Best Johan Fink Podcasts (2023)

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E41 - Physical Media: Winter '23 with Walter Chaw, Bilge Ebiri, William Boyle, S.A. Cosby, Sean Burns, & Nikki Dolson 2:44:13

8h ago2:44:13

2:44:13

Note: We're doing something new this season on Watch With Jen. Usually, I release our end-of-the-year Physical Media conversations across multiple episodes. But in '22, some listeners said they found it slightly confusing to see similar titles a few times in a row & they'd rather have a marathon installment instead so we're trying it in '23 with a …

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E40 - The Coens on Creativity: BARTON FINK & INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS with Adrian McKinty 1:24:43

11d ago1:24:43

1:24:43

This week, I was so pleased to welcome back to the pod one of my crime writer friends' favorite crime writers & a man whose taste in film, literature, & poetry is an endless source of delight on Twitter. Adrian McKinty was born & raised in Belfast, Northern Ireland, & then studied philosophy at Oxford University before he moved to Australia & New Y…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E39 - Ron the Job: Ron Howard at Work with Conor O'Donnell & Dan Mecca 1:39:24

16d ago1:39:24

1:39:24

This week, I was so pleased to welcome back two friends & the hosts of The Film Stage's excellent podcast The B-Side, which covers movie stars in a fascinating way by focusing not on the films that made or kept them famous but the ones that actors made in between. A producer & filmmaker living in Pittsburgh, Dan Mecca started The Film Stage with Jo…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E38 - French Crime Movies: Part 2 with William Boyle 1:08:55

22d ago1:08:55

1:08:55

Returning to Watch With Jen this week, we have my very talented friend and an official (and very popular) friend of the show. William Boyle is the acclaimed novelist behind such titles as Gravesend, The Lonely Witness, A Friend is a Gift You Give Yourself, City of Margins, and Shoot the Moonlight Out. In addition to crafting these wonderfully human…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E37 - Elmore Leonard's Westerns with Jed Ayres 1:58:13

30d ago1:58:13

1:58:13

Peckerwood novelist and Hardboiled Wonderland blogger Jed Ayres returns to the podcast this week for a two-hour extravaganza devoted to the man famously dubbed "the poet laureate of wild assholes with revolvers," Mr. Elmore Leonard. One of the godfathers of contemporary crime fiction and an influence on every single writer working in the genre toda…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E36 - Screen Magic with Jessica Ellis 52:56

2M ago52:56

52:56

Returning to the podcast this week, we have the witty and wonderful writer-director Jessica Ellis. A graduate of UCLA and the American Film Institute who made her feature filmmaking debut with the acclaimed coming-of-age movie What Lies West, Jessica is one of the brightest lights on Twitter and never fails to make me smile. In this thoughtful, cha…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E35 - Warren Oates in the Early '70s with Travis Woods 1:38:09

2M ago1:38:09

1:38:09

"Because there was once a god who walked the Earth named Warren Oates." - Richard Linklater Friendly, feisty, fresh, and so-very funny, Bright Wall/Dark Room staff writer & contributing editor Travis Woods is as passionate about film as he is endearingly supportive of all who love it. The host & creator of producer Blake Howard's podcast Increment …

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E34 - Underrated Elvis Movies with Sheila O'Malley 1:22:50

2M ago1:22:50

1:22:50

This week, I was so pleased to welcome one of the best film writers currently working today - the wonderful Sheila O'Malley - back to the podcast. A regular film critic for RogerEbert.com and a member of the prestigious New York Film Critics Circle, Sheila's work has also appeared in Film Comment, The New York Times, The L.A. Times, Criterion Colle…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E33 - Michael Ritchie with Larry Karaszewski & Daniel Waters 1:31:36

3M ago1:31:36

1:31:36

This week, I'm honored to be joined by not one but two brilliant screenwriters, Larry Karaszewski & Daniel Waters. Larry Karaszewski & his writing/directing/producing partner Scott Alexander are best known for writing unusual true stories such as the films ED WOOD, THE PEOPLE VS. LARRY FLYNT, MAN ON THE MOON, AUTO FOCUS, BIG EYES, DOLEMITE IS MY NA…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E32 - Robert Mitchum with Raquel Stecher & Amy Robinson 2:00:11

