Episodes

Feb 25

Surprise! We're back for a special episode where we breakdown this year's Oscars race and choose our predicted winners. Feel free to steal our picks for your Oscars pool and may the best movie win!

Jun 14, 2022

Buckle up everyone, we're ranking every Best Picture winner from the first 75 years of Oscar.

May 31, 2022

It's been a long time coming, but Chicago is the first movie musical to win Best Picture since 1968's Oliver! Both of us love this movie so tune in to hear us fawn over the great cast and excellent musical numbers.

May 17, 2022

The second Best Picture winner in a row to star Russell Crowe! Ron Howard is finally triumphant with his movie, A Beautiful Mind. We both agree that the Best Picture lineup for this year is outstanding so tune in and hear us give all five of them some love.

May 10, 2022

Welcome to a new decade! The first Best Picture winner of the 2000s was Ridley Scott's Gladiator. However, our pick for the best film is an animated one. Tune in to find out which movie it is!

May 3, 2022

We're back with a special episode! We rank all ten Best Picture winners of the 90s. And we also throw in our favorite winners of the acting categories.

Mar 15, 2022

The final movie to win Best Picture in the 20th century was American Beauty. We had the pleasure of interviewing its producer, Dan Jinks, last week; so tune in to this episode to catch the rest of our regular coverage!

Mar 8, 2022

Welcome to a special episode of The Envelope Please! We had the pleasure of interviewing the producer of our next Best Picture winner, Dan Jinks. Tune in as we grill him on the making of American Beauty and his experience at the 1999 Academy Awards.

Mar 1, 2022

We have landed at one of the most controversial Best Picture winners of all time! Shakespeare in Love beat out the heavy favorite, Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan, for the top spot. Tune in to find out where we stand on this touchy subject!

Feb 22, 2022

Ladies and gentlemen.. we have finally arrived at Titanic. Nominated for 14 Oscars and winning 11, this is one of the most honored movies of all time. But does it hold up? Tune in to hear our take on this undeniable classic.

Feb 15, 2022

Welcome back to what we're calling Season 3 of our show! We kick things off with a big winner, The English Patient. Although it took home 9 Oscars, we don't agree that it was the best movie of the year. Tune in to find out what movie we think should have won!

Dec 14, 2021

This year we have another Hollywood star turned director winning Best Picture. This time it's Mel Gibson. Often cited as one of the most historically inaccurate movies ever made, Braveheart walked away with five Oscars. But it certainly isn't our favorite of the year! Tune in to find out which movie we would have picked for the top award.

Dec 7, 2021

I think it's safe to say that just about everyone has seen this 1994 Best Picture winner. Forrest Gump is one of those rare winners that has fully crossed over into the pop culture lexicon. But did it truly deserve the top honor? Our opinions may be a little controversial!

Nov 23, 2021

Steven Spielberg finally reigned supreme with his undisputed Best Picture winner Schindler's List. Listen as we break down this amazing year at the Oscars!

Nov 9, 2021

Clint Eastwood finally got his due in 1992 by winning both Best Picture and Best Director for his brutally honest depiction of violence in Unforgiven. We also highlight other great movies of the year like The Crying Game, A League of their Own and The Bodyguard!

Oct 29, 2021

We finally have a horror movie winning Best Picture! Silence of the Lambs is now our third movie to sweep the top 5 Oscar categories... but it didn't come without its controversy. Tune in as we break down this incredible movie and year in film.

Oct 26, 2021

We kick off the new decade with another actor-turned-director winning for his first outing: Dances With Wolves. Although it is credited for re-popularizing the Western genre, it's now looked upon as another example of a "white savior" narrative. Tune in to find out which movies of 1990 we would have liked to see in the Best Picture lineup!

Oct 19, 2021

We rank the 10 Best Picture winners of the 1980s in order of our personal preferences. And we also throw in 5 movies that would have made our list had they been nominated or won!

Oct 12, 2021

We've reached the end of the 80s! And what a year this was. Driving Miss Daisy controversially won the top honor over the likes of My Left Foot, Glory and Do The Right Thing. We break down why we think this happened, and what movie WE think deserved Best Picture.

