For our next installment of Christmas Movie Month, we’re heading back to the 1970s with Alexander Payne’s modern holiday masterpiece The Holdovers.

The team breaks down the film’s pitch-perfect throwback style, its lived-in performances, and why Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and Dominic Sessa make one of the most unexpectedly heartfelt holiday trios in recent cinema.

We also talk about movies that don’t feel like Christmas movies but somehow absolutely are, unlikely holiday traditions, and why stories about misfits stranded together resonate so well this time of year.

It’s cozy, cranky, and full of heart — just like the movie.

This week on our Christmas Movie Month ride, we’re boarding Robert Zemeckis’ motion-capture spectacle The Polar Express — a film that asks the eternal holiday question: Do you still believe?

We dive into the film’s groundbreaking animation, iconic sequences, and the meaning behind hearing (or not hearing) that magical sleigh bell… and speaking of belief, the team shares their own personal, hilarious, and sometimes devastating stories of discovering that Santa isn’t real.

It’s equal parts festive joy, childhood nostalgia, and emotional chaos — just like the movie itself.

We’re kicking off Christmas Movie Month with a warm, nostalgic classic: Vincente Minnelli’s Meet Me in St. Louis. More than just a musical, the film captures the heart of family, tradition, and the bittersweet magic that defines the holiday season.

We dive into Judy Garland’s unforgettable performance, the film’s place in the MGM musical legacy, and how Meet Me in St. Louis shaped the emotional tone of Christmas cinema for decades to come. From “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” to the iconic seasonal imagery, this is the perfect way to welcome in the holidays.

A cozy, heartfelt start to our month of festive films.

We’re closing out Sci-Fi Month with one of the most influential films ever made: Fritz Lang’s Metropolis. A towering achievement of silent cinema, dystopian storytelling, and visual imagination, Metropolis laid the blueprint for nearly every sci-fi world that came after it.

We dig into the film’s groundbreaking effects, its timeless themes of class, industry, and humanity, and why its futuristic vision still feels eerily relevant today. As we wrap up a month of brain-bending timelines, cosmic loops, and speculative worlds, Metropolis reminds us where the genre truly began.

Epic, visionary, and unforgettable — the perfect finale to Sci-Fi Month.

Sci-Fi Month continues its journey into the weird and the wonderful as Sci-Fi Expert Michael Head returns to help us unravel The Endless, the mind-twisting cosmic horror/sci-fi hybrid from Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson.

We dive into the film’s looping timeline, its creeping sense of dread, the incredible DIY filmmaking on display, and how this movie creates a massive sci-fi mythos on a tiny budget. From cults to creatures to cosmic manipulation, The Endless proves that you don’t need blockbuster money to blow minds.

Strange, smart, and unsettling—our Sci-Fi Month keeps getting weirder, and we’re loving it.

Sci-Fi Month continues, and things are getting complicated. This week, we’re diving into Shane Carruth’s low-budget, brain-bending masterpiece Primer, with our very own Sci-Fi Expert Michael Head guiding us through the timelines (and paradoxes).

We talk about how Carruth crafted one of the most realistic takes on time travel ever put to screen, the beauty of DIY filmmaking, and why Primer still stumps audiences 20 years later.

It’s science, it’s storytelling, it’s confusion—and we love every second of it.

We’re diving into Sci-Fi Month here on The WatchTower Film Podcast! This month, we’re exploring the strange, the cerebral, and the speculative sides of cinema—and we’re kicking things off with Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Lobster.

In a world where single people must find a partner or be turned into animals, Colin Farrell delivers one of his most hilariously bleak performances. We unpack the film’s dark humor, surreal worldbuilding, and why Lanthimos’ deadpan dystopia hits harder (and funnier) than your average love story.

Romance has never been this weird—or this scientific.

Spooky Month comes to a gruesome, emotional close with David Cronenberg’s The Fly — a masterpiece of horror, heartbreak, and horrifying mutation.

With Horror Expert Erik Sanchez guiding us through the goo and the grief, we talk about Jeff Goldblum’s unforgettable transformation, Geena Davis’ grounded heartbreak, and how Cronenberg turns a simple sci-fi premise into one of the most devastating love stories ever put to film.

It’s romance, it’s rot, it’s pure horror at its finest — the perfect way to end our month of terror.

Spooky Month is slicing its way through the classics, and this week we’re heading deep into Texas with Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre—the grimy, blood-soaked film that redefined horror forever.

With Horror Expert Erik Sanchez leading the charge, we dive into how this low-budget shocker became one of the most terrifying and influential films ever made. From its documentary-style realism to its relentless tension and unforgettable villain, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre proves that true horror doesn’t need big budgets—just raw fear.

It’s sweaty, savage, and still screaming 50 years later. Welcome to the slaughterhouse.

Spooky Month continues—curated by our very own Horror Expert, Erik Sanchez—and this week we’re diving headfirst into one of the most iconic horror films ever made: William Friedkin’s The Exorcist.

We talk terror, tension, and theology as we explore how this 1973 masterpiece redefined horror, shocked audiences, and still manages to unsettle half a century later. From its chilling performances to its haunting realism, The Exorcist proves that true horror never fades—it just gets louder.

Grab your crucifixes, dim the lights, and prepare to be possessed by cinema’s most enduring nightmare.

Spooky Month has officially begun at The WatchTower Film Podcast—and this time, our very own Horror Expert Erik Sanchez is curating the chills.

