Welcome to the 2012 Academy Awards, a year just outside our ‘test-of-time’ range for judging the merits of the winners, non-winners, and forgotten gems.  This year featured a lot of very good movies but no true odds-on favorite, which is why the eventual winner is seen as kind of a let down. So who or what should have won?  What should have been nominated and wasn’t?  Are there too many nominees in the first place leading to a paradox of choice (where it’s hard to even make a decision).  Not to mention, what might be the best movie of the year wasn’t even considered for a Best Picture Oscar. Bruce and “Tex” get into it all as they try to make sense of a crazy year with Oscar imitating Art… Or in this case, The Artist.

Movies Mentioned

(*Recommended)

Tower Heist

*The Descendants

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

*The Help

*Midnight in Paris

*The Artist

*Hugo

*Moneyball

*Warhorse

The Tree Life

*Bridesmaids

*We Need to Talk About Kevin

J Edgar

*Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

*Drive

*A Better Life

*Bicycle Thieves

*Celebrity

*Take Shelter

My Week With Marilyn

The Prince and the Showgirl

*The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

*Albert Nobbs

The Iron Lady

*Young Adult

Warrior

Beginners

*21 Jump Street

*Superbad

*Margin Call

*The Father

**A Separation

*The Ides of March

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Welcome Oscars fans to the 7th Academy Awards (it definitely wasn’t called The Oscars yet) — as we dive into the 1935 Oscars for the films of 1934.  

Now some of you might be thinking, ‘How can awards for films this old possibly be interesting today?’ To which we say, get ready because things are going to get wild! 

 For starters, there were 12 nominees for best picture (and they still got some wrong!)  There were also awards that are no longer given out as well as no awards for things we award today.  The Hays Code had just begun in mid-1934, affecting the way movies were made. An actress was in three of the Best Picture nominees (a record that still stands) — and on top of it all, the winner this year just so ‘happened’ to set the template for every RomCom you love (or love to hate) today.  

Trust us when we say you’re going to have a treat learning about some incredible movies you probably never heard of but you’ll be glad you did once you see them!  As always, thanks for joining us at The Oscars! 

Movies Mentioned

(*Recommended)

*It Happened One Night

*The Thin Man

*Imitation of Life

Flirtation Walk

Here Comes the Navy

*The House of Rothschild

One Night of Love

*The Barretts of Wimpole Street

*The Gay Divorcee

*Viva Villa!

*Cleopatra (Cecil B. DeMille version)

The White Parade (nearly impossible to see)

*The Affairs of Cellini

*Of Human Bondage

*Manhattan Melodrama

Eskimo

Flying Down to Rio

*Gone With the Wind

*Dangerous

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Hey Oscar fans, welcome to the 1968 Oscars for the films of 1967 — AKA the year that changed everything (movie wise)!  What an amazing year for films both domestic & foreign and to our shock and delight the Oscars were there to recognize and appreciate some truly groundbreaking films…mostly. 

From movies that touched on race in new and exciting ways — In The Heat of the Night and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner; to one of the most violent movies ever made - Bonnie & Clyde; and a new kind of generational comedy - The Graduate... There was no shortage of great films...and Doctor Dolittle. 

Join the legendary Bruce Vilanch and “Tex” as they dive into one of the most important years for movies and debate the snubs, flubs and oversights, while celebrating the triumphs and telling great behind the scenes stories.  As always, thanks for listening!

Movies Mentioned

(*Recommended)

*Bonnie & Clyde

*Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?

Doctor Dolittle

*The Graduate

*In the Heat of the Night

*Thoroughly Modern Millie

*Camelot

*Cool Hand Luke

*The Dirty Dozen

*In Cold Blood

*Barefoot in the Park

Doctor Dolittle (Eddie Murphy)

Doctor Dolittle (Robert Downey Jr.)

*Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

*Lilles of the Field

*John Wick

*One Thousand Clowns

WUSA

Pocket Money

*Brubaker

Amityville Horror

*Voyage of the Damned

*The Pawnbroker

*The Hustler

*HUD

*Wait Until Dark

The Whisperers

*Tom Jones

*The Importance of Being Earnest

*Bye Bye Birdie

*The Pumpkin Eater

Divorce American Style

Two for the Road

The War is Over

*Eyes Wide Shut

*It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

*Divorce Italian Style

Ulysses

*The Towering Inferno

*Rebecca

*Psycho

*Lifeboat

Spellbound

*Rear Window

*The Sound of Music

*Closely Watched Trains

*Point Blank

*Le Samouraï

*Casino Royale

In Like Flint

*The Fearless Vampire Killers

*Belle du Jour

*Playtime

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Welcome Oscar fans to the 1984 Oscars for the amazing films of 1983. What a time for movies! All the big stars, nearly all the big directors and lots of brilliant, compelling stories were on display this year...and Flashdance. 

With so many objectively great movies to choose from, it's hard for even the Academy to get it wrong. And yet, using the test of time, there are still some curious choices and omissions worth looking into.

But at least one award was never in doubt. While accepting her Best Actress Award for Terms of Endearment, Shirley MacLaine famously said, "I deserve this."

