06/25/2023

Reassessing the 1977 Best Picture: Iconic Films and Missed Opportunities

Did the Oscars get it right in 1977? Join me, Matti Price, and our fantastic panellists Karen Gordon, Ryan McNeil, and Leslie Byron Pitt as we travel back in time to the 50th Annual Academy Awards, reevaluating the nominees for Best Picture and presenting our own alternative ballots. From Annie Hall to Star Wars, we discuss our personal connections to these iconic movies and their influence on modern cinema. We delve into the filmmaking techniques used in Woody Allen's Annie Hall, exploring how it shaped modern films like Olivia Wilde's Book Smart and Game Night. Our panellists also analyze the cultural impact of other nominees such as The Goodbye Girl, The Turning Point, and Julia, sparking an interesting debate on overlooked films like Saturday Night Fever and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. As we reflect on the 1977 Oscars. Listen in as we discuss a pivotal year in film history and ponder if the Oscars truly got it right in 1977. Don't miss out on this fascinating trip down memory lane! Transcript 0:00:00 - Speaker 1 In 1928, the first winner for Outstanding Motion Picture was Wings. In a few minutes we'll know the 50th. The films nominated for the Academy Award this year are Annie Hall, jack Rollins, charles H Jaffe Productions. United Artists. Charles H Jaffe, producer. The Goodbye Girl. Ray Stark Production. Metra Goldwood-Mair, warner Brothers. Ray Stark, producer. Julia, a 20th Century Fox Production. 20th Century Fox. Richard Roth, producer. Star Wars, a 20th Century Fox Production, 20th Century Fox. Gary Kurtz, producer. The Turning Point, hera Productions, 20th Century Fox. Herbert Ross and Arthur Lawrence, producers. And the winner is Annie Hall, charles H Jaffe. 0:01:22 - Speaker 2 It's the fourth episode of For Your Reconsideration 1977 has arrived. Yay, apologies to Kermit and the Muppets, i get excited. I'm Mattie Price and along with producer Jamie JD Doe, we are back with a great panel. I'm your host for the conversation once again. Will we need a do-over, or did the Oscars get it right? This episode looks at the mostly American movies of 1977, including Best Picture winner Annie Hall, dance Drama, the Turning Point, unreliable Memoir, julia Star Vehicle, the Goodbye Girl and an obscure film now lost to history, star Wars. As always, our panelists will present their own alternative ballot and winner. Thanks again for listening and downloading. As always, this podcast is available pretty much wherever podcasts are available, and you can learn more about this and other great shows at Doveracom. That's D-E-W-V-R-Ecom. Join me. Panelists Karen Gordon, ryan McNeil and Leslie Byron Pitt. This discussion was recorded over the interwebs and feels like it happened only yesterday actually, instead of one or two weeks ago, so let's get into it. Okay, this is 1977. I am Maddie Price. I'm joined by an amazing panel. I'm going to go around and give everybody a chance to introduce themselves. Karen, why don't you start? Let the folks know who you are. 0:02:55 - Speaker 3 Hi, maddie, thanks And hello everybody. My name is Karen Gordon, i'm located in Toronto and I'm a freelancer. One of the things I do is work as a film writer and film critic. I'm a longtime film fan, so it's really an exciting thing to me to be able to do this. I've done film criticism, writing on a whole bunch of mediums TV, on the CBC, on radio But I'm also one of the founding critics of a website called OriginalSynca, and that's mostly what I'm doing now. 0:03:26 - Speaker 2 Nice Thanks And thank you for doing this. It's a pleasure. On a personal note, karen Gordon, you are my favorite, maybe one of my top five favorite all-time CBC radio hosts. Thank, you. And I'm so happy that I got to know you really, really, truly. 0:03:41 - Speaker 3 Thank you. I was always freelance, never full-time there, so maybe I should send this to them. 0:03:45 - Speaker 2 The first time I met you, i was scared to go up to you. That's how much I think

