The Oscar Project Podcast

Send us Fan Mail In today's episode, I interview Angad Aulakh, director of the short film "Aurora," a exploration of the loneliness and isolation felt by a man in deep space and those he left behind on Earth. Listen to hear about the musical inspiration for the film, his collaboration with the star of the film, Guy Kent, and the interesting use of sound to convey certain emotions th...

Send us Fan Mail Today's episode is my conversation about the 1931 film Svengali . I'm joined by film and theater director Enrico Banson who writes the Director's Notes  newsletter and we talk about whether this film belongs with the great Universal horror films of the era, how the film portrays bohemian artistic culture of the late 1800s, and some of the most incredible production...

Send us Fan Mail In today's episode, I interview Deborah Lee Smith and Brian Leahy, producer, star, writer, and director of the short film "Glitterbomb," which follows a woman through a harrowing situation while she tries desperately to keep her composure on a virtual job interview. Listen to hear about Deborah's real life experience that inspired the film, the incredible achie...

Send us Fan Mail Today's episode is my conversation about the 1931 film The Public Enemy . I'm joined by Gareth Bradwick from the Popped  newsletter and we talk about an unexpected level of crime and violence in the film, a wide array of stories surrounding a specific piece of fruit, and rain like we have never seen before on film. You can watch The Public Enemy  on Hulu and be sure to c...

Send us Fan Mail In today's episode, I interview Kate Radcliffe and Sophie King, writer and director of the short film "Still Life," which tells the story of a couple dealing with the loss of a baby and all the daily reminders they face of that loss. Listen to hear about the ability we have to find the humor in dark situations, exploring the effects of dealing with loss and trauma w...

Send us Fan Mail Today's episode is my conversation about the 1931 film Skippy . I'm joined Jonathan Hammond, film director and previous guest on the podcast and we talk about the deep trauma that resulted from watching this film, some major issues with the film's production when you look at it from today's perspective, and a long-standing legal battle over a simply name. You c...

Send us Fan Mail In today's episode, I interview Matt Kennard, director of the short film "Before You Go," which tells the story of a young man who visits a loved one in the hospital to say his final goodbyes. Listen to hear about Matt's thoughts on what seems like a rise in films set in hospitals, how he found his incredible lead actor, and the role that sound plays throughout...

Send us Fan Mail Today's episode is my conversation about the 1931 film The Front Page . I'm joined by Matthew Carlson from the What Am I Making  newsletter and we talk about the level of effectiveness of the film's humor, how this film paved the way for many that came after it including at least one remake of the story, and the deep rooted misogyny of the story. You can watch The F...

Send us Fan Mail In today's episode, I interview Johnny Russell, director of the short film "A Scent." The film is based on a real person who claimed to have the ability to smell patients with a certain disease. Listen to hear about how Johnny came to telling this story in his film, the challenges of filming a drama set in a hospital on a short film budget and schedule, and finding...

Send us Fan Mail Today's episode is my conversation about the 1931 film East Lynne . I'm joined by Lewis Beer from the Slow Movie Pictures  newsletter and we talk about some drastic changes the film made from the source material, the outstanding performances from the female actors in the film, and several innovative camera techniques used to show the world from Isabel's point of vie...

Send us Fan Mail In today's episode, I interview Kat Butterfield and Daniel Audritt, directors of the short film “Life Goes On,” a darkly humorous take on a man in hospice who is forced to relive the same day over and over. Listen to hear about the story that was ten years in the making, some time loop films that inspired this film, and the challenges of keeping a time loop film straight when...

Send us Fan Mail Today's episode is my conversation about the 1931 film Tabu: A Story of the South Seas . I'm joined by James Kreul from the Moving Image Madison newsletter and we talk about how the film's pacing suffers due to trying to blend documentary filmmaking with a loose narrative structure, the film's influence on modern films set in the same region like Moana , and th...

Send us Fan Mail With today's episode, The Oscar Project has official hit a huge milestone, 250 episodes! That includes over 100 interviews with authors, filmmakers, and more as well as over 80 episodes focusing on specific Oscar nominated films from the first four years of the Academy Awards. This special episode is a bit of a history of the show, a chance to recognize everyone who has helpe...

