OscarWatch Podcast: Recent Episodes
OscarWatch
Join hosts Amy Thomasson and Steve Buja as they take a look back at the very small number of films to have been named the Academy Awards' Best Picture and ask the important question: did it deserve to win? We'll take a look at the other contenders, the politics of awards season, the world events that shaped the year, and of course, reviewing the big winner and how it has withstood the test of time. Hopefully while having a spirited conversation that will, in some cases, be more entertaining than the movie! OscarWatch: truly determining the best of the Best.
We say farewell with a look back at one of the finest works ever produced, Charlie Chaplin's City Lights (1931), a film that is sure to make you fall in love all over again. Steve tears up, Amy laughs and we all stare in awe at how well this little film where no words are ever said can still hold up to this day. Not to spoil anything, but this movie is absolutely hilarious and as charming as the day is long.
We thank you for listening to us for all these episodes. Like the Tramp at the end, you make us smile and perhaps, we'll meet again on the street. Our eyes no longer blind.
All aboard to ride that (Czech New) wave with a look at the Best Foreign Language film of 1967, Closely Watched Trains. This episode, Amy and Steve reveal some sordid histories of theirs, Steve admits to some "funny" feelings during a particular scene and the two discuss how boys and girls' "coming of age" narratives are very different (and awfully skewed towards the former). And who knew a Czech film that takes place during the Nazi occupation could be so damn funny? Plus, Steve cheers the ending that finally does what he wants it do...right?
All that and a butchering of Czech names, this week on the podcast. Thank you for listening. Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and find us on social media @oscarwatchpod .
Happy New Year!
Our pitch, in 25 words or less: This week, we talk Altfans, making movies, murder, underrated Robbins, Scacchi, Gallagher (and those eyebrows!) and of a time before meta was meta. We guarantee!
Thanks for listening!
Amy and Steve get captured and thrown in the brig with our Christmas gift to ourselves: Billy Wilder's Stalag 17. A film with a special place in Amy's heart! We discuss the great William Holden (in his only Oscar winning role...and was it actually for something else?) and Steve realizes that yes, there is such a thing as "too much comedy" in an otherwise very serious film. Some films are hung around a great performance and no one does it better than Holden! And a question to you: which is better, this, The Great Escape or River Kwai? All that and more, this week.
A very merry holidays to all of you. Thank you all for listening. We cannot do this without you.
Thanks for listening, and be sure to chime in with your thoughts to oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and find us on social media @oscarwatchpod
"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."
A brief message on the future, and fare thee well.
Are you listening closely? This week, as part of our all request Christmas Giftathon, we take a very close look back at the ultimate superhero showdown: Batman vs Wolverine, The Prestige (2006), a film that Steve simply cannot stop watching. And yes, don't worry folks, it is superior to The Illusionist in every single way. But what makes this Christopher Nolan film so appealing so many years later? And how great a screenplay is this? And why wasn't Bowie nominated?! For that matter, why wasn't this nominated for more. It has only grown in esteem in the years. We talk magic, suspense, the nature of Causality (and how Nolan may actually really hate it) and Amy definitely shows off her skills by pointing out how 'hey! isn't that this other guy in a beard?' All this and more, this week on the podcast!
And thank you for listening!
A dominating narcissist destroys everyone around him in an attempt at immortality, and also there's a vampire! Hey-o! As part of the Christmas Gift month of requests, Amy (or should I say, Herr Direktor?) and Steve take a look back at the underloved 2000 film, Shadow of the Vampire. What is it about art as destruction that we find so compelling? And why, through all the blood, is this actually rather funny? Plus, we all definitely agree: John Malkovich brought his own costumes. Film history, the eternal life of film and a stern reminder, if it's not in frame, it doesn't exist! on the podcast.
Thank you so much for listening!
We begin our Christmas Gift month with a trip to America...through the eyes of those who came here. Avalon is little remembered these days but as Amy and Steve both discover, it is both a little timeless and also very timely. We thrill over the much underappreciated Armin Mueller-Stahl and marvel at watching America as only immigrants can. And when the bitter thesis drops, it's a stab to the gut. Plus, Amy is clearly team Sam in the great turkey carving fight: be punctual people. Life is too short to be holding up other people, dammit. All that and so much more with this, our first listener request in December.
Thank you all for writing in. I'm sorry we can't get to all of them this month but I assure you, we will get to all of them. If you have a request of your own, or want to side with Gabriel in the turkey fight, drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and be sure to find us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Next week, if it's not in frame, it doesn't exist!
Whether it's 1951, 1971 or 2018, there are some things that exist outside of time. Anarene may not be real but there are towns like it all over the country. Amy and Steve look at how the more things change, the more they stay the same in Peter Bogdanovich's transcendent film, The Last Picture Show. Is it a post-apocalyptic film? It sure starts that way and is somehow even bleaker than more traditional fare. Plus, nobody respects Shepherd or Bottoms here, but the awards heaped on Ben Johnson and Cloris Leachman are well earned (even if Steve thinks Leachman was on a different tv show in the 80s). Never has hopelessness and ennui been more effective and nuanced than here, and we talk all that, Hank Williams and more.
Like what you hear? Write us an email at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and find us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Stay tuned! December is upon us!
We mourn the passing of screenwriter William Goldman this week with a look back at the beloved fantasy, The Princess Bride. A film that was not that well known in its day, but has since become a cultural favorite. Joining Amy and Steve to talk fencing, fighting and true love is guest co-host Brian Hartz who is back to drop trivia bombs and love of swords into the mix. Just what makes this such a classic? And how have the lines been adopted into pop culture? Steve has some issues with plotholes, but as he is rightly shouted down, do they really matter? Plus, a question: who is prettier - Robin Wright, or Cary Elwes? All this and so much more on this very special, somewhat somber and very INCONCEIVABLE episode.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! And thank you for listening. Write in with your thoughts to oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and find us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Til next time...as you wish.
In honor of the 100th anniversary since the end of World War I, Amy and Steve look back at the 3rd Academy Award winner, All Quiet On The Western Front, a film that time has hardly touched...and we wonder if that's a good or bad thing. We have seen all it has done before; but put yourself in the shoes of someone back then, imagine how this modern work would appear? Plus, sure he has some cheesy moments, but why wasn't Lew Ayres nominated? And the limited categories are felt here, as Louis Wolheim deserves a place at the table. All this, and Amy explains the film's title...and more, this week on the podcast.
Thank you for listening. See you next week. Write us an email at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and follow us on social media @oscarwatchpod
The most important election in our lifetimes has just passed us (I hope we are still standing) and so what better way to celebrate democracy and America than with that most American of all films, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Directed by an immigrant, by the way! Wait...you mean this film didn't win Best Picture?!? How could that be? Well...we get into that, with a little preview of the banner year that 1939 was. Amy and Steve get to the heart of why this is so beloved and why every politician should watch this before doing anything. Plus, Stewart gets a lot of credit but what about Jean Arthur? So what if she can't cast movies, that's not her job! All that, and what would Steve and Amy use if they ever found themselves filibustering on the senate floor! The answers will probably in no way surprise you!
May you listen to this for as long as we still have an open and free internet. Write us an email with your Listener Requests to oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and be sure to follow us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Next week, we honor the end of World War One with a look back at the Best Picture winner, All Quiet On The Western Front.
In honor of Dia de los Muertos, Amy and Steve look back on last year's Best Animated Feature winner, Coco. While we normally ask how the film has aged, we instead ask how we think the film will be received in the future. Steve once again vents his annoyance (however unfounded) at this song winning over a different, more Hugh Jackman-y number. He also has some righteous anger over the makeup of how the underworld is basically just a sillier version of the real world. But he does love a good absurd bureaucracy! Most of all, we talk of family and how you're stuck with them, both here and there and how maybe we two hosts cannot fully understand it, but again, that is precisely the power of Coco: that it tells a universal truth with a very different cultural lens. All that and more, this week on the podcast.
Send in your requests for our December lineup! There's plenty of time get your picks in to oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com; and find us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Next week, we remind ourselves what actually makes this country great as we take a trip to Washington...
No, it's not a dream, this is really happening. Amy and Steve are once again returning to the banner year of 1968 to discuss another genre film that broke boundaries and that we think may have deserved a Best Picture nom, Rosemary's Baby. A warning: we do discuss director Roman Polanski, criminal and briefly get into what he did. However, we also marvel that such a cruddy human being can also create such a boldly, proudly feminist film - as polemic as anything the 1960s created. And just why wasn't Mia Farrow - who is in every scene! - not considered? Is this film really just reinforcing why you should never be friends with your neighbors? And of course, Steve gets mighty upset at New York real estate.
Question to you all: Guy Woodhouse: worst husband or THE WORST husband? All that, the music, the adaptation and more this week on the podcast.
Send in your requests for our December gift month, four weeks of you calling the shots. Write in your pick and tell us briefly why you love it and why we should talk about it to oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and be sure to find us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Next week, feliz dia de los muertos todos!
Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the bathroom...Hitchcock takes even that sanctuary away from us. Join Amy and Steve as they discuss one of the most influential films in history, Hitchcock's Psycho. How influential? It birthed the slasher and while it wasn't prescient, it sure informed us what was to come in the 1960s. And it is more than just the famous shower scene - but don't worry, we talk all about that - it is a wickedly crafted film from start to finish, as unsettling as only a master filmmaker can create. Plus, that music! And can we be honest? Anthony Perkins is a catch and a half. All that, plus we talk incels and the modern man...and more, this week on the podcast!
Send in your thoughts on Psycho and your picks for what we should talk about this December, which is listener request month! The email is oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and we'd love to hear from you. Follow us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Next week, these goddamn New York apartments, amirite?
Heeeeeere's...OscarWatch! We begin our October celebration of Shoulda Beens with a look at Stanley Kubrick's The Shining, a film that few liked when it was released but many came around on as the years went by. What is it about this movie that inspires revision and, as it turns out, an obsessive - nay, rabid - cult of fans? Joining Amy and Steve is #1 Kubrick fan Brian Hartz (who also chimed in on our 2001 episode) as they discuss the unsettling nature of the film, the indictment (or elevation) of misogyny, just why Jack works so well - and why Danny deserved a nod; and why we've all been overly harsh on Shelley Duvall. Brian also lays into some interesting takes on the music used, and we all throw up our hands and debate just what the hell happened in the end. All that and so, so much more on one of our longest episodes to date!
Your requests keep coming in and we want more! What films should we discuss come December? You tell us! Write us an email and a brief paragraph on your choice to oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com to make your claim! There's still plenty of time, but the more, the merrier!
Next week...you know what you need after this movie? A nice showe--dammit!
Baa Ram Ewe! Baa Ram Ewe! Baa Ram Ewe...really should listen to our hosts discuss the magical and adorable Best Picture nominee, 1995's Babe. The second half of our George Miller double feature explores the writer/director's central theme of flying your own flag, whether that's dancing, not being sexual chattel or wanting to be a sheep-pig. Steve gets misty eyed thinking of this film; and Amy gets to experience it for the first time. Yes, we love the animals (especially Ferdinand the Duck) but we adore James Cromwell in this, his only ever nominated role.
We can all agree that Christmas is indeed (emotional) carnage. All this and more, this week on the podcast.
