The Palm Court Podcast presents an emergency Oscars 2025 episode devoted to the Gene Hackman situation! With Suzanne Clayton, Palm Court's Oscars predictions oracle, Mike, Megan and Grant prognosticate on the Oscars and reminisce about past Oscars shared in a Whatsapp Group Chat, including the infamous Will Smith slap of Chris Rock. Clayton, a five-time winner of the Palm Court Oscar pool, offers her keen and at times surprising insights on the nominees, including her thoughts on Best Picture and Best Animated Feature despite only having seen 2 of the 10 Best Picture nominees.

Then, the hosts pay tribute to the legendary actor's illustrious career, from his breakout role in The French Connection to his iconic portrayal of Lex Luthor, his brilliant cameo in Young Frankenstein, his roles in The Royal Tannenbaums, Unforgiven, Get Shorty and more. Quite the cinematic oeuvre!

Finally, we take a deep dive into the mysterious circumstances surrounding the Hackman "incident" and the three dogs, one dead in a closet. We try to piece together the timeline of events and speculate on the cause of death for Hackman and his wife. We also discuss the role of the dogs in the incident and whether or not they were involved in any foul play. Plus, we dconclude a quick "dead pool" on who will be the next celebrity to die. Yikes?!?!

Listen and subscribe now, and be sure to check out our previous Oscars 2025 episode featuring Kim McShane and Harrison Bender! Don't miss any of it heading into (and coming out of?) the Big Show on Sunday night.

Time Stamps:

00:00 Introduction and Special Guests

01:12 Oscars 2025 Predictions

03:13 Movie Reviews and Opinions

13:42 Gene Hackman Tribute

20:38 Remembering the Departed: In Memoriam Discussion

21:12 True Crime Talk: Natalie Wood's Mysterious Death

21:56 Heart to Heart: TV Nostalgia and Dog Stories

22:37 Unraveling a Bizarre Crime Scene

24:43 Speculating on Celebrity Deaths

28:56 Oscar Predictions and Deadpool Picks

32:55 Wrapping Up: Final Thoughts and Farewells