Send us Fan Mail In today's episode, I interview Ingrid Runde Saxegaard, director of the short film “Sandy Fannies,” a deeply personal film about the conversations we often don't have with those we love the most. Listen to hear about the challenges of filming on a remote beach on the Norwegian coast, how the story went through many iterations before landing on its final structure, and th...

Send us Fan Mail Today's episode is my conversation about the 1931 film Cimarron . I'm joined by Kevin Pettit from the See You At the Movies newsletter and we talk about the unbelievable scale of the world created for this film, the absolute character that is Yancey Cravat, and several excellent double features that you can pair with this film. You can watch Cimarron online or purchase a...

Send us Fan Mail In today's episode, I interview Ran Jing, director of the short film “Imprint,” a look at how topics like immigration, class, and advancing technology can all be intertwined. Listen to hear about the genesis for the story out of a conversation she had with a friend, how the film addresses the common fear of falling behind in our society, and the challenge of casting a young a...

Send us Fan Mail Today's episode is my conversation about the 1931 film Trader Horn . I'm joined by Rob Thomas from the Not That Rob Thomas newsletter and we talk about how the film is at times an adventure story and at others a nature documentary, the sometimes surprising amount of violence on display in the film , and the most obnoxious pith helmet this side of the Sahara. You can watc...

Send us Fan Mail In today's episode, I interview Misha Calvert, director of the short film “Fault,” an exploration of buried trauma that threatens the career of a star tennis player on the eve of the U.S. Open. Listen to hear about the story that was adapted from the personal story of the film's star, the potential alternate setting for the film that still comes through in the final prod...

Send us Fan Mail Today's episode is my conversation about the 1931 film Little Caesar . I'm joined by Charlotte Simmons from The Treatment newsletter and we talk about the array of differences between the novel and the film, the film's place as a foundation for many of the mob movies that have followed, and  You can watch Little Caesar online for or purchase a copy for yourself and...

Send us Fan Mail In today's episode, I interview Guy Trevellyan, director of the short film “Plastic Surgery,” a unique take on the body horror genre mixed with awareness of a crisis with global impact. Listen to hear about how he re-wrote a character based on his lead actress being six months pregnant, getting connected with one of the actors from the Narnia films, and the importance of soun...

Send us Fan Mail Today's episode is my conversation about the 1931 film The Criminal Code . I'm joined by Murray Mintz from the CineVibeZ Fanzine newsletter and we talk about what it means to stick to the criminal code, an excellent supporting performance from a pre- Frankenstein Boris Karloff, and a new understanding of the term yammering. You can watch The Criminal Code online for your...

Send us Fan Mail In today's episode, I interview Wesley Wang, director of the short film “Violet and Marlowe Rob a Bank,” a frenetic animated short set to a new song "Feel It All Again" by adore. Listen to hear about the collaboration between Wesley and adore with their unreleased music, some of the films that informed the creation of these characters, and his plans for the future o...

Send us Fan Mail Today's episode is my conversation about the 1930 film The Royal Family of Broadway and I'm joined by Rebecca Deniston who writes the Taking Up More Room newsletter , and we talk about the distinct lack of story evident in the film, the complete ostentatiousness of every frame of the film, and how much influence the poor transfer of this film made on our opinion of it ov...

Send us Fan Mail In today's episode, I interview Javier Cano Larumbe, director of the short film "Void," a horror take on the effects of a pending divorce on the world of a young child. Listen to hear about the films that inspired this story, the process of casting the boy to play the lead actor in his film, and how he was able to turn the location of the home into a character of it...

Send us Fan Mail Today's episode is my conversation about the 1930 film Min and Bill I'm joined by Maria Banson who writes the The Brunello Bombshell newsletter , and we talk about the interesting family dynamics at play in this film, an incredible (and Oscar worthy) performance from Marie Dressler in the lead role, and the second half of the film that flies by once the action really get...