This Had Oscar Buzz
336 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 18 hours ago - ★★★★★ - 1.1K ratingsA podcast about movies the awards forgot
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Episodes
032 – Ricki and the Flash
February 12, 2019 01:56 - 1 hour - 84 MBAfter a string of August (yes, early buzzed) hits, Meryl Streep collaborated with two Oscar-winning names that sent Oscar obsessives to get lost in their rock and roll: director Jonathan Demme and screenwriter Diablo Cody. 2015′s Ricki and the Flash didn’t set the box office on fire and a very competitive Best Actress year possibly … Continue reading "032 – Ricki and the Flash"
031 – How to Make an American Quilt
February 04, 2019 23:44 - 1 hour - 76.1 MBComing off of two successive Oscar nominations, Winona Ryder led an immaculate female ensemble for Jocelyn Moorhouse’s How to Make an American Quilt. But instead of furthering Ryder’s mounting Oscar narrative, the film wound up as a surprise SAG Ensemble nominee – and, as Joe and Chris argue, a welcome one. This week, we take … Continue reading "031 – How to Make an American Quilt"
Class Of 2018
January 29, 2019 00:16 - 1 hour - 79 MBAn episode an entire year in the making – we’re welcoming This Had Oscar Buzz’s Class of 2018 into the fold! As requested, we’re running down all of this past year’s films that had lofty Academy Award aspirations and were left with nothing come last week’s nomination morning. And not to confuse these new inductees … Continue reading "Class Of 2018"
030 – Brothers
January 22, 2019 00:41 - 1 hour - 67.9 MBOur episode this week is on a film that once dominated the earliest Oscar predictions for 2009: Jim Sheridan’s American remake of Brothers. Led by Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Natalie Portman, the film repurposed Susanne Bier’s film as another in a line of film’s to take on the war in Afghanistan – and like … Continue reading "030 – Brothers"
029 – To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday (with Gavin Mevius)
January 15, 2019 00:49 - 1 hour - 96.7 MBThis week, we dive into our pfirst Pfeiffer and it’s also pforgotten Pfeiffer. To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday arrived in 1996, coasting on a triple threat of Oscar buzz: a popular stage play, adapted by the Picket Fences team of David E. Kelley and Michael Pressman, and starring the beloved Michelle Pfeiffer as its … Continue reading "029 – To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday (with Gavin Mevius)"
028 – The Paperboy
January 08, 2019 00:36 - 1 hour - 73.5 MBAn episode that asks that oft-repeated eternal question: will the Academy ever be ready for a movie where Nicole Kidman pees on Zac Efron? In 2012, Lee Daniels followed up his Precious Oscar success with a film that scandalized Cannes and answered that question with a resounding “no”. McConaissance be damned! The Paperboy may be … Continue reading "028 – The Paperboy"
027 – The Family Stone (with Tara Ariano)
December 25, 2018 00:46 - 1 hour - 72.7 MBThis week, we invited over Extra Hot Great co-host Tara Ariano to discuss our problematic Christmas fav, 2005′s The Family Stone. It may be one of several love-it-or-hate it holiday movies, but spoiler alert the three of us are super fans. Oscar and critics however, were a different story. Once thought a potential play for … Continue reading "027 – The Family Stone (with Tara Ariano)"
026 – Crazy, Stupid, Love.
December 18, 2018 03:08 - 1 hour - 76.1 MBIn many ways, 2011 was the year of Ryan Gosling. This was the peak “Hey Girl” era, and this year alone gave us the critical darling hotness of Drive and what we thought would suit the more traditional Academy tastes with The Ides of March. He was so omnipresent that a weak Best Actor field … Continue reading "026 – Crazy, Stupid, Love."
