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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

85:37

1971 - No Poor Bastard Ever Won an Oscar Dying for...

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2025/11/10

Hey Oscar fans, welcome to the 1971 Oscars for the films of 1970. The title of the episode refers to the opening line of this year’s Best Picture Winner — Patton — a movie driven by one of the most powerful performances in film history. In fact, George C. Scott’s portrayal of General George S. Patton was so acclaimed that despite telling the Academy not to vote for him and that he wouldn’t show up to the Oscars; wouldn’t accept the award; and thought the entire concept of actors competing for

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57:50

Bonus: Was 1986 the Greatest Year in Movie History?

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2025/11/03

Hello Oscar lovers, we are back with a very special bonus episode that celebrates the fabulous films from the year 1986. In fact, “Tex” and Mark think there were so many great films released that year, that we could have an ALTERNATE OSCARS where we nominate and select completely different movies and performances and still have an amazing Oscar show. And to prove it — that’s exactly what we did! So enjoy (and play along) with our ‘Alternate 1987 Oscars’ for the non-nominated films of 1986 — one

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81:15

At the Oscars, No-one Can Hear You Scream

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2025/10/26

Oscars fans, movie fans and especially horror movie fans — you are in for a treat. Just in time for Halloween, we’ve got a special bonus episode exploring the complicated history of horror movies and the Oscars! Well, for some people it’s not complicated — the Oscars seem to HATE horror films. But is that true? And what even IS a horror film? We’ll answer those questions and more by looking at objective horror films that were nominated, or won (it’s not a long list); look at some horror movies

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77:35

1987 - The First Casualty of Oscars is Innocence!

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2025/10/20

Welcome to the 1987 Oscars for the films of 1986 — arguably one of the greatest years for movies…ever! Nearly every category is stacked with worthy entries, but as always, there are a few Oscar oddities, snubs and things to make you go ‘Hmm.’ Mostly, this Oscars has everything — from a born writer/filmmaker spinning his most harrowing wartime experiences into Oscar gold; to a deaf newbie beating out a string of 80’s acting legends; to an aging legend finally getting their Oscar due. In a year

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71:17

Bonus Episode: The Oscars Murdered Hitchcock!

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2025/10/13

Did you know one of, if not THE, greatest film directors of all time never won an Oscar for Best Director? Yep. That is the premise for this bonus episode… Join Adam “Tex” and Mark as we examine the glorious career of the legendary Sir Alfred Hitchcock and discuss how the Motion Picture Academy just never got around to awarding him its top prize. Along the way we’ll dissect Hitchcock’s greatest known films, tell little-known behind the scenes stories, and identify some lesser-known, hidden gems

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77:24

1955 - I Coulda Been a (Oscar) Contender

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2025/10/06

Hey Oscar fans — welcome to the 1955 Oscars for the films of 1954. In case you weren’t aware, 1954 was an absolutely outstanding year full of great movies…some of which even got nominated for Academy Awards! Which means some of the best movies that are still beloved, rewatched, referenced and remade today did NOT get any Oscar love. This includes a few shockingly egregious omissions that we’re pretty sure will have you scratching your head. So join us down on the waterfront as Bruce and “Tex”

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45:09

1965 Bonus - Oscars on a Wet Afternoon

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2025/09/29

Hey Oscars & Movie Fans — we’re proud to present a Bonus Episode that explores 3 great, HIDDEN GEM films from 1964 that we briefly mentioned during our 1965 - MY FAIR OSCAR episode. Each film was nominated for something — but we really didn’t talk much about them…until now. If you’re anything like us — we guarantee you’ll dig at least one if not more of these films which include: TOPKAPI - the inspiration for the most iconic scene in the Mission Impossible franchise. SEANCE ON A WET AFTERNOON

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65:44

1994 - Oskar’s (Schindler) Oscar

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2025/09/22

Finally! Finally, that Steven Spielberg fellow did something worthy of an Oscar. We’re kidding of course, but it is shockingly true that after 20 years of making some of the greatest films of all-time, Spielberg finally got his richly deserved Oscar. And while Schindler's List would earn several more awards that evening (including Best Picture) the Academy would still find a way to mess it up. Join us for an absolute banner year for movies as we debate the snubs, flubs, oversights and deserving

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47:47

The Oscars and The Sundance Kid - Special Episode

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2025/09/18

With the passing of Hollywood legend Robert Redford on Sept. 16th, we were moved to do a special episode of THE OSCARS: WWTT? in order to honor his legacy and commemorate his relationship with The Oscars. Enjoy hearing about some great films and some fun movie history as we celebrate The Natural who made it look too easy.Robert Redford Films Referenced Barefoot in the Park Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid The Candidate Jeremiah Johnson The Way We Were The Sting The Great

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76:01

2012 - Silence is Golden at the Oscars

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2025/09/08

Welcome to the 2012 Academy Awards, a year just outside our ‘test-of-time’ range for judging the merits of the winners, non-winners, and forgotten gems. This year featured a lot of very good movies but no true odds-on favorite, which is why the eventual winner is seen as kind of a let down. So who or what should have won? What should have been nominated and wasn’t? Are there too many nominees in the first place leading to a paradox of choice (where it’s hard to even make a decision). Not to

