The Oscar Project Podcast

Send us Fan Mail

Today's episode is my recap of everything from the very first Academy Awards back in 1929. Listen as I walk through the nominees and winners of every category and give a final ranking of all 17 films I was able to watch from this first year of the Oscars. If you missed any of the episodes discussing specific films, you can go back in this feed or just tap on the links below.

• 1.3 The Circus: Chaplin's Sad Take on His Place in Cinema
• 1.4 Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness
• 1.6 The Jazz Singer: The Dawn of the Talkie
• 1.7 A Ship Comes In: An Immigrant Story
• 1.8 Speedy: Try Not to Laugh
• 1.9 The Patent Leather Kid: A Boxer goes to War
• 1.17 The Racket: Cops vs. Robbers
• 2.13-The Crowd-Love, Happiness, and Family Struggles
• 2.15 Sadie Thompson-When it Rains, it Pours
• 3.1 Street Angel with Beth Lisogorsky
• 3.4 Tempest with Amanda Kusek
• 3.5 Two Arabian Knights with Shawna Carroll
• 3.7 Underworld with Jeff Kramer
• 3.10 The Last Command with Vicki Lesley
• 3.12-Sunrise with Joe Cruz
• 3.14-7th Heaven with Maria Banson
• 3.15-Wings with Kevin Pettit

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get my 97th Academy Awards preview episodes covering all 23 categories at this year's Oscars in the lead up to the ceremony on March 2nd.

And if you want to be a guest on this very podcast for the 2nd Academy Awards, send me a message replying to this episode and let me know you're interested. I would love to have your voice join the podcast to share your insights on films from 1928 and 1929.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Today's episode is my conversation about the 1927 film Wings. My friend Kevin Pettit from the See You At The Movies newsletter joins me to discuss the film and we talk about some of the most impressive special effects in early films, the various aspects of love between many of the characters in the film, and someone who has way too much fun with bubbles!

You can watch Wings on YouTube and be sure to check out Kevin's newsletter.

Other films mentioned in this episode include:

• The Kid directed by Charlie Chaplin
• The Great Dictator directed by Charlie Chaplin
• City Lights directed by Charlie Chaplin
• Paths of Glory directed by Stanley Kubrick
• All Quiet on the Western Front directed by Lewis Milestone
• Mr. & Mrs. Smith directed by Doug Liman
• Petticoat Junction (series)
• Return to Babylon directed by Alex Monty Canawati
• Babylon directed by Damien Chazelle
• Top Gun: Maverick directed by Joseph Kosinski
• Top Gun directed by Tony Scott
• Pearl Harbor directed by Michael Bay
• Dunkirk directed by Christopher Nolan
• Rocky directed by John G. Avildsen
• Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans directed by F. W. Murnau
• Behind Enemy Lines directed by John Moore

Other referenced topics:

• Betty Boop
• Motion Picture Magazine Review

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Today's episode is my 100th episode(!) and my conversation about the 1927 film 7th Heaven. My friend Maria Banson from the Brunello Bombshell newsletter joins me to discuss the film and we talk about the connection between Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell that began with this film, the religious undertones that keep cropping up throughout the film, and some stunning cinematography that has to be seen to be believed.

You can watch 7th Heaven on YouTube and be sure to check out Maria's newsletter.

Other films mentioned in this episode include:

• Moulin Rouge! directed by Baz Luhrmann
• Street Angel directed by Frank Borzage
• Sadie Thompson directed by Raoul Walsh
• Aladdin directed by John Musker and Ron Clements
• Casablanca directed by Michael Curtiz
• Anora directed by Sean Baker
• All Quiet on the Western Front directed by Lewis Milestone
• All Quiet on the Western Front directed by Edward Berger
• Downton Abbey (series)
• Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans directed by F. W. Murnau
• Birth of a Nation directed by D.W. Griffith
• Leave it to Beaver (series)
• La La Land directed by Damien Chazelle
• Babylon directed by Damien Chazelle
• The Love Parade directed by Ernst Lubitsch
• It Happened One Night directed by Frank Capra

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

In today's episode, I interview Victoria Warmerdam and Trent, the director and producer of the short film "I'm Not a Robot," a story of a woman who discovers that she might just be a robot and how she deals with that realization.

Listen to hear about the inspiration for the film straight from Victoria's own experience, the wonderful music and sound design of the film, and one specific job that Trent had while on set.

Books mentioned in this episode include:

• Second Best by David Foenkinos

Films mentioned in this episode include:

• "I'm Not a Robot" directed by Victoria Warmerdam
• Being John Malkovic directed by Spike Jonze
• Paris, Texas directed by Wim Wenders
• The Lovers on the Bridge directed by Leos Carax
• Holy Motors directed by Leos Carax
• Brief Encounter directed by David Lean
• Rumblefish directed by Francis Ford Coppola
• Fight Club directed by David Fincher
• September 5 directed by Tim Fehlbaum
• Strange Darling directed by JT Mollner
• Force Majeure directed Ruben Ostlund
• Hannibal (series)
• Slow Horses (series)
• Killing Eve (series)

 "I'm Not a Robot" is currently nominated for Best Live Action Short Film at the 97th Academy Awards and you can watch it right now on The New Yorker Screening Room on YouTube! Tune into the Oscars live on ABC on Sunday March 2nd.

You can follow Oak Motion Pictures on Instagram @oakmotion and check out their website at https://oakmotionpictures.com/.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Today's episode is my conversation about the 1927 film Sunrise: The Song of Two Humans. My friend Joe Cruz from the Joe's Video Club newsletter joins me to discuss the film and we talk about how modern filmmakers could take a lesson from Murnau in trusting the audience to understand the story based on visuals alone, how we disagree with the reviewers of the time when it comes to the acting in the film, and some of the incredible film techniques on display in the film.

