The Oscar Project Podcast

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Today's episode is my conversation about the 1929 film Sally. I'm joined by Dan Pal from the PalCinema, Television, & Music newsletter and we talk about the use and re-use of popular songs in movies even in the 1930s and 40s, the innovative use of early Technicolor in the film, and how the film might have been much different if made a few years later once the production code was in place.

You can watch Sally on Tubi and be sure to check out Dan's newsletter.

Other films mentioned in this episode include:

• The Sound of Music directed by Robert Wise
• Knives Out directed by Rian Johnson
• With Byrd at the South Pole directed by Julian Johnson
• Coming to America directed by John Landis
• Some Like it Hot directed by Billy Wilder
• The Noose directed by John Francis Dillon (only print located at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City)
• Song of the Flame directed by Alan Crosland (only partial audio survives)
• King of Jazz directed by John Murray Anderson
• The Broadway Melody directed by Harry Beaumont
• Weary River directed by Frank Lloyd

Other referenced topics:

• 2016 recording of Sally the musical on Spotify
• Showboat (musical)
• The Honeymooners (series)
• Comet Over Hollywood review by J. N. Pickens

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In today's episode, I interview Elham Ehsas, director of the short film "There Will Come Soft Rains," a story of a young woman confronting the personal implications of rising sea levels resulting from global warming.

Listen to hear about the importance of understanding the personal stories of people impacted by climate change, the importance of layered identities in creating a complex character, and the poem that inspired the film's title.

Books mentioned in this episode include:

• "There Will Come Soft Rains" (poem) by Sara Teasdale
• Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
• A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
• Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari

Films and TV shows mentioned in this episode include:

• "There Will Come Soft Rains" directed by Elham Ehsas
• The Crown (series)
• "Yellow" directed by Elham Ehsas
• The Band's Visit directed by Eran Kolirin
• Dil Se.. directed by Mani Ratnam
• Hook directed by Steven Spielberg
• Gangs of Wasseypur directed by Anurag Kashyap
• Cold War directed by Paweł Pawlikowski
• It Was Just an Accident directed by Jafar Panahi

Follow Elham on Instagram @zoradzo and the film @softrainsfilm. You can also find Elham on his website at https://elhame.co/.

Find out more about Climate Spring and the work they do on their website.

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Today's episode is my conversation about the 1929 film The Love Parade. I'm joined by Enrico Banson from the Director's Notes newsletter and we talk about some uses of editing we haven't seen much in early sound films, how gender roles and class differences are portrayed in the film, and what people mean when they talk about "Lubitsch Land" in the director's films.

You can watch The Love Parade on YouTube and be sure to check out Enrico's newsletter.

Other films mentioned in this episode include:

• Madam Satan directed by Cecil B. DeMille
• The Aristocats directed by Wolfgang Reitherman
• All Quiet on the Western Front directed by Lewis Milestone
• The Big House directed by George W. Hill
• Disraeli directed by Alfred E. Green
• The Divorcee directed by Robert Z. Leonard
• Star Wars directed by George Lucas
• Wonder Boys directed by Curtis Hanson
• The Crown (series)
• The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! directed by David Zucker
• The Naked Gun directed by https://amzn.to/3L2po8p

Other referenced topics:

• Ernst Lubitsch: Laughter in Paradise by Scott Eyman
• Photoplay Review
• The Love Parade on TCM.com

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In today's episode, I interview Daniel Persitz, director of the short film "Key of Genius," a story of a young blind autistic savant and the teacher determined to unlock his genius through music.

Listen to hear about the process of casting such a specific character, a brief communication with royalty, and the task of picking which music to feature in a film that focuses so much on playing music.

Books mentioned in this episode include:

• In the Key of Genius: The Extraordinary Life of Derek Paravicini by Adam Ockelford
• Throne of Glass (series) by Sarah J. Maas
• Game of Thrones (series) by George R. R. Martin

Films and TV shows mentioned in this episode include:

• "Key of Genius" directed by Daniel Persitz
• Up directed by Pete Docter
• Back to the Future directed by Robert Zemeckis
• The King's Speech directed by Tom Hooper
• Jurassic Park directed by Steven Spielberg
• Coco directed by Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina
• The Shawshank Redemption directed by Frank Darabont
• Game of Thrones (series)

Other media mentioned in this episode:

• Enigma Variations by Edward Elgar

Follow Daniel on Instagram @dpersitz and the film @keyofgenius_film. Check out the 60 Minutes video Daniel mentions at the beginning of the interview on YouTube.

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Today's episode is my conversation about the 1929 film Condemned. I'm joined by Luis Mendez from The Mendez Movie Report and we talk about whether or not it is smart for a prison warden to bring in a prisoner to work in his home, the ongoing development of story pacing in films at this time, and some choices that were made with the intent of taking advantage of the use of sound even in the early stages of sound cinema.