3M ago2:00:11

2:00:11

Following up on our great Brian De Palma episode with Megan Abbott & Alison Gaylin that was released last week, we have our second of three installments this month featuring two tremendous guests. Centered on one of our greatest film stars in the form of Robert Mitchum, you'll hear two different conversations with two brilliant women, recorded over…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E31 - Brian De Palma with Megan Abbott & Alison Gaylin (+ Peter Avellino as De Palma) 1:16:55

3M ago1:16:55

1:16:55

This week, I am honored to welcome a dynamic duo of acclaimed bestselling crime writers to the podcast & two women who've both won the Edgar and numerous other awards. Additionally, good friends who've also collaborated on the graphic novel NORMANDY GOLD, it's the wonderful partnership of Megan Abbott & Alison Gaylin. Author of such must-reads as D…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E30 (Episode 200) - Burt Lancaster with Adam Nayman 1:06:42

3M ago1:06:42

1:06:42

Welcome to the 200th episode of the podcast Watch With Jen. It's a milestone I never anticipated reaching when I launched the show in early 2020. Back then, I wasn't sure if anyone would be interested in listening to me talk about the movies I love. I am so grateful for your listenership & support & hope you'll stay tuned in the future as I continu…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E29 - Alan J. Pakula with S.A. Cosby 1:22:00

4M ago1:22:00

1:22:00

It's an honor to welcome a good friend & frequent guest back to the podcast. S.A. Cosby (or Shawn as he's known to his pals) is the multi-award-winning NEW YORK TIMES bestselling crime writer of such remarkable novels as BLACKTOP WASTELAND, RAZORBLADE TEARS, & ALL THE SINNERS BLEED. This week, he joins me to celebrate the films of Alan J. Pakula, a…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E28 - Video Store Weekend '89 with Jordan Harper 1:25:57

4M ago1:25:57

1:25:57

I have a pretty busy week lined up so you're getting this new episode early! Returning to the podcast today, we have a fan favorite in the form of Mr. Jordan Harper. One of my dearest friends, this podcast's very first guest, and my Pandemic Movie Club, and Game Night crew buddy, Jordan is the Edgar award-winning author of She Rides Shotgun, Love &…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E27 - Heist Flicks - Part 2 with Sabina Stent 1:14:27

4M ago1:14:27

1:14:27

This week, I'm thrilled to bring back my friend Dr. Sabina Stent. A freelance writer & speaker from Birmingham, UK, who specializes in women artists, surrealism, & visual culture, Sabina's interests include the feminist surrealist avant-garde, artists' lives & legacies, cinematic subversion, historical true crime, & surrealism in Los Angeles. She h…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E26 - Meryl Streep Romances with Mitchell Beaupre 1:21:07

4M ago1:21:07

1:21:07

This week, I'm so pleased to welcome back to the podcast a talented, supportive, and funny friend. Currently based in Newark, Delaware, Mitchell Beaupre is not only the Senior Editor at one of my favorite services (via Letterboxd), but they're also the co-host of the Weekend Watchlist and Four Favorites podcasts, which you can find in the stream fo…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E25 - Stanley Kubrick with Bilge Ebiri 1:57:16

5M ago1:57:16

1:57:16

A film critic for publications such as LA Weekly, New York Magazine, Vulture, The New York Times, and formerly, The Village Voice, the brilliant Bilge Ebiri is one of my favorite journalists working today. Although we've discussed some of his favorite directors like Terrence Malick & Neil Jordan tangentially in the past, I was thrilled to bring him…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E24 - Budd Boetticher's Ranown Westerns with Chris McKay 1:09:59

5M ago1:09:59

1:09:59

The director behind the hilarious LEGO BATMAN MOVIE, the popular series ROBOT CHICKEN, as well as the films THE TOMORROW WAR starring Chris Pratt for Prime, & the brand new RENFIELD with Nicholas Hoult & Nicolas Cage, this week, I was so pleased to welcome filmmaker Chris McKay to the podcast. A huge film buff who fell in love with the films of Alf…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E23 - Double Play Productions: A Conversation with Amy Robinson & Griffin Dunne (+ Kate Hagen) 1:32:42

5M ago1:32:42

1:32:42

In Season 3 of the podcast, my good friend Kate Hagen - a talented writer & Senior Vice President at The Black List - joined me to kick off a fascinating new series of conversations with the people behind the movies we love. We launched it with what is still one of my all-time favorite episodes: a long, career-spanning discussion with the great fil…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E22 - French Crime Movies: Part 1 with William Boyle 1:26:16

