The Lorehounds

Elysia wraps up the CinemaHounds pre-Oscars prep series with special guest Paulo from the Oscar's Death Race Podcast and a deep dive into the acting categories: Best Actress, Best Actor, Supporting Actor, and Supporting Actress. Who's nominated, who should have been nominated, and who will win?

And then they conclude with a look at this year's brand new category: Casting. What is it, why is it here, and who will take home the first statue?

Join us on the Lorehounds Discord (see link.tree below) to discuss all this and more in the #awards-season channel – plus a live chat while the ceremony is airing!

And send your hot takes about the ceremony to [email protected] to be included in the wrap-up discussion!

Note: All film discussion in this episode is spoiler-free.

Check out the Oscars Death Race Podcast w/ Paulo!

The nominees:

Best Actress (00:16:37)

• Jessie Buckley as Agnes Shakespeare – Hamnet (to rent, our coverage [subscribers])
• Rose Byrne as Linda – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (HBO Max, our coverage [subscribers])
• Kate Hudson as Clare Lavinia – Song Sung Blue (Peacock)
• Renate Reinsve as Nora Borg – Sentimental Value(to rent, our coverage [subscribers])
• Emma Stone as Michelle Fuller – Bugonia (Peacock)

Best Actor (01:05:52)

• Timothée Chalamet as Marty Mauser – Marty Supreme (to rent)
• Leonardo DiCaprio as Bob Ferguson – One Battle After Another (HBO Max, our coverage: pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3)
• Ethan Hawke as Lorenz Hart – Blue Moon (Netflix)
• Michael B. Jordan as Elijah "Smoke" Moore / Elias "Stack" Moore – Sinners (HBO Max, our coverage)
• Wagner Moura as Armando Solimões / Marcelo Alves / Fernando Solimões – The Secret Agent (Hulu)

Best Supporting Actor (01:40:53)

• Stellan Skarsgård as Gustav Borg – Sentimental Value (to rent, our coverage [subscribers])
• Benicio del Toro as Sergio St. Carlos – One Battle After Another (HBO Max, our coverage: pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3)
• Sean Penn as Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw – One Battle After Another (HBO Max, our coverage: pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3)
• Delroy Lindo as Delta Slim – Sinners (HBO Max, our coverage)
• Jacob Elordi as the Creature – Frankenstein (Netflix, our coverage)

Best Supporting Actress (01:58:26)

• Teyana Taylor as Perfidia Beverly Hills – One Battle After Another (HBO Max, our coverage: pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3)
• Wunmi Mosaku as Annie – Sinners (HBO Max, our coverage)
• Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas as Agnes Borg Pettersen – Sentimental Value (to rent, our coverage [subscribers])
• Elle Fanning as Rachel Kemp – Sentimental Value (to rent, our coverage [subscribers])
• Amy Madigan as Aunt Gladys – Weapons (HBO Max, our coverage)

Best Casting (02:14:46)

• Francine Maisler – Sinners (HBO Max, our coverage)
• Cassandra Kulukundis – One Battle After Another (HBO Max, our coverage: pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3)
• Nina Gold – Hamnet (to rent, our coverage [subscribers])
• Jennifer Venditti – Marty Supreme (to rent)
• Gabriel Domingues – The Secret Agent (Hulu)

Other performances discussed: 

