The Oscar Worsty Podcast

16/08/2024

The Grouches return to the Best Original Screenplay category with the winner for films from 1989.

Dead Poets Society is an American coming-of-age drama film directed by Peter Weir and written by Tom Schulman. The film, starring Robin Williams and a band of fresh young actors, is set in 1959 at a fictional elite boarding school called Welton Academy. It tells the story of an English teacher who inspires his students through his teaching of poetry.

Somebody loves this movie, somebody doesn't... But which of these Grouches will seize the day to stand and deliver their opinions?!

Listen: https://linktr.ee/Oscarworstypod

10/08/2024

Celebrating the birth of our beloved Jonathan, the Grouches are watching some Power Rangers!

Buckle up for the 1995 film, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie, followed by the 2017 modernization, Power Rangers (aka Saban's Power Rangers).

Listen: https://linktr.ee/Oscarworstypod

05/08/2024

The Grouches welcome back Rachel Hope for the 1987 and 1988 Best Original Screenplay winners!

Moonstruck is a 1987 American romantic comedy film directed by Norman Jewison and written by John Patrick Shanley. It stars Cher as a widowed Italian American woman who falls in love with her fiancé's hot-tempered, estranged younger brother, played by Nicolas Cage. The supporting cast includes Danny Aiello, Olympia Dukakis and Vincent Gardenia.

Rain Man is a 1988 American road comedy-drama film directed by Barry Levinson and written by Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass. It tells the story of abrasive, selfish, young wheeler-dealer Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise), who discovers that his estranged father has died and bequeathed virtually all of his multimillion-dollar estate to his other son, Raymond (Dustin Hoffman), an autistic savant of whose existence Charlie was unaware.

Listen: https://linktr.ee/Oscarworstypod

24/07/2024

All four Grouches are back together to cover the most recent winner of Best Animated Feature!

The Boy and the Heron is a 2023 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Produced by Studio Ghibli, the film's Japanese title references Genzaburō Yoshino's 1937 novel of the same name, but is not an adaptation of it. This story follows a boy named Mahito Maki who moves to the countryside after his mother's death, discovers an abandoned tower near his new home, and enters a fantastical world with a talking grey heron.

How does this film rank against others in the category, and how emotional is this gonna get?!

Listen: https://linktr.ee/Oscarworstypod

12/07/2024

Up next is the winner of Best Original Screenplay for 1986!

Hannah and Her Sisters is an American comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen. It tells the intertwined stories of an extended family over the course of two years, beginning and ending with a family Thanksgiving dinner. Allen also stars in the film, with Mia Farrow as Hannah, Michael Caine as her husband, and Barbara Hershey and Dianne Wiest as her sisters. Alongside them, the film features a large ensemble cast.

Allen always sparks a lot of thoughts and feelings, so let's see what the Grouches have to say!

Listen: https://linktr.ee/Oscarworstypod

07/07/2024

It's the on-going Oscar Worsty Tradition for this time of the year...

BIG WILLIE WEEKEND!

The Grouches are watching the 2017 Netflix original, Bright.

Listen: https://linktr.ee/Oscarworstypod

03/07/2024

Returning guest, and friend of the podcast, Rachel Hope joins the Grouches to discuss the winner of Best Original Screenplay from 1985, Witness!

This film is an American neo-noir crime thriller directed by Peter Weir. It stars Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis, with Josef Sommer, Lukas Haas, Jan Rubeš, Danny Glover, Alexander Godunov, Patti LuPone and Viggo Mortensen (in his feature film debut).

The plot focuses on a police detective protecting an Amish woman and her son, who becomes a target after he witnesses a brutal murder in a Philadelphia railway station.

Listen: https://linktr.ee/Oscarworstypod

01/07/2024

Up next is the 1984 film, Places in the Heart!

The film follows Edna Spalding, a young woman during the Great Depression in Texas who is forced to take charge of her farm after the death of her husband and is helped by a motley bunch.

Listen: https://linktr.ee/Oscarworstypod

25/06/2024

It's Zach's Birthday episode and the Grouches are ALL TOGETHER! ALL 4 OF THEM (we've missed you, Trav)!

And, by golly, they're watching the wacky independent wonder, Hundreds of Beavers!!

Listen: https://linktr.ee/Oscarworstypod

The movie is available for rent on Amazon, Apple TV, Fandango, Philo, Roku Channel, and YouTube.

13/06/2024

The next Best Original Screenplay winner brings some realism to the old-school country music scene.

