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A discussion of all the films nominated for Oscars, starting in 1929, plus interviews with filmmakers and authors writing about the film industry.
198 Episodes
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Send us a text Today's episode is my conversation about the 1930 film The Devil's Holiday. I'm joined by John DiLeo who previously appeared on the podcast talking about his latest book, Not Even Nominated, and we talk about several instances of overreactions throughout the film, how several scenes feel very out of place in the film, and how much Nancy Carroll drives the film with her performance. You can watch The Devil's Holiday online on YouTube and be sure to check out John's author ...
Send us a text In today's episode, I interview Christine La Monte, producer of two recent documentaries, Ai Weiwei's Turandot and the Oscar shortlisted Viva Verdi!. Listen to hear about Christine's experience growing up listening to opera, what it was like working with a world renowned artist like Ai Weiwei, and the joy of finding new young filmmakers and helping them express their voice through film. Books mentioned in this episode include: The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley HellerCry to He...
Send us a text Today's episode is my conversation about the 1930 film The Big Pond. I'm joined by James Kreul from the Moving Image Madison newsletter and we talk about the comparison between this and the other recent Maurice Chevalier films covered on the podcast (The Love Parade), how a film can achieve romance between two characters that don't appear on screen together for most of the movie, and how efficiently the film tells the story in a tight 70-minute runtime. You can watch The Big P...
Send us a text In today's episode, I interview Jonny Durgan, director of the short film "G.S.W." The film stars Genevieve O'Reilly as a paramedic tasked with helping a gunshot wound victim who might be involved with a school shooting. Listen to hear about why Jonny decided to make a film around this topic at this time, how he was able to land a dream casting choice, and the challenges of shooting a film about medical professionals in just one day and making it feel real and authentic. Books ...
Send us a text Today's episode is my conversation about the 1930 film All Quiet on the Western Front. I'm joined by Kyle Wilson from the Oscar Chaser newsletter and we talk about the challenges of making a film about WWI from the German perspective in the United States, how many of the greatest war movies are about what war does to a person and how they deal with going back to normal life after what they've seen in war, and how this film doesn't shy away from so many of the grisly realities o...
Send us a text Today's episode is a rundown of all the biggest films (and some not so big) that will be coming out in wide release in 2026. These dates are always subject to change, so be sure to subscribe to The Oscar Project newsletter to stay up to date on all the new releases coming your way each and every week. Support the show
Send us a text It's time for my 2025 podcast year in review where discuss some of the popular episodes from this year. Take a listen to hear clips from my Oscar nominated movie discussions with Beth Lisogorsky, Kevin Pettit, Maria Banson, Jeff Kramer, Enrico Banson, and Amanda Kusek. You'll also hear parts of my interviews with Jonathan Hammond, Madison Hatfield, Aaron Blaise, Tatiana McCabe, Xindi Zhang, Sam and David Cutler-Kreutz, and recent Osar winners Victoria Warmerdam and Trent. You c...
Send us a text Today's episode is the first of several year end episodes where I recap 2025 and look ahead into 2026. First up are my top 10s of 2025 where my lists include: Top movie books I read in 2025Top short film of 2025Biggest surprises and disappointments of 2025Top first time watches in 2025Top films of 2025Be sure to check out my Substack newsletter for full articles on each of these as we count down to the new year and my next episode where I will be recapping everything that happe...
Send us a text Today's episode is my conversation about the 1930 film The Divorcee. I'm joined by Beth Lisogorsky from the You Need to Watch This! newsletter and we talk about Norma Shearer's Oscar-nominated performance, how different the film might have been had it been released a few years later under the Hayes Production Code guidelines, and the complex set of relationships the film uses to delve into all sorts of love and loyalty. You can watch The Divorcee online for yourself or pick u...
Send us a text In today's episode, I interview Giovanna Ferrari, director of the animated short film "Éiru," her directorial debut which is currently on the shortlist for Best Animated Short Film for the 98th Academy Awards. Listen to hear about the inspiration for the story that stemmed from Giovanna's own travels around the world, the importance of being willing to see the world through the eyes of people not like ourselves, and whether an entire generation can feel like they lack a voice i...
