The Morning Watch: Indie Spirit Awards Opening Monologue, Realistic Sports In Movies & More

The Morning Watch is a recurring feature that highlights a handful of noteworthy videos from around the web. They could be video essays, fanmade productions, featurettes, short films, hilarious sketches, or just anything that has to do with our favorite movies and TV shows.

In this edition, watch the opening monologue from John Mulaney and Nick Kroll at the Independent Spirit Awards. Plus, see how I, Tonya and Battle of the Sexes depicted their respective sports in such a realistic way, and learn about how Paul Thomas Anderson uses hot dog shapes in all of his films.

First up, watch as Nick Kroll and John Mulaney deliver some big laughs in the opening monologue of the Indie Spirit Awards. They hit a little harder than Jimmy Kimmel did at the Oscars since they were on IFC instead of network television, but that only means we get to laugh harder.

This video essay from Slate dives into how to portray sports on film and make it look realistic. It's not easy to bring a sport to life on the big screen, and this video explores some of the movies that got it wrong and why. But it also shows the way that some movies get it absolutely right and bring the energy of the sport to life in the best way possible, like I, Tonya and Battle of the Sexes last year.

Clickhole delivered this insightful video essay about how director Paul Thomas Anderson incorporates hot dog shapes into every single one of his movies to create a bond between characters and much more. It's quite the astute analysis of a subtle element the filmmaker employs to add something special to every single one of his movies.