Oscar Wild Sophia Ciminello & Nick Ruhrkraut

“Commonality of experience” brought people back to the cinema in droves to experience Riley’s expanding, pubescent world in Inside Out 2. There’s no one better nor happier to celebrate Pixar’s continued success than returning guest and friend of the pod, Ryan Lamb. He breaks down the film with Nick and Sophia as they all share their various opinions on how well this worked as a sequel, which emotion they connected with most, and what they look forward to in the next installment (hint: Riley goes to therapy). They also discuss its Oscar potential and debate which Disney film may have the upper hand come March 2025. Comment below with your thoughts on Inside Out 2!

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Music: “The Greatest Adventure” by Jonathan Adamich

It’s time to stick it to the man in this high voltage episode all about Richard Linklater’s School of Rock. Sophia and Nick have loved this classic for over 20 years and they’re here to share all of their favorite scenes and quotes including how this special film has transformed through rewatches over the years. Today’s assignment: answering fun listener questions (including Smash or Pass), talking about the history of the film’s production, and finding out which awards bodies enjoyed this movie more than The Academy.
If you would like to earn 5 extra gold stars and listen to them continue to rock out for the remainder of the episode, check out www.patreon.com/OscarWild and contribute at the ‘Oscar Wild: After Dark’ tier or higher. We appreciate your support!
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Music: “The Greatest Adventure” by Jonathan Adamich

Leave it to Richard Linklater, one of our greatest and most meditative filmmakers, to team up with Glen Powell, one of Hollywood’s biggest stars (who also writes!), and create one of the best movies of the summer! Based on a true story, Hit Man embodies as many genres- romcom, thriller, noir- as Powell does personalities as fake hit men: it really needs to be seen to be believed. Listen to Nick and Sophia’s spoiler-free discussion of the film, including a short introduction about their thoughts on Linklater’s Oscar-worthy filmography.
Watch Hit Man on Netflix today and let us know what you think!

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Music: “The Greatest Adventure” by Jonathan Adamich

First, Sophia and Nick review Furiosa, George Miller’s latest adrenaline-fueled film and prequel to his previous masterwork, Mad Max: Fury Road. They debate if parallels between the two films work or not, including structure, visual effects, and performances, before predicting how it may do at next year’s Oscars.
Then, they travel to La Croisette and discuss some of the biggest films out of this year’s Cannes Film Festival (25:25). With the 12 days of movie premieres and distributor deals wrapped up, they chat about all of the winners, from the Palme d’Or to the Palm Dog, and what they’re most excited to see. Is Anora already on its way to winning an Academy Award? Listen in and let us know what you think of all of the festival news!
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Music: “The Greatest Adventure” by Jonathan Adamich

Nick and Sophia are excited to share this MEGA episode discussing nearly 50 movies released so far this year. They include everything from pre-Oscars releases like Madame Web and Mean Girls to biopics like Back to Black, and horror flicks like Immaculate and Late Night with the Devil. Then, they recap festival releases (32:44), including those from Sundance, like I Saw the TV Glow and Love Lies Bleeding, SXSW with Babes and The Idea of You, and even last year’s Cannes Film Festival with Robot Dreams and La Chimera. Stay tuned for some of their most anticipated films coming this summer!

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Music: “The Greatest Adventure” by Jonathan Adamich

1999 brought audiences a remarkable number of unforgettable films, like: The Matrix, The Virgin Suicides, 10 Things I Hate About You, Eyes Wide Shut, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Magnolia, The Mummy— the list is nearly endless. Some were appreciated by the Academy while some were forgotten, but one movie did impress both voters and viewers alike: American Beauty. Its worldwide success was a surefire path to winning Best Picture, but not every component of the film was so lucky.
Sophia and Nick bring back one of their favorite series- with a twist!- by discussing Annette Bening’s performance in this controversial, yet insightful suburban satire. They marvel at her impressive performance before debating how she lost in such a dominating film and deciding if she should have won instead!
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Music: “The Greatest Adventure” by Jonathan Adamich