BONUS: Movie Mike Recaps The 2026 Oscars: Surprises, Snubs and No Shows

00:00:05
Speaker 1: Another year is in the books. Let's recap the twenty twenty six Oscars. Overall, I thought was a really strong year. I think twenty twenty five has the potential to be the best year of the decade, clearly the best year in movie since twenty nineteen. We are on the up and up, and I think going into this award show, everybody thought Sinners was going to dominate, had a record amount of nominations. But I warned you, anytime the Academy loads up on a movie like that, usually that movie doesn't end up winning all the awards. Whenever it happened to Killers of the Flower Moon, where it had all these nominations, everybody thought it was going to dominate. But sometimes I feel they just give certain movies all those nominations and that's kind of an award in itself, and then they're like, all right, but we're gonna definitely vote a different way. That is what I felt. Well, what happened this year, But let's talk about the big awards. Best Picture went to one battle after another. I will give you how many of these I got right in my prediction episode that one I got right. I think I am on a streak since twenty nineteen, I always nailed Best Picture. To me, that is the easiest one to identify. I just kind of know how the Academy votes in this category specifically, so I continue my seven year winning streak on that and in this case, I do think it is well deserved. That was my number one movie out of all these where I thought it had the right amount of action and had the right amount of directing and cast. Everything about that movie I felt was great. I knew it was going to be one battle after another and sinners fighting all night long. I would say the biggest winner here is Warner Brothers, who it didn't matter what was going to win. Warner Brothers was going to win. But that took home the big award. Paul Thomas Anderson, after eleven nominations, finally picked up his Oscars again. I think sometimes the Academy just decides, we've been wrong for so long, we need to give somebody their flowers. I think that was the case back when Leonardo DiCaprio finally won for the Revenant, even though I don't think that was the role he should have won for. It was just the Academy saying, okay, we have been burning and snubbing these directors and actors for so long. This is gonna be the year we finally give it to them. So I was glad to see that movie take home the Best Picture award. Best Director also went to Paul Thomas Anderson, which I got.

00:02:39
Speaker 2: That one right. I just knew.

00:02:41
Speaker 1: Even though I really wanted and would have loved to have seen Ryan Coogler win that award, I just think overall, one battle after another just pushed it a little bit further, and that movie was just a little bit more dynamic to me. Best Actor went to Michael B. Jordan, which to me was a surprise. And I think it's because Sinners came out almost a year ago now that whenever award season rolled around, I just couldn't really place him on that stage accepting that award, and with Marty Supreme coming out at Christmas time, the entire campaign around that movie, Timothy Shallow May just basically screaming that he wanted to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. Maybe he campaigned a little bit too hard, and maybe I just bought into the hype. And right after December release, I was so excited about that movie and it was weird watching the Award Show and seeing Marty Supreme lose category after category, and I'm like, okay, but we're going to get to the big one and he's gonna win. But when I started to see how Marty Supreme felt stacked up to these other movies, it kind of clicked with me that I thought, Man, maybe that movie wasn't as good as I thought it was, at least in the Academy's eyes. Still think a highly entertaining I stand by my four point five out of five rating, but seeing it stacked up to a Sinner's one battle after or another a sentimental value, even I throw the Secret Agent in there, it just didn't really have that same caliber of comparison to these movies. And maybe the ping pong thing just gets to be a little bit cheesy in comparison, But something about that, and just Timothy Shadow May in the last couple of weeks, I feel like even my perspective has changed on him a little bit. And I know what he said about ballet and opera came after everybody voted, so that didn't really factor in, but to me it kind of did. It felt that way, at least because they were taking jabs at him all nine long. The only time he got screen time was when people were roasting him or making fun of him, or making claims of how idiotic his statements were, saying that essentially Opera and Dan are a dying industry, which is a wild thing to say for somebody who makes movies for a living where theaters are struggling so much just to keep their doors open, and you part of a movie from a smaller studio a twenty four that fights for their life every time they put out a film in theaters.