You can watch Condemned on YouTube and be sure to check out Luis's newsletter.

Other films mentioned in this episode include:

• Bulldog Drummond directed by F. Richard Jones
• Cimmaron (1931) directed by Wesley Ruggles
• Cimmaron (1960) directed by Anthony Mann
• Raffles directed by George Fitzmaurice
• Gone With the Wind directed by Victor Fleming
• Disraeli directed by Alfred E. Green
• The Big House directed by George Hill
• The Big Pond directed by Hobart Henley
• The Love Parade directed by Ernst Lubitsch
• The Rogue Song directed by Lionel Barrymore
• Lost Horizon directed by Frank Capra
• Tempest directed by Sam Taylor
• Two Arabian Knights directed by Lewis Milestone
• All Quiet on the Western Front directed by Lewis Milestone
• Sunrise directed by F.W. Murnau
• Wings directed by William A. Wellman
• Holiday directed by Edward H. Griffith
• The Maltese Falcon directed by Roy Del Ruth
• The Maltese Falcon directed by John Huston
• The Letter directed by Jean De Limur
• The Letter directed by William Wyler
• Acquitted directed by Frank R. Strayer

Other referenced topics:

• The Neverending Story (novel) by Michael Ende
• The Mary Tyler Moore Show (series)
• Condemned to Devil's Island: The Biography of an Unknown Convict by Blair Niles
• Derek Winnert review
• Fernando Silva on CineMaven's ESSAYS from the COUCH

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In today's episode, I interview Sam Davis, director of the new short film "The Singers," a beautiful exploration of untapped talent and raw emotion.

Listen to hear about the Russian short story that served as the inspiration for the film, some practical steps the production took to make the film feel more timeless, and the process of finding the incredible singers that populate the film.

Books mentioned in this episode include:

• A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life by George Saunders
• "The Singers" by Ivan Turgenev
• A Sportsman's Sketches by Ivan Turgenev

Films and TV shows mentioned in this episode include:

• "The Singers" directed by Sam Davis
• "Period. End of Sentence" directed by Rayka Zehtabchi
• "Nai Nai & Wài Pó" directed by Sean Wang
• Dìdi directed by Sean Wang
• Streetwise directed by Martin Bell
• Sound of Metal directed by Darius Marder
• Y tu mamá también directed by Alfonso Cuaron
• Boyhood directed by Richard Linklater
• Hoop Dreams directed by Steve James
• "Fender Bender" directed by Kurt Andrew Schneider

Follow Sam on Instagram @samdavis and the film @thesingersfilm. You can also follow the singers featured in the film online by checking out @mikeyung, @chrissmithermusic, @sailing_vessel_harlott, @judah_kelly, @tooloudtenor, and @venicedhutch.

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Today's episode is my conversation about the 1929 film The Trespasser. I'm joined by Kevin Pettit from the See You at the Movies newsletter and we talk about comparisons between relationships of the 1920s and today, the impact of the stock market crash of 1929 on the film industry (and greater economy), and an unexpected hometown connection with the film.

You can watch The Trespasser on YouTube or on Vimeo and be sure to check out Kevin's newsletter.

Other films mentioned in this episode include:

• The Letter directed by Jean de Limur (listen to the episode about that film with Lewis Beer)
• Thelma directed by Josh Margolin
• The Wolf of Wall Street directed by Martin Scorsese
• The Big Short directed by Adam McKay
• Margin Call directed by J.C. Chandor
• Too Big to Fail directed by Curtis Hanson
• The Broadway Melody directed by Harry Beaumont
• The Devil's Holiday directed by Edmund Goulding
• Hell's Angels directed by Howard Hughes and James Whale
• Grand Hotel directed by Edmund Goulding
• Nightmare Alley directed by Edmund Goulding
• The Dawn Patrol directed by Edmund Goulding
• The Irishman directed by Martin Scorsese
• Sadie Thompson directed by Raoul Walsh
• Sunset Boulevard directed by Billy Wilder
• Double Indemnity directed by Billy Wilder
• Holiday directed by Edward H. Griffith
• Babylon directed by Damien Chazelle
• The Grapes of Wrath directed by John Ford
• Weary River directed by Frank Lloyd
• Dynamite directed by Cecil B. DeMille
• It Happened One Night directed by Frank Capra
• Citizen Kane directed by Orson Welles
• Dredd directed by Pete Travis
• The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King directed by Peter Jackson
• Born Yesterday directed by George Cukor
• All About Eve directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz
• Caged directed by John Cromwell
• Lurker directed by Alex Russell

Other referenced topics:

• Photo of Gloria Swanson on Wikipedia in her later years
• "The Trespasser" by Shawn Anthony on Glorious Swanson
• Photoplay Magazine review
• Variety review
• Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears by Michael Schulman
• Sonny Boy: A Memoir by Al Pacino

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Today's episode is the final episode of my series of double episodes featuring conversations with 2025 Student Academy Award nominees.

