OscarWatch Podcast

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 and the intestines? Steve thinks so, though he's having a hard time figuring out what! So if you're tired of us going on about the "Best" movies, then tune in! We had fun, and so will you! Got a recommendation for an UNOscar episode? Want to appear and talk about your own movie? Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and be sure to follow us on social media (@oscarwatchpod). Subscribe and review on iTunes. Next week...Wallace & Gromit!

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@gmail.com and find us on social media @oscarwatchpod

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 saddle up our camels and discuss El Aurens. Plus, why don't they bring back intermissions? Michael Bay could really use them in his flicks. Thanks for listening. Next week we're going your way. I mean, going my way. Someone's way. Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and be sure to follow on social media @oscarwatchpod. See you next time.

This week's film is not about a famous Brazilian soccer player nor does it feature any conquering whatsoever. Instead, strap in for a discussion on 19th century working conditions in rural Denmark, it's Pelle the Conqueror. Featuring a stunning and Academy Award nominated performance from the great Max von Sydow, Steve and Matt follow young Pelle and his father as they try to make it in a new land. It's like any immigrant story, and though the setting may change, its lessons never do. Though it could definitely use a little tighter editing. But hey, that's life? And life is never what you want it to be (that's another lesson you learn here, too!). Thanks for listening! Next week, we head from the frozen lakes of Denmark to the burning sands of Arabia. Be sure to drop a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and find us on iTunes. Follow us on social media @oscarwatchpod.

This week, the guys pick their toes in Poughkeepsie as they discuss one of the seminal car chase films in cinema history, 1971's The French Connection. In it, we go all 'trigger warning' on Popeye Doyle, one of the most uncouth heroes of any film ever and learn why Matt carries a pistol with director William Friedkin's name on it. And just how good is that car chase sequence? We analyze the heck out of it! All this and more, this week on the Podcast. Thanks for listening! Be sure to find us on social media @oscarwatchpod and drop us a line anytime at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com.

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. Subscribe and review on iTunes! We appreciate it! Next week, we Connect our little French theme a bit more!

We think of the Academy as some infallible ruling order that doles out awards based on merit, but that is hardly the case. The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences is comprised of men and women - mostly men - and they are as flawed as anyone else. Recently, the Academy invited over 750 new members into its fold and so we are taking a quick dive into just what the Academy is and who gets to be a part of it. Thanks for listening! Our regularly scheduled program will return next week. Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and be sure to follow us on social @oscarwatchpod.

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 of this. All that and more, this week. Write us in at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com, and be sure to find us on social media @oscarwatchpod. Subscribe and review on iTunes!

The 1998 Academy Awards race is one of the most legendary in history. While a case can be made for every film nominated that year, it came down to two: Saving Private Ryan and eventual winner, Shakespeare In Love. Join Matt and Steve as they re-examine the Elizabethan comedy (written by the great Tom Stoppard) and discuss why its the side characters who are best, why 'really good' shouldn't get you the win, the politicking of the Oscar season and just what in the hell is Ben Affleck doing here anyway? All that and more, and none of it in iambic pentameter! This is part one of our 1998 Retrospective; next week, we'll look at Spielberg's World War II opus. Email us at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com; find us on social media (@oscarwatchpod) and be sure to like, subscribe and review on iTunes.

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 will believe a stern man can laugh, this week on the podcast. Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and be sure to find us on all the social media @oscarwatchpod. Like, subscribe and review on iTunes! Next week: we come to it at last, the great war...of 1998.

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 Last Action Hero reference, and so you know we're in for a good time! Find This Was Rad at thiswasrad.podbean.com! Find us on the social media @oscarwatchpod and drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com, and like, subscribe and leave a review on iTunes. Until next time, rock me!

This week, we invite you to look closer at the 1999 Best Picture winner, American Beauty. This was director Sam Mendes' debut film and it made quite a stir back in the late 90s, but how does it hold up some 18 years later? Steve and Matt debate the test of time and how something that appears great when you're 16 can change a lot as time moves forward. Can you see this film without thinking of the endless parodies of that bag scene? And Kevin Spacey. He's American's dad, for better or worse and a perfect encapsulation of post-Reagan, pre-9/11 masculinity in crisis, back when things seemed so much simpler. Finally, it's really easy to make a Best Picture winner when you have the great Conrad Hall working the camera. All this and more, so take a listen. It's beautiful, right? Thanks for listening. Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and follow us on social media @oscarwatchpod and rate and review on iTunes! Until next time, we'll see you on the red carpet (of roses).

This week, we ride to Valhalla, shiny and chrome, alongside guest host Matthew Krol of The Only Podcast About Movies in a new segment we're calling 'For Your Reconsideration'. Fury Road did not win Best Picture, but our hosts have some thoughts on that accounting error and make a strong case that of all the films released in 2015, George Miller's action opus is the best of the bunch. Exquisite action, high octane stunts, a shockingly deep and feminist story and some of the best music of the last decade: Fury Road has all of this and more. Witness us! Drop a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and be sure to find us on social media @oscarwatchpod. Like, subscribe and review on iTunes, it really does help us get the word out. Next week, we look closer.

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. Like what you hear? Send us an email at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com. Find us on social media and be sure to leave a review on iTunes. Next week, Oscarwatch rides to Valhalla, shiny and chrome...

A long time ago, someone decided that a punk kid should have the keys to the kingdom. And it's not just a metaphor for this podcast, it's Bernardo Bertolucci's sumptuous portrayal of the final imperial ruler of China, 1987's Best Picture winner, The Last Emperor. Listen to Matt and Steve as they follow the life of Pu Yi and his many different forms of imprisonment, where we wonder if a passive character can have much effect on anything. As well as a look at the sheer technical artistry on a scale we don't see anymore, and just why the hell this movie wasn't filmed in Mandarin! Oh, and everyone agrees: there's no way a British producer and an Italian director would ever film a movie about China in English in these days. Think of the outrage! Think of the THINKPIECES! Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com, find us on social media @oscarwatchpod and be sure to like, subscribe and review on iTunes. We love you guys and thanks for listening. Next week: IT'S MUTINY!