Have you watched the Academy Awards and thought… ‘What were they thinking?’ Have you ever wondered, how is it that so many of the awards for Best Picture go to ...
On this episode of ‘The Oscars: What Were They Thinking?’ Bruce and Tex crash headfirst into one of the most debated years in Oscar history.
We’re talking about the 2006 Oscars, for the films of 2005. This was the year that saw some incredible firsts, but also left a wonderful movie out in the cold in the best picture category. And the test of time doesn’t make this poor decision look any better. In a rare show of unity, both Bruce and “Tex” agree that a major disservice was performed — and the fun of the show is trying to figure out ‘How?’ and ‘Why?’ Of course, there were lots of other dubious choices, interesting omissions and head-scratching decisions worthy of debate and discussions. I wish I knew how to quit you Oscars!
To learn more about the show go to: Oscars.wtf
Please feel free to leave comments on Spotify and/or reviews on Apple. We're always open to compliments (and criticism if it's constructive!)
MOVIES MENTIONED
Crash
Crash (David Cronenberg)
Capote
Goodnight & Good Luck
Munich
Brokeback Mountain
Grand Canyon
Silence of the Lambs
Barbie
Schindler’s List
Angels in America
Lincoln
Squid and the Whale
The Constant Gardener
City of God
History of Violence
A Violent Year
Walk the Line
Hustle & Flow
Cinderella Man
Infamous (other Capote movie)
10 Things I Hate About You
Knight’s Tale
North Country
Pride & Prejudice
Transamerica
Miss Henderson Presents
Election
Wild
Syriana
Michael Collins
Michael Clayton
Up in the Air
Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang
Junebug
The Mirror Has Two Faces
The English Patient
The Accidental Tourist
The Nice Guys
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
The Ten Commandments
Match Point
A Place in the Sun
Dial M for Murder
The Talented Mr. Ripley
Saltburn
Batman Begins
The New World
Memoirs of a Geisha
Rent
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59:28
2025 Oscars Nominations Special!
On this bonus episode, Bruce and “Tex” react, breakdown & discuss the 2025 Oscar nominations for the films of 2024. Who and what made the cut? Who or what was snubbed? Were there any big surprises? Who are the front-runners and why? And which of these films, if any, will we still care about in 10 years???
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1:08:44
1942 - How Green Was My Oscar?
On this episode of ‘The Oscars: What Were They Thinking?’ Bruce and Tex look back at the 1942 Oscars for the films of 1941 -- easily one of the greatest years in movie history. And, among those great films is the film often cited as 'the greatest film of all-time' -- the Stairway to Heaven of movies... Citizen Kane. But, did this Orson Welles masterpiece win the Oscar the year it came out? Find out -- as well as hear about all the other great movies that should be on your must-see list!
To learn more about the show go to: Oscars.wtf
Please feel free to leave comments on Spotify and/or reviews on Apple. We're always open to compliments (and criticism if it's constructive!)
MOVIES MENTIONED
Gone with the Wind
Deep Throat
Citizen Kane
Mank
How Green was my Valley
Blossoms in the Dust
Here Comes Mr. Jordan
Hold Back the Dawn
The Little Foxes
One Foot in Heaven
Sergeant York
The Maltese Falcon
Suspicion
Spellbound
Notorious
Heaven Can Wait (1943)
Heaven Can Wait (1978)
Down to Earth (1947)
Down to Earth (2001)
The Informant
The Grapes of Wrath
Penny Serenade
None but the Lonely Heart
North by Northwest
Charade
His Girl Friday
Father Goose
Arsenic and Old Lace
Casablanca
The African Queen
The Caine Mutiny
The Roaring Twenties
Ball of Fire
The Lady Eve
The More the Merrier
The Devil and Mrs. Jones
The Devil in Miss Jones
Conflict
Shadow of a Doubt
The Great Lie
Miss Miniver
Blood and Sand
Tom, Dick and Harry
Tall, Dark and Handsome
Julia
The Razor’s Edge
Witness for the Prosecution
You’ll Never Get Rich
All American Co Ed
Las Vegas Nights
Sun Valley Serenade
Buck Privates
Blues in the Night
Riding on a Rainbow
Dumbo
Lady Be Good
Last Time I Saw Paris
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43:52
1977 - Yo, Oscars!
On this episode of ‘The Oscars: What Were They Thinking?’ Bruce and Tex step into the ring to duke it out over the 1977 Oscars for the films of 1976. As many of you already know, or will come to see, the 1970’s are absolutely stacked with worthy contenders, many of which have stood the test of time. The same goes for directing, performing and technical achievements. So the real question becomes, why does the Academy choose one great film over another? Why would a movie win for best picture and director but not its actor or script which matches the underdog nature of the film? And could dying before the awards be a winning Oscar strategy? We get to the bottom of these questions and more as well as Bruce’s pivotal acting cameo in the 1986 Jane Fonda thriller, The Morning After. Ding-ding… ‘Let’s get ready to Oscars!”
MOVIES MENTIONED
Beaches
Oppenheimer
Citizen Kane
Annie Hall
The Great Dictator
Rocky
How Green Was My Valley?