Write us in your Listener Requests and tell us why your recommendation is good (or bad!) at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com; we'll be talking about what you want to listen to all December long.
Next week, a month-ish of the best horror films that never were nominated begins. Won't you come and play with us forever, and ever, and ever...?
Tap along if you feel like a penguin without a song...Amy and Steve tackle the George Miller directed tale of a lone figure wandering a barren wasteland in a quasi-ecological story while fighting the forces of the status quo. Yes, it is Happy Feet! (Why? What else could it be?) The 2006 Best Animated Feature is not without its critics, but as we learn, it was a bit of a down year for animation; besides, Pixar can't win all the awards, can it? We tackle the music - does it work? Does it make you dance? The message! Or rather, the messages. We reaffirm our love for Hugh Jackman and Steve wonders if the savior should also get the girl, but then we remember it's a kid's movie.
But do kids like it? Amy has her own story to tell.
Thanks for listening! Be sure to write us your thoughts to oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and send in your requests! December is gift month and we want to review the movies you love!
Next week, the George Miller double feature continues...
Hop on the back of this moving truck and let's play the ivory keys with a look at vintage Nicholson and his nominated role, Five Easy Pieces. Wherein we ask: why do we love watching Nicholson self destruct? And what is the film trying to say about the human - specifically the male - experience? Some people just like to run, I suppose. Steve admires any movie that can play it this close to the vest, and Amy says there's more to Rayette than at first glance. And, of course, we put it between our knees and talk the famous diner scene. All that and more, this week.
Write to us! Give us a film to discuss. We're doing an all listener request this December! Write an email (no FB or Twitter) outlining a film that won, was nominated or you think should have been a contender and if we like your argument, we'll talk about it on the show with a shout out to you! Our Gift to you, our listeners. The address is oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com
Next week, let's tap our toes. It's getting cold in here...
We pay tribute to the one and only Burt Reynolds with a look back at his one and only Oscar nomination: PTA's landmark Boogie Nights, a movie so good it obviously wasn't nominated for Best Picture. Joining our intrepid duo this week once again is Shahir Daud of The Only Podcast About Movies, who brings his professorial swagger and learns us a thing or two. We talk Reynolds, the porn industry, the bonds of family and of course, THAT soundtrack. Can we talk for five minutes about a single shot? You bet we can! All that and more on this DD sized episode of Oscarwatch.
Thanks for listening. Write us in with your thoughts to oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and find us on social media @oscarwatchpod. In December, we are beginning a listener request Gift month! Listen to the podcast for details and write in the films you want us to review. Our gift to you.
Next week, our regularly scheduled program: Five Easy Pieces
To honor the passing of Broadway giant and screenwriter Neil Simon, who died recently at the age of 91, our hosts fall in love with his 1977 romcom, The Goodbye Girl. What more do you need than a script as punchy and witty as this? At long last, a worthy comedy deserving of Best Picture...that happened to be released when one of cinema's greatest comedies also happened to come out! Oh, the injustice! Plus, is Richard Dreyfuss really only 30 in this? Steve admits his ignorance towards Marsha Mason, though says that the kid is one of the few precocious children he can actually stand. And of course, love. How it swoons, how it laughs, how it's messy and how this is one of the most relatable romantic comedies ever made.
Listen in! If you don't, I have a lawyer acquaintance downtown...and be sure to write us in with your thoughts to oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and follow us on social media @oscarwatchpod
RIP Neil Simon
We seize the day with another inspiring, rousing podcast about the 1989 Best Picture nominee, Dead Poets Society. The movie that all taught us a little Latin and reminded a generation of who that Whitman guy was. How has the film held up? And is it better subtitled 'See! Rich White Guys Have Problems, Too!' Plus, we figure out just what seizing the day is NOT (cough Knox cough) and Amy points out a smattering of plot inconsistencies that, Steve admits, don't bother him. Finally, just how would Robin Williams survive in this day of 'teaching to the test'?
So stand on your desk! Give a yawp! Your captains are here, and listen in. Remember, we are food for worms. Will your verse not include hearing our discussion?
Write in with your thoughts to oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and follow us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Next week: spader, soderbergh & cannes
There's acting. There's good acting. And then there's Daniel Day Lewis, a man so talented he only needs one limb to wow you in his first of three Best Actor winning films, My Left Foot. A fine film elevated by a great performance...and we don't always mean Mr. Day Lewis, either, for Best Supporting Actress winner Brenda Fricker is every bit his equal. Plus, Amy brings her own personal history into this and we reflect on how it is impossible to remove one's experiences from watching a film. And Steve once again curses that we could've had 'Academy Award winner Tom Cruise' this year, but nooo...all that and the dickishness of artists, bad haircuts and she had how many kids?!?! and so much more.
Thanks for listening. We hope you've enjoyed our little stopover in 1989. Almost done! Send us a line with your thoughts to oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and find us on social media @oscarwatchpod
It's hot out there, so what better way to pass the time than with a look back at a snub so great we're still talking about it nearly thirty years later? Joining us for our discussion is special guest Steven van Patten. He helps us break down the music, the culture, the incredible cast, the heat, anything and everything - and yet we leave so much undiscussed! He even drops a theory that further clarifies the relationships between the characters. Plus, we ask: does anyone actually do the right thing? All this and more. As relevant now as it was then, if not moreso, failing to nominate Do The Right Thing remains one of the Academy's numerous wrong things over the years. And that's the double truth, Ruth.
So, up you wake! Grab a slice, turn the AC on, dunk your head in a tub of ice and listen up! And as always, fight the power.
Drop us a line with your thoughts to oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and be sure to find us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Next week, grab that foot and paint!
The film world has been agog at the recently announced changes to the Academy Awards format. Hosts Amy and Steve break down the new rules, regulations, try to figure out why (hint: money & millennials) and generally try to keep their cool while not breaking their computers. Can we live in a world with a Best Picture and a Best Popular Picture? We'll soon find out; but it's not one either host is ready to be a part of.
We come to it at last: 1989, one of the greatest years in film. Seriously, look up all the movies that came out and tell me that's not a stacked deck? And yet...
Driving Miss Daisy has been maligned since the very moment it won the Academy Award for Best Picture nearly thirty years ago. Is the world right to condemn this movie? Amy and Steve, your valiant hosts, aim to answer that very question. Join them through discussions of friendship, cinematic tropes, quite the conversation on race relations in America and a look inside the Academy's head at the time. Did they, in fact, do the...right thing?
Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night.
Send us your thoughts to oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and follow us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Next week, a 'Shoulda Been A Contenda' joint...
Our hosts look at the beautiful side of ugly, and the ugliness in the beautiful with a conversation about the 2013 Best Foreign Language film, The Great Beauty. Sure, we all wanted to be artists when we grew up, but would we all end up as insufferable as everyone in this movie? Amy and Steve are split on this one and one is very, very passionate about it! Join us for a trip through the majesty of Rome, the frustrations of age and the sheer absurdity of life...maybe together we can all find something a little beautiful, a little perfect. Now that would make a great book, wouldn't it?
Thanks for listening! Send us your thoughts to oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and follow us on social media.
Next week, we begin 1989 in earnest. Glorious, glorious, passionate earnest...
Hoo boy, it is hot out! How better to spend a sweltering summer day than holed up inside a bank after a robbery goes spectacularly wrong? Amy and Steve discuss the classic 1975 crime caper, Dog Day Afternoon. But first, they have to get their love of Sydney Lumet out there in the open; few are better, or more unloved these days. We lament the passing of 1970s Al Pacino...but then remember that he's been killing it on HBO these past many years, so I guess it's okay that he hasn't been nominated in over 25 years? Forty years on, just how does the central motivation work in our "enlightened" times? All this, the heat, humidity, a look at America's love for the outlaw and goddamn New Yorkers, this week on the podcast.
Thanks for listening! Write us, won't you? The address is oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com, and follow us on social media @oscarwatchpod
America! F--- Yeah! concludes this week. What can possibly be more American than unfettered, naked capitalism? So grab a seat - I hope you paid - because you're going to sell us a pen, it's Leo. It's Marty. It's The Wolf of Wall Street. But can you make a movie about such deplorable people and not start to sympathize with the characters? And how is it that a seventy year old man has more energy and life to his movies than all the 30 something mumblecore directors combined? Amy and Steve discuss the excess, the charm, the Thelma! and of course, Beni-fucking-Hana...and more! this week on the podcast.
So grab hold of the American dream. Money makes you a better person...right? Write to us with your thoughts at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and be sure to follow us on social media.
Next week, the dog days are over.
Don your best zoot suits. Glue on that toupee and fire up the science oven, it's our lookback at that ode to 70s excess, American Hustle. The latest entry in the Amy T. Top 100, the film has been a long time coming on this podcast. But how will our hosts respond to each other's opinions? The answer may shock you! We delve into the razzle dazzle of the film - is it too much? Is it only that? The acting - does improv really work when in a film like this? And just what constitutes an "original" movie, as argued by our hosts. This is week three of our four week series 'America! F-- Yeah!'
Plus, what he hell does "from the feet up" mean anyways? So bust out the disco soundtrack, we're in for a hustle.
Write in with your opinions to oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and be sure to follow us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Next week: what could possibly be more American than wanting MORE, MORE, MORE?
Happy Fourth of July! We continue our 'America! F---, Yeah!' series with a look back at the most American president ever, Steven Spielberg's 2012 Best Picture nominee, Lincoln. Let's pour a toast out to all of those poor bastards who were nominated for Best Actor alongside Daniel Day Lewis, though as we will quickly realize, our hosts are far from in sync about this movie and DDL's performance. Can the first three minutes of a movie really force someone to walk out? Yes, yes they can. Plus, remember when the film came out when all was hopeful? Yeah, neither do we and now this movie is just depressing. Things have changed in politics...but have they really? That and so much more this week on the podcast.
So, in the immortal words of Honest Abe himself: "Party on, dudes!" and be sure to tell us your thoughts at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and find us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Next week on our series, America ain't nothing but a con job and therefore, we Hustling this one.
Our two very white hosts discuss a topic that they are absolutely experts in, Steve McQueen's 2013 Best Picture winning film, 12 Years A Slave. The latest entry in our VERY IMPORTANT FILM series. As unflinching and uncomfortable an experience as one may have at the theater, the movie is absolutely designed to make you squirm. Not for its brutality, but for the insidiousness of its story and the mirror it holds up to our world some 170 years later. The more things change, and all that. But is it enough to just show it? And why can't Solomon be half as interesting as literally everyone else around him? Can a good man like Cumberbatch really be a good man in this system? And Patsy. Your worst days are Patsy's best dreams.
All that and of course, Brad Pitt, this week on the podcast as we kick off our 'America! F--- Yeah!' series looking back at those films that highlight our true American values.
Thanks for listening. Be sure to write us, you don't need to make your own ink out of berries, just send us an email at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and find us on social media @oscarwatchpod; we'll come for you, I swear.
Next week, speaking of white saviors...
Pull up a seat and get ready for a whole lot of not kissing! Amy and Steve go back to the days before Netflix, when the movies were too big for any one screen to fill, to celebrate the 1989 Best Foreign Language Film, Cinema Paradiso. A love story for the ages...not between man and woman, but between man and the movies. Does its quaint, rosy colored Odyssey hold up some thirty years later? Have we finally found an adorable Italian kid that Amy DOESN'T want to take home? And do we need resolutions or 50 extra minutes when the original says so much already? Plus, Steve gets to wax poetic about his second greatest job: projectionist! All that, a beautiful Morricone score and much more. The square is ours. Won't you join us for one more trip to the movies?
