***This Best Picture Category Review is SPOILER FREE***

Call Me By Your Name - 4:44

Darkest Hour - 9:07

Dunkirk - 14:12

Get Out - 18:21

Lady Bird - 25:10

Phantom Thread - 31:35

The Post - 40:22

The Shape of Water - 45:32

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - 54:18

Perfecting Perfecting AKA We Rank the Nominees - 1:01:20

Final Thoughts - 1:12:09

The format for our Category Review is simple. We make the case for and against each nominee. Then we rank them. Listen before or after the Oscars to get a feel for this past year in movies. Regardless, we hope it’s a fun discussion on the Academy’s highest honor.

This is the most wide open category in the Award Show. Even our least favorites deserve compelling arguments, and since one of us Mikes is a lawyer and the other is Also a weirdo, I do think we manage some enticing appreciation and criticism for all 9 films. So it was a labor of love, and we’re proud of it for sure.

Please feel free to chat with us on social media. Share your analysis with us. We’re on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Gmail, and Reddit, and we’re always happy to talk movies with you.

Stay tuned for the Mike, Mike, and Oscars. This will be our year in review where we discuss our favorite performances and our Top 10 films of the year. You might be surprised with what we choose to nominate and glorify here. Then we’ll help you transition into the 2018 year in movies with our upcoming Year in Preview episode. Here, we’ll talk about the movies we’re most excited for and what may contend at next year’s Oscars.

Go back and listen to our massive backlog of episodes. We’re very proud of both the quantity and quality of the on-demand catalog we’ve amassed over the past few months, and we’re committed to continue producing year round. So please check out episodes you’ve missed and stay tuned for more to come.

As always, we want to thank you for all your cooperation and support. We’re enthusiastic about our ever expanding audience, and we truly appreciate all your feedback. When reality sucks, do watch movies with us. We’re Mike, Mike, and Oscar!

***This Episode is Spoiler FREE***

Best Director Oscar Category Review

Paul Thomas Anderson, Phantom Thread - 3:41

Guillermo Del Toro, The Shape of Water - 8:45

Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird - 14:40

Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk - 22:19

Jordan Peele, Get Out - 31:01

Perfecting Perfection (Category Re-Rank) - 34:41

Here’s our overview of this year’s category of Best Director. The format for these episodes is simple. We argue against and for each nominee, and then we rank them how we see fit.

Our category reviews are nearly coming to a close. We hope they’ve been helpful as you prepare for the Oscars, but we also feel they’ll be relevant after the award show due to our format. It’s a category overview that breaks down the strengths and weaknesses of each directorial performance, and therefore could be something you consider listening to after the show as well. In any case, these episodes answer some of the most pressing comparative questions regarding this loaded category, and the takes, per usual, are piping hot.

What is it about PTA that brings out career defining performances by some of our best thespians? How did he make Phantom Thread one of the most cinematic moviegoing experiences of the year? We’ve been harsh about how many folks have been overrating Guillermo Del Toro for his film The Shape of Water. But we also discuss some of the things we loved about this academy favorite. Did Greta Gerwig strike the perfect balance with Lady Bird? But will her age allow Hollywood to put off this award for another season or ten? Christopher Nolan might have made his best film at the worst time with Dunkirk. Should the work remind us why he was the early favorite going into the season? Finally, the more we re-watch Get Out, the more we marvel over his skill and tact in pulling off this genre bender. But is there a hidden backlash throughout Hollywood that could keep him from the podium?

We’ll be recording, editing, and releasing these episodes this week at a record pace leading into the Oscars. Hopefully, you’re enjoying them as preview episodes for Hollywood’s big night, but again, we also believe they’ll play well after the Oscar trophies find owners. Do stay tuned for our Best Picture and Oscar Prediction episodes. Then we’ll take you to and through the award show with our own take on the best films and performances of the year with The Mike Mike & Oscars, and of course, we’ll have several reaction episodes to the night itself.