5M ago1:26:16

1:26:16

Returning to Watch With Jen this week, we have my very talented friend and an official (and very popular) friend of the show. William Boyle is the acclaimed novelist behind such titles as Gravesend, The Lonely Witness, A Friend is a Gift You Give Yourself, City of Margins, and Shoot the Moonlight Out. In addition to crafting these wonderfully human…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E21 - "Succession" with Roxana Hadadi 1:42:16

5M ago1:42:16

1:42:16

Whether you're embarking on an exotic vacation or staying close to home, we're back from our month-long hiatus a few days early to give you something you can escape into your headphones & enjoy over the long holiday weekend. Delivering a month of hotly anticipated episodes featuring a killer lineup of guests & themes, we begin with the return of th…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E20 - PTA & DDL with Ethan Warren 1:01:56

6M ago1:01:56

1:01:56

Returning to the podcast this week for the first time since I chatted with him and other wonderful writer-editors of the online film journal BW/DR (Bright Wall/Dark Room) about their favorite comfort movies a few seasons back, we have Ethan Warren.A member of the Boston Society of Film Critics who holds an MFA in creative writing from the Universit…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E19 - 3 Thrillers from '93 with Peter Avellino 1:09:12

6M ago1:09:12

1:09:12

This week, it was so great to welcome Peter Avellino back to the podcast. A talented and thoughtful writer (& Film Twitter royalty), Peter Avellino's long-form essays on the movies that fascinate & frustrate him in equal measure have long made his blog Mr. Peel's Sardine Liqueur a must-read for cinephiles. Just in time for the Memorial Day kickoff …

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E18 - Dennis Hopper - Part 3 1:24:41

7M ago1:24:41

1:24:41

Welcome to Dennis Hopper in the 1990s aka Watch With Jen's third & final installment in our first spotlight series devoted to the careers of iconic character actors that we love to see onscreen. Timed to be running the same week as his birthday, we kick off our Hopper finale with an extended appreciation of his return to the director's chair for th…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E17 - Dennis Hopper - Part 2 1:30:03

7M ago1:30:03

1:30:03

Between the fact that I'm a bit overscheduled next week & I've loved hearing from listeners who enjoyed the first installment in this series, I decided to take advantage of a free morning to edit & upload this episode early! Releasing just in time for Dennis Hopper's birthday on the 17th (& mine a couple of days later), welcome to the second instal…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E16 - Dennis Hopper - Part 1 1:26:01

7M ago1:26:01

1:26:01

Around the time that the very first episode of Season 4 was uploaded, I embarked on a months-long journey to prepare & record the podcast's first entry in a new spotlight series devoted to some of the greatest character actors in screen history. Reaching out to good friends & past guests who I knew had a special interest in the life, films, charact…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E15 - Kurt Russell with Chris & Elizabeth Cantwell 1:23:02

7M ago1:23:02

1:23:02

You've heard Chris and Elizabeth Cantwell on past episodes solo but recently, I was thrilled to be joined by this dynamic duo together for a hilarious & thoughtful conversation about one of their favorite movie stars. The co-creator and showrunner of one of my favorite television series Halt and Catch Fire (which he joined me to discuss in season 2…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E14 - Literary Adaptations with Kristen Lopez 46:51

7M ago46:51

46:51

One of our very first guests, this week, I was so pleased to welcome Kristen Lopez back to the podcast. Currently working as the Film Editor of The Wrap, Kristen, who is also the creator of the classic film podcast Ticklish Business, has worked as an entertainment journalist for more than fifteen years. And this year, she's published her very first…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E13 - Early Richard Gere with Leslie Byron Pitt 1:19:22

7M ago1:19:22

1:19:22

A talented film critic, photographer, & podcaster based in England, Leslie Byron Pitt has written for Set the Tape & Empire Magazine, & has also been published on Vodzilla, Film Stories, & Little White Lies online. Additionally featured on Inside Cinema for the BBCi Player, when he isn't writing, doing expressive photography, or creating new pieces…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E12 - My First Movie: Film Noir, French New Wave, & Giallo Horror with Cory Everett 1:04:14