All The President’s Men
Network
Bound for Glory
Taxi Driver
Godfathers 1 & 2
French Connection 1 & 2
Star Wars
Mad Max: Fury Road
Creed
Rocky 3
Raise the Titanic
Seven Beauties
Party at Kitty & Stud’s - (akaThe Italian Stallion)
Lords of Flatbush
Bananas
The Outlaw Josey Wales
Bad News Bears
To Fly
A Star is Born
King Kong
Silver Streak
Face to Face
Carrie
Cousin Cousine
Badlands
A Coal Miner’s Daughter
Voyage of the Damned
Marathon Man
Ballad of Cable Hogue
Freaky Friday
The Morning After
Dog Day Afternoon
12 Angry Men
The Wiz
Karate Kids 1, 2 & 3
The Formula
Neighbors
Lean on Me
Rocky 5
The Front
Meet John Doe
The 7 Percent Solution
Fellini’s Casanova
Logan’s Run
The Omen
The Pink Panther Strikes Again
A Shot in the Dark
Obsession
Vertigo
The Poseidon Adventure
Harlan County, USA
Grey Gardens
The Tenant
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1:03:10
2024 Holiday Movies/Oscars Special - (No, not the Star Wars one Bruce co-wrote!)
In this special holiday edition of 'The Oscars: What Were They Thinking?', co-hosts Adam "Tex" Davis and Bruce Vilanch dive into their favorite holiday movies and examine how many of them garnered the attention of the Oscars. The discussion kicks off with Adam’s own Christmas cult classic 'Just Friends' and highlights various holiday-themed films like 'It Nearly Wasn't Christmas,' - including a clip of Bruce's performance as a giant Elf named PhilPot. Discussion includes 'White Christmas,' 'A Christmas Story,' 'Scrooged,' 'Home Alone,' 'The Polar Express' and 'Die Hard.' They also touch on the rare Hanukkah movies such as 'Eight Crazy Nights' and 'An American Tail,'. Notable Oscar mentions include the heartwarming classics like 'It's a Wonderful Life' and 'Miracle on 34th Street' and modern favorites like 'The Holdovers.', with a detour into Siskel and Ebert's trashing of "Silent Night, Deadly Night".
Movies mentioned:
Just Friends
It Nearly Wasn't Christmas
White Christmas
A Christmas Story
Gremlins
Krampus
Bad Santa
Trading Places
Silent Night, Deadly Night
Black Christmas
Die Hard
(*Deck the Halls-referenced)
Jingle All the Way
Christmas with the Kranks
It's a Wonderful Life
Miracle on 34th Street
Holiday Land
The Night Before Christmas
Toy Tinkers
Scrooge
Scrooged
Home Alone
The Nightmare Before Christmas
The Preacher's Wife
The Bishop's Wife
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
The Polar Express
The Holdovers
8 Crazy Nights
An American Tail
The Night Before
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Have you watched the Academy Awards and thought… ‘What were they thinking?’ Have you ever wondered, how is it that so many of the awards for Best Picture go to one movie when there’s a much better movie staring them in the face? Or, why have so many actors not won Oscars for their best roles? Or, why is it that so many movies that everyone loves and made a ton of money at the box office get no Oscar love while little-seen movies rake in the nominations and awards? If so, then this is the podcast for you. Co-hosted by legendary comedian, pop-culture icon and writer of over 25 Oscar telecasts, Mr. Bruce Vilanch, you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at the nominating process, how and why some winners may have been chosen as well as tons of incredible, never-before-told, backstage stories about the world’s biggest stars on Hollywood’s biggest night. Joining Bruce is screenwriter, producer podcaster, and film nerd, Adam “Tex” Davis, writer of the very non-Oscar nominated movie Just Friends (starring Ryan Reynolds). Together, Bruce and “Tex” break down every Oscar ceremony, year-by-year, award-by-award, to reveal what the Academy got right, what it got wrong, the flubs, snubs and oversights. In the end, they’ll answer the question every movie-loving, Academy Awards watcher always asks – The Oscars: What Were They Thinking?
Did you know that two of the Top 100 American Films of All-Time came out the same year but weren’t even nominated for an Academy Award? Or that the film often cited as the ‘Greatest Film of All Time’ didn’t win the Oscar in its year? Or that Cuba Gooding Jr. has the same number of acting Oscars as Al Pacino?
Look, stuff happens. But if you’ve ever watched or read about the Academy Awards, you’ve probably been left scratching your head over which movies and performers won – and how many beloved films weren’t even considered.
Why do so many Best Picture winners become some of the least remembered movies? How is it that legendary directors like Stanley Kubrick never won an Oscar? And why do great actors miss out on their best performances, only to win later for less impressive work?
Sure, the Oscars aren’t sports – there’s no scoreboard to show the winners. But with so many Academy members voting, you’d think they’d get it right. Spoiler alert: They often don’t.
On The Oscars: What Were They Thinking?, Bruce Vilanch and Adam “Tex” Davis take a deep dive into Oscar history, looking back at the biggest mistakes, controversies, and snubs. From Shakespeare in Love beating Saving Private Ryan to Dances with Wolves winning over Goodfellas, we’ll examine where the Academy went wrong.
Along the way, you’ll hear incredible behind-the-scenes stories and never-before-told moments from Hollywood’s biggest night. We’re re-examining each Oscar ceremony, year-by-year, award-by-award, to see what the Academy got right, what they missed, and how we would “fix” the Oscars.
Whether you’re a dedicated movie buff or just a casual fan, this is the podcast for you. Join us for The Oscars: What Were They Thinking?, where we break down the flubs, snubs, and forgotten gems of Oscar history.
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