OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?!

Atomic Entertainment

  • 1 hour 22 minutes
    Bonus - You Talking To Me, Oscar?

    Hey Oscar fans, this week’s bonus episode covers the Director nearest & dearest to our hearts — Mr. Martin Scorsese!  After discussing his breakthrough Oscar win (finally!) on the previous show (The 2007 Oscars) — we're looking back at Scorsese’s film career prior to The Departed and discussing which of his films could’ve/should’ve been nominated or won.  Along the way we give our thoughts, recommendations and disclaimers on tons of Scorsese films as well as behind the scenes stories, including the time Adam’s wife shoved Scorsese at the premiere of The Aviator.  If you love pure cinema — you will love this episode!  As always thanks for listening!

    Films Mentioned

    (*Recommended)  

    *The Big Shave (short)

    Who’s That Knocking at my Door?

    *American Boy (Doc)

    *Pulp Fiction

    Boxcar Bertha

    Bonnie & Clyde

    Obsessions (on Youtube)

    *Mean Streets

    *Blackmail!

    *Murder!

    *Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore

    *Mr. Scorsese (Doc)

    *Taxi Driver

    *Rocky

    *All the President’s Men

    *Network

    Face to Face

    Seven Beauties

    *Pickpocket

    New York, New York

    *Cabaret

    One From the Heart

    *Raging Bull

    *The King of Comedy

    *Tootsie 

    *ET

    *Missing

    *Das Boot

    Gandhi

    *After Hours

    *The Color of Money

    *The Hustler

    *The Last Temptation of Christ

    *Goodfellas

    *Dances With Wolves

    *Cape Fear

    *Cape Fear (1962)

    The Age of Innocence

    *Casino

    *Bugsy

    The Last Emperor

    Empire of the Sun

    Kundun

    Seven Years in Tibet

    Bringing Out the Dead

    Light Sleeper

    American Gigolo

    Gangs of New York

    *Titanic

    The Aviator

    *The Departed

    *Shutter Island

    *Wolf of Wall Street

    The Irishman

    *Killers of the Flower Moon

    *Hugo

    12 Years a Slave

    *Silence

    *Oppenheimer

    *The Last Waltz


    Contact us at: [email protected]

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

    15 December 2025, 5:00 am
  • 1 hour 22 minutes
    2007 — Departing with an Oscar, Finally!

    Finally!  After leaving empty handed with 5 Best Director (and 4 Best Picture) nominations… one of the greatest film directors of all-time, the God of pure cinema, Martin Scorsese, finally gets to go home with Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director.  The Departed, his 2006 crime epic starring half of Hollywood seemed like the perfect vehicle to get him to the finish line… But at the same time, it’s a little bittersweet because in many people’s minds because The Departed might not have been the best movie of the year — and is nowhere near the best film Scorsese has ever made over his long and storied career.  In fact, as we inspect this year’s Oscar awards — we discover a lot of nominations rewarding good people for their not best work.  (And a few who deliver career benchmark performances!)  Join us as we hash through a year that is equal parts rewarding and confounding and try to discover whether there was a ‘rat’ in the Academy who had it in the bag for a legend.  As always, thanks for listening and supporting the show!


    Movies Mentioned  

    (*Recommended)

    Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest

    *Night at the Museum

    Cars

    X-Men: The Last Stand

    The DaVinci Code

    Superman Returns

    Happy Feet

    Ice Age: The Meltdown

    *Casino Royale

    *The Pursuit of Happiness

    *Dreamgirls

    Babel 

    *Pan’s Labyrinth

    *The Queen

    Blood Diamond

    *The Departed

    *Letters From Iwo Jima

    *Little Miss Sunshine

    *Notes on a Scandal

    *Flags of Our Fathers

    **Children of Men

    *Apocalypto

    *Inside Man

    *The Prestige

    The Illusionist

    *United 93

    *Little Children

    *Volver

    *The Last King of Scotland

    Half Nelson

    *Venus

    *The Devil Wears Prada

    *Borat

    *An Inconvenient Truth

    *1917

    **The Lives of Others


    Contact us at: [email protected]

