A Raggedy Oscar Podcast Reunion
Friday, December 30, 2011 at 3:30PM 
Surprise! The old team is back together momentarily. Clearly we need more time than 40 minutes to get into everything that's going on in the Oscar race so this one is a totally raggedy conversation... a la Margaret and Rampart, two films that are discussed.
So welcome back to Katey, Joe, Nick from Nathaniel, your host here at The Film Experience.
UPDATE: The entire podcast is embedded below but it is having some trouble playing all the way through with Google Chrome. Works perfectly in Firefox or download from iTunes.
Topics include but are not limited to:
• Cooking tips from The Help
• The Iron Lady and Streep's hard sell for the third Oscar
• Team Margaret and Team Rampart, two wildly underseen movies that share some intuitive storytelling and vivid ensemble work.
• Critical advocacy in the age of consensus
• The silly battle lines drawn between Hugo & The Artist
• Shailene Woodley and Nick's Descendants agnosticism.
Reader Comments (41)
You guys should do a podcast more often. Any links to this one though?
Yeah, how do we listen to it?
SORRY. i messed up the enclosure link. it's fixed now. you can click on the little tab at the bottom to listen.
or you can click on the photo. it's also on itunes I eblieve ...or will be. not sure how fast that updates.
It keeps stopping around 3:45! UGHHHH
why is called pre-noms dec 11 ???? It sounds new, Doesnt Joe talk about Christmas?
Mine keeps going out around 6:00 mark - shame, I really wanted to hear the rest.
Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Got to finish it. I don't see them going for Melissa McCarthy, either. Much to raunchy. Oscar seems to like their comedy much witter and smarter. (Ellen Page's nom.) Which is why I'm hoping Young Adult can sneak a nom or two in. Charlize seems to have to fight for a spot, but Patton Oswalt could surely snag a spot in that absolute mess of a Supporting Actor category.
oh, weren't Film Bitch Awards supposed to start today?
Good job guys! I always have a good time listening to these podcasts.
And it amazes me how Nick can say something insightful or hilarious in so few words when he supposedly feels more comfortable expressing himself through long essays.
Lovely Holiday gift!
Mine cuts out after 6 minutes as well.
So thrilled that you got the old gang back together. This is the only Oscar podcast where everyone can legitimately claim that no one is ever an asshole (at least on the podcast).
jtagliere - I couldn't agree more. There are many podcasts out there, but only this one feels so warm and fuzzy!
Thumbs up for podcast!!!
Any way to download it? My internet connection is so bad today that it stops every time... =(
I totally agree with jtagliere and Brian Z, you have the best Oscar podcast on the web!
Where else can you get a quote like this: "I feel we are getting the Kate Winslet '08 vibe, of like: OK, I'm not losing again. FUCK YOU ALL. I'll do an accent, I'll do comedy, I'll do drama, I'll go abroad, this will be a biopic, I'm on the cover of Vogue. Give me that shit, I want it!"
That sentence alone made my week!!
Ok, no problem... found it on i-tunes!
Looking forward to share opinions with you guys tomorrow. =)
I'M SORRY PEOPLE--- FOR SOME REASON CHROME IS STOPPING IT AT 6 MINUTES.
FIREFOX WILL PLAY THE WHOLE THING. I HAVE NO IDEA WHY
Terris -- where did you find it on itunes? it doesn't seem to update on the page? iTUNES has never done anything but confuse me when it comes to my own podcast :)
i want to listen!!!
im real confused nathaniel ;/
I only want to say this: a night out with you four must be so much fun! You have really good chemistry and for a podcast with four people, that's not easy to find.
Congratulations! And I have to say... I kinda missed listening to you guys!
OMG... could not imagine a better holiday gift!!!
*runs to listen to podcast*
OKAY HERE IS THE ITUNES LINK for those of you having problems.
that should make it much easier!
@jtagliere: In real life, I'm occasionally an asshole, but I try not to bring that to the podcast. But if we talk about The Descendants next time, I cannot vouch what will happen.
@Jorge Rodrigues: I feel the same way, and yet we've never all hung out for a night. I've never even met Katey! We'll have to do this live sometime, and sell tickets, or at least ask y'all to buy our drinks.
Thanks, everyone, for the compliments. Believe me, Nathaniel tries really hard to herd us together more often than he's able to. We do these when we're all able, so it's really cool when you guys are so excited and participatory when they happen and understanding when they don't come around for a while. We miss them, too!
I love your podcasts, but you definitely make me work for them! Your volume levels are all over the place. I couldn't hear some of what Katey and Nick said :(
Glenn -- if anyone has any advice for me i'd love. i've never been able to figure out why some voices are SO quiet. and i do tons of post work trying to correct. frankly it's disheartening and one of the reasons i do so few podcasts.
Some of your comments are funnier and wittier than most of the lines in comedies out there!
I really hate people trying to review a film/performance based on the trailer. What idiots!
