2025 Oscar Aftermath: Reactions and Revelations

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This episode dives deep into the aftermath of the 2025 Academy Awards, exploring everything from unexpected wins to emotional acceptance speeches. We discuss the standout moment when *Enora* surprised everyone by taking home the Best Picture award, highlighting the film’s essence in the context of today's rapidly changing film landscape. 

Conan O'Brien's impressive hosting managed to balance comedy with poignant commentary, providing a fresh contrast to prior ceremonies that sometimes feel stuck in their ways. Our discussions include the notable absence of traditional Hollywood stars, focusing instead on celebrating lesser-known talents and independent filmmakers, showcasing their stories on the big stage. 

As we analyze the Academy's evolving relationship with independent cinema, we also touch on audience perceptions and reactions, emphasizing how viewership ratings suggest a hopeful resurgence for the Oscars. Listen in as we also reveal predictions for the future, including which films and artists might make waves in the upcoming Oscars. 

Join us for a lively analysis of the Academy Awards, and don’t forget to subscribe for more insights and exciting discussions in the world of film!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
How's it?
I'm Alex McCauley.
I'm Max Fosberg.

Speaker 2 (00:06):
And I'm Erica Krause.

Speaker 1 (00:07):
And this is Excuse the Intermission a discussion
show surrounding the results ofthe 97th Academy Awards.
What a night it was, as wewitnessed history for Sean Baker
in the film Enora, monumentalwins for actors, for countries,
for physical media and movietheaters, and our very own,
erica Krause.
Our full analysis of the BigEvening is just around the
corner, on the other side ofthis break.

(00:28):
Okay, guys, we're recordingthis episode about 48 hours
removed from the 2025 AcademyAwards.
How are we feeling now that thedust has settled and you've
been able to reflect on thenight?
Was this a year that we willlook back on and say the Academy

(00:51):
got it right?

Speaker 2 (00:52):
I don't know.
I actually I rewatched ityesterday because you know as
the whole telecast.
I did yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:01):
Oh, I love the work Available on Hulu, right yeah
yeah, yeah, I know Hulu.

Speaker 3 (01:05):
Did it cut out early again.
I didn't notice it did that wasa big, I guess, on Oscar night
it cut out after best actress.

Speaker 1 (01:20):
Oh, I think, like during the presentation of best
actress, is what my my mom toldme, and and that just it's the
perils of streaming, cause I'msure that Hulu and ABC had an
agreement to run the telecastfrom, you know, the four o'clock
PM window to the 7 30 PM window, and that's Pacific time, of
course, and then it's seven 30when the show is still going.
You know, the, the contractor,the agreement is over with and

(01:43):
it just cuts out, and so, but Ido think that on the, on the
recording, whatever you canrewatch now is the full
presentation.

Speaker 2 (01:49):
Yeah, I didn't, I didn't notice that, um, but you
know, since we were at the grand, which was so great, you know
we were, we, you know we werekind of straining our necks to
watch, so I did.
Well, I wanted to, like youknow, I was I was saying the
whole time on Sunday like I'mhaving a great time, but I can't
wait to go home and put my PJson.
So I did give myself thatgratification yesterday to, like

(02:10):
you know, make myself a nicedinner and watch the whole thing
in front on, and there wasdefinitely things that I missed
and so it was nice to revisit it.
But, you know, as far as didthey get it right?
I don't really know.
I mean, I think we can get intothat with this episode, because
I do have opinions, but Isurprisingly feel good about

(02:31):
this year's ceremony watching,very inspired, if anything.
And, um, I have like a reallylike deeper love for, if that's
even possible, for cinema, youknow, and just like the, the

(02:53):
industry itself.
I think there was a big emphasison, like just the people who
make it happen, you know, and umyeah, I don't know.

Speaker 1 (03:02):
I'm excited to talk about it though that I mean on
the surface, that like a win,because if you think about it in
totality, that's what a nightlike this, a culminating event,
is supposed to do.

Speaker 2 (03:12):
I actually agree and I think that, like, overall, I
left feeling like this wasactually like I really liked
this.
You know, I liked some of themessages that were being
presented.
I think the vibes were good asfar as some of the wins go.
I don't know that like.
I personally agree with some ofthe wins, as we all know.

(03:35):
I think we all kind of feellike there's certain things that
got snubbed, but I think thevibes were good overall, like
better than they have beenbefore, at least.

Speaker 1 (03:46):
How's it been sitting with you, Max?

Speaker 3 (03:47):
Yeah, it's.
I mean I think overall the show, the presentation, the telecast
, conan, like the, the Oscars, Ithink it was a good show.
Yeah, I think it was one of thebetter shows that we've had in
a while.
I thought Conan just killed it,as, as the host he is very much

(04:10):
, I think you know, as amillennial like I've just had a
relationship with conan a longtime I can't believe he had
never done it before.

Speaker 1 (04:18):
That surprised me as well.

Speaker 3 (04:19):
I felt like he had at some point and he seems like
just kind of the perfect guy todo it.
I love that he didn't reallyhold back.
You know, I mean we we threwsome punches, whether it was at
the U S government or the or thewhole Amelia Perez controversy,
or Amazon and Netflix, uh, andstreaming in general, like um,

(04:42):
so I really, really loved thatand appreciated him, uh, getting
us through the night.
Um, I thought, you know, I Ithought it was a huge win for
indie film, independent film,yeah, um, I think also, it
really kind of goes back to Ithink 2016, when moonlight won

(05:03):
over la la land.
The oscars have become much moreindependent film driven right,
like, and I think there'sthere's a bunch of factors in
that.
But I think studios are nottaking chances on films and
filmmakers and don't really careabout awards because their own,
because all the studios areowned by tech companies, so all

(05:23):
really care about awards becausetheir own, because all the
studios are owned by techcompanies, so all they care
about are numbers and money andand streams.
Where now the again since 2016,.
If you look, you know,moonlight, parasite, coda, nomad
land, everything everywhere allat once, like it's a lot of
neon.

Speaker 1 (05:42):
It's a lot of a 24.

Speaker 3 (05:43):
They're small small everywhere all at once, like
it's a lot of neon, it's a lotof a24.
These are small, small, um,yeah, small, small movies and
independent movies and that'sthat's really exciting because I
mean, it's just it's kind ofopening up a new door and
international films as well.
Right, like it just opens upnew avenues to different films
and different filmmakers.
Um, but yeah, I, I, I thoughtit was, I thought it was good I,

(06:08):
you know, did they get it right?

Speaker 1 (06:10):
I don't know, you know, I, I think we talked about
this on the on our preview whenwe met our picks like dune 2 is
probably going to be the moviethat lasts the test of time and
we spoke about that in thetheater with our, our audience
and it seemed like that was apretty popular opinion amongst
our crowd at least, where at theend of the decade and I was

(06:32):
talking to, you know, friend ofthe podcast, Heath Triller,
about this as well when we werekind of decompressing and and
discussing the nights or theevents of the night and I said,
you know, I couldn't help butfeel in the moment this
underappreciation for Dune parttwo and even part one, because I
I agree I mean we're all inagreement here that in 2030,

(06:56):
when you look back at the bestmovies of the 2020s, Dune part
one and two, I think, are in theconversation of top 10, top 12,
top 15 movies, and that's withabout half the decade still to
come.
So who knows what we might get.
But, like during out of thefirst five years, Absolutely.

Speaker 3 (07:12):
Yeah, and you know, it's also really interesting to
think that something likeOppenheimer from last year is
maybe the like outlier of a BestPicture winner now, as we move
forward into this, this new eraof of the Academy and the Oscars
and big universal productionright.

Speaker 1 (07:31):
Right, huge studio movie from a big, big filmmaker
Well known.
Yeah, almost like old guard.

Speaker 3 (07:37):
Yeah, so, um, yeah, it's really interesting.
You know, I I love Anora.
Anora is great.
Anora won best picture.
That is really good.
Uh, but again, doom, part two,the substance, nosferatu, like
are these are?
Am I going to own those threefilms before I own Anora?
Probably, um, so I don't know.

(07:57):
But then also, when we rankedthe last 25 or 24, uh, best
pictures, there's a lot of ofmid throughout throughout the
the history of best picturewinners agreed.