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

    8 December 2025, 7:00 am
  • 1 hour 13 minutes
    Bonus - Here's Looking at You, Bogart

    Hey Oscars WWTT? Fans — for this bonus episode, a companion piece to our recent 1938 Oscars episode, “Tex” and Mark take a fun look back at an acting legend — the incomparable Humphrey Bogart. However, rather than do a full retrospective of Bogart’s entire career in front of the camera (70+ films) — instead we’re focusing on the 7 films Bogart acted in, in 1937. Two of these films received Oscar nominations (DEAD END and BLACK LEGION) while the other five showcased an actor on the rise trying to turn the corner from a bit player in the ‘Also Starring’ section of the credits — to a well-rounded actor capable of playing more than just mobsters and wise-guys. This was a breakthrough year for Bogie and a chance to learn about some great hidden gem films for anyone who is a fan of movies, great acting and the rise of one of America’s greatest acting treasures.  Thanks for listening! 


    Movies Mentioned

    (*Recommended)

    *Casablanca

    *High Sierra

    *The Maltese Falcon

    *Key Largo

    *The African Queen

    *Treasure of the Sierra Madre

    *Black Legion

    *The Great O’Malley

    *Marked Woman

    San Quentin

    *Kid Galahad

    *Dead End

    Stand In

    *To Have and Have Not

    *In a Lonely Place

    *Beat the Devil

    *The Caine Mutiny

    *The Petrified Forest

    *The Roaring 20’s

    *The Harder They Fall


    Contact us: [email protected]

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

    1 December 2025, 8:21 am
  • 1 hour 25 minutes
    1938 - The Awful Truth About the Oscars...

    I know, I know, another old Oscars ceremony from over 85 years ago. It can’t possibly be interesting!  You can think that… but you’d be wrong!  This year had 10 best picture nominees, covering a wide range of interesting topics — from the rise of fascism, the great Chicago fire and a love affair with Napoleon to the struggles of making it as an actress or Broadway star, the pitfalls of divorce and the plight of ancient Chinese farmers (played by non-Chinese actors.) Plus the first of four versions of A Star is Born. It’s an amazing year featuring the rising stars of the industry (Bogart, Spencer Tracy, Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant, Greta Garbo, Barbara Stanwyck, Paul Muni and more!) Trust us, if you love movies, (and adding movies you've never heard of to your watch list) you’re gonna love this episode.  As always, thanks for listening!


    Films Mentioned

    (* recommended)

    *The Awful Truth

    *The Life of Emile Zola

    *A Star is Born

    *Dead End

    *One Hundred Men and a Girl

    *Stage Door

    *The Good Earth

    *Lost Horizon

    *In Old Chicago

    *Captains Courageous

    *Conquest

    *Night Must Fall

    *Hurricane

    *The Black Legion

    Topper

    *Camille

    *Stella Dallas

    *Angel

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

    24 November 2025, 9:00 am
  • 1 hour 17 minutes
    Bonus: Bring Me the Head of Sam Peckinpah!

    Few filmmakers achieve the level of notoriety and legendary status of Sam Peckinpah. He didn’t just direct movies — he detonated them. And while he never received any love from the Oscars, that was never his goal. Unflinching, uncompromising, and unrelenting, Peckinpah existed to turn on-screen violence into an art form… often in slow motion. Join us as we break down the bruised beauty of his short but lasting filmography — and pay homage to the man whose balletic violence and broken heroes changed the language of film forever.

