OscarWatch Podcast

This week, hosts Alex and Steve are taking the Hobbits to Isengard for the second chapter in our Lord of the Rings retrospective with The Two Towers (2002). Joining us for this middle part is film and game critic Justin Clark, a learned and wise sage - who actually doesn't like the books. But don't worry, he gives a great reason why. The three get together to discuss how Andy Serkis was really, really robbed at the Oscars, where this one ranks among the Extended Editions and how friggin awesome the Battle for Helm's Deep remains to this day.

All that and a sobering talk of the timelessness of these films. Join us, won't you?

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Join us next week as we come to the end of our fellowship...

This week, hosts Alex and Steve volunteer to take the ring to Mordor. But a quest like this requires a few extra swords and axes. Helping to carry this burden is friend to the podcast Matt Thomsen, Dungeon Master extraordinaire to help guide us through Peter Jackson's 2001 epic adventure! The three of us wonder how in the hell this movie not only got made but was as successful as it was, its continuing relevance in this, or any age, and just why the hell didn't the characters give the ring to the Eagles?

All that and more. So, if you're eavesdropping, you may just get swept along on the greatest adventure of all time.

This also marks the first episode of our 'Contender' series; films that were nominated for Best Picture but did not win, that maybe really should have. Off the top of your head, what movie did win that year?

Find us on iTunes and Google Play. Subscribe and write a review, it really does help put the word out about our little podcast. Drop us a line at [email protected], and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@oscarwatchpod).

Next week, we learn what news from the Mark...

The MacLaine train keeps a rolling with Terms of Endearment (1983), the movie about the lifetime between a mother and daughter. So naturally, two guys have a long chat with one another and mansplain a thing or two. Like why you shouldn't date, let alone marry, a guy named Flap - seriously, why is that hard? And whether a film should have a character you actually like and we wonder if our wives will feel the same way about our daughters when they're all grown up.

Oh, and did you know there was a sequel? Don't worry, Steve fell on that grenade for you!

But is it the Best Picture? 1983 was a hell of a year. Let's see what else came out then.

Drop us a line at [email protected]. Find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@oscarwatchpod) and be sure to subscribe and review on iTunes, it really helps get the word out.

Next week, we begin our holiday countdown with a bunch of guys, some jewelry and a very long hike in the woods...

Man, the rents in the city were far more manageable back then! Not that Jack Lemmon, budding internet 'Nice Guy' ever got to stay in his own place, what with his adult-oriented AirBnB operation. If you liked Mad Men but wish it had less social commentary, with weaker female characters and no real subtlety to its message, then congratulations - how did you find us? The Apartment is a classic, for sure, but like many of the films from previous eras, there is a lot to be taken aback by. Enjoyable? Maybe. Is Jack Lemmon great? Yes. One cannot escape this 'Trump Grime' that coats the entire film in a slimy film of social ick.

Want to drop us a line? Write an email to [email protected]. Subscribe and rate us on iTunes, it really does help get the word out about this little show. Look for us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@oscarwatchpod)

Next week, the Shirley MacLaine train keeps a rolling...

There are more Best Pictures lurking if only you feel like reading. Join hosts Alex and Steve as they travel to China to discuss the first of many Best Foreign Language Film winners, Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. As of 2016, the most award winning foreign language film of all time! Sure, it might not be the most representative of the Wuxia genre of kung fu flicks, but as an introduction to western audiences, the guys can't think of anything better. Beautiful, breathtaking and very romantic, the boys take a deep dive into Ang Lee's tale of love, hate and societal expectations - and how they can shape everyone, willingly and unwillingly.

Also, Alex has some words regarding this year's follow-up film. In a nutshell: 'Abort!'

Drop us a line at [email protected]. Find us on iTunes and Google Play, and be sure to leave us a review! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (@oscarwatchpod).

Next week, we head back across the ocean to a tiny Apartment, where we resume our regularly scheduled program.

Friends, Romans, countrymen! Lend us your ears!...for our latest episode: William Wyler's Ben-Hur. Oh, you might think it's about a Jewish prince who is betrayed and seeks revenge, but let us assure you: you are wrong. This is all about Jesus, even if he isn't on screen that much. Alex and Steve discuss the spectacle that dazzled audiences back in the day, but wonder if the film really needed to be this long (spoiler: it really doesn't), the homoerotic undertones between the film's main characters and of course, the chariot race. Because what else do you think of when you think of Ben-Hur?

Plus, we draw some parallels between the selfish quest for fulfillment displayed in the film and a certain major political event that happened recently.

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Next week, we leave the Roman coliseum for the plains of Mongolia...

OscarWatch breaks out the fava beans and a nice chianti to bring you our slightly belated Halloween episode, The Silence of the Lambs - the only "horror" movie to have won Best Picture. Though Steve and Alex may have differing definitions of what horror is, and if this qualifies as one. And of course, an in-depth conversation about one of cinema's greatest villains, Hannibal Lecter. And before FBI Agent Dana Scully, there was Clarice Starling, still one of the greatest examples of law enforcement ever put on film - and she puts up with a ton of crap in this movie and we don't think that's all that right or fair or decent.

We'd love to have you for dinner...to listen to this podcast! Enjoy our most 'spooktacular' episode yet!

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Next week, OscarWatch dusts off the old chariot for a trip back to ancient Rome...

You may only be hearing one voice, but the words are from both of your esteemed hosts! Due to technical difficulties, we have had to scrap the traditional format for the show and present this solo, Steve-only endeavour about Robert Redford's directorial debut, Ordinary People. Like the film in question, there is someone missing to make everything right. And while our esteemed co-host Alex will return, the same cannot be said for the Jarrett family, wrestling with the loss of a child and the bittersweet drama that ensues. It's a fantastic movie, with a great look at psychiatry and America in the 80s, but is it 'THE' Best Picture? We take a look at the year's offerings and definitely wonder...

Email us at [email protected], be sure to find us on iTunes (and leave a review!). And as always, find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@oscarwatchpod).

Next week, we forego the traditional beer and coffee for a nice chianti...

A special mini-episode that did not make the cut for our Spotlight episode. Alex, Steve and guest host Matt discuss all the great, and not-so-great, films of 2015 - some of which should definitely have been nominated for Best Picture. Others, like a certain rebootquel, should have been left in the amber the filmmakers found it in!

Did your favorite make the cut? Think something is missing? Write us a strongly worded email to [email protected]

Thanks for listening.

Alex and Steve once again ship on up to Boston for a look back at the most recent Best Picture winner. Joining them is longtime friend to the show and fellow podcast host, Matthew Krol of The Only Podcast About Movies! Together, they discuss whether a great and powerful narrative is the same as a great and powerful film, the quality of the acting (is it actually good acting when no one has a real character arc?) and why no one should ever mess around with Marty Baron. Just look at Trump's poll numbers to see why.

Don't worry, they get on a fairly long tangent as to the real Best Picture of 2015 and man, are they full of both sound...and Fury. And, Steve gets so excited that he yells the entire time, so we apologize for the poor sound quality on his end.

You can find Matt Krol and the archives of his show over at www.onlymoviepodcast.com. Find us on iTunes, like and subscribe. We're on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @oscarwatchpod.

Like what you hear? Don't like what you hear? Have an idea or a request for us? Drop us a line at [email protected] and as always, thanks for listening.