Oct 5, 2021

Check out our special episode where we give you the entire low-down on what's inside the Academy Museum!

Sep 28, 2021

We have a very exciting announcement for you all!

Sep 21, 2021

Dustin Hoffman nabbed his second Oscar for Best Actor in crowd-pleasing film Rain Main, which also took home Oscars for Best Picture/Director and Screenplay. Tune in as we break down this classic film and a couple other favorites of ours from this year!

Sep 14, 2021

Happy 6oth, Oscar! For this special, we are ranking our top 30 favorite Best Picture losers. What are some of your favorite Best Picture nominees that failed to win?

Sep 7, 2021

The Last Emperor completely swept the 1987 Academy Awards, going 9 for 9 in the evening. However, this was an incredibly stacked year featuring such classics as Fatal Attraction, Broadcast News and Moonstruck. Which one do you think we would have voted for? Tune in to find out!

Aug 31, 2021

Almost a decade after The Deer Hunter took home the Best Picture award, we have another Vietnam War movie front and center: Oliver Stone's Platoon. Quieter and more poetic, Platoon is one of the best depictions of what the soldiers experienced during the war. But is it OUR favorite of the year? Tune in and find out!

Aug 23, 2021

We now have our third Best Picture winning film staring Meryl Streep. This time it's Out Of Africa that sweeps the awards, taking home seven. However, neither of us think this is the best 1985 had to offer. Tune in to hear what our pic for Best Film is!

Aug 10, 2021

Amadeus swept the 1984 Academy Awards, winning a total of eight statues during the evening. Tune in as we cover this impressive cinematic achievement while also highlighting other greats movies of the year like Splash and Muppets Take Manhattan.

Jul 27, 2021

1983 was the year of James L. Brooks, who took home three Academy Awards (including Best Picture) for his sentimental family-drama Terms of Endearment. You will hear no complaints from us as we break down this year in Oscar movies.

Jul 20, 2021

Gandhi swept the 1982 Academy Awards, winning eight golden statues. However, this year also included heavyweights like Tootsie, E.T., and Victor/Victoria. Do we agree with the outcome? Tune in to hear our take!

Jul 13, 2021

1981 is another unique year at the Oscars. All of the five Best Picture nominees were nominated in the top 5 categories (Picture, Director, Screenplay, Actor, Actress). However, the awards were fairly spread out. The Academy may have chosen Chariots of Fire, but our hearts stay with On Golden Pond.

Jul 6, 2021

Ordinary People is looked upon as one of the most controversial Best Picture winners of all time, and not because of content, but because it beat out Raging Bull. We take a look at both of these movies to express why we think Ordinary People is the rightful winner. We also highlight movies such as 9 to 5 and Airplane!

Jun 29, 2021

The 1970s come to a close with a powerful, family drama winning the top award: Kramer vs. Kramer. No surprises here that we are both in total agreement with this win, but tune in as we highlight other great movies of the year like Norma Rae and The Rose.

Jun 22, 2021

Let the Vietnam War movies BEGIN! 1978 really came down to two movies, Coming Home and the eventual winner The Deer Hunter. We chit chat on the merits and shortcomings of both movies while also highlighting other favorites of the year like Grease and Superman.

Jun 15, 2021

We conclude our Anniversary Special by giving you our top 25 Best Picture movies from the first 50 years of Oscar. Do you think our number one movies match? Tune in to find out!

Jun 8, 2021

We have officially covered the first 50 years of the Academy Awards, so now we're taking a look back on the first 51 Best Picture winners to rank them in order of personal preference. In Part 1, we share our 51-26 rankings. Tune in next week for our top 25 winners!

Jun 1, 2021

It's been a few decades, but we finally have another comedy break through and win Best Picture. We do our best to look at Annie Hall objectively, but it was difficult trying to separate the art from its creator. We also highlight other movies from this year like Julia and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. And an episode about 1977 wouldn't be complete without a little discussion on Star Wars.

May 25, 2021

Welcome to Part 2 of our 1976 special! This week we break down the Best Picture winner Rocky, while also highlighting some of our other favorites of the year like Carrie and The Omen.

