Hey Oscar Fans -- after last episode's look at the 1997 Oscars for the films of 1996, "Tex" and Mark were compelled to take a deeper dive into the world of independent cinema that exploded onto screens that year. Some of the films were mentioned already, many were not. Along the way we also break down what makes a film an "indie" and "Tex" draws from his experiences having written both a studio and an indie film But most of all, you'll listen in awe at the sheer number of great indie films & the talented filmmakers (including some notable first-timers) who made them. Enjoy!

Films Mentioned

*Fargo

*Secrets & Lies

*Shine

*The English Patient

*Sling Blade

*Bottle Rocket

*Rushmore

*Swingers

*Go

*Flirting With Disaster

*Spanking the Monkey

She's the One

*The Brothers McMullen

*Trainspotting

*Trees Lounge

*Big Night

*Romeo & Juliet

*Basquiat

*Citizen Ruth

*Hard Eight

*Lone Star

*Bound

*American Buffalo

*I Shot Andy Warhol

*Dead Man

*Down By Law

*Stranger Than Paradise

Crash (Cronenberg's)

*SubUrbia

*Slackers

*Walking and Talking

*Stealing Beauty

Girl Six

*Scream

*Gardener of Eden (written by "Tex")

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Hey Oscar fans, Bruce and “Tex” are back with a brand new episode looking at the Academy Awards of 1997 for the films of 1996.  As you may or may not remember, 1996 was a GOOD year for movies, but a GREAT year for Indie films!  In fact, 4 of the 5 Best Picture nominees are considered independent films — or as Bruce calls them, Tom Cruise and everybody else.  And while Elaine Benes from Seinfeld famously hated The English Patient, the Academy loved it — bestowing it with 12 nominations and 9 wins!  But did the right movie win?  And who got snubbed and why?  This is a great episode to stress-test our ‘test of time’ theory on — as this year was chock full of curious decisions and plenty of second (or third) guessing.  Let us know what you think and as always thanks for listening! 

MOVIE LIST

(*Recommendations)

*The English Patient

*Fargo

*Shine

Evita

*Jerry Maguire

*Secrets and Lies

Hamlet

Twister

Independence Day

*Flirting with Disaster

*Trainspotting

*Big Night

*Sling Blade

*Swingers

*Bound

*Walking & Talking

*Bottle Rocket

Dead Man

*Breaking the Waves

*The People vs. Larry Flynt

*One Flew Over the Cuckoo Nest

*Amadeus

*Say Anything

*Schindler’s List

*The Birdcage

*The Nutty Professor

*Born on the Fourth of July

Marvin’s Room

*First Wives Club

*Terms of Endearment

Ghosts of Mississippi

*Primal Fear

*Boyz in the Hood

Radio

Men of Honor

Boat Trip

*As Good as it Gets

Pearl Harbor

*Kingpin

*The Crucible

The Portrait of a Lady

The Mirror Has Two Faces

*The Accidental Tourist

Yentl

The Prince of Tides

*Lone Star

*Raising Arizona

*Blood Simple

*When We Were Kings

*The Celluloid Closet

*Paradise Lost:  The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills

Truth or Dare

One Fine Day

*That Thing You Do!

Up Close & Personal

*The Ghost and the Darkness

*Once Upon a Time When we Were Colored 

*White Squall

*Michael Collins

The Island of Doctor Moreau

*Lost Soul:  The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley’s Island of Doctor Moreau

Hardware

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Due to a scheduling snafu - we don't have a new episode ready for you today! So, we're replaying one of our favorites (and an early one many of you may have missed!) While Out of Africa and The Color Purple were battling it out (22 nominations between them) for Oscar glory -- another film was all but ignored in all the major categories -- despite dominating the box office that year. But if we could jump into a Delorean and go back in time -- would we perhaps bestow this beloved action/comedy with some Oscar love? We'll be back with the 1997 Oscars later this week! Thanks!

Movies Mentioned

Recommended

*Out of Africa

*The Color Purple

*Kiss of the Spider Woman

*Prizzi’s Honor

*Witness

**Back to the Future

Rambo: First Blood Pt. 2

Ladyhawke

The English Patient

Evita

Butterfly

Trip to Bountiful 

*Agnes of God

Sweet Dreams

**Tootsie

*Cocoon

Twice in a Lifetime

Ice Pirates

Murphy’s Romance

*Runaway Train

Jagged Edge

Things Change

*Trading Places

The Story of Alexander Graham Bell

Cocoon 2

The Way We Were

*Absence of Malice

*Three Days of the Condor

**They Shoot Horses Don’t They?

*Ran

C.H.U.D.

C.H.U.D. 2: Bud the C.H.U.D.