Speaker 1 (08:10):
I was thinking about that as well, and not that
anora's mid, but no, anora forme is definitely in the top half
.
Yeah, having just done thatexercise and having it be so
fresh, I think it's somewherearound 11 or 12 for me now from
this century so far, since the2000s.
So yeah, I'm excited aboutwhere movies stand right now,

(08:33):
what I've seen on social media,the Internet's reaction to the
Academy Awards I've yet to pullup the Nielsen numbers to see
what viewership was like.
I don't know if those have beenpublished yet or not.
See what viewership was like, Idon't know if those have been
published yet or not.
Conan did say something reallyinteresting at the beginning of
the telecaster, after maybe thefirst or second commercial break
where I turned to you, erica,and we had kind of commented on

(08:54):
it, because he said tonight'sOscars will be viewed by over 1
billion people worldwide, and hesaid it earnestly.
It was not like some sort ofjoke, it was.
It was a proclamation ofachievement, some sort of
accomplishment, and I've talkedto a bunch of different people
about this, and what do youthink he meant by that?

(09:14):
Does that mean that one?

Speaker 3 (09:16):
I think it was a joke .

Speaker 1 (09:17):
I don't think it was.
If you go, you've watched ittwice.
Did you clock that moment thesecond time?
Does that ring a bell when hesaid that?
Because I feel like maybe onebillion people worldwide is like
how many.
How many countries weretelecasting it?
How many countries have huluavailable or are broadcasting it
on their cable networks and andso it's like accessible to

(09:39):
roughly a billion peopleworldwide, but certainly not a
billion people are watching theoscars.
That'd be the most viewedtelevision event of all time,
yeah so I don't know why.
Maybe it was a joke, but it justit.
There was no pause for laughter, there was nothing.
I don't know.
That was a weird moment.

Speaker 2 (09:54):
Yeah, I didn't think of it as a joke.
I thought it was kind of like alike it was it.
It felt kind of like a.
You know, I'm bragging aboutlike yeah, there's a lot of
people are tuned in tonight,kind of thing, and let me just
give you the numbers and I thinkthat we all kind of went well.
But I don't really payattention to that kind of stuff
because, like I wouldn't have,but I do remember you guys kind

(10:15):
of talking about, you know,viewership being down, and what
I pay attention to on socialmedia is just, I know, like,
especially like our generationand even younger people, just
don't give a shit about theOscars.
You know what I mean and, like I, even the people like that I'm
close to, they're like oh yeah,I don't really pay attention,

(10:38):
you know, to that kind of stuffbecause it's always really
boring or I haven't seen halfthe movies or whatever.
And and I don't disagree, likeI'm, I love the oscars because
it's something I've watched likeever since I was a kid and I
used to just like obsess andlike fantasize there's a
pageantry, yeah I mean, and it'slike, it's like the biggest
night in hollywood which I it is, but is it the most like

(11:01):
respected night in hollywood?

Speaker 1 (11:03):
no, and like I mean as far as like maybe like fans
go like I don't think a lot oflike normal moviegoers, like
really like actually I mean Idon't know I think moviegoers
still like it and and watch it,and that's where you still get
the you know viewership and thenthe teens of the millions, but

(11:26):
I don't think the general publiccares anymore and that's, I
think what you're getting at.
Erica, is that, like when wewere in middle school and high
school and it's 2006, you couldcome to school the next day, on
a Monday, and mention somethingthat happened on the telecast
and chances are most people inyour classroom or most people

(11:46):
that you talk to at the grocerystore, whoever it was, most
people at your job wouldunderstand it as well, like I
knew who my two people were inthis school, who I could talk to
about the Academy Awards thenext day is shout out to our
librarian and then one otherparaeducator.
But I was just like.
I know no one watched this, butI want to talk to somebody
about it and so I have to goseek these people out.

Speaker 3 (12:05):
Well, thanks to the World Wide Web.
Yes, according to Disney, thecompany that owns Hulu and.
Abc the Oscars viewership for2025 hit a five-year high, so
it's the highest in the lastfive years, with 19.7 million.

(12:26):
That's up 1% from last year.

Speaker 1 (12:29):
Interesting, so I wonder if the streaming
availability the streamingavailability has to have
everything to do with thosenumbers, because last year's
films were much more popularamongst the general public when
you had things like barbie andoppenheimer competing
interesting well, yeah, so we'reon a trajectory going up the

(12:52):
oscars are back, and I do well,and I do believe that disney and
hulu have a contract with abcand the academy until 2027, I
think and so we will see two, atleast two more streaming
broadcasts for the academyawards, which, if viewership
numbers are up, that bodes wellfor gaining popularity totally,

(13:15):
um, okay, so I I'm trying tothink if I have any kind of
general thoughts other than the,the lack of appreciation for
dune part two, I did feel theabsence of one more art house,
yet also like sort of like massappeal film that they could have
really rallied some people andjust added more diversity to a

(13:37):
few categories, like I've.
I felt the absence ofchallengers, yeah, that you know
, during during the not havingZendaya there and not having
Luka there and not having TrentNatticus in best score Something
just didn't feel, it felt wrongwhen the nominations came out
and then something just reallydidn't feel right about it in

(13:57):
the moment.
So there were a few more thingslike that, I think also like I
think overall, the amount ofstar power was lacking.

Speaker 3 (14:08):
I would agree with that as well.
You know, I mean you didn'thave Matt and Ben there, right?

Speaker 1 (14:13):
You didn't have uncle Steve or grandpa Marty, yeah,
Denzel was not nominated forsomething like gladiator two,
and so he's not going to bethere.

Speaker 3 (14:21):
Yeah, I mean like Julia Roberts, meryl Streep,
like some of the like.

Speaker 1 (14:26):
George Clooney, your old guard, and we're going to
get to this.
Obviously we have to like theold guard.
The way it was represented wasin someone like Demi Moore, yeah
, and I don't know, because wewere craning our necks trying to
watch the screen, mostlyinteracting with our crowd in
the theater at the Grand Cinema.
Trying to watch the screenmostly interacting with her

(14:48):
crowd and the theater at thegrand cinema I don't know, on on
replay where, where it was kindof quote unquote, celebrity row
in the front there featuredmore prominently was to me
getting a lot of screen time theJack Nicholson seat.
She was, she was.
She was like front and center,or maybe off to the right a
little bit, but like anytimesomeone walked up to do their
acceptance speech, you would seeher in that dress, yeah.

Speaker 2 (15:05):
Yeah, I was.
I mean I don't know, I wasn'treally like totally tapped into
the crowd, but I mean I noticedthat to me was like right up
front, and then we had likeColeman Domingo right up front.

Speaker 1 (15:16):
Just protect that man at all costs, guy.

Speaker 2 (15:18):
Pearce, I know Coleman is so cute.
And then Ariana Grande was upfront with Cynthia and yeah, I
mean so cute.
And then ariana grande was upfront with cynthia and, um, yeah
, I mean, I, I, yeah, I didn't.

Speaker 3 (15:36):
it's like interesting to point out like I didn't
really notice that any of thebigger people that you normally
see, like like leo, was.
You know, leo wasn't there.
Big jim, yeah, it wasn't I meaninteresting.

Speaker 2 (15:44):
I always wonder how like that kind of stuff works.
Like are they actually?
Are they there?
But they're just, you'reobviously we're not going to
focus on them because they'renot like.
Why focus on people that?

Speaker 3 (15:55):
are nominated, you know, and I guess yeah, I guess
this is it just kind of showslike overall this year, like a
lot of the movies that did notfeature your a-list celebrities
and a-list.
Yeah, that's okay.

Speaker 2 (16:08):
I mean, which is fine yeah I mean, I think my whole
thing is I I felt like this wasa very fresh oscars where there
was a lot of people that wedon't normally see, um, being
recognized.
It just felt like a fresh crowdand so maybe that's.
But when you think about ityou're like, oh yeah, those
people weren't normally there,but that's probably a good thing

(16:28):
.
Like it's other people's turn,you know to experience that it
is.

Speaker 3 (16:32):
It is kind of a.

Speaker 1 (16:33):
It might signal a, a definite passing right of of the
guard I would agree with that,okay so.
So we of course had ourin-house Oscar ballot
competition, whichcongratulations to Erica Krause.
One for one, she's batting1,000.
She dethroned Max who.