May 18, 2021

In this special episode, we break down the four nominees for Best Picture in 1976, which is often considered to be one of the strongest group of movies ever nominated. Which of the four is your favorite?

May 11, 2021

We have arrived at the second movie to sweep the top five Academy Awards! 1975 was a huge year for movies. We discuss exactly why we think Cuckoo's Nest triumphed over the likes of Jaws and Dog Day Afternoon.

May 4, 2021

1974 saw the first sequel to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. Although it had some stiff competition from movies like Chinatown and Coppola's own The Conversation, you won't hear too many complaints from us.

Apr 30, 2021

Sandwiched between the two Godfather movies we have one of the most entertaining pictures of all time win the top award: The Sting. It's another great collaboration between Redford, Newman and director George Roy Hill. However, both Rance and I agree that a different movie should have worn the crown. Tune in to find out!

Apr 20, 2021

We have come to one of the biggest winners of all time, 1972's The Godfather. This movie is consistently listed as one of the greatest of all time.. and we couldn't agree more. The only problem is that there were two major films vying for the top spot, the second one being Cabaret. Listen as we break down both of these classics and more!

Apr 13, 2021

This week we're thrown into the streets of New York City by the corrupt cop Popeye Doyle in William Friedkin's Best Picture winning film The French Connection. However, after highlighting a couple other movies from this year we realized that it's not our choice for the top award. Listen in to find out what is!

Apr 6, 2021

A new decade is finally upon us! Join us as we break into the 1970s with the first Best Picture winner: Patton. How does this movie size up with past World War II winners? Tune in and find out!

Mar 30, 2021

In this special episode we take a look back on the ten films that won Best Picture in the 1960s and rank them in order of our own personal preferences.

Mar 23, 2021

And now for the first and only "X" rated movie to win Best Picture.. Midnight Cowboy! Often remembered for its famously improvised line "I"m walkin here," this movie set a new tone and standard for what could be considered Oscar content. Tune in to find out which other movies we spotlight!

Mar 16, 2021

The final movie musical to take home the Best Picture Oscar in the 1960s was Oliver! Although it's a fine enough musical, it is not the movie that we think deserved the top honor. Listen in to find out!

Mar 9, 2021

In Part 2 of our 1967 special we discuss the Best Picture winner In The Heat of the Night and what significant factors contributed to its triumph. We also spotlight some other great movies of the year like Wait Until Dark!

Mar 2, 2021

1967 is such an important year for the Academy Awards that we had to split it into two parts. In Part 1, we break down the four nominees for Best Picture. Three of them could have token home the top honor in any other year.. and the fourth one is called Doctor Dolittle.

Feb 23, 2021

The cracks of the Hollywood Production Code are really starting to show in this year's Best Picture lineup, especially with Mike Nichol's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Yet, it's A Man For All Seasons that reigns supreme. Tune in to find out why we think that happened!

Feb 16, 2021

How do you solve a problem like Maria? Well, you give her a Best Picture Academy Award. The Sound of Music is now the third movie musical (and second in a row) to win the top honor in the 1960s.. and it won't be the last. Tune in as we also spotlight other great movies of the year like A Patch of Blue and Inside Daisy Clover.

Feb 9, 2021

The 1960s really was the decade of the musical, and there is no better example than the extravagance of My Fair Lady. However, not even this movie could escape controversy! Between the casting of the leading lady and the film's sour ending, there is much to discuss.

Feb 8, 2021

Season 2 of The Envelope Please kicks off in 1963 with an all-out, gut-busting comedy taking the top honors: Tom Jones. This movie is also one of only a few to garner five acting nominations for its cast. Tune in and see if we agree with the Academy's choice!

Jan 19, 2021

We've reached the end of our first season! A huge thank you to everyone who has followed us on our Oscar journey. This episode we break down our favorite Leading Actress and Best Picture winners from the first 35 years of the Academy Awards. And join us in 2021 for our second season starting with the Best Picture winner of 1963: Tom Jones.

Jan 19, 2021

On this special episode of The Envelope Please we break down some of our personal favorites from the first 35 years of the Academy Awards. On Part 1, we list our favorite Best Supporting Actor/Actress and Leading Actor winners. On Part 2, we conclude our finale by listing our favorite Leading Actress and Best Picture winners.

