5 trailer reviews include The Last Duel, 13 TIFF movie previews including Penelope Cruz in Official Competition, Riz Ahmed’s Encounter, and The Survivor from Barry Levinson, and we dive into some early Best Picture and Best Actor Vegas betting odds in this O.R.C..

What Is This Episode?/Talking Clifford - Top of Show

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OSCAR CONTENDER(?) TRAILERS:

Vivo - 2:35

The Last Duel - 7:40

Malignant - 12:25

Jackass Forever - 17:06

Blue Bayou - 19:03

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TIFF ANNOUNCES SPECIAL PRESENTATION + GALA FILMS:

Info; Highs/Lows; Where Are the Women Directors?! - 21:54

Dear Evan Hansen; One Second - 24:50

Netflix, Focus Each Send Some Biggies - 30:41

The Eyes of Tammy Faye Will Debut - 33:48

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Official Competition; Louis Wain; Mad Woman’s Ball- 36:58

All My Puny Sorrows; Benediction; Encounter - 41:07

I’m Your Man; Lakewood; Night Raiders - 44:15

The Survivor; Violet; Various Documentaries - 47:39

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EARLY OSCARS BETTING ODDS:

Best Picture - 55:00

Best Actor - 59:30

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Where To Find Our Work/LEAVE US 5* REVIEWS! - 1:02:28

Words of Wisdom/What’s Coming Next - 1:03:32

Netflix re-enters the Animated Feature Oscar conversation with another Sony collaboration in Vivo with music by Lin Manuel Miranda, and we got a teaser AND a full song release to review. Then we can finally further the conversation on Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel, a film we were very worried about during our Year In Preview series. There’s hope to be had with this first trailer, as well as a few lingering red flags. We’re able to dive into a couple of popular film in Malignant from James Wan and Jackass Forever with Steve-O and Johnny Knoxville. So we’re able to revisit WB’s horror library and our goofy high school / college days of watching Jackass in these discussions, and then we end this trailer segment with another Oscar contender as we finally get a trailer for Blue Bayou, the polarizing Un Certain Regard Cannes entry that some respected pundits and predictors believe should contender come March.

This Oscar Race Checkpoint furthers what has become quite the preview season as we cover the first wave of Toronto Film Festival announcements. We begin by refreshing you on 5 films that we previewed back in the spring including Last Night In Soho, Dear Evan Hansen, Belfast, The Guilty, and The Starling. Then we introduce you to another 13+ notable gala and special presentations at TIFF that caught our attention. These films include the closing night gala for One Second from China, Official Competition starring Penelope Cruz and Antonio Banderas, a long anticipated The Electrical Life of Louis Wain about a cat painting artiste played by Benedict Cumberbatch, The Madwoman’s Ball from Melanie Laurent, All Your Puny Sorrows featuring Alison Pill, Jack Lowden’s Benediction, Riz Ahmed’s Encounter, Dan Stevens in I’m Your Man, Naomi Watts in Lakewood, Night Raiders from Danis Goulet, Ben Foster in Barry Levinson’s boxing drama The Survivor, and what we hope will be a star showcase for Olivia Munn in Violet.

Finally, and as promised, we check in with some early Vegas betting odds for Best Picture and Best Actor. We discuss which lines have value, and which ones definitely do not. We talk about which lines are offered, and which are conspicuously left out of the betting. Plus, we talk about some recent history of what these lines might mean to our futures and our wallets.

Do let us know what you think about any of the films we previewed or any of the lines we’ve discussed in this Oscar Race Checkpoint. We’re at MMandOscar on Twitter, and we are at Mike, Mike, and Oscar on Instagram, Facebook, Reddit, and Gmail. You can subscribe / rate / review / like / share / & hear us on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Google Play, Tune In, Spotify, and just about wherever you might listen. We’re Mike, Mike, & Oscar, and we’re making awards season year round, without the stuffiness. Thank you! And do stay safe, everybody.