And the Winner Should Have Been...

This episode we're back in fine form (an hour and a quarter) talking about the Best Picture nominees for the 2003 Oscars. This is the year Chicago walked away with most of the accolades and left Scorcese and Gangs of New York thinking about what might have been. Be warned! We spoil many movies, perhaps not only the Oscar nominees! It will surprise no one who's listened to even a single episode tha...

No links to movies this week (you know how to use the internet, it's not like you really need us to hold your hand here), because we're counting down our favorite(?) rom-coms in honor of Valentine's Day. We hope you'll be able to find a good selection to watch with that special someone tomorrow even though the episode is up a day late. (Who are we kidding? You're all a bunch of animals who don't w...

Bob's over the Covids, Mark's moved in to his new place and we're back on that cinema grind. Moving only 2 years ahead from last week's episode, we take on 10 films from the 2011 Oscars with the expansion of the pool in the Best Picture category. (Okay, if we're being honest, it's really more like 6 or something since we didn't watch them all, and we gave short-shrift to a couple that only one of...

This episode we tackle the Best Picture nominees (and a few more besides) from the 2009 Oscars. (Or is it 2008?) We spoil all kinds of movies, so listen with a wary ear if you're eagerly looking forward to any of the below! Bob is very pleased that he recognized Danny Boyle to be the director of both Slumdog Millionaire and Trainspotting and has added this note to brag about it. Slumdog Millionair...

If it's not one thing, it's another. Bob got his audio issues sorted, but discovered while getting this episode ready that he lost his audio for the third and final Hobbit episode. After talking it over, we've decided that we really don't want to spend the time to do it again (for a few reasons). If you've been enjoying it, we do apologize, but at some level you get what you pay for. :)This episod...

Back at it again with the second of three episodes on The Hobbit cinematic universe. Once again we are here to spoil this movie for you in multiple senses of the word. You will both be told what happens and why it is terrible. Prepare yourself! Also, Bob had some real trouble (with a capital T!) with his audio and while it's...okay? You might not find it up to our usual standard. We'll remedy that...

At the behest of a listener, we bring you the first of three installments on the three... Three? (Is that right? That can't be right. Huh.) On the three Hobbit films. We are unsparing both of our criticism and spoilers. If you fear either, beware. Check out our episodes on The Lord of the Rings. Probably ought to do that first, because they do come before The Hobbit. Well, cinematically, anyway. T...

This week, as promised, we're talking about great directors who never received an Oscar honoring them for their work in that role. Mark takes on Kubrick and Bob tackles Hitchcock and we recap a few of their movies and discuss which movies gave them their best shot and where maybe they should have actually won. Fewer spoilers, perhaps, but beware! because we're cinematic honey-badgers! We don't car...

In honor of the Great Pumpkin, this episode is all about scary movies. Well, kinda. Unnerving movies maybe. Okay, Bob's a wimp when it comes to the horror genre and Mark's better, but neither is an aficionado. But we bite the bullet and talk about the movies we like the most that are closest to this genre even if not strictly within it. We avoid spoilers for the last two films, but by and large if...

This week we end up (largely) agreeing about the Oscar choices we'd make, but we have divergent views on a number of other films (including The Little Mermaid; no, really!). We're nearly arguing as the podcast ends, but pull out the save to end amicably at the last minute. Okay, we were never in any real danger of being disharmonious, perhaps, but hopefully you'll be entertained anyway. If you fea...

We're back and demonstrating that last week wasn't a fluke; it's another hour and twenty of cinematic podcast goodness just for you. (Yes, you.) This week mixes it up while still remaining true to our original remit; we discuss who should have won Best Actor at the 1998 Academy Awards. I (Bob) am pretty sure we agreed at the end of the podcast, but while editing, I realized Mark never actually say...

This week the discussion is on the Best Picture nominees that were released in 1994. Bob and Mark disagree a bit on the margins, but end up finding more common ground than...uncommon? It rambles on a bit (almost 90 minutes!), perhaps because of the skipped episode missed while Bob was in Milwaukee at a wedding (only the one, and no funerals). Spoilers abound! (As ever.)Show Notes68th OscarsForrest...

Back at it again after it turns out Bob is too lazy to record and upload a podcast solo. Also, he just doesn't like the idea of talking to himself for an hour. After seeing what can happen to folks who have odd quirks like that in one of the films discussed in the episode, can you really blame him? This week we consider the 49th Academy Awards Best Picture nominees. The winner from among the films...

Our summer holiday continues with a look at our favorite films adapted from books. No overlap at all with this list with one of us going back nearly 90 years for some picks and the other sticking with more recent works. (Guess who did which!)As before, links to IMDb pages without titles to avoid spoilers, and though we make a greater effort to not spoil these films, listen at your own risk. We won...

We take a different tack this week and discuss out favorite heist films. (EDIT: It's the 9th episode, not the 8th as I say in the intro.) What would we define as a "heist film"? Never fear, we discuss that too; along with some desultory conversation about the weather. We hope you enjoy this, our shortest podcast to date. (Which is still nearly an hour long.)To preserve the mystery of our favorite...

Wrapping up the look back at Peter Jackson's trilogy of films, this week we consider The Return of the King. (No avoiding spoilers, obviously.) Mark continues to consider it a success, Bob remains persuaded it was a failure. Surprise, surprise. Note: Oscar® and Academy Awards® are the trademarks and service marks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This podcast is neither endorsed...

This episode is, like all of them, spoiler heavy. We continue our journey through Jackson's vision of Tolkien's masterpiece with the middle section of The Lord of the Rings. Further ranting from Bob tempered by Mark's voice of moderation. Note: Oscar® and Academy Awards® are the trademarks and service marks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This podcast is neither endorsed by nor...

A bit of a departure from our usual format. We spend the whole episode on The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (henceforth: FOTR). Join us as we journey into the heart of darkness. (Guess who got to write the show notes.)Note: Oscar® and Academy Awards® are the trademarks and service marks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This podcast is neither endorsed by nor affi...

Shakespeare in Love was the controversial Best Picture winner for 1998. Harvey Weinstein is largely credited (blamed?) for instituting the now common practice of lobbying hard for Oscars with this particular film. Years later, this may well be the decision that is most regretted by the current academy. Contending with it that year were another costume drama, Elizabeth, and three films about World...

Chariots of Fire won Best Picture in 1981, the year Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford started the Indiana Jones franchise and brought back the adventure serial with Raiders of the Lost Ark. Oh, and Warren Beatty wrote, directed, and starred in a real dog of a film called Reds. Note: Oscar® and Academy Awards® are the trademarks and service marks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences....

In 1991 Dances with Wolves became the first Western to win Best Picture since Cimarron in 1931. A lot of folks think that this meant Scorsese's Goodfellas got robbed. We watch both films and give you our opinion on the question Note: Oscar® and Academy Awards® are the trademarks and service marks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This podcast is neither endorsed by nor affiliated...

In 1979 Kramer vs. Kramer won Best Picture and Best Director honors at the Academy Awards over Apocalypse Now. Despite this, 40+ years later, it is Apocalypse Now which is the more widely acclaimed film. We watched both and discuss why that might be. Note: Oscar® and Academy Awards® are the trademarks and service marks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This podcast is neither end...

How did Citizen Kane lose to How Green Was My Valley? How did perhaps the best picture of all time fail to collect the Best Picture award? Note: Oscar® and Academy Awards® are the trademarks and service marks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This podcast is neither endorsed by nor affiliated with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Show Notes:Intro and Outro music e...