In Contention

Category: Oscar Talk

  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 25 — Postmortem

    Oscar TalkWelcome to Oscar Talk, a weekly kudocast between yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood.

    This is the final installment of the 2009-2010 Oscar season, with nothing left to discuss but Hollywood’s biggest night. On the docket today:

    • Anne was on the red carpet and in the press area at the show last night, so she offers some first hand perspective on the festivities.

    • We dig into the actual telecast, which Anne caught in fits and starts, but I was camped out on a couch watching intently the whole time and had, well…issues.

    • Anne turned up a tally of 16 correct guesses. I nailed down 19. We commiserate on our bad calls and discuss the various winners, some of which were quite surprising.

    • Finally, we remember our personal high points from the season and let you know when we’ll be back (after a short hiatus).

    Have a listen to this week’s podcast below, with a history-making moment leading the way.  Oh, and by the way, for our committed listeners, I thought I’d offer up this soundbite from one of our broadcasts of Anne wrestling with her microphone. It cracks me up every…single…time.

    As always, you can subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here.  We’ll see you back here in roughly two months.

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  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 24 — It’s all done but the cryin’.

    Oscar TalkWelcome to Oscar Talk, a weekly kudocast between yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood.

    This is it. The final installment of Oscar Talk before the 82nd annual Academy Awards go down Sunday evening. Anne and I have our final say this week on the following:

    • We dig through the 24 categories one more time offering our perspectives and respective predictions. The toughest calls are in the cinematography, sound and original screenplay fields, though Best Actress, Best Art Direction and Best Film Editing stir some healthy debate.

    • With 600 ballots having been turned in Tuesday, one can only wonder about the effect of EmailGate (Anne spoke with Nicolas Chartier earlier in the week) and the pending lawsuit against Mark Boal.

    • Speaking of Boal, we debate the idea of whether his script is an adaptation or not, bringing the situation with Jane Campion and “Bright Star” make for comparison.

    • And finally, because I can’t help myself, I bring it back around to Best Original Screenplay one more time, because it’s so damn difficult to decide.

    Have a listen to this week’s podcast below. And as always, you can subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here.

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  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 23 — Divebombing the competition, doc and live action shorts, foreign film, etc.

    Oscar TalkWelcome to Oscar Talk, a weekly kudocast between yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood.

    Every week inches us closer to the end of the loudest Oscar season of all time. Today Anne and I sit down and discuss the noise of the week, adding our own noise (we went on a bit long this week):

    • Leading off, Anne has a whole new reason to hate “the 10”: members just aren’t bothering with ranking and the preferential ballot, not to mention the rigging and manipulation that goes into making it an impure process.

    • Things are getting “hairy,” as Anne puts it, with a close race bringing out the worst in people. We talk about “The Hurt Locker” and EmailGate and add some much-needed perspective on the matter.

    • We bounce around ideas for dark horse contenders that could benefit from the preferential ballot (assuming it’s taken seriously).

    • We also discuss the documentary shorts at length (now that I’ve seen them all) as well as the live action short films (now that Anne has seen them all).

    • Finally, we discuss a potential upset lurking in documentary feature nominee “Which Way Home” as well as “A Prophet” in the scheme of the Best Documentary Feature race.

    Have a listen below, with a track from James Horner’s “Avatar” score leading the way. And as always, you can subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here.

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  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 22 — “All the noise, noise, noise, noise!”

    Oscar TalkWelcome to Oscar Talk, a weekly kudocast between yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood.

    Every week inches us closer to the end of the loudest Oscar season of all time. Today Anne and I sit down and discuss the noise of the week, adding our own noise (we went on a bit long this week):

    • Anne was in attendance at Monday’s nominees luncheon so she offers some first-person perspective on the goings-on.

    • Speaking on the clutter, the glut of festive gatherings and contender pitching has hit a fever pitch, so we wax on about that a bit.

    • Harvey Weinstein got his druthers this week as any and everyone desperate for something to write about has picked up on his proclamation that “Inglourious Basterds” will win Best Picture.

    • The original song performances were nixed from the telecast this week, which leads us into a discussion of trepidation over how things will play out on March 7.

    • Finally, we talk through a number of the below-the-line races before addressing the foreign language and documentary short categories at some length.

    Have a listen below, with Jeff Bridges leading the way with a little ditty. And as always, you can subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here.

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  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 21 — The home stretch, Santa Barbara tributes, debating the few debatable categories

    Oscar TalkWelcome to Oscar Talk, a weekly kudocast between yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood.

    I’m in Santa Barbara this week while Anne is back in Los Angeles. Here’s what’s on the docket:

    • The Santa Barbara fest is in full swing, including tributes for James Cameron and Sandra Bullock, among others. We discuss.

