‘Us’ and ‘The Other Two’ and the Water Cooler Gang

The Water Cooler Gang dives into Jordan Peele’s Us and Comedy Central’s The Other Two and ponders what awards attention both projects could receive in the year ahead.

This week, the Water Cooler gang all finally saw Jordan Peele’s groundbreaking Us. Starring Lupita Nyong’o, Us continues the heavy socio-political slant that Peele used in his last film, Get Out. So, what did we each think about Us? How does it compare to his previous Oscar winner? And what does it all mean? Finally, how will the Academy react to his newest work?

But first, Comedy Central’s The Other Two finished its freshman season last week. We review the full season and talk about what makes it such a great series. Then, we forecast what, if any, recognition the Television Academy could bestow on it with July’s nominations.

Next month, long-time podcast listener Kevin Dillon contributes his Our Favorite Movies entry with another Kate Winslet masterpiece: Michael Gondry’s 2004 masterpiece Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

We close our podcast, as always, with the Flash Forward to the media we’re most anticipating in the upcoming week.

Thanks for listening and thank you, in advance, for subscribing and rating us on iTunes!

Traveling Down ‘Revolutionary Road’ For a Listener’s Favorite Movie

The Water Cooler Gang joins a listener for the latest entry in the Our Favorite Movies series, Revolutionary Road. Plus, what do we make of Apple TV+?

This week, we’re embarking on the second of the listener-driven Our Favorite Movies series. This month’s listener comes to us all the way from São Paulo, Brazil. Eduardo Gigante brings us the Kate Winslet-Leonardo DiCaprio 2008 masterpiece Revolutionary Road. Directed by Winslet’s then-husband Sam Mendes, Revolutionary Road tells the story of a young married couple struggling with married, fidelity, and the disappointment of unrealized dreams. Nominated for three Academy Awards, the film failed to catch on broadly with audiences and critics but feels as strong today as it did ten years ago. We talk about what why the film exists as one of Eduardo’s favorite movies, and why it didn’t catch on as well at it should have. Plus, we argue that Revolutionary Road boasts Kate Winslet’s best performance of 2008.

But first, Joey, Clarence, and Megan look at today’s announcement from Apple. Apple TV+ offers a subscription service television model to air on all Apple devices plus other streams. Will a talent roster including Jennifer Anniston, Reese Witherspoon, Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey catapult Apple to streaming dominance? Do we even know enough to make that determination?

Next month, long-time podcast listener Kevin Dillon contributes his Our Favorite Movies entry with another Kate Winslet masterpiece: Michael Gondry’s 2004 masterpiece Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

We close our podcast, as always, with the Flash Forward to the media we’re most anticipating in the upcoming week.

Thanks for listening and thank you, in advance, for subscribing and rating us on iTunes!

‘Shrill,’ ‘The Act,’ and More On This Week’s Podcast

We return to the Water Cooler this week with a look at two buzzy Hulu projects: Aidy Bryant’s Shrill and the Patricia Arquette-led The Act.

We’re back at the Water Cooler after a week off, and it’s a Hulu kind of week. First up, we take a look at Aidy Bryant’s new comedy Shrill. Is this show music to our ears or a shrill noise? Then, we dive into Hulu’s new limited series The Act, starring Patricia Arquette and Joey King. How does the true-crime series capture the shocking story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard? Also, we take a brief early look at FX’s upcoming limited series Fosse/Verdon.

But first, Joey and Clarence take on Marvel’s box office queen Captain Marvel.

Next week, we continue our listener-driven Our Favorite Movies entry with listener Eduardo Gigante’s choice Revolutionary Road. Be sure to catch up on the film before the next podcast drops!

We close our podcast, as always, with the Flash Forward to the media we’re most anticipating in the upcoming week.

Thanks for listening and thank you, in advance, for subscribing and rating us on iTunes!

We’re Taking It Easy With an Oscar Quiz… OR ARE WE???

This week, Clarence tests Joey and Megan’s knowledge of film trivia and more with his new Oscar quiz! Plus, we cover a few random topics in a light news week.

Today, we’re kicking back, putting our feet up, and taking it easy. We’re talking about a few random topics in both TV and film worlds. Literally the day after Glenn Close lost her 7th Oscar bid, the film version of Sunset Boulevard was announced to start filming in October. Will 8 be the magic number? Then, somehow we missed the news that the creative team behind The Greatest Showman is exploring a sequel. What the heck will that look like? Then on the TV front, Megan tells us about the controversial Michael Jackson HBO documentary Leaving Neverland. Plus more!

