The Best Pictures Podcast

Ian and Maggie cover the 74th Best Picture winner, A Beautiful mind. All around the hosts appreciated a solid film with great acting.

We're back with another canon episode, and we're kicking off a new decade of winners! This time we're talking about the sword and sandal epic Gladiator (2000s).

Having found themselves boxed in a ranking corner, Maggie and Ian decided the needed a fresh start 2024: a re-ordered winner ranking. In addition to talking about the shuffles, Ian and Maggie each revisited a past winner to reevaluate their thoughts, talk about where the 1990s falls in the overall quality of films, and look forward (maybe not positively) to the 2000s.

For our final episode of 2023 we cover the classic 1964 Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer TV special. Maggie makes a case for Santa being the villain of the story, and she and Ian debate the physics of abominable snowmen.

We're kicking off the 2023 holiday season with a special episode on The Nightmare Before Christmas! We cover our history with the film and delve into it's major influences, themes, and legacy.

For this special spooky episode, we cover the 1979 scifi horror classic Alien!

Happy spooky season 2023! This year Ian and Maggie, with the help of podcast favorite Lola, dive into the classic Universal monster film Creature from the Black Lagoon. Special Guest: Lola.

In this episode, we tackle one of the cringiest best picture winners we've covered so far: American Beauty. We pick apart this dark look at the monotany of suburban America in the late 90s and talk about the few things that worked for us and the many that don't.

We're back with our critique of the 71st Best Picture winner Shakespeare In Love! We go through why we love this film and why it was a welcome break from more serious recent winners as well as dive into why the win is sometimes controversial when talking about other nominees from that year.

Join Maggie and Ian as they talk through 1997's winner, Titanic. Though our hosts had mixed opinions on the first part of the movie, both agree the epic romance/disaster horror combo is worth a watch!

We're back with the 69th Best Picture, The English Patient! How will this 1996 winner stack up against the other sweeping romantic epics we've covered?

We're back in the new year with the 68th Academy Award winner Braveheart! Will this questionably historical epic live up to our standards, or will it pale in comparison to our recent run of good winners.

Come listen to Maggie and Ian cover the 1966 animated TV special, How the Grinch Stole Christmas! With outstanding art direction, editing, and some unforgettable songs, this snack of a show is a delight.

We're back with our second spooky episode of 2022, and this time we're covering The Sixth Sense along with special guest Myke of the Cinemusts podcast!

To kick off our 2022 Halloween season, we're covering the 1955 psychological thriller/horror film Les Diabolique! Special Guest: Sangita.

We're back with the 67th Best Picture winner: Forrest Gump. After a long run of good but very tough winners, turn to something more uplifting and talk good writing, sassy editing, and unusual visual effects. Will this comedy drama continue our streak of good winners, or will it pale in comparison?

Join Ian and Maggie as they cover Schindler's List. While the intense violence and brutality of the Holocaust depicted in the film make it a difficult and emotional watch, both hosts agree this 1993 winner is one of the best films they've covered. Trigger warning for intense racial violence and antisemetism.

For this special 100th episode, we're throwing it way back to the very first Academy Awards. We're discussing the first and only film to win Most Unique and Artistic Picture, why we wish that category hadn't disappeared, and how Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans makes us wish we knew more about silent film.

Join our hosts and special guest Lola for this extra special summer episode! They discuss the 1960s beach movie genre focusing in what can only be described as "the most bonkers" example: Beach Blanket Bingo. There's sky diving, mermaids, and a surprising amount of tangents on kidnapping. Special Guest: Lola.

Join Maggie and Ian as they cover 1992's winner, Unforgiven. Despite mixed opinions going into this episode, Ian and Maggie found they both appreciated the top-notch visuals, complex characters, and ultimately the completely satisfying (if sometimes difficult to watch) story arcs. Trigger warning for violence against women.

Join Ian and Maggie as they finally cover the only horror movie to ever win Best Picture. Now that they're all out of delay tactics, will they be able to make it through one of the most intense movies they've covered to date?

Our hosts take a break between best picture winners to break down this underrated 1980s western.

Join our hosts for the 63rd best picture winner and western epic, Dances with Wolves. Despite having all the trappings of a great western, Dances with Wolves managed to dissappoint. The expansive score and top-notch visuals just couldn't make up for the flat writing of our main character's arc and the heavy reliance on the white savior trope.

We're back with another cult classic and a new special guest to celebrate our 4th podcast-iversary! We discuss costuming, performances, and which character we'd least like to investigate a spooky old mansion with. Big thank you to everyone who's stuck with us these past four years, and to newer listeners, welcome!

Once again Maggie and Ian have ranked themselves into a corner and it's time to fix that! They cover which films moved up and down their lists the most, which decade of winners is their favorite (and which is their least favorite), and answer listener questions about what movies they may have been a little too harsh on and which upcoming films they're most looking forward to.