Rebecca and John are joined by their VF colleague Chris Murphy to talk about the season’s first nominations, The Gotham Awards. They debate which awards ahead of the Oscars actually indicate true frontrunners. Plus, they pick their favorite new movies hitting theaters in November.

Meet Wally Amos. He founded the ubiquitous Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookies in 1975, turning the brand into an overnight sensation and himself into a pop-culture fixture in the 1970s and 1980s. 

But there’s a darker side to Wally’s seemingly sweet story. One filled with five marriages to six women and a string of bad business decisions that led him to lose the empire he had created.

When he passed away in 2024, host Sarah Amos set out to untangle her father’s complicated past and finally face the life and legacy she had been avoiding. 

New episodes every Wednesday: swap.fm/l/vf-toughcookie-feed

Rebecca and John discuss Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, which hits theaters Friday. Along with debating its awards chances, they are joined by music journalist Alan Light, who reveals why there’s been such an uptick in music biopics. Finally, John and Rebecca break down the best director race, which could be full of directors who have been long overdue for their first nominations.

Rebecca and John recap the two biggest premieres of the New York Film Festival, Bradley Cooper's 'Is This Thing On?' and the surprise debut of Josh Safdie's 'Marty Supreme'. They also discuss Timothée Chalamet's already eccentric promotional stunts for the latter. Finally, they take a deep dive into the best actress race, which may have one clear frontrunner, but lots of spots up for grabs.

Rebecca and John are joined by VF's Hillary Busis to discuss Kathryn Bigelow's A House of Dynamite, which hits select theaters Friday. Then, they take a closer look at Netflix's packed Oscars slate, and discuss what's been holding the streamer back from nabbing their first best picture Oscar win. Could this be the year?

This week, Rebecca and John discuss The Smashing Machine, Benny Safdie's new movie starring Dwayne Johnson as MMA fighter Mark Kerr. They are joined by Vanity Fair contributing editor Tom Kludt, who shares his thoughts on why sports movies are audience favorites but not always awards winners and  what Johnson should do to become king of the Oscar ring. Plus, Rebecca and John share their picks for must-watch October film releases. 

Rebecca and John are joined by VF writer Kase Wickman to talk about Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another, which hits theaters Friday. After agreeing that the film feels like a real Best Picture contender, they take a closer look at star Leonardo DiCaprio's chances of earning another Oscar nomination — and why his path to winning an Academy Award was so tumultuous. Finally, they explain why Timothee Chalamet's own campaign strategy may mirror DiCaprio's, for better or worse. 

Rebecca and John are joined by their Vanity Fair colleagues Chris Murphy and Hillary Busis to break down all those surprise winners on Emmys night. They also discuss why Nate Bargatze struggled as a host and that controversial acceptance speech countdown clock. Finally, they each pitch one dramatic change that could fix the Emmys and make it more appealing in the future.

Rebecca and John are joined by Joy Press to talk about the Venice, Telluride, and Toronto Film Festivals, where some movies soared (Hamnet) and other stumbled (After the Hunt). They also take a closer look at some of the most contested Emmys races ahead of Sunday's show.

From our live show at the Toronto Film Festival, James McAvoy discusses the true story behind his directorial debut, California Schemin’. Then, Hamlet star Riz Ahmed joins us to explain why the Shakespeare drama still resonates. Recorded from the St. Regis Hotel in Toronto.