Jan 19, 2021

David Lean takes the top honors for the second time this year with his sprawling epic, Lawrence of Arabia. 1962 was a strong year for film. It includes the classic screen adaptation of To Kill A Mockingbird, Bette Davis's last Oscar nomination for Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?, and the criminally overlooked The Manchurian Candidate. Tune in to find out if we agree with the Academy's choices.

Jan 19, 2021

The record for the most Academy Award wins for a movie musical goes to West Side Story. It collected, in total, ten statuettes at the 1961 ceremony. However, do both Rance and Sam agree with all of the wins? Did perhaps Judgement at Nuremberg deserve a little more love? Tune in to find out.

Jan 19, 2021

The 1960s kick off with Billy Wilder's second victory in both the Best Picture and Best Director races. However, the Best Picture nominees seem to be missing one very important movie: Psycho. Why did the Academy shun Alfred Hitchcocks most enduring picture? Tune in to get our take.

Jan 19, 2021

We take a look back over the ten movies that won Best Picture during the 1950s and rank them according to our own personal preferences. Do our lists match up with yours?

Jan 19, 2021

The 1950s end with quite the bang as William Wyler's Ben-Hur becomes the most honored film in Academy history. However, do we feel that Ben-Hur warrants the praise that it continues to get to this day? This was a big year for movies and it includes some of our all-time favorites; so tune in to hear which movie we think should have won instead.

Jan 19, 2021

We have made it to our first Oscar sweep! Gigi set the record by taking home trophies in all nine of its nominated categories. However, when viewed with our modern-day, 2020 eyes the subject matter can feel a little.. shall we say.. icky. Tune in as we discuss in detail exactly what that "ick" factor is.

Jan 19, 2021

David Lean's The Bridge on the River Kwai led the 1957 Academy Awards winning seven of its eight nominations.. but don't let that fool you! This was an amazing year for other movies as well, so tune in as we highlight other classics such as Witness for the Prosecution, 12 Angry Men and Peyton Place.

Jan 19, 2021

1956 was truly a strange year for the Academy Awards. It was the first year where every Best Picture nominee was in color, it was also the first year for the Best Foreign Language Film category, and it is one of only a couple of years where the top awards all went to different films. Tune in as we break down this peculiar year and the big winner: Around The World In 80 Days.

Jan 19, 2021

And now we take you on a drastic turn away from the darkness of On The Waterfront to one of the most charming and delightful movies to take the top award: Marty. Originally produced as a tax write-off, Marty would win four Academy Awards and launch the career of its star Ernest Borgnine. 1955 also marked the first posthumous acting nomination for James Dean. Tune in to hear our take.

Jan 19, 2021

1954 saw one of the most controversial filmmakers of all time walk away with his second Oscar for Best Director: Elia Kazan. He undoubtedly changed cinema forever, but his actions in front of HUAC tarnished his reputation so much that when he received his Honorary Award decades later only half of the audience applauded him. That being said, On The Waterfront is one of the greatest American movies of all time and features Marlon Brando's Oscar winning performance. Tune in as we break down this historic year!

Jan 19, 2021

The second Best Picture movie to claim eight competitive Academy Awards in one night was Fred Zinnemann's From Here To Eternity. This movie also went on to become one of the highest grossing films of the entire 1950s.. and for good reason! Tune in as we break down all the major categories and offer some insight on all the winners.

Jan 19, 2021

To celebrate the Silver Anniversary of the Academy Awards we take a look back at the first 25 years of the ceremony to see how it has changed and grown over time. Tune in to find our who we crown as our first King and Queen of the Oscars!

Jan 19, 2021

It is finally Oscar's silver anniversary and to celebrate the occasion the Academy decided to honor The Greatest Show On Earth as the best movie of the year.. Yikes! This Cecil B. DeMille spectacle has now gone on to be considered one of the worst Best Picture winners of all time, and it's for very good reason. Tune in to hear our take on this bizarre film.

Jan 19, 2021

This week we decided to pay tribute to the late Olivia de Havilland. Her movies played a huge part in the creation of this podcast, so we felt it was our duty to devote an entire episode to her. Tune in as we discuss the early days of her career, her Oscar nominated performances and the reasons she decided to leave Hollywood behind.

