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)
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)
Have you watched the Academy Awards and thought… ‘What were they thinking?’ Have you ever wondered, how is it that so many of the awards for Best Picture go to one movie when there’s a much better movie staring them in the face? Or, why have so many actors not won Oscars for their best roles? Or, why is it that so many movies that everyone loves and made a ton of money at the box office get no Oscar love while little-seen movies rake in the nominations and awards? If so, then this is the podcast for you. Co-hosted by legendary comedian, pop-culture icon and writer of over 25 Oscar telecasts, Mr. Bruce Vilanch, you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at the nominating process, how and why some winners may have been chosen as well as tons of incredible, never-before-told, backstage stories about the world’s biggest stars on Hollywood’s biggest night. Joining Bruce is screenwriter, producer podcaster, and film nerd, Adam “Tex” Davis, writer of the very non-Oscar nominated movie Just Friends (starring Ryan Reynolds). Together, Bruce and “Tex” break down every Oscar ceremony, year-by-year, award-by-award, to reveal what the Academy got right, what it got wrong, the flubs, snubs and oversights. In the end, they’ll answer the question every movie-loving, Academy Awards watcher always asks – The Oscars: What Were They Thinking?
Your feedback is valuable to us. Should you encounter any bugs, glitches, lack of functionality or other problems, please email us on [email protected] or join Moon.FM Telegram Group where you can talk directly to the dev team who are happy to answer any queries.