Film Club 3000

The Oscars Series - The 56th Academy Awards

• Cameron Linly

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It’s the 80s! And we’re going to space… and accidentally setting off nuclear bombs…and driving cars on the beach… and so much more! 


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Kemari:

Welcome everyone. Hello. This is Film Club 3000, a podcast exploring the history of filmographies. We are your hosts. I am Kamari Bryant.

Cam:

And I'm Cameron Lindley Robinson, and each week we take a deep dive into a collection of films to explore the origin, the trajectory, and ultimately the truth in these subjects.

Kemari:

series. Welcome back. We are easing on down the road to the 56th Academy Awards ceremony. Welcome, everyone. Check your time, check your date, because right now it is April 9th, 1984. And we're celebrating the Academy Awards at the beautiful Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. do you feel about that, Cam?

Cam:

I feel great. We're going back to the 80s. We're going back.

Kemari:

A great decade in time.

Cam:

You know, lots of iconic films I feel like came out in the 80s.

Kemari:

Yeah, the 80s was a great time for the movies. I feel like it's an interesting link in between times. I feel like the seventies were really big.

Cam:

Mm hmm.

Kemari:

And then like the nineties have like a very distinct, like it's a very distinct decade for film, but the eighties is that kind of, I feel like we're seeing a lot of blockbuster movies in the eighties. Uh, the highest grossing film for this year was Return of the Jedi.

Cam:

Yeah, exactly.

Kemari:

So that's where we are. Um, but you also have all these iconic like, you know, the 80s dance films again like those kind of movies like the flash dances, which is the third most third highest grossing film of the year. Risky Business came out this year. Uh, is the sequel to. it a sequel yeah the sequel to Saturday Night Fever, It's an interesting decade, the 80s. But we're going to talk about some interesting movies this time around. But first, have you watched any movies recently?

Cam:

I've

Kemari:

a trick question,

Cam:

watched a lot of movies recently. but, but nothing. nothing to talk about. I'll talk about, I have not watched it yet, but I, I'm going to, as soon as we finish recording this, the, the, trailer for Maxine dropped today. Haven't watched it yet.

Kemari:

It did. I watched the trailer. Yes, I did watch the trailer. It was good. It looks like eight movies in one, so I'm kind of confused about it. I mean, like, I'm very interested because,, I've seen what he's done with the other two and, they're good, but This one just feels like it's like so many different movies like there's some stuff that's a giving like Bates Motel and it's like there's a the whole thing is like about the Night Stalker which is like the serial killer during this time in LA. But there's also her plot line I don't know I'm just like, I'm interested to watch it the movie that I'm going to watch it either way though without the trailer or not. So the trailer just kind of left me with more questions but I'm just ready to watch the movie.

Cam:

Well, maybe he's aware of that, you know? Maybe he's like, you know, I have this, like, trilogy that people want to see what's going to happen. Let me just, like, throw them some confusing, I don't

Kemari:

Yeah. Yeah. He's like, let me just put a lot of big things together. I'm like, okay, I'm here for it. I mean, we know it's going to be crazy. So I'm just ready for the ride at this point.

Cam:

Yeah. Have you watched anything?

Kemari:

I watched Kill Bill the other night, Kill Bill volume one, um, cause it was on, It's a fun part about traveling and staying in hotels is I can just watch whatever is on the hotel television. At the time it makes makes picking a film very easy and kill the volume one was on, and I watched it with my friend and deals are first time ever seeing it.

Cam:

Oh yeah?

Kemari:

Um, so I think Kill Bill is always fun to watch with somebody who's never seen it before. and it's just such a great movie. I mean, I think that's not like controversial to say it's, it's a very good movie and it's full of very iconic moments. I found myself this time watching it, like quoting a lot of it, which I'm not a movie quoter, I famously have a bad memory and. I don't remember details of things very well, even like my favorite movies. I don't remember that well, but I was like quoting some stuff back to kill Bill. I was like, maybe I'm trying to, maybe I'm going to become a movie quoter.

Cam:

Maybe, maybe your memory is like, sharpening, like it's like a knife and it's just slowly been sharpened.

Kemari:

been sharpened. Yeah. I hope, hope for the sake of us all.

Cam:

I love that for you, I love that, that going back to Kill Bill. That's fun.

Kemari:

It was great. Oh my God, Lucy Liu.

Cam:

I know.

Kemari:

It's just, she blows me away every time, but this time I was just like, yeah, she's really, she's really doing it.

Cam:

She's just incredible. Yeah.

Kemari:

she's a gem. what you got for us today?

Cam:

Today, okay, I have to disclaimer that I don't actually have it with me. I'm not drinking it. But, and you know, it's been a long time since I've done a wine pairing. And I was just really, the more I was thinking about this, so, like I always do with this series, I do my beverage pairing based on the best picture winner. And the more I was thinking about this year's winner, which was Terms of Endearment, the more I was feeling drawn away from a cocktail and into a wine. I was like, I really feel like This is the kind of movie that you just pour yourself a glass of wine, and you like, cozy up, and you just like, get your box of tissues, and you text your mom and tell her you love her, and then you watch the movie. You know what I mean? Like, it very much feels that way. And so, I decided to pair with this film one of my personal favorite, wines that I've ever had in my life. it's a pretty good movie. Pretty like famously for me now a go to gift of mine that I like to give to people that drink white wine is this 2021 the prisoner Chardonnay The prisoner is a really really well respected winery, uh, out of California, I want to say, and, this Chardonnay is just really, like, it's classically tasty. It's just like a really nice, not super buttery, just like really drinkable, um, wine. And yet still just so delicious, like, to the point that I always go back to it. And, Chardonnay always makes me think of, like, my mom and, like, this mother daughter relationship. It just felt very in tune with this film. And so, yeah, I, I'm, I'm suggesting that, you know, you sit down with terms of endearment and you pour yourself a glass of, of the prisoner Chardonnay and enjoy. Um, it's really tasty. I don't have that tonight. I'm sipping on bourbon instead. So here we

Kemari:

Oh,

Cam:

Cheers.

Kemari:

Okay.

Cam:

I just needed, I need a little something something, you

Kemari:

feel like that might be representative of Jackie Nicholson in terms of endearment. Maybe that's what that

Cam:

Maybe, yeah, yeah.

Kemari:

tell us about, tell us about 1983.

Cam:

1983 is a really interesting year, you guys, because I feel like the biggest thing that you see that's like politically and like culturally in a lot of these films is just this very, very, very present Cold War, right? That's like, obviously, a big, uh cultural and political thing that's happening internationally at this time. And you see that in the movies, right? Like in war games, that's literally the main plot in the right stuff. Like you see these like cold war themes throughout. So obviously that's a big thing that's happening in 1983. Ronald Reagan was president. Gas was 1. 24, which I found interestingly is up from our last episode. It got a little less expensive in the 90s, um, maybe that had something to do with the Cold War. Um, Best Musical was Cats at the Tony Awards, which feels very interesting. It feels very 80s for that to have been Best Picture, or Best Musical, and I wanted to point this out because I know it's one of your favorite movies. A Christmas Story came out this year.

Kemari:

Yes. Oh yes. Oh great.

Cam:

It's just like a che like a I don't know, this is a fun year. I feel like it's a fun year for film, it's a fun year I mean, obviously there's the Cold War, but that's just kind of like, you know, in the background. Um, yeah. That's that's a little time capsule into 1983. Obviously neither of us were alive during that time,

Kemari:

I think the cool thing about like the 80s isn't like this year that we're looking at especially 83 is like, you look at the top 10 highest grossing of 1983 and there's really not any like big IP thing except Star Wars. That's really the only thing. Every, every other thing is like an original, you know, an original work, most of them are adult films, whether it be like adult comedy films or adult like dramas, adult romances. This is when, you know, I mean, you have one or two family flicks that pop up there, but, you know, this is really when I feel like. It was cool to go to the movie as like a young adult and as an adult like you, it was an event, and that's, you know, the movie didn't have to be a name to print to bring you out like you go see, you know, a Murphy and trading places and like oh this is the, you know, this is an event itself, you know that that alone is an event. Or seeing like Tom Cruise and Risky Business, like, stuff like that. I just think it's really cool because it's very different than the times that we live in today. Like, it is a stark difference, to see so many original films in the Top 10. I just love it.