    Films Mentioned

    *Recommended   

    (P) Peckinpah directed


    *The Ballad of Cable Hogue  (P)

    Airport

    Noon Wine (P)

    **The Wild Bunch (P)

    *Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (P)

    **Straw Dogs (P)

    *The Getaway (P)

    *Convoy (P)

    The Other Side of the Wind

    *The Deadly Companions (P)

    *How Green Was My Valley

    *The Quiet Man

    McLintock

    *Ride the High Country (P)

    *Lawrence of Arabia

    *The Music Man

    *To Kill a Mockingbird

    *The Longest Day

    *Major Dundee (P)

    *Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid

    *Midnight Cowboy

    A Clockwork Orange

    *The French Connection

    *Fiddler on the Roof

    *The Last Picture Show

    Sunday Bloody Sunday

    Junior Bonner (P)

    The Last Straighter

    Smokey and the Bandit

    Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (P)

    The Killing of a Chinese Bookie

    *The Godfather

    The Killer Elite (P)

    *Cross of Iron  (P)

    *Inglorious Basterds

    *Saving Private Ryan

    The Osterman Weekend (P)

    Straw Dogs (2011)

    The Killer Elite (2011)

    The Getaway (1994)


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

    17 November 2025, 9:00 am
  • 1 hour 25 minutes
    1971 - No Poor Bastard Ever Won an Oscar Dying for His Country

    Hey Oscar fans, welcome to the 1971 Oscars for the films of 1970.  The title of the episode refers to the opening line of this year’s Best Picture Winner — Patton — a movie driven by one of the most powerful performances in film history.  In fact, George C. Scott’s portrayal of General George S. Patton was so acclaimed that despite telling the Academy not to vote for him and that he wouldn’t show up to the Oscars; wouldn’t accept the award; and thought the entire concept of actors competing for awards was a stupid ‘meat parade’ — he still won for Best Actor!  Yep, this was a strange year full of strange movies, bizarre choices and enough ‘WTF?’ to make you wonder if George C. Scott had the right idea!  As always, thanks for listening!


    Movies Mentioned

    (*Recommended)

    Love Story 

    Airport

    *M*A*S*H

    *Patton

    *Woodstock

    *Little Big Man

    *Tora! Tora! Tora!

    *Ryan’s Daughter

    Catch-22

    The Owl and the Pussycat

    *The Haunting (1963)

    *Citizen Kane

    *Five Easy Pieces 

    *The Ballad of Cable Hogue

    *The Great White Hope

    *The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes

    *Joe

    *Rocky

    *The Karate Kid

    Lovers and Other Strangers

    The Landlord

    Women in Love

    Fellini’s Satyricon 

    *Planet of the Apes

    *The Country Girl

    *Miracle on 34th Street

    *Diary of a Mad Housewife

    *Barry Lyndon

    *Easy Rider

    *I Never Sang For My Father

    *Hud

    *Being There

    *Ninotchka

    *The Hustler

    *The Getaway

    *The Godfather

    *Hobson’s Choice

    *Pollyanna

    *The Hours

    *Lawrence of Arabia

    *Bridge on the River Kwai

    *Doctor Zhivago

    *A Raisin in the Sun

    *My Night At Maud’s

    *Wanda

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

    10 November 2025, 9:00 am
  • 57 minutes 50 seconds
    Bonus: Was 1986 the Greatest Year in Movie History?

    Hello Oscar lovers, we are back with a very special bonus episode that celebrates the fabulous films from the year 1986.  In fact, “Tex” and Mark think there were so many great films released that year, that we could have an ALTERNATE OSCARS where we nominate and select completely different movies and performances and still have an amazing Oscar show.  And to prove it — that’s exactly what we did!  

    So enjoy (and play along) with our ‘Alternate 1987 Oscars’ for the non-nominated films of 1986 — one of the greatest years in movie history!  As always, thanks for listening!  