Jan 19, 2021

It's time for us to discuss another big, glossy MGM movie musical. An American in Paris managed to win Best Picture over the likes of A Streetcar Named Desire and A Place in the Sun, two films that have gone on to be considered American movie classics. So how did it manage the upset? Tune in to hear our take!

Jan 19, 2021

We have reached a new decade! And what a way to kick things off. All About Eve is one of the most nominated movies in Academy history. It holds the record (along with Titanic and La La Land) with an astounding 14 nominations; 5 of which were in the acting categories. It is no secret that this is one of our favorite movies, so tune in as we break down the year 1950.

Jan 19, 2021

We look back on the 1940s and rank the ten Best Picture winners in order of personal preference. Do our lists match up with yours? Tune in and find out!

Jan 19, 2021

In the final year of the 1940s, the Academy gave their top honor to the political thriller All The King's Men. The movie also saw wins for its leading actor Broderick Crawford and the supporting actress Mercedes McCambridge. However, 1949 was also the year of The Heiress, staring Olivia de Havilland and a young Montgomery Clift. Which movie do we think stands the test of time? Tune in and find out.

Jan 19, 2021

Laurence Olivier's 1948 screen adaptation of Hamlet is the only Shakespearean work to win the Oscar for Best Picture. Olivier is also the only person to direct himself to an Oscar winning performance. Viewed today, it is a cinematically breathtaking plunge into the dark world of Film Noir; and Shakespeare's text is almost too perfect for the popular genre.

Jan 19, 2021

1947 saw Elia Kazan win his first Best Picture/Director combo for Gentleman's Agreement. The movie also scored four acting nominations, winning in the Supporting Actress category for Celeste Holm. We break down the social themes of this black and white film and its important place in history as one of the first big Hollywood films to address the topic of anti-Semitism in a post WWII America.

Jan 19, 2021

One of the greatest post-WWII films ever made, The Best Years of Our Lives rightfully swept the Oscars in 1946; and that's saying quite a bit as this was also the year of Frank Capra's It's A Wonderful Life. Two directing giants, two of their greatest movies. It was quite the showdown. Tune in as we break down this fantastic year in film!

Jan 19, 2021

The first year following WWII saw an incredibly dark picture take the top honor, The Lost Weekend. Billy Wilder would go down in history as the first person to win Oscars for directing and screenwriting for this masterpiece, which only seems fitting. Tune in as we discuss this peculiar picture and Joan Crawford's iconic win for Mildred Pierce.

Jan 19, 2021

Still heavily involved in WWII, the Academy chose the bright, chirpy musical Going My Way as the Best Picture recipient in 1944. But did the Bing Crosby vehicle deserve the top honor over the likes of such dark film noirs as Gaslight or Double Indemnity? Tune in to hear our take!

Jan 19, 2021

Often cited as one of the top five greatest American movies of all time, Casablanca was the big winner of 1943. This movie has everything: a little suspense, some laughs and a tragic love story all set against a backdrop of WWII. Looking back, it's strange to think that stars Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman didn't win Oscars for their now iconic roles, so tune in to hear what we think contributed to their losses!

Jan 19, 2021

We are now in the thick of WWII, therefore it's only fitting that a war picture should take the top prize. Used as a movie to help raise the spirits of the British forces, Mrs. Miniver became the highest grossing picture of 1942 and was nominated for twelve Academy Awards; five of those were in the acting categories. Tune in as we break down this phenomenal movie and highlight other important films recognized at this ceremony.

Jan 19, 2021

One of the first truly controversial years! 1941 became a showdown between How Green Was My Valley and the epic masterpiece that is Citizen Kane. Yet, it was John Ford's quietly beautiful film about a Welsh mining family that came out on top. Tune in to hear our take on both of these movies along with a slew of others.. most importantly Bette Davis's The Little Foxes!

Jan 19, 2021

We have reached a new decade and with it we have the only Alfred Hitchcock movie to win Best Picture: Rebecca. It is a gothic tale of betrayal, passion and a mysterious death brought to life by some incredible performances. Do we think this movie deserves its Best Picture win over other classic films like The Grapes of Wrath? Tune in and find out!