Do please plan to stick with us after the award shows as we’ll soon be recording a 2018 Year in Preview, where we’ll discuss our most anticipated films coming soon to theaters and streaming services near you. We’ll have a Netflix Quarterly Review episode by the End of March, more movie event pods for films like the mind bender from Alex Garland, Annihilation, Ava DuVernay’s A Wrinkle in Time, and Wes Anderson’s upcoming Isle of Dogs. Then we’ll also spend some time mining Oscar history for our retrospectives, which you can get a feel for by searching our backlog of episodes.

Please reach out and chat with us on social media. We’re on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Gmail, & Reddit. If you have a few moments, please like, review, and share our show with family and friends. We so appreciate all your help spreading the word about our little show here, and we’re thrilled to watch our loyal audience members stick with us and grow. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for listening. The show does mean a lot to us, and we hope you all get that sense when you listen.

Enjoy this final countdown to the Oscars. As always - when reality sucks, watch movies with us. We’re Mike, Mike, and Oscar!

***This Episode is Spoiler FREE***

Best Director Oscar Category Review

Paul Thomas Anderson, Phantom Thread - 3:41

Guillermo Del Toro, The Shape of Water - 8:45

Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird - 14:40

Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk - 22:19

Jordan Peele, Get Out - 31:01

Perfecting Perfection (Category Re-Rank) - 34:41

Here’s our overview of this year’s category of Best Director. The format for these episodes is simple. We argue against and for each nominee, and then we rank them how we see fit.

Our category reviews are nearly coming to a close. We hope they’ve been helpful as you prepare for the Oscars, but we also feel they’ll be relevant after the award show due to our format. It’s a category overview that breaks down the strengths and weaknesses of each directorial performance, and therefore could be something you consider listening to after the show as well. In any case, these episodes answer some of the most pressing comparative questions regarding this loaded category, and the takes, per usual, are piping hot.

What is it about PTA that brings out career defining performances by some of our best thespians? How did he make Phantom Thread one of the most cinematic moviegoing experiences of the year? We’ve been harsh about how many folks have been overrating Guillermo Del Toro for his film The Shape of Water. But we also discuss some of the things we loved about this academy favorite. Did Greta Gerwig strike the perfect balance with Lady Bird? But will her age allow Hollywood to put off this award for another season or ten? Christopher Nolan might have made his best film at the worst time with Dunkirk. Should the work remind us why he was the early favorite going into the season? Finally, the more we re-watch Get Out, the more we marvel over his skill and tact in pulling off this genre bender. But is there a hidden backlash throughout Hollywood that could keep him from the podium?

We’ll be recording, editing, and releasing these episodes this week at a record pace leading into the Oscars. Hopefully, you’re enjoying them as preview episodes for Hollywood’s big night, but again, we also believe they’ll play well after the Oscar trophies find owners. Do stay tuned for our Best Picture and Oscar Prediction episodes. Then we’ll take you to and through the award show with our own take on the best films and performances of the year with The Mike Mike & Oscars, and of course, we’ll have several reaction episodes to the night itself.

Do please plan to stick with us after the award shows as we’ll soon be recording a 2018 Year in Preview, where we’ll discuss our most anticipated films coming soon to theaters and streaming services near you. We’ll have a Netflix Quarterly Review episode by the End of March, more movie event pods for films like the mind bender from Alex Garland, Annihilation, Ava DuVernay’s A Wrinkle in Time, and Wes Anderson’s upcoming Isle of Dogs. Then we’ll also spend some time mining Oscar history for our retrospectives, which you can get a feel for by searching our backlog of episodes.

Please reach out and chat with us on social media. We’re on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Gmail, & Reddit. If you have a few moments, please like, review, and share our show with family and friends. We so appreciate all your help spreading the word about our little show here, and we’re thrilled to watch our loyal audience members stick with us and grow. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for listening. The show does mean a lot to us, and we hope you all get that sense when you listen.

Enjoy this final countdown to the Oscars. As always - when reality sucks, watch movies with us. We’re Mike, Mike, and Oscar!

***This Episode is Spoiler FREE***

Best Director Oscar Category Review

Paul Thomas Anderson, Phantom Thread - 3:41

Guillermo Del Toro, The Shape of Water - 8:45

Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird - 14:40

Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk - 22:19

Jordan Peele, Get Out - 31:01

Perfecting Perfection (Category Re-Rank) - 34:41

Here’s our overview of this year’s category of Best Director. The format for these episodes is simple. We argue against and for each nominee, and then we rank them how we see fit.