(16:57):
You had a poor showing.
I'll just come out right now andsay that yes, I did, and you
can take us through whathappened and where it all went
wrong here in a moment.
Erica beat me by by one, whichwe kind of predicted, that
whoever ends up atop thiscompetition as the winner might
not have what and what, becausewhat's happened in the past they

(17:19):
might not have a bracket or aballot.
That is like 19 out of 23 oreven 20 out of 23.
You ended up with seven wrong,I think.
So yeah, and still one, and sogood, great on you.
Um, you, it really came throughat the very end.
It was a nail biter.
You ate wrong, okay, um, yougot both best lead acting

(17:42):
categories correct, which isreally what won it for you.
So, looking over your picks, isthere anything that you're most
proud about believing in andpicking right?
And then, of those, do you haveany favorite winners from the
night?

Speaker 2 (17:57):
Well, you know, and I've said this multiple times,
like when I went into pickingthis, I as I even said that I
would be happy to lose thiscompetition because there's so
many of you know the nomineesthat I want to win, but I know I
just didn't really feel likethey would.

(18:19):
Um, but if I was you, you know,in the Academy and voting, I
would have voted differently.
But I think that I'm most proudabout my best actress, like
pick, even though I obviouslywould have really no hate to
Mikey Madison.
I think that she's amazing, butI obviously really wanted to

(18:41):
meet to win that, but I just wasgoing off of like, just like
patterns, I think, and then Iwas just kind of doing a little
bit of research but also my gutwas just telling me to pick that
and that's, I think, reallywhat won it for me.
But and so I am proud of my,like my little intuition going

(19:02):
off on that one.

Speaker 1 (19:03):
I mean, I just I think we should come to a full
stop right there before you goany further, because that was
the moment of the night Nora wasbuilding so much steam headed
towards a best pitcher win.
But I still don't think verymany folks outside of the
Academy voters and maybe therewas some rumblings within the
room there or the tea leaves,you know whatever but general

(19:26):
consensus was that Dem demi more, based off all the precursors,
all the other award shows thathad already happened, aside from
maybe, I think, the baftas wasgonna walk away with best
actress and then mikey pulls theupset and really, when you look
at everything now that happenedfor Nora this last Sunday night

(19:46):
, that is like the cherry on topto an incredible night for Sean
Baker in the film, but to alsohave best lead actress attached
to it as well.

Speaker 2 (19:55):
Yeah, um, but you know, looking over like, do I
have any favorites?
Um, honestly no, and I and Ireally didn't want to come on
today and and like sound likeI'm an anora hater.
I just don't get the hype.
I I liked the movie.
It's, it's fine, it's totallylike right up my alley.
I just don't think the moviehad a lot of depth to it and I I

(20:19):
don't understand, like whypeople think it's this like
beautiful story of anora.
I'm like half the movie is themchasing after the, the fuckhead
that like abandoned her.
And I don't see it as a lovestory hardly.
I think it's a very shallowlove story if.
If it is, um, so I didn'treally get it.

(20:41):
But I do really love sean bakerand I'm really happy for him.
I feel very torn about like theEnora success because I'm Sean
like really captured my heart atthe Oscars.
Just every time he got up onstage was different and he used
it as like a really greatplatform to like support

(21:03):
independent films and likepromote you know our theater
going experience and like I I'mlike the right guy.
It felt like the right guy wonfor sure.
I just there were better moviesout there, but then I'm like.
I think mikey madison'sperformance in an aura was
spectacular.
It was a really hard year.

(21:25):
There was some really strongcontenders in every single
category.
I could build a pretty solidcase for everybody nominated.

Speaker 3 (21:35):
I think it comes down like Anora and Neon and the
powers that be behind that filmran an awesome campaign.
I mean, they were calling itCinderella with a twist, right.
And I think another big winnerfrom this night was the Cannes
Film Festival, because now Ibelieve the winner of the Cannes

(22:00):
Film Festival has won BestPicture, I think.

Speaker 1 (22:03):
I think it's five times total.
Now Five out of the last sixyears to palm dior, yeah yeah,
palm dior.

Speaker 3 (22:08):
Yeah, excuse me um.
And and neon.

Speaker 1 (22:12):
Neon has also won I think, well, they've won.

Speaker 3 (22:16):
They won for parasite , parasite this didn't they,
weren't they nomadland too?

Speaker 1 (22:22):
I don't quite remember who is, nomadland
perhaps, but it's basically likewe kind of said at the top,
it's flip-flopped back and forth, with Oppenheimer and Universal
being the one outlier.
Everything everywhere all atonce 824.
Right, you know, going back tosomething like Moonlight, that's
824.
So it is.
It is the smaller studios andthey are definitely learning how

(22:44):
to play with the big dogs inthese rooms, at these parties,
at these gala affairs, where youdo have to do some level of
campaigning, right.

Speaker 3 (22:52):
Yeah, cause you know, I, I, I kinda I totally get
where you're coming from, erica,and totally agree with you.
I think Anora is a really greatmovie, but shallow is probably
something that would also be inthe description of it as well.

Speaker 1 (23:07):
Well, we discussed it when it came out as some goofy
hybrid mix between like theHangover and Uncut Gems and
Pretty Woman yeah.
And it's like would you everthink, if you mix those three
movies together in a pot, thatyou would get a best picture?
Probably not, yeah.

Speaker 2 (23:22):
Yeah, so yeah would get a best picture?
Probably not, yeah, yeah.
So yeah, I have a problem withthe way that the movie is really
sold to people as like numberone, the love story, part of it
all, and then just like a nora,you know, and I'm like, but we
are literally focused on the guylike her boyfriend the whole

(23:43):
time and how he abandoned her sowillingly, and then she's
really just like into himbecause he's rich, you know, I
mean, and she's convincingherself that she's into him, but
then when you watch like someof their like sexual scenes,
she's obviously like doesn'ttake him seriously.
I could go on and on about likewhy this is so not the movie to

(24:05):
like idolize or like even likeI just there's no depth to it
and I think a lot of things I'veread kind of validate me in
that feeling and so I amconfused.
But like it also is not a badmovie, like there's some really
strong scenes, there's a reallystrong performance.

(24:26):
I just wanted more from her andnot so focused on like this
weird, like little, like youknow where's waldo bullshit,
like with the fucking kid, youknow, like it's just that's so a
big part of the movie and ittook away from her story and her
, like you know, the opportunityfor us to explore more of like

(24:47):
who she is and um, so I was, Ifelt a little misled by the
movie, to be totally honest.
And um, and when I think ofother nominees, I'm like so many
of these other movies that werenominated have so much more
depth and like heart to it, andthat's maybe that's, that's just
personal preference, that'swhat I look for in a film, you

(25:13):
know, and that's what I deem asa best picture.
To me is like something thatjust feels like there's layers
and layers and, and I don't knowthat I felt that about Nora,
but I don't know.
I mean again, sean Baker.
It's a good for him, that's it.
I am happy for him.

Speaker 1 (25:25):
Well, and that's where I stand, because I think
that, respectfully what thethemes that Sean Baker has been
really focused on and returningto over and over film after film
after film so far in his careerhave been, I think, maybe
misconceived as shallow on thesurface at times and really

(25:48):
they're exploring a deeper, uh,they're trying to take a deeper
look at, perhaps, maybe like anAnora, the American dream really
, and like using you know, we,we meet this woman who has who,
who has nothing really.
We see her living with um, aroommate and like split level,

(26:08):
and she's trying to make it work.
She's gotten so used to thislife where she has her body as
her main currency really to tryto get things and to get what
she wants, and it's still notreally working for her.
And then she does have thistriumphant moment of like
striking gold in the old westand thinking that she's going to
make it, and then what we seeis this nightmare of her slowly

(26:32):
understanding and realizing thatlike this fleeting moment is
going to leave her and it isgoing to be over and it will not
end well, it is going to belike a tragic fairy tale, and so
I I, the more I think about it,the more I think about the
experience that I had with Norathe first time.
I've only grown to appreciate itmore.

(26:52):
I am just surprised that that'sthe movie, and I know that the
Academy voters have gottenyounger, they've gotten more
diverse.
It's gotten more international,and so there is, I think, a
greater appreciation for filmsthat are more provocative and
pervasive in some of theirsexual overtones and some of the
violence depicted on screens.
Like you don't have to just be,you know, this kind of sleepy

(27:16):
costume drama anymore to reallycompete at the Academy Awards.
You also don't have to be somebig historical epic to compete
at the Academy Awards.
You can be an independentgritty movie, which is exactly
what Inora is, and I love it forthat, but when it's just going
up against something that isreally classical, like the
Brutalist, I'm surprised, eventhough I picked a Nora, I am

(27:44):
surprised at the big night thatthe film had.