Jan 19, 2021

It is time for the Grand-Daddy of them all! The big winner of 1939 was Gone With The Wind, which took home eight competitive awards that evening. This movie holds a special place in both of our hearts and is considered to be one of the best films of all time. Tune in to hear some behind the scenes information and listen as we explain what is so special about this movie that makes it an all time classic.

Jan 19, 2021

We have come to the "Golden Year" of Hollywood. 1939 includes some of the greatest movies of all time in its Best Picture line-up. This week, we discuss the nine movies that failed to win the top honor, but very likely could have had Gone With The Wind not been nominated. Listen to the end to find out which of the nine films we think is the best!

Jan 19, 2021

It is time for a good old fashioned, wholesome movie. 1938 saw Frank Capra win his third Oscar for Best Director and his second for Best Picture. It would be fair to say that Capra pretty much owned the 1930s. Tune in to hear us break down this year with the Academy and our thoughts on some of the other nominated films including the Bette Davis starring vehicle, Jezebel.

Jan 19, 2021

We've reached a milestone! The first ten years of the Oscars have been accounted for, so we look back and rank the eleven movies honored with the Best Picture prize. Do our lists match? Do we have the same number one? Tune in and find out!

Jan 19, 2021

A new year.. and another sprawling biopic. This time it's The Life of Emile Zola that wins the big prize at the Academy Awards. However, this movie isn't even CLOSE to being our favorite of the year. Tune in to hear our take on this movie and many of the others nominated for Oscars in 1937.

Jan 19, 2021

We now have our second MGM musical taking the top award with this 1936 winner, The Great Ziegfeld. This is also MGM's fourth movie to win Best Picture and the second one in a row. We also FINALLY get the Supporting Actor/Actress categories! Tune in to learn all about this landmark year at the Oscars and whether or not we recommend the big winner.

Jan 19, 2021

The only movie to date to receive three (count 'em THREE) nominations in the Best Actor race, Mutiny On The Bounty took home the big award for 1935. This movie was a real treat for us to discuss, so tune in as we talk in great detail about how attractive the leading men are.. I mean, how much we loved the film!

Jan 19, 2021

Ladies and Gentlemen, the first movie to SWEEP the top 5 categories at the Oscars: It Happened One Night. Not only is this a great movie, it also happens to be one of Rance and Sam's favorite movies of all time. Listen as we practically gush over how amazing this movie is!

Jan 19, 2021

The Oscar for Best Picture in 1933 went to the epic production of Cavalcade. A popular film based on a popular stageplay, which would soon become a tradition for numerous other Best Picture winners, too. But the question still remains.. does it hold up today?

Jan 19, 2021

The year is 1932 and the Best Picture winner is... Grand Hotel! This is the first and only movie to win the top honor without being nominated in a single other category. Tune in to hear our take on this star-studded, Hollywood production!

Jan 19, 2021

The Oscars are on Sunday! The greatest day of the whole year. We give you our 2020 predictions on who we think will win EVERY CATEGORY. Will Best Picture be 1917? Parasite? Or maybe Joker?? Tune in and find out what we think.

Jan 19, 2021

Another year.. another first! This time it's the first Western film to win Best Picture. Tune in to hear our take on Cimarron, a big budget, grand scale epic that was one of the most expensive movies made at that time.

Jan 19, 2021

The third year of the Academy Awards and already a second war movie wins the top honor! Arguably one of the greatest anti-war films of all time, All Quiet On The Western Front becomes the standard for all war epics to follow.

Jan 19, 2021

And the winner is... The Broadway Melody! The first official movie musical to win the top prize happened in only the second year of the Academy Awards. Tune in to see how much has already changed between the first two Oscar ceremonies.

Jan 19, 2021

The first year of the Academy Awards features the only year there was a tie for the top prize. Listen as we break down the first two Best Picture winners: Wings and Sunrise.

Jan 19, 2021

Welcome to The Envelope Please Podcast! Get to know the two co-hosts, Sam and Rance, as we tell you a little bit about ourselves and what to expect in coming episodes.