In fact, the line about the Faulkand Islands is a different version from international and US trailer. Any "gentlemen, shall we join the ladies" is omitted from film. Do us a favor SEE the film before you comment. Aren't you guys voters in the BFCA? Wow, nice to see you vote on the performances you've seen.
Sean -- i am the only member of the BFCA in this group and i saw the film a few weeks ago. I believe everyone saw it shortly after we recorded.
JOE… love your comments on RAMPART and its surrounding female ensemble plus totally agree that Woodley is easily the best (and only) great thing about “DESCENDANTS. An “ABOUT SCHMIDT”-style reception on Oscar nom morning would totally warranted—particularly a snub for Payne whose chances I think people may really be overestimating.
NICK… amongst several major LOL moments (Carnage!, Harvey shielding Bejo, cooking advice from THE HELP, Meryl’s not so subliminal ‘Fuck You All’--Winslet-esque campaign attitude) I also think you nailed some of the major issues with HUGO and applaud your brave (and, imo, totally dead-on) criticisms toward Schoonmaker and the sound mixers.
KATEY… despite my many reservations about HUGO I agree with you the 3D was extraordinary. And am glad to hear what sounds like a Branagh defender what with your comments on his myth deconstructing. I mean, sure, he takes it over-the-top at times (the “knows exactly WHAT! SHES! DOING!” line-reading still makes me cringe) but he totally redeems himself with the wicked and poignant way he mixes egotism, vulnerability and such visceral frustration. Not as good as Plummer or Pitt, but definitely nom worthy.
NATHANIEL… are you a Branagh supporter? I remember your enthusiasm for him back in Sept but wasn’t sure if it was directed more at his chances for a nomination as opposed to the actual performance. Awesome comments on the individual acting races; supp actress is gonna be such a nail-biter but original screenplay is the one i think will be toughest.
EVERYONE… I know you guys are all major Tilda fans (Nick especially) hence am quite baffled by the lack of enthusiasm for her performance—at least by Nick and Nathaniel. I understand, though don’t fully agree with, the lukewarm attitude toward the actual film… but her performance floored me.
I know I’m not alone when I say these Podcasts are such a joy as well as a lovely capsule of the awards season. I ‘ve gone back several times to the rich discussions you guys had on the 07 SAG nominees, the hilarious/informative comments on the 08 Winslet awards narrative, amongst others, several times. Love, love, love these Podcasts!
Victor S - I howled with laughter about the whole "Kate Winslet in 08" segment.
Nick - I'm totally with you about The Descendants, so no matter what you say, I probably will be on your side. Now if you start insulting Win Win at any point, you and I are going to have to throw down.
Nathaniel - your site is consistently full of great writing, awesome links, and absolutely the best tone of any of the film websites as far as I'm concerned. Even the comment section is entertaining and, as someone said above, warm and fuzzy. I just thought you should know how much a film lover like me appreciates this site.
OMG! Thanks you for getting this on iTunes. Now i can't wait for my next commute to work.. it will be a pleasure.
NICK DAVIS:
"But if we talk about The Descendants next time, I cannot vouch what will happen."
bring it on! dipped in extra-bitch.
I think the sound problems are part of its charm, like the split screen in Charlie's Angels, which is the way I visually picture the comversations in my mind. And the problems with the sound would happen because each one is on a different mission... One is frying something following The Help recipes, another one is on a train that's always about to explode, another one is driving with a toothpick in his mouth...
I can only hypothesize about the sound issues as I have no clue about the individual recording rigs in question. My guess is exactly that. If you have four people, communicating online (?), each using a different recording set-up, it's going to be very hard to standardize the sound. Have everyone check their mic input volume before recording the real podcast. Test it if you need to when an exported file before really recording.
Great discussion as always.
Next time I will hold my microphone between my teeth while I chop onions, and we'll see if I'm louder. That way, if I start crying, you'll know it's not the onions, it's just bewilderment at Albert Nobbs.
Thanks again, everybody, for such funny and sweet responses, and happy new year!
I agree, you all have great chemistry and it flows so well for 4 people! There are some podcasts with just two that always seem so dull or jumbled.
Do you know what I just realized? I think there is a high probability that Oscar's Best Actress category might actually house five ladies with an average age higher than Best Actor's average age. (Michelle Williams will probably be the only 30 year old while Best Actor might have a potential THREE 30 year olds! Odd, huh?)
The only podcasts I've ever done are ones where I've been in the same room as the other people so it's obviously easier to modulate the sound. Unfortunately I don't even have skype let alone ever use it so I don't know, but please do keep doing the podcasts! They are far more entertaining than anything else I could be listening to. Your podcasts always make me want to hang out with you guys, which is cause for a win.
About Swinton versus Mara: I would be worried that Academy members (in the actors branch) might skip 'Kevin,' but it's possible that the curiosity that is Tilda Swinton might be enough to draw voters into watching it. She's not uber famous and therefore a draw, but she's just an intriguing person and that might work for her, I would think.
Just linked this to my blog http://criticuskritikos.wordpress.com/
Thanks so much for this New Year's present. So enjoyable even if you were all so mean to my Shailene!