00:05:18
Speaker 2: What a wild thing to say.

00:05:19
Speaker 1: So my perspective changed on him a little bit, but I tried not to let that change how I felt about his performance in that movie. But I told you guys, when I watched that movie, I thought, I don't know how much he is acting, and it's just like Marty Supreme in real life, very overly confident. Some of the way he acted in that I was just like, that has to come from a place more than just being a good actor.

00:05:42
Speaker 2: But Michael B.

00:05:43
Speaker 1: Jordan cool to see him when finally get his first Oscar. Best Actress went to Jesse Buckley, which I actually got correct. I thought that one was an easy category. To also see her pick up her first Oscar I thought was really cool, and when talking about The Bride recently, I said, this is about to be Jesse Buckley's time, and if she could pick up this award, she is going to enter that category of everybody wanting to put Jesse Buckley in their movie and also her potentially becoming more of a household name. So that was really cool to see her win. Best Supporting Actor went to Sean Penn, which I had Benicio del Toro, and I thought maybe they would split the vote a little bit here, but I just don't think that Sean Penn's performance was as strong or as memorable as Benicio. I know he didn't have as much screen time. Benicio did it in that movie, but to me, it was the Leonardo DiCaprio Benicio del Toro movie to me more so than Sean Penn. But he didn't even show up, which is a wild thing to win such a massive award and not show up. I could understand if Sean Penn won a Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards and didn't go to accept it. Okay, I understand that Sean Penn, but to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor and not show up.

00:07:03
Speaker 2: What are you doing?

00:07:04
Speaker 1: Like? Is he just out tanning his skin to get it look a little bit more leathery? What was Sean Penn doing that was so important that he couldn't make it to the award show? So for that reason alone, they should have gave it to Beniso del Toro, who had the best performance in a supporting role in my opinion, and the best line delivery of twenty twenty five. Few small beers that line was the line. Best Supporting Actress went to Amy Madigan from Weapons. I got that one wrong. I thought it would have been El Fanning. But a big win for Weapons, which I thought should have been nominated more, I think, more so than Amy winning, which was a really cool speech. She was very emotional. I also love seeing director Zach Kreiger in the audience how emotional he got. He was crying because he was so excited for them to really only have that one big nomination for Weapons and to win it, I think is huge.

00:07:59
Speaker 2: Again the win for Warner Brothers here. But I just really loved Weapons.

00:08:05
Speaker 1: I thought the story was really compelling, had a great pop culture moment. I just feel like that movie should have been nominated for Best Picture and Zach Kreiger definitely should have been nominated for Best Director, so that didn't happen. They got snubbed there, but I'm glad they picked up the award for Best Supporting Actress. Best Animated Film was easy. K Pop Demon Hunters had a big night. They also won for Best Original Song. That performance was fantastic. If that movie would not have won both of those categories, I think it would have been a major injustice with the Academy trying to appeal to everybody and to have the biggest movie and the biggest song from a movie nominated. If they didn't win, that would have been a huge injustice. I also love during that performance seeing people like Leonardo DiCaprio.

00:08:59
Speaker 2: Or these prestigious actors who.

00:09:01
Speaker 1: You think so highly of, know what that song is and be seeing along to it.

00:09:06
Speaker 2: That was a win for me.