Our category reviews are nearly coming to a close. We hope they’ve been helpful as you prepare for the Oscars, but we also feel they’ll be relevant after the award show due to our format. It’s a category overview that breaks down the strengths and weaknesses of each directorial performance, and therefore could be something you consider listening to after the show as well. In any case, these episodes answer some of the most pressing comparative questions regarding this loaded category, and the takes, per usual, are piping hot.

What is it about PTA that brings out career defining performances by some of our best thespians? How did he make Phantom Thread one of the most cinematic moviegoing experiences of the year? We’ve been harsh about how many folks have been overrating Guillermo Del Toro for his film The Shape of Water. But we also discuss some of the things we loved about this academy favorite. Did Greta Gerwig strike the perfect balance with Lady Bird? But will her age allow Hollywood to put off this award for another season or ten? Christopher Nolan might have made his best film at the worst time with Dunkirk. Should the work remind us why he was the early favorite going into the season? Finally, the more we re-watch Get Out, the more we marvel over his skill and tact in pulling off this genre bender. But is there a hidden backlash throughout Hollywood that could keep him from the podium?

We’ll be recording, editing, and releasing these episodes this week at a record pace leading into the Oscars. Hopefully, you’re enjoying them as preview episodes for Hollywood’s big night, but again, we also believe they’ll play well after the Oscar trophies find owners. Do stay tuned for our Best Picture and Oscar Prediction episodes. Then we’ll take you to and through the award show with our own take on the best films and performances of the year with The Mike Mike & Oscars, and of course, we’ll have several reaction episodes to the night itself.

Do please plan to stick with us after the award shows as we’ll soon be recording a 2018 Year in Preview, where we’ll discuss our most anticipated films coming soon to theaters and streaming services near you. We’ll have a Netflix Quarterly Review episode by the End of March, more movie event pods for films like the mind bender from Alex Garland, Annihilation, Ava DuVernay’s A Wrinkle in Time, and Wes Anderson’s upcoming Isle of Dogs. Then we’ll also spend some time mining Oscar history for our retrospectives, which you can get a feel for by searching our backlog of episodes.

Please reach out and chat with us on social media. We’re on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Gmail, & Reddit. If you have a few moments, please like, review, and share our show with family and friends. We so appreciate all your help spreading the word about our little show here, and we’re thrilled to watch our loyal audience members stick with us and grow. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for listening. The show does mean a lot to us, and we hope you all get that sense when you listen.

Enjoy this final countdown to the Oscars. As always - when reality sucks, watch movies with us. We’re Mike, Mike, and Oscar!

***This episode has NO SPOILERS***

Our Oscar Category Review of the Best Original Screenplay Category is SPOILER FREE

Best Adapted Screenplay Intro - 1:23

Original Screenplay Nominees:

Get Out, Jordan Peele - 5:14

Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig - 12:44

The Big Sick, Emily V. Gordon & Kumail Nanjiani - 21:03

The Shape of Water, Guillermo Del Toro & Vanessa Taylor - 27:03

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, Martin McDonagh - 33:28

Perfecting Perfection, AKA our Re-Rank - 39:14

This is our category overview of the nominees for Best Original Screenplay at this year’s Academy Awards. The format for this episode is simple. We make the arguments for and against each nominee. Then we re-rank them. In this episode, we open with a few thoughts on the Best Adapted Screenplay category because it is closely related, albeit less podcast-about-able (which I’m demanding becomes a word).

We begin this Original Screenplay discussion with the favorite and rave over Jordan Peele’s storytelling prowess. Greta Gerwig’s balanced composition shouldn’t take away from the expertise she demonstrates in this story. Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani tell one of the funniest movies of the year, and although it’s perhaps not what you’d expect from a romcom, it warmed our hearts. Then for all our criticisms of the scripts for The Shape of Water and Three Billboards, both stories create some of the highlights of the year.

Our re-rank section, which we’ve pompously entitled “Perfecting Perfection” debates how we view the five nominees, and we drive home our arguments with gusto.

