PODCAST · tv
The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?!
by 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 by year to reveal what the Academy got right—and what they didn’t. If you’ve ever questioned why your favorite movie or actor got overlooked, this podcast is for you. The Oscars: What Were They Thinking? Did you know that two of the Top 100 American Films of All-Time came out the same year but weren’t even nominated for an Academy Award? Or that the film often cited as the ‘Greatest Film of All Time’ didn’t win the Oscar in its year? Or that Cuba
Episodes
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1937 - The Great Oscar (and Plenty of Follies!)
Hey Oscar fans, welcome to just the 9th Academy Awards, AKA the 1937 Oscars for the films of 1936. Believe it or not, despite being nearly a decade ago, many of the movies from this year are still well known and have stood the test of time. And some of them even won Academy Awards. This is…
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1975 - I Knew it was You, Oscar. You broke my heart!
1975 Films Mentioned The Towering Inferno Blazing Saddles Young Frankenstein Earthquake Airport 1975 Chinatown The Godfather Part II Lenny Murder on the Orient Express Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore The Conversation Day for Night Woman Under the Influence Harry and Tonto Claudine The Great…
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BONUS - Disorder in the Court!
Hey Oscar fans! Based on the past few episodes which featured some outstanding films set in courtrooms, we decided to take a closer look at The Oscars long-standing relationship with courtroom movies! From the curious collection of courtroom movies that won Best Picture, to the outstanding…
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1960 - Ben Hur, Won That!
Hey Oscar fans! Today we’re looking back at the 1960 Oscars for the films of 1959! In the end, just like with the famous chariot race, Ben Hur demolished his opponents — but what made it a glorious victory was the sheer quality of his competition. From devastating historical dramas to scandalous...
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1983 - Oscars, Phone Home!
Hey Oscars fans! What a year 1982 was for movies! Besides having mostly one word titles: Gandhi, E.T., Missing, Tootsie, and (The) Verdict, this group of films are all Oscar worthy in multiple categories and they almost all win for something or other! And those are just the nominees battling it...
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1984 Redux - Oscars of Endearment
Hey Oscar fans, join us for another look back at the 1984 Oscars for the amazing films of 1983. A time when all the big stars, big directors and top talent were putting out great films to satisfy every film urge and scratch every movie itch! With so many objectively great movies in every genre to...
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1940 - Gone With the Oscars!
Hey Oscars WWTT? fans -- we're going way, way back to perhaps the first truly epic year of movies! And while it all took place over 80 years ago -- when you have this many timeless classics that are still relevant, watched & enjoyed today -- it may as well be 8 years ago. Between Gone With the...
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1998 - A Titanic Year for Movies & the Oscars!
Hey Oscars WWTT? Fans — come take a fateful trip with us as we break down the highest-rated Oscars telecast in history! And because Bruce was there, he can regale you with some behind-the-scenes fun! Of course, it was a big night for Titanic, which became the highest grossing film of all-tine…
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Bonus - No Competitive Oscars for Sidney Lumet Makes us ‘Mad as Hell!’
It also makes us 2 Angry Men spending a Dog Day Afternoon grousing about an unfair Verdict. Yes, these are all ham-fisted references to Sidney Lumet films that were nominated for Best Picture and Best Director. And despite being beloved classics, all four films (12 Angry Men, Dog Day Afternoon,...
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1963 - Oscar of Arabia
Hello! We at Oscars WWTT? believe the beauty of this podcast comes from three things. 1. Looking back at the Oscars of the past to see which winners & nominees have stood the test of time, or not. 2. Trying to understand how or why the Academy voters chose that year’s winners and nominees, and 3)...
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2009 - The Curious Case of the Slumdog Oscar
Hey Oscar fans, Bruce and “Tex” are back with the 2009 Oscars for the films of 2008. This was an interesting year for many reasons: controversial winners; new formats, a singing & dancing Wolverine as host; and most notably, the reaction to The Dark Knight being snubbed causing the Academy to...
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Encore 1999 - Love vs War
Hey Oscar fans. Bruce and "Tex" are on a slight hiatus, so we're doing an encore presentation of one of Oscar's most controversial years. A year that pit 'Love' VS 'War.' Of course we’re talking about the 1999 Oscars, for the films of 1998 in which Shakespeare in Love won the Oscar over Saving...