1h 11m

06/18/2023

The 50th Annual Academy Awards - A Primer

Get ready for a blast from the past as we take you back to 1977, an unforgettable year in American filmmaking. Join me, your host Matti Price, and our fantastic panel of film writers and broadcasters, Karen Gordon, Leslie Byron Pitt, and Ryan McNeil, as we discuss the 50th Academy Awards, the groundbreaking achievements in sound, and the legends we lost during this iconic year in cinema. We won't just focus on the Oscars – we'll also pay tribute to the likes of the Marx Brothers, Charlie Chaplin, Elvis Presley, and Bing Crosby, as well as the directors and actors who left their mark on the silver screen. From Howard Hawks and William Castle to the tragically short but brilliant career of John Cazale, we'll explore the magic of 1977 together in this episode of For Your Reconsideration. So, visit Dewvre.com for more great podcasts, and join the conversation! Transcript For Your Reconsideration is a podcast. In the next episode, we have a great and diverse panel and really a pretty crazy year 1977. I'm Matty Price and, along with JD, we could not be happier to be able to bring you discussions like the one we have coming up. As per usual, our panellists discuss a specific year in mostly American filmmaking through the clarifying crucible of Oscar's best picture. I'll be your host this time. Our panellists are film writers and broadcasters Karen Gordon, Leslie Byron, Pitt and, of course, a longtime friend of the show, podcaster and writer, Ryan McNeil. The 50th Academy Awards were actually held earlier than in previous years, in February of 1978. They were back at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and they went back to a single host for the first time in a while, bringing Bob Hope back as MC for the night. Despite Annie Hall winning Best Picture along with three other awards, it was actually Star Wars that had the best night. Overall, they took home six Oscars. Woody Allen did do something that nobody had done for a while, becoming the first person since Orson Welles to be nominated for writing, directing and acting in the same picture. The turning point still holds the record for most nominations without a single win with 11. They are tied with the colour purple and Close Encounters is tied with two films They Shoot Horses, don't They? and The Poseidon Adventure for most nominations without a Best Picture nod, with eight. There were two special achievement awards that year and actually, both of them were for sound. The sound was in a bit of a major renaissance in the late 70s with stereo, surround and digital sounds all coming to audiences really for the first time. One of those awards went to Frank Warner and Close Encounters for sound editing, and you can imagine the editing in Close Encounters and the specific sounds of those organ notes and everything else that happens. I mean it is an achievement. But the real achievement, I think, went to Ben Burt for creating the Alien Robot and Creature Voices in Star Wars Boy. There's a lot to talk about with Star Wars but I can't imagine it without that soundscape. Just amazing. Notable presenters, performers and recipients of awards that year included Debbie Boone, who sang You Light Up My Life. Now they decided that when she sang You Light Up My Life they would have deaf interpreters on the stage to sign as she sang. The problem is they turned out to not be real interpreters. They were fakes and their signs were totally unintelligible to the deaf community. Nailed it, Debbie Boone. The ceremony also neatly defined two sides of a debate that continues and actually probably will never be settled. Vanessa Redgrave used her acceptance speech to address concerns she had with the rights of the Palestinian community and how she was being treated in the press, and Patty Czevsky used his presenter time to essentially rebuke that by saying he was quite sick and tired of people exploiting the occasion of the Academy Awards for the propagation of their own personal political propaganda.

8 min

06/11/2023

6. Reassessing the Film Treasures of 1976's Best Picture Race

Join us on a cinematic journey through the best picture nominees of 1976, as our panel of film buffs, including JD Duran, Dave Voigt, Norm Wilner, and myself, Matti Price, revisit the Academy Awards and dissect the impact of these films on the movie industry. We're diving deep into the cultural impact of Rocky, the legacy of Network, and the storytelling approaches of All the President's Men and Bound for Glory, so grab your popcorn and get ready to view these classics through a fresh lens! Discover how the iconic underdog story of Rocky has stood the test of time and influenced the movie industry, as well as its effect on Stallone's career. Unravel the relevancy of Network's critique on the media landscape, as we analyze its themes and explore how they have become more poignant in today's world. Our panellists will also shed light on the technical achievements and stellar performances that made these groundbreaking films the talk of the town in 1976. As we wrap up our discussion, we'll pose the question: did the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences get it right in 1976? We'll examine the impact of these films on the industry and explore our own cinematic blind spots from that year. From the horror films like Carrie and The Omen to foreign films like Seven Beauties and Cousin Cousine, we'll leave no stone unturned. Join us as we reevaluate the best picture nominees of 1976 and see if they still hold up today! Transcript 0:00:01 - Speaker 1 The film is nominated for the Academy Award this year. All the President's Men. A Wildwood Enterprises production. Warner Brothers. Walter Colbin's producer. Bound for Glory the Bound for Glory Company production. United Artists. Robert F Blumoff and Harold Leventhal. Producers. Network a. Howard Gottfried-Patty Chefsky production. Metro Golden Mayor. United Artists. Howard Gottfried. producer. Rocky a. Robert Chardhoff Irwin Winkler production. United Artists. Irwin Winkler and Robert Chardhoff. Producers. Taxi Driver. A Bill Hyphen Phillips. Production of a Martin Scorsese film. Columbia Pictures. Michael Phillips and Julia Phillips. Producers. The winner is Rocky. Irwin Winkler and Robert Chardhoff. Producers. For Your Re-Consideration. 0:01:29 - Speaker 2 Hey, it's JD here and welcome to, for Your Re-Consideration, an Oscars podcast. Each and every week, i assemble a panel of film buffs to talk about movies, so get your popcorn and join us. This week, we're discussing 1976 and its best picture, rocky. We'll also be discussing the other four films that were nominated in the category, and they are All the President's Men, bound for Glory Network and Taxi Driver. As always, we'll open the table for our panelists to curate their own ballot by removing one or more films and allowing them to add their own. Once we've done all that, we'll get to the nitty gritty and ask the question did the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences get it right? Today we've got an excellent panel including JD Durand, dave Voight and Norm Wilner, along with your host, maddie Price. With that preview out of the way, let's dim the lights and start the show. 0:02:39 - Speaker 3 This is a spectacular year for movies that were nominated. I don't know if 1976 is the best year for movies, but it might be the best year for Oscar nominees of those movies. Probably we'll talk to our guests or panelists here, but it feels like there's the least amount of daylight between what was actually good in the long run and what the Oscars talked about, which rarely, if ever, happens. So let's just get started. I am Maddie Price. I am your host. I would love to introduce our panelists, starting with JD. JD, welcome to For Your Reconsideration. Would you like to tell us a little bit about yourself? 0:03:22 - Speaker 4 Yeah, first of all, thanks for having me. I'm really glad to be here. I am the owner of Incession Film, so we've been doing Incession Film for a little over 10 years now, which is hard to believe We

