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PODCAST

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr.

Blending pop culture with personal storytelling, Close Watch gives host Robert Yaniz Jr. the chance to get to know guests through the movies they love. From emotional favorites like Field of Dreams and The Crow to beloved cult hits like The Wicker Man, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and The Big Lebowski, each episode offers a thoughtful deep dive discussion into how films both shape who we are and reflect who we’ve become.

tv & film film reviews

All Episodes

01:49:17

'Jojo Rabbit' (featuring Karen Peterson)

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2020/07/21

The Holocaust isn't exactly brimming with comedic potential. But in the right hands, the real-life horrors of World War II can serve a noble cause. In some cases, this harsh setting can underscore the futility of hate and the absurdity of prejudice. Such is the goal of this episode's movie, writer-director Taika Waititi's 2019 Oscar winner Jojo Rabbit. On her first appearance, Karen Peterson brought Bridget Jones's Diary to the Table. But we had a lot more ground to cover this time. We'll discuss

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01:32:27

'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban' (featuring...

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2020/07/14

Our year-long journey through the Harry Potter series continues with year three: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. After back-to-back installments from director Chris Columbus, the franchise finally spreads its wings. This is thanks, in large part, to the addition of future Oscar-winning filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity, Roma). Following our Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith episode, Jackson Smith returns for another fantasy threequel. We'll discuss how Cuarón builds on Columbus' foundation,

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52:56

'The Quiet Man' (featuring Caitlin Kennedy)

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2020/07/08

John Wayne is, of course, synonymous with the classic Hollywood Western. Yet, the first movie of his we're covering on this show is actually a romantic comedy. Wayne reteamed with director John Ford and Maureen O'Hara for 1952's The Quiet Man. And the shift in genre paid off for the trio behind 1950 Western Rio Grande. The Quiet Man turned out to be one of the year's biggest box office hits. And we were honored to welcome film critic Caitlin Kennedy to the show to discuss the movie. We'll discuss

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01:29:24

'The 40-Year-Old Virgin' (featuring Kai Yaniz)

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2020/06/30

Another year has passed, and once again, Rob is celebrating his birthday with a special episode. Last year, he brought on his mom, Jeannine Yaniz, to talk Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Now it is Kai Yaniz in the hot seat. And the movie in question this year is Judd Apatow's 2005 comedy The 40-Year-Old Virgin. We'll discuss how well the movie's sense of humor has aged, the flawless ensemble cast, and how the movie's premise is ultimately a bit deceptive. Moreover, Rob and Kai will discuss why Apatow's

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02:21:48

Holy Rusted Metal, Batman! (Crooked Commentary #6)...

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2020/06/29

Riddle me this, riddle me that... it's finally time to talk about the Bat. That's right. Somehow, the Crooked Table Podcast has never taken on a Batman solo movie. And with news Michael Keaton may return to the Batsuit, the Dark Knight's future has never been brighter. Sadly, that exciting news came out the same day we learned of director Joel Schumacher's passing. So, on this episode, partially in tribute to Schumacher's work, Kai Yaniz joins the show as we watch and discuss his 1995 film,

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01:12:09

'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' (featuring...

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2020/04/30

This episode, we return to Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for an in-depth chat about Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. In many ways, Year Two feels like the end of an era for the franchise. Director Chris Columbus left after this point, taking the warm and fuzzies largely with him. And the late Richard Harris makes his final appearance as Albus Dumbledore. Teri Sears joins the show to help us unlock Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. We'll address why the movie is perhaps

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01:10:22

'Aliens' (featuring Will Nexii)

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2020/04/24

For the second time, we're covering a James Cameron film on the show. And just like Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Aliens is a testament to the filmmaker's ability to deliver a thrilling, game-changing sequel. The 1986 follow-up to Ridley Scott's Alien is the rare example of a second film elevating its predecessor by building on what's come before in innovative new ways. And like T2, Aliens was so good it doomed its franchise to decades of desperate attempts for relevance. Will Nexii joins the show

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02:13:37

Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats (Crooked Commentary...

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2020/04/16

As soon as we caught a glimpse of the infamous first trailer for Cats, we knew it would be a perfect addition to our Crooked Commentary series. After all, we've talked about some great films in the last few installments, including The Nightmare Before Christmas, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and When Harry Met Sally... So it's about time we get Crooked Commentary back to awesomely bad movies like The Room. Directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Tom Hooper (The King's Speech), Cats assembles an

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01:02:23

'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' (featuring Kimberly Cook)

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2020/04/09

As a righteous dude once said, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." That and countless other insanely quotable lines propelled writer/director John Hughes' 1986 hit, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, to become one of the biggest comedies of the decade. Even now, more than three decades after its release, fans are still discovering and revisiting Ferris Bueller's Day Off Kimberly Cook returns to the show to dig into why Hughes' release is her

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51:58

April Fool's 2020 Special (featuring The Famous...

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2020/04/01

It's April Fool's Day! And because we can all use a bit of silliness right about now, the Crooked Table Podcast is setting aside the usual format for a timely jaunt into the world of magic and illusions. No democratizing the film criticism conversation this week. And this week's special episode isn't even (exclusively) designed to be a tie-in to our just-launched Harry Potter series. Rather, the concept is directly inspired by a longtime friend and recurring guest of the show. The Famous Ashley

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01:28:31

'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone' (featuring...