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1943 - Minvers, Ambersons & The Pride of the Yankees Doodle Dandy
Welcome Oscar fans. Bruce is back to help break down the 1943 Oscars for the films of 1942. It’s another stacked year with 10 Outstanding Picture nominees (most of which are very deserving) and yet, there are still several other great films left out in the cold. And while there are a few curious...
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Bonus - The Freakishly Fantastic Films of 1995
1995, an objectively incredible year for movies, doesn’t get talked about enough…until now! Having done the research for our 1996 Oscars, “Tex” And Mark were amazed at just how many outstanding, Oscar-worthy films came out this year — so many in fact, that we could hold an ‘Alternate Oscars’ and...
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1996 - They May Take Our Lives…But They'll Never Take Our Oscars!
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…
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ENCORE 1961 - A Boy's Best Friend is his Oscar!
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...
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BONUS 1952 - The Fantastic Films Noir of 1952!
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...
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1953 - The Not-So-Greatest Oscar on Earth!
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...
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Bonus - 2026 Oscars Reaction!
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...
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1974 Bonus - The Worst Sequels to the Best Movies
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...
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1974 - Get the Butter, this Oscar is Going to Sting!
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...
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Bonus - The Incredible Indie Explosion of 1996
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...
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The Oscar Goes to The English Patient. “Just Die, Already!”
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...
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ENCORE 1986 - Back to the Oscars (Again)
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...
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BONUS - 2026 Oscars: Conversations about the Nominations
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...
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BONUS - The Fabulous Films Noir of 1946!
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...
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1947 - It’s a “Wonderful” VS. “Best” Oscar
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...
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Bonus - Golden Globes 2026 Reaction
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.…
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Bonus - Mr. Kubrick, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Losing Oscars
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…
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Bonus - A Few Good Man: A Tribute to Rob Reiner
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...
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1958 - Oscar on the River Kwai
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…
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Encore: Holiday Movie Special
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…
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Bonus - You Talking To Me, Oscar?
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...
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2007 — Departing with an Oscar, Finally!
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…
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Bonus - Here's Looking at You, Bogart
Hey Oscars WWTT? Fans — for this bonus episode, a companion piece to our recent 1938 Oscars episode, “Tex” and Mark take a fun look back at an acting legend — the incomparable Humphrey Bogart. However, rather than do a full retrospective of Bogart’s entire career in front of the camera (70+…
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1938 - The Awful Truth About the Oscars...
I know, I know, another old Oscars ceremony from over 85 years ago. It can’t possibly be interesting! You can think that… but you’d be wrong! This year had 10 best picture nominees, covering a wide range of interesting topics — from the rise of fascism, the great Chicago fire and a love affair…
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Bonus: Bring Me the Head of Sam Peckinpah!
Few filmmakers achieve the level of notoriety and legendary status of Sam Peckinpah. He didn’t just direct movies — he detonated them. And while he never received any love from the Oscars, that was never his goal. Unflinching, uncompromising, and unrelenting, Peckinpah existed to turn on-screen...
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1971 - No Poor Bastard Ever Won an Oscar Dying for His Country
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....
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Bonus: Was 1986 the Greatest Year in Movie History?
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...
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At the Oscars, No-one Can Hear You Scream
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.…
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1987 - The First Casualty of Oscars is Innocence!
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...
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Bonus Episode: The Oscars Murdered Hitchcock!
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...
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1955 - I Coulda Been a (Oscar) Contender
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...
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1965 Bonus - Oscars on a Wet Afternoon
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…
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1994 - Oskar’s (Schindler) Oscar
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...
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The Oscars and The Sundance Kid - Special Episode
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...
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2012 - Silence is Golden at the Oscars
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…
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1935 - It Happened One Oscars
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...
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1968 - In the Heat of the Oscar
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...
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1984 - "I Deserve This Oscar"
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…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
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 by year to reveal what the Academy got right—and what they didn’t. If you’ve ever questioned why your favorite movie or actor got overlooked, this podcast is for you. The Oscars: What Were They Thinking?
Did you know that two of the Top 100 American Films of All-Time came out the same year but weren’t even nominated for an Academy Award? Or that the film often cited as the ‘Greatest Film of All Time’ didn’t win the Oscar in its year? Or that Cuba
HOSTED BY
Atomic Entertainment
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How many episodes does The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! have?
The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! currently has 72 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! about?
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...
How often does The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! release new episodes?
The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! has 72 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?!?
You can listen to The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?!?
The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! is created and hosted by Atomic Entertainment.
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