• Mikey Madison in Anora (2024, Oscar win, Hulu [US] / Skyshowtime [EU]) & The Social Reckoning (2026, releases Oct 9) 
• Jessie Buckley in The Bride! (2026, in theaters), The Lost Daughter (2021, Oscar nom, Netflix), Wicked Little Letters (2024, Hulu / etc.), Men (2022, Prime / etc.), Dolittle (2020, Prime), Fargo S4 (TV, 2020, Hulu [US], Netflix [EU]), & Chernobyl (TV, 2019, HBO) 
• Co-writer/editor Ronald Bronstein of Marty Supreme (to rent) – Rose Byrne in Bridesmaids (2011, Starz) & Insidious (2010, HBO Max) 
• Kate Hudson in Almost Famous (2000, Oscar nom, HBO Max ) – the true Song Sung Blue story in Song Sung Blue (2008, doc, YouTube) 
• Renate Reinsve in The Worst Person in the World (2021, Tubi / etc.); w/ Sebastian Stan in A Different Man   (2024, HBO Max) & Fjord (2026, to premiere at Cannes); w/ Lily Rose Depp & Hoyeon in The Governesses (release TBD); & in Backrooms (2026, in theaters May 29) 
• Emma Stone in Birdman (2015, Oscar nom, Hulu / Disney+), La La Land (2017, Oscar win, Prime [US] / Netflix [EU]), in Lanthimos films The Favourite (2019, Oscar nom, Disney+ [EU] / HBO [EU] / to rent) & Poor Things (2024, Oscar win, BP Oscar nom, Disney+ [EU] / to rent) 
• Chase Infiniti in One Battle After Another (HBO Max, our coverage: pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3) – Amanda Seyfried & Lewis Pullman in The Testament of Ann Lee (to rent) – Cynthia Erivo & Ariane Grande in Wicked: For Good (to rent, our coverage) 

• Adrien Brody in The Brutalist (2024, Oscar win, HBO Max [US] / Skyshowtime [EU]) & The Pianist (2002, Oscar win, Prime / etc.) 
• Timothée Chalamet in Call Me By Your Name (2018, Oscar nom, HBO Max), A Complete Unknown (2024, Oscar nom & BP nom, Disney+), & Dune: Part Three (2026, in theaters Dec 18) – Tom Cruise in Digger (2026, in theaters Oct 2)
• Leonardo DiCaprio in Titanic (1997, Disney+ / etc.), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013, Oscar nom, Paramount+ / etc.), The Aviator (2004, Oscar nom, Tubi / etc.), The Revenant (2015, Oscar win, Hulu / Disney+), Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood (2019, Oscar nom, YouTube / etc.), Killers of the Flower Moon (2023, Apple TV), What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993, Oscar nom, Paramount+ / etc.), & Blood Diamond (2006, Oscar nom, Paramount+ [US] / Prime [EU])   
• Ethan Hawke in Training Day (2001, Oscar nom, Starz [US], Prime [EU]), Before Sunrise (1995, writing Oscar nom, Prime [EU] / to rent), Before Sunset (2004, writing Oscar nom, to rent), Boyhood (2014, Oscar nom, AMC+ / etc.)  
• Michael B. Jordan in Black Panther & Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2018 & 2022, Disney+, our coverage) – Nicholas Cage in Adaptation (2002, Oscar nom, to rent) – Robert Aramayo as John Davidson in I Swear (2026, in theaters Apr 24 [US] / Netflix [UK]) 
• Fernanda Torres in I’m Still Here (2024, Oscar nom, Netflix [US] / Prime [NL]) – Fernanda Montenegro in Central Station (1998, Oscar nom, to rent) – Brazilian film The Blue Trail (to rent) – Wagner Moura in Narcos S1&2 (TV, 2015-2016, Netflix) & Civil War (2024, Prime, our coverage) 
• Joel Edgerton in Train Dreams (Netflix) – Jesse Plemmons in Bugonia (Peacock) – Lee Byung-hun in No Other Choice (to rent) – Dylan O’Brien in Twinless (Hulu / to rent) – Ryo Yoshizawa in Kokuho (in theaters) – Jackson Yee in Resurrection (to rent, Elysia’s review) 

• Kieran Culkin in A Real Pain (2024, Oscar win, Disney+) 
• Stellan Skarsgård in Andor (TV, 2022 & 2025, Disney+) 
• Benicio del Toro in Traffic (2000, Oscar nom, to rent) & 21 Grams (2003, Oscar nom, to rent) – Sean Penn in Dead Man Walking (1995, Oscar nom, Tubi / etc.), Sweet & Lowdown (1999, Oscar nom, Tubi / etc.), I Am Sam (2001, Oscar nom, YouTube), Mystic River (2003, Oscar win, Netflix [EU] / to rent), Milk (2008, Oscar win, to rent)  
• Delroy Lindo in Da 5 Bloods (2020, infamous snub, Netflix) 
• Oscar Isaac in Frankenstein (Netflix, our coverage) – Jacob Elordi in Wuthering Heights (2026, in theaters)
• Adam Sandler in Jay Kelly (Netflix) – Miles Caton & Jack O’Connell in Sinners (HBO Max, our coverage) – Paul Mescal in Hamnet (to rent, our coverage [subscribers]) 
• Zoe Saldaña in Emilia Pérez (2024, Oscar win, Netflix, our coverage) 
• Amy Madigan in Twice in a Lifetime (1985, Oscar nom, to rent) 
• Odessa A’zion in Marty Supreme (to rent) 