    FILMS MENTIONED

    (* Highly Recommended)


    (The Room)

    *Wizard of Oz

    *Gone With the Wind

    *Stagecoach

    *Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

    *Ninotchka

    *The Matrix

    *Fight Club

    *The Sixth Sense 

    *Being John Malkovich

    *Magnolia 

    The Talented Mr. Ripley

    *The Green Mile

    *Toy Story 2

    *Platoon

    *Children of a Lesser God

    *The Mission

    *A Room With a View

    *Hannah & Her Sisters

    *The Color of Money

    *Top Gun

    *Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

    *Hoosiers

    *Aliens

    *Blue Velvet

    *Peggy Sue Got Married

    *Heartburn

    *The Mosquito Coast

    *Stand By Me

    *Alien

    Jaws 2

    *Jaws

    *Raging Bull

    *Rocky 3

    *Mulholland Drive

    *The Hustler

    *The Fly

    *Labyrinth

    *Little Shop of Horrors

    *A Few Good Men

    *The Breakfast Club

    *The Verdict

    *Manhunter

    *Lucas

    *Carnal Knowledge

    *Witness

    Hot Shots Part Deux

    The Morning After

    Crimes of the Heart

    *Something Wild

    Sid and Nancy

    9 1/2 Weeks

    *Working Girl

    Nothing in Common

    *Highlander

    *Ruthless People

    About Last Night

    *Crocodile Dundee

    *Silkwood

    Iron Eagle

    At Close Range

    Absolute Beginners

    *The Dark Knight

    *Nickel Boys

    *Round Midnight

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

    3 November 2025, 9:00 am
  • 1 hour 21 minutes
    At the Oscars, No-one Can Hear You Scream

    Oscars fans, movie fans and especially horror movie fans — you are in for a treat.  Just in time for Halloween, we’ve got a special bonus episode exploring the complicated history of horror movies and the Oscars!  

    Well, for some people it’s not complicated — the Oscars seem to HATE horror films. But is that true? And what even IS a horror film? We’ll answer those questions and more by looking at objective horror films that were nominated, or won (it’s not a long list); look at some horror movies that should/could have been nominated — and explore some movies that were nominated that may have been secret horror films.

     Plus we’ve got some hidden gems for you to watch this spooky season!  As always, thanks for listening!   


    Horror Films Mentioned

    (* Recommended)

    *Crash (1996)

    *Friday the 13th

    Friday the 13th Pt.V

    *Halloween

    *Don’t Go in the House

    Don’t Go in the Woods

    *Don’t Look in the Basement

    *Don’t Go Near the Park 

    *Don’t Torture a Duckling

    *Frankenstein (2025)

    Manos:  The Hands of Fate

    Snuff

    Boogeyman 2

    *The Blair Witch Project

    *Psycho

    *Night of the Living Dead

    *The Birds

    *Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer

    *Dracula

    *Wolfman

    *Frankenstein

    *The Mummy

    *Creature From the Black Lagoon

    Eraserhead

    *The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

    *Child’s Play  

    *Candyman

    Barbarian

    *Midsommar

    *The Lighthouse

    *Frozen (2010)

    *Fight Club

    *No Country For Old Men

    *Nightcrawler

    *A Clockwork Orange

    *Requiem for a Dream

    *Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

    The Hound of the Baskervilles

    *Thirteen (2003)

    *The Exorcist

    *Jaws

    *The Silence of the Lambs

    *The Sixth Sense

    *The Green Mile

    *The Shawshank Redemption

    *The Black Swan

    *Room

    *Get Out

    The Shape of Water

    The Substance

    *M (1931 & 1951)

    *Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (1931)

    *Freaks (1932)

    *King Kong (1933)

    *Cat People (1942 & 1982)

    *Isle of the Dead

    *Suspicion

    *Strangers on a Train

    *Shadow of a Doubt

    *Rear Window

    *The Birds

    *Rosemary’s Baby

    Apartment 7A

    *Dawn of the Dead

    *Land of the Dead

    *The Omen (1976)