Take a listen to see if you think the other winners deserved their awards as well!  As always thanks for joining us at the Oscars!    

For more info, go to www.Oscars.wtf

email us at [email protected]

Oscars: What Were They Thinking is edited by Kelley Marcano

Movies Mentioned (*Recommended)

*Terms of Endearment

*The Right Stuff

*Fanny & Alexander

*The Dresser

*Silkwood

*Tender Mercies

Yentl

*Cross Creek

*The Big Chill

*Educating Rita

*Reuben, Reuben

*War Games

*Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

*Trading Places

*The Outsiders

Flashdance

*Risky Business

*Sudden Impact

*The China Syndrome

*The Insider

*Norma Rae

*Breaking Away

*Bullitt

Krull

Mother, Jugs & Speed

*The Friends of Eddie Coyle

Face to Face

*The Graduate

*Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolfe

*Working Girl

*Raiders of the Lost Ark

Henry & June

*Unbearable Lightness of Being

The Mirror Has Two Faces

*The Prince of Tides

Rhinestone

*Dr. Zhivago

*Tom Jones

*Murder on the Orient Express

*The Godfather

*Apocalypse Now

*The Great Santini

*Ray

*Crazy Heart

*Testament

Melvin and Howard

*To Be or Not to Be (1984 & 1942)

*One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

*Easy Rider

*Five Easy Pieces

*Reds

*The World According to Garp

Precious

*Network

*To Kill a Mockingbird

Betrayal

Octopussy

Striptease

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Hey Oscar fans, welcome to the 2005 Oscars for the films of 2004.  Interestingly, nearly all the nominees were either bio-pics or felt like bio-pics.

Even more interesting, while the choice for best picture isn’t bad — there was at least one film from that year that has become an all-time classic and an absolute favorite for many people — which was completely shut out of the Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor categories. 

 With the recent release of the New York Times’ Top 100 Films of the 21st Century, this grave injustice (at least according to Adam “Tex”) has been rectified — as the ‘forgotten film’ is on the list (at #7) while none of the Best Picture nominees or winner even made the list!  Take a listen and see if you agree with the list or the Academy (and Bruce). 

 As always, thanks for joining us at the Oscars!

Movies Mentioned

(*Recommended)

*Million Dollar Baby

The Aviator

*Ray

Finding Neverland 

*Sideways

*Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

*Vera Drake

*Being Julia

*Before Sunset

*Before Sunrise

*Fahrenheit 9/11

*Hotel Rwanda

*Maria Full of Grace

Kinsey

*The Incredibles

*Collateral

Closer

*The Motorcycle Diaries

*Born into Brothels

*Super Size Me

*Downfall

Dodgeball

*Just Friends  ;)

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Hey Oscars fans, welcome to the 1944 Oscars for the films of 1943.  Not surprisingly the theme of many movies this year was war as most of the globe fought in WWII.  

There was a movie just called Air Force!  And among these war and war adjacent films came one of the most beloved, quoted and classic movies of all time… Casablanca!  But while Casablanca did take home some awards… did it take home enough awards?  In fact, two movies that year had more nominations than Casablanca.  

Join us as we take you on a journey through some of the best movies and performances ever and discuss how and why some of them inexplicably lost out or weren’t even nominated.  

Along the way you’ll discover lots of films to add to your must-watch list and learn some great film history in the process.  Oh, and we know the title of this episode is a mis-quote from Casablanca!  As always, thanks for listening. 

Contact us and let us know your opinions!

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Email: [email protected]

Website: www.oscars.wtf

Movies Mentioned!

Casablanca (must see)

The Song of Bernadette  (must see)

For Whom the Bell Tolls

Air Force

This is the Army

Heaven Can Wait

The Human Comedy

In Which We Serve

Madame Curie

The More the Merrier

The Ox-Bow Incident  (must see)

Watch on the Rhine

To Be or Not to Be

Ninotchka

Trouble in Paradise

Design for Living

The Shop Around the Corner

Shadow of a Doubt  (must see)

12 Angry Men  

Five Graves to Cairo

The Gunfighter

Mildred Pierce

Yankee Doodle Dandy

The Adventures of Robin Hood

The African Queen

Sergeant York

High Noon

Duel in the Sun

Sahara

The Constant Nymph

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

Maltese Falcon

So Proudly we Hail!

Gone With the Wind

Princess O’Rourke

Action in the North Atlantic

Destination Tokyo

Holy Matrimony

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

How Green Was my Valley

Citizen Kane

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Hello, Oscars: WWTT? fans. Welcome our look at the 1973 Oscars, honoring the films of 1972. It was an outstanding year for movies with some great contenders in every category battling it out. Ironically, the most cheerful best picture nominee was about the inner-workings of the Mafia and all the killing and revenge that comes along with it. But while The Godfather may have been the big winner...did it win enough? And what snubs, flubs and oversights will have you reaching for a gun and a canoli.

