The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?!

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1996 - They May Take Our Lives…But They'll Never Take Our Oscars!

2026-04-1401:13:17

Hey Oscar fans — for this episode, Bruce Vilanch and “Tex” Davis dive into the 1996 Oscars—the year Braveheart took the crown, beating out an oddly charming mix that includes Apollo 13 and Babe. But here’s the real question: how did a year packed with some all-time classics end up with this lineup? From snubbed fan favorites to the Academy’s love of big, bold spectacle, we’re breaking down what got nominated, what got ignored, and what the Oscars might have been thinking… if anything. Films Mentioned **Babe **Braveheart **Apollo 13 **Sense and Sensibility *Il Postino: The Postman *Dead Man Walking **Leaving Las Vegas Nixon **Toy Story *Crimson Tide *Batman Forever Waterworld Showgirls **The Usual Suspects *Mr. Holland’s Opus *Casino **The American President *Rob Roy Bridges of Madison County **12 Monkeys Hacksaw Ridge **Apocalypto Man Without a Face **Heat **Devil in a Blue Dress **The Goodbye Girl **Adaptation *Dances with Wolves *The Crossing Guard *Get Shorty **Thelma and Louise **Lorenzo’s Oil **Atlantic City **Howard’s End **Remains of the Day *Safe **Se7en Georgia Mighty Aphrodite *Butterflies are Free Shakespeare in Love *My Cousin Vinny **La Jette’ Sabrina Pocahontas Restoration Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ENCORE 1961 - A Boy's Best Friend is his Oscar!

2026-04-0755:31

Due to unforeseen circumstances, we don't have a new episode for you this week -- so we decided to rerun an older one you may not have hear. This is a classic one that started the whole premise of the show. That's because in 1960, three films came out that are all sitting on the AFI's Top 100 American Films of All-Time List. Yet, only ONE of them was actually nominated for an Oscar the year it came out! Join us as we debate whether or not this is a travesty or if it made sense at the time. As always, thanks for listening and we'll be back with a new episode next week! Movies Mentioned Just Friends The Apartment Elmer Gantry The Alamo Sons and Lovers Lady Chatterley’s Lover The Sundowners From Here to Eternity Oklahoma Never on Sunday Rarfifi Night in the City Psycho Psycho (Gus Van Sant remake) Sweet Smell of Success The Killers Kiss the Blood Off my Hands The Entertainer Inherit the Wind Sands of Iwo Jima Friendly Persuasion Mr. Roberts Teen Sympathy The Life and Times of Colonel Blimp Elenor Roosevelt Butterfield Eight Cleopatra Double Indemnity Pushover Exodus Murder, Inc. Spartacus All About Eve Yankee Doodle Dandy The Dark at the Top of the Stairs Miranda Fear Strikes Out Jaws Homicidal The Angry Silence The Facts of Life Hiroshima, My Love / Hiroshima, Mon Amour Tunes of Glory Oceans 11 Little Shop of Horrors The Magnificent Seven Swiss Family Robinson La Dolce Vita Sergeant York High Noon The Naked Edge Killer’s Kiss The Killing Lolita Paths of Glory The Ten Commandments Ben Hur Solomon & Sheba Land of the Pharaohs The Life of Brian Trumbo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BONUS 1952 - The Fantastic Films Noir of 1952!

2026-03-3001:04:28

Hey Oscar fans - “Tex” and Mark are back with another standout year of films noir. We kind of teased this episode during our 1953 Oscars episode — when four noirs (The Bad and the Beautiful, Sudden Fear, The Narrow Margin, and The Sniper) were nominated for various Oscars. But as we soon discovered, that was just the tip of the iceberg! 1952 was an absolute banger of a year for films noir and we are all too happy to walk you through at least a dozen more of our favorites, as well as introduce you to some hidden gem talent both in front of and behind the camera! So sit back and take note of some films that expose both the bad and beautiful sides of life as seen through the dark lens of film noir. Thanks for listening! Films Mentioned The Bad and the Beautiful Sudden Fear The Narrow Margin Narrow Margin (1990) The Sniper M (1931 & 1951) Kansas City Confidential Angel Face Laura Fallen Angel The Man with the Golden Arm Don’t Bother to Knock Inferno Clash by Night Affair in Trinidad Gilda The Turning Point Strange Fascination Pickup The Girl on the Bridge Bait Hit and Run One Girl’s Confession This Woman is Dangerous The Thief Man Bait Tread Softly Stranger Yield to the Night Passport to Shame Scandal Sheet The Phenix City Story Hell’s Island 99 River Street All the King’s Men Deadline USA The Boy with the Green Hair Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1953 - The Not-So-Greatest Oscar on Earth!

