Hey Oscar fans, join us for another look back at the 1984 Oscars for the amazing films of 1983. A time when all the big stars, big directors and top talent were putting out great films to satisfy every film urge and scratch every movie itch!

With so many objectively great movies in every genre 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.

And please note, we'll be back with new episodes, fresh complaints and satisfying explanations in a few weeks. Hope everyone is beating the heat by staying in and watching great movies!

For more info, go to www.Oscars.wtf

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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 Oscars WWTT? fans -- we're going way, way back to perhaps the first truly epic year of movies! And while it all took place over 80 years ago -- when you have this many timeless classics that are still relevant, watched & enjoyed today -- it may as well be 8 years ago. Between Gone With the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Stagecoach, Of Mice and Men, and Ninotchka we're talking about some of the biggest and best movies, directed by luminaries and starring some of the all-time greats. So join us for a year like few others; add some films to your watch list; and enjoy some behind the scenes trivia & stories you won't hear anywhere else!

FILMS DISCUSSED

(*) Recommended

*Gone With the Wind

*Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

*Wuthering Heights

Goodbye Mr. Chips

*Stagecoach

Love Affair

*The Wizard of Oz

*Ninotchka

*Of Mice and Men

*Dark Victory

*Babes in Arms

*Beau Geste

*The Hunchback of Notre Dame

An Affair to Remember

Sleepless in Seattle

*A Stolen Life

*Now Voyager

*Jezebel

*The Letter

*Only Angels Have Wings

Dodsworth

*Mrs. Miniver

*Best Years of Our lives

*The Women

*It Happened One Night

*Mutiny on the Bounty

*The Roaring Twenties

*Juarez

*(The Scarlett O’Hara Wars - Mini-series)

*A Streetcar Named Desire

*Notorious

The Last Remake of Beau Geste

Drums Along the Mohawk

*Young Mr. Lincoln

Bachelor Mother

*The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex

*The Rains Came

*The Hurricane

Union Station

Topper Takes a Trip

*Hattie McDaniel Acceptance Speech:  https://youtu.be/gPJVFLv3_v8?t=852

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Hey Oscars WWTT? Fans — come take a fateful trip with us as we break down the highest-rated Oscars telecast in history! And because Bruce was there, he can regale you with some behind-the-scenes fun!  Of course, it was a big night for Titanic, which became the highest grossing film of all-tine, But while James Cameron might’ve been ‘The King of the Oscars’ that night — not everything broke his way.  Find out all the interesting stories, as well as the snubs, flubs, oversights and WTF moments as Bruce and “Tex” walk & talk their way through this night to remember.  Most of all, celebrate a year jam-packed with quality movies and hidden gems — some Oscar-worthy, others not so much — but all great films by solid filmmakers!   

FILMS DISCUSSED

Titanic

As Good as it Gets

The Full Monty

Good Will Hunting

LA Confidential

Amistad

Kundun

The Wings of the Dove

Boogie Nights

Donnie Brasco

Jackie Brown

Deconstructing Harry

The Boxer

The Ice Storm

The Sweet Hereafter

Mrs. Brown

Wag the Dog

The Game

Career Girls

Hard Eight

Contact

Rosewood

Lost Highway

Ulee’s Gold

The Apostle

In & Out

Afterglow

Anastasia

Men in Black

Starship Troopers

Con Air

Air Force One

Liar, Liar

Citizen Kane

Gone with the Wind

Bridge on the River Kwai

Lawrence of Arabia

Ben-Hur

Schindler’s List

The Poseidon Adventure

Avatar

Four Little Girls

Happy Together

Get Bruce!