The Official Story

*Parasite

*Mask

The Phantom of the Opera

*The Mask

*Remo Williams: the Adventure Begins

A Chorus Line

*White Nights

*Silverado

*Young Sherlock Holmes

Return to Oz

The Black Hole

**The Sting

**Quiz Show

*Ordinary People

*Save the Tiger

Last Tango in Paris

*The Last Detail

**Serpico

**The Natural

*Barefoot in the Park

*Butch Cassidy & Sundance Kid

*The Candidate

*Purple Rose of Cairo

*Brazil

Rifkin’s Festival

*Midnight in Paris

*Radio Days

*Crimes and Misdemeanors

*Bananas

*Take the Money and Run

*Manhattan

*Stardust Memories

12 Years a Slave

*Do the Right Thing

**Boyz in the Hood

*Malcolm X

*Glory

*Training Day

*A Beautiful Mind

Scent of a Woman

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Hey Oscar fans — with the recent Oscar nominations we felt it was only fitting for our Oscars podcast to talk about them... Even though it goes against the theme of our show which uses the ‘test of time’ to see what really deserved to win or be nominated. Despite that, we still have thoughts and hot takes!  Join “Tex” and Mark as we discuss the nominees, make predictions, point out snubs and use everything we’ve learned making this show to try and understand what the Academy was thinking!  As always thanks for listening!

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1946 was an extraordinary year for film noir—so much so, even the Academy had to take notice. As Hollywood plunged into the shadows, moral ambiguity, and hard-boiled despair, the Oscars recognized standouts like Notorious, The Killers, and The Stranger. But with so much darkness flooding the screen, plenty of essential classics were left behind. Films like Gilda, The Postman Always Rings Twice, and The Big Sleep—now pillars of the noir canon—went largely unnoticed at the time. In this bonus episode, we celebrate a truly great year for film noir, revisiting fourteen unforgettable films and exploring what the Academy saw, what it missed, and why 1946 remains a defining moment for one of cinema’s most enduring styles.

Films Mentioned

*Recommended

**It’s a Matter of Life and Death (not noir)

**The Killers

**Notorious

**The Stranger

*The Spiral Staircase

*The Blue Dahlia

*The 7th Veil (not considered noir)

**Gilda

**The Postman Always Rings Twice

*The Big Sleep

*The Dark Mirror

*The Strange Love of Martha Ivers

**The Locket

*Shock!

*The Strange Woman

*The Glass Key

**This Gun For Hire

Saigon

**Double Indemnity

**Too Late for Tears

**To Have and Have Not

Confidential Agent

*The Lady From Shanghai

**The Magnificent Ambersons (not noir)

**Citizen Kane  (not noir)

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Hey there Oscar fans — Bruce is back and we are excited to bring you a super fun episode that looks back at the 1947 Oscars for the films of 1946 — yet another simply outstanding year of movies. And while this year is highlighted by a heavyweight battle between ‘The Best Years of Our Lives’ and ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’…  You can pretty much name any genre and find an incredible movie to suit your taste — many of which are still talked about today.  But with so many great movies this year, it’s remarkable how many A+ films didn’t make the cut.  So, did the right films win?  Were the right actors & actresses nominated?  And what classic films from Hollywood’s golden era should you be adding to your watch-list?  Get ready to find all that out and more.  And remember, every time you leave us a 5-star review — Bruce eats some wings!  Thanks for listening!

Films Mentioned - (*Recommended)

**Duel in the Sun

**The Best Years of our Lives

The Jolson Story

Blue Skies

Saratoga Trunk

*The Razor’s Edge

Night and Day

*Notorious

*The Yearling

Till the Clouds Roll By

**It’s a Wonderful Life

Anna and the King of Siam

*The King and I

*Henry V

**The Killers

**Brief Encounter

*The Big Sleep

**My Darling Clementine

**The Stranger

*The Spiral Staircase

*The Dark Mirror

*The Human Comedy

*National Velvet

**The Postman Always Rings Twice

*To Each His Own

*Sister Kenny

**Gilda

*The Seventh Veil

*The Blue Dahlia

**Children of Paradise

*Road to Utopia

**Rome, Open City

Vacation From Marriage

*The Strange Love of Martha Ivers

**Shoe Shine

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Hey Oscars fans -- before recording earlier this week, Bruce, "Tex" and Mark had a brief conversation about the recent Golden Globe Awards. Here is our theorizing on how this bodes for the upcoming Oscar nominations as well as some thoughts on the movies we've seen (so far) from 2025. Enjoy.

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Hey Oscar fans, we’ve got a special treat for you — another episode on yet another luminary director, responsible for some of the greatest movies of all time — only to have the Academy shrug and vote for something/someone else.  Granted a lot of Stanley Kubrick’s movies may have felt ahead of their time, or were in stiff competition with other great movies.  But the fact that you can go to Stanley Kubrick’s estate (or museum) and not see an Oscar for Best Director (or Best Picture) among his possessions feels like an Oscar hate crime.  Sit back and enjoy as “Tex” and Mark examine Kubrick’s legendary filmography with an eye on finding a path to giving Kubrick his much deserved Oscar glory.  A must-listen for film nerds and casual film fans alike!