2026-03-2301:08:46

Hey Oscar fans — Bruce and “Tex” find themselves under the big top for an Oscar year that’s… well… not exactly the greatest show on Earth. While The Greatest Show on Earth somehow walks away with Best Picture, a lineup of stronger, more enduring classics is left juggling in the background (including an all-time classic that wasn’t even nominated!) So, who were the clowns that let this spectacle steal the spotlight — and which films actually deserved center ring? Step right up for a lively debate, a few raised eyebrows, and one of the biggest Oscar head-scratchers of the decade! As always, thanks for listening! Films Mentioned *Recommended The Greatest Show on Earth **High Noon *Ivanhoe *Moulin Rouge The Quiet Man **Singin’ in the Rain **The Bad and the Beautiful *Come Back Little Sheeba *The Star *Five Fingers *Viva Zapata Melania *The Lavender Hill Mob **Sudden Fear The Member of the Wedding With a Song in My Heart *My Cousin Rachel The Big Sky **Angel Face *The Narrow Margin *The Man in the White Suit *Ruby Gentry *The Sound Barrier The Pride of St. Louis *The Sniper *The Atomic City Pat and Mike Navajo Email us at: info@oscars.wtf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bonus - 2026 Oscars Reaction!

2026-03-1748:39

Hello Oscars Fans! Join "Tex" and Mark for an "entirely too soon to be having this conversation" conversation about the 2026 Oscars. As you probably know, it goes entirely against the premise of our show to discuss the recent Oscars -- since we rely on the 'test of time' to judge and score the winners & non-winners. At the same time, good luck keeping these certified film nerds from giving their takes on the proceedings. Some you might agree with, others not so much -- but isn't that the joy of movies? Either way, thanks for listening and being part of the fun! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1974 Bonus - The Worst Sequels to the Best Movies

2026-03-0901:00:35

Hey Oscar fans, welcome to a fun Bonus Episode that looks at a strange thing that happened following the 1974 Oscars (which we recently covered). 3 of the Best Picture Nominees (The Exorcist, American Graffiti & The Sting) went on to have sequels that were… less than successful. This led us to looking back at all the Oscar BP nominated or winning films that had sequels. It turns out, prior to 1970 there were only a handful. Why was that? And why did this year have so many? What film set the bar for the prestige sequel and how come none of these films from 1973 were able to come close to crossing it? And what were some planned sequels to classic films that (thankfully) never got made? Join us as we go sequel crazy at the Oscars! FILMS MENTIONED **The Exorcist The Exorcist II: The Heretic *American Graffiti More American Graffiti **The Sting The Sting 2 The Birth of a Nation The Fall of a Nation The Broadway Melody The Broadway Melody of (1936, 1938, 1940) **The Thin Man *After the Thin Man *Going My Way *The Bells of St. Mary’s **King Kong Son of Kong Airport Airport 1975 Airport 1977 Concorde: Airport 1979 **The Godfather **The Godfather II **Deliverance Halloween III Caddyshack 2 *Exorcist III *The Great Waldo Pepper *Slap Shot **The French Connection *The French Connection 2 *Chinatown The Two Jakes *Roger Dodger Into the Wild *The Hustler *The Color of Money *Mary Poppins Mary Poppins Returns **Psycho *Psycho II **Blade Runner *Blade Runner 2049 *Top Gun Top Gun: Maverick Tron Tron Legacy Contact us: info@oscars.wtf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1974 - Get the Butter, this Oscar is Going to Sting!