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It also makes us 2 Angry Men spending a Dog Day Afternoon grousing about an unfair Verdict.  Yes, these are all ham-fisted references to Sidney Lumet films that were nominated for Best Picture and Best Director. And despite being beloved classics, all four films (12 Angry Men, Dog Day Afternoon, Network & The Verdict) failed to win Oscars for esteemed director Sidney Lumet.  But that’s just part of the story!  On this bonus episode we dive into the films and filmmaking of a true cinematic master that will have you appreciating Lumet’s genius and leave you wanting to watch or re-watch most of his filmography!  Enjoy and thanks for listening!  

FILMS MENTIONED

12 Angry Men

Dog Day Afternoon

The Verdict

Stage Struck

Long Day’s Journey Into Night

Fail Safe

The Offence

The Hill

The Iceman Cometh

The Seagull

Equus

The Pawnbroker

The Anderson Tapes

Murder on the Orient Express

Serpico

Deathtrap

Prince of the City

The Morning After

Q&A

The Wiz

Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead

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Hello!  We at Oscars WWTT? believe the beauty of this podcast comes from three things. 1. Looking back at the Oscars of the past to see which winners & nominees have stood the test of time, or not.  2. Trying to understand how or why the Academy voters chose that year’s winners and nominees, and 3) Putting hidden gems and/or movies you haven’t heard of on your radar.  For this episode, the 1963 Oscars for the films of 1962 — we get plenty of all three.  There are some legendary wins, some historically curious losses and lots of great movies you’ll want to add to your watch list.  So join us on an epic adventure as Bruce and “Tex” sift through the sands of time to discover WTF the Oscars were thinking!  As always, thanks for joining us!   

FILMS MENTIONED

The Longest Day

Lawrence of Arabia

The Music Man

That Touch of Mink

Mutiny on the Bounty

To Kill a Mockingbird

Days of Wine and Roses

The Miracle Worker

Whatever Happened to Baby Jane

The Birdman of Alcatraz

The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm

Divorce, Italian Style

Gypsy

Sweet Bird of Youth

Billy Budd

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

Long Day’s Journey into Night

Lonely Are the Brave

The Manchurian candidate

Through a Glass Darkly

The Bridge on the River Kwai

David and Lisa

Bonnie and Clyde

Brief Encounter

Dr. Zhivago

Auntie Mame

Elmer Gantry

Some Like it Hot

The Apartment

The Gunfighter

The Omen

Dr. No

Hatari!

Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

Superman 2

Lolita

Freud: The Secret Passion

Last Year at Marienbad

Seesaw

Taras Bulba

Gigot

Jumbo

Tender is the Night

Walk on the Wild Side

Sundays and Cybele

Jules and Jim

Harikari

Le Eclipse

Autumn Afternoon

Cleo From 5 to 7

Vivre Se Vie (My Life to Live)

Childhood

Sanjuro

Yojimbo

The Exterminating Angel

Midnight in Paris

Knife in the Water

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Hey Oscar fans, Bruce and “Tex” are back with the 2009 Oscars for the films of 2008.  This was an interesting year for many reasons: controversial winners; new formats, a singing & dancing Wolverine as host; and most notably, the reaction to The Dark Knight being snubbed causing the Academy to expand the number of Best Picture nominees from 5 to (up to) 10.  As for the movies that were nominated, it’s a curious mix of decent films that really only need to be seen once — and some possibly better movies that have stood the test of time and are even more relevant now!  Join us as we break it all down and get behind the scenes stories from Bruce Vilanch who got paid to spend an evening with Hugh Jackman.  Thanks for listening!.  