Stay tuned for our upcoming Best Director and Best Picture category overview pods, as well as our Oscar Predictions and how this academy of two would vote in the upcoming Mike, Mike, & Oscars, where we’ll share our top picks on the year that was.

We’ll continue to cover the movie events of the day, like we just did with our two part review of Black Panther. Our podcast will do a 2018 year in preview episode after the Oscars to give you some early favorites for next year’s awards, and we’ll get back to our retrospectives, which mine through the best and most entertaining races from the Academy’s history.

As always, please help us spread the word about our little show here. We so appreciate our growing audience, and we thank you for all your help. Feel free to chat with us on social media as we’re on Facebook, reddit, twitter, gmail, and instagram. We always love hearing from you, and we vow to read some more of your thoughts in our upcoming episodes. Finally, don’t forget our slogan during these troubled times. When reality sucks, watch movies with us. We’re Mike, Mike, and Oscar!

***This episode has NO SPOILERS***

Our Oscar Category Review of the Best Original Screenplay Category is SPOILER FREE

Best Adapted Screenplay Intro - 1:23

Original Screenplay Nominees:

Get Out, Jordan Peele - 5:14

Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig - 12:44

The Big Sick, Emily V. Gordon & Kumail Nanjiani - 21:03

The Shape of Water, Guillermo Del Toro & Vanessa Taylor - 27:03

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, Martin McDonagh - 33:28

Perfecting Perfection, AKA our Re-Rank - 39:14

This is our category overview of the nominees for Best Original Screenplay at this year’s Academy Awards. The format for this episode is simple. We make the arguments for and against each nominee. Then we re-rank them. In this episode, we open with a few thoughts on the Best Adapted Screenplay category because it is closely related, albeit less podcast-about-able (which I’m demanding becomes a word).

We begin this Original Screenplay discussion with the favorite and rave over Jordan Peele’s storytelling prowess. Greta Gerwig’s balanced composition shouldn’t take away from the expertise she demonstrates in this story. Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani tell one of the funniest movies of the year, and although it’s perhaps not what you’d expect from a romcom, it warmed our hearts. Then for all our criticisms of the scripts for The Shape of Water and Three Billboards, both stories create some of the highlights of the year.

Our re-rank section, which we’ve pompously entitled “Perfecting Perfection” debates how we view the five nominees, and we drive home our arguments with gusto.

Stay tuned for our upcoming Best Director and Best Picture category overview pods, as well as our Oscar Predictions and how this academy of two would vote in the upcoming Mike, Mike, & Oscars, where we’ll share our top picks on the year that was.

We’ll continue to cover the movie events of the day, like we just did with our two part review of Black Panther. Our podcast will do a 2018 year in preview episode after the Oscars to give you some early favorites for next year’s awards, and we’ll get back to our retrospectives, which mine through the best and most entertaining races from the Academy’s history.

As always, please help us spread the word about our little show here. We so appreciate our growing audience, and we thank you for all your help. Feel free to chat with us on social media as we’re on Facebook, reddit, twitter, gmail, and instagram. We always love hearing from you, and we vow to read some more of your thoughts in our upcoming episodes. Finally, don’t forget our slogan during these troubled times. When reality sucks, watch movies with us. We’re Mike, Mike, and Oscar!

***This episode has NO SPOILERS***

Our Oscar Category Review of the Best Original Screenplay Category is SPOILER FREE

Best Adapted Screenplay Intro - 1:23

Original Screenplay Nominees:

Get Out, Jordan Peele - 5:14

Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig - 12:44

The Big Sick, Emily V. Gordon & Kumail Nanjiani - 21:03

The Shape of Water, Guillermo Del Toro & Vanessa Taylor - 27:03

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, Martin McDonagh - 33:28

Perfecting Perfection, AKA our Re-Rank - 39:14

This is our category overview of the nominees for Best Original Screenplay at this year’s Academy Awards. The format for this episode is simple. We make the arguments for and against each nominee. Then we re-rank them. In this episode, we open with a few thoughts on the Best Adapted Screenplay category because it is closely related, albeit less podcast-about-able (which I’m demanding becomes a word).