My first interview today is with 2025 Student Academy Award finalists Loïck du Plessis D’Argentré, Maud Le Bras, and Jiaxin Huang, collaborators on the animated short film "The Shyness of Trees." We discuss thoughts on being away from family, thoughts of losing a parent, and the ability to bring influences from multiple cultures into the film.

Following that I chat with 2025 Student Academy Award semi-finalist Atharva Raut, director of the film "Beyond the Conflict." We talk about one of the workers who has developed a strong connection with the animals in his care and what Atharva hopes people learn about the leopard population in Mumbai from his film.

Films and TV shows mentioned in this episode include:

• "The Skyness of Trees" directed by Sofiia Chuikovska, Loïck du Plessis D’Argentré, Lina Han, Simin He, Jiaxin Huang, Maud Le Bras, and Bingqing Shu
• "Beyond the Conflict" directed by Atharva Raut
• Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind directed by Michel Gondry
• The Taste of Tea directed by Katsuhito Ishii
• The Sacrifice directed by Andrei Tarkovsky
• Into the Wild directed by Sean Penn
• My Neighbor Totoro directed by Hayao Miyazaki
• The Great Gatsby directed by Baz Luhrmann
• Autumn Sonata directed by Ingmar Bergman
• The Disciple directed by Chaitanya Tamhane
• Virunga directed by Orlando von Einsiedel
• The Dark Knight directed by Christopher Nolan
• Dead Poets Society directed by Peter Weir
• All That Breathes directed by Shaunak Sen

Follow "The Shyness of Trees" film account on Instagram @shynessoftrees.gobelins and Maud is @grumpymaud, Loïck is @_ciklo_, and Jiaxin is @huanggechi. For "Beyond the Conflict," follow Atharva @atharva.raut and check out his website at www.atharvaraut.com.

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Today's episode is my conversation about the 1929 film Disraeli. I'm joined by Jeff Kramer from The Death Star Human Resources Department Newsletter and we talk about British politics in the late 1800s, how well George Arliss carries the entire film as the title character, and how it seems like the Russians always make good spies and adversaries in movies regardless of the time period.

You can watch Disraeli on YouTube and be sure to check out Jeff's newsletter.

Other films mentioned in this episode include:

• Disraeli (1921) directed by Henry Kolker
• Alexander Hamilton directed by John G. Adolfi
• Suez directed by Otto Brower and Allan Dwan
• Alice in Wonderland directed by Clyde Geronimi , Wilfred Jackson and Hamilton Luske
• The Sound of Music directed by Robert Wise
• Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man directed by Roy William Neill
• Bulldog Drummond directed by F. Richard Jones
• Raffles directed by George Fitzmaurice
• Mutiny on the Bounty directed by Frank Lloyd
• Jealousy directed by Jean de Limur (lost film)
• The Letter directed by Jean de Limur
• The Arsenal Stadium Mystery directed by Thorold Dickinson
• The Green Goddess (1930) directed by Alfred E. Green
• The Green Goddess (1923) directed by Sidney Olcott
• Lincoln directed by Steven Spielberg
• John Adams (miniseries) directed by Tom Hooper
• Private Parts directed by Betty Thomas

Other referenced topics:

• A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
• Disraeli (play) by Louis Parker
• George Smiley books by John le Carré
• Movie Musings review
• More information on the Suez Canal
• New Zealand Herald review
• The Pittsburgh Press review
• "The Old Hollywood Best Picture Challenge: Disraeli (1929)" by Zoe K on Hollywood Genes
• Disraeli on Turner Classic Movies

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Today's episode is part of my series of episodes featuring conversations with 2025 Student Academy Award nominees. I spoke with 2025 Student Academy Award semi-finalist Megan Mullen, director of the documentary short film "Secrets of Satellite Beach" and we discuss the light that she wanted to shine on the issue of contaminated water in her home town, working with two incredible activists for for the film, and the challenges of making a film about a topic so close to her heart.

Films and TV shows mentioned in this episode include:

• "Secrets of Satellite Beach " directed by Megan Mullen
• All the Beauty and the Bloodshed directed by Laura Poitras
• Casino directed by Martin Scorsese
• You've Got Mail directed by Nora Ephron
• Erin Brockovich directed by Steven Soderbergh
• Legally Blonde directed by Robert Luketic
• Dark Waters directed by Todd Haynes
• "You Can't Wear That" directed by Eefaa Hassan (forthcoming)
• "Finding Espee" directed by Megan Mullen (forthcoming)

Follow the film on Instagram @secretsofsatellitebeach and Megan on @meganmullenproductions. Also, be sure to check out her website www.meganmullenproductions.com.

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