Shows
OscarWatch PodcastOne Last Thing...In which to say 'Thank you' to those who walked this path alongside.
2019-01-1500 min
OscarWatch PodcastShoulda Been A Contenda: City Lights (1931)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...
2018-12-3100 min
OscarWatch PodcastClosely Watched Trains (1967)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...
2018-12-2900 min
OscarWatch PodcastListener Request: The Player (1992)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!
2018-12-2700 min
OscarWatch PodcastShoulda Been A Contenda: Stalag 17 (1953)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...
2018-12-2500 min
OscarWatch PodcastA Special Message From OscarWatch"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."
A brief message on the future, and fare thee well.
2018-12-2400 min
OscarWatch PodcastListener Request: The Prestige (2006)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...
2018-12-2000 min
OscarWatch PodcastListener Request: Shadow of the Vampire (2000)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...
2018-12-1300 min
OscarWatch PodcastListener Request: Avalon (1990)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...
2018-12-0600 min
OscarWatch PodcastFor Your ReConsideration: The Last Picture Show (1971)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...
2018-11-2900 min
OscarWatch PodcastShoulda Been A Contenda: The Princess Bride (1987)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...
2018-11-2200 min
OscarWatch PodcastAll Quiet On The Western Front (1930)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...
2018-11-1500 min
OscarWatch PodcastFor Your ReConsideration: Mr Smith Goes To Washington (1939)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...
2018-11-0800 min
OscarWatch PodcastCoco (2017)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...
2018-11-0100 min
OscarWatch PodcastShoulda Been A Contenda: Rosemary's Baby (1968)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...
2018-10-2500 min
OscarWatch PodcastShoulda Been A Contenda: Psycho (1960)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...
2018-10-1800 min
OscarWatch PodcastShoulda Been A Contenda: The Shining (1980)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...
2018-10-1100 min
OscarWatch PodcastFor Your ReConsideration: Babe (1995)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...
2018-10-0400 min
OscarWatch PodcastHappy Feet (2006)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...
2018-09-2700 min
OscarWatch PodcastFor Your ReConsideration: Five Easy Pieces (1970)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...
2018-09-2000 min
OscarWatch PodcastShoulda Been A Contenda: Boogie Nights (1997)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...
2018-09-1300 min
OscarWatch PodcastFor Your ReConsideration: The Goodbye Girl (1977)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...
2018-09-0600 min
OscarWatch PodcastFor Your ReConsideration: Dead Poets Society (1989)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...
2018-08-3000 min
OscarWatch PodcastFor Your ReConsideration: My Left Foot (1989)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...
2018-08-2300 min
OscarWatch PodcastShoulda Been A Contenda: Do The Right Thing (1989)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...
2018-08-1600 min
OscarWatch PodcastA Brief Conversation On The Recently Announced Academy Awards ChangesThe 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.
2018-08-0900 min
OscarWatch PodcastDriving Miss Daisy (1989)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...
2018-08-0900 min
OscarWatch PodcastThe Great Beauty (2013)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...
2018-08-0200 min
OscarWatch PodcastFor Your ReConsideration: Dog Day Afternoon (1975)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...
2018-07-2600 min
OscarWatch PodcastFor Your ReConsideration: The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)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...
2018-07-1900 min
OscarWatch PodcastAmerican Hustle (2013)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...
2018-07-1200 min
OscarWatch PodcastFor Your ReConsideration: Lincoln (2012)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...
2018-07-0500 min
OscarWatch Podcast12 Years A Slave (2013)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...
2018-06-2800 min
OscarWatch PodcastCinema Paradiso (1989)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...
2018-06-2100 min
OscarWatch PodcastThe Incredibles (2004)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...
2018-06-1400 min
OscarWatch PodcastFor Your ReConsideration: Doctor Zhivago (1965)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...
2018-06-0700 min
OscarWatch PodcastFor Your ReConsideration: The Thin Red Line (1998)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...
2018-05-3100 min
OscarWatch PodcastFor Your ReConsideration: Jaws (1975)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...
2018-05-2400 min
OscarWatch PodcastShoulda Been A Contenda: 2001 - A Space Odyssey (1968)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...
2018-05-1700 min
OscarWatch PodcastBicycle Thieves (1949)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...
2018-05-1000 min
OscarWatch PodcastCimarron (1931)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...
2018-05-0300 min
OscarWatch PodcastOne Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975)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...
2018-04-2600 min
OscarWatch PodcastFor Your ReConsideration: Black Swan (2010)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...
2018-04-1900 min
OscarWatch PodcastFor Your ReConsideration: The Social Network (2010)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...
2018-04-1200 min
OscarWatch PodcastIn A Better World (2010)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...
2018-04-0500 min
OscarWatch PodcastToy Story 3 (2010)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...
2018-03-2900 min
OscarWatch PodcastThe King's Speech (2010)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...