Speaker 3 (27:45):
Yeah, yeah, I think you know.
If we're looking at my ballot,I mean that's where I went wrong
right.
Like I got one of six for thebig six right, which was Kieran
Culkin, which was probably theeasiest thing to pick.
But putting so many of my eggsin the Brutalist basket is
probably where I went wrongthroughout the night.

(28:07):
And it is really interestingthat the Brutalist really what
they won three awards, twoawards, one, two really what
they won?

Speaker 1 (28:26):
three awards, two awards um one, two, two awards
score, yeah, scoringcinematography.

Speaker 3 (28:28):
So three then because of brody, and brody, yes, of
course.
Um, so yeah, I don't know.
It is really interesting.
It's just an interesting year.
And is that because thebrutalist was three and a half
hours within intermission?
I mean, people were complainingabout how long dune 2 was right
, did?

Speaker 1 (28:45):
you know.
But then it begs the questiondo people even start the movie?
Do they even watch the film?
Because the first two, withinthe first two minutes, the
opening credits of anora arestripper trap music playing, as
we have a one-er running througha strip club with naked women

(29:05):
everywhere.
So our old, older academyvoters like tuning in for that.
Are they staying till thesecond act to see what happens?
I don't know.
Does that scare them off morethan a four-hour runtime?
Who knows?
I have no idea.

Speaker 3 (29:18):
Well, I, I don't know if we'll ever know, and that's,
that's part of the uh, thestrain with the oscars it is, it
is uh I would just like to goon record.

Speaker 2 (29:28):
This has nothing to do with an aura, but kieran
colkin is my new lover boy Ijust want to like go on record
and say that man is making mefall in love with him.
Yeah, and, like you know, andrespectfully so because he is
married and happily married andand I love that for him.
Him and his wife are so fuckingcute.
But I'm just like, do I have acrush on this guy?

(29:51):
Like he is so charming and I'mso happy for his win.
I mean, it's not it was notshocking in any sense, but um
well-deserved win for kieran andjust well-deserved hype around
him for the last couple yearsjust with, you know, his success
on what?

Speaker 1 (30:09):
is it succession?

Speaker 2 (30:11):
and then um, and then now, with a real pain, which I
absolutely loved, the movie, I'mjust so happy for them and, uh,
the success of that film, um,but yeah, I just love that man.

Speaker 1 (30:23):
I just had to say that I know I'm glad you did
that because I think that thatbetween not only him and his
best supporting actor award, butalso zoe saldaña and her best
supporting actress award the twomost telegraphed, I think,
moments of the night as far asawards presentations went and
for those two speeches to stillfeel as important and as

(30:47):
impactful as they were and Iknow that Kieran and Zoe deliver
, they delivered their, theirpersonal messages, in very
different ways.
Zoe deliver, they deliveredtheir, their personal messages
in very different ways.
Kieran was kind of he seemedsimultaneously like like goofy
and I'm just going to wing itand kind of whatever, but then
he clearly had this like plan totell the story about his wife,
which was really funny.
Um, I thought at times.

(31:08):
And then Zoe goes up there andshe is so passionate about being
the first actor of Dominicanheritage to um to win an Academy
award and what a big deal thatthat meant for her and and just
what this entire year meant forher and you think about all her
contributions to especially bigblockbuster moviemaking in the

(31:28):
21st century and for her then tobe recognized by, I think, the
artistic side and and crowd ofhollywood.
You could see that very clearly,um on her face and in her
speech, and so, although we knewthose moments were coming, I
was still pleasantly surprisedby them, whereas sometimes, when
that's the case, you, you are alittle checked out, almost

(31:50):
because you've heard this speechfive times before at the, the
different academy or at thedifferent award shows that have
come before it.
Yeah, um, I'm looking at I'mstill looking at your picks here
, erica, and one where you got aleg up on max nine this was a
little bit earlier in the night,but an increasingly bigger and
bigger award here it's still oneof, like, the main feature film

(32:12):
awards is best internationaland you went with I'm still here
, whereas max and I were stillthinking that maybe amelia perez
had some momentum in thiscategory.
So what went into that?
Nothing shot in the dark liketo you guys.

Speaker 2 (32:27):
I mean, I'm not gonna give you some like.
Oh yeah, it was reallycalculated and I've seen this.
I haven't seen it and I haven'tseen any of them was it just
enough of the amelia perezbacklash it was maybe like out
of spite, if anything.
But no, I I did read quite a bitof articles about this movie
and and honestly, I'm like it'son my watch list for this week

(32:51):
to to visit it because, um, itsounds very like.
It sounds like something Iwould enjoy, to be honest.
But no, it's kind of a shot inthe dark at just after reading
some predictions online and justsome people's feedback, and I'm
like, and then also taking intolike consideration all of the,

(33:12):
the drama surrounding ameliaperez, and just paying attention
to what you know people havebeen talking about online and
and so I was like I don't know,maybe all of this like the, the
backlash with all of that mighthinder, um, their chances at
winning this award.

(33:33):
And and also I'm still here,just kind of like I, I don't
know it had the look of an oscarfilm too.
So I mean, that's really likewhat went into that.
I would.
It wasn't like I haven't seenit and I and I feel bad saying
that like my pick, I didn't evenwatch, but yeah.

Speaker 1 (33:56):
I think this, the strategy, is still sound in your
reasoning.
However, and especially seeingthe Fernanda Torres real.
She had a real strong kind oflike 11th hour campaign as far
as maybe the third horse in therace for best actress, and so
seeing the appreciation for herperformance in that film, I

(34:17):
think is something that maybeMax and I should have paid more
attention to, whereas AmeliaPerez's star just kept falling
and falling and falling.
Um, you know, I'm looking at,I'm looking at your list, max,
and is it weird that maybe oneof the wins that you should be
most proud of is is a wicked winfor production design?

Speaker 3 (34:35):
yeah, yeah, I think, yeah, no, I listen, I again, I I
think I said it, I said Idefinitely said it.
The grand I know I said it onthe preview show, but like when
you have a movie that builds bigsets like that and are colorful
and poppy and is an imaginaryworld, whimsical feeling to it,

(34:59):
the Academy likes that and so,yeah, getting that opposed from
what you went with Doom Part 2,which also, you know, whimsical
in its own way, right, like weare creating a world here in its

(35:19):
own way, right, like we arecreating a world here, um, but
you know, I, I think wicked justplays more to that that voter
base and which is crazy, becauseis doom part two's better,
maybe me.
I mean it is a question yes, inin that category it is yeah,
also, you know, I do want toshout out that, oh, I'm looking
at it right now You're two fortwo.
Two years in a row I've calledthe best documentary short, the

(35:42):
Academy loves a story aboutmusic.

Speaker 1 (35:45):
It loves music in schools.
Yep or whatever.
Will they go through If there'sone next year?
I'm riding that train with you.

Speaker 3 (35:54):
You have to go down with it.
It's so crazy.
I can't believe I got thatright.
But uh, but yeah, other thanthat, I I mean you know ariana
grande for best supporting thatwas going out on a limb I had to
have a lot of other stuff goright for that to you know not
look like a idiotic move.
And then also, nickel boys.

Speaker 1 (36:12):
But at the same time just to and you know, erica,
you're always free to talk aboutwicked on this show but just to
sort of, you know, put a pin inits performance and its
presence on the academy awardsthis year, because I think it
will be back in a big way withpart two and that's something we
can talk about maybe here in alittle bit.
But the way that the showstarted not having some sort of

(36:36):
prerecorded bit, almost like anSNL cold open that featured
Conan O'Brien or any other typeof um, you know, kind of like
arrival to the stage, sort of itjust was a musical number with
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande,and we all turned and looked at
each other and thought is thisan early indicator?
Is this signifying that this isgoing to be a big wicked night?

(36:58):
And so in the moment as theshow started in real time up
until Ariana Grande lost thataward, it was like it's very
much on the table.

Speaker 3 (37:07):
Yeah, and she was front row and, like you know,
camera cut into them and withher eyebrows.

Speaker 1 (37:12):
Her eyebrows were back.
Good to see Jesus camera cutinto them and with her eyebrows.

Speaker 3 (37:15):
Her eyebrows were back.
Good to see jesus that opening.