1h 37m

06/04/2023

5. 1976 Primer

Ever wondered how the Oscars have evolved over time and their impact on the film industry? Join Matti Price and his esteemed panel of guests as we take a trip down memory lane and focus on the awards year of 1976. The upcoming episode will feature series regular Norm Wilner (critic and TIFF programmer), Dave Voight (InTheSeats.ca), and JD Duran (InSessionFilm.com), our insightful conversation delves into the fascinating history of the Academy Awards and their role in shaping the world of cinema. From the original 5 to the current 17 branches, we'll examine the Oscars' journey and uncover some lesser-known facts about these prestigious awards, like the story behind the iconic gold-plated bronze statue and the original intentions of the Academy's founders. Plus, we discuss how the Oscars have influenced the film industry and why certain categories, like stunt performers, still remain conspicuously absent. Don't miss this engaging and insightful conversation about one of the most famous awards shows in the world! 0:00:05 - Speaker 1 For Your Reconsideration, for Your Reconsideration is a podcast. Next week we return with another year in movies and a panel that can't wait to discuss them. I'm Mattie Price, and myself and Jamie Dew, JD, as we like to say are your navigators through the sometimes choppy waters of the past. Once again, we have put together some great panellists to examine and contextualize a whole year in mostly American movies. Alongside the choices the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made for that year's best picture, we'll be focusing on 1976. I'm in the host chair this time. Joining me are series regular Norm Wilner, a critic and Tiff programmer, Dave Voight from InTheSeats.ca, also a writer and podcaster, and another great writer and podcaster, jd Duran from InSessionFilmcom. It's a good talk. I'm hoping you'll join us. I've been thinking about how we got here this podcast, but also the idea that the Oscars, no matter what you think of them, have this weird special place in the culture. There are a lot of awards shows, but clearly this is the king Name, the winner of a song of the year at the Grammys from 1976. Not easy, it's. I write the songs. By the way, barry Manilow, the Academy was put together basically to improve the image of the film industry. It was often seen as a kind of disreputable business. Its founders, including Louis B Mayer, cecil B DeMille and Irving Thalberg, wanted to promote this idea that there was artistic achievement of the film community and they basically just wanted to give it credibility. That said, they also wanted to use the Academy to mediate labor disputes without unions because of course they did. They actually spent more time initially working on labor disputes, but eventually they turned the Academy away from arbitrations. There were 230 initial members under founding president Douglas Fairbank Sr. The awards were actually approved in July of 1928 with 12 original categories. Ballots were sent out to the 230 members. Actually, some of those original 12 awards are still around Best actor, best actress, best cinematography, and others have really changed over time. There were separate directing awards for comedy and drama. There was both an outstanding picture award, which was won by Wings, and a quote unquote best unique and artistic picture, which was won by Sunrise, a song of two humans, which is why you'll often see both of those films cited as the winner of the first Academy award. There was also an award for best title writing, which I mean. Who knew that was even a job? Where is that job? I could make a meal out of that job. You put the whole movie together, make it and then I come in at the end and just do the title in. I am in for that. Most people know that Oscar itself is made of sort of gold-plated bronze and it was designed by Cedric Gibbons, who was the head of the art department at MGM Studios. Just Google Cedric Gibbons His name is on literall