2018-03-2200 min
OscarWatch PodcastFor(eign) Your ReConsideration: Pan's Labyrinth (2006)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...
2018-03-1500 min
OscarWatch PodcastFor Your ReConsideration: Sunset Boulevard (1950)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...
2018-03-0900 min
OscarWatch PodcastThe 90th Academy Awards RecapWe 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...
2018-03-0500 min
OscarWatch Podcast90th Annual Academy Awards: The Final CountdownThe 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...
2018-03-0100 min
OscarWatch PodcastAll About Eve (1950)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...
2018-02-2700 min
OscarWatch PodcastAmour (2012)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...
2018-02-1500 min
OscarWatch PodcastShrek (2001)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...
2018-02-0800 min
OscarWatch PodcastYou're The Best Around! The Top 10 of 2017Behold! 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...
2018-02-0200 min
OscarWatch PodcastLife Is Beautiful (1998)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...
2018-01-1800 min
OscarWatch Podcast75th Golden Globes Recap and 2017 Best OfWho 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.
2018-01-1200 min
OscarWatch PodcastSlumdog Millionaire (2008)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...
2018-01-0400 min
OscarWatch PodcastFor Your ReConsideration: It's A Wonderful Life (1946)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...
2017-12-2100 min
OscarWatch PodcastFanny And Alexander (1983)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!
...
2017-12-1400 min
OscarWatch PodcastThe UnOscars: Christmas Evil (1980)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...
2017-12-0800 min
OscarWatch PodcastFor Your ReConsideration: The Lion In Winter (1968)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...
2017-12-0100 min
OscarWatch PodcastFrozen (2013)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...
2017-11-1600 min
OscarWatch PodcastHow Green Was My Valley (1941)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...
2017-11-0900 min
OscarWatch PodcastMarty (1955)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...
2017-11-0200 min
OscarWatch PodcastFor Your ReConsideration: The Exorcist (1973)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...
2017-10-2700 min
OscarWatch PodcastThe UnOscars: Trick 'r Treat (2009)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...
2017-10-1900 min
OscarWatch PodcastA Clockwork Orange (1971)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...
2017-10-1200 min
OscarWatch PodcastThe Sixth Sense (1999)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...
2017-10-0700 min
OscarWatch PodcastA Separation (2011)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...
2017-09-0700 min
OscarWatch PodcastPool Party Massacre (2017)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...
2017-08-1700 min
OscarWatch PodcastGoing My Way (1944)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...
2017-08-1100 min
OscarWatch PodcastLawrence of Arabia (1962)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...
2017-08-0400 min
OscarWatch PodcastDay For Night (1973)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...
2017-07-1300 min
OscarWatch PodcastSaving Private Ryan (1998)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...
2017-06-2900 min
OscarWatch PodcastZootopia (2016)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...
2017-06-1500 min
OscarWatch PodcastAmadeus (1984)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...
2017-06-0800 min
OscarWatch PodcastMutiny on the Bounty (1935)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.
...
2017-05-1800 min
OscarWatch PodcastThe Virgin Spring (1960)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 Swed...
2017-05-0400 min
OscarWatch PodcastUp (2009)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...
2017-04-2000 min
OscarWatch PodcastThe Lives of Others (2006)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...
2017-04-0600 min
OscarWatch PodcastOn The Waterfront (1954)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...
2017-03-3000 min
OscarWatch PodcastMoonlight (2016)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...
2017-03-2300 min
OscarWatch PodcastIn the Heat of the Night (1967)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...
2017-03-1700 min
OscarWatch PodcastThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)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...
2016-12-2200 min
OscarWatch PodcastSilence of the Lambs (1991)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...
2016-11-0400 min
OscarWatch PodcastThe Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)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...
2016-10-1300 min
OscarWatch PodcastBraveheart (1995)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!
2016-09-2200 min
OscarWatch PodcastPatton (1970)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...
2016-09-1500 min
OscarWatch PodcastBirdman Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)(2014)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...
2016-08-2500 min
OscarWatch PodcastRain Man (1988)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...
2016-08-1100 min
OscarWatch PodcastThe Broadway Melody (1929)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 mome...
2016-08-0400 min
OscarWatch PodcastUnforgiven (1992)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...
2016-07-2800 min
OscarWatch PodcastArgo (2012)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...
2016-07-2100 min
OscarWatch PodcastThe Deer Hunter (1978)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...
2016-07-1500 min
OscarWatch PodcastYou Can't Take It With You (1938)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...
2016-06-2800 min
OscarWatch PodcastThe Departed (2006)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 Affair...
2016-06-1600 min
OscarWatch PodcastSchindler's List (1993)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
...
2016-06-0900 min
OscarWatch PodcastAnnie Hall (1977)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.
...
2016-06-0200 min
OscarWatch PodcastRocky (1976)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...
2016-05-1900 min