• Lynn Stalmaster: the only Casting Director to have received an Academy Award to date, for 395 films, from the ‘70s/’80s Superman films through Weekend at Bernie’s and beyond
• Casting category shortlist (misses): Frankenstein, Sentimental Value, Sirāt, Weapons, Wicked: For Good
• Paulo’s favorite nominated film this year: Kokuho

The 98th Academy Awards will air Sunday, March 15, 2025 at 7 pm ET (on ABC/Hulu in the US) – where it's aired around the world

Check how many Oscar nominees you've seen at OscarsDeathRace.com – or with extended stats via DeathRaceTracking.com

Oscars 2026 coverage

Nominations + Best Picture preview

Live-Action, Animated, & Documentary Shorts 

Production Design, Costumes, Makeup & Hair

International Features

Documentary Features

Animated Features

Score & Original Song

Cinematography, VFX, Editing, Sound

Adapted & Original Screenplay, Director

Lead & Supporting Actor & Actress, Casting (this episode)

Ceremony reactions + Best Picture rankings

Deep dives into 2026 Oscar nominees

Sinners

One Battle After Another – pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3

Frankenstein

Weapons

Shorts: “Two People Exchanging Saliva,” “Jane Austen’s Period Drama,” “The Singers,” “Retirement Plan,” and “The Girl Who Cried Pearls”

For subscribers: 

Hamnet – WhachaWachin (with spoilers)

Leiden IFF – WhachaWachin (Sentimental Value, If I Had Legs I Would Kick You, Arco)

Additional awards coverage

BAFTA shorts

BAFTA features

Independent Spirit Awards

Revisit Oscars 2024 & 2025: links in these show notes

Contact Us

Questions or comments? Visit us at our website where you can use the contact form or use the voicemail feature. Or, send an email to [email protected].

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates

linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

Writer and photographer Katherine Oktober Matthews joins Elysia to discuss this year's writing and directing nominees for the 2026 Academy Awards. After they each unleash some of their hottest takes breaking down the three categories, they reconvene after the credits for a separate spoiler-filled discussion of eight of the nominees (01:47:05).

Note: All film discussion in this episode is spoiler-free (until the separate post-credits spoiler section)!

Links discussed:

• Katherine's writing and photography
• Elsewhere: A Personal Essay in Words and Photos
• The Emotion Mixer
• Oscars 2025: Live-Action Shorts & the Emotion Mixer (with Katherine)
• The Craft (1996) & The Craft: Legacy (2020) (with Katherine)
• Interview w/ Hamnet author – Not Just the Tudors podcast

Subscriber bonuses:

• What is real witchcraft? (with Marilyn, and a Katherine double-Macbeth cameo)
• Hamnet – WhachaWachin (with spoilers)

The nominees:

Best Original Screenplay (00:10:37.453)

• Ryan Coogler – Sinners (HBO Max, our coverage)
• Josh Safdie & Ronald Bronstein – Marty Supreme (to rent)
• Joachim Trier & Eskil Vogt – Sentimental Value (to rent, our coverage [subscribers])
• Jafar Panahi w/ Mehdi Mahmoudian, Shadmehr Rastin, & Nader Saïvar – It Was Just an Accident (Hulu)
• Robert Kaplow – Blue Moon (Netflix)

Best Adapted Screenplay (00:45:19.607)

• Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another (HBO Max, our coverage: pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3) – based on: The novel Vineland by Thomas Pynchon
• Chloé Zhao & Maggie O'Farrell – Hamnet (to rent, our coverage [subscribers]) – based on: The novel Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
• Guillermo del Toro – Frankenstein (Netflix, our coverage) – based on: The novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
• Clint Bentley & Greg Kwedar – Train Dreams (Netflix) – based on: The novella Train Dreams by Denis Johnson
• Will Tracy – Bugonia (Peacock) – based on: The film Save the Green Planet! (2003) by Jang Joon-hwan

Best Director (01:25:21)

• Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another (HBO Max, our coverage: pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3)
• Ryan Coogler – Sinners (HBO Max, our coverage)
• Chloé Zhao – Hamnet (to rent, our coverage [subscribers])
• Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value (to rent, our coverage [subscribers])
• Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme (to rent)

Other films mentioned: Fruitvale Station (2013, Starz), Creed (2015, to rent), Uncut Gems (2019, Netflix), The Smashing Machine (Prime), The Worst Person in the World (2021, Kanopy / Tubi / etc.), Me and Orson Welles (2008, Plex / to rent), Twinless (Hulu), No Other Choice (to rent), The Long Walk (Starz, to rent), Civil War (2024, Prime / Hulu, our coverage), Shakespeare in Love  (1998, Paramount+ / etc.), Frankenstein & Bride of Frankenstein (1931 & 1935, YouTube, our coverage), Sing Sing (2024, Prime), CODA (2021 [BP winner], Apple), La Familie Bélier (2014, YouTube), Phantom Thread (2017, Mubi [NL] / to rent), Nonnas (Netflix); hive minds (TV): Star Trek: The Next Generation (Paramount+) & Pluribus (Apple)

The 98th Academy Awards will air Sunday, March 15, 2025 at 7 pm ET (on ABC/Hulu in the US) – where it's aired around the world

Check how many Oscar nominees you've seen at OscarsDeathRace.com – or with extended stats via DeathRaceTracking.com

Oscars 2026 coverage

Nominations + Best Picture preview

Live-Action, Animated, & Documentary Shorts 

Production Design, Costumes, Makeup & Hair

International Features

Documentary Features

Animated Features

Score & Original Song

Cinematography, VFX, Editing, Sound

Adapted & Original Screenplay, Director (this episode)

Lead & Supporting Actor & Actress, Casting

Ceremony reactions + Best Picture rankings

Deep dives into 2026 Oscar nominees

Sinners

One Battle After Another – pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3

Frankenstein

Weapons

Shorts: “Two People Exchanging Saliva,” “Jane Austen’s Period Drama,” “The Singers,” “Retirement Plan,” and “The Girl Who Cried Pearls”

For subscribers: 

Hamnet – WhachaWachin (with spoilers)

Leiden IFF – WhachaWachin (Sentimental Value, If I Had Legs I Would Kick You, Arco)

Additional awards coverage

BAFTA shorts

BAFTA features

Independent Spirit Awards

Revisit Oscars 2024 & 2025: links in these show notes

Contact Us

Questions or comments? Visit us at our website where you can use the contact form or use the voicemail feature. Or, send an email to [email protected].

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates

linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

Assistant directing and lighting industry professional, and the host of the ContraZoom podcast, Dakota Arsenault joins Elysia to get into the technical details behind this year's Oscar nominees for Cinematography, Visual Effects, Film Editing, and Sound. They look at why a movie is nominated, what makes it special, and others they would have liked to see make the cut. Stick around after their conversation for updates (02:17:37) on these races!

Note: All film discussion in this episode is spoiler-free.

Links discussed:

• Explore the ContraZoom podcast and blog
• One Sentimental Bugonia After Another (audio, Elysia guests)
• Elysia's ContraZoom review of Resurrection
• Corridor Crew's Oscar VFX nominees review
• Inside Sinners' VFX
• Sirāt sound design (video)

Cinematography nominees (00:05:01)

• Adolpho Veloso – Train Dreams – trailer (Netflix)
• Autumn Durald Arkapaw – Sinners – trailer (HBO Max, our coverage)
• Michael Bauman – One Battle After Another – trailer (HBO Max, our coverage: pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3)
• Darius Khondji – Marty Supreme – trailer (to rent)
• Dan Laustsen – Frankenstein – trailer (Netflix, our coverage)