Cam:

What is that? Do you want to say what that top 10 is while we're chatting

Kemari:

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, so, um, wait, do you want to guess? Guess? Guess?

Cam:

well, I know the top five, so that's kind of cheating.

Kemari:

mind. So I'll just say it.

Cam:

I'm sorry. I have no idea what the rest of them are, though.

Kemari:

6 through 10 would be kind of a hard guess. I'm not gonna lie. okay, so number, I'll go from number 10. Number 10 is risky business. Number 9 is Mr. Mom,

Cam:

Okay.

Kemari:

which is, uh, Michael Keaton.

Cam:

Uh huh.

Kemari:

Number eight is Staying Alive. We got John Travolta in a sequel to Saturday Night Fever. Number seven is Sudden Impact, a Clint Eastwood flick. number six is Octopussy, which is a James Bond movie. So that's another IP up there we got. but, you know. It's James Bond, so it doesn't really count. Number five is War Games. Number four is Trading Places. A comedy. Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy comedy. three is Flashdance. Jennifer Bills.

Cam:

Mhm.

Kemari:

Beautiful movie. I watched this recently, re watched this recently. Very, very good movie. Number two, Terms of Endearment. and number three, or, I'm sorry, I went backwards. Number, ha ha ha ha ha ha, Number one is Return of the Jedi.

Cam:

course, of

Kemari:

Jedi. Made a lot of money. Um,

Cam:

Wars. Everyone loves Star Wars in the 80s.

Kemari:

Oh yeah, that was the, I mean, it was the final movie in the original trilogy. So, of course, it did, it made boo koos of money and brought people into the theaters to watch it. It only makes sense. And it got a couple nominations.

Cam:

Sure did.

Kemari:

Shall we hop into the Awards? Anything else we gotta say before?

Cam:

I guess we can just touch on Johnny Carson

Kemari:

Oh yeah, Johnny Carson's back.

Cam:

Johnny Carson. Did you watch any of, like, any of his

Kemari:

did. I watched some of his, some of his hosting.

Cam:

are your thoughts?

Kemari:

I think he's a good host. He's different than I feel like what we've seen of, of a host in modern day terms. Um, and it's kind of refreshing because I think that everybody in the room respects him. And that's really cool. You know, that's a really cool thing to see.

Cam:

it felt like very

Kemari:

and his control.

Cam:

It felt like a very classical, like control of the space. He was just kind of like, this is my job. It's very much like a cut and dry. Like, I'm here to host this. Here's my jokes. Here's the awards. move along. Like, I don't know. I felt It was interesting to watch because it's so vastly different than I think what we're used to in a

Kemari:

very different. feel like this is what people are trying to recreate in modern day terms is like, how can we get back to Johnny Carson and I think that's just not going to happen again, because you know he was just so I think he's just Johnny Carson, you know, he, he was kind of singular in that way. They brought him to do this year and, they had Quincy Jones do the music direction for this ceremony. Um, and I thought it was really cool. They had Shirley Temple come out and, and, and do like a little, flashback to when she, received the Academy Juvenile Award, which is no longer a thing. I think we should bring it back. I think we should bring back the kid, the kid Oscars, the Juvenile Academy Awards. I mean, that's great. Um, but yeah, I think, I think Johnny Carson's solid, you know, I think he's a solid guy.

Cam:

Yeah, he's solid. For sure. Classic. You wanna get into the awards?

Kemari:

why not? Let's hop in. Let's hop into it.

Cam:

I wanna talk about the movies. Let's do it.

Kemari:

All right. best supporting actor. We have the nominees, Charles Durning, to be or not to be, John Lithgow, Terms of Endearment, Sam Shepard, The Right Stuff, Rip Torn, Cross Creek, and Jack Nicholson, Terms of Endearment, winning.

Cam:

Congratulations, Jack Nicholson.

Kemari:

Congratulations, Jack Nicholson. This is his second Academy Award, I believe.

Cam:

It's Jack Nicholson. You know.

Kemari:

Yeah, yeah. Um, how do you feel about him in the movie?

Cam:

I think he's great. In terms of endearment. I was a really, I love this movie overall, obviously. Um.

Kemari:

can't wait to actually fully geek out about it, but I think it's such a good movie.

Cam:

And I think that Jack Nicholson is a really, is really, really good in it. I think John Lithgow is an interesting nomination here, personally, because he's in so short of the film.

Kemari:

Yeah, he's kind of an emotional key to the whole thing, though, in a really interesting way, you know, especially in the relationship between, between him and Debra Winger's character. Like, I feel like that really, like, when he steps in for that first time at the grocery store. Like, you're like, Oh, this, it kind of like changes the temperature of the movie a little bit. Like it gives you like a different possibility that something like better is going to happen. Like, you know, it gives you hope a little bit. It's kind of

Cam:

there is a little hope. Um, Yeah, I just think that it's, like, it's a very interesting choice, I think, to nominate him over Jeff Daniels. That's

Kemari:

Jeff Daniels is also really good in terms of endearment, but he's an asshole. And I feel like maybe people just didn't

Cam:

But he's supposed to be an animal.

Kemari:

He is, he is. But I'm like, if you're, if you're going to go between the nice, sweet, like

Cam:

I know,

Kemari:

and the, you know, I think that's just how the votes like fell, but Jeff Daniels is really, really good. In it

Cam:

he really is. I honestly, I feel like the nominations for this film in particular, I feel like in a modern era, they would have kind of fudged these nominations a little bit like that. I feel like they would have tried to push Jack Nicholson into a lead, and they

Kemari:

I agree.

Cam:

push the other two together in supporting.

Kemari:

Deborah probably would have been

Cam:

Yeah, same. I think they would've tried to get as many different categories

Kemari:

you don't really see you don't really see a double nominations and Lee categories anymore. I kind of, I think about like most recently like just in the Black Messiah, how they both went supporting. like, I'm like, you know, who's the lead?

Cam:

the lead in that? So we're just

Kemari:

where's the,

Cam:

split the

Kemari:

you know? So, but it's just because they didn't want to do that. And, you know, it makes sense because it does split the vote. But I think that, you know, uh, I don't want to get too far ahead and talk about Shirley. But, um, no, I, I, I think Jack Nicholson is doing a very Jack Nicholson thing in this movie. Not to downplay that at all, but it is like super Jack Nicholson. He's just doing his kind of like grumpy old man thing. But I think a lot of the heart of his character comes, I think a lot of, a lot of the, what works about his character comes from knowing Jack Nicholson's type, I think he does a lot of work for him because he's just, it just puts you there already like you're like, Oh, I know this guy. I know this asshole, and let's see him become a human before our eyes you know and he kind of does a good job at, at, teasing out that humanity within him throughout the entire thing. And also the chemistry between him and Shirley MacLaine is just like,

Cam:

I was just about to say, he is also blessed with, like, such an incredible scene partner for this entire film. And yeah, I don't know, Jack Nicholson always works with so much ease. I think that it's, like, I get what you're saying, because he does very much play into this Jack Nicholson type, like, that's really what he's built his entire career on. And yet, like, I still really do enjoy watching him in things.

Kemari:

because he's a movie star, you know, he's just a true movie star.

Cam:

He's a movie star.

Kemari:

Um, I think Sam Shepard was good.

Cam:

just about to say, I think Sam Shepard was good as well. He's the only actor nominated from the right stuff, isn't he?

Kemari:

I believe so. Yeah,

Cam:

I think Sam Shepard is really good. I don't think that that movie is doing a lot to help him win this award.

Kemari:

I agree with that. I think that, I think that Terms of Endearment is a mom movie and I think that the rest of it is a dad

Cam:

One hundred percent, you're right. One hundred percent. You are correct. Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Yeah.

Kemari:

just, the story doesn't do enough to make him, win competitive in this category. He's good, but it's not great. It's not like exceptional. Sounds like a Sam Shepard is fucking great himself, you

Cam:

he is, he is great, for sure. And also, like, I don't think that any of the performances in that film were really meant to be Oscar like, none of them are Oscar baity, none of them are really, like,

Kemari:

yeah.