025 – Alexander (with David Sims)
December 11, 2018 02:26 - 1 hour - 79.3 MBGrab some snakes and prep that Dionysus monologue, because this week we are taking it back to 2004′s Alexander. Starring Colin Farrell filling the historic shoes of Alexander the Great, this film was a passion project for Oliver Stone that defeated a rival biopic from Baz Luhrman and Leonardo DiCaprio – but lost the war … Continue reading "025 – Alexander (with David Sims)"
024 – Anywhere But Here
December 04, 2018 03:58 - 1 hour - 78.7 MBThis week’s episode is a tale of two actresses at the opposite ends of their respective Oscar stories: 1999′s Anywhere But Here, with Natalie Portman’s kicking off her Oscar trajectory and Susan Surandon struggling to get the nomination that has eluded her since her win for Dead Man Walking. This is a mother-daughter film stooped … Continue reading "024 – Anywhere But Here"
023 – The Tourist (with Katey Rich)
November 27, 2018 03:58 - 1 hour - 78.6 MBRemember that time a movie where Johnny Depp explains vaping to Angelina Jolie made everyone super mad at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association? That’s right, we’re talking this week about The Tourist, a film so notorious in Oscar buzz history that we’ve invited a special guest to unpack it: deputy editor for VanityFair.com Katey Rich! … Continue reading "023 – The Tourist (with Katey Rich)"
022 – Cake
November 19, 2018 23:40 - 1 hour - 73.2 MB2014 was a year of mirrored Best Actress hopefuls launched at the Toronto International Film Festival: out of nowhere, Julianne Moore capitalized on a “weak” field and finally won for Still Alice. And then, ultimately snubbed on nomination morning after being recognized by the other big prizes, there was Jennifer Aniston in Cake. Notorious among … Continue reading "022 – Cake"
021 – Tadpole
November 13, 2018 03:55 - 1 hour - 61.6 MBThe Sundance Film Festival is an elusive mistress that giveth Oscar buzz only to taketh away when at lower altitudes. Case in point is this week’s would-be Oscar title: 2002′s Tadpole. The film was a sensation of the festival, winning a Best Director prize for Gary Winick and stirring buzz for newcomer Aaron Stanford and … Continue reading "021 – Tadpole"
020 – Secretariat
November 06, 2018 01:57 - 1 hour - 77.1 MBAfter landing a Best Actress nomination in a great Best Actress year for Unfaithful, we once thought Diane Lane could come back to the Oscar race by going to a horse race. This week, we’re talking about Secretariat, a live-action Disney biopic that got buried in the wake of The Social Network. Get ready for … Continue reading "020 – Secretariat"
019 – Hannibal
October 30, 2018 03:37 - 1 hour - 70.5 MBHappy Halloween, listeners! This week, we’re getting creepy with Ridley Scott’s follow-up to Best Picture winner Gladiator, the gross-out macabre sequel Hannibal. The legacy of The Silence of the Lambs made this one of the most heavily covered productions of the early 2000s and convinced that it might be similarly bound for Oscar glory. Maybe … Continue reading "019 – Hannibal"
018 – Sommersby
October 23, 2018 01:12 - 1 hour - 57.9 MBIt’s time for some failed harlequin romance Oscar buzz and that means we are talking 1993′s Sommersby. A post-Civil War era love story of overtaken identity and languorous beard shaving, the presence of a post-Silence of the Lambs Jodie Foster had us thinking this weepy could be Oscar-bound. But as the dueling elements of Richard … Continue reading "018 – Sommersby"
017 – Seven Pounds
October 16, 2018 01:33 - 1 hour - 66.4 MBCuddle up to your jellyfish, because this week’s we’re talking about Seven Pounds. Just two years after being nominated for The Pursuit of Happyness, we thought that Will Smith’s reteaming with director Gabriele Muccino could maybe bring the Oscar that has eluded him since first being nominated for Ali. But that was before we realized … Continue reading "017 – Seven Pounds"
016 – The Fifth Estate