Send us a text Today's episode is my conversation about the 1930 film King of Jazz. I'm joined by Matthew Brady from the Warren Peace newsletter and we talk about the use of color in this film that sets it apart for many other films of the time, the relative success of various comedy bits throughout the film, and how many of the sequences throughout are reminiscent of the vaudeville days. You can watch King of Jazz online for yourself or pick up the Criterion release of the film, and be sur...
Send us a text In today's episode, I interview Alex Thompson, director of the short film "Em & Selma Go Griffin Hunting," the story of a mother and daughter faced with difficult choices as they take part in a coming-of-age hunt set in a fictional 1930s America. Listen to hear about how Alex's world building for the film began with the characters, the process of casting the main characters of the film to ensure they had the right level of humanity for the story, and the challenge of creati...
Send us a text Today's episode is my conversation about the 1930 film Sarah and Son. I'm joined by Matthew Carlson from the What Am I Making newsletter and we talk about whether the film would even survive today if not for Chatterton's Academy Award nomination for her performance as Sarah, compare lost films to what it would be like if our music catalog was missing dozens of Elvis or Beatles recordings, and learn about interesting familial connections and an actress who was a bit of a daredev...
Send us a text In today's episode, I interview Christoffer Stenbakken, director of the short film "The Thief," which follows a boy in a remote town in East Greenland as he looks for his dog that has gone missing. Listen to hear about the challenges of filming with a small crew in a remote location, trying to find the film's lead actors around town when they didn't have phones, and the story's foundation in the personal life of the lead actor. Books mentioned in this episode include: Annihila...
Send us a text Today's episode is my conversation about the 1930 film Anna Christie. I'm joined by Swabreen Bakr from the Anti-Brain Rot newsletter and we talk about Greta Garbo's first words heard on screen, how the film addresses women's issues at a time when that was not a topic of conversation in film, and how the film looks at characters of lower social status in a time when many movies focused on the rich and well off. You can watch Anna Christie online for yourself and be sure to chec...
Send us a text In today's episode, I interview Liz Rao, director of the short film "The Truck," which explores the story of a teenage girl and her boyfriend seeking out the morning-after pill in a small town. Listen to hear about Liz's need to tell this story following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, how she made a film with a strict script that still allowed for improvisation from her actors, and some perfect behavior from the weather when it came to shooting the pivotal scene in the film. ...
Send us a text Today's episode is my conversation about the 1930 film The Vagabond King. I'm joined by Rebecca Deniston from the Taking Up Room blog and Taking Up More Room newsletter and we talk about how movie musicals continue to be very stagey, try to come up with other films where a character changes identity and is unrecognized by his friends, and look at some great performances from several actors early on in their careers. You can watch The Vagabond King online for yourself and be s...
Send us a text In today's episode, I interview Salvatore Scarpa, Max Burgoyne-Moore, and Rachid Sabitri, the directors and producer of the short film "Largo," a look at the refugee experience through the eyes of a young child. Listen to hear about knowing that they had the right actor to play their young lead, a very ambitious script which turned out to be easier to write than to film, and one sure fire way to test and see if a boat actually floats. Books mentioned in this episode include: B...
Send us a text Today's episode is my conversation about the 1930 film The Green Goddess. I'm joined by Murray Mintz from the CineVibeZ Fanzine newsletter and we talk about how much fun George Arliss clearly has playing this role, the differences between the silent version and talkie version of the film, and we try to unravel a twisted knot of a love quadrangle. You can watch The Green Goddess online for yourself and be sure to check out Murray's newsletter. Other films mentioned in this ep...
Send us a text In today's episode, I interview Phil Mazo, director of the short film "Replay," a short docucomedy that explores a memory from his own past. Listen to hear about the challenges of making a documentary film about yourself, how Phil went about reaching out to the original interviewer to involve him in the project, and how certain memories can become lasting images in your mind even decades later. Books mentioned in this episode include: The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace:...
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