Then, Clarence unleashes his latest quiz on Joey and Megan. This potentially-too-challenging quiz jumps off from last week’s 91st Annual Academy Awards.

We close our podcast, as always, with the Flash Forward to the media we’re most anticipating in the upcoming week.

Thanks for listening and thank you, in advance, for subscribing and rating us on iTunes!

Our First Listener-Chosen Favorite Movie: Jim’s ‘Choice’

Listener Jim Keller joins the Water Cooler to talk about one of his favorite movies, Alan J. Pakula’s Sophie’s Choice. Plus, we discuss the 2019 Oscar ceremony and reveal the winner of the Fantasy Oscar pool.

This week, we’re kicking off our listener-driven Our Favorite Movies series. We sent out the call last month, and loyal listener Jim Keller was the first to respond. He has selected 1982’s Sophie’s Choice starring Meryl Streep as a Polish Holocaust survivor with deep secrets. Streep won a second Oscar and her first of two Best Actress wins for her remarkable performance. We discuss her performance as well as those of co-stars Kevin Kline and Peter MacNicol. Plus, how does the film hold up after 35+ years? Finally, what makes Sophie’s Choice one of Jim’s favorite movies?

If you’re interested in participating in a future Our Favorite Movies podcast, then be sure to tweet us @AwardsDailyTV!

But first, we revisit this weekend’s 91st Annual Academy Awards. We take a look at the winners, the runners-up, and the hostless ceremony. Plus, who won the 2nd Annual Annual Water Cooler Podcast Fantasy Oscar Pool? (And who did so poorly that he/she gets to go first in next year’s first round draft?)

We close our podcast, as always, with the Flash Forward to the media we’re most anticipating in the upcoming week.

Thanks for listening and thank you, in advance, for subscribing and rating us on iTunes!

Assessing the Seemingly Unlimited Limited Series Emmy Contenders

This week, the Cooler Game looks at the 2019 crop of Limited Series Emmy contenders including HBO’s Sharp Objects, Showtime’s Escape at Dannemora, and FX’s Fosse/Verdon.

Over the last two weeks, we’ve been pouring through our early 2019 Emmy season analysis with the Comedy and Drama races. Our thoughts, hypotheses, and random musings continued to update the Emmy Tracker at Awards Daily TV. In our final week, it’s time to tackle the Limited Series / TV Movie categories. In past year’s, these categories bursted at the seams with potential contenders. Does this year’s crop of Limited Series hold true without a major Ryan Murphy offering?

HBO’s Sharp Objects made a big splash last summer and seemed to emerge as a front runner in several races including Actress in a Limited Series. But it’s sometimes not a good thing to be out of the gate first. Since Sharp Objects premiered, we’ve seen a swelling of support for Showtime’s Escape at Dannemora with lead actress Patricia Arquette tying or beating Amy Adams in several surprise wins. Netflix’s Maniac emerged from the fall as a divisive awards contender. Will Netflix’s heavy campaign purse push stars Emma Stone or Jonah Hill forward at Emmy time? TNT received some awards attention last year for their Limited Series The Alienist, so will they repeat with Patty Jenkins’ I Am the Night? And what upcoming Spring premieres (FX’s Fosse/Verdon, HBO’s Chernobyl) will help fill out the typically hot Limited Series categories?

But first, it’s Oscar time! After a challenging season, we’re finally putting pen to paper with our official 2019 Oscar predictions. Today’s version of them, anyway. We also briefly chat about the bizarre case of Empire’s Jussie Smollett.

We close our podcast, as always, with the Flash Forward to the media we’re most anticipating in the upcoming week.

Next week, we’re kicking off our fan-driven Our Favorite Movies contributions with listener Jim Keller’s selection, Sophie’s Choice. Be sure to watch this laugh-riot before next week’s podcast drops!

Thanks for listening and thank you, in advance, for subscribing and rating us on iTunes!

When You Play the Game of Emmy, You Either Win Drama Series Or You… Try Again Next Year?

The Cooler Gang surveys the vast field of potential Drama series Emmy contenders and narrows Game of Thrones‘s many challengers. Plus, Megan talks about SCAD aTVFest!

Last week, we kicked off our 2019 Emmy season analysis with the Comedy categories. Our thoughts, hypotheses, and random musings helped update the Emmy Tracker on Awards Daily’s TV page. This week, it’s time to tackle the Drama series. With the announcement that HBO will indeed sit out this season for its season season of the once-limited-series Big Little Lies, what high profile series will take on HBO’s own Game of Thrones in its final season.

