On this episode of ‘The Oscars: What Were They Thinking?’ Bruce and “Tex” storm the beaches of one of the Academy Awards’ biggest Best Picture controversies. 

Of course we’re talking about the 1999 Oscars, for the films of 1998.  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 with us.  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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of ‘The Oscars: What Were They Thinking?’ Bruce and Tex crash headfirst into one of the most debated years in Oscar history.

We’re talking about the 2006 Oscars, for the films of 2005.  This was the year that saw some incredible firsts, but also left a wonderful movie out in the cold in the best picture category. And the test of time doesn’t make this poor decision look any better.  In a rare show of unity, both Bruce and “Tex” agree that a major disservice was performed — and the fun of the show is trying to figure out ‘How?’ and ‘Why?’  Of course, there were lots of other dubious choices, interesting omissions and head-scratching decisions worthy of debate and discussions.  I wish I knew how to quit you Oscars!

To learn more about the show go to: Oscars.wtf

Please feel free to leave comments on Spotify and/or reviews on Apple. We're always open to compliments (and criticism if it's constructive!)

MOVIES MENTIONED

Crash

Crash (David Cronenberg)

Capote

Goodnight & Good Luck

Munich

Brokeback Mountain

Grand Canyon

Silence of the Lambs

Barbie

Schindler’s List

Angels in America

Lincoln

Squid and the Whale

The Constant Gardener

City of God

History of Violence

A Violent Year

Walk the Line

Hustle & Flow

Cinderella Man

Infamous (other Capote movie)

10 Things I Hate About You

Knight’s Tale

North Country

Pride & Prejudice

Transamerica

Miss Henderson Presents

Election

Wild

Syriana

Michael Collins

Michael Clayton

Up in the Air

Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang

Junebug

The Mirror Has Two Faces

The English Patient

The Accidental Tourist

The Nice Guys

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

The Ten Commandments

Match Point

A Place in the Sun

Dial M for Murder

The Talented Mr. Ripley

Saltburn

 Batman Begins

The New World

Memoirs of a Geisha

Rent

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this bonus episode, Bruce and “Tex” react, breakdown & discuss the 2025 Oscar nominations for the films of 2024. Who and what made the cut? Who or what was snubbed? Were there any big surprises? Who are the front-runners and why? And which of these films, if any, will we still care about in 10 years???

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of ‘The Oscars: What Were They Thinking?’ Bruce and Tex look back at the 1942 Oscars for the films of 1941 -- easily one of the greatest years in movie history. And, among those great films is the film often cited as 'the greatest film of all-time' -- the Stairway to Heaven of movies... Citizen Kane. But, did this Orson Welles masterpiece win the Oscar the year it came out? Find out -- as well as hear about all the other great movies that should be on your must-see list!

To learn more about the show go to: Oscars.wtf

Please feel free to leave comments on Spotify and/or reviews on Apple. We're always open to compliments (and criticism if it's constructive!)

MOVIES MENTIONED

Gone with the Wind

Deep Throat

Citizen Kane

Mank

How Green was my Valley

Blossoms in the Dust

Here Comes Mr. Jordan

Hold Back the Dawn

The Little Foxes

One Foot in Heaven

Sergeant York

The Maltese Falcon

Suspicion

Spellbound

Notorious

Heaven Can Wait (1943)

Heaven Can Wait (1978)

Down to Earth (1947) 

Down to Earth (2001)

The Informant

The Grapes of Wrath

Penny Serenade

None but the Lonely Heart

North by Northwest

Charade

His Girl Friday

Father Goose

Arsenic and Old Lace

Casablanca

The African Queen

The Caine Mutiny

The Roaring Twenties

Ball of Fire

The Lady Eve

The More the Merrier

The Devil and Mrs. Jones

The Devil in Miss Jones

Conflict

Shadow of a Doubt

The Great Lie

Miss Miniver

Blood and Sand

Tom, Dick and Harry

Tall, Dark and Handsome

Julia

The Razor’s Edge

Witness for the Prosecution

You’ll Never Get Rich

All American Co Ed

Las Vegas Nights

Sun Valley Serenade

Buck Privates

Blues in the Night

Riding on a Rainbow

Dumbo

Lady Be Good

Last Time I Saw Paris

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of ‘The Oscars: What Were They Thinking?’ Bruce and Tex step into the ring to duke it out over the 1977 Oscars for the films of 1976. As many of you already know, or will come to see, the 1970’s are absolutely stacked with worthy contenders, many of which have stood the test of time.  The same goes for directing, performing and technical achievements. So the real question becomes, why does the Academy choose one great film over another? Why would a movie win for best picture and director but not its actor or script which matches the underdog nature of the film? And could dying before the awards be a winning Oscar strategy?  We get to the bottom of these questions and more as well as Bruce’s pivotal acting cameo in the 1986 Jane Fonda thriller, The Morning After. Ding-ding… ‘Let’s get ready to Oscars!”