Thanks for listening. Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and follow us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Next week, we begin a four week stint into the heart of our culture in what we're calling 'America: F-- Yeah!' First up, that most American of pastimes...slavery!
HAPPY 100 EPISODES! To celebrate this illustrious milestone, we are throwing ourselves an Incredi-ball and there's only one film to do that with: 2004's Best Animated Feature winner, The Incredibles. Just in time for the long overdue sequel, Amy and Steve take a look back and see just how incredible this film is...or has a decade of superhero glut ruined the magic for us? We also get to trash talk those most vile of vile villains: Objectivists! And the Libertarians who are ruining everything. Finally, isn't this all really Mr. Incredible's fault? And aren't we over this yet? All this and more, including how awesome Holly Hunter is on this, our very special centennial episode!
Thank you for being a part of the last 100 and we hope you'll stick around for the next 100...and beyond! Write us an email at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and find us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Next week, we return to Italy for another tale of tiny adorable kids, love and the magic of movies...
We feel the bitter cold on this, our third journey with David Lean as he takes us to the Russian Revolution with his sumptuous adaptation of Doctor Zhivago. Amy and Steve ponder why the titular actor is not, in fact, the first billed, try to dissect Russian history is about two minutes - to varying degrees of success - and come to the conclusion that the most interesting characters are the two that the film does not pay enough attention to. And how addicting is that score from Maurice Jarre?
All that, and just how hard it is to be Omar Sharif caught between two of the most gorgeous women ever. The worst, amirite?
Did Doctor Zhivago deserve to win over The Sound of Music? Tune in and find out. Then write us with your thoughts to oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and talk to us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Next week: Episode 100 is going to be INCREDIBLE!
Terrence Malick's sumptuous meditation on combat asks many questions, and Amy and Steve are here to answer them as best we can with this look at (yet another) 1998 Best Picture nominee, The Thin Red Line. Our hosts bunker down and attack the hill of storytelling and what moments matter and are required in your film. What is the strength in asking a question - especially one you never intend to answer? Or, does Malick actually answer it and perhaps we are too thick to see it? Maybe. More likely, we're getting blinded by how beautiful James Caviezel is in this film. Seriously, call us! Finally, who the hell wasn't in this movie?!
Of course, we ask: is this the World War II film that deserves the recognition that year? All that and more, this week on the podcast.
If you don't write us, let us feel the lack. We hope you do, though. Write us at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and find us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Next week, we reconsider David Lean...again!
Just in time for summer, Amy and Steve grab the biggest boat we can find and set sail for shark infested waters with a look back at Steven Spielberg's gamechanging film, Jaws (1975. The old adage 'less is more' has never been truer than with the iconic shark, who is still terrifying swimmers 40 years later. More than a sharkfest, the film works because of its three main characters; because who doesn't love Quint (or his introduction?). And no conversation about the movie is ever complete without a long discussion of John Williams' iconic score. All that and a bucket of chum, this week on the podcast.
Thanks for listening! Do you think Jaws deserves its place in history, or like Bruce the Shark, does it fall apart under scrutiny? Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and find us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Next week...this great evil. Where does it come from? How'd it steal into the world?
Join hosts Amy & Steve, along with special guest Brian Hartz, as they celebrate the 50th anniversary of Stanley Kubrick's ultimate trip, 2001: A Space Odyssey. A film so influential in cinema that, of course, it was nominated for Best Picture...right? Wrong! So, in honor of this momentous occasion, we introduce a new category of film: Shoulda Been A Contenda, those films that for whatever reason were not nominated for the big one.
Kubrick is renowned for never winning an Oscar...for director. He did walk away with his only statue for overseeing the effects work here; effects that still hold up to this day. We discuss what Steve calls "the sin of tools" and question whether violence and civilization go hand in hand; just what why did HAL go crazy and kill everybody, and Amy gives the greatest summation of the plot in history. All this, and more! Like the legendary music, that brilliant flash-forward and those monkeys...
Write us an email with your thoughts to oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and be sure to find us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Next week, we're gonna need a bigger boat...
Special guest Shahir Daud of The Only Podcast About Movies joins in for a discussion at what the great critic Pauline Kael said was "the greatest movie of all time", Vittorio de Sica's Bicycle Thieves. Or is it The Bicycle Thief? By whatever name you call it, the influential Italian neorealist film provokes a deep discussion on "poverty tourism", the differences between America and Italy in the post-war environment, how time and tide affect how we view films, the failures of institutions and the morality of stealing... and just how adorable that kid is. Seriously, he's got that face!
Be sure to find Shahir on his own podcast, and thanks for listening. Write us in with your thoughts to oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and follow us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Next week, we introduce a new episode category and sing Daisy...
The duo hitches up the wagon and heads west for greener pastures with a look back at the 1931 Best Picture winner, Cimarron. A movie very much of its time, the film straddles the line between progress and "the way things were" both in terms of story, and in how famed silent actor Richard Dix handles a speaking role. Hint: there is no line that cannot be belted out of the park for a homerun. But how have the values of Cimarron and its supporting characters fared in the last 80 years? Do listen in.
Another hint: if you were mad at Three Billboards, have I got a movie for you!
Thanks for listening. Write us in with your thoughts to oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and be sure to follow us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Next week, we're gonna steal some bikes.
In honor of the passing of legendary director Milos Forman, Amy and Steve are looking back at one of his most iconic films, the 1975 Best Picture winner, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Starring the one and only Jack Nicholson, the hosts debate if Jack ever actually acts; whether Louise Fletcher deserved that Best Lead Actress Oscar she so famously won; the positive side of ECT and how books and movies can be very different things. Plus, what is the deal with Chief, anyway?
So grab your Juicy Fruit and be sure to demand your cigarettes. Thanks for listening in. Write us with your thoughts to oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and be sure to find us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Next week: the hell kind of name is Yancey, anyways?
We finish our stay in 2010 with our last ReConsideration, Darren Aronofsky's descent into madness: Black Swan, wherein Natalie Portman slowly goes insane trying to be perfect. What does Aronofsky think of art and artists? We think something rather untenable, but who better to look at obsession than the most obsessive director currently working? Of course, we talk Portman - she won Best Actress. Kunis, Cassel and another in our long list of difficult mothers, Barbara Hershey. The dancing is superb, the effects sublime and subtle and the horrors very, very intimate.
And you thought the ballet was boring.
Thanks for listening. Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and be sure to find us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Next week, we pay tribute to the late Milos Forman with a look back at Cuckoo's Nest.
We continue our descent into 2010 with a look at David Fincher's The Social Network, a movie that makes us go 'Oh yeah, all this stuff involving Zuckerberg totally makes sense!' Though a Fincher film, Amy and Steve talk at length about the film's writer, the legendary Aaron Sorkin and the good - and bad - that often comes with him. Is it so hard to write women, dammit?! Plus, Steve confesses that simple A to B storytelling is boring and that more films should play with time like this. And while the film is about our age, the themes of friendship and betrayal, of pride and jealousy have been around since stories first began. Did it deserve Best Picture? Well, you'll have to stick around and listen.
Thanks for tuning in. Write us with your thoughts at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and find us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Next week, our final stop in the 2010 train sees us soaring high in the sky, like a swan.
This week, we look at the harsh morality tale, In A Better World which went home with the Oscar for Best Foreign Language film over some considerable competition. Parents beware, there are children in danger in this one. A prescient film about the nature of violence in society in general and young men in particular, Amy and Steve discuss whole and half measures, and the pulling of punches. Can you have a film like this end on the note it does? Plus, why do non-Hollywood actors look so real?
Thanks for listening. Drop us a line with your thoughts at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and find us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Next week, for your reconsideration...another surprisingly prescient and relevant film, The Social Network.
We've got a friend! Original co-host Alex Riviello returns to discuss the ins and outs of 2010's Best Animated Film winner, Toy Story 3. Haven't we seen this one before? Doesn't it bear an awful resemblance to its predecessor? But as Steve notes, what can you expect from the guy who just copy and pasted Episode IV? Plus, we discuss the utter darkness in this supposed "kid's" movie, why Woody is actually a sociopath, the religious overtones of the storyline, debate exactly who is the God here (is it kids? is it toys) and why, when you think about it, the idea of Toy Story is utterly TERRIFYING.
All that and more as we continue our stay in 2010. Thanks for listening. Be sure to drop us a line with your thoughts to oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and be sure to follow us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Next week, we tackle the 2010 Foreign Language winner In A Better World
Our first stop in 2010 takes us to the royal drama of a man searching for not only his voice, but the courage to take on the approaching storm. The King's Speech brought everyone's favorite Mr. Darcy his Oscar glory and who knew listening to him curse a blue streak could be so much fun? Amy and Steve discuss the ins and outs of this acting tour de force, the ins and outs of what a director does (it's more than just yelling 'cut!') and what, exactly, makes a film "Oscarbait". All this and more. Did the film deserve to win? Tune in to find out.
Thank you for listening. Write us an email with your opinion to oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and find us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Next week, we continue our 2010 retrospective and would like to remind you that you got a friend in me...
A new segment where Amy and Steve look back at notable Foreign Language films that came up short at the Oscars. For the debut, we could think of none better than (recently en-goldened) Guillermo del Toro's dark fantasy drama, Pan's Labyrinth. Considered GdT's Spanish masterpiece, the film uses the 'young child escapes reality into a fantasy land' trope common to fairy tales and adds that del Toro darkness to the proceedings. Horrific violence, death and despair mix alongside the beautiful - and terrifying - creatures of fantasy. Amy and Steve debate the reality of the reality of the situation, figure out that maybe the bad guy is just a bit too much, find some striking parallels to recent BP winner, The Shape of Water and finally decide whether this should have won out over The Lives of Others.
All this and a declaration that Blade II is the best Blade movie, this week on the podcast. Write us with your thoughts at oscarwatchpod@gmail.com, and find us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Thanks for listening.
We would like to remind everyone that we are big, it's the podcasts that got small. Continuing our look at the year 1950, we set our sights on Billy Wilder's timeless time of obsession and faded glory, the one and only, Sunset Boulevard. A Hollywood film about Hollywood unlike any other. Amy and Steve discuss - at length - the beauty of the acting, from both Holden and Swanson, to how delicious the scripting can be (are there two better lines spoken in film history? We think not!) and just why this may endure better than its conqueror, All About Eve. Plus, that music, Eric von Stroheim and so much more. Join us.
We're ready for our close-up.
Thanks for listening. Write us an email at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and be sure to find us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Next week, Guillermo! But for what?
We add three more films to the roster here at OscarWatch: The Shape of Water, A Fantastic Woman and Coco. In this special, no muss, no fuss edition of the podcast, Amy and Steve recap the 90th Annual Academy Awards, a show that was long in time and had many things a long time coming. The big winner was del Toro, but there were so many things to be happy for; and even better, so few things to be mad about! So, be sure to Get Out and read it all in The Post, and don't forget to Call Me By Your Name (hint, it is I, Tonya) and this may seem like the Darkest Hour, but i assure you that the Shape of Water is not, in fact, a Phantom Thread. All that, montages, Kimmel, the best speeches, the most memorable moments. Hollywood knows how to party and there is no bigger or brighter hootenanny than the one, the only...