Movies Mentioned

*The Dark Knight

**Wall-E

*The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Slumdog Millionaire

*Milk

*Frost/Nixon

*Changeling

*Revolutionary Road

*The Wrestler

*Frozen River

*Iron Man

*The Reader

**In Bruges

*The Visitor

*Happy-Go-Lucky

*Hunger

Shame

Billy Elliott

**Good Will Hunting

*A Beautiful Mind

**The Social Network

*Doubt

*Shallow Grave

*Trainspotting

*28 Days Later

The Beach

*Chicago

*Mystic River

**Vicky Cristina Barcelona

*Gran Torino

W

Rachel Getting Married

*The Fighter

*Tropic Thunder

Che

*In the Bedroom

*My Cousin Vinny

Red Belt

**Idiocracy

*Forrest Gump

*Bolt 

*Kung Fu Panda

Departures

**Bader Meinhof Complex

Australia

*The Nutty Professor

Maverick: Top Gun Part 2

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Hey Oscar fans. Bruce and "Tex" are on a slight hiatus, so we're doing an encore presentation of one of Oscar's most controversial years. A year that pit 'Love' VS 'War.'

Of course we’re talking about the 1999 Oscars, for the films of 1998 in which Shakespeare in Love won the Oscar over Saving Private Ryan.  

This is known as the year that changed everything thanks to a guy you may have heard of named Harvey Weinstein.  In a shocking upset, a brash, shameless, indie upstart managed to out-campaign the Hollywood elite and take home a best picture Oscar for an artsy film about love and Shakespeare. Using the test of time, many people look back at this year as a complete miscarriage of justice. But was it really? And what other controversies and unbelievable moments took place that evening? Bruce was there and is more than happy to share them..  What do you think?  Did Shakespeare deserve Oscar love? Or did Saving Private Ryan “Earn it?”       

MOVIES MENTIONED

From Russia With Love

Shakespeare in Love

Elizabeth

Saving Private Ryan

The African Queen

Life is Beautiful

The Thin Red Line

Armageddon

A Simple Plan

The Truman Show

Affliction

Civil Action 

Apollo 13

Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid

In Like Flint

Shine

Rushmore

The Big Lebowski

Rocky Horror Picture Show

A Fish Called Wanda

Gods and Monsters

Hillary and Jackie

Little Voice

Primary Colors

Mrs. Brown

Schindler’s List

Amistad

Warhorse

Lincoln

West Side Story

Munich

The Mask of Zorro

Out of Sight

The Big Chill

Mighty Joe Young

King Kong

What Dreams May Come

Pleasantville

Velvet Goldmine

Beloved

The Last Days

Dance Maker

The Farm Angola USA

Lenny Bruce:  Swear to Tell the Truth

Regret to Inform

Prince of Egypt

Patch Adams

Mulan

A Bug’s Life

The Horse Whisperer

Babe: Pig in the City

Skyfall

Barbie

Quest From Camelot

Wicked

Tango

The Grandfather

Children of Heaven

Central Station

Frankenstein

Bride of Frankenstein

American History X

Two Women

Lord of the Rings

One True Thing

Gia

Bulworth

The Best Years of our Lives

E.T.

The Day the Clown Cried

Guilty By Suspicion

On the Waterfront

Streetcar Named Desire

East of Eden

A Face in the Crowd

Splendor in the Grass

America, America

Gentleman’s Agreement

Viva Zapata

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Welcome Oscar fans.  Bruce is back to help break down the 1943 Oscars for the films of 1942.  It’s another stacked year with 10 Outstanding Picture nominees (most of which are very deserving) and yet, there are still several other great films left out in the cold. And while there are a few curious decisions and omissions, most of the winners in all the categories are surprisingly and refreshingly solid. Instead of controversy — this is definitely an episode you’ll want to take notes during, because there are a lot of hidden gems to go with the classics. Either way, you’re going to want to update your ‘Watch List!’ As always for joining us for another look back at the Oscars of the past, through the lens of today!

