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PODCAST

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?!

Atomic Entertainment

Ever watched the Academy Awards and thought, What were they thinking? You’re not alone. Join legendary comedian and writer of over 25 Oscar telecasts, Bruce Vilanch, and screenwriter/film nerd Adam “Tex” Davis (Just Friends) as they dive into Oscar history, unpacking the flubs, snubs, and surprises from Hollywood’s biggest night. From behind-the-scenes stories of A-list stars to insider insights on how the nominations and winners are really chosen, Bruce and Tex break down each Oscar ceremony year

tv & film

All Episodes

74:07

1996 - They May Take Our Lives…But They'll Never Take...

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2026/04/14

Hey Oscar fans — for this episode, Bruce Vilanch and “Tex” Davis dive into the 1996 Oscars—the year Braveheart took the crown, beating out an oddly charming mix that includes Apollo 13 and Babe. But here’s the real question: how did a year packed with some all-time classics end up with this lineup? From snubbed fan favorites to the Academy’s love of big, bold spectacle, we’re breaking down what got nominated, what got ignored, and what the Oscars might have been thinking… if anything.Films

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56:55

ENCORE 1961 - A Boy's Best Friend is his Oscar!

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2026/04/07

Due to unforeseen circumstances, we don't have a new episode for you this week -- so we decided to rerun an older one you may not have hear. This is a classic one that started the whole premise of the show. That's because in 1960, three films came out that are all sitting on the AFI's Top 100 American Films of All-Time List. Yet, only ONE of them was actually nominated for an Oscar the year it came out! Join us as we debate whether or not this is a travesty or if it made sense at the time. As

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67:26

BONUS 1952 - The Fantastic Films Noir of 1952!

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2026/03/30

Hey Oscar fans - “Tex” and Mark are back with another standout year of films noir. We kind of teased this episode during our 1953 Oscars episode — when four noirs (The Bad and the Beautiful, Sudden Fear, The Narrow Margin, and The Sniper) were nominated for various Oscars. But as we soon discovered, that was just the tip of the iceberg! 1952 was an absolute banger of a year for films noir and we are all too happy to walk you through at least a dozen more of our favorites, as well as introduce you

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74:02

1953 - The Not-So-Greatest Oscar on Earth!

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2026/03/23

Hey Oscar fans — Bruce and “Tex” find themselves under the big top for an Oscar year that’s… well… not exactly the greatest show on Earth. While The Greatest Show on Earth somehow walks away with Best Picture, a lineup of stronger, more enduring classics is left juggling in the background (including an all-time classic that wasn’t even nominated!) So, who were the clowns that let this spectacle steal the spotlight — and which films actually deserved center ring? Step right up for a lively debate, a

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51:14

Bonus - 2026 Oscars Reaction!

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2026/03/17

Hello Oscars Fans! Join "Tex" and Mark for an "entirely too soon to be having this conversation" conversation about the 2026 Oscars. As you probably know, it goes entirely against the premise of our show to discuss the recent Oscars -- since we rely on the 'test of time' to judge and score the winners & non-winners. At the same time, good luck keeping these certified film nerds from giving their takes on the proceedings. Some you might agree with, others not so much -- but isn't that the joy of

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64:10

1974 Bonus - The Worst Sequels to the Best Movies

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2026/03/09

Hey Oscar fans, welcome to a fun Bonus Episode that looks at a strange thing that happened following the 1974 Oscars (which we recently covered). 3 of the Best Picture Nominees (The Exorcist, American Graffiti & The Sting) went on to have sequels that were… less than successful. This led us to looking back at all the Oscar BP nominated or winning films that had sequels. It turns out, prior to 1970 there were only a handful. Why was that? And why did this year have so many? What film set the

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80:30

1974 - Get the Butter, this Oscar is Going to Sting!

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2026/03/02

Hey Oscar fans, Bruce and “Tex” are back with another outstanding year for movies (you really can’t go wrong in the ’70s). And yet, they still found a way to include some head-scratchers while leaving some ‘time-tested’ film classics out in the cold. Or not. It all depends on whether you think certain movies are more cult classics, than classic-classics. Or something like that. But in a year when you have films like Serpico, Papillon, Save the Tiger, Paper Moon, The Paper Chase and the The Last

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70:57

Bonus - The Incredible Indie Explosion of 1996

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2026/02/23

Hey Oscar Fans -- after last episode's look at the 1997 Oscars for the films of 1996, "Tex" and Mark were compelled to take a deeper dive into the world of independent cinema that exploded onto screens that year. Some of the films were mentioned already, many were not. Along the way we also break down what makes a film an "indie" and "Tex" draws from his experiences having written both a studio and an indie film But most of all, you'll listen in awe at the sheer number of great indie films & the

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75:43

The Oscar Goes to The English Patient. “Just Die,...

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2026/02/16

Hey Oscar fans, Bruce and “Tex” are back with a brand new episode looking at the Academy Awards of 1997 for the films of 1996. As you may or may not remember, 1996 was a GOOD year for movies, but a GREAT year for Indie films! In fact, 4 of the 5 Best Picture nominees are considered independent films — or as Bruce calls them, Tom Cruise and everybody else. And while Elaine Benes from Seinfeld famously hated The English Patient, the Academy loved it — bestowing it with 12 nominations and 9 wins!