Other films mentioned: The French Connection (1971, Disney+ [EU] / to rent, our coverage [subscribers]), Sound of Falling (eventually Mubi), Ballad of a Small Player (Netflix), Resurrection (to rent), No Other Choice (to rent / Netflix [Korea] / later Hulu [US]), The Long Walk (Starz / to rent), Materialists (Netflix) 

Visual Effects nominees (00:51:46)

• Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, Daniel Barrett – Avatar: Fire and Ash – trailer (in theaters, eventually Disney+)
• Michael Ralla, Espen Nordahl, Guido Wolter, Donnie Dean – Sinners – trailer (HBO Max, our coverage)
• Charlie Noble, David Zaretti, Russell Bowen, Brandon K. McLaughlin – The Lost Bus – trailer (Apple TV)
• David Vickery, Stephen Aplin, Charmaine Chan, Neil Corbould – Jurassic World Rebirth – trailer (Netflix [US], Skyshowtime [NL])
• Ryan Tudhope, Nicolas Chevallier, Robert Harrington, Keith Dawson – F1 – trailer (Apple TV)

Other films mentioned: Tron: Ares (Disney+), The Creator (2023, Prime, our coverage), Monsters (2010, Prime / Tubi / etc.), The Electric State (Netflix), Superman (HBO Max, our coverage), Predator: Badlands (Disney+, our coverage), Thunderbolts* (Disney+, our coverage), The Fantastic 4: First Steps (Disney+, our coverage), Warfare (Prime), Mickey 17 (HBO Max)  

Film Editing nominees (01:29:57)

• Stephen Mirrione – F1 – trailer (Apple TV)
• Andy Jurgensen – One Battle After Another – trailer (HBO Max, our coverage: pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3)
• Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme – trailer (to rent)
• Michael P. Shawver – Sinners – trailer (HBO Max, our coverage)
• Olivier Bugge Coutté – Sentimental Value – trailer (to rent, our coverage [subscribers])

Other films mentioned: If I Had Legs I Would Kick You (HBO Max, our coverage [subscribers]), Better Man (2024, Prime / Paramount+), Black Bag (Prime [USA] / Skyshowtime [EU]), 28 Years Later (Netflix, our coverage), Good Boy (AMC+ / Shudder / etc.), Sore: A Wife from the Future (YouTube)  

Sound nominees (01:55:54)

• Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary Rizzo, Juan Peralta, Gareth John – F1 – trailer (Apple TV)
• Amanda Villavieja, Laia Casanovas, Yasmina Praderas – Sirāt – trailer (to rent: Mar 24, later Hulu [US])
• Chris Welcker, Benjamin A. Burtt, Felipe Pacheco, Brandon Proctor, Steve Boeddeker – Sinners – trailer (HBO Max, our coverage)
• José Antonio García, Christopher Scarabosio, Tony Villaflor – One Battle After Another – trailer (HBO Max, our coverage: pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3)
• Greg Chapman, Nathan Robitaille, Nelson Ferreira, Christian Cooke, Brad Zoern – Frankenstein – trailer (Netflix, our coverage)

Other films mentioned: Wicked: For Good (to rent, our coverage), Superman (HBO Max, our coverage), Predator: Badlands (Disney+, our coverage), Warfare (Prime)    

The 98th Academy Awards will air Sunday, March 15, 2025 at 7 pm ET (on ABC/Hulu in the US) – where it's aired around the world

Check how many Oscar nominees you've seen at OscarsDeathRace.com – or with extended stats and access to the animated shorts via DeathRaceTracking.com

Oscars 2026 coverage

Nominations + Best Picture preview

Live-Action, Animated, & Documentary Shorts 

Production Design, Costumes, Makeup & Hair

International Features

Documentary Features

Animated Features

Score & Original Song

Cinematography, VFX, Editing, Sound (this episode)

Adapted & Original Screenplay, Director

Lead & Supporting Actor & Actress, Casting

Ceremony reactions + Best Picture rankings

Deep dives into 2026 Oscar nominees

Sinners

One Battle After Another – pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3

Frankenstein

Weapons

Shorts: “Two People Exchanging Saliva,” “Jane Austen’s Period Drama,” “The Singers,” “Retirement Plan,” and “The Girl Who Cried Pearls”

For subscribers: 

Leiden IFF – WhachaWachin (Sentimental Value, If I Had Legs I Would Kick You, Arco)

Additional awards coverage

BAFTAs shorts

BAFTAs features

Independent Spirit Awards

Revisit Oscars 2024 & 2025: links in these show notes

Contact Us

Questions or comments? Visit us at our website where you can use the contact form or use the voicemail feature. Or, send an email to [email protected].