October 09, 2018 02:36 - 1 hour - 63.9 MBIf the past few weeks of movies we like had you weary, fear not for this episode we have a real stinker for you: 2013′s The Fifth Estate. This was the year that Benedict Cumberbatch was everywhere and nowhere, alone yet not alone. After the rise of Sherlock, this year saw him in four major … Continue reading "016 – The Fifth Estate"
015 – Get Shorty
October 02, 2018 02:12 - 1 hour - 61.5 MBFor a short time in the 90s, Elmore Leonard was an Oscar thing and post-Pulp Fiction John Travolta being due was also an Oscar thing. Both of those may sound confounding in today’s era of Gotti and an unwatched series on Epix, but this week’s film brings both of those statements together to prove them … Continue reading "015 – Get Shorty"
014 – The Door in the Floor
September 25, 2018 01:12 - 1 hour - 71.8 MBThis week’s episode is the sound of something trying to not make a sound. It’s our first failed Oscar buzz movie that we genuinely love and it’s 2004’s The Door in the Floor. Adapted from the first segment of John Irving’s A Widow for One Year, this film stars Jeff Bridges as a grieving novelist, … Continue reading "014 – The Door in the Floor"
TIFF ’18 BONUS – We’re Far From the Scotia Now
September 18, 2018 01:54 - 1 hour - 69.1 MBWe’re taking a break from our usual dives into thwarted Oscar buzz this week and taking a look at all the films we saw at the Toronto International Film Festival! Not only are Joe and Chris in the same room for once, but we also have our very first guests: The Film Experience’s Nathaniel Rogers … Continue reading "TIFF ’18 BONUS – We’re Far From the Scotia Now"
013 – It’s Complicated
September 11, 2018 03:02 - 1 hour - 69.8 MBClose your eyes. Picture the movie about kitchens you’ve always wanted. Now open them. Is Alec Baldwin blowing pot smoke into your face? That’s kind of what it’s like to experience the 2009 romantic comedy It’s Complicated, from celebrated (and beleaguered) director Nancy Meyers. Since Oscar buzz follows Meryl Streep around like a heartsick ex-husband … Continue reading "013 – It’s Complicated"
012 – An Unfinished Life
September 04, 2018 00:52 - 1 hour - 63.3 MBThis week’s episode takes you back to September 2005, when the exit of the Weinsteins from Miramax resulted in a fire sale of delayed releases finally arriving in theatres to the most modest of fanfares. Least trumpeted of all was An Unfinished Life, starring Robert Redford, Jennifer Lopez, and Morgan Freeman. Here we have a … Continue reading "012 – An Unfinished Life"
011 – Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
August 28, 2018 00:18 - 1 hour - 61 MBIn 1997 we celebrated a giant sinking ship with James Cameron’s Titanic, but we are here this week to talk a different cinematic capsizing that year: Clint Eastwood’s Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Adapted from the wildly successful work of nonfiction by John Berendt, this film opened to massive expectations its unimpressive … Continue reading "011 – Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil"
010 – Hyde Park on Hudson
August 21, 2018 00:58 - 1 hour - 60.5 MBLend us a hand and listen along as we discuss this week’s case of failed Oscar buzz: 2012’s Hyde Park on Hudson. Opening with the burden of Bill Murray’s mounting Oscar hopes but in the shadow of The King’s Speech success handling a shared historical figure, Hyde Park on Hudson couldn’t charm its way into … Continue reading "010 – Hyde Park on Hudson"
009 – Serena
August 14, 2018 01:59 - 1 hour - 56.3 MBGrab your snake-catchin’ eagle and buckle up for this week’s Oscar misstep: Susanne Bier’s literary adaptation Serena. Set during the Great Depression, this lumber baron romantic thriller starred Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper and became a question mark lingering over multiple Oscar seasons. After a beleaguered post-production process and its struggles to find a distributor, … Continue reading "009 – Serena"
008 – Double Jeopardy