Speaker 2 (37:19):
After watching it, we're re-watching it.
Yesterday, I mean, I cried likeI'm not even gonna, I'm, I'm,
but, and, and it wasn't even Imean, it was absolutely their,
their musical number.
But like the montage, I didn'treally I didn't see this when we
were at the grand, but they dothis whole montage at the very
beginning of like all theseclips from movies that all take

(37:42):
place in Hollywood, right, and,and the whole thing you know.
And then it cuts to Ariana.
She's dressed as a Ruby slipper.
I mean, she literally has theshoe on the back of her dress.
She's singing somewhere overthe rainbow.
It the whole thing felt so oldhollywood I was dying.
I mean, I was just crying athome yesterday watching this and

(38:06):
this is what wicked, whatwicked did you know?
Like to it's it.
There is something I, I willliterally die on this hill.
Something spiritual and magicalhappened on that set.
With that, those people I I'm,I'm not even kidding and you can
feel it with their, the cast,energy and the way they all

(38:27):
support each other and the looksthat they give each other.
It's not fake, it's not likefor show, like, I don't think
any of them care that theyhaven't won any like big awards
for this.
It's very well deserved.
But like, I just think thatlike it's a beautiful movie and
like um, so I, I loved that theyopened with that and then, like

(38:50):
so I was, I I mean I don't knowthat I watched them perform
that and thought like oh, doesthis mean that they're going to
win something?
I just was mostly shockedbecause there was an interview,
that, or just like a little redcarpet interview with Cynthia
and someone asked her if she wasgoing to be performing any

(39:12):
Wicked songs at the Oscars andshe just like looked at them and
she's like no, why would we dothat?
Like absolutely not.
And she was so serious about itand of course, all these people
like wrote all these articlesabout it, and so I was more like
excited to see that and just tosee that like psych we are.
And she performed Home from theWiz, which I thought she

(39:34):
sounded incredible and thendivine gravity.
It was just like you know,there's a lot like a really
beautiful message to wicked andum and pairing that with, like
the hollywood montage, it wasvery like that and it kind of
set the tone for the night withall these like independent film
art, film creators and stuff,and I don't know, I just was, so

(39:56):
I loved it.

Speaker 3 (39:57):
It was magical, you know there was quite a bit of
musical performances, yeah,throughout this broadcast.
Uh, how do we feel about that,do we?
Because at some point it didkind of start feeling like the
Tonys right, like when we'redoing the James Bond dance

(40:20):
number, followed by threedifferent performances of like
an elongated chunk of whateversong.

Speaker 1 (40:30):
Older Bond songs Listen.
Lisa can go up there and dowhatever she wants.
I'm not going to say anythingbad about that.
I was surprised that Skyfallwas chosen to be one of those.

Speaker 3 (40:44):
Bond songs, and it wasn't Adele.

Speaker 1 (40:46):
And it was not Adele.

Speaker 3 (40:47):
What's Adele doing on ?

Speaker 1 (40:48):
Oscar night Beats me Waiting at the Vanity Fair party
for the real fun to start.
I don't know.
Doja Cat singing Diamonds AreForever.
Like the older songs, that'swhat I'm saying.
Like Lisa and Doja Cat doingolder songs made sense to me,
trying to like, but also, whyare we?

Speaker 3 (41:07):
Honestly, it felt like a funeral for Bond.

Speaker 1 (41:09):
It 100% did.
I was very.
It wasn't a 50th, it wasn't no.

Speaker 3 (41:14):
I was very it was.

Speaker 1 (41:15):
It wasn't a 50th, it wasn't a no 60th it did feel
like a take him out to pasturemoment yeah, I was very like
they dressed it up and made itlook great though yeah, I was
very like why are we talkingabout the Bond movies right now?

Speaker 2 (41:28):
I was so confused.
I was like I mean I understand,like what happened, but I'm
like hello.
Like I mean I understand, likewhat happened, but I'm like
hello, are we honoring thesemovies tonight?
No, like, let's move on.
Like let's talk, like save thatfor another time.
Like I don't know.
I felt like it kind of tookaway from like we're talking
about movies that aren't evenbeing nominated for anything.

(41:49):
It was just confusing to mewhere I was like, okay, what are
we doing?
Like I don't know, and thenwe're doing this whole musical
number for it.
I'm like, ok, like, like I said, I understand that, like
there's news that they sold theyou know rights to it or
whatever the hell happened, butI'm like why are we talking
about this right now?
I don't care.

Speaker 1 (42:08):
It was weird that there was so much music in a
year where they did not allowthe performers of the songs that
were nominated for bestoriginal song to perform.
Like, if you're gonna havemusical performances, if you're
going to and I don't think youshould at the academy awards,
but if you're going to havemusical performances, that's

(42:29):
what the musical performancewindow should be dedicated to.
Yeah, yeah, so that that didnot make any sense to me.
And then we still had to gothrough and I don't want to
quite get to like the airing ofgrievances yet, but like some of
the things that just happenedaround music, um, and what did
the woman go up there?
Amelia Dude.

Speaker 2 (42:51):
I'll have to show you guys, one more time, amelia.
She just kept going she keptgoing Amelia.

Speaker 3 (42:59):
She thought she was starting a sing-along in the
crowd, no, those French people,man, they, you know, listen,
those French people.
They go to the beat of theirown drum.
Yeah, the secondhandembarrassment I felt watching

(43:23):
that I had to.
Started cracking up.
I turned away from the screenand put my head on my mic
because I couldn't.

Speaker 2 (43:25):
I was just shocked that it kept going for as long
as it did and, and you couldtell, the guy standing next to
her was just kind of like hisher husband oh god bless his
soul.
Similarly, okay.

Speaker 1 (43:35):
Similarly and I do, you know, I max, you and I both
had timothy chalamet in bestactor, and I think we probably
overthought that or maybe evenjust went with our hearts a
little too much there, becauseadrian brody is phenomenal.
In the brutalist, the man doesnothing but bear his emotions,
cry, show us his soul reallyjust full, send into that

(43:58):
character for three and a halfhours.
And so it's not surprising, andespecially as and it doesn't
happen all that often now he isin rarefied air as a two-time
best actor winner so it doesn'thappen all that often but as a
previous os winner, I think wejust should have.
We should have seen that comingearlier.
I think we overthought that one.
Similarly, though, thereactions to Killian Murphy

(44:23):
standing behind Adrian Brody forwhat was like a seven minute
long acceptance speech.
Have you seen those videos?
Because those are quite funny.

Speaker 2 (44:31):
No, I haven't.

Speaker 1 (44:32):
Killian is always just thinking like I'd rather be
in ireland he would rather beat home, and he's literally said
that, and he's literally like Idon't like to do things like
outside and I'm like honestlyhe's a mood like I get it oh,
his micro expressions, just theway he was kind of rocking back
and forth and like lookingaround and just we're still

(44:54):
going, I'm still up here likethat shit and I'm like I don't,
I don't blame him, I'm like godthat's, I would be so exhausted,
yeah that that was a funnymoment, but really not nothing
viral I would say from the night.
Um, I did love to see and we allhad this on our ballots and so

(45:15):
didn't really come to anysurprise.
But I think it also is justechoing what we're saying here
about the rise of independentcinema at the Academy Awards and
just the recognition that it'sgiving.
But the win for flow and bestanimated feature, which happened
pretty early on in the night,that was huge for that small
little picture to take down theGoliaths of DreamWorks, of

(45:40):
Disney and Pixar, the decadelong IP of Wallace and Gromit,
you know like really, reallyawesome moment for everyone on
that team.

Speaker 3 (45:51):
15 people worked on that movie.
Remarkable In a program calledBlender that is free to download
.
That is something that istaught at the school.
Download Blender if you want tobe a digital artist and start
working on it there you go.
It's absolutely insane.

Speaker 1 (46:09):
So that was a huge moment To me.
That's the one that was thecategory that I was most
emotionally invested in, justbecause of how much I cared for
flow last year and stillcontinue to care about that
movie.
You know, I cannot wait to seewhat criterion and John's films
do now with their physicalrelease of this movie.
That is going to be becausethey've already announced that

(46:30):
they will be releasing it aspart of either a John's
contemporary or it just inductedstraight into the Criterion
Collection.
So really, really excited aboutthe win for Flow and then we
all had this across our ballottoo but also best sound and best
visual effects going to Dune,part 2.
And that film's still picking upmore than one Oscar win this

(46:53):
year, whereas, yes, it was topheavy with a Nora, especially
because of the weight of thecategories that that that a Nora
ended up walking away with.
You know, when you win bestpicture, best actress, best
original screenplay, bestdirector, it's going to feel
like a really dominating night,and it was.
But it's not like it walkedaway with eight or nine awards,

(47:13):
you know, like everything wasstill spread pretty.
I don't know, fairly is theright word to say, but when I
look at something like Dune Part2, and I think you know Dune
Part 2 only received one lessoscar than the brutalist.

