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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

02:03:50

I'll Have What She's Having (Crooked Commentary #4)...

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2019/12/30

2019 is about to head off into the sunset, but we can't let the year pass without a Crooked Commentary. For this fourth entry in the series, we follow The Room, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World with the seminal romantic comedy (and underrated New Year's Eve movie), 1989's When Harry Met Sally... Of course, Kai Yaniz returns to watch the film, which just celebrated its 30th anniversary. We'll talk about how Nora Ephron's script shaped modern cinematic love stories,

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02:11:05

'Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker'...

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2019/12/24

Just as Lucasfilm says goodbye to its own Star Wars saga, so must we do the same. After spending most of 2019 working our way through George Lucas' "galaxy far, far away," we've come to the final installment of our Star Wars series. This week, we'll discuss Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker. To complete this epic journey, Lucasfilm recruited The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams. So, in keeping with that, we've brought back our guest from our original Star Wars episode, Kai Yaniz

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01:13:13

'Gremlins' (featuring Cristian Garcia of Nerds with...

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2019/12/17

It's the holiday season. So, of course, it is time to bust out all our favorite Christmas movies. We've got White Christmas, Christmas in Connecticut, and — what do we have here? — Gremlins. That's right, folks. That 1984 Joe Dante horror-comedy about a furry little Mogwai with a very particular set of rules is technically a Christmas movie. And we'll take any opportunity we have to revisit a nostalgic favorite. Cristian Garcia of Nerds with Friends joins us to talk about why Gremlins is such a

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57:21

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (featuring Sandro...

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2019/12/10

Even more than most genres, mockumentaries just aren't for everyone. So perhaps — despite The Lonely Island's built-in fanbase — Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping failed to bring in an audience in 2016. In a blatant parody of Justin Bieber or other recent music sensations, the film follows fading pop music icon Conner4Real (Andy Samberg). Sandro Falce of Oldie But a Goodie joins the show to help us spread the word about Popstar's insanely underrated status. We'll discuss how the movie follows the

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01:14:09

Will Ashton 2 / Punch-Drunk Love

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2019/12/03

People just love to hate on Adam Sandler. Perhaps the reason behind this is how little his comedic persona has evolved since the days of Happy Gilmore and The Wedding Singer. Or maybe just not enough moviegoers have seen Punch-Drunk Love. This 2002 romantic comedy/drama from writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson marked a surprising departure from Sandler's usual work. Although the film does go for some laughs, it is far more esoteric than Sandler's usual broad style. In fact, the film digs deeper

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01:01:05

Sade Glover / The Farewell

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2019/11/25

Throughout 2019, A24 has further cemented its dominance as a safe haven for distinctive creative voices. In just the past few years, the company has given moviegoers releases as diverse as Moonlight, Lady Bird, Hereditary, Ex Machina, and Room. And easily one of this year's A24 highlights — and indeed 2019 cinema, in general — has been Lulu Wang's poignant and hilarious The Farewell. Sade Glover of the Offscreen Babble podcast joins the show to discuss how Wang's second directorial effort infuses

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01:34:52

Albert Lanier / Eyes Wide Shut

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2019/11/18

The year 1999 is the gift that keeps on giving. We're already covered several key releases from that year, including The Matrix, Fight Club, American Beauty, and Office Space. Now, this week, we welcome freelance writer and critic Albert Lanier to the show to discuss Stanley Kubrick's final film, Eyes Wide Shut. Released 20 years ago, this compelling thriller is the stuff of legend. A notoriously long shoot, friction with the MPAA, and of course, Kubrick's death soon before it hit theaters. Eyes

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02:09:25

Kerri Jones 2 / Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2019/11/12

In the eighth (and penultimate) installment of our retrospective on the Star Wars saga, we take on the most divisive installment. That's right, folks. This week, we're talking Rian Johnson's Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi. Kerri Jones returns to the show to talk about how Johnson's film upends the franchise, its thought-provoking depiction of the Force, and the tantalizing possibility of Reylo. Strap in, Star Wars fans, because this episode probably won't please all of you. Every month for

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02:05:47

Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens (featuring...

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2019/11/12

In the seventh installment of our retrospective on the Star Wars saga, we revisit our two-part conversation from 2015 on Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens. The first hour was recorded before Rob and guest Kai Yaniz saw the film, serving as a summary of what came before. Then, part two delves deep into J.J. Abrams' film, its comparisons to A New Hope, and what we hoped to see from the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Every month for the rest of 2019, we've been discussing another episode of the

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51:01

David Rosen / Wet Hot American Summer

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2019/11/04

Some movies land with audiences immediately, while others don't find their fans for years to come. Wet Hot American Summer is one of the latter. Featuring a star-studded cast of comedy talents, director David Wain's film is a quirky ode to '80s "camp" classics (pun intended) and sex comedies. Its popularity grew so much over the years that Netflix ultimately produced two limited series based on the film. David Rosen of the Piecing It Together podcast joins the show to discuss the phenomenon that

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01:02:11

Josh Bell / Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2019/10/28

With the upcoming release of Terminator: Dark Fate, now is the perfect time to reflect on the series. In 1991, Terminator 2: Judgment Day surpassed James Cameron's original classic and set a new standard for blockbuster cinema. Josh Bell of the Awesome Movie Year podcast joins the show to talk about how T2 changed the world of cinema forever. We'll discuss how Cameron was able to successfully build on his own mythos, what the subsequent sequels have missed, and how we hope that Terminator: Dark

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01:18:32

Michael Hinman 2 / Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of...