2026-03-0201:17:481

Hey Oscar fans, Bruce and “Tex” are back with another outstanding year for movies (you really can’t go wrong in the ’70s). And yet, they still found a way to include some head-scratchers while leaving some ‘time-tested’ film classics out in the cold. Or not. It all depends on whether you think certain movies are more cult classics, than classic-classics. Or something like that. But in a year when you have films like Serpico, Papillon, Save the Tiger, Paper Moon, The Paper Chase and the The Last Detail on the outside looking in — then you know it’s a banger of a year. Enjoy a spirited debate over what we think should or shouldn’t have made the cut and whether the winner was the right choice or just a con job! As always, thanks for Oscar-ing with us! Films Mentioned **The Exorcist **The Sting *American Graffiti **Papillon The Way We Were *Magnum Force Last Tango in Paris **Paper Moon *Live and Let Die **Serpico *Cinderella Liberty *The Last Detail *The Paper Chase **Save the Tiger **Cries and Whispers A Touch of Class *Badlands *Don’t Look Now *Day for Night *Amarcord *Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid **The Offence Tom Sawyer *Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams *Dirty Harry *Sudden Impact The Long Goodbye *Day of the Jackal *Bang the Drum Slowly **The Wicker Man *Sisters *Soylent Green *Sleeper *Scenes From a Marriage *Jonathan Livingston Seagull Email us: info@oscars.wtf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bonus - The Incredible Indie Explosion of 1996

2026-02-2301:08:37

Hey Oscar Fans -- after last episode's look at the 1997 Oscars for the films of 1996, "Tex" and Mark were compelled to take a deeper dive into the world of independent cinema that exploded onto screens that year. Some of the films were mentioned already, many were not. Along the way we also break down what makes a film an "indie" and "Tex" draws from his experiences having written both a studio and an indie film But most of all, you'll listen in awe at the sheer number of great indie films & the talented filmmakers (including some notable first-timers) who made them. Enjoy! Films Mentioned *Fargo *Secrets & Lies *Shine *The English Patient *Sling Blade *Bottle Rocket *Rushmore *Swingers *Go *Flirting With Disaster *Spanking the Monkey She's the One *The Brothers McMullen *Trainspotting *Trees Lounge *Big Night *Romeo & Juliet *Basquiat *Citizen Ruth *Hard Eight *Lone Star *Bound *American Buffalo *I Shot Andy Warhol *Dead Man *Down By Law *Stranger Than Paradise Crash (Cronenberg's) *SubUrbia *Slackers *Walking and Talking *Stealing Beauty Girl Six *Scream *Gardener of Eden (written by "Tex") CONTACT US: info@oscars.wtf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Oscar Goes to The English Patient. “Just Die, Already!”

2026-02-1601:13:29

Hey Oscar fans, Bruce and “Tex” are back with a brand new episode looking at the Academy Awards of 1997 for the films of 1996. As you may or may not remember, 1996 was a GOOD year for movies, but a GREAT year for Indie films! In fact, 4 of the 5 Best Picture nominees are considered independent films — or as Bruce calls them, Tom Cruise and everybody else. And while Elaine Benes from Seinfeld famously hated The English Patient, the Academy loved it — bestowing it with 12 nominations and 9 wins! But did the right movie win? And who got snubbed and why? This is a great episode to stress-test our ‘test of time’ theory on — as this year was chock full of curious decisions and plenty of second (or third) guessing. Let us know what you think and as always thanks for listening! MOVIE LIST (*Recommendations) *The English Patient *Fargo *Shine Evita *Jerry Maguire *Secrets and Lies Hamlet Twister Independence Day *Flirting with Disaster *Trainspotting *Big Night *Sling Blade *Swingers *Bound *Walking & Talking *Bottle Rocket Dead Man *Breaking the Waves *The People vs. Larry Flynt *One Flew Over the Cuckoo Nest *Amadeus *Say Anything *Schindler’s List *The Birdcage *The Nutty Professor *Born on the Fourth of July Marvin’s Room *First Wives Club *Terms of Endearment Ghosts of Mississippi *Primal Fear *Boyz in the Hood Radio Men of Honor Boat Trip *As Good as it Gets Pearl Harbor *Kingpin *The Crucible The Portrait of a Lady The Mirror Has Two Faces *The Accidental Tourist Yentl The Prince of Tides *Lone Star *Raising Arizona *Blood Simple *When We Were Kings *The Celluloid Closet *Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills Truth or Dare One Fine Day *That Thing You Do! Up Close & Personal *The Ghost and the Darkness *Once Upon a Time When we Were Colored *White Squall *Michael Collins The Island of Doctor Moreau *Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley’s Island of Doctor Moreau Hardware Email: info@oscars.wtf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ENCORE 1986 - Back to the Oscars (Again)