00:09:08
Speaker 1: Best Original Screenplay went to Sinners, which I got correct. Ryan Kugler going up there to accept the award to me was one of the moments of the night because he is such I feel respected person in Hollywood. Where he got up there and people stood up. People were really excited even if they weren't a part of Sinners. I think people really like Ryan Kugler and want to work with him to see him finally get his first Oscar. Please please, please, please shut out because I'm very nervous and they gonna play me off because from I grew up at Olkland, Richmond, California, and we can talk a lot. So I want to thank the Academy for thinking of our movie that came out almost a year ago. And I know it took so long for Paul Thomas Anderson to get his for directing, But the great thing about what I see in Ryan Kugler's career is that won't be his only opportunity to win. He will get that award eventually, but to see him get for writing, I feel as a big deal for him. Best Adapted Screenplay, which to one Battle after another. I got that one wrong. I thought it would have went to Frankenstein, but Frankenstein did pick up the other two awards that I got right, Best Costume Design and Best Makeup and Hairstyling. If that movie didn't win in that category again, much like K Pop Demon Hunters, what are we doing here in comparison to every other film in that category, just seeing Jacob Elordi go through one day of hair and makeup, which I believe they said in total he did like five hundred hours or something crazy like that. If that didn't win, that would have been an injustice Best Visual Effects, which to Avatar, Fire and Nash, which I got correct. Kind of an honor for just that movie to be nominated. But the biggest takeaway of that movie is it is a spectacle to see on the big screen. How much work goes into that. So I'm always glad to see people in that category or the costume and hair and makeup win because I feel like those people really care the most about their craft and they're not forward facing. So I think all of those speeches, which by the way, they cut off a lot of people, they retract the mic on people.

00:11:23
Speaker 2: I think that is unfair.

00:11:24
Speaker 1: And I know they tried to keep the show on time, and they say they're thinking all these people that nobody knows about it, so it feels really weird to put on TV. But if you don't want that, then don't have award shows. This is the pinnacle of their life. All of their hard work is finally paying off. And you want to rush them off the stage. Don't have a ward shows then if you don't want people to get up there and pour their heart out and give thanks to all the people who got them there, that is the entire point of award show speeches.

00:11:54
Speaker 2: So stop cutting people off.

00:11:56
Speaker 1: Have some more categories here to go through. Film editing went to one battle after another. I got that wrong. I thought it would have went to Marty Supreme. I thought the editing in Marty Supreme added to the fast pacedness of that movie. But I think somewhere in the campaign they just maybe made some people angry or people just did not believe in that movie. I thought they would win something, maybe the lower tier awards, but they won nothing, which was crazy. Best Cinematography went to Sinners. I'm okay getting this one wrong because I still believe that Train Dreams had the best cinematography, at least the cinematography that speaks to me the most. It just felt so warm and comforting, and the colors were so rich and just capturing the countryside.

00:12:47
Speaker 2: I thought was fantastic. I thought Sinners looked.

00:12:51
Speaker 1: Really good, and again maybe it's because I haven't seen that movie in over a year. Now, I was fresh off of seeing Train Dreams when I did my predictions, but it was cool to see the first ever woman win that category. Autumn durral Arkipa became the first woman in Oscar history to win the award for Best Cinematography. So in the end, I'm okay with that, even though I really loved the cinematography and Train Dreams. Best Sound went to F One, which I got correct in comparison to every other movie in that category. I think that was the only movie I talked about the sound design in the review of that because it was so much a part of that movie's DNA and the enjoyment of that. It was the use of sound and everything layered together. Sometimes the absence of sound was even more effective in that movie of making you feel like you were right there in that seat driving that car like Brad Pitt. So I feel like this was another important movie to include because I think it was one that was a big summer blockbuster that a lot of people saw, So I'm glad it did not go home empty handed. Best International Film went to Sentimental Value, which on the episode I said that it was gonna win, even though that wasn't my favorite in the category. It was just an Accident, which you can watch it now on Hulu. Has to be my favorite in this and it got no love. I'm glad it was nominated, but that was one of those movies I didn't expect much from. I put it on and I was blown away. I still think about that movie. So if you haven't seen it was just an accident. Of all the movies I haven't talked about yet that were nominated for Oscars, that is the one I think if you go into it with an open mind. It is in another language. It is from France, but I think that doesn't take away from how crazy the story is, how much tension there is, how much anxiety. It will give you great storytelling. So watch it in its original language, put on subtitles, and I think you will enjoy that movie.

00:15:00
Speaker 2: It is on Hulu Best Casting.

