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 Gooding Jr. has the same number of acting Oscars as Al Pacino?
Look, stuff happens. But if you’ve ever watched or read about the Academy Awards, you’ve probably been left scratching your head over which movies and performers won – and how many beloved films weren’t even considered.
Why do so many Best Picture winners become some of the least remembered movies? How is it that legendary directors like Stanley Kubrick never won an Oscar? And why do great actors miss out on their best performances, only to win later for less impressive work?
Sure, the Oscars aren’t sports – there’s no scoreboard to show the winners. But with so many Academy members voting, you’d think they’d get it right. Spoiler alert: They often don’t.
On The Oscars: What Were They Thinking?, Bruce Vilanch and Adam “Tex” Davis take a deep dive into Oscar history, looking back at the biggest mistakes, controversies, and snubs. From Shakespeare in Love beating Saving Private Ryan to Dances with Wolves winning over Goodfellas, we’ll examine where the Academy went wrong.
Along the way, you’ll hear incredible behind-the-scenes stories and never-before-told moments from Hollywood’s biggest night. We’re re-examining each Oscar ceremony, year-by-year, award-by-award, to see what the Academy got right, what they missed, and how we would “fix” the Oscars.
Whether you’re a dedicated movie buff or just a casual fan, this is the podcast for you. Join us for The Oscars: What Were They Thinking?, where we break down the flubs, snubs, and forgotten gems of Oscar history.
All content for The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?! is the property of Atomic Entertainment and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
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 Gooding Jr. has the same number of acting Oscars as Al Pacino?
Look, stuff happens. But if you’ve ever watched or read about the Academy Awards, you’ve probably been left scratching your head over which movies and performers won – and how many beloved films weren’t even considered.
Why do so many Best Picture winners become some of the least remembered movies? How is it that legendary directors like Stanley Kubrick never won an Oscar? And why do great actors miss out on their best performances, only to win later for less impressive work?
Sure, the Oscars aren’t sports – there’s no scoreboard to show the winners. But with so many Academy members voting, you’d think they’d get it right. Spoiler alert: They often don’t.
On The Oscars: What Were They Thinking?, Bruce Vilanch and Adam “Tex” Davis take a deep dive into Oscar history, looking back at the biggest mistakes, controversies, and snubs. From Shakespeare in Love beating Saving Private Ryan to Dances with Wolves winning over Goodfellas, we’ll examine where the Academy went wrong.
Along the way, you’ll hear incredible behind-the-scenes stories and never-before-told moments from Hollywood’s biggest night. We’re re-examining each Oscar ceremony, year-by-year, award-by-award, to see what the Academy got right, what they missed, and how we would “fix” the Oscars.
Whether you’re a dedicated movie buff or just a casual fan, this is the podcast for you. Join us for The Oscars: What Were They Thinking?, where we break down the flubs, snubs, and forgotten gems of Oscar history.
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 among the 53 films he directed. And we’ll discover how even when the Academy did nominate him (including his one Best Picture win) they still got it wrong!
Hitchcock may have had a long and storied career telling crime stories — but the greatest crime of all may be the one the Academy committed against him! As always, thanks for listening!
Films Mentioned
(* Recommended)
*Dial M for Murder
*Rear Window
Three Coins in a Fountain
*The Lodger
*Blackmail
The Ring
*Murder!
*Rebecca
*Foreign Correspondent
*Grapes of Wrath
*The Letter
*Lifeboat
*Rope
*Double Indemnity
*Laura
Wilson
Going My Way
*The Lost Weekend
Anchors Aweigh
The Bells of St. Mary’s
*Mildred Pierce
Spellbound
*Rear Window
*Sabrina
The High and the Mighty
*The Country Girl
*On the Waterfront
*Gentleman’s Agreement
*The Graduate
*The Miracle Worker
*Psycho
*The Apartment
*Never on Sunday
Sons and Lovers
The Sundowners
*The Birds
*Jaws
*Notorious
*Suspicion
*To Catch a Thief
*Strangers on a Train
*The Lady Vanishes
*Shadow of a Doubt
*North by Northwest
*Vertigo
*The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934)
*The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
*The Wrong Man
*Marnie
*1941
*Birdman
*The Trouble With Harry
*Casablanca
*The 39 Steps
*Secret Agent
*Sabotage
The Paradine Case
Torn Curtain
*M
*Goodbye Mr. Chips
*Jamaica Inn
*The Best Years of our Lives
*Mrs. Miniver
I* Confess
*The Offence
*The Hill
Saboteur
Under Capricorn
Frenzy
*Topaz
Family Plot
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The OSCARS: What Were They Thinking?!
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 Gooding Jr. has the same number of acting Oscars as Al Pacino?
Look, stuff happens. But if you’ve ever watched or read about the Academy Awards, you’ve probably been left scratching your head over which movies and performers won – and how many beloved films weren’t even considered.
Why do so many Best Picture winners become some of the least remembered movies? How is it that legendary directors like Stanley Kubrick never won an Oscar? And why do great actors miss out on their best performances, only to win later for less impressive work?
Sure, the Oscars aren’t sports – there’s no scoreboard to show the winners. But with so many Academy members voting, you’d think they’d get it right. Spoiler alert: They often don’t.
On The Oscars: What Were They Thinking?, Bruce Vilanch and Adam “Tex” Davis take a deep dive into Oscar history, looking back at the biggest mistakes, controversies, and snubs. From Shakespeare in Love beating Saving Private Ryan to Dances with Wolves winning over Goodfellas, we’ll examine where the Academy went wrong.
Along the way, you’ll hear incredible behind-the-scenes stories and never-before-told moments from Hollywood’s biggest night. We’re re-examining each Oscar ceremony, year-by-year, award-by-award, to see what the Academy got right, what they missed, and how we would “fix” the Oscars.
Whether you’re a dedicated movie buff or just a casual fan, this is the podcast for you. Join us for The Oscars: What Were They Thinking?, where we break down the flubs, snubs, and forgotten gems of Oscar history.