8M ago1:04:14

1:04:14

In the middle of the pandemic, I was invited by my friends at The B-Side Podcast - past guests Conor O'Donnell & Dan Mecca - to play with them as part of Team The Film Stage vs. Team Letterboxd on a Cinephile Game Night. I had so much fun playing that game & making new friends that night that I couldn't wait to start throwing my own virtual game ni…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E11 - George Stevens with James Urbaniak 1:20:37

8M ago1:20:37

1:20:37

A very talented, versatile, and witty performer with more than 150 credit listings on IMDb, as an actor, today's guest James Urbaniak has brought to life such memorable characters as Dr. Venture on Adult Swim's The Venture Brothers, the scene-stealing Arthur (who was my favorite character) on Hulu's Difficult People, and Grant on Comedy Central's R…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E10 - Erotic '90s with Karina Longworth 48:09

8M ago48:09

48:09

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

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E9 - Gambling Movies with Rob Belushi & Jordan Harper 1:38:53

8M ago1:38:53

1:38:53

This week, I was the luckiest host because shortly after both Rob Belushi and Jordan Harper dropped into Phoenix separately this year, I was once again able to reunite on the pod with not one but two of my favorite guys. The closest you can get to know what it's like to hang out with Rob and Jordan in real life, I was honored to have them join me f…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E8 - Pierce Brosnan's Bond Era with Julia Ricci 1:00:35

8M ago1:00:35

1:00:35

At the end of classic 007 pictures, the words "James Bond will return" filled the screen. And although there is no actual screen available on Watch With Jen because it isn't a video podcast, James Bond has indeed returned for the second time in our series run so far, following the success of our very popular Roger Moore episode in season two. And o…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E7 - A Conversation with Phoenix Film Festival Executive Director Jason Carney 45:20

9M ago45:20

45:20

Joining me this week is Jason Carney, who is not only a colleague and friend but also, the incredibly hard-working Executive Director of the Phoenix Film Festival, which is a fun, filmmaker-friendly nationally acclaimed, impressive event that has run for 23 years. Held at the wonderful Harkins Scottsdale 101 Theatre, this year's festival is set to …

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E6 - KNIGHT AND DAY & LONG SHOT with Maria Lewis 52:10

9M ago52:10

52:10

Having recorded several extra episodes in February & March in the lead-up to Season 4, it's a true delight to sprinkle a bunch of these bonus conversations into the new season, both as a surprise & also my sincere way of thanking you for making the podcast more successful than it's ever been before. While eventually, we will ease back into weekly r…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E5 - Noah Baumbach with Duncan Birmingham 59:36

9M ago59:36

59:36

A writer and filmmaker based in Los Angeles, today's guest Duncan Birmingham was an executive producer and screenwriter for IFC's MARON and also served as a co-executive producer and writer on the Starz series BLUNT TALK as well. Additionally, Duncan's short films have premiered at such festivals as Sundance and AFI, and his screenplay SWINGLES, wh…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E4 - '80s Romcoms with Rachel Wagner 1:00:07

9M ago1:00:07

1:00:07

This week, I was so happy to welcome back my good friend Rachel Wagner who was my guest for the most downloaded episode of Season 3 devoted to LOL Funny '90s Romcoms. The woman behind not only the website, pod, & YouTube channel Rachel's Reviews as well as The Criterion Project podcast, the Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic also runs the incredi…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E3 - EXCALIBUR & LORD OF THE RINGS with Adrian McKinty 1:27:28

9M ago1:27:28

1:27:28

As soon as this episode was announced & I began researching it, there was a massive amount of interest from listeners to hear what turned out to be an absolutely hilarious yet still very insightful conversation with author Adrian McKinty. So in that spirit, & because I've recorded a pretty healthy backlog of episodes for the new season so far, I th…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E2 - Paul Schrader with Megan Abbott (+ Sean Burns as Schrader) 1:20:56

9M ago1:20:56

1:20:56

An episode that we've been planning since we recorded our first conversation devoted to Martin Scorsese in Season 2, this week, I was so honored to welcome back my favorite crime writer working today to dissect one of her most significant sources of inspiration, the fascinating & controversial writer-director Paul Schrader. Novelist Megan Abbott is…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S4: E1 - Curtis Hanson's Thrillers with Ted Griffin 1:33:17