You can watch Sunrise on YouTube and be sure to check out Joe's newsletter.

Other films mentioned in this episode include:

• The General directed by Buster Keaton and Clyde Bruckman
• The Last Laugh directed by F. W. Murnau
• Nosferatu directed by F. W. Murnau
• Nosferatu directed by Robert Eggers
• Parasite directed by Bong Joon-ho
• The Coffee Table directed by Caye Casas
• The Godfather directed by Francis Ford Coppola

Other references:

• Time Magazine review
• Photoplay Magazine review
• Variety review
• "My favourite film – Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans" by Pamela Hutchinson from The Guardian

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

In today's episode, I interview Adam J. Graves, the director of the short film "Anuja," a story of two young sisters working in a garment factory in India.

Listen to hear some staggering statistics about the number of children around the world engaged in child labor, the importance of casting the film from real children that live in the are portrayed on screen, and the challenges of filming on location in the tight confines of the busy neighborhoods of India.

Books mentioned in this episode include:

• Short stories of Haruki Murakami
• Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned by Wells Tower
• Pierre Bales's Historical and Critical Dictionary

Films mentioned in this episode include:

• "Anuja" directed by Adam J. Graves
• Monsoon Wedding directed by Mira Nair
• Namesake directed by Mira Nair
• Salaam Bombay directed by Mira Nair
• Liyana directed by Amanda and Aaron Kopp
• The Lady from Shanghai directed by Orson Welles
• Birdman directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu
• Biutiful directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu
• Lawrence of Arabia directed by David Lean
• Ghandi directed by Richard Attenborough
• The Bridge on the River Kwai directed by David Lean
• Emilia Pérez directed by Jacques Audiard
• White Material directed by Claire Denis
• The Maltese Falcon directed by John Huston
• Tár directed by Todd Field

 "Anuja" is currently nominated for Best Live Action Short Film at the 97th Academy Awards. Tune into the Oscars live on ABC on Sunday March 2nd.

Find out more about the Salaam Baalak Trust on their website.

On Instagram Adam is @adam_j_graves and you can also follow the film @anujathefilm for all the latest updates. 

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Today's episode is my conversation about the 1928 film The Last Command. My friend Vicki Lesley from the Meandering Over the Pebbles newsletter joins me to discuss the film and we talk about how actors were able to use their eyes to convey emotion in silent films, how audiences might have understood the film at the time, and how the film sometimes pokes fun at the world of Hollywood filmmaking at the time.

You can watch The Last Command on YouTube and be sure to check out Vicki's newsletter. You can also check out her film on Netflix and Disney+ if you're in the UK and Europe, or rent it on Vimeo on demand at www.theatomfilm.com.

Other films mentioned in this episode include:

• Underworld directed by Josef von Sternberg
• The Passion of the Christ directed by Mel Gibson
• The Circus directed by Charlie Chaplin
• Benji directed by Joe Camp
• John Wick directed by Chad Stahelski

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

In today's episode, I interview Luke Shelley, Jenna-Louise Hawkins, and Sophie Stacey, the director, writer, and producer of the short film "What We Wished We Could Be," a story of a young couple dealing with illness as a result of contaminated blood.

Listen to hear about Jenna-Louise's personal experience that inspired the story, some of the challenges of casting the film, and the challenges of setting the film in two distinct time periods.

Books mentioned in this episode include:

• Bleeding Fabulous by Mark Ward
• Death in the Blood: the most shocking scandal in NHS history from the journalist who has followed the story for over two decades by Caroline Wheeler
• Cicero: Selected Works

Films mentioned in this episode include:

• "What We Wished We Could Be" directed by Luke Shelley
• Marriage Story directed by Noah Baumbach 
• The Apartment directed by Billy Wilder
• Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade directed by Steven Spielberg
• Midnight Cowboy directed by John Schlesinger
• Black Swan directed by Darren Aronofsky
• The Exorcist directed by William Friedkin
• Mulholland Dr. directed by David Lynch
• Watership Down directed by Martin Rosen
• The Untouchables directed by Brian DiPalma
• Erin Brockovich directed by Steven Soderbergh
• Hot Fuzz directed by Edgar Wright
• The Lord of the Rings directed by Peter Jackson

 "What We Wished We Could Be" will be continuing its festival run throughout 2025.

On Instagram Luke is @dirlukeshelley, Jenna-Louise is @jennalouhawkins, and Sophie is @sophielst. You can also follow the film @whatwewishedfilm for all the latest updates. 

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

The nominees for the 97rth Academy Awards are here. Take a listen to hear the full list, some fun trivia facts about the nominees, and my personal thoughts on the films that made the cut as well as those that were snubbed.

You can check out the full list of nominees on my Substack newsletter at theoscarproject.substack.com. While you're there, be sure to subscribe to the newsletter so you can get all the latest Oscar news and information and be notified of when you can submit your predictions in this year's Oscar Prediction Contest. If you win, you will have the opportunity to be a guest on this very podcast!

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Today's episode is my conversation about the 1927 film Underworld. My friend Jeff Kramer from The Death Star Human Resources Department Newsletter joins me to discuss the film and we talk about other films that start off with a heist like this one, how the idea of a mobster has changed over the last century of film, and some of the film techniques used in this film that are still relevant today.

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

Other films mentioned in this episode include:

• The Dark Knight directed by Christopher Nolan
• The Score directed by Frank Oz
• Scarface directed by Brian DiPalma
• Scarface directed by Howard Hawks
• Stagecoach directed by John Ford
• Goodfellas directed Martin Scorsese 

Other works referenced:

• My post about The Dark Knight's opening scene (November 2023)
• My interview with Nat Segaloff about his book Say Hello to My Little Friend: A Century of Scarface

Support the show