2026-02-0901:08:03

Due to a scheduling snafu - we don't have a new episode ready for you today! So, we're replaying one of our favorites (and an early one many of you may have missed!) While Out of Africa and The Color Purple were battling it out (22 nominations between them) for Oscar glory -- another film was all but ignored in all the major categories -- despite dominating the box office that year. But if we could jump into a Delorean and go back in time -- would we perhaps bestow this beloved action/comedy with some Oscar love? We'll be back with the 1997 Oscars later this week! Thanks! Movies Mentioned Recommended *Out of Africa *The Color Purple *Kiss of the Spider Woman *Prizzi’s Honor *Witness **Back to the Future Rambo: First Blood Pt. 2 Ladyhawke The English Patient Evita Butterfly Trip to Bountiful *Agnes of God Sweet Dreams **Tootsie *Cocoon Twice in a Lifetime Ice Pirates Murphy’s Romance *Runaway Train Jagged Edge Things Change *Trading Places The Story of Alexander Graham Bell Cocoon 2 The Way We Were *Absence of Malice *Three Days of the Condor **They Shoot Horses Don’t They? *Ran C.H.U.D. C.H.U.D. 2: Bud the C.H.U.D. The Official Story *Parasite *Mask The Phantom of the Opera *The Mask *Remo Williams: the Adventure Begins A Chorus Line *White Nights *Silverado *Young Sherlock Holmes Return to Oz The Black Hole **The Sting **Quiz Show *Ordinary People *Save the Tiger Last Tango in Paris *The Last Detail **Serpico **The Natural *Barefoot in the Park *Butch Cassidy & Sundance Kid *The Candidate *Purple Rose of Cairo *Brazil Rifkin’s Festival *Midnight in Paris *Radio Days *Crimes and Misdemeanors *Bananas *Take the Money and Run *Manhattan *Stardust Memories 12 Years a Slave *Do the Right Thing **Boyz in the Hood *Malcolm X *Glory *Training Day *A Beautiful Mind Scent of a Woman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BONUS - 2026 Oscars: Conversations about the Nominations

2026-02-0201:04:30

Hey Oscar fans — with the recent Oscar nominations we felt it was only fitting for our Oscars podcast to talk about them... Even though it goes against the theme of our show which uses the ‘test of time’ to see what really deserved to win or be nominated. Despite that, we still have thoughts and hot takes! Join “Tex” and Mark as we discuss the nominees, make predictions, point out snubs and use everything we’ve learned making this show to try and understand what the Academy was thinking! As always thanks for listening! Contact us: info@oscars.wtf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BONUS - The Fabulous Films Noir of 1946!

2026-01-2601:04:05

1946 was an extraordinary year for film noir—so much so, even the Academy had to take notice. As Hollywood plunged into the shadows, moral ambiguity, and hard-boiled despair, the Oscars recognized standouts like Notorious, The Killers, and The Stranger. But with so much darkness flooding the screen, plenty of essential classics were left behind. Films like Gilda, The Postman Always Rings Twice, and The Big Sleep—now pillars of the noir canon—went largely unnoticed at the time. In this bonus episode, we celebrate a truly great year for film noir, revisiting fourteen unforgettable films and exploring what the Academy saw, what it missed, and why 1946 remains a defining moment for one of cinema’s most enduring styles. Films Mentioned *Recommended **It’s a Matter of Life and Death (not noir) **The Killers **Notorious **The Stranger *The Spiral Staircase *The Blue Dahlia *The 7th Veil (not considered noir) **Gilda **The Postman Always Rings Twice *The Big Sleep *The Dark Mirror *The Strange Love of Martha Ivers **The Locket *Shock! *The Strange Woman *The Glass Key **This Gun For Hire Saigon **Double Indemnity **Too Late for Tears **To Have and Have Not Confidential Agent *The Lady From Shanghai **The Magnificent Ambersons (not noir) **Citizen Kane (not noir) Contact us: info@oscars.wtf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1947 - It’s a “Wonderful” VS. “Best” Oscar