The Oscars.
Listen in, and we return to our regularly scheduled program soon.
The 90th annual Academy Awards are upon us and there has been no better year to just throw darts at a board! Seriously, this race is as wide open as we all can remember it, with no intimidating frontrunner and with every film garnering its share of awards - and complaints. Perhaps, given the fractured nature of ourselves and the side that art comes from, this is not a surprise. Still, Amy and Steve are here to help you navigate the pitfalls of the MAJOR categories (sorry, shorts! find a different home!) and we absolutely guarantee* that our predictions will make winners of you all for your own office Oscar pool.
The Superbowl of Film begins, and we're here to lay down the odds! Join us!
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- guarantee not guaranteed
In a more innocent time when people thought someone seeing every performance of a show was not only cute but endearing, there is All About Eve, the 1950 Best Picture winner and one of the most nominated films of all time. Hosts Amy and Steve break down the surprisingly deep look at 50s society and how even the theater, that bastion of progressiveness, can be used to uphold the status quo in terms of gender, sexuality and especially, feminine agency. For a movie that's all about the women, they are servants to a surprisingly male force. And how could we not talk the 280 character (or less) takedowns from the great George Sanders and of course, the one and only Bette Davis.
Also, it was a hell of a year for films, and particularly aging starlets.
Write us an email at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com if you like what you hear! We're back soon with out Oscar picks.
Happy Valentine's Day! What better way to celebrate than to discuss the film that is literally called 'love', 2012's Best Foreign Language winner, Amour. A tour de force of the everyday, Michael Haneke's unsentimental look at an aged couple and their struggles is nonetheless an emotional rollercoaster of that dogged specter that stalks us all: getting old. Amy and Steve discuss the impact of the rote and boring, an accurate look at how love REALLY looks, removed from the Hollywood shine. We talk acting, pigeons and how this movie does not get the technical credit it really, really deserves. Is amour, no?
Thanks for listening. Write us your thoughts at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and be sure to find us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Next week, it's we're All About...someone.
Hey now! You're an all star! Yes! You! For listening to this, our review of the very first Best Animated Feature winner, Shrek (2001). The greatest fairy tale never told. We're used to these subversive retellings these days - indeed, when was the last time anyone rescued a princess and not the other way around? - but for the time, Dreamworks' hit was quite groundbreaking. And, as it turns out, surprisingly dark. There is some serious stuff happening underneath that, sadly, is never developed fully. What remains is a delightful buddy adventure with a moral that everyone can get behind. Plus, a lot of fart jokes. Join Amy and Steve as they discuss the whys and why nots of its big win. And then, we're making waffles!
Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and be sure to find us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Next week, love is in the air. We hope.
Behold! We are creatures of surprise! Not only do we watch older, more acclaimed movies, but we occasionally also get out to the movies to see the best movies of tomorrow today...yesterday? As with many things, we lost the metaphor. Amy and Steve count down their Top 10 films of a surprisingly wonderful film year. Sure, 2017 wasn't the best for the world in general, but we always have the movies. The lists may not be the most 'critically acclaimed' but we have fun with all we've seen. So, from difficult moms (and another difficult mom...and still another difficult mom) to superheroes and everywhere in between, we count em down the best way we can.
Sadly, we must also bid adieu to Matt, our longtime co-host, who is on to greener, far better paying pastures! He'll pop in from time to time to talk some B-movie gem.
If you like our lists (or if you can't believe we forgot x, y and z) please drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and be sure to find us on social media.
Bonjourno, principesa! You know what the problem with Holocaust movies is? They're all so serious! Just lighten up already, like this week's film, Life Is Beautiful, a film that got raked over the coals for doing just that - but won Gold anyways. The movie introduced us to the lovable charm of Robert Benigni and showed us the power of imagination to overcome the odds, no matter how dour and dark. Join Amy and Steve as they discuss the practicalities of imagination, Benigni's famous walk to the podium and why this may have been worthy of an even greater prize at that year's Academy Awards.
Thanks for listening. Tune in next week for our tops of 2017!
Who says we just watch older films? That we aren't "with it"? The gang recaps the 75th annual Oprah's preside--err, Golden Globes which is guaranteed to not clear up this year's Oscar race AT ALL! Additionally, we tackle some of our Best of 2017 categories, from our favorite lines to the best trailers. It's fast and loose and a little different than our normal show! Tune in to get your somewhat well informed awards season prognostication.
Also, we find out that Amy really, really, I mean really likes Sondheim musicals.
Pop quiz! Is Slumdog Millionaire, the Best Picture of 2008, truly worthy of the title? A. Yes B. No C. Huh? D. It is known. Our first film of the year is likely the only quasi-Bollywood film anyone in the West has seen! Amy and Steve tackle Danny Boyle's restless, fast-paced love story, discussing the pros and cons of the film's framing device, exactly which version of the characters is best (spoiler: the youngest kids!), the musical choices and scores and of course, just how this film would be received in 2018 by social media. All that and more for our first episode of the year!
Thanks for listening. Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and be sure to find us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Next week, the awards season begins in earnest. We're looking at the Golden Globes and counting down our favorites of 2017!
Hee haw, hee haw! It's our final Christmas movie of the year, Frank Capra's beloved 1946 film, It's A Wonderful Life. A classic now, but maybe not so successful in its time. Amy and Steve look back at what makes this movie an enduring American story, the aw-shucks greatness of Jimmy Stewart, why anyone would ever think Donna Reed was just a 'plain' girl that no one would want to dance with; we wonder why Steve's mother really dislikes this film, and why we remember things about this movie a bit differently than they actually happen. It's a fun discussion on the emotional power and timelessness that only film can provide a society, and our final episode of the year.
Like us? Dislike us? Send us an email at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and find us on social media.
Happy holidays! Thanks for a wonderful year and take care.
We let our imaginations run wild with this week's entry into our Christmas canon, Ingmar Bergman's Fanny And Alexander! Our trio is divided at the start of this one; while everyone likes what's happening, at least one is unsure where it's all heading. We discuss the 'fun' in 'dysfunctional' family (or is it really that?), tackle the impressiveness of the acting - despite not speaking the language!, Shakespearean overtones and of course, it wouldn't be a Bergman film if we didn't talk about, or to, God himself. Matt proposes an interesting thesis topic regarding Bergman...for someone else to write!
Yep! Nothing says holiday cheer like Swedish esoteric, quasi-supernatural coming of age drama!
Send us your thoughts at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com, and find us on social media. Thanks for listening!
Next week, our Christmas marathon wraps up with a little Capra-corn...
Just because a Christmas movie never won Best Picture doesn't mean we can't talk about Christmas movies on this show. Join us as we take a look at the cult classic Yuletide slasher, Christmas Evil! A film that borrows its cues not from Halloween or other holiday themed horror shows, but a very OscarWatch friendly source: Taxi Driver. This is a story of a man driven over the edge, and he must become something else to fix the world. It just so happens, our hero becomes Santa Claus. What follows next is a very interesting character study. Join Amy, Matt and Steve for a discussion on the themes, the gore, the music and where our sympathies should lie. What is the true meaning of Christmas? Just listen!
Thanks for tuning in. Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and be sure to find us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Next week, a very Swedish Christmas!
We kick off our holiday season with the ultimate Christmastime family battle: The Lion In Winter (1968). Some families talk politics, this family IS politics. Amy and Steve discuss the near infinte quotability of the film, the performances of its leads, just how much scenery Peter O'Toole chews (hint: all of it) and Steve lends us a particular family insight of his own. Plus: James Bond made his debut! But which Bond? Listen in!
We welcome Amy officially to the OscarWatch family. Huzzah!
Director Anthony Harvey passed away today, November 30th at the age of 87. We would love to say that we recorded this in his memory, but it was already in the can when the news broke. Our thoughts to his family, and thank you Mr. Harvey for giving us such an enduring, endearing film.
Next week, Matt returns with the next episode of our UnOscar edition. So, You Better Watch Out!
For the first time in forever...we're talking about a Disney princess movie! Frozen shattered box office records and melted the hearts of millions - while simultaneously destroying parents with its incessant and catchy soundtrack. Amy and Steve look back at the biggest animated phenomenon in years to see what all the fuss is about. Is Elsa really a good role model for young girls, what with all the running away from her feelings? And doesn't Let It Go kinda sound like it was written for a bad guy (hint: it was)? Plus, let's be real: Hans is the best character, because Hans is the only person who has a plan - a desire - during this entire thing. And of course, we discuss why Olaf is not only not funny, but entirely useless.
All that and more, this week on the podcast.
I'm sure you're mad just reading this description, so be sure to send us your hate to oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and find us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
The film never answers exactly how green the valley was, but that didn't stop John Ford from taking home gold at the Oscars! The slice of life film about a 19th century Welsh mining town has something of everything - love, workers rights, coming of age - and that may be its major problem. Joining the show once again is Amy Thomasson, who has some choice opinions on the Oscar race that year - and how there were some very, very, VERY heavy hitters nominated. Does the love story work? And what to make of our main character, does he exist simply to observe while others do the heavy lifting? And in a film with such great women, why aren't they front and center? All those questions are answered...though as to the greeness, we sadly cannot comment.
Send us a message with your thoughts and questions to oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and be sure to find us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Next week, we...let it GOOOOOOO!
So what do you want to do tonight? I don't know, what do you want to do? Why don't we discuss Marty, the 1955 Best Picture winner!? A small little film that one would call 'indie' today, the movie made a big splash at the time. But is it "the best" Steve and guest host Amy Thomasson - avowed classic film lover - discuss the social mores of the time, what does and does not hold up. how we all have 'that' friend and the universality (and quaintness) of "an ordinary love story". One that's about you and me, and all of us regular, podcast listening folk.
We hope you enjoy listening! Let us know what you think of Amy, she'll probably be chiming in from time to time. Drop us an email at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com, and find us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Next week, we find out just how damn green my valley is anyways!
We finish our Halloween festival with the first horror film to ever be nominated for Best Picture, 1973's The Exorcist. We are joined by very special guest and longtime co-host Alex Riviello to discuss the legacy and influence of William Friedkin's supernatural tale, examine why it has - and has not - held up, the controversy surrounding one of the movie's nominations and just why did Tubular Bells become as big as it did? Steve confesses that he always assumed Max von Sydow was old because of this movie. Plus, Matt reloads his gun for the film's director as we talk about all the crap Friedkin put his actors through.
We're excited to have Alex back! If you are, too, then tell us about it in an email to oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com, and be sure to find us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Next week, we return to our regularly scheduled programming.
Welcome back to the UnOscars, our cinematic sorbet of dumb, fun delight! This week, we tackle the most Halloween movie ever - yes, even more Halloween than the movie that is actually titled 'Halloween', it's the DTV cult favorite, Trick 'r Treat (2009)! Matt gets to wax poetic about his favorite genre, Steve gets bowled over by the joy on display and we all have a gory good time with this spooktacular little anthology film. It's good family entertainment; and remember, the family that slays together, stays together!
Drop us a note at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and find us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Next week: it is time to turn our heads and vomit, for we are exorcising some demons.