Cam:

I don't know. I think it's a lot more about the story in that film.

Kemari:

Mm hmm. I agree.

Cam:

As for the other actors, I did not watch To Be or Not to Be or Cross Creek. To Be or Not to Be is, like, a Mel Brooks spoof comedy. So I think it's really interesting that an actor from a film like that made it into this category. I want to watch it and see Where that is coming from because that's just really fascinating to me. You don't really see nominations out of films like that ever. So

Kemari:

Yeah, absolutely. Cross Creek looked very interesting to me. it's like a, based off of a book. I, I couldn't watch it. I'm sorry. I was looking at my priorities and I looked at the poster for Cross Creek and it just looked very uninteresting to me. It's like a period piece in like New York. And I was like, I can't after, after Age of Innocence, I was like, I can't go into another New York,

Cam:

New York period

Kemari:

early, early 1900s in New York.

Cam:

That's fair, that's fair. Well, I you know, I'm sure he was great rip torn

Kemari:

But I definitely think Jekyll Lucas deserves it. I think it's really cool that he is. Three Oscars, you know, it's just Three Oscars Club is not, you know, it's not an easy club to get into and he got, he got it in two films were James Ella Brooks movies. So like

Cam:

There's the magic sauce, yeah.

Kemari:

good combination right there.

Cam:

Yeah. Shall we move

Kemari:

let's keep going.

Cam:

Let's keep it pushin Up next we have Best Sound Effects, um, with this huge nomination list right here of Return of the Jedi and The Right Stuff. And our winner is The Right Stuff. Congratulations.

Kemari:

The right stuff. It makes sense. I mean, it's like one of those movies.

Cam:

I, I continue to be interested in this category and the evolution of this category. Cause like, I think this, this year in particular has a lot of really weird categories that I find fascinating. Like, this year it's best sound effects and then best sound, like those are the categories. Like it, for a long time it was mixing and stuff. It's just like, I feel like it took the Oscars a really long time to figure out how they wanted to like, honor that department. But yeah, I mean, I think the sound effects are good in The Rise, so there's lots of rockets. There's lots of, uh, space stuff.

Kemari:

so much about sound and like the breaking of the sound barrier and, you know, high speeds and jets and rockets, you know, it's all about that. And that's such an integral part of the story that I think it makes sense that something so integral gets awarded. even against, Star Wars.

Cam:

even against Star Wars, yeah. But no, you're right. It is, it is a part of the story it actually supports the, the script in a really important way. So, yeah, congratulations The Rise stuff. You, you, you did it.

Kemari:

You did it. All right. Best, and I got two categories for you. Best animated short film and best live action short film. Best animated short film. We got some interesting nominees here. Mickey's Christmas Carol. Come on, Mickey. Sound of Sunshine, Sound of Rain. and our winner, Sunday in New York. Now, I actually did, after our little moments with Parker Pockets Perry, I searched for these and I couldn't find either of them. Did you find

Cam:

I found both of them!

Kemari:

Are you serious? Maybe I'm just bad at my job. Maybe I just suck at my

Cam:

I found both of them and I have opinions. I completely disagree with the Academy Awards this year.

Kemari:

well, let me get through the next one and then we'll talk

Cam:

Okay, I'm so sorry. I'm jumping the gun. Go. Go.

Kemari:

Best live action short film, Goody Two Shoes. Overnight sensation and our winner boys and girls Actually, I lied. I did find boys and girls. I found boys and girls, but I didn't find sunday, new york

Cam:

Yeah. I found Boys and Girls as well, and I couldn't watch it because the quality was so bad it made my head hurt. I'm

Kemari:

It was really bad quality. It was on youtube

Cam:

it made me want to be like, gosh, I wish that we preserved these films better than we did. but no, I have opinions about the best animated short film category because the Academy is so wrong. Like, Sunday in New York was 100 percent the worst of these three films. I'm so sorry. I mean, it was fine. It's just kind of like a kooky, Claymation film that's, a spoof of the song New York, New York. that's literally all it is.

Kemari:

Yeah.

Cam:

Which, it's fun, you know, whatever. Mickey's Christmas Carol is awesome. Iconic. And also, Sound of Sunshine and Sound of Rain, I think, should have won, personally.

Kemari:

Okay.

Cam:

because I'll, if I, I'll try to find it and send it to you. It's like a, it's like 10 minutes, like it's not a, a task to watch it. And it, I think that it has some really, it, it's about, a little black boy in New York who's blind and it's all through his point of view. And so it has some really, really interesting like visual, like animation depictions of like how he. experiences the world, yeah. and so, the first half of the movie is, like, really just him experiencing the world as this, like, little blind kid. And the second half of the movie is him, like, experiencing racism for the first time. And, like, that's the movie.

Kemari:

Sounds really interesting. I'd love to

Cam:

it is really interesting. It has, a very specific, style to it in the animation. I don't know. I think that, I think that the Oscars was wrong.

Kemari:

our, our Oscar goes to Sound of Sunshine, Sound of Rain.

Cam:

I think it was really interesting. Um, I didn't watch the live action shorts, I'm not gonna lie.

Kemari:

it's okay. Boys and Girls, I watched. Some of it, but I agreed the quality was really, really bad. I would suggest going out and watching boys and girls still, congratulations to Janice L. Platt for that award, but for now we're going to keep, keep it pushing.

Cam:

wait, I do want to also say that, I didn't realize this, but there was not, and we didn't talk about it at all last week either, there wasn't an animated feature category in the

Kemari:

Yes. Yeah.

Cam:

which I didn't realize until I was putting this document together for this podcast, that award did not exist until 2001 for Shrek. Maybe not for Shrek,

Kemari:

no, literally it was for Shrek. Shrek was like revolutionary. Like seriously, Shrek like changed the animation game. People were really respecting Shrek.

Cam:

I don't think animation has ever really been a very well respected medium. I think it's a lot more now, but clearly not in this time when we don't even have the category. so I thought that was interesting. I didn't know, I didn't realize that last week when we went through these. So

Kemari:

absolutely.

Cam:

Okay, so our next category is Best Film Editing, and our nominees are Blue Thunder. I was like, are you going to get a, are we going to get a sound effect for each of them? Silkwood?

Kemari:

Meryl Streep

Cam:

Terms of Endearment?

Kemari:

song for them.

Cam:

Okay. And our winner, The Right Stuff, edited by Glenn Farr, Lisa Fruchtman, Tom Rolfe, Stephen A. Rotter, and Douglas Stewart. Is that Jets?

Kemari:

Trying to do jet

Cam:

You broke the sound barrier!

Kemari:

really interesting to me that Right Stuff won this award. I guess it is just, I don't know, I guess it makes sense. I, I would have probably given it to something like Terms of Endearment because I feel like it, well, it did win Best Picture, but I also just feel like it takes, it, it takes a lot of story and makes it very, uh, You can watch it and not be stressed out about how much time we're crossing and how much is happening. I don't know, I think it was just very easy to

Cam:

It spans a

Kemari:

It's very, yeah,

Cam:

And you like, can pretty clearly follow what's happening.

Kemari:

absolutely.

Cam:

the right stuff also spans a lot of time. As well. And I think you can follow the story, but in a different, I don't know. I think that The Right Stuff is just one of those movies that gets these kind of categories. It's just like, you know, there's a lot of, a lot of moving pieces in it. Like, clearly it took a big team to, to put it together. And I think that the Oscars likes to celebrate films like that.

Kemari:

It is also a very technically interesting film in comparison in terms of Endearment, which is more laid back and kind of domestic. I do think it's a cool nomination for Flashdance.

Cam:

It is. Yeah. Flashdance pops up a couple of times in here that I think it's interesting.

Kemari:

think Flashdance could easily be a movie that did not get any nominations from the Academy Awards just cause of the movie that it is. But, it is a very well crafted movie. and there's some really good editing in it really sharp editing I mean the dance sequences alone are genuinely incredible.

Cam:

and that's not an easy thing to do, to like, make a dance sequence like that,

Kemari:

the final audition scene is just like crazy.