2026-01-1901:13:59

Hey there Oscar fans — Bruce is back and we are excited to bring you a super fun episode that looks back at the 1947 Oscars for the films of 1946 — yet another simply outstanding year of movies. And while this year is highlighted by a heavyweight battle between ‘The Best Years of Our Lives’ and ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’… You can pretty much name any genre and find an incredible movie to suit your taste — many of which are still talked about today. But with so many great movies this year, it’s remarkable how many A+ films didn’t make the cut. So, did the right films win? Were the right actors & actresses nominated? And what classic films from Hollywood’s golden era should you be adding to your watch-list? Get ready to find all that out and more. And remember, every time you leave us a 5-star review — Bruce eats some wings! Thanks for listening! Films Mentioned - (*Recommended) **Duel in the Sun **The Best Years of our Lives The Jolson Story Blue Skies Saratoga Trunk *The Razor’s Edge Night and Day *Notorious *The Yearling Till the Clouds Roll By **It’s a Wonderful Life Anna and the King of Siam *The King and I *Henry V **The Killers **Brief Encounter *The Big Sleep **My Darling Clementine **The Stranger *The Spiral Staircase *The Dark Mirror *The Human Comedy *National Velvet **The Postman Always Rings Twice *To Each His Own *Sister Kenny **Gilda *The Seventh Veil *The Blue Dahlia **Children of Paradise *Road to Utopia **Rome, Open City Vacation From Marriage *The Strange Love of Martha Ivers **Shoe Shine Email us at: info@oscars.wtf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bonus - Golden Globes 2026 Reaction

2026-01-1622:13

Hey Oscars fans -- before recording earlier this week, Bruce, "Tex" and Mark had a brief conversation about the recent Golden Globe Awards. Here is our theorizing on how this bodes for the upcoming Oscar nominations as well as some thoughts on the movies we've seen (so far) from 2025. Enjoy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bonus - Mr. Kubrick, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Losing Oscars

2026-01-1201:24:43

Hey Oscar fans, we’ve got a special treat for you — another episode on yet another luminary director, responsible for some of the greatest movies of all time — only to have the Academy shrug and vote for something/someone else. Granted a lot of Stanley Kubrick’s movies may have felt ahead of their time, or were in stiff competition with other great movies. But the fact that you can go to Stanley Kubrick’s estate (or museum) and not see an Oscar for Best Director (or Best Picture) among his possessions feels like an Oscar hate crime. Sit back and enjoy as “Tex” and Mark examine Kubrick’s legendary filmography with an eye on finding a path to giving Kubrick his much deserved Oscar glory. A must-listen for film nerds and casual film fans alike! Films Mentioned (*Recommended ) *Day of the Fight (doc short) *Day of the Fight (feature) Flying Padre (doc short) The Seafarers (doc short) Fear and Desire Killer’s Kiss *The Killing Around the World in 80 Days *Giant The King and I The Ten Commandments Friendly Persuasion *Paths of Glory *Bridge on the River Kwai *12 Angry Men Peyton Place Sayonara *Witness for the Prosecution *Spartacus *Ben-Hur *The Apartment *Elmer Gantry The Alamo Sons and Lovers The Sundowners *Psycho Lolita *Lawrence of Arabia *To Kill a Mockingbird *Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb My Fair Lady *Becket *Mary Poppins *Zorba the Greek *2001: A Space Odyssey Oliver! Funny Girl *The Lion in Winter Rachel, Rachel Romeo and Juliet *The Producers *A Clockwork Orange *The French Connection Fiddler on the Roof *The Last Picture Show Nicholas and Alexandria Sunday Bloody Sunday *Barry Lyndon *One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest *Dog Day Afternoon *Jaws *Nashville *Amarcord *Amadeus *The Fireman’s Ball *The Shining The Shining (Stephen King version) *Full Metal Jacket The Last Emperor *Broadcast News *Fatal Attraction Hope and Glory *Moonstruck *My Life as a Dog *Wall Street *Eyes Wide Shut Contact The Oscars: WWTT?: info@oscars.wtf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bonus - A Few Good Man: A Tribute to Rob Reiner