Hi, hi, hi there internet! Join your humble narrators, alongside our guest droog Justin Clark as they take on Stanley Kubrick's 1971 bit of the old-ultra-violence, A Clockwork Orange. A film about human nature and the future, and the future is always right here, right now. We discuss the twisted morality of the film and how it indicts not only its characters, but the audience as well. We learn that Justin's version of hell would be the Ludovico technique, only instead of The Triumph of the Will, it'd be Baby Geniuses. And just why is Matt so damn angry at Katherine Heigl? We may never know, but it sure is fun listening to him go off.
All this and a discussion about why we shouldn't trust the Man to fix our nature.
Thanks for listening! Be sure to drop a letter to us at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and find us on social media.
Next week, the UnOscars are back!
Note: the sound on Steve's microphone is a bit messed up and at times, low. Thank you for understanding.
We see dead people this week as we begin in earnest our Octoberfestival of ReConsideration, a celebration of the very few horror and horror-ish titles to be nominated for Best Picture. Our first look is the 1999 spooktacular The Sixth Sense, the film that put Shyamalan on the map (for better and worse). We examine why it succeeds as more than just a scary movie, whether it is a scary movie and just how great an actor...Toni Collette is! (She's fabulous). Plus, we debate the logical leap one must make from your primary senses to SENSING AND INTERACTING WITH THE SPIRITS OF THE DEAD. There ought to be a few others in between, yeah? And of course, did this maybe deserve Best Picture. The answer surprised us...kinda like the ending to this movie!
Thank your for your patience in waiting for this one. Sorry the audio isn't what it normally is, massive microphone issues this week. Hope to have em fixed next time. Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and be sure to follow us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Next week, preparest thou for a bit of the old ultra-violence...
Rebecca is a tale as old as time. Boy meets girl. Boy and girl get married. Girl is haunted by the metaphorical ghost of her husband's dead wife. Boy gets put under suspicion of murder. And so on. The great Alfred Hitchcock may never have won a competitive Oscar himself, but he did direct a Best Picture winner! This week, Matt and Steve discuss just when a movie is supposed to start - and why so few seem to ever do so, the greatest of both Olivier and Fontaine and how much of this film belongs to Hitch, and how much to his producer, David O. Selznick. Gothic, mysterious and tense, Rebecca starts off our five weeks of Octoberfestival!
Write us your thoughts at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and find us on social media @oscarwatchpod; subscribe and review on iTunes!
Next week...we see dead people.
Matt and Steve head over to Italy for a film that sums up the awfulness of the 70s pretty well: 1970's Best Foreign Language Winner, Investigation Of A Citizen Above Suspicion, a crime drama where we follow the killer as he investigates, well, himself. A scathing satire of police corruption and what it means to be powerful, Elio Petri's film is as relevant today as it was nearly fifty years ago - if not moreso. With a command performance by Gian Maria Volante and a score by the great Ennio Morricone, the boys have a fun time getting to the universal themes, drama and tragedy of this one. Fun AND police corruption? Together? Oh yes!
Thanks for listening. Be sure to write us at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and find us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Next week, we begin our Octoberfestival of horror a little early...
This week, we're as mad as hell and we aren't going to take it any more! So, naturally, we're going to discuss the 1976 Best Picture nominee (and winner of Best Original Screenplay), Network, a film that is called a satire but in the forty years since its release, has become something more akin to prophecy. Joining Steve is Shahir Daud from The Only Podcast About Movies to discuss Paddy Chayefsky's brilliant, award winning script; one full of passion, fury, anger, ideas and maybe one too many monologues. What does the movie have to say about us - the audience - and the world at large? Nothing good, really, but it's one hell of a ride.
Drop us a line on our own little network at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and be sure to find us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Thanks for listening!
At long last, the boys of OscarWatch finally get to tackle Asghar Farhadi's stunning 2011 Best Foreign Language Film winner, A Separation. Bravura filmmaking and a dynamite script drives this story relentlessly forward, forcing Steve to consider it alongside another modern masterpiece...Mad Max? Plus, though the language and cultures are different, there are some problems that all people feel. We answer your questions and get down to the business of dismantling the patriarchy!
Also, we name drop Shahir Daud of the Only Podcast About Movies at least a dozen times. So that's cool.
Thanks for listening. Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and find us on social media.
Next week, we're mad as hell and we aren't going to take it anymore.
This week, Matt and Steve travel to the jungles of Vietnam for the intense and personal experience that is Oliver Stone's Platoon, the 1986 Best Picture Winner. A sobering look at the lives of infantrymen during that conflict, the film pulls no punches and has as much to say now as it did then. We talk the frenetic feel to the violence and how you never feel safe out there in the jungles of Nam. And ask, is that Barber piece used just a bit too much? (Yes, and no) Finally: just what does Platoon and Star Wars have in common?
All this and more in our latest episode!
Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and find us on social media, Subscribe and review us on iTunes! Thank you for listening.
This week, Matt and Steve say 'Cheese!' and take a look at the last non-CGI Best Animated Picture winner, 2005's Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit! Just what makes these two characters so delightful? Is it the animation? The voice work? There is a timelessness to the setting and stories of Were-Rabbit, and Matt gets to mine his considerable knowledge of Hammer and Universal horror films to dissect this loving homage to both. Which, despite its boundless joy and comedy, has some great 'scary movie' tropes to it. Plus, we answer your questions about animated films and this year's Oscar race!
Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and find us on social media @oscarwatchpod.
Next week, we travel from the idyllic English countryside to the jungles of Nam. Oh yes, it's time for Platoon.
We're taking a break from the IMPORTANT things in life for a little fun in the sun with our UNOscar Edition of OscarWatch! First up, it's the ultra-low budget indie horror film Pool Party Massacre, that perhaps like Jaws, may make you never want to get in the water again! Not that anyone at this pool party spends that much time in the, you know, pool. But that's besides the point. What's on display is love and fun and blood and gore, all under the clear blue American skies. But is there something else, some bigger message underneath the cleavage and the intestines? Steve thinks so, though he's having a hard time figuring out what!
So if you're tired of us going on about the "Best" movies, then tune in! We had fun, and so will you!
Got a recommendation for an UNOscar episode? Want to appear and talk about your own movie? Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and be sure to follow us on social media (@oscarwatchpod). Subscribe and review on iTunes.
Next week...Wallace & Gromit!
The soft velvety tones of the one and only Bing Crosby sings to us as we head our own way in this week's film, Going My Way. The feel good film of 1944, the year America most certainly needed to feel good...but does that really qualify a film to be called Best? The boys of OscarWatch talk the immortal Bing, just whether this is a "musical", and Steve reveals a dark secret about Hallmark movies. All this and a curious tangent about an altrock 90s band, this week on the podcast.
Thanks for listening. Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and find us on social media @oscarwatchpod
Join the boys of OscarWatch as they travel under those Arabian Nights for a discussion of one of the most beloved films of all time, David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia. Defining the word 'epic' may be difficult, but surely if any film qualifies, it is this one. From questionable outrage inducing choices - brownface? really? - to stunning cinematography, one of the most recognizable scores in history, this film has it all and more. Plus, one of the great lead performance debuts of any actor in history: Peter O'Toole. Such sounds! Such sights! Such wonder await us all as we saddle up our camels and discuss El Aurens.
Plus, why don't they bring back intermissions? Michael Bay could really use them in his flicks.
Thanks for listening. Next week we're going your way. I mean, going my way. Someone's way. Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and be sure to follow on social media @oscarwatchpod.
See you next time.
This week's film is not about a famous Brazilian soccer player nor does it feature any conquering whatsoever. Instead, strap in for a discussion on 19th century working conditions in rural Denmark, it's Pelle the Conqueror. Featuring a stunning and Academy Award nominated performance from the great Max von Sydow, Steve and Matt follow young Pelle and his father as they try to make it in a new land. It's like any immigrant story, and though the setting may change, its lessons never do. Though it could definitely use a little tighter editing. But hey, that's life? And life is never what you want it to be (that's another lesson you learn here, too!).
Thanks for listening! Next week, we head from the frozen lakes of Denmark to the burning sands of Arabia.
Be sure to drop a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and find us on iTunes. Follow us on social media @oscarwatchpod.
This week, the guys pick their toes in Poughkeepsie as they discuss one of the seminal car chase films in cinema history, 1971's The French Connection. In it, we go all 'trigger warning' on Popeye Doyle, one of the most uncouth heroes of any film ever and learn why Matt carries a pistol with director William Friedkin's name on it. And just how good is that car chase sequence? We analyze the heck out of it! All this and more, this week on the Podcast.
Thanks for listening! Be sure to find us on social media @oscarwatchpod and drop us a line anytime at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com.
This week, the boys of OscarWatch celebrate the movies with one of the most celebratory movies about movies: Francois Truffaut's 1973 Best Foreign Language Film winner, Day For Night. We discuss the very real and accurate drama and bulls*** that happens on every set, the charm and wit of these characters and that even though you're making a bad movie, at the end of the day, you're still making a movie! And isn't that wonderful?
All this and more, this week on the podcast. Be sure to drop a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com, and find us on social media @oscarwatchpod. Subscribe and review on iTunes! We appreciate it!
Next week, we Connect our little French theme a bit more!
We think of the Academy as some infallible ruling order that doles out awards based on merit, but that is hardly the case. The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences is comprised of men and women - mostly men - and they are as flawed as anyone else. Recently, the Academy invited over 750 new members into its fold and so we are taking a quick dive into just what the Academy is and who gets to be a part of it.
Thanks for listening! Our regularly scheduled program will return next week. Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and be sure to follow us on social @oscarwatchpod.
For Your REconsideration: The boys of OscarWatch head out on a mission: to find what may have been the actual best picture of 1998 among the five nominees. After much searching, they may have found it in Steven Spielberg's World War 2 opus, Saving Private Ryan. This week, we discuss the philosophical value of a single life, what a movie can look like when everyone working on it is the top of their field, the enduring legacy of the film and how it still hits you, even almost twenty years later.
And remember, if nothing else, we got Band of Brothers because of this.
All that and more, this week. Write us in at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com, and be sure to find us on social media @oscarwatchpod. Subscribe and review on iTunes!
The 1998 Academy Awards race is one of the most legendary in history. While a case can be made for every film nominated that year, it came down to two: Saving Private Ryan and eventual winner, Shakespeare In Love. Join Matt and Steve as they re-examine the Elizabethan comedy (written by the great Tom Stoppard) and discuss why its the side characters who are best, why 'really good' shouldn't get you the win, the politicking of the Oscar season and just what in the hell is Ben Affleck doing here anyway? All that and more, and none of it in iambic pentameter!
This is part one of our 1998 Retrospective; next week, we'll look at Spielberg's World War II opus.
Email us at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com; find us on social media (@oscarwatchpod) and be sure to like, subscribe and review on iTunes.
For our 50th episode, OscarWatch decides to try everything and travels to the far away metropolis, Zootopia, 2016's Best Animated Feature! Just because the movie is meant for kids doesn't mean the conversation plays it safe: Matt and Steve open discussions by admitting to living in a racially polarized and privileged system. And it goes from there! We tackle the artistic merit of ambition versus execution, just what makes 'Flash, Flash, Hundred Yard Dash!' one of the best scenes of the year and ponder just why this may have been the movie we all desperately needed in 2016.
And you will believe a stern man can laugh, this week on the podcast.
Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and be sure to find us on all the social media @oscarwatchpod. Like, subscribe and review on iTunes!
Next week: we come to it at last, the great war...of 1998.
This week, the guys at OscarWatch invite you to rock alongside them to 'history's' greatest rivalry in the one and only Amadeus. Sure, Antonio Salieri and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart were good friends in real life, but never let the truth get in the way of a good story! Joined by special guest Greg from This Was Rad! Podcast, the gang discusses the pettiness and envy of Salieri - and how it's intimately relatable - the musical revolution that Mozart put forth, the exquisite costumes and make-up and just how great of a year 1984 was.
Plus, we get to drop a Last Action Hero reference, and so you know we're in for a good time!
Find This Was Rad at thiswasrad.podbean.com! Find us on the social media @oscarwatchpod and drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com, and like, subscribe and leave a review on iTunes.
Until next time, rock me!
This week, we invite you to look closer at the 1999 Best Picture winner, American Beauty. This was director Sam Mendes' debut film and it made quite a stir back in the late 90s, but how does it hold up some 18 years later? Steve and Matt debate the test of time and how something that appears great when you're 16 can change a lot as time moves forward. Can you see this film without thinking of the endless parodies of that bag scene? And Kevin Spacey. He's American's dad, for better or worse and a perfect encapsulation of post-Reagan, pre-9/11 masculinity in crisis, back when things seemed so much simpler. Finally, it's really easy to make a Best Picture winner when you have the great Conrad Hall working the camera. All this and more, so take a listen. It's beautiful, right?
Thanks for listening. Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and follow us on social media @oscarwatchpod and rate and review on iTunes!
Until next time, we'll see you on the red carpet (of roses).
This week, we ride to Valhalla, shiny and chrome, alongside guest host Matthew Krol of The Only Podcast About Movies in a new segment we're calling 'For Your Reconsideration'. Fury Road did not win Best Picture, but our hosts have some thoughts on that accounting error and make a strong case that of all the films released in 2015, George Miller's action opus is the best of the bunch. Exquisite action, high octane stunts, a shockingly deep and feminist story and some of the best music of the last decade: Fury Road has all of this and more.
Witness us!
Drop a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and be sure to find us on social media @oscarwatchpod. Like, subscribe and review on iTunes, it really does help us get the word out.
Next week, we look closer.
Haul up the rigging! Let loose the jib! And climb aboard the latest episode of OscarWatch: 1935's great sailing saga, Mutiny on the Bounty. Wherein Clark Gable does not even try for an English accent, Charles Laughton eats every bit of scenery in sight and there are thrills and chills aplenty! Matt and Steve discuss the timeless adventure of the story, whether historical accuracy is required for 'historical' films and Steve presents a peculiar thesis on the religious overtones of the movie. All that and shenanigans on the high seas! *
- shenanigans may actually be keelhauling, but you have been warned.
Like what you hear? Send us an email at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com. Find us on social media and be sure to leave a review on iTunes.
Next week, Oscarwatch rides to Valhalla, shiny and chrome...
A long time ago, someone decided that a punk kid should have the keys to the kingdom. And it's not just a metaphor for this podcast, it's Bernardo Bertolucci's sumptuous portrayal of the final imperial ruler of China, 1987's Best Picture winner, The Last Emperor. Listen to Matt and Steve as they follow the life of Pu Yi and his many different forms of imprisonment, where we wonder if a passive character can have much effect on anything. As well as a look at the sheer technical artistry on a scale we don't see anymore, and just why the hell this movie wasn't filmed in Mandarin!
Oh, and everyone agrees: there's no way a British producer and an Italian director would ever film a movie about China in English in these days. Think of the outrage! Think of the THINKPIECES!
Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com, find us on social media @oscarwatchpod and be sure to like, subscribe and review on iTunes. We love you guys and thanks for listening.
Next week: IT'S MUTINY!
This week, OscarWatch would like to remind you that when traveling in the woods, it’s dangerous to go alone! Be sure to take us along to guide you as we examine the religious morality play, Ingmar Bergman’s The Virgin Spring. Steve confesses that becoming a dad has really made these kind of things extremely difficult to watch, and even the nearly 60 years since the film was released has not dulled its vicious impact on the audience. Questions of faith, of righteousness and dirty, violent revenge abound throughout the conversation. Join us in dissecting this highly influential piece of Swedish cinema.
So, head on down the road and find us at the last house on the left. We'll be there.
Thanks for listening. Be sure to subscribe on iTunes, and leave a review. Find us on social media @oscarwatchpod, and leave us an email with your feedback oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com
Bust out the cheap stuff and keep em coming and join Matt and Steve for a discussion about Billy Wilder's sobering look at alcoholism, The Lost Weekend. Despite its age, the film is still a terrifying examination of alcoholism and the effects it has not only those it enthralls, but those around them. We toast to the effortless charm of Ray Milland - and Matt tells us about the second best Roger Corman movie, X: The Man With the X-Ray Eyes. Writer's block, a horrifying look at the drunk tank and of course, Nicolas Cage.
All that and more! So, pour yourself another and listen in.
Subscribe on iTunes and be sure to leave a review! Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and find us on social (@oscarwatchpod).
Next week, we look at the first of many Bergman films...
Fill up the balloons, strap in and be sure to bring along some chocolate, because OscarWatch is moving on 'Up' with the 2009 Best Animated - SQUIRREL! Feature. Matt and Steve waste no time in getting to the heartwrenching moments that have defined the film and reveal that at the end of the day, they're a couple of softies. But, not to bring the mood down, we talk MVP of the show Dug and long for a world where his optimism and joy were more prevalent. Finally, Matt throws down a bold and perhaps controversial statement about this year's actual Best Picture winner. Did it deserve it? Find out!
All that and a brief primer on what makes a great villain.,
Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and be sure to like, subscribe and review iTunes. Find us on social media @oscarwatchpod and as always, thanks for listening.
This week, hosts Matt and Steve climb aboard the unsinkable ship and ask 'What's the worst that could happen?' as we take on James Cameron titanic film, uhh...Titanic, an Oscar juggernaut that took home nearly everything it was nominated for. The boys yell at their 14 year old selves, , wonder if we really need that whole framing device and how many of the film's moments have become woven into the pop culture fabric. Oh, and they spend entirely far too much time talking about Billy Zane, who may be the only actor who understands what Cameron is going for in this movie.
Hop in. The water's nice! We have a floating door that can easily fit at least two of us!
Near, far, wherever you are! I believe that you will write us an email (oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com) a review or subscribe on iTunes and Soundcloud! Find us back in steerage on social media @oscarwatchpod
Next week, we're never gonna give you up. I promise.
Who watches the watchmen? OscarWatch watches the watchmen! Because we’re watching those who watch The Lives of Others, the Best Foreign Film of 2006 that has some eerie and unsettling parallels with the way things are now. Matt and Steve dive into a stunningly tight race in the category, the intricacies of right and wrong in an inherently ‘wrong’ society and the ability for people to really change. That, and a short love letter to the one and only Nicolas Cage. Because obviously.
Tune in to hear if we’ve made a case for this film, or if another movie is more deserving of Academy Award immortality. Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com, and be sure to follow us on social media @oscarwatchpod.
Next week, we travel…near…far…wherever you are…
OscarWatch welcomes its new co-host, Matt Marchetti (@movie_matt) for a bold discussion on all things Red Scare with On the Waterfront. Together, the two college alums talk the legendariness of Brando, the great Karl Malden - and just why on earth he didn't take home a statue this year, either - and the timelessness of a tale that's not just about dockworkers, HUAC or anything else pressing during the era, but of the ageless story of a simple man trying to fight against a corrupt system.
Find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @oscarwatchpod. Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com, we truly appreciate all of your mail, and thank you again for listening.
Next week, we're going foreign again for a look at The Lives of Others...
OscarWatch is joined by the one and only Steven Van Patten (@svpthinks) of the podcast Beef, Wine and Shenanigans for an in depth discussion of the newest Best Picture winner. We take a hard look at the infamous EnvelopeGate in our second act, and discuss if the bungling of the announcement ruined the moment in a way that only a country that's still battling racism can manage. Then, we talk identity, growing up in Brooklyn - as a geek - and finally, what will Moonlight's legacy be? Will it just be 'that movie that got announced second', or something else entirely?
Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow us on social media @oscarwatchpod and as always, you can drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com
Find SVP on his podcast http://www.blogtalkradio.com/beefwineandshenanigans or at his website, www.brookwaterscurse.com
OscarWatch returns after a long hiatus for a brief monologue on the still surprisingly relevant 1967 Best Pic, In the Heat of the Night. The great Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger are front and center in this tale of Biloxi murder, intrigue and oh yeah, racism, that remains an important conversation worth having. But does that a best picture make? Listen to Steve ramble on for a few minutes to find out.
And seriously, why wasn't Rollerball nominated for any award, anyways?
Glad to be back. Shoot us an email at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com, and be sure to find and follow on Social Media (@oscarwatchpod).
Come on down to Butch's and join host Steve and special guest Chris Olson of the Pop Culture Lens podcast for a look at William Wyler's coming home melodrama, The Best Years of Our Lives (1946). As with any discussion with Mr. Olson, we waste no time in discussing masculinity as observed in both pop culture and in the military, a fitting topic considering the film is all about our returning veterans. We also discuss the changing world, Trump, the amateur greatness of Harold Russell, the role of women in a post-war society and various other topics one can definitely call 'great'. So, if you think 2017 may not be a particularly great year, then join us for this, the best years of our lives.
Our lives, not yours.
Thanks for listening. Be sure to like and subscribe on iTunes and Soundcloud. Find us on social media (@oscarwatchpod).
Next week, the funtime conversations continue with a look at 2011's Best Foreign film, A Separation.
This week, Alex and Steve get spirited away with, uh...Spirited Away (2002), the Miyazaki masterpiece and only traditional 2D film to win the Best Animated Film Oscar thus far. The guys get into their personal history with the genre - and don't worry, Alex had actually seen this one before! As well as the monomyth-esque theme of sending children into strange and fantastic places to teach them a lesson. Plus, we learn what Alex's kid's favorite parts are! And finally, Steve bungles his way through a short but painful lesson in just how in the hell do you pronounce 'Ghibli' anyways? All that and more, this week on the podcast.
Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and be sure to like, subscribe and review on iTunes. It really helps people find the podcast! Also, find us on social media platforms @oscarwatchpod
Next week, we may be looking at four tough years but let's go back and remember The Best Years Of Our Lives, shall we?
A musical that is sooo musical that another musical didn't win Best Picture for 34 years! Now, whether or not that's a good thing is up for debate, but Oliver! sure provokes some conversation on this week's episode. Hosts Alex and Steve approach it from two very different histories and chat about all things Dickensian, from the 'hey, that kid isn't actually singing', to the eternal bastardy that is Oliver Reed and finally, are these songs memorable? Because one of them has never heard any of them before.
Also, 1968 was a great year for movies and we debate the relative merits of the Best Picture nominees when there are certainly more well known (and well regarded) films to have come out ::cough 2001 cough :: So grab your bowl and come on up, there's plenty more here for everyone!
Thanks for listening. Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com, or find us on Social Media (@oscarwatchpod). If you'd be so kind, like, subscribe and leave a review on iTunes. It really does help!