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69:51

ENCORE 1986 - Back to the Oscars (Again)

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2026/02/09

Due to a scheduling snafu - we don't have a new episode ready for you today! So, we're replaying one of our favorites (and an early one many of you may have missed!) While Out of Africa and The Color Purple were battling it out (22 nominations between them) for Oscar glory -- another film was all but ignored in all the major categories -- despite dominating the box office that year. But if we could jump into a Delorean and go back in time -- would we perhaps bestow this beloved action/comedy with

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67:30

BONUS - 2026 Oscars: Conversations about the Nominations

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2026/02/02

Hey Oscar fans — with the recent Oscar nominations we felt it was only fitting for our Oscars podcast to talk about them... Even though it goes against the theme of our show which uses the ‘test of time’ to see what really deserved to win or be nominated. Despite that, we still have thoughts and hot takes! Join “Tex” and Mark as we discuss the nominees, make predictions, point out snubs and use everything we’ve learned making this show to try and understand what the Academy was thinking! As always

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65:41

BONUS - The Fabulous Films Noir of 1946!

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2026/01/26

1946 was an extraordinary year for film noir—so much so, even the Academy had to take notice. As Hollywood plunged into the shadows, moral ambiguity, and hard-boiled despair, the Oscars recognized standouts like Notorious, The Killers, and The Stranger. But with so much darkness flooding the screen, plenty of essential classics were left behind. Films like Gilda, The Postman Always Rings Twice, and The Big Sleep—now pillars of the noir canon—went largely unnoticed at the time. In this bonus episode,

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76:25

1947 - It’s a “Wonderful” VS. “Best” Oscar

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2026/01/19

Hey there Oscar fans — Bruce is back and we are excited to bring you a super fun episode that looks back at the 1947 Oscars for the films of 1946 — yet another simply outstanding year of movies. And while this year is highlighted by a heavyweight battle between ‘The Best Years of Our Lives’ and ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’… You can pretty much name any genre and find an incredible movie to suit your taste — many of which are still talked about today. But with so many great movies this year, it’s

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22:36

Bonus - Golden Globes 2026 Reaction

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2026/01/16

Hey Oscars fans -- before recording earlier this week, Bruce, "Tex" and Mark had a brief conversation about the recent Golden Globe Awards. Here is our theorizing on how this bodes for the upcoming Oscar nominations as well as some thoughts on the movies we've seen (so far) from 2025. Enjoy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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87:17

Bonus - Mr. Kubrick, or: How I Learned to Stop...

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2026/01/12

Hey Oscar fans, we’ve got a special treat for you — another episode on yet another luminary director, responsible for some of the greatest movies of all time — only to have the Academy shrug and vote for something/someone else. Granted a lot of Stanley Kubrick’s movies may have felt ahead of their time, or were in stiff competition with other great movies. But the fact that you can go to Stanley Kubrick’s estate (or museum) and not see an Oscar for Best Director (or Best Picture) among his

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65:02

Bonus - A Few Good Man: A Tribute to Rob Reiner

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2026/01/05

Hey Oscar WWTT? Fans — as we all know, Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle were brutally taken from us on Dec. 14th, 2025. This episode is a tribute to the amazing films & legendary career he left behind. We mostly concentrate on his first 10 films — 9 of which range from very good to excellent. And while Mr. Reiner never seemed to get the love he deserved from The Academy, his films stand the test of time by being some of our all-time favorite films. From Spinal Tap to The Princess Bride to Harry

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91:19

1958 - Oscar on the River Kwai

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2025/12/29

Hey Oscar fans, Bruce is back and we’re taking on one of the greatest, unsung years in movie history. The nominees are mostly great. The non-nominees are also pretty great. And the test of time needs to be graded on a curve because so many of these films continue to resonate today. This episode is a treat for anyone who loves and appreciates truly classic films. And if you’re not already a classic film lover, these are the films that will make you one! And with two of the greatest courtroom

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54:17

Encore: Holiday Movie Special

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2025/12/22

Happy Holidays Oscar fans! This week's episode is an encore performance of our previous holiday episode -- where Bruce and "Tex" discuss their favorite holiday movies and explore which ones got some holiday cheer from The Academy and which ones received a lump of coal. Enjoy! Movies mentioned: Just Friends (written by "Tex") It Nearly Wasn't Christmas (starring Bruce!) White Christmas A Christmas Story Gremlins Krampus Bad Santa Trading Places Silent Night, Deadly Night Black

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82:12

Bonus - You Talking To Me, Oscar?

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2025/12/15

Hey Oscar fans, this week’s bonus episode covers the Director nearest & dearest to our hearts — Mr. Martin Scorsese! After discussing his breakthrough Oscar win (finally!) on the previous show (The 2007 Oscars) — we're looking back at Scorsese’s film career prior to The Departed and discussing which of his films could’ve/should’ve been nominated or won. Along the way we give our thoughts, recommendations and disclaimers on tons of Scorsese films as well as behind the scenes stories, including the

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82:44

2007 — Departing with an Oscar, Finally!

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2025/12/08

Finally! After leaving empty handed with 5 Best Director (and 4 Best Picture) nominations… one of the greatest film directors of all-time, the God of pure cinema, Martin Scorsese, finally gets to go home with Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director. The Departed, his 2006 crime epic starring half of Hollywood seemed like the perfect vehicle to get him to the finish line… But at the same time, it’s a little bittersweet because in many people’s minds because The Departed might not have been the

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