MOVIES MENTIONED

Beaches

Oppenheimer

Citizen Kane

Annie Hall

The Great Dictator

Rocky

How Green Was My Valley?

All The President’s Men

Network

Bound for Glory

Taxi Driver

Godfathers 1 & 2

French Connection 1 & 2

Star Wars

Mad Max: Fury Road

Creed

Rocky 3

Raise the Titanic

Seven Beauties

Party at Kitty & Stud’s - (akaThe Italian Stallion)

Lords of Flatbush

Bananas

The Outlaw Josey Wales

Bad News Bears

To Fly

A Star is Born

King Kong

Silver Streak

Face to Face

Carrie

Cousin Cousine

Badlands

A Coal Miner’s Daughter

Voyage of the Damned

Marathon Man

Ballad of Cable Hogue

Freaky Friday

The Morning After

Dog Day Afternoon

12 Angry Men

The Wiz

Karate Kids 1, 2 & 3

The Formula

Neighbors

Lean on Me

Rocky 5

The Front

Meet John Doe

The 7 Percent Solution

Fellini’s Casanova

Logan’s Run

The Omen

The Pink Panther Strikes Again

A Shot in the Dark

Obsession

Vertigo

The Poseidon Adventure

Harlan County, USA

Grey Gardens

The Tenant

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special holiday edition of 'The Oscars: What Were They Thinking?', co-hosts Adam "Tex" Davis and Bruce Vilanch dive into their favorite holiday movies and examine how many of them garnered the attention of the Oscars. The discussion kicks off with Adam’s own Christmas cult classic 'Just Friends' and highlights various holiday-themed films like 'It Nearly Wasn't Christmas,' - including a clip of Bruce's performance as a giant Elf named PhilPot. Discussion includes 'White Christmas,' 'A Christmas Story,' 'Scrooged,' 'Home Alone,' 'The Polar Express' and 'Die Hard.' They also touch on the rare Hanukkah movies such as 'Eight Crazy Nights' and 'An American Tail,'. Notable Oscar mentions include the heartwarming classics like 'It's a Wonderful Life' and 'Miracle on 34th Street' and modern favorites like 'The Holdovers.', with a detour into Siskel and Ebert's trashing of "Silent Night, Deadly Night".

Movies mentioned:

Just Friends

It Nearly Wasn't Christmas

White Christmas

A Christmas Story

Gremlins

Krampus

Bad Santa

Trading Places

Silent Night, Deadly Night

Black Christmas

Die Hard

(*Deck the Halls-referenced)

Jingle All the Way

Christmas with the Kranks

It's a Wonderful Life

Miracle on 34th Street

Holiday Land 

The Night Before Christmas

Toy Tinkers

Scrooge

Scrooged

Home Alone

The Nightmare Before Christmas

The Preacher's Wife

The Bishop's Wife

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

The Polar Express

The Holdovers

8 Crazy Nights

An American Tail

The Night Before

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of ‘The Oscars: What Were They Thinking?’ Bruce and Tex look at the

1961 Oscars for the films of 1960. Yep we're going back a ways to a year that really

helps exemplify what this show is about. You see, in 1960 three films came out that are

currently on the American Film Institute's Top 100 American Films of ALL TIME.

However, only one of those three films was nominated for an Academy Award! Using

the test of time and our love of movies, we examine whether those other two films (as

well as the iconic performances and directorial efforts within them) deserve to replace

the nominated films --- and Bruces gives the cultural and historical context as to why

those films might have been left off the list at the time. Adam of course thinks they were

egregious omissions and you'd have to be a total psycho not to include at least one of

them!

Movies Mentioned

Just Friends

The Apartment

Elmer Gantry

The Alamo

Sons and Lovers

Lady Chatterley’s Lover

The Sundowners

From Here to Eternity

Oklahoma

Never on Sunday

Rarfifi

Night in the City

Psycho

Psycho (Gus Van Sant remake)

Sweet Smell of Success

The Killers

Kiss the Blood Off my Hands

The Entertainer

Inherit the Wind

Sands of Iwo Jima

Friendly Persuasion

Mr. Roberts

Teen Sympathy

The Life and Times of Colonel Blimp

Elenor Roosevelt

Butterfield Eight

Cleopatra

Double Indemnity

Pushover

Exodus

Murder, Inc.