    • The Sandra Bullock thing leads to yet another Bullock vs. Streep debate. Anne is convinced the older members of the Academy will go for Streep and that the media has assumed the Oscar is Bullock’s at their own peril.

    • Anne was in Santa Barbara last week and discusses the writers panel she moderated.

    • Meanwhile, she was also back in LA for the USC Scripter awards, so she offers her perspective on the evening’s festivities.

    • Finally, we go back and forth on a few of the debatable categories, including Best Original Screenplay, which could see Quentin Tarantino win his second Oscar. Or will it?

    Have a listen below. Forgive me in advance for audio issues on my end. I’m in a hotel room without my handy external. As always, you can subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here.

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  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 20 — Special Edition! — Reacting to the nominees

    Oscar TalkWelcome to Oscar Talk, a weekly kudocast between yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood.

    Today there was a bit of news in the Oscar world, in case you were under a rock or buried in an underground chamber with Stanley Tucci or something. Anne and I address the announcement from all angles in this special Tuesday edition of the podcast.

    Have a listen below, and as always, you can subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here.

    (Please note: We will not be running a podcast Friday, February 5, so this will serve as this week’s assessment of the race. Tune back in next week as Anne and I come back to the table from the Santa Barbara Film Festival.)

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  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 19 — Sundance, David and Goliath, potential surprises, Bullock/Streep

    Oscar TalkWelcome to Oscar Talk, a weekly kudocast between yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood.

    Two weeks since our last installment, Sundance is fading away and nominations announcement is a mere four days away. In our last pre-nom discussion, we dig into the following:

    • Fresh off of Sundance, we briefly discuss the success of “The Kids Are Alright” and “Cyrus” and potential awards prospects for the films next year.

    • The PGA winner was a shocker last weekend as “The Hurt Locker” reigned supreme. We address the implications as the race moves into a David vs. Goliath frame.

    • The Oscar nominations announcement is literally around the corner, and in the first year of “the 10,” surely there will be surprises? We talk a few possibilities.

    • Has Sandra Bullock really pulled out ahead of Meryl Streep in the lead actress category? Is it actually neck-and-neck? We talk about, arguably, the year’s tightest race.

    • With the DGAs on the way tomorrow night, we briefly preview the proceedings.

    You can listen to this week’s podcast below, with a little of Michael Giacchino’s Golden Globe-winning score for “Up” leading the way. As always, you can subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here.

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  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 18 — WGA, ACE, ASC, parties, awards shows on the way…uh, we forget anything?

    Oscar TalkWelcome to Oscar Talk, a weekly kudocast between yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood.

    After a busy week of guild announcements and circuit parties, not to mention plenty of industry news from NBC to Disney and anything in between, Anne and I are beat. And we’re moving into a busy weekend of awards shows and gatherings as well, so there’s no rest for the wicked. That having been said, let’s dive in to today’s topics:

    • The Writers Guild of America announced its slate of contenders Monday, following a rash of ineligibilities that were revealed last week. We discuss the implications, if any.

    • The WGA wasn’t the only guild staking a claim this week. The American Cinema Editors and the American Society of Cinematographers also nominated. We touch on them briefly.

    • We’ve been bouncing all over town this week as studios put their best foot forward on the party and event circuit. We touch on a pair of them celebrating the sound of “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” and the principals of Warner’s “The Blind Side.”

    • The Critics’ Choice Movie Awards are tonight, followed by the Golden Globes on Sunday. Oh yeah, and some parties, too. We preview the busy weekend ahead and discuss the three-horse race for Best Picture.

    You can listen to this week’s podcast below, with Patterson’s Hood’s original song “Depression Era” leading the way. It goes a bit long but we had lots to discuss. As always, you can subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here.

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  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 17 — Guilds, Scripters and ‘Hurt Locker’ running strong

    Oscar TalkWelcome to Oscar Talk, a weekly kudocast between yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood.

    There have been a few major announcements this week, so let’s dig in. We wander a bit this time, but on the docket today:

    • The Producers Guild of America went largely populist with its list of feature nominees. Anne and I discuss the implications.

    • With “The Hurt Locker” firmly holding the major guild quartet (since we can probably safely assume WGA), we get into its potential to win the big prize, perceived two-horse race or not. And we think it owes the critics for that.

    • The Directors Guild of America also announced nominees, confirming the top five Best Picture contenders. But is this the Oscar line-up?

    • The Scripter nods were also unveiled, which leads to some debate over eligibility concerns (which also plays a roll in the forthcoming WGA announcement).

    You can listen to this week’s podcast below, with a little of the brilliant (and undervalued) score from “The Hurt Locker” leading the way. As always, you can subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here.

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  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 16 — ‘Nine’ stumbles, so cui bono? Plus ‘Avatar’ as frontrunner and forecasting the films of 2010

    Oscar TalkWelcome to the first installment of Oscar Talk of 2010 and, indeed, of the new decade. Oscar Talk is your weekly kudocast between yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood.

