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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1968 - In the Heat of the Oscar
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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1:14:39
1984 - "I Deserve This Oscar"
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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1:11:49
2005 - Million Dollar Oscar
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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1944 - Play it Again, Oscar
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!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577252340445
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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Ever watched the Academy Awards and thought, What were they thinking? You’re not alone. Join legendary comedian and writer of over 25 Oscar telecasts, Bruce Vilanch, and screenwriter/film nerd Adam “Tex” Davis (Just Friends) as they dive into Oscar history, unpacking the flubs, snubs, and surprises from Hollywood’s biggest night. From behind-the-scenes stories of A-list stars to insider insights on how the nominations and winners are really chosen, Bruce and Tex break down each Oscar ceremony year by year to reveal what the Academy got right—and what they didn’t. If you’ve ever questioned why your favorite movie or actor got overlooked, this podcast is for you. The Oscars: What Were They Thinking?
Did you know that two of the Top 100 American Films of All-Time came out the same year but weren’t even nominated for an Academy Award? Or that the film often cited as the ‘Greatest Film of All Time’ didn’t win the Oscar in its year? Or that Cuba Gooding Jr. has the same number of acting Oscars as Al Pacino?
Look, stuff happens. But if you’ve ever watched or read about the Academy Awards, you’ve probably been left scratching your head over which movies and performers won – and how many beloved films weren’t even considered.
Why do so many Best Picture winners become some of the least remembered movies? How is it that legendary directors like Stanley Kubrick never won an Oscar? And why do great actors miss out on their best performances, only to win later for less impressive work?
Sure, the Oscars aren’t sports – there’s no scoreboard to show the winners. But with so many Academy members voting, you’d think they’d get it right. Spoiler alert: They often don’t.
On The Oscars: What Were They Thinking?, Bruce Vilanch and Adam “Tex” Davis take a deep dive into Oscar history, looking back at the biggest mistakes, controversies, and snubs. From Shakespeare in Love beating Saving Private Ryan to Dances with Wolves winning over Goodfellas, we’ll examine where the Academy went wrong.
Along the way, you’ll hear incredible behind-the-scenes stories and never-before-told moments from Hollywood’s biggest night. We’re re-examining each Oscar ceremony, year-by-year, award-by-award, to see what the Academy got right, what they missed, and how we would “fix” the Oscars.
Whether you’re a dedicated movie buff or just a casual fan, this is the podcast for you. Join us for The Oscars: What Were They Thinking?, where we break down the flubs, snubs, and forgotten gems of Oscar history.
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