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't hesitate to spoil the film to make our point.Mark will be out of the country next time we're s...

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 heist films, plain text links to their IMDb pages.Bob's list:https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0...

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 by nor affiliated with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.Music:Intro and Outro music...

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 affiliated with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.Music:Intro and Outro music excer...

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 affiliated with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.Music:Intro and Outro music excerpted...

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 War II: Saving Private Ryan, The Thin Red Line, and Life is Beautiful.Note: Oscar® and Acad...

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. This podcast is neither endorsed by nor affiliated with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts a...

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 with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.Music:Intro and Outro music excerpted witho...

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 endorsed by nor affiliated with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.Music:Intro and Outro...

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 excerpted without alteration other than length and volume from AcidJazz by Kevin McLeod under a Cre...