Cam:

Yeah. Congratulations, TheRightStuff.

Kemari:

Congratulations, the right stuff. Best sound. Our nominees are Never Cry Wolf. Return of the Jedi, Terms of Endearment, War Games, and our winner is the right stuff. Again!

Cam:

Once again!

Kemari:

Makes sense. They won best sound effects, best sound goes to them as well. They're sweeping up the techs. Congratulations. yeah, I think it makes sense. I don't even really think any of these other ones In the category, really, hold a candle to the sound.

Cam:

will say, I think that War Games has a really iconic sound scape to it. Like yes, the music I feel like is very iconic, but also like just even the sounds of like him typing and like the sound of like, like when I watched it and I heard that I was like this, it just feels like so many films have like mimicked this and so

Kemari:

that's very true. Yeah.

Cam:

of this I don't know. It just feels,

Kemari:

that has been parodied a lot in our culture that it almost seems just like kind of like a normal thing, you know? Yeah. I completely agree with

Cam:

I don't know if that necessarily means that it should have, won this award. I don't know why this film got nominated for anything to be honest, but, but I think that's interesting that it did get nominated for this and it does have such an iconic sound to

Kemari:

Yeah. Actually that's, that makes a lot of sense. Yeah.

Cam:

Let's jump into cinematography. So our nominees for best cinematography this year, we have Flashdance, Donald Peterman, The Right Stuff, Caleb Deschanel, War Games, William A. Fraker, Zelig, Gordon Willis, and our winner, Fanny and Alexander, Sven Nykvist. Sven!

Kemari:

this is his second. Academy Award for Best Cinematography. Also for working with Ingmar Bergman. He won for Cries and Whispers in 1972.

Cam:

we'll be talking about that one next week.

Kemari:

yeah, and then a decade later. One for Fanny and Alexander.

Cam:

Yeah. Did you watch Fanny and Alexander?

Kemari:

I did watch Fanny and Alexander. I've actually, Ingmar Bergman has been one of those directors that I've really been wanting to like,

Cam:

Me too.

Kemari:

dive into, but I'm just really scared to, because he has so many movies that are so iconic that I, it's just a lot to like, you know, decide which one to start with. And yeah, Fanny and Alexander is my first, um, movie. film. Um, what are your thoughts?

Cam:

I think that it's just this really epic film. In so many different ways, but to speak specifically to the cinematography, I mean, I think it really is, is quite beautiful. I think the cinematography works really well with the direction, with the production design, with the costumes, with the acting. Like, it's just really, like I said, like, it just feels epic. The whole time it made me think about Gone with the Wind, like, it just feels like this, like, really expansive, over the course of like this long time in this like family's life, I don't know, it just really felt like an experience of a film, which I think is really interesting.

Kemari:

It's also just really interesting shots and really interesting, use of the camera. Like I think about that first shot, I don't know if it's the first shot in the film or like super early on with the, with Alexander playing with like the puppet. and it's like, this is the way they, the way he uses depth. And it's like, the camera's like behind the puppet thing and like you open it up and then like it slides past and like, you know, it's just, it's just so interesting. I wouldn't, who would think to, to place the camera there. And they always choose a really interesting place to, to look into this world or, or I think about the shot also early on when they're, moving from room to room, they're all like in a line singing together, just like, These like big swiping shots from left to right like crossing the frame. We're just seeing these people move in a line until until somebody stops a line and then we don't we stop there and the line keeps going. It's just a really, really dynamic use. Um, yeah, I really, really enjoyed it.

Cam:

Yeah. Yeah, there's a couple really cool, just, like, beautifully, like, symmetric shots of, like, you see the parents are, later in the film, the mom and, her new husband, talking in the foreground. And then, this, long, like you said, depth into, this very symmetric, looking through a doorway at the children, in the background. I don't know, it's just, like, a, like, a beautifully composed film.

Kemari:

Beautifully composed, very well intentioned,

Cam:

But, like, like you said, These are literally masters of the craft. So I'm excited to continue

Kemari:

Sven Nikovic is considered to be, like, one of the greatest cinematographers of all time. And it's really cool that, you know, he won two Academy Awards for, two films with, two films with Bergman. He also, I'm looking at this now, did What's Eating Gilbert Gray, which we talked about last week. Mm hmm. Um, and it's in Seattle, two in one year.

Cam:

mean, clearly a master. That's so cool. And also just like, I don't know. When I think about like, I feel like foreign language films winning in categories that are not the best foreign language film, like that just feels like such a rare thing. So it's cool that he was able to accomplish that. in the 80s.

Kemari:

for sure.

Cam:

And, you know, obviously Fanny and Alexander impressed a lot of people, because they will continue to win the awards. speaking of,

Kemari:

Speaking of best foreign language film. We have the ball from Algeria, Carmen from Spain, entre new from France. The Revolt of Job from Hungary and our winner, Banian Alexander from Sweden, directed by Ingmar Bergman, one of the masters of cinema, Ingmar Bergman. I think, I don't know, I just think it's an interesting time to bring up that it's interesting to me that The person who directs a foreign language film does not win the Oscar, you know that?

Cam:

Yeah, that is interesting.

Kemari:

It goes to the, country. So Ingmar Bergman just technically has no Academy Awards. Cause he never won, never won best director. I don't know. I think probably in like the, like the organization that represents the film in that country, like, you know, like in during the weird wave, they had like the Hellenic film, Hellenic film Institute, or, I think that's probably where they would keep it at. Whoever submits the,

Cam:

Interesting.

Kemari:

the film,

Cam:

I don't know. There's something kind of like poetic, I guess, in this, like, oh, we as a country, like, have this thing, but also, I do kind of feel like the director should get it. I don't know.

Kemari:

I know, I mean, especially now, like this is the, Fanny and Alexander is the third. Best foreign language film, Oscar that Ingmar Bergman won. He won for Throught Glass Darkly in 1961 and the Virgin Spring in 1960. so, you know, very obvious that his, his films are loved and very highly regarded. so it's just sad that he didn't, he never had a best director. Even though he's nominated for best director many, many times. he never actually won, but some of the greats don't have Oscars. So it doesn't really mean anything,

Cam:

That is a very, very good point.

Kemari:

it's very, very interesting to know.

Cam:

Yeah. I wasn't

Kemari:

Do you have any, yeah, I wasn't able to watch any of the other ones either.

Cam:

I'm sorry. but yeah, go watch Fanny and Alexander, and also these other movies. and yeah, so we'll move on to this, uh, next category, which is, I guess I can do these two together. So we have Best Documentary Short Subject. our nominees are In the Nuclear Shadow, What Can the Children Tell Us? Sewing Woman. Spaces, the architecture of Paul Rudolph. You are free. Ir isn't free. And our winner, Flamenco at 515. Cynthia Scott and Adam Zmanski. Congratulations. And then this next category, Best Documentary Feature, Children of Darkness, First Contact, The Profession of Arms, Seeing Red, and He Makes Me Feel Like Dancin our winner, He Makes Me Feel Like Dancin

Kemari:

He makes me feel like dancing.

Cam:

Ardolino.

Kemari:

Congrats to Emil.

Cam:

Congrats, oh, Emil, I'm sorry, I said Emily. Congrats, Emil Ardolino.

Kemari:

we have a special Achievement Academy Award to give out to Return of the Jedi for visual effects.

Cam:

Yeah, I thought this was interesting because they didn't actually have Visual effects is a category that they don't actually, they don't have every year, like they only have it if there's enough films to produce. to, I guess, be nominated for it, which I found interesting. Um, and so, they chose to just give this Achievement Award out for The Return of the Jedi, as we mentioned, the third in the, in the original trilogy, so it makes sense that they wanted to honor it. But I just thought that was interesting. Also, Phil Tibbett is one of the people, uh, that was awarded here, and we just recently talked about him with Jurassic Park. So,

Kemari:

Oh, yes. I

Cam:

um, yeah, I just, that's an interesting little thing.

Kemari:

think it's nice that they they went out of their way to continue to have this award even though they probably weren't enough eligible films this year just to give them kind of a going away present.

