Director Watch Podcast Ep. 134 – ‘Dick Tracy’ (Warren Beatty, 1990)
On episode 134 of the Director Watch Podcast, co-hosts Ryan McQuade and Jay Ledbetter are joined by Editor-In-Chief Erik Anderson and Izzy of Be Kind Rewind to discuss the next film in their Warren Beatty series, Dick Tracy (1990).
Welcome back to Director Watch! On this AwardsWatch podcast, the boys attempt to breakdown, analyze, and ultimately, get inside the mind of some of cinema’s greatest auteurs. In doing so, they will look at their filmographies, explore what drives them artistically and what makes their decision making process so fascinating. Add in a few silly tangents and a fun game at the end of the episode and you’ve got yourself a podcast we truly hope you love.
It took Beatty nine years to return to the director’s chair after winning his Oscar for Reds, but when he did, he made a flashy, bold, audacious crime caper straight from the beloved comic book of the same name. Donning the iconic yellow trench coat, Beatty brought the world of Dick Tracy to life with music, vibrant colors, insane make-up design, and memorable supporting characters (an all-time Al Pacino), but in making the film, Beatty connected with the titular police detective grew larger than life, as he completed his mission he set out since 1975 to make. Finally getting the rights, he was able to shoot for the fences with this one, and make an entertaining picture that still holds up to today. Ryan, Jay, Erik, and Izzy break down their thoughts on the film, Beatty’s relationship with his co-star Madonna, how wild Pacino gets within the film, if Beatty is right for the part of Dick Tracy, the production design, the recurring videos Beatty releases to keep the film rights, and if they like the original songs in the film from the legendary Steven Sondheim.
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This podcast runs 2h16m. The guys will be back next week to continue their series on the films of Warren Beatty with a review of his next film, Bulworth. You can rent it via iTunes and Amazon Prime rental in preparation for the next episode of Director Watch. Till then, let’s get into it.
Music: MUSICALIFE, from Pond5 (intro) and “B-3” from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro).
- Director Watch Podcast Ep. 134 – ‘Dick Tracy’ (Warren Beatty, 1990) - January 9, 2026
- Director Watch Episode 133 – ‘Reds’ (Warren Beatty, 1981) - January 3, 2026
- AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 324 – Our Favorite Films of 2025 Part 2 - December 30, 2025
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Director Watch Podcast Ep. 134 – ‘Dick Tracy’ (Warren Beatty, 1990) 
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