    *Alien

    *Aliens

    *Alien 3

    Prometheus

    Sasquatch

    Halloween 3

    *The Shining

    *American Werewolf in London

    *The Thing

    *Poltergeist

    *Misery

    *Stand By Me

    *Scream

    *The Others

    *Zodiac

    *Se7en

    *Ex-Machina

    *Hereditary

    *Rebecca

    *Gaslight

    *The Towering Inferno

    *Deliverance

    *Wrong Turn

    *The Hills Have Eyes

    *Carrie

    *No Country For Old Men

    *The Hitcher

    *Parasite

    *Don’t Breathe

    *It Follows

    *2001 A Space Odyssey

    *The Body Snatcher

    *Invasion of the Body Snatchers

    *The Seventh Victim

    *The Old Dark House

    *I Walked With a Zombie

    *Ghost Ship (2002)

    *Bride of Frankenstein

    *Obsession

    *Dressed To Kill

    *Body Double

    *Blow Out

    Sisters

    Raising Cane

    *Funny Games 

    *Benny’s Video

    *The Piano Teacher

    *Knife in the Water

    *Repulsion

    *The Tenant

    *The Fearless Vampire Killers

    *Nope

    *What Lies Beneath

    Innocent Blood

    Hour of the Wolf

    *The Virgin Spring

    *Last House on the Last

    *The Bay

    *Antichrist

    *mother!

    *Panic Room

    *Near Dark

    *Dracula (Francis Ford Copolla)

    *Dementia 13

    *Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans

    *Nosferatu:  A Symphony of Horror (1922)

    *Frailty

    *Skeleton Key

    *Triangle

    *Sightseers

    *The Invitation

    *Saint Maud

    *Oculus

    *Hush

    *Wait Until Dark

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

    26 October 2025, 5:53 pm
  • 1 hour 17 minutes
    1987 - The First Casualty of Oscars is Innocence!

    Welcome to the 1987 Oscars for the films of 1986 — arguably one of the greatest years for movies…ever!  Nearly every category is stacked with worthy entries, but as always, there are a few Oscar oddities, snubs and things to make you go ‘Hmm.’ Mostly, this Oscars has everything — from a born writer/filmmaker spinning his most harrowing wartime experiences into Oscar gold; to a deaf newbie beating out a string of 80’s acting legends; to an aging legend finally getting their Oscar due.

    In a year when nearly all the top talent in Hollywood was creating art — it helps you appreciate how movies can tell diverse, complex stories with the power to stay with you forever.  Oh, and you’ll also hear Bruce's behind the scenes stories about working on Hollywood Squares and Sidney Lumet's 'The Morning After!' As always, thanks for listening! 

    FILMS REFERENCED

    (* Recommended)

    *Top Gun

    *Crocodile Dundee

    **Platoon

    Karate Kid 2

    *Star Trek 4:  The Voyage Home

    *Back to School

    **Aliens

    **Alien

    The Golden Child

    **Ruthless People

    **Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

    *Something Wild

    *Down & Out in Beverly Hills

    **Mosquito Coast

    **The Color of Money

    **Hoosiers

    *Salvador

    *Peggy Sue Got Married

    *In the Name of the Rose

    *Foul Play

    *Seems Like Old Times

    *A Room With a View

    **Children of a Lesser God

    **The Mission

    *Hannah and her Sisters

    *Caged

    **The Deer Hunter

    **Apocalypse Now

    Gandhi 

    Chariots of Fire

    Empire of the Sun

    *She’s Gotta Have It

    **Stand By Me

    **Blue Velvet

    **‘Round Midnight

    *Born on the Fourth of July

    **JFK

    The Doctor

    Wrestling Ernest Hemmingway

    Dance With Me

    **The Hustler

    *Mona Lisa

    **Who Framed Roger Rabbit

    *Hud

    **Cool Hand Luke

    *Absence of Malice

    **The Verdict

    Heartburn

    Sid & Nancy

    Jaws 4:  The Revenge

    Poltergeist 2

    Crimes of the Heart

    The Morning After

    *Carrie

    *Monsters Ball

    Catwoman

    *My Beautiful Launderette

    At Close Range


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

    20 October 2025, 8:00 am
  • 1 hour 11 minutes
    Bonus Episode: The Oscars Murdered Hitchcock!

    Did you know one of, if not THE, greatest film directors of all time never won an Oscar for Best Director?  Yep. That is the premise for this bonus episode…  Join Adam “Tex” and Mark as we examine the glorious career of the legendary Sir Alfred Hitchcock and discuss how the Motion Picture Academy just never got around to awarding him its top prize. 

