Samuel Erdahl & Rance Collins

The Envelope Please

Tv EN ↓ 99 episodes

Join friends Sam and Rance as they watch and discuss every single Academy Award winner for Best Picture starting from the very first ceremony.

Author

Samuel Erdahl & Rance Collins

Category

Tv

Latest episode

Mar 13, 2026

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Episodes

1986: Platoon 31.08.2021

Almost a decade after The Deer Hunter took home the Best Picture award, we have another Vietnam War movie front and center: Oliver Stone's Platoon. Quieter and more poetic, Platoon is one of the best depictions of what the soldiers experienced during the war. But is it OUR favorite of the year? Tune in and find out!

1985: Out Of Africa 23.08.2021

We now have our third Best Picture winning film staring Meryl Streep. This time it's Out Of Africa that sweeps the awards, taking home seven. However, neither of us think this is the best 1985 had to offer. Tune in to hear what our pic for Best Film is!

1984: Amadeus 10.08.2021

Amadeus swept the 1984 Academy Awards, winning a total of eight statues during the evening. Tune in as we cover this impressive cinematic achievement while also highlighting other greats movies of the year like Splash and Muppets Take Manhattan.

1983: Terms of Endearment 27.07.2021

1983 was the year of James L. Brooks, who took home three Academy Awards (including Best Picture) for his sentimental family-drama Terms of Endearment. You will hear no complaints from us as we break down this year in Oscar movies.

1982: Gandhi 20.07.2021

Gandhi swept the 1982 Academy Awards, winning eight golden statues. However, this year also included heavyweights like Tootsie, E.T., and Victor/Victoria. Do we agree with the outcome? Tune in to hear our take!

1981: Chariots of Fire 13.07.2021

1981 is another unique year at the Oscars. All of the five Best Picture nominees were nominated in the top 5 categories (Picture, Director, Screenplay, Actor, Actress). However, the awards were fairly spread out. The Academy may have chosen Chariots of Fire, but our hearts stay with On Golden Pond.

1980: Ordinary People 06.07.2021

Ordinary People is looked upon as one of the most controversial Best Picture winners of all time, and not because of content, but because it beat out Raging Bull. We take a look at both of these movies to express why we think Ordinary People is the rightful winner. We also highlight movies such as 9 to 5 and Airplane!

1979: Kramer vs. Kramer 29.06.2021

The 1970s come to a close with a powerful, family drama winning the top award: Kramer vs. Kramer. No surprises here that we are both in total agreement with this win, but tune in as we highlight other great movies of the year like Norma Rae and The Rose.

1978: The Deer Hunter 22.06.2021

Let the Vietnam War movies BEGIN! 1978 really came down to two movies, Coming Home and the eventual winner The Deer Hunter. We chit chat on the merits and shortcomings of both movies while also highlighting other favorites of the year like Grease and Superman.

50th Anniversary Special: Part 2 15.06.2021

We conclude our Anniversary Special by giving you our top 25 Best Picture movies from the first 50 years of Oscar. Do you think our number one movies match? Tune in to find out!

50th Anniversary Special: Part 1 08.06.2021

We have officially covered the first 50 years of the Academy Awards, so now we're taking a look back on the first 51 Best Picture winners to rank them in order of personal preference. In Part 1, we share our 51-26 rankings. Tune in next week for our top 25 winners!

1977: Annie Hall 01.06.2021

It's been a few decades, but we finally have another comedy break through and win Best Picture. We do our best to look at Annie Hall objectively, but it was difficult trying to separate the art from its creator. We also highlight other movies from this year like Julia and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. And an episode about 1977 wouldn't be complete without a little discussion on Star Wars.

1976: Rocky 25.05.2021

Welcome to Part 2 of our 1976 special! This week we break down the Best Picture winner Rocky, while also highlighting some of our other favorites of the year like Carrie and The Omen.

1976: Best Picture Nominees 18.05.2021

In this special episode, we break down the four nominees for Best Picture in 1976, which is often considered to be one of the strongest group of movies ever nominated. Which of the four is your favorite?

1975: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest 11.05.2021

We have arrived at the second movie to sweep the top five Academy Awards! 1975 was a huge year for movies. We discuss exactly why we think Cuckoo's Nest triumphed over the likes of Jaws and Dog Day Afternoon.

1974: The Godfather Part II 04.05.2021

1974 saw the first sequel to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. Although it had some stiff competition from movies like Chinatown and Coppola's own The Conversation, you won't hear too many complaints from us.

1973: The Sting 30.04.2021

Sandwiched between the two Godfather movies we have one of the most entertaining pictures of all time win the top award: The Sting. It's another great collaboration between Redford, Newman and director George Roy Hill. However, both Rance and I agree that a different movie should have worn the crown. Tune in to find out!

1972: The Godfather 20.04.2021

We have come to one of the biggest winners of all time, 1972's The Godfather. This movie is consistently listed as one of the greatest of all time.. and we couldn't agree more. The only problem is that there were two major films vying for the top spot, the second one being Cabaret. Listen as we break down both of these classics and more!

1971: The French Connection 13.04.2021

This week we're thrown into the streets of New York City by the corrupt cop Popeye Doyle in William Friedkin's Best Picture winning film The French Connection. However, after highlighting a couple other movies from this year we realized that it's not our choice for the top award. Listen in to find out what is!

1970: Patton 06.04.2021

A new decade is finally upon us! Join us as we break into the 1970s with the first Best Picture winner: Patton. How does this movie size up with past World War II winners? Tune in and find out!

Rankings: 1960-1969 30.03.2021

In this special episode we take a look back on the ten films that won Best Picture in the 1960s and rank them in order of our own personal preferences.

1969: Midnight Cowboy 23.03.2021

And now for the first and only "X" rated movie to win Best Picture.. Midnight Cowboy! Often remembered for its famously improvised line "I"m walkin here," this movie set a new tone and standard for what could be considered Oscar content. Tune in to find out which other movies we spotlight!

1968: Oliver! 16.03.2021

The final movie musical to take home the Best Picture Oscar in the 1960s was Oliver! Although it's a fine enough musical, it is not the movie that we think deserved the top honor. Listen in to find out!

1967: In The Heat of the Night 09.03.2021

In Part 2 of our 1967 special we discuss the Best Picture winner In The Heat of the Night and what significant factors contributed to its triumph. We also spotlight some other great movies of the year like Wait Until Dark!

1967: Best Picture Nominees 02.03.2021

1967 is such an important year for the Academy Awards that we had to split it into two parts. In Part 1, we break down the four nominees for Best Picture. Three of them could have token home the top honor in any other year.. and the fourth one is called Doctor Dolittle.

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