The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?!

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5 of 40

Bonus - You Talking To Me, Oscar?
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: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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2007 — Departing with an Oscar, Finally!
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: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Bonus - Here's Looking at You, Bogart
Hey Oscars WWTT? Fans — for this bonus episode, a companion piece to our recent 1938 Oscars episode, “Tex” and Mark take a fun look back at an acting legend — the incomparable Humphrey Bogart. However, rather than do a full retrospective of Bogart’s entire career in front of the camera (70+ films) — instead we’re focusing on the 7 films Bogart acted in, in 1937. Two of these films received Oscar nominations (DEAD END and BLACK LEGION) while the other five showcased an actor on the rise trying to turn the corner from a bit player in the ‘Also Starring’ section of the credits — to a well-rounded actor capable of playing more than just mobsters and wise-guys. This was a breakthrough year for Bogie and a chance to learn about some great hidden gem films for anyone who is a fan of movies, great acting and the rise of one of America’s greatest acting treasures. Thanks for listening! Movies Mentioned (*Recommended) *Casablanca *High Sierra *The Maltese Falcon *Key Largo *The African Queen *Treasure of the Sierra Madre *Black Legion *The Great O’Malley *Marked Woman San Quentin *Kid Galahad *Dead End Stand In *To Have and Have Not *In a Lonely Place *Beat the Devil *The Caine Mutiny *The Petrified Forest *The Roaring 20’s *The Harder They Fall Contact us: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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1938 - The Awful Truth About the Oscars...
I know, I know, another old Oscars ceremony from over 85 years ago. It can’t possibly be interesting! You can think that… but you’d be wrong! This year had 10 best picture nominees, covering a wide range of interesting topics — from the rise of fascism, the great Chicago fire and a love affair with Napoleon to the struggles of making it as an actress or Broadway star, the pitfalls of divorce and the plight of ancient Chinese farmers (played by non-Chinese actors.) Plus the first of four versions of A Star is Born. It’s an amazing year featuring the rising stars of the industry (Bogart, Spencer Tracy, Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant, Greta Garbo, Barbara Stanwyck, Paul Muni and more!) Trust us, if you love movies, (and adding movies you've never heard of to your watch list) you’re gonna love this episode. As always, thanks for listening! Films Mentioned (* recommended) *The Awful Truth *The Life of Emile Zola *A Star is Born *Dead End *One Hundred Men and a Girl *Stage Door *The Good Earth *Lost Horizon *In Old Chicago *Captains Courageous *Conquest *Night Must Fall *Hurricane *The Black Legion Topper *Camille *Stella Dallas *Angel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Bonus: Bring Me the Head of Sam Peckinpah!
Few filmmakers achieve the level of notoriety and legendary status of Sam Peckinpah. He didn’t just direct movies — he detonated them. And while he never received any love from the Oscars, that was never his goal. Unflinching, uncompromising, and unrelenting, Peckinpah existed to turn on-screen violence into an art form… often in slow motion. Join us as we break down the bruised beauty of his short but lasting filmography — and pay homage to the man whose balletic violence and broken heroes changed the language of film forever. Films Mentioned *Recommended (P) Peckinpah directed *The Ballad of Cable Hogue (P) Airport Noon Wine (P) **The Wild Bunch (P) *Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (P) **Straw Dogs (P) *The Getaway (P) *Convoy (P) The Other Side of the Wind *The Deadly Companions (P) *How Green Was My Valley *The Quiet Man McLintock *Ride the High Country (P) *Lawrence of Arabia *The Music Man *To Kill a Mockingbird *The Longest Day *Major Dundee (P) *Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid *Midnight Cowboy A Clockwork Orange *The French Connection *Fiddler on the Roof *The Last Picture Show Sunday Bloody Sunday Junior Bonner (P) The Last Straighter Smokey and the Bandit Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (P) The Killing of a Chinese Bookie *The Godfather The Killer Elite (P) *Cross of Iron (P) *Inglorious Basterds *Saving Private Ryan The Osterman Weekend (P) Straw Dogs (2011) The Killer Elite (2011) The Getaway (1994) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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About The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?!

Ever watched the Academy Awards and thought, What were they thinking? You’re not alone. Join legendary comedian and writer of over 25 Oscar telecasts, Bruce Vilanch, and screenwriter/film nerd Adam “Tex” Davis (Just Friends) as they dive into Oscar history, unpacking the flubs, snubs, and surprises from Hollywood’s biggest night. From behind-the-scenes stories of A-list stars to insider insights on how the nominations and winners are really chosen, Bruce and Tex break down each Oscar ceremony year by year to reveal what the Academy got right—and what they didn’t. If you’ve ever questioned why your favorite movie or actor got overlooked, this podcast is for you. The Oscars: What Were They Thinking? Did you know that two of the Top 100 American Films of All-Time came out the same year but weren’t even nominated for an Academy Award? Or that the film often cited as the ‘Greatest Film of All Time’ didn’t win the Oscar in its year? Or that Cuba Gooding Jr. has the same number of acting Oscars as Al Pacino? Look, stuff happens. But if you’ve ever watched or read about the Academy Awards, you’ve probably been left scratching your head over which movies and performers won – and how many beloved films weren’t even considered. Why do so many Best Picture winners become some of the least remembered movies? How is it that legendary directors like Stanley Kubrick never won an Oscar? And why do great actors miss out on their best performances, only to win later for less impressive work? Sure, the Oscars aren’t sports – there’s no scoreboard to show the winners. But with so many Academy members voting, you’d think they’d get it right. Spoiler alert: They often don’t. On The Oscars: What Were They Thinking?, Bruce Vilanch and Adam “Tex” Davis take a deep dive into Oscar history, looking back at the biggest mistakes, controversies, and snubs. From Shakespeare in Love beating Saving Private Ryan to Dances with Wolves winning over Goodfellas, we’ll examine where the Academy went wrong. Along the way, you’ll hear incredible behind-the-scenes stories and never-before-told moments from Hollywood’s biggest night. We’re re-examining each Oscar ceremony, year-by-year, award-by-award, to see what the Academy got right, what they missed, and how we would “fix” the Oscars. Whether you’re a dedicated movie buff or just a casual fan, this is the podcast for you. Join us for The Oscars: What Were They Thinking?, where we break down the flubs, snubs, and forgotten gems of Oscar history.

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