    It’s been two weeks since we dug into the Oscar race in this space. Here’s what’s on the docket today:

    • Rob Marshall’s “Nine” has landed in theaters and been both critically and commercially dismissed, so the question is: Is it out of the Best Picture race? Anne and I discuss potential replacements if that’s the case.

    • From the bottom of the list to the top, we talk frontrunners. Is “Avatar” the one to beat? Which films are threatening that position?

    • Speaking of which, could Zoe Saldana be in the mix for a lead actress nomination despite perceived CG bias? Anne puts forth the general narrative, but I think that’s a bit defeatist. Rules are broken every year.

    • Finally, a new year a new list of anticipations. Anne and I run through a big list of films we’re most looking forward to in 2010.

    You can listen to this week’s podcast below, with Robert Burns’s “Auld Lang Syne” leading the way. Cheesy, I know.  And as always, you can subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here.

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  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 15 — Precursors, holiday movies and ‘Avatar’ bows

    Oscar TalkWelcome to your pre-holiday installment of Oscar Talk, a weekly kudocast between yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood.

    This will be the last Oscar Talk broadcast of 2009!

    On the docket today as we round out the year:

    • Anne and I discuss quite the busy week in precursor announcements.  What does it mean?  What did we learn?  Where are we at going into the new year?

    • Is the 10 really locked in six weeks away from  the nominations announcement?  We discuss potential on-the-bubble spoilers and which films might ultimately miss the cut.

    • With the holidays right around the corner, we spend some frivolous discussion on our favorite holiday movies.

    • And finally, with “Avatar” opening today, we talk briefly about the box office implications and, again, the film’s place in movie history, as confirmed by a critical swell as of late.

    Have a listen to this week’s podcast below, with a musical intro from the lovely Darlene Love.  As always, you can subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here.

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  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 14 — ‘Avatar,’ ‘Avatar’ and ‘Avatar’

    Oscar TalkWelcome to the latest installment of Oscar Talk, your weekly kudocast with yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood.

    This week’s discussion is pretty much dominated by the unveiling of, arguably, 2009’s most anticipated film. So with that in mind:

    • Anne and I discuss the joy of James Cameron’s “Avatar,” including everything from technical wizardry, the film’s milestone status in the history of cinema and, of course, awards prospects.

    • With the critics’ awards kicking off this weekend, starting Sunday with the Los Angeles Film Critics Association’s list of kudos, we speculate on which films could get recognition and which films need the leg up.

    • Top 10 lists are hitting and Anne just published hers, so that’s food for thought. Mine will hit Monday.

    • Briefly we preview next week’s list of key dates, which include the BFCA, Golden Globe and SAG nomination announcements.

    Have a listen to this week’s podcast below. Apologies for the audio on Anne’s side of things. It sounds a little muffled because we couldn’t get her external mic to work. Roll with the punches.

    Oh, and as always, you can subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here.

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  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 13 — NBR, awards season party circuit and ‘Complicated’ awards prospects

    Oscar TalkWelcome to a belated edition of Oscar Talk, your weekly kudocast featuring yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood.

    On the docket today:

    • With the National Board of Review having kicked off the awards season, Anne and I discuss the big winners and implications for the season.

    • Tis the season and the party circuit is alight, so with that in mind, we talk about a few of the taste-makers around town this week, including…

    • Peter Jackson, Saoirse Ronan and Stanley Tucci in an intimate cocktail party for “The Lovely Bones.”

    • Fox Searchlight’s holiday shin-dig in Century City with “Crazy Heart” principals in attendance.

    • An “Inglourious Basterds” DVD release party at producer Lawrence Bender’s home.

    • And a Summit holiday party with the folks from “The Hurt Locker” burning the midnight oil.

    • Finally, no reviews of “It’s Complicated” are allowed yet, but Anne and I discuss how we think it will fare in the awards race.

    Have a listen to this week’s podcast below, with a taste of Hans Zimmer’s score for “Sherlock Holmes” to start you off. As always, you can subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here.

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  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 12 — Holiday screeners, ‘Invictus’ and ‘The Lovely Bones’ land, thoughts on ‘Nine’ and more

    Oscar TalkWelcome to Oscar Talk, your weekly kudocast featuring yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood.

    On the docket today:

    • We lead off talking holiday screeners, including further talk of “Inglourious Basterds” slipping into the 10 in the wake of fading heavies.

    • Speaking of which, fresh off a screening of “The Lovely Bones,” a film that isn’t caught in the embargo tug of war, we touch briefly on our thoughts, to certainly be expanded at another time.

    • As trade and magazine reviews pop up while others are still told to hold off, we get into Clint Eastwood’s “Invictus.”