Cam:

Right.

Kemari:

It's like thanks for all you've done for the movies for the last couple years for holding it down.

Cam:

Thanks for holding it down.

Kemari:

I like that.

Cam:

Yeah, that was cool. Up next we have the Best Costume Design category. Um, our nominees are Cross Creek, Heart Like a Wheel, The Return of Martin Gear, Zelig, and our winner, Fanny and Alexander! Um, Marek Voss. Congratulations, Marek. Beautiful costumes. Oh, they're so beautiful.

Kemari:

it's, you know, that kind of, it's a period piece, so all of that builds to tell the story, the costume design, the cinematography, and not to bury the leader, but the art direction, which is what they will win next. and it's really nice to see that this, this foreign language film winning a bunch of craft categories like this, because it is such a. I think that the comparison to Gone with the Wind is really interesting because it is super, it feels like Sweden's Gone with the Wind, you

Cam:

Yeah, no, the whole time I watched it, that's what I was thinking. I was like, this is so, like, it really is that. This, period piece that spans over this, period of time of this, family going through this

Kemari:

by this family and was very specific, like drama this family is going through. It's just, it's really cool to see like such a simple story at its core. Put on to a completely different culture and seeing that, and it's also very personal for Mark Bergman. It's like autobiographical in some parts too. So it's, it's cool to see that. And at this point, it's the 80s. He's been making movies for like decades at this point. So it's cool to see that level of, you know, vulnerability from a master filmmaker. And that's probably why people were so happy to award it because it is really A really celebration of all of his work and what he's done and for film. I think it's really cool.

Cam:

Yeah. Oh, absolutely. I think specifically the costume design really, I mean, you mentioned it, but it really does It has a huge hand in telling this story. I mean, like the costumes that the mom and these kids wear at the beginning of this film are very, very different from the costumes that they're wearing when they move into like this new living situation. And I think that's really, I mean, it's just part of it. It's, it goes hand in hand with the cinematography. You see these like really enclosed, spaces that they're now, and you see these like more plain, like, I don't know, less expressive clothing. Like, I think it's really, A really well crafted film. That's all I, that's, yeah. I'll just continue to say that, I guess. It's really well crafted. It's just beautiful.

Kemari:

and Fanny and Alexander also won Best Art Direction. Uh, and it all goes hand in hand. I think that those two awards together are super deserving. The other nominees in this category were Return of the Jedi, The Right Stuff. terms of endearment and yin tol but they had no chance next to Fanny Alexander.

Cam:

it just wasn't gonna happen. I do think that the art direction and, honestly, the costume design for Terms of Endearment were really, really, really good. I'm kind of surprised that Terms of Endearment didn't get nominated in costumes, because, I mean,

Kemari:

Hard because

Cam:

they were cute. Like, that's really light in

Kemari:

I think it's hard when it's up against all these like period pieces and you know,

Cam:

is.

Kemari:

terms, I mean, terms of endearment, it's just contemporary clothing and it's really good stuff, but I think it's hard.

Cam:

It definitely is. But I think the production design in Heroes of Endearment is that, like, Shirley MacLaine's garden in her house is just so beautiful, and like, her house compared to the house of her daughter's, like, that we see throughout the film, I think is really,

Kemari:

Oh yeah, yeah. Especially that first house that they live in when they're like freshly

Cam:

Yeah, yeah.

Kemari:

Yeah, it's cool to see the evolution of them becoming more like deeper and deeper into like family and with kids and stuff, yeah. best original song?

Cam:

Best Original Song. We have our nominees, It's a Maniac, Maniac, Maniac, from

Kemari:

the flue,

Cam:

Over You, from Tinder Mercies. Papa Can You Hear

Kemari:

can you hear me?

Cam:

from Yentl. The Way He Makes Me Feel, from Yentl. And Flashdance, What a Feeling, from Flashdance, our winner.

Kemari:

What a feeling.

Cam:

Yeah. I'm happy for Flashdance.

Kemari:

I'm glad they won something.

Cam:

too.

Kemari:

I think I prefer Maniac, though.

Cam:

I do too. But, you know, they're both, they're so 80s, it's like so funny to me. I think there's a lot of good songs in this category, honestly. The Tender Mercies one is pretty and sweet and sad.

Kemari:

Papa, can you hear me? It's Barbara.

Cam:

Barbara. Can't really go wrong with Barbara. But yeah, Flashdance had to take it home, I think.

Kemari:

Yeah, the music in Flashdance is such a, so integrated with the story. And all of those moments instantly just became so iconic once you, like, without the music, they would not be that iconic. Like from the water dump scene to the audition scene to the maniac when she's like rehearsing with the dog in the room, like all that stuff is just iconic because of the music. and it like truly uplifts the film. So I think, thinking with that, they deserve it. You know, it absolutely deserves it.

Cam:

Yeah. I know, I know Barbara wanted, wanted something from this award ceremony.

Kemari:

It's okay. Maybe next time.

Cam:

Maybe next time, Barbara. You wanna go

Kemari:

Shall we go to best original score.

Cam:

Yeah.

Kemari:

Alright, so we have best original score. The nominees are Cross Creek, Leonard Rosenman, Return of the Jedi, John Williams, Terms of Endearment, Michael Gore, Under Fire, Jerry Goldsmith, and The Right Stuff, Bill Conti. Bill Conti is working. I feel like I see his, I feel like I see his name every year.

Cam:

Working. He is working. No, I agree. That's always a name that I'm like, I've heard this before. Um, congratulations, Bill. Do you recall the score of this film?

Kemari:

no,

Cam:

I don't either. I feel bad.

Kemari:

much apologies to you, Bill.

Cam:

I feel like it was very kind of, like, Space Odyssey esque. Like, I feel like that was the f Or maybe I'm just putting that layer on it with my brain. I don't know.

Kemari:

Yeah, I genuinely couldn't recall a single like sound cue. I'm sorry.

Cam:

I'm sorry, Bill. It was a lot of a movie, okay?

Kemari:

yeah, a lot happens in that film.

Cam:

we see John Williams back again in this category, of course. The Master. He's, like, always nominated. Anytime he makes a score, he's just, like, a shoo

Kemari:

Yeah, he's just, he's the guy. I like the score for Terms of

Cam:

too. It's very iconic. Like, I feel like it

Kemari:

It's very iconic. It sounds like a soap opera,

Cam:

It does.

Kemari:

I think I kind of like it. I think it works.

Cam:

Yeah, I agree. I agree. Can we just, like, talk about this next category? And I need help understanding it. What do you know about it? Cause I tried to do research it and I couldn't, I couldn't discover like what it really meant. So the next category for our listeners is best original score or adaptation score, and there were three nominees. So the Sting 2, Trading Places, and Yentl were the three nominees and Yentl won with a song score by Michael Legrand and Alan and Marilyn Bergman. My question is, is it specifically like. Scores that feature songs with like lyrics. Is it like, like I had a hard time figuring out what this was and the internet wasn't very helpful, but I didn't know if you did any extra, any, any better digging than I did.

Kemari:

best. I'm so confused by the titling alone. Best original song score or adaptation adaptation score.

Cam:

So like, rather than an original, so like immediately what I'm thinking is like an adaptation score would be like taking preexisting music and like combining it into a score, but then original song score, I feel like is like a musical type score. You know what I mean? Like. Like, we're writing lyrics and we're singing, which I feel like is why Yentl is in this category, but I

Kemari:

I genuinely have no, no idea.

Cam:

just very confused by this category. it doesn't really appear again that much, in the history of the Oscars I know that there is, a musical theater score

Kemari:

There is a musical theater score category, but it's only, there's enough people enough eligible.

Cam:

So I wonder if they, like, made this, like, or adaptation score caveat so that these three films could get nominated this year? Like, I don't know. I don't know.

Kemari:

Yeah. I. Might need to do some more research on this and make an addendum to the, to the pod. I have no idea. Like I'm literally like at a loss for words. I honestly didn't even like recognize this as a thing. I kind of forgot that Yentl won an Academy Award. So,

Cam:

I'm like, I couldn't figure it out. Um, so maybe we'll, we'll try to figure that out.