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2020/04/01

Last year, we had a blast running through all nine episodes in the Star Wars saga. But now that the Skywalker has risen (kinda?), we're turning our attention to a bunch of British witches and wizards. That's right: 2020 is the year of Harry Potter. Because this year really could use a bit of magic right about now. Bri Azmoudeh of Geeky Girl Gab joins the show to help us travel back nearly two decades -- yes, really -- when J.K. Rowling's best-selling book series first made the leap to the big

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53:01

'8 1/2' (featuring Brian Susbielles of InSession Film)

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2020/03/28

In the interest of providing broader coverage of cinema history, we always love the chance to cover either a classic or foreign release. So, of course, it was a blast to cover Federico Fellini's 1963 Italian film, 8 1/2. The film is more self-reflective than most, a cinematic fever dream brought to life. The parallels between Marcello Mastroianni's Guido -- a middle-aged movie director at a creative and personal crossroads -- and Fellini himself are stark, blatant, and fascinating as hell. Brian

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01:08:44

'Planes, Trains, and Automobiles' (featuring Jamie...

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2020/03/22

In the 1980s, few filmmakers were as in-demand and influential as John Hughes. The man basically created the concept of the teen movie with films such as Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Weird Science, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Yet, after that run, Hughes did the last thing anyone expected: he grew up. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles marks his directorial entry into adult comedies. And boy, is it a great one. Jamie Williams last appeared on the show to talk 1999's Man on the Moon. But now,

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01:29:00

'La La Land' (featuring The Lady-Wan of Screen Fix)

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2020/03/20

After Whiplash won critical acclaim and a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for J.K. Simmons, writer/director Damien Chazelle could have done anything. So, naturally, he decided to make a modern-day tribute to lavish Hollywood musicals of yesteryear. The resulting film, La La Land, went on to become an unprecedented smash, to the tune of nearly $450 million worldwide. Although it didn't win the Academy Award for Best Picture, Chazelle's film finally gets its due on our show. The Lady-Wan of Screen Fix

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01:01:39

'You Can Count on Me' (ft. Dames Marvs of CF3: Cult...

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2020/03/02

Writer/director Kenneth Lonergan won his first Academy Award for the acclaimed domestic drama Manchester by the Sea. But more than a decade and a half before that film, Lonergan burst onto the scene with his directorial debut, You Can Count on Me. Both movies tackle the fallout of family tragedies and feature standout performances. You Can Count on Me focuses on the broken bond between a sister (Laura Linney) and brother (Mark Ruffalo). And while neither guest Dames Marvs -- from CF3: Cult Fans,

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01:36:09

'The Witch' (featuring Amy Otero)

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2020/02/20

Director Robert Eggers burst on the scene in 2015 with The Witch. And when he did, horror audiences didn't know quite how to react. The film -- subtitled "A New England folktale" -- follows a Puritan family in 1600s New England and its inevitable descent into hell. However, its period setting, era-accurate dialect, and slowly building tension came across as jarring to audiences accustomed to jump scares and slasher films. Amy Otero joins the show this episode to help us analyze what makes The

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01:26:36

2020 Movie Preview (featuring Tom Chang of Bleeding...

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2020/02/14

For us pop culture enthusiasts, 2019 was one for the record books. Just on the movie side, moviegoers the finale of Marvel Studios' "Infinity Saga" in Avengers: Endgame and witnessed the end of Skywalker story in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Of course, the year brought a ton of sequels, reboots, and spin-offs of various quality levels. But it also delivered unexpected -- and Oscar-winning -- treats such as Jojo Rabbit, 1917, Marriage Story, and director Bong Joon-ho's Parasite. We

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01:37:22

'Parasite' (featuring Sade Glover of Offscreen Babble)

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2020/02/06

Foreign films usually make a very limited impact at the domestic box office. At best, they mostly wind up attracting love from critics or perhaps some prestige awards. Almost never do they break into the mainstream the way Parasite has. Co-writer/director Bong Joon Ho's film blends dark comedy, thriller, and horror elements into an irresistible bit of social commentary. Now Sade Glover of Offscreen Babble returns to the show for a deep, spoiler-filled dive into Parasite. The last time Sade was on

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01:09:06

'Event Horizon' (featuring Jon Cohorn of Modern Horrors)

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2020/01/30

Event Horizon hits theaters in 1997 to a disappointing box office response. Yet, like so many genre films, the Paul Anderson -- the Resident Evil guy, not the There Will Be Blood one -- sci-fi/horror hybrid has developed a cult following. So, as our first regular episode of 2020, we're taking a look at how the movie has held up and why its combination of Alien and Hellraiser is worth seeking out for those who haven't caught up with it. Jon Cohorn of Modern Horrors -- who previously helped us enter

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51:11

Our Favorite Films of 2019

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2020/01/23

Ah, 2019, we hardly knew you. With the passing of another year — and another decade, more or less — it's time again to run through some of our favorite movies from the past 12 cinematic months. So what are our top movies of the year? Last year, Marvel Studios made an incredible showing atop our 2018 retrospective. With three releases in 2019, can Marvel claim a spot in this year's list? We have lots of great stuff planned for 2020, including our Harry Potter series. First, hear Rob reveal the 10

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