    • And with screenings of “Nine” already two weeks old, we finally add our perspective on the musical adaptation and certain category placements.

    • Finally, with no revelations left save for James Cameron’s “Avatar,” we look at the film’s marketing strategy and the rumor mill on secret screenings.

    Have a listen to this week’s podcast below, with Kate Hudson and “Cinema Italiano” leading the way. As always, you can subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here.

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  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 11 — Doc feature short list, ‘That Evening Sun,’ Governors Awards and ‘Basterds’ on the march

    Oscar TalkWelcome to Oscar Talk, your weekly kudocast featuring yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood.

    On the docket today:

    • Anne and I discuss the week’s big Oscar news, the revelation of 15 short list contenders for the Best Documentary Feature category, including discussion of snubs, talk on those we’ve seen and some fleeting expectations on how things could shake out.

    • With “That Evening Sun” making its way to limited release, we briefly touch on the film and Hal Holbrook’s wonderful leading performance.

    • The Governors Awards took place over the weekend, and Anne was in attendance.  She gives us some inside perspective on the festivities.

    • Quentin Tarantino is back on the awards circuit with “Inglourious Basterds” facing an imminent DVD release.  We talk again about the film’s Oscar chances and the potential for another populist film, “Star Trek,” duking it out with the war romp for a spot in the 10.

    Have a listen to this week’s podcast below, with Lauren Bacall’s Honorary Oscar acceptance speech leading the way.  As always, you can subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here.

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  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 10 — The four to be seen, animated features, supporting categories and Tyson’s LAX punch-out

    Oscar TalkWelcome to Oscar Talk, your weekly kudocast featuring yours truly and Anne Thompson of indieWIRE’s Thompson on Hollywood.

    On the docket today:

    • Anne and I discuss the four perceived Oscar heavies that have yet to unveil — “Avatar,” “Invictus,” “The Lovely Bones” and “Nine” — and what being last out of the gate means vis a vis echo chamber buzz.

    • Spinning off of that, we dig into the “Avatar” budget story of the week.

    • With the list of qualifying animated features official, we take a brief survey of the category once more with thoughts on potential nominees.

    • With Movie City News’s Gurus o’ Gold chart collecting supporting category predictions, Anne and I take the opportunity to profile those two categories.

    • And Anne breaks down the impromptu Mike Tyson bout that went down at LAX Wednesday and whether it could hurt James Toback’s documentary feature on the fighter.

    Have a listen to this week’s podcast below.  And as always, you can subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here.

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  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 9 — Baldwin/Martin, ‘Crazy Heart,’ animated contenders and the Gurus’ latest chart

    Oscar TalkWelcome to the latest installment of Oscar Talk, a weekly kudocast between yours truly and Anne Thompson of indieWIRE’s Thompson on Hollywood.

    On the docket this afternoon:

    • Anne and I discuss the week’s biggest Oscar news, the tapping of Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin as this year’s Oscar telecast hosts.

    • Another substantial news item this week was the revelation that Scott Cooper’s “Crazy Heart” would get a last minute 2009 release from Fox Searchlight.  Anne and I talk up the film and actor Jeff Bridges’s wonderful, certainly Oscar-worthy performance.

    • “A Christmas Carol” releases today, so we use that as an opportunity to revisit the animated feature contenders.

    • As mentioned earlier this morning, the latest Gurus o’ Gold chart has gone up.  Anne and I talk about a number of the contenders, placements, etc.

    Have a listen to this week’s podcast below, leading in with one of the original tracks from “Crazy Heart.” And as always, you can subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here.

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  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 8 — ‘This Is It,’ music branch, ‘Invictus’ and ‘Avatar’ trailers, the Best Actor race and more

    Oscar TalkWe have a belated edition of Oscar Talk for you today.  We apologize for the lateness, but what better way to kick back on a Sunday afternoon than with yours truly and Anne Thompson of indieWIRE’s Thompson on Hollywood?

    In this eighth installment, we actually covered a lot of ground. This week’s topics:

    • With “Michael Jackson’s This Is It” hitting theaters this weekend, we lead off talking brief about the film (which Anne hasn’t seen).

    • With music on the mind, this leads to another quick discussion about the Academy’s music branch, which caused poor Sad brad Smith to preemptively refrain from submitting his moving track “Help Yourself” from “Up in the Air” for consideration this year.

    • Rumors of Neil Patrick Harris hosting the Oscarcast after doing bang-up jobs at the Tonys and Emmys are circulating, and in the wake of Ricky Gervais being tapped to emcee the Golden Globes this year, we spin our wheels on that topic one more time.

    • “Precious” is opening next week, so with that (and Anne’s recent piece concerning Mo’Nique’s behind-the-scenes drama issues) in mind, we talk about whether the film, or the actress herself, has to win a popularity contest this season to gain the Academy’s attention and respect.

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