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65:14

1935 - It Happened One Oscars

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2025/08/25

Welcome Oscars fans to the 7th Academy Awards (it definitely wasn’t called The Oscars yet) — as we dive into the 1935 Oscars for the films of 1934. Now some of you might be thinking, ‘How can awards for films this old possibly be interesting today?’ To which we say, get ready because things are going to get wild! For starters, there were 12 nominees for best picture (and they still got some wrong!) There were also awards that are no longer given out as well as no awards for things we award

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74:39

1968 - In the Heat of the Oscar

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2025/08/11

Hey Oscar fans, welcome to the 1968 Oscars for the films of 1967 — AKA the year that changed everything (movie wise)! What an amazing year for films both domestic & foreign and to our shock and delight the Oscars were there to recognize and appreciate some truly groundbreaking films…mostly. From movies that touched on race in new and exciting ways — In The Heat of the Night and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner; to one of the most violent movies ever made - Bonnie & Clyde; and a new kind of

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71:49

1984 - "I Deserve This Oscar"

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2025/07/28

Welcome Oscar fans to the 1984 Oscars for the amazing films of 1983. What a time for movies! All the big stars, nearly all the big directors and lots of brilliant, compelling stories were on display this year...and Flashdance. With so many objectively great movies to choose from, it's hard for even the Academy to get it wrong. And yet, using the test of time, there are still some curious choices and omissions worth looking into. But at least one award was never in doubt. While accepting her

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75:21

2005 - Million Dollar Oscar

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2025/07/14

Hey Oscar fans, welcome to the 2005 Oscars for the films of 2004. Interestingly, nearly all the nominees were either bio-pics or felt like bio-pics. Even more interesting, while the choice for best picture isn’t bad — there was at least one film from that year that has become an all-time classic and an absolute favorite for many people — which was completely shut out of the Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor categories. With the recent release of the New York Times’ Top 100 Films of

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74:12

1944 - Play it Again, Oscar

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2025/06/30

Hey Oscars fans, welcome to the 1944 Oscars for the films of 1943. Not surprisingly the theme of many movies this year was war as most of the globe fought in WWII. There was a movie just called Air Force! And among these war and war adjacent films came one of the most beloved, quoted and classic movies of all time… Casablanca! But while Casablanca did take home some awards… did it take home enough awards? In fact, two movies that year had more nominations than Casablanca. Join us as we

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70:59

1973 - The God-Oscar

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2025/06/16

Hello, Oscars: WWTT? fans. Welcome our look at the 1973 Oscars, honoring the films of 1972. It was an outstanding year for movies with some great contenders in every category battling it out. Ironically, the most cheerful best picture nominee was about the inner-workings of the Mafia and all the killing and revenge that comes along with it. But while The Godfather may have been the big winner...did it win enough? And what snubs, flubs and oversights will have you reaching for a gun and a canoli.

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62:10

1981 Ordinary vs. Raging Oscar

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2025/06/02

Hey Oscars fans, welcome to the 1981 Oscars for the films of 1980. This is a HUGE year in terms of the conceit of this show — because while the Oscar winning film is respected, the film that DIDN’T WIN is regarded as a true masterpiece and one of the greatest films of all-time. If you know, you know, and if you don’t get ready to be enraged. Or maybe not. And that’s just the start of some curious decisions, omissions and oversights. Whether you’re a total film nerd (like us) or not — this was

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65:47

1964 My Fair Oscar

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2025/05/19

Hey Oscars fans, welcome to the 1965 Oscars for the films of 1964 — a year that had a lot of great films, some of which have stood the test of time… and then there were the winners. We’re kidding of course. Half kidding. But as you’ll hear ‘Tex” is not a huge fan of this year’s winner and would have preferred any of the other nominees (and another movie that wasn’t nominated) — while Bruce Vilanch supplies the context and support of the winner. So, what were these films and how and why did

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67:33

2013 - Four Score and Seven Oscars Ago

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2025/05/05

Hey Oscars fans, welcome to the 2013 Oscars for the films of 2012 — a year when Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln was poised to sweep based on a(mother) legendary performance by Daniel Day Lewis. But instead…it was the second worst night in Lincoln’s life. All in all, it was a pretty strange year for the Academy Awards — from the winners, non-winners, snubs and even the host! So join Bruce Vilanch and Adam “Tex” Davis as they share their insider’s perspective on who won and why (and who should have won)

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63:15

In an Oscars, far, far away…

The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! ·

2025/04/21

Welcome Oscars: WWTT? Fans to the 1978 Oscars for the films of 1977 — the year that changed movies forever. That’s because this is the year Star Wars came out. But did Star Wars win the Oscar? And if not, what legendary movie rose up to beat it? And what other legendary film about outer space creatures by a luminary director wasn’t even nominated that year. And what movie about dancing was nominated over Saturday Night Fever? Join us as we look back at a truly amazing year of movies, awards,

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