OscarWatch Podcast

OscarWatch is joined by the one and only Steven Van Patten (@svpthinks) of the podcast Beef, Wine and Shenanigans for an in depth discussion of the newest Best Picture winner. We take a hard look at the infamous EnvelopeGate in our second act, and discuss if the bungling of the announcement ruined the moment in a way that only a country that's still battling racism can manage. Then, we talk identity, growing up in Brooklyn - as a geek - and finally, what will Moonlight's legacy be? Will it just be 'that movie that got announced second', or something else entirely?

Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow us on social media @oscarwatchpod and as always, you can drop us a line at [email protected]

Find SVP on his podcast http://www.blogtalkradio.com/beefwineandshenanigans

or at his website,

www.brookwaterscurse.com

OscarWatch returns after a long hiatus for a brief monologue on the still surprisingly relevant 1967 Best Pic, In the Heat of the Night. The great Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger are front and center in this tale of Biloxi murder, intrigue and oh yeah, racism, that remains an important conversation worth having. But does that a best picture make? Listen to Steve ramble on for a few minutes to find out.

And seriously, why wasn't Rollerball nominated for any award, anyways?

Glad to be back. Shoot us an email at [email protected], and be sure to find and follow on Social Media (@oscarwatchpod).

Come on down to Butch's and join host Steve and special guest Chris Olson of the Pop Culture Lens podcast for a look at William Wyler's coming home melodrama, The Best Years of Our Lives (1946). As with any discussion with Mr. Olson, we waste no time in discussing masculinity as observed in both pop culture and in the military, a fitting topic considering the film is all about our returning veterans. We also discuss the changing world, Trump, the amateur greatness of Harold Russell, the role of women in a post-war society and various other topics one can definitely call 'great'. So, if you think 2017 may not be a particularly great year, then join us for this, the best years of our lives.

Our lives, not yours.

Thanks for listening. Be sure to like and subscribe on iTunes and Soundcloud. Find us on social media (@oscarwatchpod).

Next week, the funtime conversations continue with a look at 2011's Best Foreign film, A Separation.

This week, Alex and Steve get spirited away with, uh...Spirited Away (2002), the Miyazaki masterpiece and only traditional 2D film to win the Best Animated Film Oscar thus far. The guys get into their personal history with the genre - and don't worry, Alex had actually seen this one before! As well as the monomyth-esque theme of sending children into strange and fantastic places to teach them a lesson. Plus, we learn what Alex's kid's favorite parts are! And finally, Steve bungles his way through a short but painful lesson in just how in the hell do you pronounce 'Ghibli' anyways? All that and more, this week on the podcast.

Drop us a line at [email protected] and be sure to like, subscribe and review on iTunes. It really helps people find the podcast! Also, find us on social media platforms @oscarwatchpod

Next week, we may be looking at four tough years but let's go back and remember The Best Years Of Our Lives, shall we?

A musical that is sooo musical that another musical didn't win Best Picture for 34 years! Now, whether or not that's a good thing is up for debate, but Oliver! sure provokes some conversation on this week's episode. Hosts Alex and Steve approach it from two very different histories and chat about all things Dickensian, from the 'hey, that kid isn't actually singing', to the eternal bastardy that is Oliver Reed and finally, are these songs memorable? Because one of them has never heard any of them before.

Also, 1968 was a great year for movies and we debate the relative merits of the Best Picture nominees when there are certainly more well known (and well regarded) films to have come out ::cough 2001 cough :: So grab your bowl and come on up, there's plenty more here for everyone!

Thanks for listening. Drop us a line at [email protected], or find us on Social Media (@oscarwatchpod). If you'd be so kind, like, subscribe and leave a review on iTunes. It really does help!

Next week, our first animated Best Picture winner 'spirits' us 'away' to a fantastic place...

Flying solo, Steve manages to keep himself together whilst discussing the ins and outs of this year's crop of Academy Award nominees, from the record tying number of minority actors and actresses to the Mel Gibson redemption story. This year's got a lot to talk about it. And yes, there's a very big fish in the pond and if history has shown anything, those big fish often win. But let's discount what a little moonlight can do for your well-being.

Mostly, though, he's just wondering where the hell Sing Street is? I mean, seriously.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@oscarwatchpod) and be sure to drop a line at [email protected]. Find and like and review on iTunes.

We return to our regularly scheduled program next week (and hopefully Alex is there, too!).

Join Alex and Steve on their adventure down The Road - Fellini's La Strada, which was actually released in 1954, but which won Best Foreign Language Film in 1956. The guys bring it back to film school for a lovely discussion on the Italian Neorealist movement of the Post-War era and how Fellini is slowly starting to break away from that, the simple grace of the film's main actress and the bizarre way Fellini used to shoot his movies. Steve wrestles with his emotions and much like any character on the road, comes out different when all is said and done.

Oh, and we figure out just how much 10,000 Lira is in today's dollars (hint: it's not a lot!)

Thanks for listening. Drop us a line at [email protected], and find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@oscarwatchpod)

The Artist may be silent, but we most certainly are not! Join Alex, Steve and guest host Matt Neglia of @nextbestpicture as we discuss the most egregious example of Hollywood celebrating itself, 2011's The Artist. We find it bears a striking similarity to this year's big Best Picture front-runner! Sure, we'll admit that the film is technically pretty great but there's not a lot there, is there? And while 2011 was a dog of a year, what better films could you find to say, Drive their way into your hearts?

All that, plus an update on Alex's ever worsening medical conditions!

Drop us a line at [email protected]. Find us on iTunes and be sure to leave a review. You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@oscarwatchpod).

Next week, we go from the silent to the foreign as we take a walk down a long and lonely Street...

Remember Butch & Sundance? It's kind of like that, what with Newman, Redford and director George Roy Hill getting the band back together for 1973's The Sting. Our first movie of the new year is a charming, delightful and ultimately hollow heist movie whose influence can be seen on every con-man film made since then. Ocean, meet Hooker. Hosts Steve and Alex discuss why this film, over a far more memorable one, may have taken the top prize, the timeless cool of both its stars and how 1973 was a fantastic year in film.

Plus, once again, Alex gets really excited about Day of the Dolphin. All that and more in this week's episode.

Like and subscribe on iTunes. Drop us a line at [email protected], find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@oscarwatchpod).

And happy new year! We'll be seeing you.

Here at last, we come to the end of our fellowship with the final entry into Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Return of the King. The only one of the three to win best picture! Join Alex, Steve and returning guest Justin Clark for this Extended Edition of Oscarwatch as we discuss the ridiculous, emotionally charged highs of this entry, the many endings (and how you're all wrong for not liking them), ugly crying, Steve's admiration for the oddly loyal Orcs in the film and just how ridiculous Legolas can be. All that and more on this week's episode!

Like and subscribe on iTunes. Find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@oscarwatchpod).

And with that, we close out 2016. Happy holidays and a very happy New Year to all of our listeners. See you in 2017!