10M ago1:33:17

1:33:17

We are back in 2023 with the first episode of the fourth season of Watch With Jen & it's a nice long, chatty, analytical one that's as surprisingly moving as it is filled with great Hollywood stories. RAVENOUS, OCEAN'S ELEVEN, & MATCHSTICK MEN screenwriter Ted Griffin (who also created FX's TERRIERS & produced THE WOLF OF WALL STREET) returns to th…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S3: E48 - Physical Media: Classic Movies (with William Boyle & Sheila O'Malley) 51:17

12M ago51:17

51:17

Behold our final episode of not only this 3-part holiday bonus special, but also the final episode of Season 3. For fun last night, I used a calculator to add up the number of installments of Watch With Jen that have been uploaded in the show's history so far & was stunned to discover that this one is number 170! That's A LOT of conversations about…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S3: E47 - Physical Media: Foreign & Art (with Walter Chaw, Jed Ayres, & Jordan Harper) 1:21:53

12M ago1:21:53

1:21:53

Welcome to the second of three bonus episodes on films you can now find on physical media. Zeroing in on some of my favorite contemplative foreign & art-house releases, in this 82-minute installment of Watch With Jen, we discuss three films you can now find on Criterion disc, including THE POWER OF THE DOG, DRIVE MY CAR, & THE INFERNAL AFFAIRS TRIL…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S3: E46 - Physical Media: Winter '22 (with Blake Howard, Sean Burns, S.A. Cosby, & Nikki Dolson) 2:10:13

12M ago2:10:13

2:10:13

Welcome to the first of three bonus physical media episodes that I'll be releasing this week to celebrate the end of the third season, the end of the year, and above all, to thank you for your support throughout 2022. In this installment, which is devoted to '22 releases, you'll hear film critic Sean Burns and critic/podcaster Blake Howard on TOP G…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S3: E45 - Peter Weir with Blake Howard 1:19:15

1y ago1:19:15

1:19:15

For the third season finale of Watch With Jen, I was thrilled and proud to welcome back one of my dearest pals and the hardest-working man in pod-business, Mr. Blake Howard. The brains behind the stellar One Heat Minute Productions that launched with an in-depth minute-by-minute investigation and appreciation of Michael Mann's "Heat," he's released…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S3: E44 - Willem Dafoe with Mitchell Beaupre 1:50:56

1y ago1:50:56

1:50:56

This week, I'm so pleased to welcome back to the podcast a very talented, supportive, and funny friend. Currently based in Newark, Delaware, Mitchell Beaupre is not only the Senior Editor at one of my favorite services (via Letterboxd), but they're also the co-host of the Weekend Watchlist and Four Favorites podcasts, which you can find in the stre…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S3: E43 - Atom Egoyan with S.A. Cosby 1:40:49

1y ago1:40:49

1:40:49

Watch With Jen started 2022 with an episode featuring fan favorite S.A. Cosby, so as we begin wrapping up our third season, it's only fitting that we bring Shawn back to discuss more movies he loves. As kind and genuine as he is knowledgeable and gifted, the first time I ever chatted with Shawn was one week before he released the book that would be…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S3: E42 - Ralph Fiennes with Bilge Ebiri 1:52:44

1y ago1:52:44

1:52:44

A film critic for publications such as LA Weekly, New York Magazine, Vulture, The New York Times, and formerly, The Village Voice, the brilliant Bilge Ebiri is one of my favorite journalists working today. And recently, he was kind enough to name Watch With Jen one of the best current film podcasts in an article for Vulture. Additionally, a writer-…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S3: E41 - John Sayles in the '80s & '90s with William Boyle 1:50:43

1y ago1:50:43

1:50:43

Returning to Watch With Jen this week, we have my very talented friend and an official (and very popular) friend of the show. William Boyle is the acclaimed novelist behind such titles as Gravesend, The Lonely Witness, A Friend is a Gift You Give Yourself, City of Margins, and Shoot the Moonlight Out. In addition to crafting these wonderfully human…

W

Watch With Jen™

1
Watch With Jen - S3: E40 - UK Kitchen Sink Dramas with Donal Logue 1:57:11

1y ago1:57:11

1:57:11

This week's guest is a terrific character actor with over thirty years in the industry. A veteran of more than seventy Hollywood movies and hundreds of episodes of television, Donal Logue is the beloved scene-stealer of such films as Sneakers, Blade, and Zodiac, and TV series as Grounded for Life, Sons of Anarchy, Vikings, Gotham, and of course, th…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Johan Fink Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide