan Coogler, Ari Aster, Celine Song, Jordan Peele, The Daniels, The Safdie Brothers, and many more the team had to decide if they were going to buy, sell, or hold the stock of these directors. It was a lot of fun doing this episode, we hope you enjoy it.

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 2h19m. We will be back in next week to review the latest release, Superman. Till then, let's get into it.

Music: "Modern Fashion" from AShamaleuvmusic (intro), "B-3" from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro).

Director Watch Podcast Ep. 106 - 'Total Recall' (Paul Verhoeven, 1990) with Special Guest Diego Crespo Jul 03, 2025

Show notes

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 106 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by the host of The Waffle Press Movie Podcast, Diego Crespo discuss the latest film in their Paul Verhoeven series, Total Recall (1990).

Following up the massive success of RoboCop, Verhoeven turned his attention to another world, the planet Mars and the work of Philip K. Dick to make another commentary on our military obsessed culture with Total Recall. Following the story of a construction worker who finds out he is actually a super spy who has been planted with false memories of his past and who he is, setting off a chain of events that leads he into a war between the powerful elites of our world and the newly formed colony on Mars. Thought provoking then as it is now, Verhoeven taps into our ongoing paranoia of who is in-charge of our world, and questions whether their leadership is more relevant than a body of citizens willing to fight for their place in the world. Ryan, Jay, and Diego breakdown their thoughts on the film, if its commentary is as strong as RoboCop, the visual effects, Arnold Schwarzenegger's performance, the meaning of the film's ending, 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 2h3m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of Paul Verhoeven with a review of his film, Basic Instinct. 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).

AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 293 - Reviewing 'F1: The Movie' and Our Favorite Films of 2025 So Far Jul 01, 2025

Show notes

On episode 293 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch contributor Dan Bayer to review F1: The Movie, and talk about their favorite films of 2025 so far, which include conversations on Black Bag, Sinners, The Life of Chuck, and more.

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 1h21m. We will be back in next week for an exciting new episode where we play The Director Stock Market Game. Till then, let's get into it.

Music: "Modern Fashion" from AShamaleuvmusic (intro), "B-3" from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro).

Director Watch Podcast Ep. 105 - 'Robocop' (Paul Verhoeven, 1987) Jun 26, 2025

Show notes

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 105 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys discuss the first film in their Paul Verhoeven series, RoboCop (1987).

Known for being one of the most provocative directors of our lifetime, Paul Verhoeven has expertly used genre to tackle strong satirical elements of our society in ways his counterparts have never been able to. From the late 1960's to the early 1980s, the Dutch director mostly worked on films from his side of the world, slowly making his way to American productions by the end of the 80s. His first big introduction to commercial audiences was RoboCop, a futuristic examination on the power of corporations, corruption, crime, and lawlessness left unchecked by justice. Centering on a former police officer turning into the ultimate killing machine, Verhoeven delivers one of the most damning criticisms of American capitalism, as well as a signature film of the era. Ryan and Jay breakdown their thoughts on the film, their favorite lines in the movie, the over-the-top action set pieces, Murphy's (Peter Weller) journey and his reckoning with who he has become at the hands of those who harmed him, the episodic logistics of crime shows, and why no one can make a good satire, political commentary anymore.

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 2h. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of Paul Verhoeven with a review of his film, Total Recall. 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).

AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 292 - Reviewing Danny Boyle's '28 Years Later' Jun 23, 2025

Show notes

On episode 292 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch contributor Josh Parham to review the latest film from Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle, 28 Years Later.

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 1h08m. We will be back in next week for a review of F1: The Movie, and talk about our favorite films of the year so far. Till then, let's get into it.

Music: "Modern Fashion" from AShamaleuvmusic (intro), "B-3" from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro).

Director Watch Podcast Ep. 104 - 'The Hobbit Trilogy' (Peter Jackson, 2012/2013/2014) Jun 19, 2025

Show notes

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 104 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by Editor-In-Chief of InSession Film Dave Giannini to discuss the last films in their Peter Jackson series, The Hobbit Trilogy (2012/2013/2014).

After the failure of The Lovely Bones, Jackson and company turned their attention back to a familiar place, Middle Earth. First starting as a producer, The Hobbit would find Jackson getting back in the director's chair for the prequel to his acclaimed The Lord of the Rings series, taking over the project from Guillermo del Toro, who seemed to struggle to get his vision of the film to mash with what the studio wanted. Instead of the initial two films suggested to tell the story, Jackson set out to make another trilogy, drawing from other texts of J. R. R. Tolkien in order to expand on this smaller story, giving it a grander history to the original trilogy, as well as adding new characters and elements to the classic tale. But Jackson can't capture the magic of The Lord of the Rings, making a messy, CGI heavy collection of films that become more and more tedious as the trilogy goes on; wasting solid performances because the story is now in the hands of a director more focused on his creative toys than making something as spectacular as the trilogy that made him a household name. Ryan, Jay, and Dave breakdown their thoughts on the films, why they look so ugly, the unnecessary love story found in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, how cool dragons are, how there aren't five armies in The Battle of the Five Armies, why these films turn into being a chore by the time they were released, and wonder if Jackson will ever go back to making feature films. The guys also give out their rankings on the Jackson series and reveal who they will be covering for their next movie series.

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 2h42m. The guys will be back next week to begin their series on the films of Paul Verhoeven with a review of his film, RoboCop. 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).

AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 291 - Reviewing Celine Song's 'Materialists' Jun 16, 2025

Show notes

On episode 291 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch contributor Karen Peterson to review the second feature film from Oscar-nominated writer-director Celine Song, Materialists.

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 1h05m. We will be back in next week for a review of the latest film from Pixar, Elio, as well as the latest from director Danny Boyle, 28 Years Later. Till then, let's get into it.

Music: "Modern Fashion" from AShamaleuvmusic (intro), "B-3" from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro).

Director Watch Podcast Ep. 103 - 'The Lovely Bones' (Peter Jackson, 2009) Jun 13, 2025

Show notes

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 103 of the Director Watch Podcast, the boys are joined by AwardsWatch contributor Karen Peterson to discuss the next film in their Peter Jackson series, The Lovely Bones (2009).

Oh how the mighty fall. By the end of the 2000s, director Peter Jackson was still riding off the high of The Lord of the Rings and King Kong, as he looked to make his next project. In finding the novel The Lovely Bones, Jackson connected with the idea of a young girl using the afterlife to process her death as well as help her family heal after said tragedy, and attempt to catch the person who killed her. Using CGI and green-screen for the in-between world and the afterlife, Jackson tried to bring together one of the most popular young-adult novels of the time, but in doing so, got distracted by his special effects and new techniques for these sequences, and instead, he created an emotionless slog of a film that was (and still is) considered by all to be a massive misstep within his career. Ryan, Jay, and Karen breakdown the film, how Jackson and his team did in adapting the novel to the big screen, the major casting shift at the center of the film, the current status of Saoirse Ronan's career, how Stanley Tucci should never have hair in a movie, and how massive of a misstep it is from the same mind that brought us Heavenly Creatures.

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 2h21m. The guys will be back next week to conclude their series on the films of Peter Jackson with a review of his set of other Middle Earth films, The Hobbit trilogy. 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).

Interview: 'Queens of the Dead' Team Praises Rewarding Experience Shooting Queer Comedy-Horror Zombie Flick [Tribeca] Jun 10, 2025

Show notes

Good horror films should terrify audiences with memorable monsters and eerie effects, but great horror will also fearlessly tackle timely issues with complex characters and impactful resolve. This is exactly what Tina Romero does in her feature debut, "Queens of the Dead," with her talented team of collaborators. Though she never expected to make a movie about zombies, the title makes for a beautiful nod to her dad, George, aka the "Father of the Zombie Film" or "Godfather of the Dead," while still remaining true to herself. Which, as a talented multi-hyphenate, allowed her to imbue the film with even more soul and called back to her early days as a DJ. She speaks to the collective energy music fosters, how her DJ name added another layer to the film's setting, and how Kesha became the ideal voice for a queer-coded apocalyptic battle cry.

Romero joined me for a lively, revealing interview along with producer Natalie Metzger and actors Tomás Matos (Fire Island, Fantasmas) and Julie J before the film's premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. They all expressed their overwhelming excitement for working on a project that was as unapologetically queer and richly imagined, and were quick to hype up their sensational co-stars, including: Katy O'Brian, Jaquel Spivey, Riki Lindhome, Margaret Cho, Quincy Dunn-Baker, Jack Haven, Nina West, Dominique Jackson, and Cheyenne Jackson. Furthermore, they credit the makeup designer Christina Grant, hair department head Mitchell Beck, and costume designer David Tabbert for creating unforgettable looks that quite literally slay the house down boots.

The effortless rapport in the following recording and seen on-screen is a direct result of the entire team cultivating a sense of community and tolerance. Attacks against the LGBTQ+ community continue every day and this film is a testament that having an open dialogue and fighting back with kindness and honesty is the only way to achieve a brighter, more accepting future.

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