Next week, our first animated Best Picture winner 'spirits' us 'away' to a fantastic place...
Flying solo, Steve manages to keep himself together whilst discussing the ins and outs of this year's crop of Academy Award nominees, from the record tying number of minority actors and actresses to the Mel Gibson redemption story. This year's got a lot to talk about it. And yes, there's a very big fish in the pond and if history has shown anything, those big fish often win. But let's discount what a little moonlight can do for your well-being.
Mostly, though, he's just wondering where the hell Sing Street is? I mean, seriously.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@oscarwatchpod) and be sure to drop a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com. Find and like and review on iTunes.
We return to our regularly scheduled program next week (and hopefully Alex is there, too!).
Join Alex and Steve on their adventure down The Road - Fellini's La Strada, which was actually released in 1954, but which won Best Foreign Language Film in 1956. The guys bring it back to film school for a lovely discussion on the Italian Neorealist movement of the Post-War era and how Fellini is slowly starting to break away from that, the simple grace of the film's main actress and the bizarre way Fellini used to shoot his movies. Steve wrestles with his emotions and much like any character on the road, comes out different when all is said and done.
Oh, and we figure out just how much 10,000 Lira is in today's dollars (hint: it's not a lot!)
Thanks for listening. Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com, and find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@oscarwatchpod)
The Artist may be silent, but we most certainly are not! Join Alex, Steve and guest host Matt Neglia of @nextbestpicture as we discuss the most egregious example of Hollywood celebrating itself, 2011's The Artist. We find it bears a striking similarity to this year's big Best Picture front-runner! Sure, we'll admit that the film is technically pretty great but there's not a lot there, is there? And while 2011 was a dog of a year, what better films could you find to say, Drive their way into your hearts?
All that, plus an update on Alex's ever worsening medical conditions!
Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com. Find us on iTunes and be sure to leave a review. You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@oscarwatchpod).
Next week, we go from the silent to the foreign as we take a walk down a long and lonely Street...
Remember Butch & Sundance? It's kind of like that, what with Newman, Redford and director George Roy Hill getting the band back together for 1973's The Sting. Our first movie of the new year is a charming, delightful and ultimately hollow heist movie whose influence can be seen on every con-man film made since then. Ocean, meet Hooker. Hosts Steve and Alex discuss why this film, over a far more memorable one, may have taken the top prize, the timeless cool of both its stars and how 1973 was a fantastic year in film.
Plus, once again, Alex gets really excited about Day of the Dolphin. All that and more in this week's episode.
Like and subscribe on iTunes. Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com, find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@oscarwatchpod).
And happy new year! We'll be seeing you.
Here at last, we come to the end of our fellowship with the final entry into Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Return of the King. The only one of the three to win best picture! Join Alex, Steve and returning guest Justin Clark for this Extended Edition of Oscarwatch as we discuss the ridiculous, emotionally charged highs of this entry, the many endings (and how you're all wrong for not liking them), ugly crying, Steve's admiration for the oddly loyal Orcs in the film and just how ridiculous Legolas can be. All that and more on this week's episode!
Like and subscribe on iTunes. Find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@oscarwatchpod).
And with that, we close out 2016. Happy holidays and a very happy New Year to all of our listeners. See you in 2017!
This week, hosts Alex and Steve are taking the Hobbits to Isengard for the second chapter in our Lord of the Rings retrospective with The Two Towers (2002). Joining us for this middle part is film and game critic Justin Clark, a learned and wise sage - who actually doesn't like the books. But don't worry, he gives a great reason why. The three get together to discuss how Andy Serkis was really, really robbed at the Oscars, where this one ranks among the Extended Editions and how friggin awesome the Battle for Helm's Deep remains to this day.
All that and a sobering talk of the timelessness of these films. Join us, won't you?
Send us an email to oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com. Subscribe and review on iTunes, and be sure to find us on all the social media, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (@oscarwatchpod).
Join us next week as we come to the end of our fellowship...
This week, hosts Alex and Steve volunteer to take the ring to Mordor. But a quest like this requires a few extra swords and axes. Helping to carry this burden is friend to the podcast Matt Thomsen, Dungeon Master extraordinaire to help guide us through Peter Jackson's 2001 epic adventure! The three of us wonder how in the hell this movie not only got made but was as successful as it was, its continuing relevance in this, or any age, and just why the hell didn't the characters give the ring to the Eagles?
All that and more. So, if you're eavesdropping, you may just get swept along on the greatest adventure of all time.
This also marks the first episode of our 'Contender' series; films that were nominated for Best Picture but did not win, that maybe really should have. Off the top of your head, what movie did win that year?
Find us on iTunes and Google Play. Subscribe and write a review, it really does help put the word out about our little podcast. Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com, and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@oscarwatchpod).
Next week, we learn what news from the Mark...
The MacLaine train keeps a rolling with Terms of Endearment (1983), the movie about the lifetime between a mother and daughter. So naturally, two guys have a long chat with one another and mansplain a thing or two. Like why you shouldn't date, let alone marry, a guy named Flap - seriously, why is that hard? And whether a film should have a character you actually like and we wonder if our wives will feel the same way about our daughters when they're all grown up.
Oh, and did you know there was a sequel? Don't worry, Steve fell on that grenade for you!
But is it the Best Picture? 1983 was a hell of a year. Let's see what else came out then.
Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@oscarwatchpod) and be sure to subscribe and review on iTunes, it really helps get the word out.
Next week, we begin our holiday countdown with a bunch of guys, some jewelry and a very long hike in the woods...
Man, the rents in the city were far more manageable back then! Not that Jack Lemmon, budding internet 'Nice Guy' ever got to stay in his own place, what with his adult-oriented AirBnB operation. If you liked Mad Men but wish it had less social commentary, with weaker female characters and no real subtlety to its message, then congratulations - how did you find us? The Apartment is a classic, for sure, but like many of the films from previous eras, there is a lot to be taken aback by. Enjoyable? Maybe. Is Jack Lemmon great? Yes. One cannot escape this 'Trump Grime' that coats the entire film in a slimy film of social ick.
Want to drop us a line? Write an email to oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com. Subscribe and rate us on iTunes, it really does help get the word out about this little show. Look for us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@oscarwatchpod)
Next week, the Shirley MacLaine train keeps a rolling...
There are more Best Pictures lurking if only you feel like reading. Join hosts Alex and Steve as they travel to China to discuss the first of many Best Foreign Language Film winners, Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. As of 2016, the most award winning foreign language film of all time! Sure, it might not be the most representative of the Wuxia genre of kung fu flicks, but as an introduction to western audiences, the guys can't think of anything better. Beautiful, breathtaking and very romantic, the boys take a deep dive into Ang Lee's tale of love, hate and societal expectations - and how they can shape everyone, willingly and unwillingly.
Also, Alex has some words regarding this year's follow-up film. In a nutshell: 'Abort!'
Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com. Find us on iTunes and Google Play, and be sure to leave us a review! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (@oscarwatchpod).
Next week, we head back across the ocean to a tiny Apartment, where we resume our regularly scheduled program.
Friends, Romans, countrymen! Lend us your ears!...for our latest episode: William Wyler's Ben-Hur. Oh, you might think it's about a Jewish prince who is betrayed and seeks revenge, but let us assure you: you are wrong. This is all about Jesus, even if he isn't on screen that much. Alex and Steve discuss the spectacle that dazzled audiences back in the day, but wonder if the film really needed to be this long (spoiler: it really doesn't), the homoerotic undertones between the film's main characters and of course, the chariot race. Because what else do you think of when you think of Ben-Hur?
Plus, we draw some parallels between the selfish quest for fulfillment displayed in the film and a certain major political event that happened recently.
Find us on iTunes and be sure to leave us a review. If you'd like to get in touch, send an email to oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com; and thank you for listening.
Next week, we leave the Roman coliseum for the plains of Mongolia...
OscarWatch breaks out the fava beans and a nice chianti to bring you our slightly belated Halloween episode, The Silence of the Lambs - the only "horror" movie to have won Best Picture. Though Steve and Alex may have differing definitions of what horror is, and if this qualifies as one. And of course, an in-depth conversation about one of cinema's greatest villains, Hannibal Lecter. And before FBI Agent Dana Scully, there was Clarice Starling, still one of the greatest examples of law enforcement ever put on film - and she puts up with a ton of crap in this movie and we don't think that's all that right or fair or decent.
We'd love to have you for dinner...to listen to this podcast! Enjoy our most 'spooktacular' episode yet!
Subscribe to us on iTunes and be sure to leave a rating! Find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@oscarwatchpod). Of course, you can always drop a line to us at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com.
Next week, OscarWatch dusts off the old chariot for a trip back to ancient Rome...
You may only be hearing one voice, but the words are from both of your esteemed hosts! Due to technical difficulties, we have had to scrap the traditional format for the show and present this solo, Steve-only endeavour about Robert Redford's directorial debut, Ordinary People. Like the film in question, there is someone missing to make everything right. And while our esteemed co-host Alex will return, the same cannot be said for the Jarrett family, wrestling with the loss of a child and the bittersweet drama that ensues. It's a fantastic movie, with a great look at psychiatry and America in the 80s, but is it 'THE' Best Picture? We take a look at the year's offerings and definitely wonder...
Email us at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com, be sure to find us on iTunes (and leave a review!). And as always, find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@oscarwatchpod).
Next week, we forego the traditional beer and coffee for a nice chianti...
A special mini-episode that did not make the cut for our Spotlight episode. Alex, Steve and guest host Matt discuss all the great, and not-so-great, films of 2015 - some of which should definitely have been nominated for Best Picture. Others, like a certain rebootquel, should have been left in the amber the filmmakers found it in!
Did your favorite make the cut? Think something is missing? Write us a strongly worded email to oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com
Thanks for listening.
Alex and Steve once again ship on up to Boston for a look back at the most recent Best Picture winner. Joining them is longtime friend to the show and fellow podcast host, Matthew Krol of The Only Podcast About Movies! Together, they discuss whether a great and powerful narrative is the same as a great and powerful film, the quality of the acting (is it actually good acting when no one has a real character arc?) and why no one should ever mess around with Marty Baron. Just look at Trump's poll numbers to see why.
Don't worry, they get on a fairly long tangent as to the real Best Picture of 2015 and man, are they full of both sound...and Fury. And, Steve gets so excited that he yells the entire time, so we apologize for the poor sound quality on his end.
You can find Matt Krol and the archives of his show over at www.onlymoviepodcast.com. Find us on iTunes, like and subscribe. We're on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @oscarwatchpod.
Like what you hear? Don't like what you hear? Have an idea or a request for us? Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and as always, thanks for listening.
This week, the boys of OscarWatch return to World War II with a look at the classic David Lean epic, The Bridge on the River Kwai. A gorgeous, tense and wonderful look at obsession in wartime, Obi-Wan Kenobi -- err, Alec Guinness, called it some of his finest acting (and he even won an Oscar, too). Our fearless hosts dissect the iconic theme, the nature of drama, motivation and conflict and get down to the business of watching a film in which all the pieces fall together beautifully. We also learn just why Steve was so eerily quiet these past few weeks. Turns out, he was on a little adventure of his own. All of this and more on this week's episode of OscarWatch.
Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and be sure to leave a review on iTunes. It really does help get the word out about the show.