00:15:04
Speaker 1: I got this one wrong too, went to one battle after another. I thought it would have been Marty Supreme. Again. This was a new category this year, so I didn't really know how it was going to work. I just thought Marty Supreme had a lot of interesting choices, like Kevin O'Leary from Shark Tank, a lot of out of the box and non actors who made up the cast, and I thought maybe that would deserve an Academy Award. Turns out I was wrong. One Battle after another took home that award. In total, I got eleven out of eighteen correct and in total, one battle after another took home the most awards with six. Sinners had four, Frankenstein had three, K Pop, Demon Hunters had two, and then everything else that had one with sentimental value, Avatar Weapons, Hamnett and f one. Overall, when it came to the award show, I thought it was pretty tame. Although I think Conan is the best host for the Oscars because he is the right amount of funny where he is a great host obviously, keeps it moving along really well. You feel this warmth with him, and he is funny in a way that is wacky and over the top. But I think you have to have somebody like that for the Oscars otherwise it just gets really boring. So he is turned up to a ten, but I think you need that in an award show that doesn't have a whole lot of musical performances aside from the stars sitting in the crowd. You don't have a whole lot of star power the presenters. Yes, I thought it had a great cold open where he was dressed in the weapons makeup and then he runs through scenes from every movie that was nominated for Best Picture.

00:16:42
Speaker 2: I thought that was great.

00:16:43
Speaker 1: I thought all of the pre made segments that aired through the show are fantastic. There was a post credit scene. I just think overall, it is probably hard to get people who are not a fan of all these movies, or maybe haven't seen a lot of these movies to be as interested as somebody like me in this award show.

00:17:02
Speaker 2: And I love it. I love comparing my picks.

00:17:06
Speaker 1: All night long, seeing what ends up winning, seeing a lot of first which I think this year was a pretty big year for a lot of firsts, and I think that is something that the Academy is trying to fix some of its past of just being a bunch of white dudes to win all these awards. I think as far as representation, it was pretty good this year, the best that it has been in probably the last five or so years. Me as a Latino, I would have liked to have seen obviously a little bit more representation, But when it came to the Movies nominated. We had The Secret Agent, and that movie is set in Brazil in the nineteen seventies, And as much as I wanted to really love that movie, it was probably my least favorite out of all of the Best Picture nominees. And I think it's just because, for the very first time in a long time, I just didn't understand the point of it. I thought it started out really great, really intense. The first I would say thirty or forty minutes reminded me of the first time I watched No Country for Old Men. But the movie was very long and dialogue heavy, and it was overall just a commentary on politics in Brazil being kind of corrupt at times. I just thought maybe I was looking for a little bit more action. And Wagner Mora is in it, who was also Pablo Escobar and Narcos, I just thought maybe I unfairly associated him with that character still and thought there was gonna be a little bit more action, maybe just some moment where everything just kind of clicked, kind of got there a little bit in the third act. But overall, that was just my least favorite film, even though it was the film representing people who look like me. But that is how I felt about that movie. That is how I felt about this Awards show season. I think overall pretty solid. If I had to give the Oscars a rating for this year, four out of five trophies, the people I really wanted to win finally got their Oscars, because the biggest surprise to me was Marty Supreme going home empty handed. And I'm starting to believe that Timothy Shallomey might not ever win his Oscar, at least not right now. Maybe he needs another ten years of being seasoned. I think he is going to be another Leonardo DiCaprio situation, where it's gonna be a role way down in his career that might not feel like the biggest role for him, but I kind of feel like he has some growing up to do at thirty years old that I just feel he has been so hungry for this. It's almost like when you know somebody wants it so bad, you're like, oh, really, oh this is kind of unattractive. It is really weird how just the few things can make you feel a little bit differently about a person. I just think he needs to do something to wow the Academy a little bit more than he did with his performance in Marty Supreme. But those are my thoughts on the twenty twenty six oscars