6 min

05/28/2023

4. Exploring the Best Picture Nominees of 1975 and Their Lasting Effects

Welcome back to another episode of For Your Reconsideration! This time, we're taking a trip back in time to explore the iconic 1975 movie season. Join me, Matty Price, along with expert panelists Ryan McNeil, and JM McNabb and our host jD, as we discuss the Best Picture nominees – One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Barry Lyndon, Dog Day Afternoon, Jaws, and Nashville. We'll be offering our own alternative ballot and winner, so be sure to tune in! Listen in as we dissect each of the five nominated movies from 1975, discussing standout performances, unique filmmaking techniques, and cultural impact. We'll also touch on lesser-known gems from the year that could have made the cut for Best Picture. As we analyze each film, we'll share our thoughts on which ones have stood the test of time and which ones might be due for a reevaluation. In addition to our in-depth analysis of these classic films, we'll be exploring the broader movie landscape of 1975, discussing the role of air conditioning in theaters, the impact of blockbusters like Jaws and Star Wars, and the ever-evolving landscape of the Academy Awards. So grab some popcorn and join us as we revisit the unforgettable movie season of 1975 on For Your Reconsideration! --------- EPISODE CHAPTERS --------- (0:00:00) - For Your Reconsideration (0:15:14) - Film Critique and Analysis (0:18:38) - Nashville (0:30:48) - Analysis of "Dog Day Afternoon" (0:39:06) - Jaws and Its Cultural Impact (0:48:49) - Movie Business and Academy Awards (0:53:35) - Cuckoo's Nest Analysis (1:02:40) - 1975 Oscar Nominee Do-Over (1:10:48) - Film Podcast Transcript 0:00:00 - Cold Open The nominees for the best picture of the year are Barry Linden, a Hawke Film Limited production, warner Brothers, stanley Kubrick producer, dog Day Afternoon, warner Brothers, martin Bregman and Martin L Fan producers. So is Universal, xanac Brown production, universal, richard D Xanac and David Brown producers, nashville, an ABC entertainment, jerry Wyenthal, robert Altman production, paramount, robert Altman producer. And one flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, a fantasy films production, united Artists, saul Zanz and Michael Douglas producers. And the winner is one flew over the Cuckoo's Nest. And the winner is one flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, one flew over the Cuckoo's Nest. 0:01:25 - Matti Hey, i'm Matty Price and welcome to another episode of For Your Reconsideration. As always, our expert panel will dive deeply and look fondly at a full year in mostly American movies, ultimately deciding if that year's Oscars got it right or need a do-over. This week we're looking at the films of 1975, including Best Picture Winner One, flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and nominees Barry Linden, dog Day Afternoon, jaws and Nashville, along with many other films made and released in that pivotal year. As always, our panelists will be able to present their own alternative ballot and winner. Thanks for listening and downloading. You can find this podcast through the client of your choice at duvercom. That's D-E-W-V-R-Ecom. A great year and should be a great discussion, so join. Host JD, jamie Dew and panelists JM McNabb, ryan McNeil and oh me, i'm a panelist this time out. Oh, that's a switch. Well, listen, this was recorded live and in the same room, face to face, in the before times when we all could be face to face, geez, i hope I knew what I was talking about, so let's get into it ["Mammo Podcast"]. 0:02:58 - jD Hey, it's JD here and welcome to For Your Reconsideration. Let's get right to the panel. Starting on my left, we have. 0:03:05 - Matti I'm Matthew Price of the Mammo podcast. I'm nominally half of that podcast. I guess potentially 49%. I'm the Mammo, i'm No, we're both the Mam. Do I need to go through this again? All right, for folks that are interested, there are probably 55 episodes of Mammo that explain why it's called Mammo, so you can buy all of them, just randomly pick one, you'll find it. It's in the context And ide