Films Mentioned

(*Recommended )

*Day of the Fight (doc short)

*Day of the Fight (feature)

Flying Padre (doc short)

The Seafarers (doc short)

Fear and Desire

Killer’s Kiss

*The Killing

Around the World in 80 Days

*Giant

The King and I

The Ten Commandments

Friendly Persuasion

*Paths of Glory

*Bridge on the River Kwai

*12 Angry Men

Peyton Place

Sayonara

*Witness for the Prosecution

*Spartacus

*Ben-Hur

*The Apartment

*Elmer Gantry

The Alamo

Sons and Lovers

The Sundowners

*Psycho

Lolita

*Lawrence of Arabia

*To Kill a Mockingbird

*Dr. Strangelove, or:  How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

My Fair Lady

*Becket

*Mary Poppins

*Zorba the Greek

*2001:  A Space Odyssey

Oliver!

Funny Girl

*The Lion in Winter

Rachel, Rachel

Romeo and Juliet

*The Producers

*A Clockwork Orange

*The French Connection

Fiddler on the Roof

*The Last Picture Show

Nicholas and Alexandria

Sunday Bloody Sunday

*Barry Lyndon

*One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest

*Dog Day Afternoon

*Jaws

*Nashville

*Amarcord

*Amadeus

*The Fireman’s Ball

*The Shining

The Shining (Stephen King version)

*Full Metal Jacket

The Last Emperor

*Broadcast News

*Fatal Attraction

Hope and Glory

*Moonstruck

*My Life as a Dog

*Wall Street

*Eyes Wide Shut

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Hey Oscar WWTT? Fans — as we all know, Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle were brutally taken from us on Dec. 14th, 2025.  This episode is a tribute to the amazing films & legendary career he left behind. We mostly concentrate on his first 10 films — 9 of which range from very good to excellent.  And while Mr. Reiner never seemed to get the love he deserved from The Academy, his films stand the test of time by being some of our all-time favorite films.  From Spinal Tap to The Princess Bride to Harry Met Sally & A Few Good Men - Rob Reiner’s work was imbued with his love of humor, relatability and character of conviction.  And while he might not have an Oscar — he has our enduring love and admiration. He will be missed.  As always, thanks for listening.

Films Mentioned 

(*)Recommended

*This is Spinal Tap

*The Princess Bride

*When Harry Met Sally

*Misery

*Stand By Me

*A Few Good Men

*Best in Show

*Waiting for Guffman

*For Your Consideration

*The Sure Thing

Porky’s

*The Shawshank Redemption

*Apt Pupil

*The Green Mile

Winter People

*Just Friends

*Carrie

*The Dead Zone

Cujo

*Goodfellas

*Dances With Wolves

*12 Angry Men

*Witness For the Prosecution

*Unforgiven

*The Crying Game

*Howard’s End

Scent of a Woman

The Player

Enchanted April

A River Runs Through It

North

*The American President

*Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

*Ghosts of Mississippi

The Bucket List

*LBJ

Spinal Tap 2:  The End Continues

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Hey Oscar fans, Bruce is back and we’re taking on one of the greatest, unsung years in movie history.  The nominees are mostly great.  The non-nominees are also pretty great.  And the test of time needs to be graded on a curve because so many of these films continue to resonate today. This episode is a treat for anyone who loves and appreciates truly classic films.  And if you’re not already a classic film lover, these are the films that will make you one!  And with two of the greatest courtroom dramas in movie history vying for best picture against one of the all-time greatest war epics — one could deliberate for years to try and get it right. Luckily we rest our case in just over an hour!  Enjoy and as always, thanks for listening!  

Films Mentioned

(* Recommended)

1/2* Sayonara

1/2* Peyton Place

**Bridge on the River Kwai

**12 Angry Men

**Witness for the Prosecution

The Teahouse of the August Moon

*Viva Zapata

*The King and I

Return to Peyton Place

**A Face in the Crowd

**Paths of Glory

*The Sweet Smell of Success

*The Seventh Seal

*What’s Up Tiger Lily?

*A Hatful of Rain

*The Cranes are Flying

*Wild is the Wind

Raintree County

*Gone With the Wind

*A Place in the Sun

*Valley of the Dolls

*Lawrence of Arabia

*Oliver Twist

*Great Expectations

*Brief Encounter

*Summertime

**Double Indemnity

*The Lost Weekend

**Stalag 17

*Sabrina 

**Sunset Boulevard

*The Spirit of St. Louis

*Love in the Afternoon

*The Tin Star

*3:10 to Yuma

*Forty Guns

*Gunfight at the OK Coral

**Star Wars

*The Great Escape

Man of a Thousand Faces

*Jamaica Inn

Heaven Knows Mr. Allison

September

Where Love Has Gone

The Rose Tattoo

*The Three Faces of Eve

*Kind Hearts and Coronets

*Rome, Open City

*Funny Face

Nights of Cabiria 

**The Bicycle Thieves

*The Bachelor Party

A Farewell to Arms

For Whom the Bell Tolls

Designing Woman

*I, Vitelloni

*The Gunfighter

*Duel in the Sun

*Gentleman’s Agreement

*To Kill a Mockingbird

*The Omen

*The Enemy Below

*The Little Foxes

*The Turning Point

*The Color Purple

The Joker is Wild

*The Bride of Frankenstein

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