2026-01-0501:02:21

Hey Oscar WWTT? Fans — as we all know, Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle were brutally taken from us on Dec. 14th, 2025. This episode is a tribute to the amazing films & legendary career he left behind. We mostly concentrate on his first 10 films — 9 of which range from very good to excellent. And while Mr. Reiner never seemed to get the love he deserved from The Academy, his films stand the test of time by being some of our all-time favorite films. From Spinal Tap to The Princess Bride to Harry Met Sally & A Few Good Men - Rob Reiner’s work was imbued with his love of humor, relatability and character of conviction. And while he might not have an Oscar — he has our enduring love and admiration. He will be missed. As always, thanks for listening. Films Mentioned (*)Recommended *This is Spinal Tap *The Princess Bride *When Harry Met Sally *Misery *Stand By Me *A Few Good Men *Best in Show *Waiting for Guffman *For Your Consideration *The Sure Thing Porky’s *The Shawshank Redemption *Apt Pupil *The Green Mile Winter People *Just Friends *Carrie *The Dead Zone Cujo *Goodfellas *Dances With Wolves *12 Angry Men *Witness For the Prosecution *Unforgiven *The Crying Game *Howard’s End Scent of a Woman The Player Enchanted April A River Runs Through It North *The American President *Mr. Smith Goes to Washington *Ghosts of Mississippi The Bucket List *LBJ Spinal Tap 2: The End Continues Contact us: info@oscars.wtf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1958 - Oscar on the River Kwai

2025-12-2901:28:52

Hey Oscar fans, Bruce is back and we’re taking on one of the greatest, unsung years in movie history. The nominees are mostly great. The non-nominees are also pretty great. And the test of time needs to be graded on a curve because so many of these films continue to resonate today. This episode is a treat for anyone who loves and appreciates truly classic films. And if you’re not already a classic film lover, these are the films that will make you one! And with two of the greatest courtroom dramas in movie history vying for best picture against one of the all-time greatest war epics — one could deliberate for years to try and get it right. Luckily we rest our case in just over an hour! Enjoy and as always, thanks for listening! Films Mentioned (* Recommended) 1/2* Sayonara 1/2* Peyton Place **Bridge on the River Kwai **12 Angry Men **Witness for the Prosecution The Teahouse of the August Moon *Viva Zapata *The King and I Return to Peyton Place **A Face in the Crowd **Paths of Glory *The Sweet Smell of Success *The Seventh Seal *What’s Up Tiger Lily? *A Hatful of Rain *The Cranes are Flying *Wild is the Wind Raintree County *Gone With the Wind *A Place in the Sun *Valley of the Dolls *Lawrence of Arabia *Oliver Twist *Great Expectations *Brief Encounter *Summertime **Double Indemnity *The Lost Weekend **Stalag 17 *Sabrina **Sunset Boulevard *The Spirit of St. Louis *Love in the Afternoon *The Tin Star *3:10 to Yuma *Forty Guns *Gunfight at the OK Coral **Star Wars *The Great Escape Man of a Thousand Faces *Jamaica Inn Heaven Knows Mr. Allison September Where Love Has Gone The Rose Tattoo *The Three Faces of Eve *Kind Hearts and Coronets *Rome, Open City *Funny Face Nights of Cabiria **The Bicycle Thieves *The Bachelor Party A Farewell to Arms For Whom the Bell Tolls Designing Woman *I, Vitelloni *The Gunfighter *Duel in the Sun *Gentleman’s Agreement *To Kill a Mockingbird *The Omen *The Enemy Below *The Little Foxes *The Turning Point *The Color Purple The Joker is Wild *The Bride of Frankenstein Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Encore: Holiday Movie Special

2025-12-2253:59

Happy Holidays Oscar fans! This week's episode is an encore performance of our previous holiday episode -- where Bruce and "Tex" discuss their favorite holiday movies and explore which ones got some holiday cheer from The Academy and which ones received a lump of coal. Enjoy! Movies mentioned: Just Friends (written by "Tex") It Nearly Wasn't Christmas (starring Bruce!) White Christmas A Christmas Story Gremlins Krampus Bad Santa Trading Places Silent Night, Deadly Night Black Christmas Die Hard (*Deck the Halls-referenced) Jingle All the Way Christmas with the Kranks It's a Wonderful Life Miracle on 34th Street Holiday Land The Night Before Christmas Toy Tinkers Scrooge Scrooged Home Alone The Nightmare Before Christmas The Preacher's Wife The Bishop's Wife How the Grinch Stole Christmas The Polar Express The Holdovers 8 Crazy Nights An American Tail The Night Before Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bonus - You Talking To Me, Oscar?