Will a somewhat mixed guild reaction hamper Amazon’s Homecoming? Or will Julia Roberts’s star power push this acclaimed series into contention? And will a slew of awards for Killing Eve Season 1 prime Season 2 for Emmy glory? Will it crack the Drama Series nominees? What about Better Call Saul, This Is Us, FX’s Pose, or even Netflix’s Ozark? And what happens with Netflix’s The Crown? We dive into the guild and critics awards to see who emerged still in contention for Emmy glory.

But first, Megan returned from the SCAD aTVFest in Atlanta. She brings us up to speed on what celebs, panels, and screenings she caught at this major television event. Then, with Valentine’s Day on Thursday, we talk about TV love. What are the best representations of love on television today?

We close our podcast, as always, with the Flash Forward to the media we’re most anticipating in the upcoming week.

Thanks for listening and thank you, in advance, for subscribing and rating us on iTunes!

Plotting the 2019 Comedy Emmy Contenders for the Emmy Tracker

This week, the Cooler Gang look to the recent guild and critics awards to predict future success for the 2019 comedy Emmy races. Plus, we cover Serenity, the DGAs and everything but the actual Super Bowl football game.

With a host of guild and year-end critics award shows behind us, it’s time to take an Emmy pulse. We have four months left in the Emmy eligibility window. During those four months, we’ll see such major titles as Game of Thrones, Veep, Fosse/Verdon and potentially The Crown and The Handmaid’s Tale unveiled. But we have a lot of great television behind us already. This week, we look at the 2019 Comedy Emmy races and see what the guild and critics wins tell us. Our joint conversation helps update the Emmy Tracker, which returns for the 2019 season after Golden Globe and SAG ceremonies.

But first, Joey saw the universally reviled Serenity starring Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway. Was it really that bad? Then, the DGA announced their 2019 awards in film and television. We’ll review the winners and what that says about the 2019 Oscars and Emmys. Finally, we talk about the Super Bowl. Well more so the halftime show and commercials than the actual game itself.

We close our podcast, as always, with the Flash Forward to the media we’re most anticipating in the upcoming week.

Thanks for listening and thank you, in advance, for subscribing and rating us on iTunes!

Geeking Out Over the Brilliantly Uncool ‘Almost Famous’

This week at the Water Cooler, Clarence leads the latest Our Favorite Movies discussion with his Volume 7 pick, Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous. Plus, SAG Awards, Rent Live!, and more!

“The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone when you’re uncool,“ and today, the Water Cooler Podcast is decidedly uncool. Clarence ushers in 2019’s Our Favorite Movies series with his Volume 7 entry. Cameron Crowe’s 2000 film Almost Famous won a well deserved Oscar for Original Screenplay and received three other nominations including Editing and two supporting actress bids for Frances McDormand and Kate Hudson. Clarence dives into what he loves about Crowe’s ode to rock music and those who love it. Plus, if this film were released today, how would the preferential ballot treat it? Plus, we make a Very Special Announcement about next month’s Our Favorite Movies entry.

But first, Joey takes us through his reaction to FOX’s Rent: (Almost) Live! and previews its Emmy chances. Also, Megan talks about her upcoming trip to the SCAD aTVFest, a yearly television festival sponsored by the Savannah College of Art and Design. Finally, we dish on the recent SAG Award winners and preview potential Oscar and Emmy wins for the recipients.

We close our podcast, as always, with the Flash Forward to the media we’re most anticipating in the upcoming week.

Thanks for listening and thank you, in advance, for subscribing and rating us on iTunes!

It’s a Very Oscar-y Water Cooler Podcast!

The Cooler Gang catches up on the latest Oscar news from the Producer’s Guild, predicts nominations in the major categories, and finally gives their favorite films of 2018.

It’s a film-centric podcast this week at the Water Cooler. First up, the Producer’s Guild announced their winner for the best picture of 2018, which caused an uproar with Film Twitter. Which film won and what does it mean for the ultimate Oscar Best Picture winner? And speaking of Oscar, who do we think will take home nominations in the major categories for Tuesday’s Oscar nominations announcement? We review each major category and each give a wish-list nominee.

Then, we finally close out 2018 in film with a top ten list of our favorite films of the year.

We close our podcast, as always, with the Flash Forward to the media we’re most anticipating in the upcoming week.

Thanks for listening and thank you, in advance, for subscribing and rating us on iTunes!