308 – The Monuments Men

What this episode covers

With another George Clooney film on the horizon with Wolfs, it’s time to revisit the diminishing returns of his directorial career. In the 2013 season, his WWII quasi-comedy true story ensemble film The Monuments Men was an on-paper awards magnet. With a cast that included Clooney, Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett, John Goodman, and Bill Murray as a team attempting to rescue centuries worth of art from destruction by the Nazis, the film released two underwhelming trailers before being punted into the next year. Released in February 2014, the film made much more money than you probably remember, but failed as an awards vehicle. This episode, we rehash Clooney’s directorial career and discuss the film’s struggle in the editing room. We also talk about the film’s mismatching of its stars into pairs, Jean Dujardin’s Oscar run with The Artist, and Clooney’s reaction to Tarantino saying he’s not a movie star. Topics also include Drunk History, Tim Walz’s summer playlist, and Alexandre Desplat. Follow Us on Twitter!@Had_Oscar_BuzzJoe: @joereidChris: @chrisvfeil