First Watch

In the second episode of our Frederick Wiseman retrospective, Cole and Zach turn to “Moral Authority,” looking at three of Wiseman’s most probing films of the 1970s: Essene (1972), Juvenile Court (1973), and Welfare (1975).Across a Benedictine monastery, a juvenile court in Memphis, and a New York City welfare office, Wiseman examines institutions built around judgment, responsibility, mercy, discipline, and care. The settings could hardly be more different, but each film asks some version of the same question: who has the authority to decide what another person needs, deserves, or ought to become?As the retrospective continues, we also look at the evolution of Wiseman’s filmmaking: his increasing patience, ambiguity, and willingness to let institutions reveal themselves through contradiction rather than simple condemnation.Up next: THE AMERICAN MACHINEBasic Training (1971)Canal Zone (1977)Sinai Field Mission (1978)Manoeuvre (1979)Missile (1988)CHAPTERS0:00 Introduction2:49 Essene16:32 Juvenile Court41:05 WelfareFURTHER READINGMuch of our research throughout this series draws from:Barry Keith Grant — Voyages of Discovery: The Cinema of Frederick Wiseman, Revised and Expanded Edition (2023)Thomas W. Benson & Carolyn Anderson — Reality Fictions: The Films of Frederick Wiseman, 2nd Edition (2002)Thomas W. Benson & Carolyn Anderson — Making Documentary Film: Frederick Wiseman and His Collaborators (2024)INTRO MUSIC“Cylinder Two” — Chris ZabriskieFrom the album Cylindershttps://chriszabriskie.bandcamp.com/album/cylindersLicensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/https://chriszabriskie.com/#FrederickWiseman #DocumentaryFilm #FilmPodcast

After a few months on the Jams and Tea YouTube, The First Watch Podcast returns to Spotify, Apple, and wherever you get your podcasts. Morgan, Cole, and Zach discuss the first of two new Lance Oppenheim films of the year, Primetime, starring Robert Pattinson, Skyler Gisondo, and Merrit Weaver.Hang with us as we dive into all the seediness of 2006 network news and celebrate this exciting release to kick off the year's fall slate.

In the first episode of a new ongoing series, Cole and Zach discuss Wiseman's first four feature-length documentaries: Titicut Follies (1967), High School (1968), Law and Order (1969), and Hospital (1970).We begin with an overview of Wiseman's observational/direct cinema approach before exploring the institutions at the center of these films—the prison hospital, the high school, the police department, and the public hospital—and the ways Wiseman's filmmaking evolves across only a few short years.This series will cover Frederick Wiseman's entire feature filmography, grouping the films chronologically and thematically while following the development of his style, ideas, and vision of institutional and communal life.Up next: "MORAL AUTHORITY"Essene (1972)Juvenile Court (1973)Welfare (1975)EDITOR'S NOTEApologies for the tinny audio that begins around the 20-minute mark. This will be corrected in episode 2.FURTHER READINGMuch of our research throughout this series draws from:Barry Keith Grant — Voyages of Discovery: The Cinema of Frederick Wiseman, Revised and Expanded Edition (2023)Thomas W. Benson & Carolyn Anderson — Reality Fictions: The Films of Frederick Wiseman, 2nd Edition (2002)INTRO MUSIC“Cylinder Two” — Chris ZabriskieFrom the album Cylindershttps://chriszabriskie.bandcamp.com/a...Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...https://chriszabriskie.com/

The First Watch gang (and returning guest Ryley) round out the Paul Thomas Anderson series with his newest release, the much-hyped and much-lauded One Battle After Another.

In part 2 of 3 of First Watch's PTA retrospective, the gang (plus Jams and Tea stalwart Ryley dive deep into two of the American auteur's most confounding works, which is of no surprise considering they're both loose to less-loose Thomas Pynchon adaptations.