We begin this Original Screenplay discussion with the favorite and rave over Jordan Peele’s storytelling prowess. Greta Gerwig’s balanced composition shouldn’t take away from the expertise she demonstrates in this story. Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani tell one of the funniest movies of the year, and although it’s perhaps not what you’d expect from a romcom, it warmed our hearts. Then for all our criticisms of the scripts for The Shape of Water and Three Billboards, both stories create some of the highlights of the year.

Our re-rank section, which we’ve pompously entitled “Perfecting Perfection” debates how we view the five nominees, and we drive home our arguments with gusto.

Stay tuned for our upcoming Best Director and Best Picture category overview pods, as well as our Oscar Predictions and how this academy of two would vote in the upcoming Mike, Mike, & Oscars, where we’ll share our top picks on the year that was.

We’ll continue to cover the movie events of the day, like we just did with our two part review of Black Panther. Our podcast will do a 2018 year in preview episode after the Oscars to give you some early favorites for next year’s awards, and we’ll get back to our retrospectives, which mine through the best and most entertaining races from the Academy’s history.

As always, please help us spread the word about our little show here. We so appreciate our growing audience, and we thank you for all your help. Feel free to chat with us on social media as we’re on Facebook, reddit, twitter, gmail, and instagram. We always love hearing from you, and we vow to read some more of your thoughts in our upcoming episodes. Finally, don’t forget our slogan during these troubled times. When reality sucks, watch movies with us. We’re Mike, Mike, and Oscar!

Black Panther Review - Part 2 - Spoilers

***Part 2 is our Spoiler Section of our two pod review of Black Panther***

Spoiler Music - :05

Best Scenes - 2:50

Worst Scenes - 10:15

Effect on the Marvel Cinematic Universe - 18:17

Discussion on the Critics of the Film - 24:10

Trolling, Backlash, and Responding to Those Who “Hate” Black Panther - 30:05

Final Thoughts - 38:25

Check out part one for all the cast & crew bios, production notes, movie specs, and our non-spoiler reviews of the production values, performances, and some transitional thoughts on the script. We do recommend you listen to Part 1 first.

Our review of the best scenes diverges into our wishlist for the next series of Bond films. We reference a not-so-obscure South Park catch phrase in our worst scenes. We harken back to some oh-so-good action movie conventions with this film and reference The Fugitive to Predator to Butch Cassidy to the Force Awakens as we examine some of our nit-picks with the plot.

We connect lots of dots in the Marvel Cinematic universe and wonder how they’ll build the next phase from the game-changer of Wakanda and Vibranium, cheer on the next Avengers film, compare it to what DC has done, and we even speculate on how the Wakanda cinematic universe might unravel.

Then we dive into the backlash against the film and have a substantive discussion regarding some of the naysayers and critics of the movie. We also break down some of the themes and politics of Black Panther, which we argue have been misconstrued by some. The cinematic merits of the film are undeniable, but we do cite some of the harshest critics of the film, including journalist Leslie Lee’s criticisms found here https://twitter.com/leslieleeiii/status/964697251372257281 It’s a serious and substantive discussion worth having in our opinion, but his criticism does have its merits, and we do try and make sense of it.

As always, thanks for listening. We’ll get back to our previews and reviews of the Oscar Categories as we plan to complete that series with our Original Screenplay, Director, and Best Picture episodes. Then we’ll do an Oscar Prediction pod followed by the Mike Mike & Oscars, which will include our Top 10 films of 2017 as well as our favorite performances, direction, screenwriting, etc…

Of course, we’ll be covering and reviewing Hollywood’s big night. We’ve got some surprises in store for you. Do please help us spread the word about our little show, chat with us on social media, and get ready for the final push to and through the Oscars. It’s gonna be a fun few weeks.

Black Panther Review - Part 2 - Spoilers

***Part 2 is our Spoiler Section of our two pod review of Black Panther***

Spoiler Music - :05

Best Scenes - 2:50

Worst Scenes - 10:15

Effect on the Marvel Cinematic Universe - 18:17

Discussion on the Critics of the Film - 24:10

Trolling, Backlash, and Responding to Those Who “Hate” Black Panther - 30:05

Final Thoughts - 38:25

Check out part one for all the cast & crew bios, production notes, movie specs, and our non-spoiler reviews of the production values, performances, and some transitional thoughts on the script. We do recommend you listen to Part 1 first.