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates

linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

David is joined by Lorehounds co-host Jean and Nichole from the Nevermind the Music podcast to check in on Hulu's Paradise, starring Sterling K. Brown and James Marsden. The conversation opens spoiler-free with their pitches for why you should be watching, then dives into season one's twists and character-driven storytelling before breaking down season two's bold expansion to the surface, the introduction of new characters like Annie and Link, and the show's unique use of contemporary cultural touchpoints in its post-apocalyptic setting.

Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: [email protected]

Or, send us a voicemail! You can use the voicemail tool on our website, thelorehounds.com/contact OR record a note on your smartphone and email it to us at the same address.

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

David, John, and Marilyn complete their journey through the Earthsea Cycle, this time covering the final novel, The Other Wind. They discuss the inversion of power balances, the anthropology at the heart of LeGuin's work, and the reexamination of past works by their creators.

Marilyn's Website

Marilyn R. Pukkila, Research & Instruction Librarian Emerita, Colby College

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates

linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Deep lore questions, comments and/or thoughts to share? Send us an email at [email protected]

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

Mark returns to the CinemaHounds Oscars coverage series for the second annual "Nevermind the Oscars Music" crossover special discussing not only this year's crop of Original Song and Original Score nominees but also their musical influences, lookalikes, and others they would have liked to have seen on the ballot. Expect plenty of clips from an eclectic collection of genre with deep-digging analysis of their role in this year's nominated films.

• Best Original Song (00:10:11) 
• Best Original Score (01:24:36)

Note: All film discussion in this episode is spoiler-free.

Links discussed:

Nevermind the Music:

• The 2026 Grammys deep dive
• Authenticity in the age of AI
• What is hopepunk? (with Elysia)
• Last year's Nevermind the Oscars Music crossover

Max Richter's "Undiscovered Country" and Hamnet / Arrival (AV Club)

The Hamnet Rihanna dance take

Best Original Song nominees:

• “Golden” – Ejae, Ido, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Mark Sonnenblick, Teddy & 24 (music & lyrics) – KPop Demon Hunters – trailer, info (Netflix)
• “I Lied to You” – Ludwig Göransson & Raphael Saadiq (music & lyrics) – Sinners – trailer, info (HBO Max)
• “Dear Me” – Diane Warren (music & lyrics) – Diane Warren: Relentless – trailer, info (Hoopla, Kanopy)
• “Train Dreams” – Nick Cave & Bryce Dessner (music); Cave (lyrics) – Train Dreams – trailer, info (Netflix)
• “Sweet Dreams of Joy” – Nicholas Pike (music & lyrics) – Viva Verdi! – trailer, info (Jolt)

Also discussed:  

• “Free” – KPop Demon Hunters (Netflix)
• “Exile” – Bon Iver/Taylor Swift (album: Folklore, 2020) – produced by Aaron Dessner (etc.)
• “I Need My Girl” – The National (album: Trouble Will Find Me, 2013) – written by Aaron & Bryce Dessner (etc.)
• “Our Love” – The Ballad of Wallis Island (Prime) – from the shortlist
• “Falling Slowly” – Once (2006, to rent)
• “Silver Dagger”, “Here in the Vineyard”, theme – The History of Sound (Mubi)
• “Và pensiero” – Giuseppe Verdi (opera: Nabucco, 1842)

Best Original Score nominees:

• Sinners (Ludwig Göransson) – trailer, info (HBO Max)
• One Battle After Another (Jonny Greenwood) – trailer, info (HBO Max)
• Bugonia (Jerskin Fendrix) – trailer, info (Peacock)
• Hamnet (Max Richter) – trailer, info (to rent, later Peacock)
• Frankenstein (Alexandre Desplat) – trailer, info (Netflix)

Also discussed: Tron: Ares (Disney+) – soundtrack – from the shortlist

The 98th Academy Awards will air Sunday, March 15, 2025 at 7 pm ET (on ABC/Hulu in the US) – where it's aired around the world

Check how many Oscar nominees you've seen at OscarsDeathRace.com – or with extended stats and access to the animated shorts via DeathRaceTracking.com

Oscars 2026 coverage

Nominations + Best Picture preview

Live-Action, Animated, & Documentary Shorts 

Production Design, Costumes, Makeup & Hair

International Features

Documentary Features

Animated Features

Score & Original Song (this episode)

Cinematography, VFX, Editing, Sound

Adapted & Original Screenplay, Director

Lead & Supporting Actor & Actress, Casting

Ceremony reactions + Best Picture rankings

Deep dives into 2026 Oscar nominees

Sinners

One Battle After Another – pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3

Frankenstein

Weapons

Shorts: “Two People Exchanging Saliva,” “Jane Austen’s Period Drama,” “The Singers,” “Retirement Plan,” and “The Girl Who Cried Pearls”

For subscribers: 

Leiden IFF – WhachaWachin (Sentimental Value, If I Had Legs I Would Kick You, Arco)

Additional awards coverage

BAFTAs shorts

BAFTAs features

Independent Spirit Awards

Revisit Oscars 2024 & 2025: links in these show notes

Contact Us

Questions or comments? Visit us at our website where you can use the contact form or use the voicemail feature. Or, send an email to [email protected].

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates

linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

David and John recap all the fax machine malfunctions, nepo baby drama, and workplace romance dynamics of this intense episode of The Pitt.

View our Free Show Guide Online:

https://thelorehounds.notion.site/the-pitt-show-guide

Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: [email protected]

Or, send us a voicemail! You can use the voicemail tool on our website, thelorehounds.com/contact OR record a note on your smartphone and email it to us at the same address.

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates

https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

Elysia and guest Logan take a tour that begins with this year's five Oscar-animated features before turning to other highlights from the surprisingly short eligibility list, the most surprising exclusions from the eligibility list, and Logan's thoughts on this year's animated shorts and a few final recommendations and general Oscar picks and predictions.

• Origin and rules (00:03:49)
• The five nominees (00:11:57)
• The biggest snubs (01:17:34)
• Beyond the eligibility list (01:46:43)

Note: All film discussion in this episode is spoiler-free.

Links discussed:

This year's 35 Oscar-eligible features

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (with Logan)

Last year's Tech categories (with Logan)

Animated Feature nominees:

• KPop Demon Hunters (USA) – info (Netflix)
• Zootopia 2 (USA) – info (to rent, later Disney+)
• Elio (USA) – info (Disney+)
• Arco (France, USA) – info (to rent)
• Little Amélie or the Character of Rain (Belgium, Japan) – info (to rent)

Other films discussed: Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2021, USA, Plex / to rent), Hoppers (2026, USA, in theaters)

Lost in Starlight (Korea, Netflix), The Bad Guys 2 (USA, Peacock / SkyShowtime), Scarlet (Japan, to rent soon), The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006, Japan, HBO Max), Belle (2021, Japan, HBO Max), In Your Dreams (USA, Netflix), Boys Go to Jupiter (USA, HBO Max), Endless Cookie (Canada, to rent), Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle (Japan, to rent soon), Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc (Japan, to rent), 100 Meters (Japan, Netflix)

Ne Zha 2 (China, HBO Max), Lesbian Space Princess (Australia, various streamers), The Colors Within (Japan, HBO Max), Predator: Killer of Killers (USA, Disney+/Hulu, our coverage [subscriber bonus]), Predator: Badlands (live action, USA, Disney+/Hulu, our coverage [public]), Prey (2022, live-action, USA, Disney+/Hulu, our coverage [subscriber bonus])