Today you have the FREEEEEEDOOOOMMMMM to listen to Steve and Alex talk about Mel Gibson's Oscar-winning Braveheart. Here we find out how important it was to certain young minds, and how well it has held up in the twenty one years since its release.
They also discuss how amazingly historically accurate the film is (snicker) and whether the battle sequences still pack a punch. Has Mel's escapades tainted his previous performances? Will revisiting this ruin childhood memories? Find out here, and make sure to listen to the end for a special behind the scenes glimpse at OscarWatch!
This week, OscarWatch addresses the troops with a very special look at the 1970 Best Picture winner, Patton. Joining the discussion is internet critic legend, fantasy novelist, and all-around cinephile, James Berardinelli of Reelviews.net (@reelviews). James explains his longtime admiration of the WWII biopic, a film he has named his favorite of all time (and he's seen his share of movies in his nearly 25 year career as a film critic!)
From the central performance, to the script, the music, and technical mastery on display, James and OscarWatch get down to the reasons why Patton will always be 5-stars.
Find James Berardinelli and his writings at www.reelviews.net
And look for OscarWatch on iTunes, SoundCloud and GooglePlay. Follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @oscarwatchpod and if you'd like to drop a line, shoot us an email at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com
The Sound of Music is one of the most acclaimed musicals of all time. It's also a slog to get through. Could it be 16 going on 17... hours long?
Did The Sound of Music deserve the Best Picture Oscar for 1965? Watch as our fearless hosts discuss a few of their favorite things they saw while wondering just how many minutes were left. Revel in in the undeniably iconic soundtrack while wondering just where the plot is going. Cower in fear as lame Nazis come in and offer our hero a job as the film goes to a standstill.
Steve and Alex tackle what's arguably the Coen Bros' finest moment. In doing so they discuss they lament There Will Be Blood's awful, awful timing in coming out this year, where it would have swept the awards any other year.
They also dive into the many, many great movies that came out this year and talk about how Anton Chigurh is one of the best cinematic villains of all time. (Obviously.)
Find us on Twitter and Instagram at @oscarwatchpod. Find us on Facebook and join the conversation. Drop us an email at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and be sure to subscribe and review on iTunes. We really appreciate you listening! Spread the word!
OscarWatch takes flight and attempts to bring knowledge the masses with a discussion of Alejando Innaritu's Birdman Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), a meta commentary on meta-commentary itself. What exactly is this film trying to say, we ask and does it accomplish it? Or is it just its director yelling about kids these days? Because there's certainly a lot of that. Steve declares his love for Michael Keaton, Alex helps figure out 'that' ending and hey, wasn't that little action scene kinda great?
Oh, we definitely acknowledge that this will be the only "superhero" movie to ever win best picture. At least until every movie is a superhero movie.
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Kaaaawww!
The boys hike up their skirts and show a little leg in order to get your attention with this week's film: Frank Capra's screwball romantic comedy It Happened One Night! Once again, we get into the sexual politics at play in the film - and Alex sums up his feelings on the whole dating scene. Plus, Steve wonders if Gable's behavior in this one is one of the reasons why we have the 'he pulled your hair, so he must like you' trope in the world of romantic advice. Because, let's face it, as charming as he is, Gable is a bit of a jerk in this one. A good time is had by all in this, the second chapter of our 'Road Trip' winners series of Best Pictures!
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It's an excellent podcast, definitely an excellent podcast! The boys on OscarWatch hit the road for the 1988 Hoffman and Cruise drama, Rain Man and along the way, they talk about the ins and outs of the autism spectrum, just what we think of as an Oscar winning performance maybe has not always been the case and yes, there's yet another Day of the Dolphin reference. Because from now on, there will always be!
We undergo a few technical difficulties but nothing that cannot be overcome.
Oh, and last but not least, I've checked in with a number of sources and yes, it's true: K-Mart sucks! (Qantas is pretty great, though)
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Next week, something may (or may not) have happened one night...
This week, the guys of OscarWatch give their regards to Broadway with a look at the 1929 Best Picture winner, The Broadway Melody. The first musical to ever win the big prize, the movie has not aged in the nearly 90 years since its release. The gender politics are hilariously outdated, the technical acumen is basic and the acting overwrought, and yet, Alex and Steve debate whether it is fair to judge a film created at the beginning of sound and modern Hollywood by today’s standards. There’s a lot to appreciate in the movie, but also a lot of problematic moments, as well.
Also, Alex, discovers that there is a movie about a guy unwittingly training dolphins to kill the president of the United States and simply 'can't even'!
Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com. Subscribe on iTunes and Google Play.
OscarWatch is whole again. After a brief absence, Alex Riviello returns to the co-host chair. As a special treat, the guys are joined by Chris Olson of The Pop Culture Lens Podcast, who elevates the level of conversation by several degrees simply by walking into the room. Together, we tackle Eastwood's seminal western, Unforgiven. We talk the demythologizing of both The Man With No Name and the American west, the masks that all the men carry in the film and what that means for masculinity as a whole. It gets deep, but it's a lot of fun
Plus, Alex and Chris go off on a tangent about the Waxwork series. You can take the nerd out of Creature Corner, but you can't take the Creature Corner out of the nerd.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram at @oscarwatchpod. Find us on Facebook and join the conversation. Drop us an email at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and be sure to subscribe and review on iTunes. We really appreciate you listening! Spread the word!
The Pop Culture Lens Podcast: http://thepopculturelens.podbean.com/
Check out Chris Olson on Twitter @chrstphrolson and read his musings on a wide variety of topics at seemsobvioustome.wordpress.com
OscarWatch is joined once again by Greg from the This Was Rad podcast and we decide to 'Argo-f***-ourselves' with Ben Affleck's 2012 Best Picture winner. Greg has some very strong opinions on the whole 'based on a true story' disclaimer in front of a lot of films, Steve is gradually convinced to change his mind about the legacy of this film and both mourn the loss of VHS. July 20th marked the day Japan finally stopped producing VCRs and we mark it well. We also have a heated debate about who's the better Affleck: Casey or Ben.
Send your emails and questions to oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com Find us on social media! Tune in and listen. Subscribe and leave a review - any kind of review! - on iTunes.
Next week, we travel to the "wild" west with The Man With No Name...
This week, Greg from This Was Rad! joins the discussion of the late Michael Cimino's seminal work of wartime horror, The Deer Hunter. The guys talk bloat in films both past and present, and how when they were long back in the day, it was for a reason. Though, even here, there is a tricky and extended first act which could really use a trim. Finally, they also get into the harrowing, random nature of violence, as epitomized by the film's central motif: Russian Roulette.
Fun fact: did you know that Christopher Walken won an Oscar for his role in this? Yes, Christopher 'Wow' Walken is an Academy Award winning actor. Let that sink in, and other random moments from this week's episode of OscarWatch.
Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com, hit us up on social media and be sure to check out This Was Rad! at @thiswasrad on all your favorite platforms.
Next week, Ar-go-f*** yourselves!
Alas, due to scheduling, our great host Alex has had to take a step back from his duties. So this week, Steve is flying solo in this pared down episode about All the King's Men, the 1949 Best Picture winner that even today, some 70 years later, has a lot to say about the American political machine. The rise and fall of Willie Stark is one of the all-time great dramas both in literature and in film and it shows that power not only corrupts, but it infects and infests everything around it as well. "Very great motion picture" indeed!
As always, email us at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com if you like what you hear, or especially if you don't like what you hear! Subscribe and review on iTunes. We'll see you at the movies.
For the first time, OscarWatch heads to the Golden Age of Hollywood for a little slice of Americana: Frank Capra's adaptation of the Depression-era play, You Can't Take It With You. The screwball comedy elements may not have aged well, but the class battles are still relevant for this day and age. Albeit with far less cynicism. Alex and Steve talk the other, more worthy films that were also nominated - 10 in all! - and go on a slightly longer than anticipated tangent about Orson Welles and his infamous broadcast. So, where does this land in the exemplary canon of Frank Capra? Listen in to find out.
As always, thanks for listening! Send us an email at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com for all your comments, criticisms and notes! We look forward to hearing from you.
OscarWatch ships up to Boston for this wicked episode to take a look at Martin Scorsese’s Irish gangland epic, The Departed. You know what they say, the seventh time’s the charm. The great master of American cinema was nominated for best director six times before finally securing the little gold man. But was this the most deserving of Scorsese’s long and, frankly stunning, oeuvre? Alex and Steve debate the finer points of careerism, filmography and just what an award means. Plus, we explore the many differences and similarities between this film and the Hong Kong original, Infernal Affairs.
Also, Steve embarrasses his Masshole heritage by botching a Boston accent.
Listen in! And you can send us your thoughts, comments, criticisms and witticisms to oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and we promise we’ll read them on our next episode!
As always, thanks for taking the time to listen to us talk. We couldn’t do it without your ears!
We look at our first 'IMPORTANT' movie to have won Best Picture. One cannot deny the significance of Schindler's List as a tool for history, but is it worthy of being called a 'great' movie? Alex and Steve hash out the themes and ideas behind Spielberg's Holocaust drama and one makes a strong case that the Beard's other film from that year, Jurassic Park, could be a more worthy recipient.
Touching, moving, horrific, maudlin? Call it whatever you will. Schindler's List, this week on OscarWatch.
As always, you can reach us with any comments or criticism at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com
Next week! We're shipping up to Boston (whoa oh oh...)
OscarWatch draws its eye towards one of the few comedies ever to hold the title 'Best Picture', the engaging, highly irreverent and still charming Annie Hall, from director Woody Allen. Alex and Steve discuss the filmography of Allen, the ups and downs of relationships, the effect of an artist's life on his or her work and that little film from a galaxy far, far away that Annie Hall had to defeat in order to win. We try to frame it within a context of Art Hollywood vs Blockbuster Hollywood, but Steve just really wants to talk about Jedi all day.
Spoiler Alert: the film is quite wonderful and has aged perfectly in the nearly 40 years since its release. It's the quintessential Allen film, and one of the best movies about New York ever.
Do you think Allen was pleased about being a member of a very, very special club of films? I wonder what Groucho would say.
If you have comments or criticisms, feel free to drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com, or find us on social media. We would love to hear from you. We hope you enjoy this look back into neuroticism.
Crash is often thought to be the worst film ever to win Best Picture. Alex and Steve take a look back on the 2005 movie and determine that there is a good chance that YES, YES IT IS. Paul Haggis's (Casino Royale) film is less a story and more a screed, a manipulative, melodramatic screed about how, in the words of Avenue Q 'everyone's a little bit racist'. We try to figure out the best way to describe the plot and also offer up many counter-alternatives to the Academy. Why couldn't Doom win Best Picture? Sure it was bad, but was it this bad? We ask the tough questions.
If you have thoughts, comments or criticisms about our handling of the film, let us know. Drop us an email at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com
The debut of OscarWatch has hosts Alex Riviello and Steve Buja discussing the 1976 Best Picture winner, Rocky, written and starring Sylvester Stallone. The movie that made Stallone, well, Stallone. The guys talk about the enduring legacy of the Italian Stallion as American myth, sex and race as related in the movie, try - and fail - at their best Rocky impersonations and discuss the very wonderful field of competitors that the film had to KO in order to grab its three Academy Awards. Tune in for this first effort!
And if you like what you hear, drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com