Truth becomes fiction in William Dieterle's biopic of the famed French author, Emile Zola, in the 10th Best Picture winner, the creatively titled The Life of Emile Zola. With a narrative that embraces the heights of the Dreyfus Affair, while also taking in the divide between the impoverished and the wealthy, at the same time it critiques the military. In this episode of Awards Don't Matter, co-hosts Dave and Andrew discuss and divide the film, ultimately coming to the conclusion whether it's...

Welcome to the episode where Dave says the fateful line, 'I outright refuse to ever watch (this) again'. Yep, it's Robert Z. Leonard's Best Picture winner, The Great Ziegfeld, where the charismatic William Powell misplaces his charm in a bloated epic as follies producer Florenz "Flo" Ziegfeld Jr., paired with the Best Actress winner Luise Rainer, and an extended cameo by Myrna Loy. This is a rather swear-laden episode as co-hosts Dave and Andrew vent their frustrations about this long...

Help keep The Curb independent by joining our Patreon. Gosh, after that rather well executed sojourn into darkness with Mutiny on the Bounty, it feels appropriate to give ourselves a break as we approach the classic romantic musical Top Hat. Nominated for Best Picture, and walking away with no Oscars at all, Mark Sandrich's enduring dance film has weathered time and stands up as one of the most joyous films ever. For Andrew, this is a repeat viewing, but for co-host Dave, this is a first...

Help keep The Curb independent by joining our Patreon. We head to sea with the 8th Best Picture winner, Frank Lloyd's colonial drama, Mutiny on the Bounty. Featuring lead performances from Clark Gable and Charles Laughton, this adaptation of Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall's book tells the true story* of the HMS Bounty and its occupants as they travail across the oceans to Tahiti in search of some plants. Co-hosts Dave and Andrew talk about the social relevance of this drama, while...

Support The Curb on Patreon The utterly delightful and charming first entry in the six (6!) long film series, The Thin Man, was nominated for Best Picture in 1934, losing out to It Happened One Night. In this episode of Awards Don't Matter, hosts Dave and Andrew discuss the charm of this mystery film, the impact it had on films going forward, the difficulty in discussing light hearted fare, and the need for joy in moments of darkness. Dig on in. Watch the trailer for The Thin Man...

     Powered by      JustWatch  Help keep The Curb independent by joining our Patreon. We reach one of the greatest, grandest, and most celebrated Best Picture winners of all time: Frank Capra's It Happened One Night. This charming, delightful romantic comedy that helped spawn a genre, and cemented the romance of Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert as one of the most entertaining on screen romances ever. It won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay, and...

     Powered by      JustWatch  Help keep The Curb independent by joining our Patreon. After the debacle that was Cavalcade, we take a dig into one of the films it triumphed over: Lloyd Bacon's enduring classic 42nd Street. Digging into the reason why films like this endure, hosts Andrew and Dave lament about the need for positive films in times of darkness. Subscribe via RSS Feed, Anchor.fm, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Follow the hosts on social media at the links below: Andrew F Peirce...

On this episode of Awards Don't Matter, intrepid hosts Andrew and Dave venture into the sixth Best Picture winner, Frank Lloyd's multi-award winning film, Cavalcade. Focusing on the history of England in the 1900's, this broadly spanning film follows two families through the era. If you must watch Cavalcade, it's available to view here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtg7dFeu-20 Follow the hosts on social media at the links below: Andrew F Peirce – @TheCurbAU David Giannini...

Help keep The Curb independent by joining our Patreon. Powered by JustWatch As expected, going through the Best Picture winner history, we were bound to find a forgotten classic, neglected by time and popular culture, and worthwhile celebrating. Well, here we are with Edmund Goulding's Best Picture winner, Grand Hotel. Featuring stellar performances from an all star cast, with Greta Garbo, John Barrymore, Joan Crawford, Wallace Beery, Lionel Barrymore, Lewis Stone, Jean Hersholt, and...

From the peaks of All Quiet on the Western Front to the possible valley of Wesley Ruggles Best Picture winner, Cimarron. As the Academy Awards first major epic film to win the big prize, this outwardly racist and categorically theatrical film covers the decades after the historic Oklahoma land rush in the late 1800's, following the Cravat family. In this episode, hosts Andrew and Dave have their first disagreement about the value of this Best Picture winner. Andrew stumbles in his defence of...

Join hosts David and Andrew on July 15th as they discuss 1931/1932 Best Picture winner, Cimarron. Join along with the discussion as a new episode drops each month by following the discussion on social media on Twitter at @AwardsDontPod and Facebook at Awards Don't Matter. And shoot through any questions or thoughts to [email protected]. Subscribe to the show via the links here: Show Page Apple Podcasts RSS Feed Spotify Deezer Follow the hosts on social media at the links...

From the valley of The Broadway Melody, Andrew and Dave reach a peak with the exceptional All Quiet on the Western Front, a masterful anti-war epic that looks at World War One through the perspective of German soldiers. Directed by Lewis Milestone, this powerful film has been banned in many countries around the world, from Germany to Australia, and leaves a searing mark on anyone who watches it. In this discussion, Andrew and Dave explore their relationships to war, alongside the importance...

Join hosts David and Andrew on June 15th as they discuss 1929/1930's Best Picture winner, All Quiet on the Western Front. Join along with the discussion as a new episode drops each month by following the discussion on social media on Twitter at @AwardsDontPod and Facebook at Awards Don't Matter. And shoot through any questions or thoughts to [email protected]. Subscribe to the show via the links here: Show Page Apple Podcasts RSS Feed Spotify Deezer Follow the hosts on social...

Ah, after a stellar start, David and Andrew encounter the first bonafide dud Best Picture winner: Harry Beaumont's musical The Broadway Melody. This pioneering musical film should be the benchmark for genre to go forth with, but as David and Andrew discover, that's not the case! Dig on in and find out more about this Oscar winner. Join along with the discussion as a new episode drops each month by following the discussion on social media on Twitter at @AwardsDontPod and Facebook at Awards...

Join hosts David and Andrew on May 15th as they discuss 1928/1929's Best Picture winner, The Broadway Melody. Join along with the discussion as a new episode drops each month by following the discussion on social media on Twitter at @AwardsDontPod and Facebook at Awards Don't Matter. And shoot through any questions or thoughts to [email protected]. Subscribe to the show via the links here: Show Page Apple Podcasts RSS Feed Spotify Deezer Follow the hosts on social media at the...

Welcome to the first discussion episode of Awards Don't Matter! Hosts David and Andrew discuss the first two Best Picture winners, Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans and Wings. Two? Yep! The first Academy Awards had some quirks with the F.W. Murnau's Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans winning the only instance of the Best Unique and Artistic Picture, while William A. Wellman's Wings won the first iteration of the Best Picture Oscar, then known as Outstanding Picture. David and Andrew take a look at...

Welcome to Awards Don't Matter! Follow along with hosts Andrew F Peirce and David Giannini as they travel through the history of the Academy Awards by looking at each of the Best Picture winners and discussing their importance in film history. Each episode has Andrew and David asking the question, does this film matter?, all the while exploring why each film won the illustrious and highly coveted award of Best Picture. The first episode will arrive on April 15th with a discussion on F.W....