August 07, 2018 01:24 - 1 hour - 88.9 MBBefore this year’s Oscar season kicks off, we have a cautionary tale for your early predictions: 1999′s revenge thriller smash hit Double Jeopardy! That’s right, you may have forgotten, but leading actress Ashley Judd started pulling Oscar buzz when Double Jeopardy opened and started raking in the cash. But this blockbuster (which opened opposite eventual … Continue reading "008 – Double Jeopardy"
007 – Lions For Lambs
July 31, 2018 01:11 - 1 hour - 65 MBIn 2007, the movies went hard on the War in Iraq. But what happened when that righteous roar, bolstered by some of the biggest names in Oscar and cinema history, gave the weakest bleat in the barnyard? This week we are looking at Lions for Lambs, one of several politically motivated films of its year … Continue reading "007 – Lions For Lambs"
BONUS – If Queen Street Could Talk
July 26, 2018 01:41 - 39 minutes - 36 MBWe’re going to TIFF! If you haven’t seen, the first titles for this year’s Toronto International Film Festival lineup have been revealed. Joe and Chris couldn’t wait to talk about it, so we are treating you to a special bonus episode to discuss what’s to come from what many people consider the official start of … Continue reading "BONUS – If Queen Street Could Talk"
006 – 1492: Conquest of Paradise
July 24, 2018 02:04 - 1 hour - 95.4 MBBrace yourselves for some slow motion colonialism set to the dramatics of Vangelis – this week, we are discussing 1992′s Christopher Columbus epic 1492: Conquest of Paradise. With star Gerard Depardieu having a moment in American cinema and director Ridley Scott fresh off of his first nomination for Thelma and Louise, what could possibly go … Continue reading "006 – 1492: Conquest of Paradise"
005 – Courage Under Fire
July 17, 2018 00:26 - 1 hour - 94.1 MBThis week, we are taking you back to 1996 for Edward Zwick’s Rashomon-esque half-examination of the Gulf War and sexism in the military, Courage Under Fire. While most of the praise on release was granted to star Denzel Washington and supporting player Lou Diamond Phillips, we take a look at the case for Meg Ryan … Continue reading "005 – Courage Under Fire"
004 – Ask the Dust
July 10, 2018 01:03 - 59 minutes - 54.6 MBWhat’s that? You’re not familiar with the 2006 romantic drama Ask the Dust? Where a handsome young writer played by Colin Farrell moves to California, negs the hell out of waitress Salma Hayek, and begins a torrid love affair amid the dusty environs of the Great Depression? That’s probably because the early Oscar buzz on this … Continue reading "004 – Ask the Dust"
003 – Pay It Forward
July 03, 2018 01:06 - 1 hour - 57.1 MBThis week we’re calling all angels as we discuss 2000’s major critical disaster and thwarted Oscar grab, Pay It Forward. That’s right, the one where a post-Sixth Sense Haley Joel Osment teaches the world to pass on one favor to three strangers. A film notorious in This Had Oscar Buzz lore, Pay It Forward‘s awards … Continue reading "003 – Pay It Forward"
002 – Tulip Fever
June 25, 2018 23:49 - 51 minutes - 47.2 MBThis week’s piece of failed awards bait is the 2017 costume drama/romantic “thriller” Tulip Fever, and by “2017,” we mean “filmed in 2014 and originally intended to be released at various times over the course of the next three years, only to finally limp into theaters after several waves of frantic test screenings, horrid buzz … Continue reading "002 – Tulip Fever"
001 – Mona Lisa Smile
June 19, 2018 00:44 - 1 hour - 63.1 MBOur first episode of This Had Oscar Buzz is about 2003’s Mona Lisa Smile, director Mike Newell’s Wellesley College period melodrama, starring Julia Roberts and all of the It Girls of the early Aughts. Come for the art history lesson, stay for the dashed awards hopes.
It Didn’t Come True
June 04, 2018 17:17 - 14 minutes - 13.4 MBJoe Reid and Chris Feil discuss the origins of This Had Oscar Buzz, their first experiences with Oscar failures, and give a sneak peek at episodes to come…