2025-12-1501:20:37

Hey Oscar fans, this week’s bonus episode covers the Director nearest & dearest to our hearts — Mr. Martin Scorsese! After discussing his breakthrough Oscar win (finally!) on the previous show (The 2007 Oscars) — we're looking back at Scorsese’s film career prior to The Departed and discussing which of his films could’ve/should’ve been nominated or won. Along the way we give our thoughts, recommendations and disclaimers on tons of Scorsese films as well as behind the scenes stories, including the time Adam’s wife shoved Scorsese at the premiere of The Aviator. If you love pure cinema — you will love this episode! As always thanks for listening! Films Mentioned (*Recommended) *The Big Shave (short) Who’s That Knocking at my Door? *American Boy (Doc) *Pulp Fiction Boxcar Bertha Bonnie & Clyde Obsessions (on Youtube) *Mean Streets *Blackmail! *Murder! *Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore *Mr. Scorsese (Doc) *Taxi Driver *Rocky *All the President’s Men *Network Face to Face Seven Beauties *Pickpocket New York, New York *Cabaret One From the Heart *Raging Bull *The King of Comedy *Tootsie *ET *Missing *Das Boot Gandhi *After Hours *The Color of Money *The Hustler *The Last Temptation of Christ *Goodfellas *Dances With Wolves *Cape Fear *Cape Fear (1962) The Age of Innocence *Casino *Bugsy The Last Emperor Empire of the Sun Kundun Seven Years in Tibet Bringing Out the Dead Light Sleeper American Gigolo Gangs of New York *Titanic The Aviator *The Departed *Shutter Island *Wolf of Wall Street The Irishman *Killers of the Flower Moon *Hugo 12 Years a Slave *Silence *Oppenheimer *The Last Waltz Contact us at: info@oscars.wtf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2007 — Departing with an Oscar, Finally!

2025-12-0801:20:461

Finally! After leaving empty handed with 5 Best Director (and 4 Best Picture) nominations… one of the greatest film directors of all-time, the God of pure cinema, Martin Scorsese, finally gets to go home with Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director. The Departed, his 2006 crime epic starring half of Hollywood seemed like the perfect vehicle to get him to the finish line… But at the same time, it’s a little bittersweet because in many people’s minds because The Departed might not have been the best movie of the year — and is nowhere near the best film Scorsese has ever made over his long and storied career. In fact, as we inspect this year’s Oscar awards — we discover a lot of nominations rewarding good people for their not best work. (And a few who deliver career benchmark performances!) Join us as we hash through a year that is equal parts rewarding and confounding and try to discover whether there was a ‘rat’ in the Academy who had it in the bag for a legend. As always, thanks for listening and supporting the show! Movies Mentioned (*Recommended) Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest *Night at the Museum Cars X-Men: The Last Stand The DaVinci Code Superman Returns Happy Feet Ice Age: The Meltdown *Casino Royale *The Pursuit of Happiness *Dreamgirls Babel *Pan’s Labyrinth *The Queen Blood Diamond *The Departed *Letters From Iwo Jima *Little Miss Sunshine *Notes on a Scandal *Flags of Our Fathers **Children of Men *Apocalypto *Inside Man *The Prestige The Illusionist *United 93 *Little Children *Volver *The Last King of Scotland Half Nelson *Venus *The Devil Wears Prada *Borat *An Inconvenient Truth *1917 **The Lives of Others Contact us at: info@oscars.wtf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Comments (4)

Andrew Clavin

woke

Mar 6th

Mateo Swartz

the color purple doesn't take place during slavery. it takes place from about 1909 to the 1930s. Danny Glover is a very well off free black man in the south after slavery but before MLK and still in a very racist and segregated America. and TCP is a very different movie than OOA, and the latter being a softcore Oscar baiter and Streep doing another accent. TCP is a star making bonanza if you look at the 2 lead/supporting actresses and has whimsical Spielberg magic meets Alice Walker/lesbians

Nov 26th

Reply (1)

excellent podcast

Nov 15th

#box-pro-ellipsis-177619457985832{-webkit-line-clamp:2;}The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?!

Andrew Clavin

Mateo Swartz

Andrew Clavin