Kemari:

yeah, we'll get back with you. Um, best supporting actress. Cher in Silkwood, Glenn Close in The Big Chill, Amy Irving in Yentl, Alfre Woodard in Cross Creek, and our winner Linda Hunt in The Year of Living Dangerously, which I believe, fun fact, is the only time somebody has won the Best Supporting Actress category playing a man.

Cam:

Yes, for, yeah, playing someone of the opposite gender. I think that she's the only actor, period, to win for playing someone of the opposite gender, I want to say.

Kemari:

Really? Interesting.

Cam:

maybe I'm mistaken, but that sounds correct. She's definitely the first. did you watch this film?

Kemari:

I did not.

Cam:

Okay.

Kemari:

Tell me about it.

Cam:

I think it was interesting. I don't understand why she was playing a man or what about her character made her a man. I was very confused. It, it like, it got like to the end of the film and I was like, yeah, she could have just been a woman the whole time. Like, I don't understand why. I don't know. I think that maybe in the 80s, they didn't believe in lesbians. Maybe that's what it was, because her

Kemari:

Oh, okay,

Cam:

to be in love with Sigourney Weaver.

Kemari:

Oh, maybe we didn't need that right

Cam:

But I just, or maybe they just wanted to challenge Linda Hunt, but she's not playing it particularly masculine. Like, she doesn't really change her voice at all. The only indication is just that she has short hair and she, like, wears pants. But it's like, it's I don't know. I don't know. I was very confused. I think

Kemari:

Maybe they just wanted to go for it. They're like, you know what? Like, we just wanted you to be a guy. I want you to play a

Cam:

just, I don't know. And that's, you know, more power to you, I guess. I mean, I think it was an interesting film. I think that she's really good in it. Honestly, she's probably the best part of the movie. Aside

Kemari:

a straight?

Cam:

yeah, I mean, she's, She's just doing the thing. also kind of playing, not kind of playing, playing someone who is like half Chinese as well. So I don't, I don't know.

Kemari:

Oh, that might be a problem.

Cam:

I don't know. this film features Mel Gibson and in the lead role as an Australian journalist

Kemari:

Oh,

Cam:

and I, I could, like, genuinely hear every time he remembered that he was supposed to be Australian. Like, I was like, he would be speaking just like normally with his accent, all of a sudden he'd be like, You got that, partner? Like, he would just like

Kemari:

Mel Gibson?

Cam:

really go into it. Um,

Kemari:

That's what you get for hiring Mel

Cam:

yeah. I think this was before, this was before a lot of his controversy. Um, but that all being said, I think the movie was interesting. It was like, it's kind of like a thrilling, action y Romance film. Um, you know, it's it's I think it was fun. It's very 80s like very very very 80s Congratulations, Linda Hunt. I like Linda Hunt. So I'm like, I think it's cool. I just I don't quite get it It's just not my time, you know,

Kemari:

It's not free.

Cam:

not my time I really wanted to watch Cher and Silkwood, but I couldn't find that movie anywhere

Kemari:

I've seen Silkwood, and she's really good in it. I feel like it was on something when I watched it on a streaming service. Maybe they took it off of everything.

Cam:

find it anywhere. And like, literally when I was searching it, it was like, Silkwood is like currently unstreamable because of some kind of like rights thing that's happening with, I guess, MGM or whoever owns, whoever distributed it originally. I don't know. So I couldn't really, I, I, I like Cher and I love Meryl Streep, obviously, but I couldn't watch it.

Kemari:

you watched The Big Chill?

Cam:

I did. Did you, did you watch The Big Chill?

Kemari:

Yeah, yeah. I'd seen The Big Chill, so I didn't rewatch it. but I actually like The Big Chill a lot. I really enjoyed that movie. and I like Glenn Close a

Cam:

Yeah. I like Lynn Close too. And

Kemari:

In everything, but she's great in

Cam:

Yeah, she is really good in The

Kemari:

Amy Irving is also great in Yentl.

Cam:

Yeah.

Kemari:

Um, I love Alfie Woodard, but I did not watch Cross

Cam:

I know I almost wanted to just watch it just for her, but I was like, I just really don't have time for this. Um, I will watch it one day, though.

Kemari:

shall we go to best screenplay written directly for the screen.

Cam:

do it for partner.

Kemari:

right. The Big Chill written by Lawrence Kasdan and Barbara Benedict. Fanny and Alexander written by Ingmar Bergman. Silkwood by Inora Ephron and Alice Arlen. War Games by Lawrence Lasker and Walter Parks. And our winner, Tender Mercies by Horton Foote.

Cam:

Congratulations,

Kemari:

Tender

Cam:

Thandor Mercies. I'm Robert Duvall, and I'm a country singer.

Kemari:

I love Robert

Cam:

Yeah, he's great. yeah, I think that this is a really slow, kind of intimate, sweet script, you know what I mean? so I think that, honestly, this is a pretty good collection of films in this category. And I think that it's an interesting one, but I, I, I'm not against it at all. I think that it works

Kemari:

Yeah. I think it's a cool win. It's a cool win, this category. mean, you could easily go for something like Fanny and Alexander, which is a lot more like rich and like full of depth, I feel like. poetic and like big and like, yeah, it's different. Even like Silkwood, which is like a lot more, it's kind of challenging, character study. The Big Chill, which is like also challenging in a different

Cam:

Very dialogue too. I feel like The Big Chill is one of those, like, it feels like a play. Like it's very much like very dialogue heavy,

Kemari:

people talking,

Cam:

yeah, it's literally just people talking.

Kemari:

yeah, so I feel like you could have easily gone for any of these other scripts,

Cam:

I don't know why War Games is here. I'm sorry.

Kemari:

okay. Let's be kind to Lawrence

Cam:

Let me, let me like, say that I think War Games is really fun. Like, I thoroughly enjoyed watching that film. I think it's hilarious. I think it's super fun. I love little baby Matthew Broderick. I don't know, I don't just think, I don't think it's an Oscar movie. I don't think that's a bad thing. I just don't think it, you

Kemari:

Yeah.

Cam:

So, I mean, good for them for the nomination. That's really cool. But, um, up against the rest of these movies, it doesn't make sense to me. Yeah.

Kemari:

how about, how about this next category though?

Cam:

How about it? So, our next category, we have, Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium. I love the way that they, like, continue to rewrite the title of this category. So our nominees are Betrayal. By Harold Pinter, based on his play of the same name, Betrayal. We have The Dresser, uh, by Ronald Harwood, based on his play of the same name. Goodness, they're all plays. We have Educating Rita by Willie Russell, based on his play, Betrayal. Educating Rita. We have Reuben Reuben, Julius J. Epstein, based on the play Spofford by Herman Shumlin. And our winner, Terms of Endearment by James L. Brooks, based on the novel by Larry McMurtry.

Kemari:

I agree. I think this is some great, this has some great killer lines in it. It's just so, such an alive script, like just about people making mistakes and like not talking about their emotions but feeling so many things. Just truly a great, great movie about feelings and like love and growing up and family and everything.

Cam:

I, I, like, I really, like, if I were to teach a screenwriting class, I would, I would include this script, I think, in it, just because, for so many reasons, I think that, like you, like we mentioned with the editing, it spans so much time, you know what I mean? So, but we're still following these people, and we're still invested in what's happening. I think all the characters have a very distinct voice. They all speak very differently, and I think that their relationships are really interesting, and also. They just don't, like, the way that they talk and the way they communicate and the way that information is, is told to us as the audience is so interesting. It's not like, it's not too showy, like, it's just a really well constructed script. Um, I think it's very well deserved.

Kemari:

I completely agree.

Cam:

We haven't talked about the dresser at all yet. We haven't. Do you have any thoughts, I guess, on the screenplay of that before we get into these next few categories?

Kemari:

I did not watch the dresser.

Cam:

I wanted you to watch it.

Kemari:

I did not watch The Dresser, and that's one that I really, really wanted to watch, and I just didn't. It was, it was like last on my list. I don't know why I put it so far down on my list of like ones to get to, because it was a really interesting premise to me.

Cam:

it It's a crazy movie.

Kemari:

it's a very interesting

Cam:

it's kind of crazy. It honestly feels like something that we would have had to watch in acting school or like in theater school specifically. It's very much because it literally follows a dresser in a Shakespeare company. that is like this dresser of this seasoned Shakespearean actor who's like fucking insane. He's just absolutely bonkers cuckoo crazy, Albert Finney. And he is also like, I say insane, but he's also like, I don't know, maybe demented. Like he's literally losing his mind. And, it just follows this man trying to like, put the pieces of this man together so that he can go on It's like a really kind of twisted piece of Cinema.

Kemari:

Yeah.

Cam:

So I do think that you should give it a watch at some point, but I think it's a divisive piece and so I understand why it got nominated and why it didn't win because I think even like if you look at some of the like reviews on the internet It's very divisive. Some people are like, this is so like over the top and stupid and the acting is horrible and it's like this, this and that. And some people are like, Oh, it's so brilliant. It's like this beautiful thing of like, you know, I don't know. So it's definitely an interesting piece to be nominated with the rest of these films.

Kemari:

Yeah.

Cam:

I also liked educating Rita.

Kemari:

watched Educating Rita,

Cam:

liked it. I liked It I enjoyed it.

Kemari:

Director,

Cam:

Do it.

Kemari:

we got Yates for the dresser. Ingmar Bergman for Fannie and Alexander. Mike Nichols for Silkwood. Bruce Barford for tender Mercies and James L. Brooks for terms of endearment are winner. I think it's very deserved. I, I really like James L. Brooks. I think he's just really good at the simple things, you know, like he's just really good at just showing humanity in life. Um, I think it's really, really cool. He just has brought us so many great films about humans living life and without all of the frills of like, you know, none of them are really super plot heavy like terms of a German is not super plot heavy film. It's about people, but it's. It's about relationships, and it's so endlessly entertaining, though. Like, it's not like a dull moment, you know? Um, and that's because of the performances he gets out of his actors, and the situations that he captures on screen. Like, even moments, like I think about the moment with the car on the beach. Between Clayton McClane, Jack Nicholson, like I'm like, that is like a mixture of like, incredible script and incredible performances and like incredible direction because there's trust that this scenario is not going to like go all to hell. You know what I'm saying? And like, there's just like the cameras just rolling on these two actors who are just so deeply into the characters, and a director that just knows that. No, it's not the yell cut yet, you know, like that's just, it's just incredible and that's how you get like movie magic and that's such an iconic moment, but it could have come like that it feels like it came from nothing at the same time, you know. so yeah I really really like James L Brooks, and yeah, he's a good guy. He's a cool guy.

Cam:

He's a good guy. Yeah, I mean terms of endearment It's just fantastic. And I agree. I think that he he has a really beautiful neck. I Just like really getting exactly what he needs out of his actors out of his crew out of everyone

Kemari:

He's making another movie next year. So he's back

Cam:

He's back I think, I think Bruce, Bearsford has a really interesting film this year with Tinder Mercies. it's just, like I said, it's just this really kind of quiet, like, sweet and sad thing. It's very, I don't know, it's interesting. I think it's interesting that he got nominated and I'm happy for him because I could see a film like that kind of being forgotten. but I, I think a lot of it had to do with Robert DeVos. performance and the, the love of Robert Duvall as an actor. Um, but yeah, I don't know. I think, I think it's a cool nomination for him to get that in the, against these other films. I mean, you have Peter Yates, who I feel like is a really iconic director, iconic British, like old school director. And The Dresser is just like a fucking play. Like it looks like a Shakespearean play. So. It's a really interesting, it's, it's, it's starkly different from the rest of these films in a really interesting way, but like I said before, it's just so divisive. I don't know if it was divisive at the time, though. I don't know. It might, I don't know. It feels like a, kind of like, scholarly thing, like, I don't know if a lot of common folk were watching that movie. Um, so I could see it kind of going by the wayside in that way.

Kemari:

Yeah.

Cam:

Yeah, and then obviously we've already talked about Ingmar Bergman, but

Kemari:

Yeah. Those are Mike Nichols. Michael Nichols is also iconic and he already, he already has a, Academy Award at this point for the graduate. So

Cam:

yeah, he does.

Kemari:

he's good. He's, he's chilling.

Cam:

He's, he's good. Yeah. Yeah.

Kemari:

it was time. I think it was James L. Brooks. James L. Brooks time,

Cam:

Yeah. Congratulations.

Kemari:

Congratulations to James L. Brooks. Best actor.

Cam:

Best actor we have Our nominees, Michael Caine in Educating Rita, Tom Conti in Reuben Reuben, Tom Courtney in The Dresser, Albert Finney in The Dresser, and our winner, Robert Duvall in Tender Mercies as Max Sledge. Congratulations,

Kemari:

Mac Sledge.

Cam:

like acting, he's singing, he's playing guitar, he's crying.

Kemari:

He's doing a really good job

Cam:

Yeah. Yeah, it's a really subtle performance, but I think it's really well done.

Kemari:

Oh yeah, and I think Robert Duvall is just one of those actors who everybody has loved and he's been nominated. Um, and he's just genuinely, I think, it was his time. He deserved it. He'd been nominated. This was his Fourth nomination.

Cam:

yeah, it was. And he had not won until this one.

Kemari:

he had not won

Cam:

Yeah, he needs an Oscar. Okay,

Kemari:

So, I think it, it just was his time. He had been, he had done The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, The Gray Santini, like, yeah, it just was a time for him to win something.

Cam:

and it's kind of cool that it was for this, this kind of movie, because he's, I feel like he's such a varied actor. He does so many different kinds of roles,

Kemari:

yeah, he's getting to show something very different here and I think very, yes, very internally complex and I think that's really cool.

Cam:

Yeah. Tom Courtney in The Dresser, I think, was fantastic. it took me, I had to ease into his performance because it's a little, like, overly flamboyant at times for me. It took me a second to really kind of settle into what he was doing.

Kemari:

You gotta get used to the style.

Cam:

but once I got, once I settled into the world and once I understood what both of these actors were doing, Tom Courtney and Albert Finney, they were, they're both fantastic in this movie. Um, but I think Tom Courtney really has a standout performance.

Kemari:

Okay.

Cam:

So, I would definitely recommend watching it. I would love to hear your thoughts on his performance, because like I said, it took me a second to really understand. I was like, do I need to be offended right now? Like, it was like, kind of overly flamboyant at first. I was like, okay, you're doing the gay thing a little too much. but I think I, he sold it for me. Yeah, he won me over.

Kemari:

Okay. You're good. You're making me excited to watch The Dresser now.

Cam:

Have fun!

Kemari:

Best Actress. We got Jane Alexander in Testament, Meryl Streep in Silkwood, Julie Walters in Educating Rita, Deborah Winger in Terms of Endearment, and our winner, Shirley MacLaine, in The in terms of endearment. Shirley MacLaine is genuinely one of my favorite actresses, my favorite actors, period, of all time. And I think that she is so good

Cam:

good.

Kemari:

terms of endearment.

Cam:

Oh, she's so good.

Kemari:

In a role that I think could easily come across so, like, cold, I mean, she is cold, but like, I think it could, I think it could come across very just like, Oh, you're just playing You know what I'm saying? And it's so much more than that.

Cam:

Yeah, because she's, she's doing the kind of complicated cold mother role, right? Which I think so many actresses have done, but there's still so much love between these two women that you really feel her heartbreak at the end. You know, like the scene in the hospital where she's just like screaming at the nurses for her to get like, like that, I'm just like, I felt every like vibration out of her vocal cords, you know, and

Kemari:

Yes. Yes. It's like love. It is like, it's all about love. Like she just embodies love so much. And even in this relationship with Jack Nicholson's character, you can just tell that she's closed herself off from love for so long, but she's so full of it. And it's just such an interesting, dichotomy to like see on screen, like this desire for love, her inability to, to actually, you know, express it at all times or to, you know, even her inability to like fully, Accept it from others too. Like she has a problem with accepting it. And I think it's really, really, really beautiful.