Tender Mercies is a 1983 American drama film directed by Bruce Beresford, featuring Robert Duvall as singer-songwriter Mac Sledge in a performance that won him an Academy Award. The screenplay by Horton Foote focuses on Sledge, a former country music star whose career and relationship with his ex-wife and daughter were wrecked by alcoholism.

Recovering from his affliction, Sledge seeks to turn his life around through his relationship with a young widow and her son in rural Texas. The supporting cast includes Tess Harper, Betty Buckley, Wilford Brimley, Ellen Barkin and Allan Hubbard.

Do the Grouches get touched by the tendies on this one?

Listen: https://linktr.ee/Oscarworstypod

Tender Mercies is available Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Google Play, Tubi, and Youtube.

05/06/2024

It's Gandhi... Again!

Not really Gandhi II, but the fellas are covering the 1982 film for a second time; examining it as a Best Original Screenplay winner.

Also, with the trio of Grouches back together for the first time in a few weeks, they all share thoughts on any missed movies.

Listen to the new episode here:
https://linktr.ee/Oscarworstypod

22/05/2024

This week's movie is all about standing up for what you believe in… by running really fast.

Chariots of Fire is a 1981 British historical sports drama film directed by Hugh Hudson, written by Colin Welland, and produced by David Puttnam. It is based on the true story of two British athletes in the 1924 Olympics: Eric Liddell: a devout Scottish Christian who runs for the glory of God, and Harold Abrahams, an English Jew who runs to overcome prejudice.

Two Grouches revisit this Best Picture winner and see where it lands on the Original Screenplay list.

Listen: https://linktr.ee/Oscarworstypod

Chariots of Fire is available to rent on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu, and Youtube.

16/05/2024

The Grouches enter the 1980s with a movie about a well-meaning dum-dum.

Melvin and Howard is a 1980 American comedy-drama film directed by Jonathan Demme. The screenplay by Bo Goldman was inspired by real-life Utah service station owner Melvin Dummar, who was listed as the beneficiary of $156 million in a will allegedly handwritten by Howard Hughes. The will was discovered in the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City. The film stars Paul Le Mat, Jason Robards, and Mary Steenburgen, who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Listen here:
https://linktr.ee/Oscarworstypod

09/05/2024

Episodes for the 1978 and 1979 Best Original Screenplay winners are posted!

Coming Home is a 1978 American romantic and drama film set during the Vietnam era, directed by Hal Ashby from a screenplay written by Waldo Salt and Robert C. Jones with story by Nancy Dowd. It stars Jane Fonda, Jon Voight, and Bruce Dern.

Breaking Away is a 1979 American coming of age comedy-drama film produced and directed by Peter Yates and written by Steve Tesich. It follows a group of four male teenagers in Bloomington, Indiana, who have recently graduated from high school. The film stars Dennis Christopher, Dennis Quaid, Daniel Stern (in his film debut), Jackie Earle Haley, Barbara Barrie, Paul Dooley, and Robyn Douglass.

The Grouches discuss these films and then rank the 1970s against the other decades they've covered so far.

Listen here:
https://linktr.ee/Oscarworstypod

06/05/2024

Episodes for the 1976 and 1977 Best Original Screenplay winners are posted! Have you seen either of these films?

Also, the Grouches answer personal movie-themed questions from the Talking Pictures podcast during the opening of the Network episode, so don't miss that!

Listen to the episodes on Network, Annie Hall, and more here:
https://linktr.ee/Oscarworstypod

22/04/2024

Have you been keeping up with the Grouches' rankings for Best Original Screenplay? The fellas keep their lists on Letterboxd!

Paul's list: https://letterboxd.com/fatherofthefear/list/best-original-screenplay/

Jonathan's list: https://letterboxd.com/altorn_achm/list/best-original-screenplay/

Zach's list: https://letterboxd.com/xakktastic/list/best-original-screenplay-oscar-rankings/

Best original Screenplay for The Oscar Worst Podcast

14/04/2024

Well?

The next Best Original Screenplay episode is available!

Listen: https://linktr.ee/Oscarworstypod

10/04/2024

The winner of Best Original Screenplay at the 1975 Academy Awards Ceremony is a classic that received 11 total nominations, but faced some stacked competition and only won the Oscar for our current category of focus.

Chinatown is a 1974 American neo-noir mystery film directed by Roman Polanski from a screenplay by Robert Towne. The film stars Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway. It was inspired by the California water wars, a series of disputes over southern California water at the beginning of the 20th century, by which Los Angeles interests secured water rights in the Owens Valley. The Robert Evans production, released by Paramount Pictures, features many elements of film noir, particularly a multi-layered story that is part mystery and part psychological drama.

We already know that at least one Grouch adores Nicholson… but what do the others think about this movie?

Listen: https://linktr.ee/Oscarworstypod

29/03/2024

The Grouches are revisiting The Sting from 1973, which won Best Picture AND Best Original Screenplay!

But first, Paul tells a story about another kind of Sting...

Listen: https://linktr.ee/Oscarworstypod

22/03/2024

A lot of excitement to share on this post:

First, the The Oscar Worsty Oscar party was a blast and we were excited to see so many friends; including people who have been guests on the show!

Oppenheimer was the big winner of the night, and all the Grouches were able to get together quickly and record a new Best Picture episode. Special thanks to our super-producer Trav for the quick turnaround on the release.

With the award season over, that also means we have a NEW King of the Podcast and category to cover once we finish Best Original Screenplay.

Listen to the episode to find out what the guys have to say about Oppenheimer, and for the announcement of King of the Podcast!

Listen: https://linktr.ee/Oscarworstypod

13/03/2024

The intern is catching up on social media postings... But new episodes post every Wednesday regardless of FB, Twitter, or Instagram updates.

Were you aware we've covered 3 more movies? Episodes on Best Original Screenplay winners from 1970, 1971, and 1972 are streaming now, wherever you get your podcasts!

Listen: https://linktr.ee/Oscarworstypod

01/03/2024

Check out this new episode about an essential film from the Dawn of New Hollywood.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is a 1969 American Western buddy film directed by George Roy Hill and written by William Goldman. The film tells the story of Wild West outlaws Robert LeRoy Parker, known as Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman), and his partner Harry Longabaugh, the "Sundance Kid" (Robert Redford), who are on the run from a crack US posse after a string of train robberies.

Listen: https://linktr.ee/Oscarworstypod

16/02/2024

Up next on Best Original Screenplay is the wild directorial debut of an American entertainment legend.

The Producers is a 1967 American satirical black comedy film written and directed by Mel Brooks and starring Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder, Dick Shawn, and Kenneth Mars. The film is about a theater producer and his accountant who scheme to get rich by fraudulently overselling interests in a stage musical purposely designed to fail. They find a script celebrating Adolf Hi**er and the N***s and bring it to the stage, thinking it will offend audiences and flop terribly.

A couple of the Grouches have rich memories about this one, while another has a slightly different experience. Any bets on who?

Listen: https://linktr.ee/Oscarworstypod

14/02/2024

This week’s episode covers an iconic American movie and another Best Original Screenplay winner (enjoy this beautiful poster from the Japanese release).

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner is a 1967 American romantic comedy-drama film produced and directed by Stanley Kramer, and written by William Rose. It stars Spencer Tracy (in his final role), Sidney Poitier, and Katharine Hepburn, and features Hepburn's niece Katharine Houghton.

The film was one of the few of the time to depict an in*******al marriage in a positive light, as in*******al marriage historically had been illegal in many states of the United States. It was still illegal in 17 states, until June 12, 1967, six months before the film was released, and scenes were filmed just before anti-miscegenation laws were struck down by the Supreme Court in Loving v. Virginia.

What do the Grouches have to say about this one and how it ranks with others in this Oscar category?

Listen: https://linktr.ee/Oscarworstypod

08/02/2024

All 4 Grouches are here with their predictions, and they're also joined by a special guest!

Who will be the next King of the Podcast?

Listen: https://linktr.ee/Oscarworstypod

29/01/2024

The Grouches are back to the main series with another episode on a Best Original Screenplay winner!

Darling is a 1965 British romantic drama film directed by John Schlesinger from a screenplay written by Frederic Raphael. It stars Julie Christie as Diana Scott, a young successful model and actress in Swinging London, and follows her turbulent life and career.

How does this one stack up against other winners in the category?

Listen: https://linktr.ee/Oscarworstypod

17/01/2024

The Grouches are back with the fully-loaded 2023 recap episode! The fellas share their top 5s, bottom 5s, and overall feelings on the year in film.

Listen: https://linktr.ee/Oscarworstypod

What were your favorite movies of 2023?

08/01/2024

Here's the list of winners from the Golden Globes last night. How do you feel about the results?

All the winners from the 81st annual ceremony, hosted by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in Los Angeles

17/12/2023

Hey !

Tagging everyone with a notice that posting is paused until after the New Year. We will have new episodes ready and look forward to watching awesome movies and having spectacular guests join us in 2024!