We’re starting off strong (and bloodthirsty) with Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu, a haunting reimagining of the silent-era classic. We dive into Eggers’ gothic atmosphere, the timeless allure of the vampire myth, and how this version sinks its teeth into modern horror while honoring its eerie roots.

Old fangs, new nightmares—welcome to Spooky Month.

We’re closing out our Paul Thomas Anderson series with The Master, a haunting exploration of faith, control, and broken souls.

From Joaquin Phoenix’s raw and unhinged performance to Philip Seymour Hoffman’s commanding presence and Amy Adams’ chilling quiet power, we dive deep into why this film feels like one of PTA’s most enigmatic and enduring works.

As PTA month comes to an end, we reflect on the journey through his filmography—capped off with a film that lingers long after the credits roll.

Intense, unsettling, and unforgettable—PTA at his most powerful.

From the rise and fall of Boogie Nights to the sprawling chaos of Magnolia, from the quirky heart of Punch-Drunk Love to the operatic greed of There Will Be Blood, from the hometown pride of One Battle After Another to the haunting intensity of The Master—our month with Paul Thomas Anderson has been as bold, strange, and unforgettable as the films themselves. PTA Month may be ending, but the brilliance lingers long after the credits roll.

This week on The WatchTower Film Podcast, we take a detour in our Paul Thomas Anderson series for something extra special: an early screening of One Battle After Another, filmed right here in El Paso, TX.

Not only do we share our first impressions of the film, but we also dive into our personal stories from set—including that unforgettable test shoot adventure. From behind-the-scenes memories to seeing it all come together on screen, this episode gives you a rare inside look at PTA’s newest work before its wide release.

Consider this a sneak peek into the battles, the brilliance, and the hometown pride of PTA’s latest.

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Our Paul Thomas Anderson series hits its towering centerpiece with There Will Be Blood—a ruthless tale of ambition, greed, and the cost of power.

We break down Daniel Day-Lewis’ legendary turn as Daniel Plainview, Paul Dano’s dual role showdown, and PTA’s epic vision of America built on oil and obsession. This is PTA at his most brutal and operatic—a film as vast and unforgiving as the land itself.

All of this is part of our countdown to his newest film, One Battle After Another, shot right here in El Paso, TX.

Greed, oil, religion—and one unforgettable milkshake.

Our PTA series rolls on with Magnolia, Paul Thomas Anderson’s wild, sprawling epic of love, regret, coincidence, and—yes—raining frogs.

We dive into the film’s interwoven stories, the powerhouse ensemble cast (Tom Cruise, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and more), and why this chaotic tapestry of life remains one of PTA’s boldest statements.

As we count down to his newest film One Battle After Another, filmed right here in El Paso, TX, we’re celebrating how PTA captures both the mess and the beauty of human connection—even when the sky is literally falling.

We’re kicking off our final Auteur Series of the year with none other than Paul Thomas Anderson—a director whose newest film, One Battle After Another, was filmed right here in our hometown of El Paso, TX.

And we’re starting big—with Boogie Nights, PTA’s breakout epic of sex, excess, and found family in the ‘70s adult film industry. We break down its unforgettable performances, killer soundtrack, and why this film announced PTA as one of the greats.

It’s flashy, it’s messy, it’s heartfelt, and it’s the perfect way to kick off our PTA celebration.

The Brow Month comes to a roaring, chaotic close with The Wolf of Wall Street, Martin Scorsese’s three-hour carnival of excess, corruption, and quaaludes.

We dive into DiCaprio’s unhinged performance, Jonah Hill’s teeth, Margot Robbie’s breakout role, and why this film feels like Marty cutting loose in the wildest way possible. It’s loud, it’s offensive, it’s hilarious, and it’s undeniably Scorsese.

We also want to note that our good friend Carlos M. De La Torre wasn’t able to join us for this episode—he was missed at the table (and probably would’ve had the best Belfort impression).

It’s been one hell of a month, and we’re closing it out at full throttle.

The Brow Month takes a surprising (and elegant) turn as we dive into The Age of Innocence, Martin Scorsese’s lush adaptation of Edith Wharton’s tale of love, restraint, and high-society daggers hidden behind polite smiles.

This week, we unpack Scorsese’s meticulous eye for detail, the heartbreaking performances from Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Winona Ryder, and why this “costume drama” still bleeds with the same intensity as his gangster films.

Less blood, more lace—but make no mistake, Marty’s still cutting deep.

The Brow Month rolls on as we head back to where it all started—Mean Streets, Martin Scorsese’s gritty, raw, and deeply personal dive into the New York underworld. This is Scorsese before the Oscars, before the epics—just restless energy, street-level drama, and a young De Niro already stealing scenes.

We break down the film’s rough-edged charm, the Catholic guilt simmering under the surface, and how Mean Streets planted the seeds for everything from Goodfellas to The Irishman.

It’s messy, it’s loud, it’s pure Scorsese—and the brows are already in full power mode.

This week on The WatchTower Film Podcast, we’re officially launching The Brow Month—our deep dive into the wild, legendary world of Martin Scorsese. And there’s no better place to start than Goodfellas—the mob movie that redefined the genre (and the tracking shot).

We break down the film’s electric style, unforgettable characters, cocaine-fueled chaos, and why Scorsese’s fingerprints are all over modern cinema. From freeze frames to mob betrayals, it’s fast, funny, brutal, and endlessly rewatchable.

Just don’t ask how many takes the Copacabana shot took. We’re talkin’ here.