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2019/10/21

In the sixth installment of our retrospective on the Star Wars saga, we bid farewell to the pre-Disney era of the franchise. Way back in 1983, director Richard Marquand ended the original Star Wars trilogy with Return of the Jedi. Now, Michael Hinman of Alpha Waves Radio joins us to conclude our coverage of the George Lucas's original three-part vision for the "galaxy far, far away." Every month for the rest of 2019, we'll be discussing another episode of the Star Wars saga, building up to the

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51:21

Danielle Solzman / The Lion King

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2019/10/15

In the heart of the Disney Renaissance, the studio that had already back-to-back box office smashes (and Academy Award winners) in Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin unleashed its 32nd animated feature. The Lion King pounced into theaters in the summer of 1994, becoming the highest-grossing animated film ever at the time of its release and spawning a cultural phenomenon. This episode, Danielle Solzman of Solzy at the Movies joins us to discuss the film on its 25th anniversary. Of course, we'll also

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01:26:04

Stephen M. Colbert / Speed Racer

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2019/10/08

Earlier this year, we celebrated our 100th episode by delving into a lengthy two-part discussion about The Matrix. While the Wachowskis' 1999 classic marked a seismic shift for the world of cinema, the filmmakers behind Neo's story have certainly lived up to the narrative and visual ambition of their breakthrough. Case in point, expect to see more coverage on Lilly and Lana Wachowski's filmography in the months ahead, including a look at The Matrix sequels themselves. However, this week, Stephen M

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35:19

Happy International Podcast Day (and What to Expect...

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2019/09/30

One year ago, the fate of the Crooked Table Podcast was uncertain. Trapped at a creative crossroads, the show was put on what turned out to be a temporary hiatus until it could be refocused to its current premise, in which we "democratize the film criticism conversation." Once that concept was nailed down, Rob unveiled it just in time for International Podcast Day 2019. Now, with the return of this annual celebration of the podcasting medium (Happy International Podcast Day, all!), Rob is back to

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01:18:12

Candace Kaw / Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire...

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2019/09/23

In the fifth installment of our retrospective on the Star Wars saga, we turn our attention to what is arguably the most popular film in the series: director Irvin Kershner's 1980 release The Empire Strikes Back. After the phenomenon that was the original Star Wars, fans hoped the follow-up would expand the world and continue the story in a meaningful way. What they got was one of the best sequels ever made. Candace Kaw of Geeky Girl Gab joins us to discuss why the film has endures, what makes it a

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01:10:46

Lori London / Christmas in Connecticut

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2019/09/16

The holiday season is still a few months away, but we're definitely not above breaking out the tinsel and candy canes a bit earlier than usual. Last year, we released our White Christmas episode perfectly timed to Christmas Eve, but this time around, we're taking a closer look at the 1945 release Christmas in Connecticut starring Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan and Sydney Greenstreet. Lori London, author of the Tripi the Fly children's book series, joins us to discuss the holiday-set romantic

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01:44:36

Our Top 5 Films of 1999 (with Kai Yaniz)

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2019/09/09

A year after helping us break down our favorite movies of 1998, Kai Yaniz of BeBold-BeBrave.com returns to take aim at one of the most important years in cinema: 1999. Twenty years ago, so many bold, risk-taking movies hit the big screen, and while we may not necessarily be fans of all those iconic releases, this milestone felt like a great opportunity to pay tribute to what many have considered one of the finest years at the theater. If you've been listening to our recent episodes, then you know

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Our Top 5 Films of 1999 (with Kai Yaniz)

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2019/09/09

A year after helping us break down our favorite movies of 1998, Kai Yaniz of BBold-BBrave.com returns to take aim at one of the most important years in cinema: 1999. Twenty years ago, so many bold, risk-taking movies hit the big screen, and while we may not necessarily be fans of all those iconic releases, this milestone felt like a great opportunity to pay tribute to what many have considered one of the finest years at the theater. If you've been listening to our recent episodes, then you know

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36:33

Crooked Takeover — Ditsy Comic Podcast

Close Watch with Robert Yaniz Jr. ·

2019/09/02

In our first-ever Crooked Takeover, we extend our time with Justin Beck of the Ditsy Comic Podcast. Whereas last week Justin showed up on the Crooked Table Podcast to discuss 1997 sci-fi comedy Men in Black, this episode sees Rob pay a visit to the Ditsy Comic Podcast. Listen in as Justin and Rob discuss the origins of Crooked Table, play silly games and test Rob's ability to pull off a convincing Arnold Schwarzenegger impression (jury's still out?). At least he manages to land on one character

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227 results

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