Our review of the best scenes diverges into our wishlist for the next series of Bond films. We reference a not-so-obscure South Park catch phrase in our worst scenes. We harken back to some oh-so-good action movie conventions with this film and reference The Fugitive to Predator to Butch Cassidy to the Force Awakens as we examine some of our nit-picks with the plot.

We connect lots of dots in the Marvel Cinematic universe and wonder how they’ll build the next phase from the game-changer of Wakanda and Vibranium, cheer on the next Avengers film, compare it to what DC has done, and we even speculate on how the Wakanda cinematic universe might unravel.

Then we dive into the backlash against the film and have a substantive discussion regarding some of the naysayers and critics of the movie. We also break down some of the themes and politics of Black Panther, which we argue have been misconstrued by some. The cinematic merits of the film are undeniable, but we do cite some of the harshest critics of the film, including journalist Leslie Lee’s criticisms found here https://twitter.com/leslieleeiii/status/964697251372257281 It’s a serious and substantive discussion worth having in our opinion, but his criticism does have its merits, and we do try and make sense of it.

As always, thanks for listening. We’ll get back to our previews and reviews of the Oscar Categories as we plan to complete that series with our Original Screenplay, Director, and Best Picture episodes. Then we’ll do an Oscar Prediction pod followed by the Mike Mike & Oscars, which will include our Top 10 films of 2017 as well as our favorite performances, direction, screenwriting, etc…

Of course, we’ll be covering and reviewing Hollywood’s big night. We’ve got some surprises in store for you. Do please help us spread the word about our little show, chat with us on social media, and get ready for the final push to and through the Oscars. It’s gonna be a fun few weeks.

Black Panther Review - Part 2 - Spoilers

***Part 2 is our Spoiler Section of our two pod review of Black Panther***

Spoiler Music - :05

Best Scenes - 2:50

Worst Scenes - 10:15

Effect on the Marvel Cinematic Universe - 18:17

Discussion on the Critics of the Film - 24:10

Trolling, Backlash, and Responding to Those Who “Hate” Black Panther - 30:05

Final Thoughts - 38:25

Check out part one for all the cast & crew bios, production notes, movie specs, and our non-spoiler reviews of the production values, performances, and some transitional thoughts on the script. We do recommend you listen to Part 1 first.

Our review of the best scenes diverges into our wishlist for the next series of Bond films. We reference a not-so-obscure South Park catch phrase in our worst scenes. We harken back to some oh-so-good action movie conventions with this film and reference The Fugitive to Predator to Butch Cassidy to the Force Awakens as we examine some of our nit-picks with the plot.

We connect lots of dots in the Marvel Cinematic universe and wonder how they’ll build the next phase from the game-changer of Wakanda and Vibranium, cheer on the next Avengers film, compare it to what DC has done, and we even speculate on how the Wakanda cinematic universe might unravel.

Then we dive into the backlash against the film and have a substantive discussion regarding some of the naysayers and critics of the movie. We also break down some of the themes and politics of Black Panther, which we argue have been misconstrued by some. The cinematic merits of the film are undeniable, but we do cite some of the harshest critics of the film, including journalist Leslie Lee’s criticisms found here https://twitter.com/leslieleeiii/status/964697251372257281 It’s a serious and substantive discussion worth having in our opinion, but his criticism does have its merits, and we do try and make sense of it.

As always, thanks for listening. We’ll get back to our previews and reviews of the Oscar Categories as we plan to complete that series with our Original Screenplay, Director, and Best Picture episodes. Then we’ll do an Oscar Prediction pod followed by the Mike Mike & Oscars, which will include our Top 10 films of 2017 as well as our favorite performances, direction, screenwriting, etc…

Of course, we’ll be covering and reviewing Hollywood’s big night. We’ve got some surprises in store for you. Do please help us spread the word about our little show, chat with us on social media, and get ready for the final push to and through the Oscars. It’s gonna be a fun few weeks.