Cam:

Yeah. I mean, even just to think about, like, she has throughout the film all these men, like, fawning over her, because she's this, like, you know, attractive, older, rich woman. Like, of course men are going to be all over her. And yet, the only one that really intrigues her is the one guy that, like, she doesn't really feel, I don't know, in this, like, kind of conventional attraction that she would normally have towards a man. Like, she does not agree with his lifestyle, really. Like, he's not overly interested in her. It's just an interesting kind of opening yourself up to this, and allowing someone to grow with you. Like, I think that's kind of her issue with, one of the things that is interesting about her relationship with her daughter is that she's not really quite as open to like accepting who her daughter is, right, and she kind of has to learn how to grow with her daughter in the

Kemari:

with her daughter, yeah. She's like so uptight, like she's not, yeah, she's not super open to change. And she has to change that and, and grow. I also just think that Shirley MacLaine is just such a fucking movie star. Like she just has, I mean she truly does have that like golden age movie star thing about her that just a lot of people don't get. Don't like we're in the 80s. We're growing out of that. Like we're kind of leaving that behind Robert Duvall, too He's very similar. He has that kind of golden age movie star thing, too But really mcclain was making he's been making movies. Her career is so long She's been making movies since like the 60s.

Cam:

Yeah.

Kemari:

it's crazy. It's crazy Like she was like a star like like she would hide up her career in the 60s and then came back here And is still like winning like one academy award And there are so many other times before this when she could have won the Academy Award. I think she should have probably won for The Apartment, personally, because she's

Cam:

You just love that movie.

Kemari:

Yeah, I mean, she's incredible in it. no, I don't know. I just think that she is just like truly a one of a kind movie star. And it's really cool to see. Her win, even in, even in like, in a time where I think it's so easy for like, actresses to age out of roles that are like, good enough to win Academy Awards for, like, at this point in her career, like, I'm glad that she still was able to have one and still did win an Academy Award.

Cam:

Yeah. She's so good in this movie.

Kemari:

I also think Debra Winger's really good in terms of endearment. I think she's pretty fucking incredible.

Cam:

I agree. No, and that's why we kind of talked about it earlier. I feel like now they would have tried to split these actresses into different categories. Like, I feel like they would have tried to put Debra Winger in the supporting just to give them both awards. Yes.

Kemari:

she's just so genuinely like alive as this character. Like, I feel like she truly was that character in all these little moments. Like, she's just so electric. Every single thing is just like a choice that she makes. It's beautiful. who else is in this category?

Cam:

Meryl

Kemari:

Meryl Streep is great in Silkwood, I also want to say about Shirley MacLaine, this last thing, she's just, she's so damn funny.

Cam:

Yeah, she's funny.

Kemari:

She's like genuinely hilarious, she can turn a joke on its head every single time.

Cam:

Yeah. And,

Kemari:

Even her acceptance speech, she was hilarious in her acceptance speech, did you watch

Cam:

No, I didn't watch it.

Kemari:

She was like, she was like, uh, this night, she was like, this ceremony's been as long as my career. I was like, yeah, like she's just so fucking

Cam:

Uh, so good. And to go toe to toe with Jack Nicholson, who I think has this very kind of dry, grumpy old man sense of humor. For her to just, in her aliveness of being this very uptight woman, going toe to toe with him and just being so hilarious. It's an interesting thing to think that those two are at times in this film kind of the comedic relief when they still have such a rich storyline going on aside from Debra Winger's, uh, storyline. I don't know. It's a great film. guess we can talk more about it now in our best picture category. Best. Picture. Alright, here we go. The nominees are The Big Chill, directed by Lawrence Kasdan, written by Lawrence Kasdan and Barbara Benedick, with a budget of 56. 4 million, and it stars Tom Barringer, Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, William Hurt, Kevin Kline, Mary Kay Place, Meg Tilly, Jo Beth Williams, and Dawn Galloway. It did not win. Any Academy Awards this evening, although it was nominated for three Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress for Glen Close and Best Original Screenplay. Next up we have The Dresser, directed by Peter Yates, written by Ronald Harwood. It was shot on a budget of about 1. 8 million dollars and it stars Albert Finney and Tom Courtney. And it also did not win anything, although it was. nominated for five categories, Best Picture, Director, Both Actors, Tom Courtney and Albert Finney, and Best Adapted Screenplay. We have The Right Stuff, written and directed by Philip Kaufman, based on The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe. It was shot on a budget of 27 million, and it stars so many people. It stars Sam Shepard, Fred Ward, Dennis Quaid, Ed Harris, Scott Glenn, Lance Hendrickson, Scott Pollan, Barbara Hershey, Veronica Cartwright, Pamela Reed, and so many other people. Jesus Christ, this movie is so much. Fucking Jeff Goldblum is also in this. Um, We, I can cut that out. It was something I added for myself. Um, it won four Academy Awards and it was nominated in eight nominations. Uh, so it won best film editing, best original score, best sound and best sound effects editing. We have up next Tinder Mercies, directed by Bruce Beresford, written by Horton Foote. It was shot on a budget of 4. it stars Robert Duvall, Tess Harper, Broadway legend, Betty Buckley. and. Little Baby Allen Hubbard. It was nominated for five Academy Awards, and it won two of them for Best Actor, Robert Duvall, and Best Screenplay written directly for the screen. And finally, we have our winner of the evening, the Best Picture of 1983 at the Academy Awards. Terms of Endearment. Written and directed by James L. Brooks. Based on terms of endearment by Larry McMurtry. It was shot on a budget of$8 million and it stars Shirley McClain, Deborah Winger, Jack Nicholson, Jeff Daniels, John Lithgow. It had nine nominations, and it won, five of them. So it won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay based on a material from another medium, Best Actress for Shirley MacLaine, and Best Supporting Actor for Jack Nicholson.

Kemari:

Congratulations to Terms of Endearment, Terms of Endearment, is it S at the end? Terms of Endearment.

Cam:

No, it's just,

Kemari:

Terms of endearment. Congratulations to you and congratulations to James L. Brooks and to Shirley MacLaine and Jack Nicholson and Debra Winger and John Lithgow and Jeff Bridges.

Cam:

Daniels.

Kemari:

Daniels. Jeff

Cam:

Wrong Jeff. It's okay, they kind of look similar. I

Kemari:

They look similar to me. this is a great movie. I like it a lot and I will probably re watch it like of my life.

Cam:

Wow.

Kemari:

It's a sweet movie. It makes me really feel sweet feelings and like love

Cam:

Yeah, and sadness.

Kemari:

and sadness at the end too. But I think once you like real, like once you know what's going to happen, it's kind of less sad.

Cam:

Yeah. Cause you can kind of enjoy the journey, right?

Kemari:

you can enjoy the journey before the, before the turn.

Cam:

Um, yeah, this movie's great. It's, it's, it's fucking fantastic, honestly. I think it's really good. Probably one of my favorite movies of the entire decade of the 80s.

Kemari:

Yeah. So they're my favorite best picture winners for sure. Probably is up there, up there in top 15 for me.

Cam:

Yeah.

Kemari:

I don't

Cam:

You're like, just making this

Kemari:

Is that like just a random number I picked? I don't know. I'm sure it is though.

Cam:

yeah. Congratulations, Terms of Endearment. It's just, yeah. It's great. It's fantastic.

Kemari:

Well, that's all she wrote for the 56 Academy Awards. Thanks.

Cam:

Oh, yeah. Interesting year. Lots of,

Kemari:

Interesting year.

Cam:

some really interesting stuff. I'm, I'm, watching a lot of these movies.

Kemari:

Yeah, I did too. I enjoyed going back to the 80s and, and uh, hanging out with Shirley MacLaine is always fun for me.

Cam:

Yeah, you're, you're good pals.

Kemari:

We're good friends. I have her on speed dial. Uh, thanks so much for joining us in this episode. Join us again next week when we talk about the 46th Academy Awards.

Cam:

Indeed. Thank you so much for listening. Uh, what did you think about these movies? Let us know, please, please.

Kemari:

Thank you. And we will talk soon.

Cam:

Thanks for listening to

Kemari:

Oh,

Cam:

Club 3000! No goodbye?