Speaker 3 (47:27):
I still kind of feel okay about that yeah, yeah, well
, and I mean also, though, likewhat else would have won those?

Speaker 1 (47:35):
I mean, well, wicked, right, and that's where you do
see, wicked when, like wickedwins costume design and
production design, yeah, and sojust to kind of see that split
amongst the craft categories init and nothing really being too
one-sided, I feel good about itbecause, again, I feel like the
Academy did a decent, if notgood, job of recognizing the

(47:56):
real finer details of what kindof separates those craft
categories and giving somethinglike you made a great point in
the theater Max I've beenthinking about, like costume
design for Wicked does make alittle bit more sense than
costume design for somethinglike Dune, because of all the
movement and not that Dune isnot an incredibly physically
challenging film, but of all thesinging and all the dancing and

(48:19):
all the movement that thesecharacters have to be doing in
their costumes for Wicked, forwicked, and so that was another
deserving win, and especiallywhen you listen to that
acceptance speech, um, thewinner being the first black man
to ever receive the Academyaward for best costume design,
just another really nice momentfor the telecast.

Speaker 3 (48:38):
Yeah, I totally agree .
Um, also listen.
The substance didn't go homeblanked.
No, picked up uh best makeupand hairstyling.
That's going to be cool to seeon the cover of your Blu-ray of
the Substance Oscar winning.
You know the Substance.

Speaker 2 (48:57):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (48:58):
However, I will say, was Caroline at the fucking
ceremony?
I did not see her once on thetelecast.

Speaker 1 (49:06):
I mean, I remember seeing her only when she was
nominated for Best OriginalScreenplay and Best Director.
Those are the only times Ithink they cut to her.

Speaker 3 (49:14):
Yeah, I felt like in general the crowd shot like I
didn't really see.
I guess we saw Brady quite abit, especially when Adrian won.

Speaker 1 (49:22):
We saw Timothy and Kylie Jenner a lot.
We saw Timothy.

Speaker 3 (49:25):
I don't think I saw James Mangold once.
No, I don't think I saw JamesMangold once.
No, I didn't see Caroline.
I didn't see Corley, I didn'tsee.
Uh, you know, just, it's reallyinteresting that you don't.
I didn't see Margaret qualityother than up there dancing for
the bond thing.
Um yeah, just really odd.

Speaker 1 (49:45):
It's the conclave team, the team that maybe got
the most screen time.
Yeah, I saw Rafe, really oddit's the conclave team, the team
that maybe got the most screentime.
Yeah, I saw rave uh a coupletimes and lethgow had a little
bit.

Speaker 3 (49:53):
Yeah, um, but yeah, I think it was like colman
domingo, demi moore, timothychalamet were probably the three
most seen, and again, who caresabout that?
But like, I don't know, it'sjust interesting that like you
are a best director, you knownominee and like we're not

(50:14):
showing who these people are andshow who they are and again put
them up towards the front.
Why is Sean Baker?

Speaker 1 (50:19):
so far back and I agree with that peculiar the
categories that they chose toshow clips for, versus the
categories that they had beintroduced by either the actors
that worked on the films, if itwas like for a craft category.
You know, like in costumedesign, lily Rose Depp went up

(50:41):
and spoke about what it was liketo wear the costumes in
Nosferatu.
I like that, I, I like that andI think once, once those
speeches really got going in thepresentation was kind of like
firing on all cylinders, like aquarter and I could be wrong
about this having re-watched itI'm sure you could correct me,
erica but like in the corner ofmaybe the bottom left hand

(51:04):
corner, were they showing clipswhile the people were talking?
Because still, it would havebeen.
You know like no, they had likeconcept art, is that like?

Speaker 3 (51:13):
behind them.

Speaker 1 (51:13):
Yeah, okay, um well, I knew that yes yeah, on on the
stage at the academy awards, butso I can remember oscar's past,
where it's, like you know, itwould be the person doing the
voiceover.
This year I guess it would havebeen nick offerman doing the
voiceover for, like you know,costume design, nosferatu, and
it would be the people like inthe lab, you know, cutting
fabric, stitching thingstogether, dressing it with

(51:35):
people, just like, basicallylittle behind the scenes, clips,
love that.
I want that more than I want youknow someone l fanning telling
me about the corduroy that theygot to wear.

Speaker 3 (51:46):
You can have it both ways, though you you put the
actors out there.
Yeah, they start talking andthen you go to the clips and
they're they're talking over theclips like why not um?

Speaker 1 (51:57):
also, and then, like I'm pretty sure we leaned over
and mentioned like thecinematography award did not
have clips attached to it you'reliterally awarding how the
movie looks yeah, it's, it'sridiculous.

Speaker 3 (52:09):
Well, also like splitting the actor categories,
where you you had, for thesupporting actors, you had one
actor come out and talk abouteach actors, yes, each five
nominees, yes, with no clips.
And then for the acting awards,you had like an actor come out
and just introduce the clips.

(52:29):
Yeah, just like.
Why are we?
Why are we doing it both ways?
Like again, we are awardingpeople for their acting on
screen.
Can I see what?
What the clip is that madesomeone be like I want this
person to be nominated for theiracting it just feels way too
choppy when there isn't aconsistent pattern to it all

(52:52):
yeah, and also like, do we haveto say something nice about
everybody?
like, come on, they arenominated for fucking oscars.
I don't need robert downey jrup there telling me why he liked
each of the nominees yeah,kieran, you are a ray of
sunshine or whatever, like, like, I just you're so charming.
Yeah, you know shit, it'sKieran Culkin.
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (53:13):
I felt the same way.
I was like especially, um, when, uh, what's her name from the
holdovers?

Speaker 3 (53:20):
divine divine.

Speaker 2 (53:21):
Uh, when she did her thing for the supporting actors
supporting actresses, um Iactors, or supporting actresses,
um I yeah, I felt the same way.

Speaker 1 (53:32):
I was like okay let's go like I was just like okay,
we're good, I mean that's,that's it's really sweet and
endearing and but yeah, I'm likeokay, that's where you can trim
a three hour and 40 minutetelecast down to just over or
under three hours.
I think it's like us trying to.
Honestly, though, I get it likeit when we try to plan an
assembly at school, shit nevergoes right.

Speaker 3 (53:52):
But this is the fucking oscars like come on, we
try to play the live podcast.
Nothing ever goes right.
Yeah, yeah I mean it's just.

Speaker 2 (54:02):
It's like it kind of goes back to what I was saying,
like about like the whole bondnumber, like why are we wasting
time by doing this?
Yeah when we could be focusedon the actual movies that are
being honored tonight and thensame with the whole, like I mean
I really loved conan, but thewhole, like I will not waste
your time.
I mean it was funny, but it waslike that was just like like

(54:24):
you're joking but at the sametime.

Speaker 3 (54:26):
I'm like, but you are like I mean, obviously you are.
I mean that's the whole joke.

Speaker 2 (54:31):
But the bond thing for me like felt like a big
waste of time, the little likelike speeches about everybody
and then, like you know, theseare like these are real people
up there like reading off theirown script to say these things
about the nominees and I'm justlike, oh my god, it's like
watching it just was, it wasjust I also have a suggestion,

(54:54):
like if we're going to take awaysomething like the bond or the
quincy jones um, which, again,like quincy jones, huge figure
in movies, especially behind thescenes for scores I don't I'm
you know, correct me if I'mwrong I don't think quincy jones
ever won an oscar, okay, andand so we take those away.

Speaker 3 (55:18):
Let, how about this?
How about we?
How about we?
Do like a super cup cut ofstuff that's coming this year?
Yeah, get people excited, right.
So then there's we're, we'realready, there's already
campaigning, there's alreadyanticipation for the, the
ceremony next year, becausewe're going to show you a super
clip of all the big movies thatare coming out this year that

(55:41):
might, might, be up here nextyear yeah, I would, yeah, like
just stay on brand.
Yeah, I mean like the movies.
Yeah, in the moment.

Speaker 2 (55:51):
Right, why are we selling?
Why are we talking about bondright now?
Like nothing, it's like it'sjust so weird.
And then I mean like I mean the, the Quincy Jones thing, I mean
I don't know, I mean honoringhis life, I do appreciate that,
but I do agree.
Do agree like let's just stayon brand, you know well.

Speaker 3 (56:10):
And if if we are going to do something like
quincy jones, that needs to befor david lynch, totally.
The fact that david and I lovethat morgan freeman came out and
talked about gene hackman Ithought that was great very last
minute, I'm sure, and you knowbecause gene what passed away
last week and gene hackman is atwo time Oscar winner.
He was a huge, huge figure inHollywood for decades.

(56:33):
But guess what?
David Lynch also was amonumental figure who has had
been nominated many times twicebefore for best director.
Yeah, but his movies also likeare just more important.

Speaker 1 (56:48):
They have one of the biggest imprints anyone else?
Yes, um.

Speaker 3 (56:53):
So the fact that he didn't get and and I did see
laura dern there in the crowd-with isabella rosalini, yeah,
who was wearing blue velvet.
So guess what have them bothcome up?
Right, because Isabella is anominee.
So that's great.
Lord Dern is a longtimecollaborator and, like, best

(57:15):
friend of David Lynch, and alegend and a legend and someone
who is loved in the industry, asis her father.

Speaker 1 (57:22):
What are we doing?

Speaker 3 (57:23):
Yeah, yeah, have them come out and talk about David
Lynch.

Speaker 1 (57:27):
Listen, that whole part and I have an article
pulled up here that I wasreading earlier because that
whole moment I had my third cupof coffee in hand at 6 o'clock
or whatever, when the InMemoriam segment rolled and they
were shaking and it was nice,but it felt a lot less than what

(57:47):
it should have been.
It felt a lot less than what itshould have been.
That whole segment was justconfusing to me.
I don't like who's putting thattogether.
This is going to sound morbid.
Are there requirements to makethe cut?

Speaker 3 (58:01):
here.
Tony Todd wasn't on that Listen.

Speaker 1 (58:04):
Tony Todd, michelle Trachtenberg, who just passed
away, shannon Doherty, a coupleof big ones Ken Page, olivia
Hussey, our queen, our queen Imean Margaret Kidder is the
queen, but, like Olivia Hussey,what are we doing?
Not recognizing her?
My guy, alain Delon, yeah, sirRipley, les Samurais, so many

(58:27):
things that are, like, again,monumental that they were
contributors to monumental filmsand moments in international
and domestic cinema, and so I'mjust.
That whole part was weird to me.

Speaker 3 (58:43):
Yeah, they got to rethink that.
Clean that up.
Yeah, retool it, they got torethink that, clean that up.
Yeah, retool it.
And again, if we're not doingBond tribute dance numbers, we
can have more time with that andmake sure we get it right.

Speaker 2 (58:56):
I agree, because that's more important than
fucking.

Speaker 3 (58:59):
No offense than Lisa coming out and singing Live and
Die another day or whatever thatwas Agreed Live and Let Die.

Speaker 1 (59:07):
Invite Lisa to everything, though.
So so I don't know.
I'm looking at I mean, I'mlooking at the rest of my wins
and losses here.
There's really not too muchthat I I have a problem with
other than you know.
Demi more.
I think we all are verydisappointed for demi more Moore
and her not walking away withthe Best Actress Award for the

(59:31):
night, and maybe this is I don'tknow, it's a conversation maybe
for an entire another podcast.
This is a good time to have it,though, right now, because it
is interesting to me.
I've spoken to a few peopleabout how it seems like the
Academy has this tendency tothey're more inclined to honor

(59:54):
and acknowledge a young femaleperformer in a quote unquote
star making role than they arefor a male actor.
Again, talking to our friendHeath about it, it he put it a
perfect way, where he said themale actors have to earn their
dues and the older actresses cannever receive their flowers.

(01:00:19):
And I just thought that was sowell said, because if you're
gonna say, adrian brody's gonnaget this now because of his
career arc, and he started hereand now he's gotten back to here
and it's an amazing thing andit might not ever happen again
for him, and then Timmy will beback.
If that's your reasoning, thenguess what?
Mikey will be back and it'stime to give Demi her flowers,

(01:00:44):
and so I don't know if there isany sort of like no-transcript.

(01:01:14):
You can see a double standardthere in some years, and I think
this is a great example of itwhere on one side of the coin,
we are recognizing the young,new, exciting talent, but by
doing that we are snubbingsomeone who might not ever be
back here again.
And then on the other side ofthat coin, we are recognizing
someone for putting in theirwork and doing all this other

(01:01:36):
stuff, because we think thattheir most stiff competition
will just be back some otheryear.

Speaker 3 (01:01:42):
Right Gosh.
Any more grievances.
Wicked, for you know justicefor W for wicked, but justice
for ariana grande.
Actually, I think alex touchedon this earlier.

Speaker 1 (01:01:57):
I think wicked 2 will will return and I don't think
dune 3 will return.
And that's another thing whereit's like were they banking on a
return of the king moment forthat film?
I don't think that's happening.
I don't think that's anotherthing where it's like were they
banking on a Return of the Kingmoment for that film?
I don't think that's happening.

Speaker 3 (01:02:09):
I don't think that's going to happen.
I think Wicked 2 will returnand yeah, I mean listen.
If Dune Part 2 isn't there,does Wicked pick up best sound,
best visual effects Perhaps?

Speaker 1 (01:02:20):
And then it's a four-time Oscar-winning film,
yep, and if Wicked's not there,dune part two still almost
leaves as like that it wouldn'tbe the biggest winner but as far
as like awards in total, that'swhat happened with the first
film, the first film.
I think the biggest award thatit took home was greg frazier's
cinematography, but it stillleft that night, I believe, with

(01:02:41):
eight wins.
Dune part one, because itcompletely swept all the
undercard um what was?

Speaker 2 (01:02:48):
what else was up for?

Speaker 3 (01:02:49):
uh, visual effects, dune wicked alien romulus
kingdom of the planet of theapes a real genre heavy category
.

Speaker 2 (01:02:58):
Yeah, actually I remember erica, you leaning over
and being like this is a coolcategory this year I mean, I
think all of the the craft likethe craft categories were
amazing and some very like.
I think for me thecinematography category that's
always like one of my favorites,something that's like my
favorite aspect to film already,and so I get really hyped on

(01:03:19):
that.
Um, I think I was like kind ofpulling for nosferatu there
because I just visually, thatmovie was stunning, but it was a
really strong category.
Like a lot of the technicalswere super strong this year.
I don't know that I would havegiven best visuals, though, to
Wicked.
I think, like there's so muchpractical effects happening,

(01:03:43):
there's so much like the set andeverything is all mostly all
practical.
Those flying monkeys thoughyeah, I mean, but like I don't
know, I didn't like but they are.

Speaker 1 (01:03:52):
Are they better than the sandworm playing playing
harp?

Speaker 2 (01:03:54):
absolutely yeah, I mean dune.
That was very well deserved fordune.
But you know what, what standsout to me with wicked is is
really like the performances,especially just what went into
their performances to the prepthat the girls did, especially
ariana grande, um, for that role.

(01:04:15):
So that's what I'm like reallyadvocating for and like wish
people could like really seemore of that, like just what she
did to get there, um and so.
But yeah, I think, like as faras like the craft categories,
I'm like I think the rightpeople won um I do think it's

(01:04:36):
only going to be a matter oftime before a robert edgar's
film does win bestcinematography.

Speaker 1 (01:04:42):
This is twice now.
It's been the lighthouse andnow nosferatu, where perhaps
werewolf, his director ofphotography, perhaps perhaps not
, where his where his directorof photography, has been
nominated, and so I I think wesee that sometime this this
decade, hopefully.
I hope so.

Speaker 3 (01:05:02):
How about a way too early prediction for Oscars 2026
?
Do we have anything that wejust want to put a pin on on
this day here that we can lookback at a year and be like I, I
sniff this out?

Speaker 1 (01:05:20):
I mean, is this going to be a year where you have you
know, we talked about the lackof star power this year.
Now, of course, christophernolan's big, big, loud film, the
odyssey, won't be competing atnext year's academy awards, and
so you won't have someone likenolan there.
You know, I don't think thatgreta gerwig's narnia movies are

(01:05:40):
necessarily going to be oscarfilms, and I don't know if we're
going to get one of those thisyear.
I think that's 2026 so theycould almost be competing
against each other again whichwould be interesting, is
starting to look like anall-time as far as like big yeah
movies, because you've gotspielberg, peel, edgers, nolan
gerwig um, I believe there'ssomeone else in there too, but

(01:06:05):
there are huge movies coming outin 2026 yeah, I mean, and then
and then you are still going tohave your, your international
independent filmmakers likejulia ducarnu is going to have a
film in 2026, you know.
So the the competition will bestiff.
However, in 2025, you know,next year we could be looking at
we'll see about mickey 17,we'll talk about that film.

(01:06:26):
Next week we could have a bongjoong-ho competing against
someone like Paul ThomasAnderson.
It could be really exciting.
Yeah, that could be very fun.
So I don't know, I think thatPTA film will play really well.
I think it's time.
I think that the Academyprobably wishes they could have
recognized a film like LicoricePizza more.

(01:06:46):
It was COVID.
It was a weird time, you know.
I think that I think that nowthis is him getting back to, not
that he's ever been a bigbudget filmmaker, but this is
what like 150 million dollarmovie, um, so I I do think that,
with leo at the center with leo, I do think that that's going

(01:07:07):
to be a real heavy contendernext year.

Speaker 3 (01:07:12):
I think we will see Timothee Chalamet nominated
again for Marty Supreme nextyear.

Speaker 2 (01:07:19):
Yeah, see, I think that I would love well, I mean I
know I would love to see Timmypick up an award, just not for a
complete unknown, like I thinkthat like I mean I haven't seen
it, so I think that is a littleunfair of me to say I I have
only heard incredible thingsabout it.
So I'm not at all shitting onthe movie, I just think that he

(01:07:43):
is like so dynamic of an actorthat like he could win something
, or win an award for somethinglike a little bit more profound.

Speaker 1 (01:07:54):
I feel like I want I don't want to get like struck
down for even saying thatbecause like I love bob dylan,
but um, well, no, but I meanwhat's already happened has
happened, and I think that areally strong, profound role,
like something and call me byyour name which he was nominated
for and lost for, we have tojust wash our hands clean of
that moment.
A film like Beautiful Boy,which has maybe been his most

(01:08:16):
like endearing and enduring role, like that's the one where
people cite, where it's like God, that's when I really realized
this guy is incredible and he'snot even nominated for that, and
so those moments have passed.
And so now it's like what canwe do going forward?
And I do agree with you that,like, had he have won, it would
have been cool because italready would have felt like a
recognition of a new talent.

(01:08:37):
But it's like you hate, youwould hate for him to almost
have the stench and I'm sorry,erica of a rami malik, freddie
mercury, we're playing dress up,we're wearing false teeth and
we're doing a voice playing,we're just in costume the whole
time.
And so I do think that like amore profound, more deserving

(01:08:59):
role is in his future, and ifit's an original screenplay and
it's, and if it's somethingwhere and I'm not sure if Marty
Supreme is an originalscreenplay, but if it is a
character that isn't like justpulled out of a biopic.
That's going to feel a lotbetter to us.

Speaker 2 (01:09:13):
I agree, it almost feels like I want to wait till
he's like really peaking as likean actor for him to get that
award.
I mean, I don't know if thatmakes sense, but it's like.
You know, when I went and sawthis band play a couple years
ago, I felt like there were somany times in the past before
that I had missed my opportunityto go see them.

(01:09:35):
But then when I saw them it waslike the height of their career
and this is the 1917 or 1975.

Speaker 1 (01:09:41):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:09:42):
And I was like almost so glad that I saw it.
I know I've even mentioned thisto you guys, but like I was so
glad, glad I saw in that momentand experienced this like really
big moment they were having,because it felt like they were
kind of like at their peak.
And so it's like I was thinkingabout that with Timothy
Chalamet and I don't know thathe's like it's not that he

(01:10:03):
hasn't already had like reallyincredible success with his
roles, but I think like there'sa little bit better to come and
then we can recognize him inthat moment and then it feels
like the celebration of all theroles in the past you know what
I?
mean he has his moment.
He's so young, he has a reallystrong career ahead of him that

(01:10:25):
the kid is booked and busy, he,he.
I mean I think we'll see itsooner rather than later.
And I and I almost get excitedabout that because it feels like
kind of this, like all right,like what's what, what next?

Speaker 1 (01:10:38):
it's almost like pushing him harder you know, I
agree him playing bob dylan.
The bob dylan role is closer towhat he did in wonka than it is
closer to what he didn't callme by your name that's very true
, that's very true, and yet westill predicted that the Bob
Dylan role is closer to what hedid in Wonka than it is closer
to what he did in.

Speaker 3 (01:10:55):
Call Me by your Name, that's very true, that's very
true.

Speaker 2 (01:10:56):
And yet we still predicted that he would win.

Speaker 1 (01:10:57):
So again, shame on us and congratulations to Erica.
You not only rocked it at thegrand and you know.
Just kudos to both of you.
That is not easy.
We had talked about releasingthat, that recording, as an
episode.
However, unless you wereactually going to go back, cue
us up.
Watch the broadcast replay onhulu.

(01:11:18):
It really just wouldn't makesense.
Yeah, um, and just moreencouragement.
If we do it next year, come outand experience the oscars with
us live and and get to see us bealmost like the analysis that
the halftime team.
However, it's just like every15 minutes and we have four
minutes to really just likepurge our thoughts, reflect on
what happened and predict or oranticipate what's coming next.

(01:11:41):
So a really fun event.
The two of you were awesome atit and again, erica,
congratulations for winning thecompetition.

Speaker 3 (01:11:49):
Yeah, you were great too, alex.
You, you are always the uh, thesteady heartbeat in those
moments and and I reallyappreciate your work.

Speaker 2 (01:11:57):
The steady heartbeat, but the shaky, caffeinated the.

Speaker 1 (01:12:01):
BPMs are a lot higher than they should be.
That that is for sure.
Sure, okay, so Erica will.
She'll be getting back to us,and then we can all collectively
announce what she is going todo for her winning prize of an
episode where she gets to pickthe theme and or format, and so

(01:12:23):
that'll be really cool.
We can't wait to see what Ericacomes up with for that.
As for what's next, here on thepodcast, we will be covering
the release of Mickey 17 andcelebrating the career of the
maestro, bong Joon-ho.
Really excited to talk aboutBong's career.
His films are few and farbetween.
However.
He was working before he reallybecame a household name here in

(01:12:47):
America, and so there's there'sa few movies that I still have
to go back and experience forthe first time, so I'm looking
forward to doing that.
But you know, I've never he'ssomeone whose movies are so
they're also compact in theirown thing that I've never even
thought to like juxtaposesomething like snow piercer

(01:13:08):
versus memories of a murder youknow, and so like I'm really
excited for this exercise, yeah,yeah, he is, uh, he he's a man
who I think touches all cornersof of movie filmography while
while staying, like Erica, I'mnot sure how familiar you are
other than than parasite withhis films, but like I think not

(01:13:29):
sure how familiar you are otherthan Parasite with his films,
but like I think, as someone wholoves horror films, watching
some of these movies for thefirst time if they are your
first time you're going to havea blast, because he is such, he
is a genre filmmaker.
He is like he.
He's like a Guillermo del Toro,he is like a David Fincher, he
is like all these other.

Speaker 3 (01:13:48):
I can't wait to watch mother.
I have never seen mother.

Speaker 1 (01:13:52):
Do you know that one?
I do.
I'm unfamiliar with that one.
I'm excited to watch it too,then.
Yeah, um, so can't wait forthis episode We'll see about
Mickey 17.
I, for me, the jury is out,based on what I've seen and even
the promotional material.
Now, if you have to tell meover and over again that the
Rotten Tomatoes score is 89%,certified fresh, I'm

(01:14:15):
untrustworthy out of the gate.
And so we'll see what happenswith Mickey 17.
But really excited to talkabout Bong's career next week
with the two of you guys.
Until then, please followExcuse the Intermission on
Instagram and the three of us onLetterboxd to track what we
were watching between shows, andwe will talk to you next time

(01:14:35):
on eti, where movies stillmatter.
Thank you.