     Along the way we’ll dissect Hitchcock’s greatest known films, tell little-known behind the scenes stories, and identify some lesser-known, hidden gems among the 53 films he directed. And we’ll discover how even when the Academy did nominate him (including his one Best Picture win) they still got it wrong!

    Hitchcock may have had a long and storied career telling crime stories — but the greatest crime of all may be the one the Academy committed against him!  As always, thanks for listening!  


    Films Mentioned

    (* Recommended)

    *Dial M for Murder

    *Rear Window

    Three Coins in a Fountain

    *The Lodger

    *Blackmail

    The Ring

    *Murder!

    *Rebecca

    *Foreign Correspondent

    *Grapes of Wrath

    *The Letter

    *Lifeboat

    *Rope

    *Double Indemnity

    *Laura

    Wilson

    Going My Way

    *The Lost Weekend

    Anchors Aweigh

    The Bells of St. Mary’s

    *Mildred Pierce

    Spellbound

    *Rear Window

    *Sabrina

    The High and the Mighty

    *The Country Girl

    *On the Waterfront

    *Gentleman’s Agreement

    *The Graduate

    *The Miracle Worker

    *Psycho

    *The Apartment

    *Never on Sunday

    Sons and Lovers

    The Sundowners

    *The Birds

    *Jaws

    *Notorious

    *Suspicion

    *To Catch a Thief

    *Strangers on a Train

    *The Lady Vanishes

    *Shadow of a Doubt

    *North by Northwest

    *Vertigo

    *The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934)

    *The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)

    *The Wrong Man

    *Marnie

    *1941

    *Birdman

    *The Trouble With Harry

    *Casablanca

    *The 39 Steps

    *Secret Agent

    *Sabotage

    The Paradine Case

    Torn Curtain

    *M

    *Goodbye Mr. Chips

    *Jamaica Inn

    *The Best Years of our Lives

    *Mrs. Miniver

    I* Confess

    *The Offence

    *The Hill

    Saboteur

    Under Capricorn

    Frenzy

    *Topaz

    Family Plot

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

    13 October 2025, 8:00 am
  • 1 hour 17 minutes
    1955 - I Coulda Been a (Oscar) Contender

    Hey Oscar fans — welcome to the 1955 Oscars for the films of 1954.  In case you weren’t aware, 1954 was an absolutely outstanding year full of great movies…some of which even got nominated for Academy Awards!  Which means some of the best movies that are still beloved, rewatched, referenced and remade today did NOT get any Oscar love.  This includes a few shockingly egregious omissions that we’re pretty sure will have you scratching your head.  So join us down on the waterfront as Bruce and “Tex” attempt to solve the mystery of “What they were thinking?” when the Academy looked out their rear window and saw…nothing.  As always, thanks for listening and joining us at The Oscars!   


    Films Referenced

    (* Recommended)

    **On the Waterfront

    **The Caine Mutiny

    **The Country Girl

    Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

    Three Coins in a Fountain

    **Rear Window

    *A Star is Bron

    **Dial M For Murder

    **Notorious

    Robinson Crusoe

    The High and the Mighty

    The Zero Hour

    The Barefoot Contessa

    *Carmen Jones

    **Sabrina

    **The Glenn Miller Story

    *Magnificent Obsession

    **Executive Suite

    Broken Lance

    *Genevieve

    Knock on Wood

    Rogue Cop

    The Egyptian

    The Silver Chalice

    *Gate of Hell

    *Le Plaisir


    **The Earrings of Madame de

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

    6 October 2025, 4:16 pm
  • More Episodes? Get the App