1h 12m

05/21/2023

Episode 3 - 1975 Primer

Chapter 1: Introduction Hosted by Mattie Price and Jamie Dew Panelists: Ryan McNeil, JM McNabb, and Matti Price Overview of the podcast's premise and format Discussion on the 48th Annual Academy Awards held in 1976 Keywords: Podcast introduction, Hosts, Panelists, Academy Awards Chapter 2: Highlights of the 48th Annual Academy Awards ABC acquires broadcast rights for the first time Co-hosts: Walter Mathau, Robert Shaw, George Siegel, Goldie Hawn, and Gene Kelly Humorous remark on the desire for a heist movie with the star-studded cast Keywords: Academy Awards highlights, ABC, Co-hosts, Humor Chapter 3: Notable Films and Achievements "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" sweeps the five major categories Comparison with other films achieving a clean sweep Mention of Isabelle Adjani's record as the youngest Best Actress nominee George Burns becomes the oldest acting winner Keywords: "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," Clean sweep, Youngest nominee, Oldest winner Chapter 4: Memorable Moments from the Ceremony "Jaws" winning multiple awards except Best Picture Honorary award presented to Mary Pickford Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award recipient: Mervyn LeRoy Gene Hersholt Humanitarian Award recipient: Jules C. Stein Keywords: "Jaws," Mary Pickford, Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, Gene Hersholt Humanitarian Award Chapter 5: Musical Performances and Presenters Ray Bolger's opening number, "Hollywood Honors its Own" Keith Carradine's performance of "I'm Easy" USC Trojan's marching band's closing medley Notable presenters from outside the entertainment industry Keywords: Musical performances, Ray Bolger, Keith Carradine, USC Trojan's marching band, Presenters Chapter 6: Remembering the Departed Mention of notable individuals who passed away between ceremonies Frederick March, Paul Robeson, Lee Jay Cobb, Sal Minio, Michelle Simo, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Wild Bill Wellman, Busby Berkeley, Master Luo, Rod Serling, Sidney Buckman, Bernard Herman Keywords: In Memoriam, Departed individuals Chapter 7: Closing and Future Episodes Conclusion of the episode's content Invitation to join the panelists for the next episode on 1975 Website and contact information for the podcast Keywords: Closing remarks, Next episode preview, Contact information Transcript 0:00:05 - Speaker 1 For your reconsideration, for your reconsideration is a podcast. Next week we are back with another stacked panel and another great year in movies. I'm your host, mattie Price, and I'm here with the always fabulous Jamie Dew. Together we assemble great panelists with diverse points of view to discuss a specific year in mostly American filmmaking, but through the clarifying crucible of the Oscars Best Picture. Our next episode is a good one, looking at the movies of 1975. Jd is hosting that conversation and our panelists are Podcaster and writer Ryan McNeil, writer JM McNabb and, oh and me, mattie Price. I am in the panelist chair for this one. So the 48th annual Academy Awards were presented in March of 1976 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. As was the style at the time, they awarded films made in 1975. Abc had the broadcast rights for the first time and the show was once again co-hosted. This again was a popular thing in the 70s to have multiple hosts on this show. This time it was stacked Walter Mathau, robert Shaw, george Segal, goldie Hahn and Gene Kelly. Here is my heist movie with this cast is my question. Most folks know that for the first time since it happened, one night a single movie. Milosh Forman's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, made a clean sweep of the five major categories Best Picture, best Actor, best Actress, best Director and Best Screenplay this time adapted. It's only happened one other time so far, and that's with the Silence of the Lambs. At 20, isabella Johnny became the youngest Best Actress nominee ever at the time. Ultimately, her record was beaten first by 13-year-old Keisha Castle Hughes in whale music, and then they both went down hard t

7 min

05/14/2023

Episode 2 - 1974

Hey, it’s jD here and welcome to For Your Reconsideration - an Oscars podcast. If you’re someone who loves fiery film discussions between knowledgable cinephiles; or if you’re someone who is always second-guessing the Oscar for Best Picture; then For your Reconsideration is for you. Each and every week I’ll assemble a panel of film buffs to talk about the five nominees for Best Picture of a featured year. From there we open the table for our panellists to curate their own ballot by removing one or more films thus allowing them to add their own. Once we’ve done all of that we’ll get to the nitty-gritty and ask the question. Did the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences get it right? We’ll drop a new episode in your feed every Sunday morning. Now let’s dim the lights and start the show…

1h 16m

05/07/2023

Episode 1 - 1974 Primer

A weekly look backward at the Academy Award winners for Best Picture. Did the Academy get it right? We'll examine the films and let you know!

7 min

SEASON 1 TRAILER

Episode 0 - Trailer

Welcome to For Your Reconsideration an Oscars Podcast. Coming May 7, 2023

3 min

For Your Reconsideration - An Oscars Podcast

Episodes

Reassessing the 1977 Best Picture: Iconic Films and Missed Opportunities

The 50th Annual Academy Awards - A Primer

6. Reassessing the Film Treasures of 1976's Best Picture Race

5. 1976 Primer

4. Exploring the Best Picture Nominees of 1975 and Their Lasting Effects

Episode 3 - 1975 Primer

Episode 2 - 1974

Episode 1 - 1974 Primer

Episode 0 - Trailer

Trailer

Episode 0 - Trailer

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