OscarWatch Podcast

Latest Episodes:

No Country For Old Men (2007) Sep 01, 2016

Show notes

Steve and Alex tackle what's arguably the Coen Bros' finest moment. In doing so they discuss they lament There Will Be Blood's awful, awful timing in coming out this year, where it would have swept the awards any other year. They also dive into the many, many great movies that came out this year and talk about how Anton Chigurh is one of the best cinematic villains of all time. (Obviously.) Find us on Twitter and Instagram at @oscarwatchpod. Find us on Facebook and join the conversation. Drop us an email at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and be sure to subscribe and review on iTunes. We really appreciate you listening! Spread the word!

Birdman Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)(2014) Aug 25, 2016

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OscarWatch takes flight and attempts to bring knowledge the masses with a discussion of Alejando Innaritu's Birdman Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), a meta commentary on meta-commentary itself. What exactly is this film trying to say, we ask and does it accomplish it? Or is it just its director yelling about kids these days? Because there's certainly a lot of that. Steve declares his love for Michael Keaton, Alex helps figure out 'that' ending and hey, wasn't that little action scene kinda great? Oh, we definitely acknowledge that this will be the only "superhero" movie to ever win best picture. At least until every movie is a superhero movie. Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com. Review us on iTunes, it really does help people discover the podcast and keep us going. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram! Thank you and enjoy. Kaaaawww!

It Happened One Night (1934) Aug 18, 2016

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The boys hike up their skirts and show a little leg in order to get your attention with this week's film: Frank Capra's screwball romantic comedy It Happened One Night! Once again, we get into the sexual politics at play in the film - and Alex sums up his feelings on the whole dating scene. Plus, Steve wonders if Gable's behavior in this one is one of the reasons why we have the 'he pulled your hair, so he must like you' trope in the world of romantic advice. Because, let's face it, as charming as he is, Gable is a bit of a jerk in this one. A good time is had by all in this, the second chapter of our 'Road Trip' winners series of Best Pictures! Subscribe and review us on iTunes and Google Play. Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (@oscarwatchpod) and if you want to drop us a line the old fashioned way, well, sadly, telegram service has been discontinued (unlike in the movie). But you can send us an email to oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you.

Rain Man (1988) Aug 11, 2016

Show notes

It's an excellent podcast, definitely an excellent podcast! The boys on OscarWatch hit the road for the 1988 Hoffman and Cruise drama, Rain Man and along the way, they talk about the ins and outs of the autism spectrum, just what we think of as an Oscar winning performance maybe has not always been the case and yes, there's yet another Day of the Dolphin reference. Because from now on, there will always be! We undergo a few technical difficulties but nothing that cannot be overcome. Oh, and last but not least, I've checked in with a number of sources and yes, it's true: K-Mart sucks! (Qantas is pretty great, though) Follow us on social media, Subscribe and Review on iTunes and shoot us any email to oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com Next week, something may (or may not) have happened one night...

The Broadway Melody (1929) Aug 04, 2016

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This week, the guys of OscarWatch give their regards to Broadway with a look at the 1929 Best Picture winner, The Broadway Melody. The first musical to ever win the big prize, the movie has not aged in the nearly 90 years since its release. The gender politics are hilariously outdated, the technical acumen is basic and the acting overwrought, and yet, Alex and Steve debate whether it is fair to judge a film created at the beginning of sound and modern Hollywood by today’s standards. There’s a lot to appreciate in the movie, but also a lot of problematic moments, as well. Also, Alex, discovers that there is a movie about a guy unwittingly training dolphins to kill the president of the United States and simply 'can't even'! Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com. Subscribe on iTunes and Google Play.

Unforgiven (1992) Jul 28, 2016

Show notes

OscarWatch is whole again. After a brief absence, Alex Riviello returns to the co-host chair. As a special treat, the guys are joined by Chris Olson of The Pop Culture Lens Podcast, who elevates the level of conversation by several degrees simply by walking into the room. Together, we tackle Eastwood's seminal western, Unforgiven. We talk the demythologizing of both The Man With No Name and the American west, the masks that all the men carry in the film and what that means for masculinity as a whole. It gets deep, but it's a lot of fun Plus, Alex and Chris go off on a tangent about the Waxwork series. You can take the nerd out of Creature Corner, but you can't take the Creature Corner out of the nerd. Find us on Twitter and Instagram at @oscarwatchpod. Find us on Facebook and join the conversation. Drop us an email at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com and be sure to subscribe and review on iTunes. We really appreciate you listening! Spread the word! The Pop Culture Lens Podcast: http://thepopculturelens.podbean.com/ Check out Chris Olson on Twitter @chrstphrolson and read his musings on a wide variety of topics at seemsobvioustome.wordpress.com

Argo (2012) Jul 21, 2016

Show notes

OscarWatch is joined once again by Greg from the This Was Rad podcast and we decide to 'Argo-f***-ourselves' with Ben Affleck's 2012 Best Picture winner. Greg has some very strong opinions on the whole 'based on a true story' disclaimer in front of a lot of films, Steve is gradually convinced to change his mind about the legacy of this film and both mourn the loss of VHS. July 20th marked the day Japan finally stopped producing VCRs and we mark it well. We also have a heated debate about who's the better Affleck: Casey or Ben. Send your emails and questions to oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com Find us on social media! Tune in and listen. Subscribe and leave a review - any kind of review! - on iTunes. Next week, we travel to the "wild" west with The Man With No Name...

The Deer Hunter (1978) Jul 15, 2016

Show notes

This week, Greg from This Was Rad! joins the discussion of the late Michael Cimino's seminal work of wartime horror, The Deer Hunter. The guys talk bloat in films both past and present, and how when they were long back in the day, it was for a reason. Though, even here, there is a tricky and extended first act which could really use a trim. Finally, they also get into the harrowing, random nature of violence, as epitomized by the film's central motif: Russian Roulette. Fun fact: did you know that Christopher Walken won an Oscar for his role in this? Yes, Christopher 'Wow' Walken is an Academy Award winning actor. Let that sink in, and other random moments from this week's episode of OscarWatch. Drop us a line at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com, hit us up on social media and be sure to check out This Was Rad! at @thiswasrad on all your favorite platforms. Next week, Ar-go-f*** yourselves!

All The King's Men (1949) Jul 08, 2016

Show notes

Alas, due to scheduling, our great host Alex has had to take a step back from his duties. So this week, Steve is flying solo in this pared down episode about All the King's Men, the 1949 Best Picture winner that even today, some 70 years later, has a lot to say about the American political machine. The rise and fall of Willie Stark is one of the all-time great dramas both in literature and in film and it shows that power not only corrupts, but it infects and infests everything around it as well. "Very great motion picture" indeed! As always, email us at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com if you like what you hear, or especially if you don't like what you hear! Subscribe and review on iTunes. We'll see you at the movies.

You Can't Take It With You (1938) Jun 28, 2016

Show notes

For the first time, OscarWatch heads to the Golden Age of Hollywood for a little slice of Americana: Frank Capra's adaptation of the Depression-era play, You Can't Take It With You. The screwball comedy elements may not have aged well, but the class battles are still relevant for this day and age. Albeit with far less cynicism. Alex and Steve talk the other, more worthy films that were also nominated - 10 in all! - and go on a slightly longer than anticipated tangent about Orson Welles and his infamous broadcast. So, where does this land in the exemplary canon of Frank Capra? Listen in to find out. As always, thanks for listening! Send us an email at oscarwatchpodcast@gmail.com for all your comments, criticisms and notes! We look forward to hearing from you.

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