Movies Mentioned

*Mrs. Miniver

*The Magnificent Ambersons

*Yankee Doodle Dandy

*The Pride of the Yankees

*The Talk of the Town

*The Invaders AKA The 49th Parallel

*King’s Row

The Pied Piper

*Random Harvest

Wake Island

*Now Voyager

*To Be or Not To Be

*The Palm Beach Story

*Johnny Eager

Around the World in 80 Days

*The Letter

*The Little Foxes

Wuthering Heights

Doddsworth

*Angels With Dirty Faces

*My Sister Eileen

Woman of the Year

*I Married a Witch

*This Gun for Hire

*Tortilla Flat

*The Affairs of Cellini

*The Wizard of Oz

*Shadow of a Doubt

Holiday inn

White Christmas

*Road to Morocco

One of Our Aircraft is Missing

The Black Swan

Jungle Book

Bambi

Arabian Nights

The Shanghai Gesture

The Corsican Brothers

The Battle of Midway (first Documentary Winner)

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1995, an objectively incredible year for movies, doesn’t get talked about enough…until now!  Having done the research for our 1996 Oscars, “Tex” And Mark were amazed at just how many outstanding, Oscar-worthy films came out this year — so many in fact, that we could hold an ‘Alternate Oscars’ and only include non-nominated films, directors and performances.  So…  That’s we did!  Join us as we have some fun discussing the freakishly fantastic films of 1995 and offer our picks for an Oscars that didn’t happen — but certainly could have!  We’ll be back with a regular episode next week.  (The 1943 Oscars for anyone who wants to do some homework and watch some of the films of 1942!)

Movies Mentioned

(*) Recommended

**Braveheart

*Apollo 13

*Babe

*Sense & Sensibility

*Il Postino: The Postman

**The Usual Suspects

**Leaving Las Vegas

*Dead Man Walking

*Toy Story

*Casino

**Heat

**Twelve Monkeys

**Se7en

*Crimson Tide

*The American President 

Goldeneye

*Mr. Holland’s Opus

*To Die For

**Zone of Interest

**Anatomy of a Fall

*Past Lives

*I’m Still Here

Emilia Pérez

**Sentimental Value

*The Secret Agent

**Parasite

**Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

*Life is Beautiful

*Cries and Whispers

**The Lives of Others

**A Separation

**City of God

**Ran

**81/2

**La Dolce Vita 

Showgirls

*Clueless

*Kids

*Devil in a Blue Dress

*The Crossing Guard

Panther

*The Quick and the Dead

Nixon

*Bridges of Madison County

*Get Shorty

*Living in Oblivion

*Safe

Dangerous Minds

*Dolores Claiborne

Georgia

Rob Roy

Funny Bones

*Kiss of Death

Walking Dead

Boys on the Side

Circle of Friends

Exotica

*Before Sunrise

*The Secret of Roan Inish

The Brothers McMullen

*Clockers

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Hey Oscar fans — for this episode, Bruce Vilanch and “Tex” Davis dive into the 1996 Oscars—the year Braveheart took the crown, beating out an oddly charming mix that includes Apollo 13 and Babe. But here’s the real question: how did a year packed with some all-time classics end up with this lineup?  From snubbed fan favorites to the Academy’s love of big, bold spectacle, we’re breaking down what got nominated, what got ignored, and what the Oscars might have been thinking… if anything.

Films Mentioned

**Babe

**Braveheart

**Apollo 13

**Sense and Sensibility

*Il Postino: The Postman

*Dead Man Walking

**Leaving Las Vegas

Nixon

**Toy Story

*Crimson Tide

*Batman Forever

Waterworld

Showgirls

**The Usual Suspects

*Mr. Holland’s Opus

*Casino

**The American President

*Rob Roy

Bridges of Madison County

**12 Monkeys

Hacksaw Ridge

**Apocalypto

Man Without a Face

**Heat

**Devil in a Blue Dress

**The Goodbye Girl

**Adaptation

*Dances with Wolves

*The Crossing Guard

*Get Shorty

**Thelma and Louise

**Lorenzo’s Oil

**Atlantic City

**Howard’s End

**Remains of the Day

*Safe

**Se7en

Georgia

Mighty Aphrodite

*Butterflies are Free

Shakespeare in Love

*My Cousin Vinny

**La Jette’

Sabrina

Pocahontas

Restoration

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