Contact us and let us know your opinions!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577252340445

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.oscars.wtf

Movie Recommendations

The Godfather

Cabaret

Deliverance

Sounder

The Emigrants

The Lady Sings the Blues

The Poseidon Adventure

Jeremiah Johnson

The Ruling Class

The Candidate

Fat City

Butterflies Are Free

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie

The New Land

Solaris

Aguirre: Wrath of God

Cries and Whispers

Sleuth

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Hey Oscars fans, welcome to the 1981 Oscars for the films of 1980.  This is a HUGE year in terms of the conceit of this show — because while the Oscar winning film is respected, the film that DIDN’T WIN is regarded as a true masterpiece and one of the greatest films of all-time. If you know, you know, and if you don’t get ready to be enraged.  Or maybe not.  And that’s just the start of some curious decisions, omissions and oversights. Whether you’re a total film nerd (like us) or not — this was objectively a great year for movies and for debating the awards given to them!  And along the way, we hope to add a few more hidden gems to your movie-watching list.  As always, thanks for listening!

Movies Mentioned

The Elephant Man

Raging Bull

Coal Miner’s Daughter

Fame

Ordinary People 

Tess

The Empire Strikes Back

Melvin and Howard

Private Benjamin

The Stuntman

9 to 5

Stir Crazy

Airplane

Any Which Way You Can

Smokey and the Bandit 2

The Blue Lagoon

The Blues Brothers

Crash (Haggis version)

Barry Lyndon

The Empire Strikes Back

The Shining

Stripes

Protocol

Wildcats

Jumping Jack Flash

Stardust Memories

Duel in the Sun

Chinatown

The Two Jakes

Color of Night

The Eyes of Laura Mars

Return of a Man Called Horse

Never Say Never Again

American Gigolo

The Big Red One

Cruisin’

Tribute

The Great Santini

Urban Cowboy

The Long Good Friday

Breaker Morant

Inside Moves

Resurrection

Gloria

Carrie

Eyes Wide Shut

Altered States

Flash Gordon

The Zero Hero

Honeysuckle Rose

The Competition

8 Mile

Kagemusha

The Last Metro

The Gods Must Be Crazy

Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears

Can’t Stop the Music (Razzie Winner!)

Bachelor Party 2 (Direct to Video)

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Hey Oscars fans, welcome to the 1965 Oscars for the films of 1964 — a year that had a lot of great films, some of which have stood the test of time… and then there were the winners.  

We’re kidding of course. Half kidding. But as you’ll hear ‘Tex” is not a huge fan of this year’s winner and would have preferred any of the other nominees (and another movie that wasn’t nominated) — while Bruce Vilanch supplies the context and support of the winner.  

So, what were these films and how and why did they win or lose out?  You’ll have to listen to find out.  And as always, there are lot of great film recommendations to add to your viewing catalogue!  Thanks for listening!

Movies Mentioned

Minecraft

Mary Poppins

Becket

My Fair Lady

Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte

Zorba the Greek

The Unsinkable Molly Brown

Dr. Strangelove

Night of the Iguana

Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Fail Safe

Seven Days in May

Fiddler on the Roof

Gone With the Wind

Little Women

A Philadelphia Story

A Double Life

Born Yesterday

Cleopatra

Lawrence of Arabia

Masque of the Red Death

Seance on a Wet Afternoon

Marriage Italian Style

The Pumpkin Eater

The Americanization of Emily

The Miracle Worker

The Chalk Garden

The Best Man

Topkapi

Spartacus

Quo Vadis

The Barefoot Contessa

That Man From Rio

Breathless

The Organizer

One Potato, Two Potato

A Hard Day’s Night

Father Goose

Robin and the Seven Hoods

Dear Heart

Where Love Has Gone

Fate is the Hunter

Cheyanne Autumn

What a Way to Go

Gigi

A House is Not a Home

Kisses for my President

The Visit

The King and I

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

Woman in the Dunes

The Young Girls of Rochefort

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Hey Oscars fans, welcome to the 2013 Oscars for the films of 2012 — a year when Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln was poised to sweep based on a(mother) legendary performance by Daniel Day Lewis.  But instead…it was the second worst night in Lincoln’s life.  All in all, it was a pretty strange year for the Academy Awards — from the winners, non-winners, snubs and even the host!  So join Bruce Vilanch and Adam “Tex” Davis as they share their insider’s perspective on who won and why (and who should have won) — as well as why Seth Macfarlane will never host another Academy Awards show again.

Movies Mentioned

A Million Ways to Die in the West 

Ted

Ted 2

Lincoln

Life of Pi

Les Miserables

Silver Linings Playbook

Argo

Amour

Django Unchained

Skyfall

Zero Dark Thirty

Minecraft

Sinners

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Avengers

The Hurt Locker

The Master

Flight

Moonrise Kingdom

Batman: The Dark Knight

There Will Be Blood

Boogie Nights

The Hobbit

Brokeback Mountain

The Piano Teacher

Funny Games

Cache (aka Hidden)

The White Ribbon

Silkwood

The Impossible

The Russians are Coming, The Russians are Coming

Inglourious Basterds

The Big Lebowski

Raising Arizona

Barton Fink

Sessions

As Good As it Gets

Norma Rae

Places in the Heart

Forrest Gump

Mrs. Doubtfire

Pulp Fiction

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Anna Karenina

Red Sparrow

Under the Skin

La La Land

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