“The Three Sisters”* (Russia/”Cyprus” [no spoken language], trailer), “Butterfly”* (France, YouTube), “Forevergreen”* (USA, YouTube), “Retirement Plan”* (Ireland, YouTube [US] / Disney+ [NL]), “The Girl Who Cried Pearls”* (Canada, YouTube: English, French), “Snow Bear” (USA, YouTube), “Playing God” (Italian / French, Vimeo), “Hurikán” (Czechia, Vimeo)

The Girl Who Stole Time (China, trailer, our coverage [subscriber bonus]), Another World (Hong Kong, trailer, our coverage [subscriber bonus]), The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep (USA, Netflix)

*Nominated in the Animated Shorts category.

The 98th Academy Awards will air Sunday, March 15, 2025 at 7 pm ET (on ABC/Hulu in the US) – where it's aired around the world

Check how many Oscar nominees you've seen at OscarsDeathRace.com – or with extended stats and access to the animated shorts via DeathRaceTracking.com

Oscars 2026 coverage

Nominations + Best Picture preview

Live-Action, Animated, & Documentary Shorts 

Production Design, Costumes, Makeup & Hair

International Features

Documentary Features

Animated Features (this episode)

Score & Original Song

Cinematography, VFX, Editing, Sound

Adapted & Original Screenplay, Director

Lead & Supporting Actor & Actress, Casting

Ceremony reactions + Best Picture rankings

Deep dives into 2026 Oscar nominees

Sinners

One Battle After Another – pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3

Frankenstein

Weapons

Shorts: “Two People Exchanging Saliva,” “Jane Austen’s Period Drama,” “The Singers,” “Retirement Plan,” and “The Girl Who Cried Pearls”

For subscribers: 

Leiden IFF – WhachaWachin (Sentimental Value, If I Had Legs I Would Kick You, Arco)

Additional awards coverage

BAFTAs shorts

BAFTAs features

Independent Spirit Awards

Revisit Oscars 2024 & 2025: links in these show notes

Contact Us

Questions or comments? Visit us at our website where you can use the contact form or use the voicemail feature. Or, send an email to [email protected].

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates

linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

John and Elysia set sail on the East Blue and recap One Piece Season 1 before the live action Season 2 premieres on March 10. They discuss the Hope-Punk of Luffy, the theme of found family, and the absurdity of the production.

Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: [email protected]

Or, send us a voicemail! You can use the voicemail tool on our website, thelorehounds.com/contact OR record a note on your smartphone and email it to us at the same address.

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates

https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

David welcomes Ian from The Captain's Pod and John from the Dune Minute podcast for a wide-ranging mid-season conversation about The Pitt Season 2. The discussion explores Langdon's recovery journey and the spectrum of forgiveness he encounters from colleagues, the authenticity of addiction representation on screen, and why Dr. Robbie's guilt over failing his mentee creates such powerful tension. They compare the emotional intensity of Season 1 versus the more sustainable pacing of Season 2, debate whether Ogilvy will ever get the three-dimensional character treatment that Joy recently received, and wrap up with a spirited "Baby Jane Doe" accent challenge from Lorehounds community members.

View our Free Show Guide Online

https://thelorehounds.notion.site/the-pitt-show-guide

Referenced in This Episode

The Helm's Deep comparison video John mentions:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lsc8mGKkP5I

Guest Information

Ian hosts The Captain's Pod with Danae, currently covering Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.

Find the show at: https://redcircle.com/shows/5f72ad75-deb6-4dc7-a031-27c333355883

And support them on Patreon

Follow Ian on Bluesky at @captainspod.bsky.social

John co-hosts the Dune Minute podcast, a minute-by-minute deep dive into Denis Villeneuve's Dune films and the 2000 Sci-Fi Channel miniseries. With over 400 episodes exploring lore, behind-the-scenes details, and technical filmmaking, it's essential listening for Dune enthusiasts.

Find all their links at https://linktr.ee/theduneminute and follow them on Bluesky

Contact Us Questions or comments?

Send emails to: [email protected]

Or, send us a voicemail! You can use the voicemail tool on our website, thelorehounds.com/contact OR record a note on your smartphone and email it to us at the same address.

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates

https://linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.