Spartacus

All About Eve

Yankee Doodle Dandy

The Dark at the Top of the Stairs

Miranda

Fear Strikes Out

Jaws

Homicidal

The Angry Silence

The Facts of Life

Hiroshima, My Love / Hiroshima, Mon Amour

Tunes of Glory

Oceans 11

Little Shop of Horrors

The Magnificent Seven

Swiss Family Robinson

La Dolce Vita

Sergeant York

High Noon

The Naked Edge

Killer’s Kiss

The Killing

Lolita

Paths of Glory

The Ten Commandments

Ben Hur

Solomon & Sheba

Land of the Pharaohs

The Life of Brian

Trumbo

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of ‘The Oscars: What Were They Thinking?’ Bruce and Tex look at the 1986 Oscars for the films of 1985. This year was a battle of two Oscar-bait juggernauts -- the sweeping romance of Out of Africa and the struggle to survive during slavery of The Color Purple. With 22 nominations between them (11 each) this was gearing up to be a battle for the ages. However, while one movie collected award after award, the other was completely shut out. Not only that, its esteemed director was possibly snubbed and wasn't even nominated despite garnering nominations in nearly every other category. But that's not the most interesting part. Another film released that year not only dominated the box office -- it spawned two sequels and has stood the test of time and is still beloved, quoted and talked about by most film fans today -- (unlike either Out of Africa or The Color Purple). So come 'back' to the 1986 Oscars with us to see which movies, performances & achievements won -- and which had the 'Power of Love'... just not from the Academy. 

EPISODE 3 (1986 Oscars) - Movies Mentioned

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

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of ‘The Oscars: What Were They Thinking?’ Bruce and Tex look at the 2010 Oscars for the films of 2009.  Imagine, you’ve just made one of the most groundbreaking movies of all time, a timeless, epic, 3D adventure that not only captivated audiences by creating a never-before-seen world and characters, but also went on to become the highest grossing movie ever.  But instead of winning the Oscar… you lose… to your ex-wife.  Yep, we’re talking about James Cameron’s Avatar losing the best picture award to The Hurt Locker directed by Kathryn Bigelow who divorced him nearly 20 years earlier.  So, did Hurt Locker deserve to win over Avatar?  Was either of them the best film of the year?  Or, was there a third film that has not only stood the test of time, but whose opening 7 minutes are considered some of the best filmmaking / storytelling of all time. We leave it UP to you to decide — but either way, Bruce’s insight and stories will not have you feeling blue.

EPISODE 2 (2010 Oscars) - Movies Mentioned

Avatar

The Hurt Locker

Crazy Heart

Inglorious Basterds

The Blind Side

District 9

An Education

Precious

A Serious Man

Up

Up in the Air

The Dark Knight

A New Leaf

Invictus

A Single Man

Star Man

Thunderbolt and Lightfoot

The Last Picture Show

The Messenger

The Last Station

The Lovely Bones

The Hangover

Julie and Julia

Cactus Flower

Erin Brockovich

Nine

Glitter

Star Wars

Coraline

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Secret of Kells

Oppenheimer

Asteroid City

Isle of Dogs

Moonrise Kingdom

Grand Budapest Hotel

Bowling For Columbine

My Cousin Vinnie

Sudden Fear (1952 starring Joan Crawford & Jack Palance)

City Slickers

Basic Instinct

In the Loop

Titanic

Dances With Wolves

American Beauty

Boys Don’t Cry

Being Julia

Million Dollar Baby

The Wife

Nomadland

Bagdad Cafe

Buster

Against All Odds - (See Out of the Past (1947) instead)

The Princess & The Frog

Paris 36

Star Trek

Dreamgirls

Sherlock Holmes

HONORABLE MENTION: To Leslie (Andrea Riseborough campaign controversy)

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the inaugural episode of ‘The Oscars: What Were They Thinking?’  In this episode we’re looking at the 1989 Oscars for the films of 1988.  This is also the first year Bruce Vilanch was hired to write the telecast.  After learning how Bruce got the gig and how his first awards show was almost his last — we get into the awards.  The big question is — Does best picture winner Rain Man stand the test of time?  Were there any better movies that were nominated that year?  Or perhaps, the best movie of that year happened to be a non-nominated film that contained a fusion of live action, animation and a neurotic rabbit. And don’t even get us started about Die Hard — one of the best and most beloved action movies of all time. Join us for an in-depth look at the awards and behind-the-scenes stories about the show — which included an 11-minute, opening musical number that is considered one of the biggest disasters in Oscar history. Oh well, at least Bruce is an excellent driver!

EPISODE 1 (1989 Oscars) - Movies Mentioned

C.C. and Company

Grease 

Grease 2

Where the Boys Are ’84

Can’t Stop the Music (Bruce co-wrote)

Great Balls of Fire

Dangerous Liaisons

Rain Man

The Accidental Tourist

Mississippi Burning

Working Girl

A Fish Called Wanda

Cruel Intentions

Last Temptation of Christ

A League of Their Own

Bird

Unforgiven

Million Dollar Baby

Tucker: A Man and his Dreams

Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Die Hard

The Dark Knight

Pelle the Conqueror

The Favourite

The Greatest Show on Earth

A Cry in the Dark

The Accused

Network

Gorillas in the Midst

My Left Foot

Little Dorrit

Unbearable Lightness of Being

Bull Durham

Beetlejuice

HONORABLE MENTION: Triumph of the Spirit (unnamed Auschwitz boxing movie)

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices