Ranking Best Picture Winners: Hits, Misses, and Surprises Since 2000

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
how's it?
I'm alex mccauley.
I'm max fosberg and I'm ericakraus and this is excuse the
intermission a discussion showsurrounding the best, best
picture.
As we fully turn our attentionto the 2025 oscar race, we first
want to reflect on the 24 filmsthat have already won the
prestigious award in the 21stcentury ahead.
On this episode, we willcollectively rank every best

(00:27):
picture winner since the year2000, as we eagerly await the
announcement of 2025's winner.
That conversation up next onthe other side of this break.
All right, how we doing it'sofficially oscar.
It's also a holiday.
Today.
We have a pleasant littlemidday pod on our hands.

(00:48):
Max, I'll check in with youfirst, because I know you love
an early podcast.
What is your favorite time topod?

Speaker 3 (00:56):
Favorite time to pod?
I mean, yeah, I love a good cupof Joe with my podcast.
What are you drinking today.
This is just some iced coffeewith some oat milk in it.
Yeah, we had some leftovercoffee from set yesterday that I
was able to take home, so Itook a box home of coffee.

(01:20):
Amazing, yeah, and yeah, justthrew some ice cubes in there, a
little bit, a little bit oatmilk, and shook it up real nice
when?

Speaker 1 (01:29):
when are you at your most creative erica?
When do you feel like you'reyou're most ready to jump on the
mic and talk movies?

Speaker 2 (01:37):
maybe like in the evening.
I like when we at like the endof the day because I feel like I
at like the end of the day,because I feel like I needed to
get all my thoughts out at theend of the day, maybe yeah but I
am highly caffeinated today aswell, so I'm ready a late night
pod is really fun.

Speaker 1 (01:55):
I think going really early, or.
Really late.

Speaker 2 (01:59):
It's a late night chat with your friends, you know
yeah, you know, like a, like areaction get out of a theater 10
o'clock yeah yeah, those arepretty fun straight to the
studio.

Speaker 3 (02:09):
Yeah, yeah you get pretty high from those um, okay,
so we're.

Speaker 1 (02:13):
We don't have anything new per se to talk
about on this episode, but weare fully engrossed in the oscar
race, the oscar season for 2025.
But because we are nowapproaching the first quarter
century mark, we wanted to lookback and, before we get an
actual 25th best picture nominee, rank the 24 films that have

(02:37):
won this award prior to thisyear's ceremony.
So what we did was we allindividually went through,
created a list one to 24, withone being our personal favorites
and then we averaged those outto come up with a consensus list
.
So we will just be presentingthat list to you, the listener,
today and kind of runningthrough our thought process on

(03:01):
where these films wereoriginally ranked for us
individually and then where theyultimately ended up on this eti
consensus ranking.
So how was this exercise foryou?
I'm very, very curious to hearfrom the two of you because, max
, I noticed a lot ofsimilarities in our lists.
Um, I don't know if you haveany thoughts as to why that may

(03:21):
be.
Er, your list definitely moreidiosyncratic, but I love that
because it provides it's goingto provide a lot of perspective,
I think, on some of these films.
So just kind of generalthoughts like is this a strong
list, one to 24?
Like we always talk about howthe Oscars don't often get it
right in the moment, do youthink that our ranking is going
to be reflective of that?

Speaker 2 (03:50):
Um, I don't know.
I well, okay, so I'm laughingbecause because my list is so
different from you guys.
But you know, alex and I weretalking before we started
recording and you know I'm just,I'm pretty set on, like, my
opinion of the Oscars is just Idon't typically love the best
picture winner.
It's never like a personalfavorite, it's never something

(04:13):
I'm like often reaching for.
Looking at the list of thesewinners from the last 24 years,
only a small handful of them doI actually like, and that's just
personal taste, and so I'm Idon't know.
I don't really ever have highhopes for the Oscars.

(04:34):
I don't, I don't know, but I'mcurious, like what.
I'm just I'm so curious whowill win this year?
You know there's some.
It's just it's going to be areal wild card.
I feel like.

Speaker 3 (04:49):
Yeah.
I think I think like the topnine films on my list are like
really, really good films togreat films and everything else
is just fine.
Yeah, that's how you know,there's a lot of a know there's
a lot of, a lot of mediocre, alot of uh.

Speaker 1 (05:09):
I would even go so far as to say fine to
forgettable.
Yeah, I mean in in conductingthis exercise, I went back and
rewatched some movies that Ihave not seen since the year
they won best picture.

Speaker 2 (05:20):
Yeah, a lot of these movies I have forgotten about.
Yeah, yeah, absolutely 12through.

Speaker 3 (05:24):
Yeah, 12 through 24 are movies I'm never, probably
never, going to own.

Speaker 1 (05:29):
I was just.
I brought that up to Ericaearlier as well.
Guess guess how many of thesefilms I own on physical.

Speaker 3 (05:36):
Uh, let's see One, two three, four maybe maybe five
.
It's actually only three, three, and that's on me because I
don't own parasite.

Speaker 1 (05:50):
I don't own parasite that's on me.
That's been one that everysingle time the criterion sale
comes around, I'm like let'sthrow a parasite in the cart and
then I just always forget it'sreturn of the king.

Speaker 3 (05:58):
No country and gladiator is what you uh it's
not no country, actually, it'sArgo.
Argo, you are a yes, you are ahuge fan of art.

Speaker 1 (06:10):
You don't own no country for old men.
I just gift it to my friends, Ibuy it and I give it away.
Um, there may actually?
No, I don't think I do, cause Ijust cataloged all my movies.
There's not even an old DVDlaying around laying around, um
great, great movie, though youknow.
Um, yeah, I mean, I'm.
I'm right there with you whereI feel like the top 10 on my
list are all pretty strong, andthen, once you get into the

(06:32):
teens, it's a little messy.
And they're movies that arefine, yeah, on their own, but
when they have the title ofbeing a best picture winner, it
makes me resent them more.
And I think about all themovies that have come out in the
21st century, yeah, that thosefilms have ended up beating.
And then I look at like, oh, Iown the social network, oh, I

(06:56):
own mahalan drive, I own allthese other movies that were
nominated for best picture,right, um, during some of these
years.

Speaker 3 (07:02):
That's, that's the big I mean the king's speech
like I re-watched about half ofthat movie.
It's a good movie.
It's well made, it's well acted.
Like it looks like a film likeit.
You know like it is.
It is a strong piece of of art,cinema art, but it's not
fincher, it's not sorkin, it'snot kirk baxter beat fucking

(07:25):
social network I rewatchedsocial network this this week
too because I've

Speaker 1 (07:30):
you know, a kind of half and half sort of for this
exercise just to remember whatcould have been, but it's also
just a great background movie.
At this point in my life andI've been plugging away on some
like work data, as it ismidwinter break right now, so,
um, lots of time at home just tohave stuff on and my goodness,
what a picture it's.

(07:50):
So it's so unfortunate that wedon't have something like the
social network on here andglorious bastards on here.
You know, parasite was incompetition with once upon a
time in hollywood, but I'm justso.
I'm thinking there's that's theother thing too.
There's some years that were sostacked where you're like if
you could move this movie out of2017 or out of 2019, like I'm

(08:13):
once again shape of water.
The shape of water.
A fine movie.
Really cool that a genremonster movie basically won best
picture.
However, I would much rathersee get out on this list right
now from 2017.

Speaker 3 (08:26):
Well, yeah, and I think moving films out of years
is really interesting toobecause, like no country for old
men, one of my favorite moviesof all time really deserving of
best picture, but same year asthere will be blood yeah, there
will be blood should await it.
I mean, like if we could haveboth of those movies on this
american gangster that year youhave atonement this year I would
take I would take atonementover no country 18 of these

(08:50):
movies.
Oh, yeah, you know, yeah.
So yeah, it's, it can be toughum, okay, so we all.

Speaker 1 (08:57):
I shared the collective list with the two of
you, so if we kind of just wantto ping pong back and forth, I
think that would be the mostengaging.
Starting with with number 24,I'll lead us off here.
Our worst ranked, best pitcherwinner, with a collective
ranking of twenty three pointsix six.
It was either the bottom or thesecond to the bottom for all

(09:22):
three of us is the 2006 filmcrash.
I re-watched crash yesterday.
Yes, it is amazing that thismovie got I understand it
getting greenlit the intentbehind it is admirable, but the

(09:43):
impact and the way that thisfilm has aged is just so poor it
is it is so unfortunate thatthis film is a best picture
winner.
It's notorious for being one ofthe worst best picture winners
of all time, but re-watching itit's like really egregious how
bad the script is and howstereotypical it is in in um as

(10:06):
far as depicting racerelationships, not only amongst
um you know the, the LAPD inthis story and and the people
within the Los Angeles community, um, but really just like on a
more global level, everythingthat was happening three, four
or five years post nine 11.
There there's like a persianfamily that owns a convenience
store and so there's all sortsof stuff with them being from

(10:29):
the middle east and and racismand and hatred aimed towards
them from the community and it's.
But they are also veryclose-minded and, in their way
of thinking, like this movietries to do something by showing
that like nobody's the good guy, nobody's the bad guy.
Like you know, there's there'sinsensitivity, insensitivities

(10:49):
that we all hold.
But then you just think aboutthe films that have actually
done this effectively like dothe right thing.
I think paul thomas andersoneven touches on this a little
bit in magnolia when he'sshowing so many different walks
of life, and that's also rightthere in Los Angeles.
So once again, just the factthat this film, crash, gets
recognized for this um AmosPerez style of different,

(11:13):
different character arcs allcoming together and, and quote
unquote, crashing together andit wins best picture.
And we're looking back and youknow, I just like it's
impossible to to watch thismovie and not think like fuck
man, like do the right thing, weshould 100% be on this list.
It does all the same things amillion times better.
Um, so I think crash isdeservingly it at the bottom, at

(11:38):
number 24, it's just not a goodmovie.

Speaker 3 (11:42):
Yeah, uh, I'll echo everything you said.
Uh, I did not re-watch this.
I'm glad you did free on voodoooh, I'm sure, I'm sure it's
free wherever it is, uh.
But yeah, I mean again, it iskind of like up there in the
pantheon of worst, best picturesof all time, with something

(12:02):
like driving miss daisy orfucking, I'll say it, forrest
gump like the, the academy justthought they were doing
something so good by awardingthis best picture yeah, and and
like, really, I don't know, justit's so what's the word?

(12:23):
uh, like it's, just it's sopreach, it just preaches.
You know, I, I know, I know ahot word is like woke, right,
but like this is woke before,woke like this is it's just
pandering, it's pandering to theaudience and it's it's not good
.

Speaker 1 (12:44):
And particularly like the performances are pretty not
great either no, I, and I canjust imagine so many and
especially in 2006, so manyolder white academy voters
watching this movie, and maybethey saw some of themselves in,
like the sandra bullockcharacter, and they're like, oh
wow, I need to change the way Igo about my day-to-day life,

(13:05):
like it is exactly what you justsaid is pandering to, to the
older oscar generation.
Um, so, yeah, put at the bottom, fuck it.
Yeah, fuck it.
Uh, you want to take the nextone, because I could say a lot
of the same things about it.

Speaker 3 (13:19):
I mean honestly kind of a if if crash is is like one
of the touchstones of of thatpandering cinema.
I would say green book might bethe the end of it, right, it
takes that long for us tofinally come around and be like
oh yeah, this isn't uh, thisisn't a great way to tell a

(13:43):
story on film, like andespecially when it comes from
someone like Peter Farley um,which is just an odd, odd, odd
thing, that he made this movie,yes, and then that it won best
picture in 2018.
Um, but yeah, again, just a,just a, a remnant of of what we

(14:05):
assume really trying to moveaway from the.
Oscars to be right, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 (14:11):
So we all collectively had either crash or
green book in our 24 or 23spots, so we were very much
aligned on these two picks.

Speaker 2 (14:21):
Uh, the next one we had was the King's speech.
This is one of those likeforgettable movies for me that
I've I know I've seen it, but Ijust it's not my cup of tea.
I I did agree with max, likewhat he said, like I think it's
like like good acting, goodperformance.
But was it, why?
Was it best picture?

Speaker 3 (14:39):
I don't know well, and again, I think what really
hurts this is that it's going upagainst social network that
year which the Social.
Network might be one of thebest movies of this century.
That's crazy the fact that itbeat that movie out.
This is a Todd Haynes movie,correct?
I believe.

(14:59):
No, it's not Todd Haynes.
No, not Todd Haynes.

Speaker 2 (15:02):
No, it's Tom Hooper, tom.

Speaker 3 (15:04):
Hooper Tom Hooper, who has gone on to do a lot of
mediocre work and this movie,again well-made, it feels like
they're kind of using it.
Almost felt like it was shot ona new camera for the time,
because it is kind of flashy asfar as like its technical

(15:27):
aspects and for this kind ofstory to be told in that way.
But, again, completelyforgettable.
When's the last time anybody,anybody, was like hey, we want
to fire up the king's speechthis.
This is a really sleepy pic well, and and it's not even about
like the oscars yes, we want theoscars to be very international

(15:49):
and like it's really, reallygreat that we we do that, but
like we don't need a movie aboutsome king in britain.

Speaker 1 (15:56):
No, I was just gonna say this should have won the
baftas, it should have cleanedup at the baftas, and I'm sure
it did that.
Yeah, but give us, give us thesocial network.
We are americans and we areobsessed with our phones yeah
and for that movie to have sucha strong commentary only a
handful of years after theevents of the film took place
too.
You know, I social networkslike 15 years old now at this

(16:20):
point, which is wild to thinkabout because it feels like that
movie was made with so muchhindsight available to it when
really Sorkin on the script,fincher with the direction, all
the performances, every singlepart of that film was so
reactive, like in the moment,basically to when Facebook and
social media was still reallytaking off there, kind of at the

(16:41):
turn of the decade.

Speaker 3 (16:42):
Um, so amazing stuff.

Speaker 1 (16:45):
And and that's really that's always going to hinder
my, my ranking, my thoughts, myappreciation for anything
commendable that the king speechcould, could, have and did.
Do you know?
Because we we have it hereranked 22nd with a with a
collective average rating of of19.6, so still a little bit

(17:08):
higher actually than the 22ndranking, but just the way that
all the numbers fell, um, kindof the way that they all fell.
So, again, like, this is amovie that if you showed it to
the right person, I'm surethey're gonna sit there and say,
wow, yeah, okay, I can see, Ican see the best picture in it.

Speaker 2 (17:27):
I just can never do that because of the social
network.
It was literally up againstblack.
Swan Uh-huh, what Inception.
And the social network.

Speaker 1 (17:36):
Yeah, that's insane, like yeah.

Speaker 2 (17:39):
Black.

Speaker 1 (17:39):
Swan.
I mean I take I would watchblack Swan 10 times out of 10
before I fired up the.

Speaker 3 (17:46):
King's Speech and you know, I know this doesn't
really go into a best picture,but like Thomas, george Hooper
went on to make Cats you knowlike.
Cats after the King's Speechyou know, on the best, probably
on some best picture fumes yeah,so right in it I'm gonna do

(18:08):
cats.
Um, yeah, it's, it's, uh, it'scompletely forgettable again.

Speaker 1 (18:15):
Fine filmmaking, but it just again feels like old
academy, right as does this nextpick at 21 overall on our
ranking, with a collectiveaverage of of 18, is the artist.
The artist from 2011 is one ofthose movies that I think is

(18:36):
very well respected and wellthought of because of the moment
that it had on Oscar night,which was a really cool, um,
kind of like out of nowhere uhAscension to to victory when it
comes to best picture, andHollywood loves a movie about
old Hollywood.
So this is set in the twenties,about a silent film star, shot

(18:59):
in black and white and, forwhatever reason, really
resonated with with Oscar votersthat year, but again, one that
I think, unless you're going tolook back on it and and just
take it at face value as opposedto comparing it to what else
was out that year, it's just notgoing to be like.

(19:20):
This is not going to be onethat has any sort of cultural
footprint in.
This is not going to be onethat has any sort of cultural
footprint in, I mean, like rightnow, currently in 2025.
We're still within the same 24or 25-year span of this winning,
so you have to bring it back up, but no one is going to think
about the artist in any sort ofmeaningful way in probably the

(19:42):
next 10 years Charming but youknow not necessary.

Speaker 3 (19:49):
Yeah, again, like just a huge miss.
I'm trying to pull up the, letme pull up the other nominees
that year because I bet you wecan find something that was a
little better, uh, than thisfilm the that you uh, that we we

(20:12):
could have, uh, yeah, righthere I'm looking at the like the
the nominees for that year andin my opinion, I don't think it
was a very strong year, but wedid have moneyball, which oh,
give me Moneyball.

Speaker 1 (20:26):
Yeah the artist Also, any day of the week.

Speaker 2 (20:28):
I really like Midnight in Paris.
That's a really great movie.
I don't know that it's like Iwould.

Speaker 1 (20:35):
Can you list them all off?

Speaker 2 (20:37):
Yeah, it's the artist , the descendants, extremely
loud and incredibly close.

Speaker 1 (20:48):
The help Hugo Midnight in Paris, extremely
loud and incredibly close thehelp hugo midnight in paris,
moneyball, the tree of lifewarhorse, that's a that's a
pretty weak year.

Speaker 3 (20:52):
Yeah, very weak year, uh, but moneyball tree of life,
I ultimately the artist is kindof a gimmick film right in the
21st century.

Speaker 1 (21:01):
Yeah, like it is.

Speaker 3 (21:03):
It's a good point.
It is Like if it wasn't asilent film.
Does it still resonate?

Speaker 1 (21:24):
Or is it because it was a silent film and an ode's
an opportunity to reallyacknowledge this person, who?
Who does have a really bigimprint on the movie making
business?
You know, globally speaking,but I don't know.
It's just week year, but it'sat the bottom of our list here
for a reason.

Speaker 3 (21:44):
Yeah, our next film with a collective average of
16.33 was from 2020, and that isNomadland.

Speaker 1 (21:59):
This is the last film .
This is ranked 20th for us.
Last of our films in the 20s,and it honestly would have been
lower if not for us.
Last of our films in the 20s,and it honestly would have been
it would have been lower if notfor Erica Max.
You and I both had it at 22overall.
Erica, the floor is yours todefend why Nomadland makes your
top five best picture winners ofthe 21st century.

Speaker 2 (22:22):
Like I said, like looking at all of my options
here, this is a movie that Ireally enjoyed when it came out.
I, I like movies like this.
It's a very like heartwarmingstory.
I love Francis McDormand.
I I don't.
I mean, I don't know, I I don'treally understand all the hate

(22:44):
about this.
When I was thinking of, when Iwas looking at this and just
kind of reading these reviewsand I'm like, am I like?
What am I missing here?
I really enjoyed this when itcame out.
I, you know, this came out thatyear and seeing something like
this resonated with a part of meand I don't know, this is just

(23:13):
right up my alley.
I like shit like this.
So I, I have it pretty high,you know, with all of my options
on here, you know, and so I I'm, I'm curious to see why you
guys don't like it, I guess.

Speaker 1 (23:28):
Were we doing the pod when this one?
This had to have been rightaround when we started.
Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 (23:33):
It is an interesting win.
I will agree, and then alsolike looking at some of the
options for that year.
I mean, it's like I don't knowwhat a weird time for the Oscars
, Cause that was like it wasCOVID COVID.

Speaker 3 (23:46):
Yeah, that was in like the height.

Speaker 1 (23:49):
Yeah, just things weren't being made.

Speaker 2 (23:50):
Yeah, so I I do understand that, but yeah, I'm
curious just to hear like yourguys is why you don't like it.

Speaker 1 (23:57):
To me this it's.
I consider this movie in likeyou know what.
I would put this on a doublebill with the power of the dog,
where it is a beautiful lookingfilm with a great lead
performance but that I feel likeis ultimately ineffective in

(24:18):
delivering the message that it'strying to send to its audience.
Francis McDormand does not needto be my avatar into a world of
nomadic lifestyle and givingthe finger to Amazon and hitting
the road Like.
This is the kind of movie thatjust needs to be a documentary
and if it, and if it, if the, ifthe reach of this film winning

(24:41):
best picture turns more peopleon to the fact that there are
hundreds of thousands of peopleliving a nomadic lifestyle and
who have, you know, kind ofdetached themselves from society
and form these communitiesaround, I'm sure, the the world,
but in this film mostspecifically the United States
and the American Southwest,which of course lends itself to

(25:02):
some beautiful photography.
Chloe's out is a great jobdirecting this film, but but
again, like it's just one that Ifeel like the the sentiment of
it is is lost on me because ofkind of Frances McDormand and to
her, just her Oscar campaignthat year, getting up on stage
and howling at the moon and allthe goofy stuff that she did,

(25:23):
Like she just became such acharacter of herself, um, during
this campaign, and so I again Ihold that against it a little
bit.
I hold the time in our lives inwhich it came out against it a
little bit.
Um, it's just one that didn'twork for me then, still still
doesn't work for me now.

Speaker 3 (25:41):
Yeah, uh, beautifully photographed but ultimately
kind of a nothing burger like a,and if you're going to go again
, I think the the point ofmaking a documentary is really,
really smart, because we arepretty much dealing with real

(26:01):
nomadic nomads.

Speaker 1 (26:02):
You could make the argument that this is half
documentary or that it'sdocumentarian because so many of
the people are people withlived experience.

Speaker 3 (26:11):
Right, but then to throw a movie star right in the
middle of it is contradictory, Ithink of what it's trying to
say, yes and and really dampensthe message, the meaning, behind
it.

Speaker 1 (26:25):
So no man Land at 20.
What's next?
This might be the first onethat kind of upsets some people.
This is going to piss somepeople off.
I'm here for it, come for me.

Speaker 2 (26:37):
Me too, this is my hot take.
Actually, I have a couple, butthis is a very hot take for me.
Actually, I have a couple, butthis is a very hot take for me.
So at 19, we have everythingeverywhere all at once, with a
collective score of 16.33.
I am a proud hater of thismovie, sorry.

Speaker 1 (26:55):
Just to be clear too, if you did catch, nomadland
also had a collective ranking of16.33 among us.
So our tiebreaker in thissituation was overall oscar wins
.
So not only did nomadland winbest picture, but it also won
best director, chloe xiao andfrancis mcdormand best actress.
However, everything areeverywhere.

(27:15):
All at once picked up sevenacademy award wins the night
that it won best picture, so itgets the higher spot there at 19
.

Speaker 2 (27:23):
this is one of those movies I just it was so
overstimulating to me seeing itpreach.
And I felt like I was having astroke and I just I don't
understand like what I missed,you know, and I I'm like, what

(27:43):
are?
What are we watching?
And, like I am very spiritual,I'm very interested in like some
of the subjects that, like Idid not understand, like what
they were trying to do, and andthis is one of those movies it's

(28:10):
like kept me up at nightwondering, like what did I miss?
Like why am I the only personwho doesn't like this?
Until alex and I reunitedseveral years ago and hung out
and started talking about thismovie and I found a fellow hater
and I was like I've always beena safe space, yeah, and I just

(28:31):
remember feeling so safe in thatmoment.
I was like, thank god I foundsomebody.
But yeah, I, I don't understand, I, I really it's.
I should probably re-watch it,like, but I, I remember it and I
remember not liking it.
I will say I think that, likethere's some technical aspects
of the movie that I reallythought were cool and, like you

(28:53):
know, the makeup was fuckingsick and but I was like all I
could say and I saw it with mybest friend and she left the
theater just being like that wasthe best movie I've ever seen
and I was like what and I hatehearing stuff like that because
I'm like, well, what did I notpick up on then?

Speaker 1 (29:12):
So you know, Word of mouth on this film was about as
strong as I can remember word ofmouth being on a movie ever.
And I think that that reallyinfluenced people's reactions
and feelings coming out of themovie theater.
They were just sort ofconditioned to think they need
to like this movie.
I totally agree.
What I've always said is thatthis is an.

(29:36):
This is a comic book moviedisguised as some art house film
bro bullshit.
And so many people walked outof this movie thinking they just
saw something profound.
And I do agree, there are somedeeper thematic.
There's a deeper thematiccontext to this movie that talks

(29:58):
about ancestry and motherhoodand what it means to be the
matriarch of a family.
You know, like Michelle Ye yo,she's, she's great in this movie
and I love when people havetheir moment.
She certainly had her moment.
But but when the movie alsofeatures just like flying butt
plugs and hot dog fingers andall this other goofy goofy stuff

(30:24):
, it's almost like it's it's theopposite version.
Well, it's just like a cyclicaleffect of, like Nomadland,
diluting their subject matter somuch and then everything
everywhere all at onceoverstimulated us with its
subject matter so much to whereit was completely lost on me as

(30:44):
well.

Speaker 2 (30:44):
Yeah, with its subject matter.

Speaker 1 (30:45):
So much to where it was completely lost on me as
well.

Speaker 3 (30:46):
Yeah, I think also, it really benefited from the
moment that it came, the momentthat it came out in right like
this is 2023.
We are, I I think, like prettymuch officially kind of back to
coming out of our houses.
Uh, marvel is in the middle ofa real dress spell, a real, real
low point, even though, like,right now is a very, very low

(31:09):
point as well.
That low point has continued.
Maybe this is like thebeginning of of that nosedive
and and we.
We need to put a pin on that,because I want to circle back dc
is also like in in completedisarray at this point, and so I
remember when I saw thisoriginally in the theater, I

(31:29):
came out and I was hyped on it.
I thought it was really, reallygreat.
However, on rewatch multipletimes now it is it has dropped
less and less in my mind becauseit is such a you know, yes,
there are themes of ancestry andmatriarch and the
mother-daughter relationship,but then it's also like written

(31:49):
by these two dudes and like theDaniels and like is very real
quiet since this, and I'm sothankful controversy that came
out after the best picture win,that like there was a short film

(32:09):
that featured hot dog fingersin a film fest that they were a
jury on that.
They knew that jurored so likethere was some plagiarism going
on and some stealing of ideasand and it.
When you watch it now, it justjust does feel kind of like a
weird bro-y.

Speaker 1 (32:29):
It's obnoxiously long , too Obnoxious is the perfect
word for this movie.

Speaker 3 (32:33):
That is exactly how I felt.
Yeah, so yeah, this movie hasdropped a lot, in my estimation,
over the years.

Speaker 2 (32:45):
Sorry guys, we don't like it, All right.

Speaker 1 (32:49):
Our next film on the list, coming in at 18th overall,
with a collective ranking of 16, is the Clint Eastwood picture
Million Dollar Baby.
This is one I revisited for thisexercise because it had been a
very long time.
This is one I revisited forthis exercise because it had
been a very long time and I feellike Clint should always get
the benefit of the doubt when itcomes to his features.

(33:10):
Coming off of Jury no 2 thispast year, I quite enjoyed that
movie.
I found myself more notimpressed.
There's really nothing tooimpressive about million dollar
baby good fight choreography ina lot of the boxing scenes.
But I found myself less annoyedwith this movie than I thought

(33:33):
I would be upon rewatch thefirst hour and 20 minutes of it.
It's a really good sports story.
Like it is a.
It is a really well it.
Well, I won't say it'snecessarily well written, but
it's a really good sports story.
Like it is a.
It is a really well it.
Well, I won't say it'snecessarily well written, but
it's a really well paced sportsstory and has a really good

(33:54):
performance by Hillary Swank atthe center of it.
But then the choice that thismovie makes and and what it
leaves you with for a full 60minutes on the back end.
And I it's weird to say like Idon't want to spoil a movie that
came out almost 20 years ago,but like I.
I won't spoil it, because goback and check this movie out.

(34:17):
It's, it's worth revisiting,but it just makes for such a sad
final hour and ultimately endsup being a commentary on
euthanasia.
And and what is quality of life?
And when do we, as humans,decide that we have accomplished
enough and that and that lifeis, and when does life become

(34:41):
worth living or not anymore?
Um so, a heady movie, a onethat it's cool that a sports
movie won best, best pitcher,but but also one that I feel
like it's odd that clint getsrecognized for this.
I mean, this movie is almostlike a silence of the lambs
where it takes all the big five,the only thing because clint

(35:01):
gets director, gets best picture.
It does get five big awards,but it's missing like a
screenplay one.

Speaker 3 (35:07):
I think.

Speaker 1 (35:09):
But Freeman, Morgan Freeman gets supporting actor
Clint best actor, Hilary Swankbest actress, and then Clint
also for directing, and then thefilm wins best picture.
So widely celebrated movie.
That has some redeemingqualities to it, but just, it's
an odd one, it's a really, it'sreally weird the note that this

(35:30):
film ends on the fact that itwon best picture because it is
not uplifting.

Speaker 3 (35:37):
Really interesting that Clint does this in 2002 and
then seemingly decides to youknow cause.
I wonder if he was kind ofthinking about those life, those
themes, right In his own lifeat that time, because he was
probably 800 years old then, andthen he just continues to

(35:57):
prolong his career, coming outwith juror number two this past
year at, you know, 2000 yearsold.

Speaker 1 (36:04):
Um, the man has a problem, he is a.
And listen, I, sir, I commendyou for your contributions to
cinema because, even like rightafter this film, he, he takes
the cache that he builds off ofthe best pitch winner and cranks
out letters to iwo jima andflags of our fathers, like in
back-to-back years or maybe evenin the same year.

(36:25):
I kind of forget the timelineof those films, but like he just
doesn't stop working.

Speaker 3 (36:29):
Yeah, and again kind of how I feel about the King's
Speech, like, yes, a good,prestigious film.
I think something else couldhave been recognized that year,
something else from 2000,.
Was it 2002, 2002?
I think that's what you justwas was is is more memorable and

(36:50):
more important to the theculture of movies the million
dollar baby.

Speaker 1 (36:56):
There is a scene in this film this is a real scene
in a real movie where a younganthony mackie, where a young
anthony mackie is beating theabsolute shit out of jay
berschnell, who plays a youngaspiring boxer with some mental
health concerns, and morganfreeman with one eye he has a

(37:19):
glass eye in this film, that'sright stumbles into the ring,
takes jay's gloves from him andproceeds to beat the shit out of
anthony mackie.
It's incredible stuff.
It's, it's so out of place inthis movie, um, and yet that's
just kind of that's what you getevery now and then when you're

(37:40):
watching a movie from the early2000s is, you know, a couple of
budding stars in really smallperformances and it just makes
for a weird, a weird scene.
So again, there's, there's somegood stuff in in this film, but
it also has a little bit ofthat like hillbilly elegy to it.
It's like with the HillarySwain character and her

(38:01):
relationship to her family,where I again like character and
her relationship to her family,where I again, like I said, I
commend clint.
I I honor clint, I respectclint.
Some of his messaging and thepeople who he is interested in
featuring in his films hasalways just kind of been weird
to me.

Speaker 3 (38:19):
A question to me um, and this film is is not devoid
of that uh, our next film atnumber 17, a film I like a lot
more than you two yes uh, comingout with a average of 15.66 is
the 2000?
What came out in 2001?

Speaker 1 (38:42):
or 2000, so at the 2001 ceremony 2001 ceremony wins
uh best.

Speaker 3 (38:47):
Picture a beautiful mind, yeah, which uh marks.

Speaker 1 (38:51):
You know, russell crowe, he went back to back
these years back to back rightuh, we will talk about the other
film coming up um, there's twoactors actually who end up going
back to back.
We'll get.
We haven't gotten to the otherone yet, but it's, it's right
around the corner.

Speaker 3 (39:04):
Oh, okay, okay, Uh yeah, a beautiful mind I.
It's hard, cause I feel likethere's a lot of nostalgic
feeling around this film for me.

Speaker 1 (39:14):
Is that because you watched it with every substitute
teacher ever in high school?

Speaker 3 (39:18):
I watched it.
Uh uh, that's my relationshipto it.
I I do remember seeing this asa in 2001 as a kid as like a
with my parents, right like itwas a film that like we all sat
down and watched together oneweek, like and it was rated r
and like it was very you know itwas a very like.
Oh yeah, you're gonna.
You're gonna watch thisintellectual film and like this

(39:40):
is garbage prestige.
It is absolute garbage prestige, and I don't know.
There's things to really loveabout, like the espionage of it
all and the ed harris character,and then also like the we're
still doing the thing, though,where, like a-list hollywood
actors are playing people withwith disabilities totally,

(40:03):
totally and well, yeah, and hisjohn nash is, you know, it is
like this whole, like you know,the brilliant man kind of story
arc, but you know, and then he,he crashes down and I will say
the up in.
I think for the rest of my lifethe bathtub scene gets me every

(40:26):
time and it's hard to watch andit's not great, and I
understand that people don'tlike this movie, but I don't
know, I find it a bit charming.

Speaker 1 (40:41):
Yeah, it made your top ten.

Speaker 3 (40:42):
Yeah, it's fair and fine defense but, but yeah, I
cry like a baby every singletime.
He in that, he leaves that babyin the bathtub and then
jennifer connelly runs out inthe rain, stops the car and,
screaming at him, I break downconnelly's great in this movie
unbelievable, unbelievable, butyeah.

(41:05):
Yeah, I don't know.
I would love to hear yourguys's thoughts on it, because
it was low on both of yours yeah, I had in the teens it.

Speaker 1 (41:12):
It made erica's like bottom five yeah yeah, I I'm.

Speaker 2 (41:16):
This is one of the one of the only movies on this
list I've not seen, like thewhole thing, but it's just not
my, it's not my cup of tea, likeI don't know, you know is it
yeah?

Speaker 3 (41:27):
I don't know but I mean, like, is it boring what is
boring?

Speaker 2 (41:30):
yeah, it's just kind of boring, you know, and I'm not
.
I'm not gonna lie like I mean,it's just there's a lot of
movies on this list that I.
That's how I feel that's justthey're kind of boring, but
that's just my personal taste.
You know like it is.
I feel like these aren't moviesI reach for?
I, I completely.

Speaker 3 (41:46):
This is one of those forgettable movies to me I I do
feel like again in like the thegreat man, you know story thing
that's going on.

Speaker 1 (41:56):
It is very much like guys, weird guys, like this
movie um, yeah, I, I think ithas a really good first 45
minutes yeah and then, once thedownfall kind of begins and it,
it does become more of like anespionage story as opposed to

(42:17):
sort of this like discovery ofthis man with this amazing
ability and there's the lovestory aspect.
But it's, I think it's.
I think it's depressing.
I think it's depressing, Ithink it's a tough watch.
I think that it is a littlesleepy at times.

Speaker 3 (42:28):
Um, it's also oddly trying to like six cents you as
well.

Speaker 1 (42:32):
A little bit, a little bit right, Like it's got
a little shot.

Speaker 3 (42:34):
I'm alone too, yeah.

Speaker 1 (42:36):
Howard's.
Ron Howard's just a weirddirector too.
He'd be one that would I mean,like I would love to talk about
some of his movies.
I'm sure, I'm sure one day,yeah, okay, so who's who's up
here, erica?

Speaker 2 (42:52):
Oh yeah, so 16,.
We have Birdman Weird movie man.
We had this.
So our rating is what?
15.33.
Okay, this is fairly low on mylist.
I'm not really a fan of thisone either.
It just was weird.
There's a really.

(43:13):
I love Michael Keaton.
I think there's a really coolcast.

Speaker 1 (43:17):
He's the other guy that goes back to back because
Spotlight had won the year prior.

Speaker 2 (43:21):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (43:21):
Nice, so big Keaton songs.

Speaker 2 (43:24):
This was in the middle of it was yeah, I, I
really wanted to like this movie, but it's just another one of
those movies I kind of forgotabout.
But it it turns weird for me,like with the bird man thing,
like I don't really know how toexplain it.
What do you guys?
Did you guys like this one?

Speaker 1 (43:44):
I can't remember the Birdman is the unexpected virtue
of ignorance.
This is an interesting moviebecause it just it feels so.
It feels like such an outlierin Iñárritu's career where I
just wonder how he got assignedto be the, to be the director of

(44:07):
this film.
Um, always always confusing tome.
I think that keaton is great inthe performance, um, and I, and
I also.
I always like, when you know,talk about a movie that has
almost like a shamalan side toit or hitchcockian side to Like
I don't even know really anybodyelse who I, you know, who, like

(44:28):
Guillermo del Toro, should havedirected this movie or or
something like that, and andmade it almost a little bit more
creepier.
Because this feels again likewe're trying to almost backdoor
in like a superhero movie to tothe Oscars, and so I'm trying to
think where did I let me lookat my list here where I had this
one?
This is like right in themiddle for me.
This is 14 across the board,this was 14, 17 and 15 for the

(44:52):
three of us respectively.
So again, one of those movieswhere I remember I've only ever
watched it the one time and itwas the year that it came out
and the year that it won, and soone that I remember thinking
like oh yeah, like, huh, I getit, but also didn't do anything
for me necessarily.

Speaker 3 (45:11):
Yeah, again, it kind of feels like a gimmicky film
right the whole like in one shoteven though it's not in one
shot.
And you know, films have reallyridden, gimmicks I mean you
know, 1917, I think, is a morerecent example of that.

(45:32):
But yeah, I don't know, birdmanis.
It is such a weird.
It's a weird outlier in thislist as well, right, it's a
weird outlier in this list aswell, right, because it does
feel much more experimental andjust odd compared to some of

(45:55):
these other movies and, honestly, a lot of the time we are
asking for that, we want that inour Oscars, we want the Oscars
to take risk, and I think at thetime this definitely felt way
more risky, but then when you goback now and compare it, it's
just kind of gimmicky and bland.

Speaker 1 (46:16):
I agree with that yeah right next is a film that
I've also been on record for along time.
Um, as far as not really justbeing a fan, I'm not really a
fan of this movie.
Um, it coming in at number 15overall with a collective rating
of 13.66.
Is the Martin Scorsese filmthat departed.

(46:38):
For me, this is one half.
It sucks that this is the moviethat Scorsese gets recognized
for at the Oscars and probablywill be the only film that he
gets recognized for at theOscars.
And then the the other half ofit is just like.
This movie is so goofy.
This movie is so silly and is.

(46:59):
It has eight different tonesand some of it works really well
.
If I could just have a lovetriangle movie between depressed
, mentally unstable LeonardoDiCaprio and Matt Damon working
as this informant, and then VeraForminga is the psychologist

(47:22):
who's banging both of them, I'mthere seated like 100 percent.
But then when you have JackNicholson pulling out dildos and
dirty porno theaters and, andthen the next scene is out,
baldwin and and you know ourbeloved Mark Wahlberg doing this
like buddy cop Boston stand uproutine, and then you have James

(47:44):
Badge, dale and AnthonyAnderson and all these other
guys just coming in for cups ofcoffee and I don't, I don't know
.
It just feels like.
It feels like every to me and Iremember in the moment feeling
this as well, cause you knowwe're like 16 when this comes
out.
So I've seen casino scene, goodfellas, seen all the classics
and just thinking like this justfeels like he's just like

(48:06):
regurgitating all his old stuff.
He's playing the hits FuckingRolling Stones plays a million
times in this movie.
You know it's got the infamousscene of like the rat running
across the balcony at the end.
You're just like being way toocute and and I think that it's
just like not that it's not thatexciting, like it's not that
deep bro, it's not that cool andit just it sucks that that

(48:31):
Martin Scorsese, the man whogave us taxi driver and raging
bull, and even like shutterIsland I rather see him get
recognized for shutter Island orWolf of wall street.
The fact that it's the departedlike it's just a bummer for me.

Speaker 3 (48:48):
Yeah, I think when you go back and look at the
totality of Scorsese, likedeparted is not his, his
greatest film?
And I really do.

Speaker 1 (48:57):
It might not be it's film and I really don't.
It might not be.
It's probably like barely inthe top 10.

Speaker 3 (49:02):
It probably isn't in the top 10 if we're, if we're
being honest.
And honestly I I think whatmakes this movie worse and worse
every time I watch it is isJack Nicholson.
Yeah, Uh, his performance isabsolutely kooky.
Um, he, there are now.

(49:26):
You know, I've, I've, almostevery month I see a new story,
or I see on YouTube, I see in myalgorithm there's like always
some guy telling like you know,he was like the second gaffer on
the departed and he's tellingstories about Nicholson and how
crazy he was Improving,improving, improving he's
rewriting stuff without tellingpeople.
Yeah, he's demanding that.
You know that cocaine scene issomething he demanded happened,

(49:50):
or he was going to walk off thefilm.
So I don't know.
Nicholson, you've given us agreat body of work.

Speaker 1 (49:58):
It's great to see at the SNL 50 celebration.
Really cool that she got outStill kicking.

Speaker 3 (50:05):
I think, unfortunately, this movie is
bogged down because of him, andit's too bad too, because really
it's kind of prime Damon it'sprime DiCaprio.
Leonardo DiCaprio, who, who,leo, it's Prime Leo, it's Prime
Damon.

Speaker 1 (50:25):
I think it's a really underrated, underappreciated
Leo performance.
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (50:29):
And you know, unfortunately, I think it's kind
of.
It reminds me of the 2004Lakers Jack needed.
Wow, you know hurtful you can'tbring in the mailman to a team
that has kobe and shack on it.

Speaker 1 (50:45):
You know what he needed?
Jack nicholson and I'm surepart of him probably thought he
was doing this, but he needed tobe anthony hopkins as hannibal
lecter in this movie he neededto be much more menacing.
He needed to be more reserved.
This is a less is more kind ofrole and he's just so flamboyant
, so outrageous, and it justbrings a whole movie down.

Speaker 3 (51:09):
I gotta rap.

Speaker 1 (51:12):
Do you like this movie, Erica no.

Speaker 2 (51:16):
I don't.
This is just, like you said,just goofy, it's corny and I
it's just not my thing also,it's a remake too, yeah right
like that Infernal Affairs whenI started to find that out like
kind of kind of also hurts it, Ifeel.
I would like Max to introducethis next one.

Speaker 1 (51:35):
I can't, I'm so happy Max gets to introduce this next
one.

Speaker 2 (51:38):
Yeah, I would like Max to introduce this next one.
I'm so happy Max gets tointroduce this next one.
Yeah, number 14.
His favorite movie.

Speaker 3 (51:41):
This movie has an average rating of 13.66.
Thanks to you and I.
It was tied with Departed, butit won six Academy Awards over
Departed, which only won four.
So it will land at the 14 spotover Departed, which only won
four.
So it will land at the 14thspot, and that is the utterly

(52:03):
lifeless, boring musical calledChicago.

Speaker 1 (52:06):
I'm just going to clear out here this will be my
last episode with my formerfriends.
I haven't said shit yet.

Speaker 2 (52:18):
I feel utterly betrayed.
You know, alex, I ranked it 20.

Speaker 1 (52:21):
I haven't said shit, yet I feel utterly betrayed.
You know, alex, I ranked it 20.
I saw your ranking.

Speaker 2 (52:25):
Don't even I feel utterly betrayed.
But you know at the same time,you guys are boys, you're.
You know it's understandablewhy you don't like this movie.
This is for the girls, rightand honestly, you might have
been one of the victims of someof these beautiful women.

Speaker 1 (52:47):
I wish, I'm just kidding.

Speaker 2 (52:49):
But this is infamously my.
I don't like to say like it'sreally hard for me to pick one
thing as my top favorite, but Ithink, just after years of
deliberation, this is myall-time favorite movie all-time
favorite movie yeah, I meanall-time, ever favorite.

Speaker 3 (53:11):
Okay, well, I feel bad, calling it utterly lifeless
.

Speaker 2 (53:14):
It's in my top four on my letterbox.
It is my all-time favoritemovie and I watched it as a
young, 10 year old I was gonnasay, and it really came out when
we were like 13 and I watchedit when I was that young, you
know, I was 10.
I remember dancing to this songto this and, um, I don't know, I

(53:36):
love, I love chicago.
I I'm a.
I love musicals.
I think that, um, this has justI don't even know what to say
about it.
I think that, like the acting'samazing.
I think katherine zeta jones isphenomenal she's, really she's
doing these like incredibledance numbers and singing while
she's pregnant, the whole movieand she looks shout out michael

(53:59):
douglas, yeah, I mean she's just, she's stunning.
Renee zellweger.
I had the opportunity to meether and confess this love, my
love for this movie to her.

Speaker 1 (54:11):
How'd that go?

Speaker 2 (54:13):
it was literally one of the best moments of my life
I'm not gonna lie and she wasthe sweetest angel I've ever met
.
She just was so kind, um, butyeah, I mean, this movie is so
near and dear to my heart justprobably memories alone, but I
watch it constantly, I watch itevery year and I never get sick

(54:34):
of it, which is why I'mcomfortable saying that it's my
all time favorite, because I'venever watched this and been like
it doesn't hit the same as itonce did.
For me, it always hits the same.
The soundtrack always hits thesame Everything.

Speaker 1 (54:48):
In a year that Lord of the Rings film comes out.
And I know it's not the big one, but the Two Towers is
nominated this year as well forBest Picture.
Big one, but the two towers isnominated this year as well for
best picture.
But the fact that chicago notonly leaves with best picture
but five others, for a total ofsix academy awards that night,
yeah, wow, really wild it'sincommendable.

Speaker 2 (55:09):
You know, whatever, we'll give it its flowers it's
such a production and that'swhen I this is where I start to
like, when I think of like abest, the best picture, you know
, the best movie that came outthat year.
I think of like a production,something that was has every
element to filmmaking.
That's just so, next level, youknow.

Speaker 3 (55:33):
But this is the thing , like Wicked does the musical
better than Chicago, like it'sso much more exciting if you, if
you compare, I mean on atechnical level, I just think
that this is so stagey.
They, they, they shot it somuch it feels like 2d almost
yeah, like a play that it is aplay, it lose.

(55:56):
I know but like this is film,like we're if it's.
If if you want to do a play, gomake what they did with
hamilton as a movie.
There just needs to be more.
There needs to be moretechnical style to it.
I also am someone who isextremely allergic to renee
zellweger and richard gear, likeover their whole careers.

(56:18):
I'm just not a person who likestheir performance style, uh,
and find them utterly hard towatch.

Speaker 2 (56:29):
So I won't disagree.
There's a little bit of acringe factor to the acting on
those two.
I'm not gonna, I won't disagreewith that.
I don't think it's like Iwouldn't.
I don't think it's full-blowncringy in my opinion, but I can
see why.
Maybe somebody would say that.
But I actually really like theway like I've never noticed that

(56:51):
, how you're saying like itlooks like a, like a 2d play,
and I'm like because I'veactually seen the, the broadway
play of it too, and I saw itafter like long after the fact.
I saw the movie and I remembermy mom and I went and saw it in
new york and we were just sounderwhelmed and like just I, I
mean, I was just like, ohthere's, because I like how they

(57:12):
are able to like cut from, youknow, their the real life, like
jail scene, and then it cuts tothem like their fantasy version
of it.
I actually like the way thatthey filmed it, because it does
look like exactly what you'dthink, almost like a theater
version of this would be butthey're able to do so much more

(57:32):
because it's a movie, you knowright right so I actually I've
never noticed that, but I Ireally enjoy that yeah, I don't
know.

Speaker 3 (57:40):
Yeah, it's uh.
Listen.
It won best picture and, likeyou said, six awards.
I and I.
You're not the only person inmy life who loves this movie, so
my sister had the movie posteron her wall grown up.

Speaker 2 (57:54):
Yeah, it's okay, if you don't like it.
I'm not, I'm just I'm.
It's okay.

Speaker 1 (57:59):
Please don't I might, after this next conversation,
all you here for number 13,erica um, all right.

Speaker 2 (58:12):
Well, we have coda at number 13, with a collective
score of 13 of 13 13 worked outreally well.

Speaker 1 (58:20):
Yeah, I mean, this is a top 10 best pitcher winner
for me.
I revisited it last night thisis a first time watch that I'll
never forget fired it up I thinkthe night before the oscars,
because at that point there wasreal momentum and and the
mystery was almost solved as towho was going to win best

(58:41):
pitcher this year.
And in this it had beenbuilding, all this momentum had
been building towards coda.
So I was like I have to watchthis movie to see if it's gonna,
to see if it's actually likeworthy, and so I started it at
like 11 o'clock and I and I loveit because this is when I was
already super plugged intoletterboxd so I can go back and
read that first review.
It was like 1am and I'm cryinglike a baby at the end of this

(59:04):
film, and this is coming fromsomeone who is dead inside.
Movies never make me feelanything anymore, unless it's
like fear or terror, um, orthere's some level of like
grotesquery and I'm and I'm likeinto that for whatever effed up
reason.
But like this movie still too,like it still hit last night and

(59:27):
I was getting all choked upwhen she's singing and her
family's watching from thebalcony she's trying out for for
, uh, the music school there andthen driving away at the end.
Like it, it just, it worksevery time on me.
Um, it's it.
You know people aren't speakingin like outrageous boston
accents, but it's a really goodlike boston.

(59:48):
New england movie as well too.
The whole subplot with thefishing and all that stuff.
Troy kotzer is obviously likeunreal in this film wins best
supporting actor at every singleawards body ceremony that took
place that year.
This is, this is one of thosemovies where you can say that it
is a benefactor of coming outduring the pandemic, and I won't

(01:00:10):
argue with you on that.
But this is also exactly whatwe fucking needed.
Coming out of the pandemic wasa a prestigious, a prestigious
like hallmark movie.
That's all this movie is.
It's it's just a lifetime movieof the week with an apple
budget pumped into it, someincredible performances from

(01:00:34):
people to some real deaf actors.
It's not like you got a A-listcast of movie stars to populate
this film.
This movie just feels so livedin, it feels so authentic.
It also, too, has some of thatlike sports movie energy, as she
is like finding her voice andgetting comfortable and singing

(01:00:55):
class and working towards thisaudition to get into the school.
So it it has a lot of that likethrilling nature to it.
Um, and and some of and some ofthese like I it's weird to call
them set pieces, but in some ofthese, um, these scenes that
have almost like more, there'smore stake to them than than
you're just like normal run ofthe mill, um, like kind of high

(01:01:16):
school high school movie, uh,high school family drama mill.
Um like kind of high schoolhigh school movie, uh, high
school family drama.
So I just I fucking love coda.
I will die on the hill of codaas like a worthy best picture
winner and it beats power thenap well, yeah, I mean yes, I.

Speaker 3 (01:01:30):
I will support it anytime to beat power the nap,
uh.
However, on this list, I meanyou, you said it, you said
prestigious hallmark movie.
I just don't see it asprestigious.
I see it as I.
I don't see the budget in it.
Uh, now again I.
I think this is just a a downthe middle of the line film.

(01:01:53):
Uh, for for the best picturewinner, I think on my list.
I had it.
I had it, number 14, I I Idon't right down the middle.

Speaker 1 (01:02:04):
Yeah, I don't hate it .

Speaker 3 (01:02:05):
I don't love it.
I think it's a fine film, youknow, interesting that this was
the first streamer to ever winbest picture.
Um, you know, I think that willhelp its legacy as it goes on.
But like, yeah, it's not whenit comes to like a family drama,

(01:02:27):
uh, of it all, like I, I justcan't get past the, the lifetime
of it, all the lifetime feel ofit and it's inclusive man Open
your heart I'm no, I it hasnothing to do with.

Speaker 1 (01:02:43):
I don't have a bone to pick with you.

Speaker 2 (01:02:44):
Actually you're good.
Erica has us at 18 jesus, Idon't have anything wrong with
the people in it you know thegreat people of new england,
okay, okay I watched this forthe first time last week and I
I'm sorry, I just I I reallypicked up on the lifetime vibes

(01:03:05):
too.
You know, I, I, I liked, I lovea good.
It's like a cute little comingof age story and it's so weird.
I actually watched that girl.
I'd never seen her in anythingbefore and I randomly turned on
some movie on Hulu the other day.

Speaker 3 (01:03:19):
She's in one of the Pirates movies.

Speaker 2 (01:03:22):
Oh yeah, I've never seen her before she was in some
random movie I watched and thenI was like I'm going to watch
Coda and then she was the starof that.
It was just very random.
But yeah, I mean it's a finemovie and kind of looking at my
list now I mean I, it's a finemovie and kind of looking at my
list now, I mean I'm just so badat like ranking things.
Maybe it deserves to be higherthan like some of my other

(01:03:45):
things, but I just thinkeverywhere all at once.
Yes, but I was thinking more oflike just this doesn't feel like
a best picture to me.
It just feels like it's a finestory.
I don't.
I didn't dislike it, I justdidn't feel like any attachment
to it.
It's one of those movies thatit's it'll.

(01:04:06):
I'll forget about it.

Speaker 3 (01:04:07):
You know I will say troy cutster, kurtz cutster,
amazing performance on uh, uhcurb.

Speaker 1 (01:04:17):
You're in oh yes, he is great on the golf lesson.
Yeah, um, yeah, I'm sorry, andI'm fine, it made.
It made the like top half.
It's right there in the middleat 13 for us which I think is
fine I think that's where.

Speaker 3 (01:04:31):
Yeah, I think that's where it belongs that's fair I
agree.

Speaker 1 (01:04:36):
Objectively, I don't think that it's a better film
than anything that's in front ofit right now.
But just personally, like I'mtelling you when I cry at the
end of a movie, yeah, I hear youEvery single time.

Speaker 3 (01:04:51):
See, it's so interesting because this movie
doesn't make me cry, but thensomething weird like a beautiful
mind makes me cry.
So it is, it's odd, you know.
Know, it touches differentpeople in different ways, coda
that's why we're doing this podall right at number 12.
Uh, fittingly again yeah uh,with a 12.66 rating, 12 years, a

(01:05:15):
slave, uh, a particularly hardwatch, uh one, I, I, I think
I've returned to maybe once ortwice, um, but if you want to
talk about like old school,prestigious film but is also
made for the right reasons andby the right people.

Speaker 1 (01:05:35):
It's not like Oscar Beatty.
Yes it is, but it isn't.
It is, but it isn't it is, butit isn't.

Speaker 3 (01:05:41):
Um.
Steve McQueen, excellentfilmmaker, you know he gets his
due here with 12 years of slave,after stuff like shame and
hunger and and honestly I don'tknow if he's gotten back to that
, that level of prestige.

Speaker 1 (01:05:58):
Some of the small acts.
I haven't seen blitz.
Yeah, small acts, small actstuff is really good.

Speaker 3 (01:06:03):
Um, but yeah, I would love to see him return into the
fold.
Uh, because it was reallyexciting when, when this movie
came out and he was a new voice.

Speaker 1 (01:06:12):
Yes.

Speaker 3 (01:06:13):
Uh, in Hollywood so um no-transcript, so um.

Speaker 1 (01:06:16):
Lupita is amazing in this.

Speaker 3 (01:06:17):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:06:17):
Spender's great in this.

Speaker 3 (01:06:19):
Brad Pitt shows up.
Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:06:22):
Brad Pitt actually.

Speaker 3 (01:06:23):
So plan B, it's a plan B production.

Speaker 1 (01:06:25):
Brad Pitt wins best pitcher, he, he gets the Oscar
for this actually Right.
Yeah, which is interesting.

Speaker 2 (01:06:33):
Um, let's see our next one.
Oh is 11.
We have Shape of Water at 10.66.

Speaker 1 (01:06:42):
We have the next four films all clocked in at 10.66.

Speaker 3 (01:06:47):
Unbelievable.

Speaker 1 (01:06:48):
Yeah, pretty crazy.

Speaker 2 (01:06:51):
This is a top five for me Top four actually.
I love this movie.
It's beautiful and I know thatit's not everyone's cup of tea
and I totally get that.
It took a little bit of it hadto wear on me a little bit like,
I think, that initial shock ofwatching this.
You're just kind of like, oh,what am I watching?
But it's.

(01:07:12):
I think it's gorgeous.
I think it's a beautiful likefantasy love story and I don't
think it gets enough hype.
It's one of those movies Idon't hear anyone talk about
anymore.
But I love Guillermo del Toro.
I think it's one of my favoritemovies of his.

Speaker 3 (01:07:30):
Again.
Honestly one of the weirdestBest Picture winners of all time
.

Speaker 2 (01:07:34):
It's weird, it's weird and.

Speaker 3 (01:07:36):
I understand like the themes are, like you know,
loving, finding love, no matteryour diff, the difference or
whatever.
Sure, but it is literally abouta woman and a fish man.
Yeah, uh fine, falling in love.
And you know it's got parts ofFrankenstein and beauty and the
beast creature from the creaturefrom the black lagoon and all

(01:07:58):
this stuff.
I think much like departed.
I just I don't think this isDel Toro's best work.

Speaker 1 (01:08:06):
It's not.

Speaker 3 (01:08:07):
And you know.

Speaker 1 (01:08:09):
I, I am, I am, which is not this movie's fault.
It's not more of a blemish onthe Oscars record.

Speaker 3 (01:08:15):
Yeah and I, I do feel like again, it blemish on the
oscars record.
Yeah and I, I do feel likeagain, it is kind of like a oh,
it's his time, let's award guesswhat it?

Speaker 1 (01:08:23):
fucking wasn't his time, dude and now here's the
tough thing, because it this iswhat what this whole entire
episode you're gonna take.
One thing away from this isthat the oscars don't know how
to recognize people in the righttime at the right time in the
moment, because what should havehappened this year is you
either give it to a jordan peelefor get out, yeah.

(01:08:44):
b greta gerwig for ladybird,yeah, or c luca guadagnino for
call me by your name yeah, allthree of those films are head
and shoulders above the shape ofwater, which I agree is a cool
science fiction fantasy filmwith amazing production design.
Yeah, all of the stuff in thelaboratory productions are, or

(01:09:05):
the performances are, great.

Speaker 3 (01:09:07):
Yes, you know Doug Jones, a guy who is always under
a mask, like you know, gettinggetting recognition here.
Finally, yes, michael Shannonis really awesome in this movie
and nasty.

Speaker 1 (01:09:22):
Yeah uh, octavia, spencer's really good yeah, uh,
richard jenkins.

Speaker 3 (01:09:27):
Richard jenkins is wonderful but uh, sweet, sweet's
a word that you can use todescribe him in this movie.
But yeah, I mean, when you lookat just those three other three
films alone, it's a little yeah, it's a little disappointing.

Speaker 1 (01:09:50):
So, after the Shape of Water, we enter the top 10.
At number 10 for us, with acollective ranking, once again
of again, of 10.66.
However, this film wins fivetotal oscars.
Compared to the shape of waters, four is the first picture from
the 2000s to win best picture.
Ridley scott's gladiatorgladiator.

Speaker 3 (01:10:15):
Seven for max, three for me, 22 for erica krauss we
know, we know, listen, we'vebeen talking a lot of gladiator
this year especially erica'srelationship to the gladiator to
the gladiator, to the gladiatorfilm universe, um gladiator she
met that night gladiator 2 hasreally put a blemish on this

(01:10:39):
film.
For me has it.
That sucks.
Really don't ever watchgladiator 2, alex yeah, I've
still yet to do it.
I'm telling you right now, itruins the character of maximus
so hard that like that movie nowmeans really nothing.

Speaker 1 (01:10:59):
Damn that sucks Cause .
I think this is an incredible,incredible film.

Speaker 3 (01:11:05):
It's.
It is a really good sword andsandals film it is.
It is again one of our favoriteRidley Scott films.
Um, I can't remember how far itmade it in the bracket.
I.
I feel like I got upset bykingdom of heaven and neither
the elite eight or the finalfour so, yeah, it's in the top
10 of ridley scott, but, man,gladiator 2, and the more I've

(01:11:28):
thought about gladiator 2 andits relationship to this film
and, again, what it does to thestory, to the core story and
themes of this film, uh, and I,and again, I don't know if that
was the intent, the initialintention of ridley scott, or if
he was just coming for apaycheck this this past year,

(01:11:51):
but man, uh, unfortunately Ijust think it.
It really hurts, gladiator,which why I had to drop it out
of the top five yeah, I just I,I don't have that relationship
to it.

Speaker 1 (01:12:03):
So I'm I'm happy, yeah to, to be able to just to
keep it in the top five, um, andand celebrate it for not only
everything that it does forridley's career.
As far as I know, he's stillyet to ever win an Academy award
.
You know him to his name.
Especially for a director, thiswins for best picture, which

(01:12:26):
goes to the producers of thefilm, and this is not a Scott
free picture.
So it does a lot for Ridley, asyou know, without giving him an
Academy award this year.
But I it's just, I think, oneof the best stories, best on
screen depictions of, like therags to riches, um, and it was

(01:12:48):
it does all odds so right.
Venge story it does everythingso good.
Russell Crowe's phenomenal, ofcourse.
Joaquin Phoenix is amazing andthis movie Jaimon Honsu comes in
and is really good.
For a while it's just theentire production.
You know the, the animals andthe coliseum, everything just
feels so real.

(01:13:09):
Like you watch this movie nowon a good blu-ray or on 4k and
it it looks amazing.

Speaker 3 (01:13:16):
it looks like how you want a film to to appear like
it's, just it's, and it might bea little unfair for me to hold
it hostage because of gladiator2 but again, if gladiator 2
wasn't trying to retcon what thethemes and story was of
gladiator, then I would be lessless inclined to to mark it down

(01:13:42):
because of that.
Do you want to speak any moreon the gladiator problem?

Speaker 2 (01:13:50):
Well, I didn't see.
I didn't see gladiator too.
Oh, the problem I have with it.
Well, I, it's just because ofmy like experience.
It's my experience experience,which I don't even think.
I said that on the podcastbefore but I mean just I was
introduced to this movie with bya man who like mansplained it
the whole time on a first day.

(01:14:11):
It was just so awkward, notsomething that I'm like really
gonna like first all.
Don't put gladiator or anymovie like gladiator on when
you're trying to not set a mood,it's straight out of Barbie
when they do the the godfather.

Speaker 3 (01:14:26):
Yeah, and we all explain when I told you guys a
story.

Speaker 2 (01:14:29):
I think you guys actually use that as an example.
It's like let me play theguitar at you.
It's like let me play gladiatorat you.
You know, I'm just like reallyout of all the movies we could
watch to end our date isgladiator in wicker park.

Speaker 1 (01:14:42):
Come on, the bag is deep whatever, but anyway that
dvd on hand I there's no blu-rayI just hold on to the wicker
park dvd for moments like that Iwould have preferred wicker
park over Gladiator.

Speaker 3 (01:14:58):
Most people.

Speaker 1 (01:15:01):
Four out of five dentists recommend Wicker Park
over Gladiator.

Speaker 2 (01:15:05):
I did rewatch it, though, a few months ago, just
to like, okay, I'm going towatch it for my first real time,
and it was just.
The moment has passed for me.
It's been too long, it came outtoo long ago.
I felt like it was corny, Ifelt like it was just cheap and
I and I know I'm sorry, but it'sjust like it's there's movies

(01:15:28):
like that that they, you, youhave if you're not watching it
in the moment or around thattime and you're just coming to
it with like 20 something yearslater.
I mean that.

Speaker 1 (01:15:42):
I mean, this is our version at least, like.
Personally, this is my versionof like this movie comes out.
When I'm 10 years old, I knowmy dad sat down and showed it to
me like a year or two later andit's just like this is fucking
dad core.
This is awesome.
This is a great movie, and sowhen you watch this at 12 years
old versus 30 years old, likethe impact it's going to have on

(01:16:07):
you is way different I'm 32,but thank you for the compliment
.

Speaker 2 (01:16:14):
Yeah, no, I totally agree and like that's what I'm
saying is like I didn't watchthis as a kid I never.
The first time I it was thatdate and I'm like in my 20s, you
know, like I I it's just thisis not my kind of movie, this is
, I mean, I think that I wasreally stoked to see gladiator 2
, because this is where I getexcited about movies like this,

(01:16:35):
where I'm like okay, my momentkind of passed because it feels
older, you know, it feels likethe the production might not
have been like what I would beused to now or like what I'd
want to see now.
So then I like I see gladiator 2come out and I'm like cool, I
get a moment to like appreciate,like, like, I like movies like
this, I love a good action andso like for me.

(01:16:57):
But then, hearing how badgladiator 2 is, I just didn't, I
didn't watch it.
But um, yeah, which isunfortunate, but I, I would like
those moments to be able tolike appreciate it, but it's
just, it's too far gone for me,I guess it's gonna be really
interesting.

Speaker 3 (01:17:15):
We were talking about this in our super secret group
message with Marcus Baker today.
The Odyssey from ChristopherNolan is coming.
A sword and sandals epic itwill be.
I think it is a turning pointto see if these kind of movies
can still work.

(01:17:36):
Also, you know the Odyssey isgoing to still work.
Uh, also, you know, the Odysseyis going to be somebody's
gladiator right.

Speaker 1 (01:17:43):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:17:44):
Someone who's 10 years old is going to get sat
down by their dad in the next,you know, 18 months and they're
going to put on the Odyssey andit'll be really interesting to
see how Christopher Nolan doesit.
Um, you know, I hope.
I hope he's shooting forGladiator and not Gladiator 2,
which I'm guessing he is,because he is such a purist.

Speaker 1 (01:18:07):
But we'll see, we will fucking see what else is on
that list of Wicker Park DVDs.

Speaker 3 (01:18:14):
Swim Fan.
Swim Fan's pretty good theGlass.

Speaker 1 (01:18:18):
House you ever see.

Speaker 3 (01:18:21):
That one with Levy Sobieski, that's a good one.
Yes, the glass house, oh goshswim swim fans right there with
it what's the one with uh, uh,fucking matt dylan and wild
things?
Yes, wild is on that list.

Speaker 1 (01:18:36):
It has to be up there .

Speaker 3 (01:18:39):
This is a that's an episode For Patreon.
Patreon only First date steamy,hot sex movies.

Speaker 1 (01:18:49):
When you're trying.
Yeah, we'll just end theconversation there.

Speaker 3 (01:18:53):
The next film on our list, number nine, just a
totally natural transition intokatherine bigelow's uh, best
picture winner katherine bigelowwins best picture for the or
her film wins best picture forthe hurt locker uh, again, at
10.66.
It won six academy awards asopposed to five and four for the

(01:19:16):
last two movies.
Hurt locker, a movie I thinkI've only returned to once.
However, I believe I own a dvdof it.
Uh, probably up for a rewatch.
You know, I I can't rememberwhere I ranked this.

Speaker 1 (01:19:31):
I wanted to I wanted to get back around spot yeah, I
wanted to get back around tothis one too.
Um, you and erica both had itat 10.
I had it at 12.
One that I remember very fondly, but that has been probably
close to like 10 years sinceI've seen it, or however long
this movie came out.
I don't know what year this onein, but I don't think I've seen
it since 2010, because it beatAvatar.

Speaker 3 (01:19:52):
That was the big story around it that she beat.

Speaker 1 (01:19:55):
James Cameron Wouldn't have been 2010 because
that was Social Network.

Speaker 3 (01:19:58):
But around that time, Excuse me 2009.

Speaker 1 (01:20:01):
Yeah, I know she beat Cameron for director.
That's correct.
So yeah, it's been over 10years since I've seen this movie
.
But so intense, such a goodmovie.
Renner's on fire in this filmyeah.

Speaker 3 (01:20:11):
Renner, before we know who Renner really is, and
like Anthony Mackie, again, likeshowing up Both those guys
doing stuff before, interestingstuff, before they get swallowed
by the marvel machine.
Um, but yeah, intense.
You know the realism of it.
It's a, it's a military movie,but like in a different vein of

(01:20:32):
military, which I, you know, Ifind really, really interesting,
it's not?
Well, like a military likejarhead, where we're out
shooting people, right?
No?

Speaker 1 (01:20:40):
and it's not like a saving private ryan, where it's
where, um, you know, it's likemen on a mission, like one
single mission type of film.
What I always ask for in anymovie that I'm watching, but
especially one that's like quoteunquote, going for something.
Is it like I want to?
I want to learn something, or Iwant to feel like I'm being
like kind of taught or let intoa world that I don't know

(01:21:01):
anything about, and that'sexactly what this film does.

Speaker 2 (01:21:04):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:21:05):
And I think that's what makes it so engaging.

Speaker 2 (01:21:08):
Yeah, I agree, I really liked this movie when it
came out, but another movie Ihaven't watched in quite a while
.
But I like Catherine Bigelow, Iloved Zero Dark Thirty.

Speaker 1 (01:21:16):
Yes Again.

Speaker 3 (01:21:19):
I think Zero Dark Thirty.
I think Zero Dark Thirty,stronger film.

Speaker 1 (01:21:22):
Stronger film.
I know that some of it is agedpoorly as far as historical
accuracies and some of theliberties that the filmmaking
process took with Zero DarkThirty.
But what Bigelow did with HurtLocker and Zero Dark Thirty like
put that on a double bill and Iwill be seated for both those
films.

Speaker 2 (01:21:41):
I agree, let's see.
So at number eight we haveSlumdog Millionaire another
10.66 collective for the threeof us.

Speaker 1 (01:21:55):
But this movie won eight Oscars.

Speaker 3 (01:21:58):
Yeah, they came out probably the sweetest movie left
on this list right um sweetestmovie.

Speaker 1 (01:22:07):
I don't know, depends on how you feel about number
one as being a sweet film, um,but this movie re-watched it
yesterday is it is sweet, it hasa happy ending, but it's
extremely dangerous.
This entire film is a.
It's a thriller and I don't Idon't necessarily want to say

(01:22:30):
that it is, you know, cribbingfrom something like city of god,
even though I do think that thefilm style is.
But danny boyle is such a he'ssuch an auteur like I cannot
wait for 28 years later to comeout so we can do a huge danny
boyle episode because he is suchan interesting director.

Speaker 3 (01:22:48):
He takes risks and he's a great.
I don't know, I don't think heedits his films, but the way he
lets his films be edited, uh,yeah, he is.
He is a real unique uh builderof a film.

Speaker 1 (01:23:03):
And now you can say that this film also revolves
around a gimmick, and I wouldn'targue with that, but with the
game show who wants to be amillionaire centered at the core
of this film.
And then every single questionleading to a flashback vignette

(01:23:24):
of how the dev patel characterknows the answer from lived
experience.
It is repetitive, but the waythat it's experimental.
It's experimental in the waythat it's presented, the way
that it's presented, the waythat it's edited, the way that
it's scored, the theperformances that the young
child actors are amazing in thismovie.
It's so good at like I had notwatched this movie in over a

(01:23:49):
decade and I put this in myletterbox review.
I could not believe hownostalgic I was for certain
moments that I just like knewwhen they were coming.
I was like, oh, this is thescene where that's about to
happen.
Or like even when they're onthe game show and the guy who is
in like the Regis Philman role,who is the host of the show
even him just saying who wantsto be a millionaire is so iconic

(01:24:13):
, like that line reading is sogood.

Speaker 3 (01:24:17):
I had a blast rewatching this movie also, uh,
frida pinto, step on me please I, I can't with the step on me, I
yeah hey, at the same time,this is when so many young women
and men around the world, devPatel, found out about Dev Patel

(01:24:40):
.
One of the most handsome men ofall time.

Speaker 2 (01:24:43):
He is truly just a stunning human being.

Speaker 3 (01:24:47):
Really Honestly and one of my biggest Hollywood
crushes.
Like the facial structure isunbelievable.

Speaker 2 (01:24:52):
And he's tall, he's got a great voice.
And he's British.

Speaker 1 (01:25:00):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:25:00):
Danny discovered him.
On on that he's going to aplace I mean, did you see monkey
?

Speaker 1 (01:25:04):
monkey man no, but but slumdog is that like I don't
want to just leave withoutreally recognizing very, very
slumdog millionaire is such agood movie it's really good and
it is a really sweet movie.

Speaker 2 (01:25:19):
I do agree with that.

Speaker 1 (01:25:21):
I did, you know the end, the end credit scene, when
we're doing like the bollywoodjolly ho with the subway and
everything.
I'm just like can we end allmovies like this, please?
Yeah, yeah, I would love to seethat at the end of return of
the king.
Yeah, yeah, I would love to seethat at the end of Return of
the King, just Aragorn and theboys.

Speaker 3 (01:25:39):
I mean, we did, we did eight other endings.
Might as well throw that inthere, let's see.

Speaker 1 (01:25:48):
Is it me?
Yeah, yes, yes, it is you.
Oh, great, I get to talk aboutnumber seven, with a collective
rating between us of 8.66.
The film Spotlight.
Spotlight is an incrediblyimpactful, important movie,

(01:26:12):
exact kind of film that shouldwin best picture, if for no
other reason than to once againprovide scope and awareness to a
situation that's happening inboth our political and societal
uh you know climate that thatwe're all sharing and living in,
and so what this movie does asfar as uncovering the incredibly

(01:26:38):
upsetting transgressions of thecatholic church in the boston
area is, it's so well done.
The performances in this arereally, really good, an
incredible ensemble cast in amovie that it's odd to call it
rewatchable because it is soheavy.

(01:26:59):
But we've talked about this foryears, max, as far as, like you
can fire up spotlight in a waythat doesn't make sense.

Speaker 3 (01:27:10):
Totally, it is.
You know, journalism movies, Ithink for some reason are just
incredibly compelling, andespecially when they're hard hit
, hard hitting, and they're madeon this level.
I mean this movie gets you know, uh, compared to all the
president's men, right, Like itis kind of our generation, all

(01:27:31):
the president's men, like it isthe conspiracy of it, all the,
the group that is assembled, theperformances are amazing, Even
even if Mark Ruffalo goes, goesbeyond the fucking.

Speaker 1 (01:27:48):
I felt like Mark Ruffalo, the center field wall
running, running back to thehouse to shower from pickleball
before you guys got here.
So that I didn't look like MarkRuffalo running or riding his
bike to the office, whateverhe's doing he's, he's, he's
incredible.

Speaker 3 (01:28:05):
But yeah, I don't know, I don't know.
I love that what you said there, that it is like it is utterly
rewatchable, but indescribablyfor the reason why?
Like you know, because it isutterly rewatchable, but
indescribably for the reason whylike you know, cause it is a
dark movie.
It is an extremely dark, dour,sad movie but, man, it is

(01:28:25):
expertly made, um, and expertlyacted and and and and again I
there's something about like thethe good, hard hitting, honest
journalism movie that I thinkreally, really, when it's done
well yeah uh, can, can go downI'm glad we don't get movies

(01:28:45):
like this all that often yeah, Ithink that's also kind of
something that, and you know, II think there's a run of those
movies after spotlight you knowsomething like the post or
bombshell or you know people dotry to to cling on to it, but
you know we're not talking aboutthose movies.
So spotlight is is one of thebetter like again, adult dramas

(01:29:10):
that it centered in real life,like it's just a, it's just a
well-crafted movie.

Speaker 2 (01:29:17):
This is one of those movies that I had to kind of
grow to appreciate because I wasvery disappointed.
This was probably one of mymost disappointed years that I
had been at the Oscars becauseit went up against Mad Max, fury
Road, which cleared awards thatyear, and the Revenant and two

(01:29:39):
movies that I just absolutelybelieved would like were
deserving of that win.
And then I remember watching Ilived in LA at the time that
when Spotlight won it was justsuch an upset and and I didn't
know what I mean, people werelike what is this movie?
Like, what is what is spotlight?

(01:30:00):
And and I do, I I do agree nowlike that it's I.
I think it's an amazing movie,it's really important, it's
great, it's got amazing acting.
But I just at at the time, Imean it was such an uproar that
this movie won and I mean, andif you, if you, I'm like looking

(01:30:20):
at it right now, just like theawards, later the the nominees,
and I'm like it's, I don't know,it's crazy.
I think the revenant could haveeasily taken that mad max, but
I am biased on mad max.

Speaker 3 (01:30:33):
But it is.
It is really interesting tothink about Like, yeah, if, if
we had if we ever do like a, anepisode where we like pick the
best movie from each year, right, like does Mad Max?
I think Mad Max probably beatsspotlight Maybe as far as like

(01:30:54):
legacy and and like yeah, youlike yeah you know uh importance
to to the art of cinema, sure.

Speaker 1 (01:31:03):
Cause.

Speaker 3 (01:31:04):
Mad Max is is insane.

Speaker 1 (01:31:06):
It's a game changer.

Speaker 3 (01:31:07):
It is.
It's a total game changer.
But I don't know if there'ssomething about spotlight and
again I think it does.
Again it demands rewatches.
That like it just builds everytime.

Speaker 1 (01:31:18):
The importance of the film is undeniable.
Yeah, so happy to see it onthis list and comfortably inside
the top 10.

Speaker 3 (01:31:26):
Yeah, On to our number six.
Yeah, I feel bad about this.
Yeah, this, this is tough.
Listen.
The top six I feel like almostanything could be at number one,
right, but with an averagerating of 6.33, with four awards

(01:31:51):
won at the Academy Awards,2019's Parasite comes in at
number six.
The floor is yours, erica.
Four awards won at the AcademyAwards 2019's Parasite comes in
at number six.

Speaker 1 (01:32:01):
The floor is yours, erica, where?

Speaker 3 (01:32:07):
was this for?

Speaker 1 (01:32:07):
Erica, 14.
14.
I had it at two, you had it atthree.

Speaker 2 (01:32:12):
I'm really losing friends over here Jeez Alex is
mad at me today, I okay.

Speaker 1 (01:32:21):
I just want to give you a platform to speak your
truth.

Speaker 2 (01:32:25):
I don't understand.
This is one of those moviesthat, like, I don't I'm missing
something.
Personally, I don't know why Idon't know why I don't like this
movie.
It's not that I don't.
It's not that I don't know why.
I don't know why I don't likethis movie.
It's not that I don't.
It's not that I don't like it,it's just that I don't
understand why people love it somuch.
I think it's an amazing.
I think it's beautiful, I thinkit's a great movie.

(01:32:46):
I don't get it, though.
Like I don't really, I thinkmaybe, like I'm trying to wonder
, like at the time, I feel like,for whatever reason, somebody
was telling me that this was ahorror movie, so I expected
horror.

Speaker 1 (01:33:02):
It dips its toe.
I was going to say I wouldn'tsay it's not.

Speaker 2 (01:33:04):
Yeah, but I just think I had I don't know, I
didn't see it in theaters.
I kind of missed that mark, butthere's so much.
Everyone collectively agreesthat this movie is incredible.
I, I don't know why, I don'tlike think that, I don't know

(01:33:25):
why.
I just it's not my cup of tea,it's just.
This is purely.
This is like when I made mylist, this is really just like
personal taste, like what I amwatching or what I the kind of
movies I gravitate towards.
And this was a movie like I it,I don't know, it just didn't do
it for me and I and I tried tore-watch it.

(01:33:46):
Um, actually, yesterday I wasjust kind of like skimming
through and I'm like, okay, liketrying to see it in a different
light, see like what my friendssay about it, and I just I
don't know, it just doesn't, andI just I don't know, it just
doesn't do it for me.

Speaker 1 (01:33:58):
I don't know why I mean no, you did the assignment.
You did the assignment.
You understood the assignmentand you completed the assignment
.
Um, yeah, I just.
I'm surprised to hear that,though, because I do feel like
this this is a thriller thatwins best picture that has
touches of.

(01:34:18):
there's, there's horror elementsto this.
There are certainly somehorrifying displays of of
humanity and the way that, youknow, class warfare is very
secretly and subtly wagedbetween different people.
And and I just think that, likewhat bong joon-ho did with this

(01:34:40):
film was was so needed at thetime that the oscars were trying
to go younger, go moreinternational and be more
diverse in their picks, becausethis was the year where a lot of
folks thought 1917 was going towin, which which is very
classic old Hollywood, you know.

(01:35:00):
Sam Mendes does a lot of coolthings in that movie and it's an
interesting story, but it wouldhave been the old guard right
Once upon a time in Hollywood,which is a movie about making
movies, which we know the Oscarsloves to be, you know, self
masturbatory about, has a greatopportunity to also win Best
Picture this year, and then whatthe Academy actually does is

(01:35:23):
award the movie that I thinkwill live on as far as being, I
think, for this entire century,like a consensus top 10 Best
Picture winners.

Speaker 2 (01:35:34):
And let me just say something like and this is so
not any hit towards like foreignfilms, but this is a personal
struggle I have is that Istruggle really, and like having
adhd when you have subtitlesand an amazing story.
I'm I'm such a visual learnerthat I really rely on just being

(01:35:56):
able to hear the story, and soI'm trying to follow.

Speaker 1 (01:35:59):
Focus on the center of the screen.

Speaker 2 (01:36:01):
Yeah, and, like you know, one of my all time
favorite movies, pan's Labyrinth, is obviously in subtitles.
I've seen it though enoughtimes, I know it's going on, I
don't even have to pay attentionanymore.
But that's a movie that I hadto like, really work to
appreciate it.
Because of that it's in aforeign language.
Movies like this too I just Istruggle with.

(01:36:22):
It takes me out of the movie.
You know, and and I'm not, Ifeel like I always say that
people are like people.
You just don't like foreignfilms, and I'm like that is so
not true that I don't naturallyput that on, because I I need to
pay attention to, like whatthey're saying.
But then I'm not watching likethe story.

(01:36:43):
It just it really takes me outof it and I think, and I I think
, if anything, if I understandwhy I don't appreciate this
movie more, is because of that,you know it's unfortunate it is.

Speaker 3 (01:36:53):
It is a.
It is a skill that you have topractice at watching
international films and beingable to it is.
It is really hard and I used tobe in that same boat, like where
international films just didn't.
I think City of God might havebeen the first one that really
unlocked, like oh there iscinema outside of England, Like

(01:37:14):
you, just you really do have tolock in and like give yourself
over, so that is a really hardthing to do.
Um, I love this movie cause Ijust think it's a.
It's an amazing blend of ofdark comedy, of satirical, like
class warfare thriller.

(01:37:35):
It does have a little bit ofhorror.

Speaker 1 (01:37:37):
It's a con film too.
Yeah, like it is all centeredaround one giant con it's.

Speaker 3 (01:37:43):
it's just such a a crazy a route a combination of
of all these different kinds ofgenres pumped into one story
that also, like, centers around,like just a family, you know, a
family unit, unit that uh twofamily units, right, yeah, and

(01:38:04):
and you know, the, the familythat's pulling the con is just
extremely charming and you, youget on their side, even though,
like, they are those people,yeah, they are kind of the
villain, yeah, or one of thevillains right, I think
everyone's a villain in thisfilm.
Um, yeah, I just think it's.
I, I really think it's and I, Ithink it's awesome that this is

(01:38:27):
the film that announced bon bonjuho to to the world wide
audience right where, where,even like something like snow
piercer, which is an Englishspeaking film for the most part,
and like Hollywood actors.
Chris Evans, tilda Swinton,tilda Swinton, john Hurt.
Like action movie, sciencefiction.

(01:38:49):
You know the fact that thisfilm that feels a lot smaller
and more contained is, is, isthe, is is the win, the best
picture winner I and yeah, and,and again.
I also think that 2019 year waskind of the.
You know the turning point oflike oh, we are going to do

(01:39:10):
things different at the Oscars.

Speaker 1 (01:39:11):
It's the last great year of cinema that we've had.

Speaker 3 (01:39:15):
Well, according to Quentin Tarantino, it's the last
.
It's when the movies diedreally he's.
He's recently come out and said2019 was the last year that
real movies were made I meanbased off what we've gotten the
last five years.

Speaker 1 (01:39:28):
I can't argue with that.
No, can't argue with that I Imean what a?
Night for bong, though.
This night too internationalfeature best picture, best
director, and I mean it won four.
So what else would it have been?

Speaker 3 (01:39:42):
a screenplay had to have won an international oh so,
international screenplaypitcher director yeah, huge huge
.
Also, I think, one of the onlyfilms ever to win international
and best picture.
That's fantastic.

Speaker 1 (01:39:55):
Yeah, that's great so all right um.

Speaker 2 (01:40:00):
So at number five we have oppenheimer, with a
collective score of 6.33 um sameas parasite, but wins more
total oscars yeah I had this atnumber six for me, but this is
one of the movies on this listthat I feel like really deserves

(01:40:21):
the title of best picture.
I think of Oppenheimer as likesuch a production.
It's just it had me locked infrom the jump.
I don't know.
I really enjoyed Oppenheimer.
I think I appreciate everythingthat went into making this
movie.

Speaker 3 (01:40:39):
I've always said that I think this is Christopher
Nolan at his best, like this is.
It is grand, yet we're notfucking, you know, flying
through space or messing withtime, or I mean we mess with
time a little bit, I guess, uh,as far as like jumping around in

(01:40:59):
time, but um yeah I don't know,it's just.
It doesn't feel like themovie's trick though yeah, yeah,
it doesn't feel like a gimmick,um, and you know, alex, and I
saw this, I was gonna bring thisup out on our road trip.

Speaker 1 (01:41:13):
we have such a weird relationship to this film and
the film that I sometimes thinkit should have lost to Right and
Barbie, right, right For Barband Heimer.

Speaker 3 (01:41:21):
Alex and I were on the road during our ETI road
trip where we were driving downthe coast, uh to visit theaters
and and again.
Like being on the road and goingto different theaters and
seeing the crowds and seeing theexcitement around both of those
movies barbie and probably morefor barbie to be honest, let's,

(01:41:41):
let's be honest there were waymore people dressed in pink than
there were in fucking graysuits, yeah, but you know the
barber heimer barben, heimer ofit all um, I think just really
really pushes this into anotherechelon and and again like a
genre guy, like christophernolan doing it is oscar baity in

(01:42:06):
the way that, like it is a abig again about a great man.
Yeah, uh, american story biopicno women he's got a wife
problem, that chris guy's got awife problem, we all know um.
But yeah, I don't know.

Speaker 1 (01:42:27):
They again kind of like spotlight, utterly like
rewatchable, and I don't knowwhy really so I actually I have
not returned to it since ourroad trip, but that's also
because and I went, saw apremiere up in seattle and then,
I think, three times on theroad together with you, so
seeing it in all different typesof theaters too right, I can
remember one of the movietheaters that we saw it in I

(01:42:49):
think that was in modesto was ascreen no bigger than the
projector that I have downstairs.
Basically, yeah, um, and so theway you, the way you interact
with this movie, has a lot likeI don't even know if I would
want to watch it at home, really, because I think that has a lot
to say about how you end upfeeling about the film, like if

(01:43:11):
you can experience it in IMAX orat least like in Dolby or on
one of these great screens witha great sound system, and so
some of those moments there, um,before like the second hour of
the film starts, can really hit.
I think that's great.
It's comfortably inside my top10 as well.
I had it at eight overall.

(01:43:32):
I think it's a.
It's a good, not great, bestpicture winner.
It feels and again the theBarbenheimer aspect of it all
this feels like when moviesstarted to come back and I mean
we're not like you know, that'snot like a here.
You hear you like all points.

Speaker 3 (01:43:49):
bulletin or anything like that.

Speaker 1 (01:43:50):
Like this was a huge moment for movie theaters and
and just for Hollywoodproductions to come back and
there was some hope that youknow, barbie and Oppenheimer
both being nominated for a tonof awards at the Oscars two
years ago would have been like abig moment, or I guess just
last year would have been a bigmoment for viewership and get
people back re-engaged.

(01:44:10):
We didn't necessarily see thathappen, so it's too bad, because
the moment over the summer wascertainly monumental and and so
I, I, I have fond memories ofOppenheimer.
I do think that it is just alot of men in well-tailored
suits talking in rooms and oneof my biggest complaints is that
within the first like 45minutes of the movie, you feel

(01:44:33):
like you've watched the 15 mostimportant scenes that you're
going to see in the film andthen you realize that you still
have like two hours left of yourruntime.
You know where.
It's just like when we're whenwe're going to school, we're
going to England, we're poppingall around, we're meeting
Einstein, we're doing all thesedifferent things and it's just
like I I really appreciateNolan's vision and everything
that he tried to do, whilekeeping it on a smaller scale as

(01:44:57):
best as he could, but at thesame time I still just feel like
he kind of couldn't get out ofhis own way with this movie a
little bit, and so that's why Ijust have it a little bit lower
than you guys.
Okay, we're up to the MountRushmore the top four.
I don't think that this is abetter movie than parasite.

(01:45:18):
I'd put it somewhere aroundoppenheimer.
I'm kind of looking at theother movies that came before it
here on the list, but I'mreally happy to see argo in in
the top four here, because argois a movie that I've never had a
bad time with.
It's a thriller, it's a spyfilm, it's a heist movie.

(01:45:39):
It's a heist movie.
It's a movie about movies.
It's a movie about movies it'sso good.

Speaker 2 (01:45:44):
It's directed by ben affleck like I.

Speaker 1 (01:45:47):
I'm gonna re-watch this tonight.
Couldn't find I.
I could not find one bad thing.
It's got scoot mcnerry, it'sgot period the end, like I could
not find one bad thing to sayabout, about this movie even if
I tried.

Speaker 2 (01:45:58):
It's so good, it's so fun and, um, yeah, like it,
it's got so many great elementsto it.
It's just like a really.
I mean it's it.
It's got the like the thriller,like like heist government,
like genre to it, I guess, andbut then there's, like you know,

(01:46:22):
there's really high stakes andthere's these like human beings
lives on the, on the line andand it's, it's a.
It's an amazing film and it'sfun and it's like I mean it's
obviously kind of heavy too, but, um, yeah, I don't have
anything bad to say about argo I.

Speaker 3 (01:46:42):
I think this feels the most like hollywoodish movie
.
Uh, maybe it feels like a 70sfilm yeah, right like it is, it
is such a callback, uh, to anearlier age of hollywood.

Speaker 1 (01:46:57):
Um yeah, I don't know , it's like easy breezy but also
I remember the first timewatching this but like tense
when they're in the bazaar, yeah, and, and they're out on the
streets and they're being, youknow, interrogated, and they're
trying to go out and and developthis like cover for for a lot
of the people who have been heldhostage well, not necessarily
held hostage, but stuck there.

(01:47:17):
Um, I, I can remember, likethinking, oh, my heart rate is
up right now, like, and notknowing the story almost kind of
helps, because I'm like I don'tknow who's safe and who's not.
I don't know if everyone makesit out alive.
I'm not sure.
Argo's.
Argo's a great time, yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:47:36):
Yeah.
It's just a fun watch, yeah Uh,and you don't get that a lot at
that.
The Oscars, right, yeah Um, fornumber three, coming in with a
rating of 4.66, which tied withthe number two.
However, it only won four uh,academy awards.
One of my favorite movies ofall time no Country for Old Men

(01:48:01):
Again, we kind of talked aboutthis at the top of the show.
What a year 2007 was.
Is this the best year of 2007?
Or?

Speaker 1 (01:48:10):
of the 2000s.

Speaker 3 (01:48:12):
Yeah, I mean, you got to ask me on a certain day,
right?

Speaker 1 (01:48:15):
Oh, is this the best film of 2007?
Yeah, sometimes it's this.

Speaker 3 (01:48:18):
Sometimes it's, there Will Be Blood.
You know American GangsterAtonement.
We've talked about Just a banerof a year.
This is, you know, the Coenbrothers kind of going back to
their roots with something likeFargo or blood, simple blood
simple, uh, much more seriousthan what they were kind of

(01:48:41):
known for up to that point.
It gives us one of the mosticonic villains of all time.
It is a straight up chase movie.
Um, very simple, minimaldialogue, little to no score.

Speaker 1 (01:48:56):
Highly debated.
Highly debated, if there'sactual score in there.

Speaker 3 (01:49:02):
I've seen this movie a million times.
Most recently I went I think itwas just last March for
Kaylee's birthday.
We went to a screening of thisin Seattle while a DJ mixtaped
Quentin tarantino soundtracks toit.
Really interesting um, not myfavorite watch of all time with

(01:49:26):
it, but like I was gonna saythey didn't add that feature to
the criterion release, just likeI don't know, a movie that I
think is very much celebrated.
Uh yeah, I don't know.
I love this film.
It's just a baner of a thriller.

Speaker 2 (01:49:41):
I watched this for the first time this past weekend
actually she slid into her topten.
I mean, so this has been on mywatch list.

Speaker 1 (01:49:52):
See, old things can be good.

Speaker 2 (01:49:55):
Well, I didn't say that I loved it.

Speaker 3 (01:49:58):
It's no Chicago.

Speaker 2 (01:50:00):
God, you guys Bullies today.
I don't want to do thesedaytime recordings anymore.

Speaker 1 (01:50:06):
You guys have too much energy.

Speaker 2 (01:50:10):
Okay, so I watched this for the first time.
This has been on my watch listforever.
I've always meant to turn turnthis on.
I've heard incredible thingsand I'm not saying that I
disliked it.
I just think I had much higherexpectations.
I wanted it to be more exciting.
Um, I think I really lovedjavier bardem's character,

(01:50:34):
obviously.
Um, he's super creepy.
Just played that role so well.
I really love Josh Brolin.
But yeah, I think, because ofall of like the wide spread,
like phenomenon of this movielike everyone is, you know ranks
is really really high on filmlists I had a lot higher

(01:50:57):
expectations.
I wanted it to be a little bitmore like than it was, because
it is kind of this, like youknow this, there's not really
like much of a score to it.
I think maybe with more musicit would have been a little bit
more exciting to me.
I just had I wanted it to bemore excited.
I wanted it to feel moreexciting because I loved the

(01:51:18):
premise of it.
I think visually it was reallyfun to watch.
So I just don't know that I'llrewatch it.
To be totally honest, it's oneof those movies like I can.
I see why people really love it.
I see why, like film, peoplereally love it too.
But as far as like, uh, likeaction goes, I wanted, I wanted

(01:51:42):
more.

Speaker 1 (01:51:43):
I don't know you know what I've always thought would
be interesting, and it's Ididn't really think of bringing
this up until you just mentionedthat quentin tarantino
experience with some of hismusic.
I've always thought that,because there's a lot of driving
in this movie and going fromlike location to location, what
would this movie sound like witha Bernard Herman type score,

(01:52:05):
like if you could think of thescore from psycho, when Josh
Brolin is maybe just drivingaround and it's like, would that
work?
Like dun dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun,
dun, yeah, yeah I don't knowdoes that turn it into too much
of like a caper almost, because,like I love the minimalist
approach to this movie.
I think it works so well.

(01:52:25):
It fits the desolation of thesetting there in texas we always
say the american southwest isso it lends itself so nicely to
to cinematography, tophotography, to, to setting your
film there.
So I love that for it.
I, I my one.
The one thing I've alwaysbumped on with this movie and I

(01:52:46):
still had a top five here, um,on my list but the one thing
I've always bumped on is that Ialways have wanted to see the
motel shootout at the end andwhat happens there.
And people love the Tommy LeeJones monologue at the end.
But what I've always thought isthat this movie kind of goes
out with a little bit of awhimper.
Yeah, which is just unfortunate, because I, I, I do get my

(01:53:11):
thrills from everything thathappens up until then.

Speaker 3 (01:53:14):
Yeah, yeah and I think, yeah, I think that's a
great, great bump to have, right, like the fact that you don't
see the death of of the brolincharacter is.

Speaker 2 (01:53:28):
It's upsetting yeah, I was so confused.
I literally was like I felt I'mlike, did I miss something?
Like he's dead, like when didthat happen?
You know, that was strange andit took me out of it a little
bit.

Speaker 1 (01:53:41):
It's very Coen Brothers ask to do something
like that Totally, but I meanit's not like they just get a
pass and everything.
They do make sense.
Like you know, they're Joel andEthan.
All due respect.

Speaker 2 (01:53:58):
But like would have been a cool scene to see.
I feel like Happy to see it.
At number three, AbsolutelyNumber two, we have Lord of the
Rings, Return of the King, Alsoat 4.66, but this has 11 Oscar
wins 11 for 11 that year.
Is this your guys' favoriteLord of the Rings movie?

Speaker 1 (01:54:11):
No.

Speaker 2 (01:54:12):
No, okay.

Speaker 1 (01:54:13):
But it's my favorite Best Picture winner.
Max and I both had this atnumber one.
Yeah, no, okay, but it's myfavorite best picture winner.

Speaker 3 (01:54:17):
Max and I both had this at number one.
Yeah, it is.
I mean, it's hard because, lordof the Rings, you know, I often
think of those three movies asjust one big long movie, right
Like.
It is such a cohesive trilogy,something that I don't know if
we'll ever, ever, ever, everexperience again.
Yeah, and return of the kingnot until smile three comes up

(01:54:41):
return of the king has itsproblems, right, like the 15
endings.
Yeah, is something that isalways joked about.
Um, you know a lot of peoplehold helms deep battle the helms
Deep battle, higher than MinasTirith battle.
You do start to feel a littlebit of the CGI heaviness that

(01:55:02):
weighs.
Maybe Return of the King downcompared to the first two Lord
of the Rings movies, which areway more practical.
But again, just like the factthat this is a pretty much an
independent film on this levelNow granted by Return of the
King.
Maybe not, but like the series.

Speaker 1 (01:55:23):
But I mean they were all shot sequentially in New
Zealand at the same time, withthe same right and crew Right.

Speaker 3 (01:55:30):
Yeah, and Peter Jackson, an independent film.

Speaker 1 (01:55:32):
They did not let us forget that on this night, the
early, stages of 2004.
It's very true we want to thankeveryone in news and I'm pretty
sure by the time that you knowlike costume got up there to
accept their award.

Speaker 3 (01:55:46):
They're like well, there's no one left to thank new
zealand yeah, um yeah, pierrejackson, just one of my all-time
favorites, uh, and lord of therings is just like it's it's our
star wars man.
It's like it is as far as likegenre, fantasy, science fiction,
whatever you want to call itlike it is just the the top of

(01:56:07):
the heap of of what you shootfor.
Uh, if you go into that kind offield, um, I don't know, it's
hard too because, as we justsaid, it's not our favorite Lord
of the Rings movie, but it isthe movie that got recognized.

Speaker 1 (01:56:22):
Yeah Well, a beautiful mind had to beat
fellowship, so unfortunately wecan't be celebrating the
fellowship.

Speaker 3 (01:56:27):
Well, Jennifer Connelly running out in that
rain, we don't have there islive Tyler.
I digress.

Speaker 1 (01:56:34):
Um, to me, this is me putting LOTR Return of the King
number one in Parasite two isthe duality of what the Oscars
can do when they are achieving,I think, their ultimate goal and
purpose, because what whatParasite does by winning Best
Picture is we honorinternational original cinema

(01:57:00):
original movie making.
That's an original scriptwritten by Bong Joon-ho and it's
so creative and so great.
And then what Return of theKing does is honor blockbuster
movie making while alsorecognizing franchise, ip, pop
culture in a larger spectrum andits impact on society.
And I think these are the best,two of the best examples of the

(01:57:24):
oscars finally getting it rightand now you can obviously make
the case, and so many differentmovie franchises.
It's like it's become um, likean adjective, like is something
going to get return of the king,like we're having this
conversation with with dennyvilleneuve and dune right now,

(01:57:46):
because dune 2 is unfortunatelygetting blanked this year at the
academy awards, aside fromperhaps a few undercard wins,
because I think there is somesort of speculation that maybe
dune three will be when we canjust give it the return of the
King treatment.
I don't think I I don't seethat happening.
You don't see that happening.
But there is just that likethis changed things forever

(01:58:09):
going forward.
As far as, what do you do whenyou have a franchise that is on
the level of Academy awardsrecognition and I mean we can
see by 11 wins, tied for I thinkthe most ever is that they just
they sold the farm and justsaid here you go, it's your
night.

(01:58:29):
Peter Jackson and and hot andall you hobbits and I, I love
this movie, I, and I'm rightthere with you, like I've within
, within, I would say I.
I think probably during thepandemic is when I fully
converted into like, if I'mgonna re-watch any of these
movies, it's got to be theextended editions, it's got to
be all through and it'simpossible to watch just one.

(01:58:51):
So I was talking to erica aboutthis too, where it's just like,
if you are gonna go back andgive these movies another try,
or if you are going to come tothem like you need an, you don't
need a day, you need an entireweekend, because it's like 14
hours of your life that you haveto dedicate to it.
Um, but it's great.
I mean we.
You want to talk about anothermovie.
That makes me cry.
Every single time you bow to noone well, what?

Speaker 3 (01:59:15):
where was it on your list, erica?

Speaker 2 (01:59:17):
I feel bad.
I have it at 12.
I feel bad.
It's lower.

Speaker 3 (01:59:22):
I'm just not what's your relationship with Lord of
the Rings?

Speaker 2 (01:59:26):
I don't really have much of a relationship with Lord
of the Rings.
I grew up like Harry Potter ismy Lord of the Rings you know,
and.

Speaker 3 (01:59:34):
I'm so sorry for your loss.
You gave her the disappointeddad.

Speaker 1 (01:59:39):
I wish we had video for that.

Speaker 2 (01:59:42):
Curled the lips in yeah, I you know like this is
just like a really open palm,like finger point.
I hate to always bring like thewhole girl versus boy thing
into this, but I'm not kidding.
Like my best friend is obsessedwith Lord of the Rings, that's

(02:00:02):
her shit.

Speaker 1 (02:00:03):
Like that's what she grew up with.
Yeah, we see you.
We see you.

Speaker 2 (02:00:06):
Yeah, but it's like I was introduced to Harry Potter
first.

Speaker 1 (02:00:11):
Yeah, you know.

Speaker 2 (02:00:11):
I didn't have parents growing up who were big movie
lovers.
You know they didn't introduceme to Star Wars.
They didn't read Lord of theRings Like they're not like
fantasy lovers.

Speaker 3 (02:00:23):
You know it really does come down to that.

Speaker 2 (02:00:28):
It really is our parents' fault.

Speaker 3 (02:00:30):
Well, I mean Any kind of taste we have.

Speaker 2 (02:00:32):
I really think that's true.
It's, like you know, I didn'tgrow up with these in my
household but I do, like youknow, I came to them because of
friends and like the fairies andlike the high fantasy stuff,

(02:01:01):
even though I really lovefantasy and I think that I would
really love to read the booksnow as an adult, just because I
read a lot and I really I read alot of fantasy.

Speaker 3 (02:01:13):
But they're like textbooks.

Speaker 2 (02:01:16):
Yeah, I know, tell you, no, I know they are tough
reads yeah, and I love lord ofthe rings, I love the first one
I love, even like the hobbit too, like they're.
Just because those are movieslike they're like cozy to me,
you know, and I think I justdon't really reach for the rest,
even though they're so epic andI, I know I would let, I, I

(02:01:37):
know I do like them, you know.
But it's just that like they'renot lord of the rings is just
never.
I always get shit for it.
Everybody like is always likeyou, don't you?
Of all people don't like lordof the rings, but I'm like.
I am a harry potter fan till Idie.
That's just I've always had.
Yeah, so I do feel bad, though,because I agree like I, I love

(02:02:00):
to see something like this winbest picture.
It's kind of amazing totallyall right.

Speaker 1 (02:02:06):
Well, that brings us to our number one, and
coincidentally enough, this wasnumber four for all of us, but
because of the law of averages,that gives it a four overall
ranking which narrowly beats out.
Lord of the rings and nocountry for old men.
And it's moonlight.
This is, like I want to say,the third or fourth bracket type

(02:02:29):
ranking episode exercise thatwe've done, where Moonlight has
come out at the top of it.

Speaker 3 (02:02:35):
Yeah, the A24 bracket A24 bracket.
Did it win the Best Picturenominee bracket?

Speaker 1 (02:02:43):
I'm pretty sure it won the Best Picture nominee
bracket.
And once again and we mentioned, you know, we did the Florida
Hall of Fame episode, which Ithink we all consensus there was
, like it's one or two.
And now here we are again, sokind of what more can can be
said about it.
I I mean speaking about thatnight in oscars history as far

(02:03:05):
as its its win for best pitcheris, of course, controversial and
exciting and thrilling and anamazing moment of triumph for
everybody involved, withmoonlight and heartbreaking for
the folks over at La La Land.
However, I think, well-deserved, I think the right film won
that year.

(02:03:26):
You look at the imprint thatsomething like this has had on
the culture, not only forsomeone like Barry Jenkins'
career, but independent cinema,the distribution slash,
production company of a24.
It's a phenomenal, phenomenalfilm about, about love, about
finding love, losing love,self-discovery.

(02:03:48):
It's a great coming of age film, told in three chapters.
We love when a movie does timejumps like that.
Um, yeah, I have no problems.
I like once again returning theking, number one in my heart, I
think, moonlight, um,comfortably in the top five and
I have no problem seeing it hereat the top of the list yeah, uh
, it is.

Speaker 3 (02:04:08):
Uh, you know I say this all the time.
We're not all the time, butit's a movie taught in film
school like this is one that you, you say it all the time now,
yeah, I do say it all the time.
Now, yeah, I do say it all thetime.
But, uh, this is probably themost like recent release that is
, we watched front to back infilm school incredible
cinematography cinematography.

(02:04:29):
It's, you know, I I wrote, uh, apaper on it about the themes.
I forgot to bring that paperwith me today, or else I would
read it back to you.
But yeah, it's just a.
It is a monumental independentfilm that is just a complete

(02:04:50):
human story.
Yeah, that is why, you know, alot of people go into filmmaking
and like this is.
This is like filmmaking used forfor good right.
Like we.
You know, lord of the rings isreally good too, and like I love
it very much.
But like this is what the artform, I think, aspires to.

Speaker 2 (02:05:15):
That's what it's like yeah, I love this movie.
It's beautiful, it's right upmy alley.
It's like it is a human movie.
You know, it's.
It's kind of impossible not toto like this, because it's just
it's gorgeous to look at butalso just extremely like
heart-wrenching.
I my only critique of this is Ijust wish we had more of maher

(02:05:37):
shalali.
Um, I would have loved to seelike more of one.
You know, like his character isso impactful.
Um, but yeah, I watched, Ire-watched this yesterday and I
just I cry every time.
It's.
It's a really great movie.
Um, yeah, all right Quickquestion.

Speaker 1 (02:05:58):
Yeah.
I have one too, okay, I wonderif it's the same.

Speaker 3 (02:06:01):
It might be If you had to pick a 25th movie.

Speaker 1 (02:06:06):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (02:06:07):
From this year?
Yeah, and where would you putit and where do you put it?
Is that?

Speaker 1 (02:06:11):
your question, mind meld, baby.
Hello.
So like out of the nominees outof the nominees erica and I
were kind of talking about thisbefore we went on the mic.
I'm at the point right nowwhere I want the best picture
winner from this past year offilm to be a nora I.

(02:06:31):
I would love for it to be thesubstance.
That's not going to happen.
I think the substance will endup being the movie that I
probably return to the most.
But when I and especiallybecause this exercise is so
fresh in my mind what do I thinkthis?

Speaker 3 (02:06:46):
list needs.

Speaker 1 (02:06:47):
What does this list need Exactly?
What will stand the test oftime?
And I think a film like a Noragoes in right around spotlight
slumdog millionaire in the hurtlocker at the back half of the
top 10.

Speaker 3 (02:07:06):
I think I, yeah, should I say what I want or what
I think is going to happenright now?
I think the brutalist is goingto win best picture.
Okay, I don't necessarily wantthe brutalist to win best
picture, but I think it will winand I think it goes in maybe

(02:07:28):
right around like coda chicagodeparted interesting.
Right in the middle of thingsand we look back and we you know
we get it wrong this year.

Speaker 1 (02:07:41):
If it's a Nora, where do you put a Nora?

Speaker 3 (02:07:43):
If it's a Nora, I would.
Yeah, I think I think.
The nine, 10, eight spot yeah,I think it's right around there.

Speaker 2 (02:07:53):
I have a similar opinion.
I think that, like this is sucha hard year because there's
obviously movies in thiscategory in the Best Picture
nominations that I really lovedand I I know that they're not
going to win, but of course Iwould like selfishly want them
to win.
But I do also think that theBrutalist will win and that's

(02:08:16):
fine with me.
You know, I haven't seen theBrutalist and I'm not gonna lie,
I don't think I'm going to.
I just I'm kind of at this pointyeah, it's so long and yeah,
it's a time commitment, andunless somebody is like you
cannot miss this movie, you haveto like take the time and watch
it, then I, of course, then Iwill.

(02:08:38):
But I'm just to this point,like, if I know I'm not, this is
just not my cup of tea, whywatch it?
You know, I don't no one'spaying me to do that, you know.
But, um, I do think thebrutalist will win and I do
agree, like in your placement aswell, um, kind of like what,
like the middle ground, I guessum, you know what, now that I'm

(02:09:00):
I'm staring at it even longer.
I actually think like abeautiful mind million dollar,
baby, everything everywhere allat once that's where the
brutalist would slide evenfurther down okay wow, um, I
think, if I want, if I obviouslygot what I wanted, I would love
to see like a Nora or thesubstance win best picture.

(02:09:21):
Obviously, I think I would pickthe substance over Nora.

Speaker 3 (02:09:27):
If the substance won, where does that get slotted?
That would be absolutelyamazing.

Speaker 2 (02:09:35):
It would be crazy.
I mean I agree, um, that wouldbe, it would be absolutely.
It would be crazy.
I mean I agree.

Speaker 1 (02:09:39):
I just on this week's episode of people are saying
what if?
What if it gets best?

Speaker 3 (02:09:45):
director I'm telling you, I it's like the only film
that doesn't have dirt about it.

Speaker 1 (02:09:52):
Right, right, right, that people aren't attacking
corley's winning left and rightat some of these, like
undercards, yeah, like offbroadway award shows that would
be insane.

Speaker 2 (02:10:05):
I mean, if it won I would be absolutely jaw on the
floor, shocked, um.
But yeah, as far as rankinggoes, god, I don't know, help me
out with that, because that ishard, like it's so different
from all of these movies on hereI think the substance and anora
would hold the same space.

Speaker 1 (02:10:24):
For me they would both be eight, nine.

Speaker 3 (02:10:26):
Ten area I could see.

Speaker 1 (02:10:29):
I don't think as high as five or six for you.
Yeah, I don't think I could putit above like slumdog or
Spotlight, not after justrevisiting Slumdog, yeah.

Speaker 2 (02:10:37):
I mean, if we're talking about, like, personal
ranking, I mean it's definitelyin my Does it take Chicago?

Speaker 3 (02:10:44):
No, by storm.

Speaker 2 (02:10:46):
No, but it's definitely top four for me.
The substance, I think.
But that's because you know.

Speaker 3 (02:10:52):
Are you a?
Are you Bridget Jones?
That's a new movie.
No, no, no, no, no, no soyou're not renee head.

Speaker 2 (02:11:01):
No, and I feel bad saying that, because she's an
angel.
I love her, but no, not at all.

Speaker 1 (02:11:07):
No sorry, renee, I know she, I have found her you
once I've found her also hard towatch and everything except
jerry mcguire yeah, I'm not.

Speaker 2 (02:11:17):
I I'm not gonna lie.
I've not seen a whole lot ofher movies I just she's not
somebody I normally gravitatetowards.

Speaker 1 (02:11:23):
She's not why I love chicago, though you know, yeah,
okay, gonna have to call chicagosvu to pick renee zellweger's
corpse up off the floor in heretoday.
God, okay.
Any any other final thoughts onwhere a 2025 pick might slide

(02:11:45):
in or the success of thisexercise?
How do you?

Speaker 3 (02:11:49):
feel?
Do you think that these 24movies?
If we were to do like 99 to the.
You know the past 24 years.
If we do those movies, how doyou think those movies stack up
against these movies?

Speaker 1 (02:12:03):
Wait, take the final quarter of the 20th century, so
like 75 to 1999.
Yeah, and pit them against thefirst quarter of the 21st
century.
Mm-hmm, them against, againstthe first quarter of the 21st

(02:12:25):
century.
I am less familiar with yourbest pitcher winners from the
80s than I probably am any otherdecade, and so without having
those winners in front of meright now, it would be hard to
say, however, and I know the 90shad some lows and some real
like we got it wrong kind ofmoments, but the stuff in the

(02:12:46):
70s and some of the stuff thatthat we did get right in the 90s
is really good.
So I don't know that I have afeeling that, like on that list
if it's right, you know, 25,probably 12 through 25 looks
very similar to what we havehere, but the real question is,

(02:13:07):
does that top end be this topend Exactly?
What do you think?

Speaker 3 (02:13:14):
I don't know.
I think you're right the theback half of the like the 70s
looking at I was looking at likea long list of like all best
picture winners and likeliterally like 70 to 79 are some
of like the 10 greatest films,like just unbelievable stuff.
So only to get half of thatdecade.

Speaker 1 (02:13:37):
That's tough Because you're missing, like the
Godfather, by doing the backhalf and Godfather 2.

Speaker 3 (02:13:42):
Yeah, and then yeah.
Having to deal with the 80s andwhat happens like throughout
the 90s, I do think this listwould end up getting stronger
Interesting.

Speaker 2 (02:14:00):
Yeah, it's hard to say.
I'm not familiar with the bestpicture winners, especially the
70s or the 80s, but I mean I.

Speaker 3 (02:14:09):
Like, where does out of Africa land right?

Speaker 1 (02:14:11):
Like you know, Does Forrest Gump by make it into
like the top 13?

Speaker 3 (02:14:20):
It might.
It might because of what we'redealing with.

Speaker 1 (02:14:25):
But I would put Forrest Gump on this list around
that million dollar baby rangeright now, 18, 19.
Oh, totally.

Speaker 3 (02:14:34):
I would put it probably 24.

Speaker 2 (02:14:37):
Yeah, I was going to say it would be low.

Speaker 1 (02:14:40):
So yeah, the Oscars are, we might have to do that
next year?

Speaker 3 (02:14:45):
Yeah, I'd be into that Go further back.

Speaker 1 (02:14:47):
I would be into that.

Speaker 3 (02:14:48):
That would be super fun.
Erica, open your textbook, openyour history textbook, open
your heart to history.
Okay.

Speaker 1 (02:14:57):
Any other things of note here before we wrap up?
I saw hard eyes and I lovedhard eyes.

Speaker 3 (02:15:02):
I'll just say that hard eyes is a banger I have a
friend at school who's just fiveout of five stars for hard eyes
.

Speaker 1 (02:15:11):
Matthew rush, if you're listening, you're gonna
love hard eyes.
Um, I can't really think of toomuch else.
Um, you know people are sayinghas has gotten some requests to
become a segment, maybe at theend of episodes.
We've already touched on theodyssey lots of rumors.

Speaker 3 (02:15:30):
This would be like a new eti rumor mill segment at
the end of episodes I like, likeit so people people are saying
that Mia goth doesn't have aspeaking.
Who just got cast?

Speaker 1 (02:15:42):
in the aforementioned , the odyssey, might not talk,
which is too bad, because I justsaw Mia goth interviewed I
can't remember what for and Iwas like we got to stop giving
her accents and and americanroles to play oh it was.
She gets to do her her regularvoice in suspiria, the luca

(02:16:05):
remake.
Yeah, and my god she's so.
She is the coolest soundingperson in movies right now.
We have to let mia goff justspeak in her adorable little
accent more.
So that would be disappointingif what people are saying is
true about her role in theOdyssey.

Speaker 2 (02:16:23):
Is there a trailer out for the Odyssey?

Speaker 1 (02:16:26):
Just some stills.

Speaker 2 (02:16:29):
Did that come out this year or next year?

Speaker 3 (02:16:31):
I think 2026.
2026.
So yeah, the hype train hasbegun for them.
Nolan heads.

Speaker 1 (02:16:40):
We know how that goes .
Okay, as for what's next hereon the podcast, we will hone in
now on this year's AcademyAwards and present our official
picks for this year's ceremony.
Max, you won last year'scompetition, I did.
Erica, you are new to thisOscars gambit, so do you, max,
have any strategies that youwant to pass along to our

(02:17:03):
freshman co-host over here?

Speaker 3 (02:17:06):
You know?
Just read the rags, read thetrades, Really dig in.
Become a newshound.

Speaker 1 (02:17:13):
It's a real head over heart exercise.

Speaker 2 (02:17:15):
I was just about to say I know I'm not going to use
my heart for this one, yeah.

Speaker 3 (02:17:20):
I want to be more objective.

Speaker 2 (02:17:25):
I'm pretty plugged into like social media, though,
like I've seen a lot of talkabout stuff on, especially like
tick tock, and so I'm going touse my.
I'm going to use all of that tomy advantage.
I think we'll see.

Speaker 1 (02:17:41):
I love it.
Oscars talk, oscars talk.
I'm not plugged into that.
That's a, that's a resource,that's that's untapped, huh.

Speaker 2 (02:17:50):
Oscars talk.

Speaker 1 (02:17:51):
Oh, like on TikTok, oh yeah.

Speaker 2 (02:17:52):
Yeah, well, that's like I mean TikTok is I get so
much of my pop culture news onthere that?

Speaker 3 (02:18:00):
could be us Big fan of the Supreme Leader over there
.
Hmm, saving TikTok, oh God.

Speaker 2 (02:18:08):
I know Brought it back for the Oscars.
People are saying God.

Speaker 1 (02:18:17):
Okay, okay, so until next time, please follow.
Excuse the intermission oninstagram and the three of us on
letterboxd to track what we arewatching between shows, and we
will talk to you next time oneti, where movies still matter.
Bye, thank you.

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Stuff You Should Know

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Ranking Best Picture Winners: Hits, Misses, and Surprises Since 2000

On Purpose with Jay Shetty