Little Gold Men by Vanity Fair

Rebecca and John are joined by VF's Hillary Busis to discuss Kathryn Bigelow's A House of Dynamite, which hits select theaters Friday. Then, they take a closer look at Netflix's packed Oscars slate, and discuss what's been holding the streamer back from nabbing their first best picture Oscar win. Could this be the year? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

This week, Rebecca and John discuss The Smashing Machine, Benny Safdie's new movie starring Dwayne Johnson as MMA fighter Mark Kerr. They are joined by Vanity Fair contributing editor Tom Kludt, who shares his thoughts on why sports movies are audience favorites but not always awards winners and  what Johnson should do to become king of the Oscar ring. Plus, Rebecca and John share their picks for must-watch October film releases.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Rebecca and John are joined by VF writer Kase Wickman to talk about Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another, which hits theaters Friday. After agreeing that the film feels like a real Best Picture contender, they take a closer look at star Leonardo DiCaprio's chances of earning another Oscar nomination — and why his path to winning an Academy Award was so tumultuous. Finally, they explain why Timothee Chalamet's own campaign strategy may mirror DiCaprio's, for better or worse.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Rebecca and John are joined by their Vanity Fair colleagues Chris Murphy and Hillary Busis to break down all those surprise winners on Emmys night. They also discuss why Nate Bargatze struggled as a host and that controversial acceptance speech countdown clock. Finally, they each pitch one dramatic change that could fix the Emmys and make it more appealing in the future. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Rebecca and John are joined by Joy Press to talk about the Venice, Telluride, and Toronto Film Festivals, where some movies soared (Hamnet) and other stumbled (After the Hunt). They also take a closer look at some of the most contested Emmys races ahead of Sunday's show. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

From our live show at the Toronto Film Festival, James McAvoy discusses the true story behind his directorial debut, California Schemin’. Then, Hamlet star Riz Ahmed joins us to explain why the Shakespeare drama still resonates. Recorded from the St. Regis Hotel in Toronto. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

David, Richard, and Rebecca answer mailbag questions about how the Oscars have changed, the most annoying film discourses of all time, and tips for attending film festivals. They also dream-cast LGM with previous Oscar winners as the hosts. Finally, as David and Richard say farewell, they present the Little Gold Men Awards and share their favorite Oscar-watching memories.Heading to TIFF? Join us on September 5 for a live show at the St. Regis Hotel with special guests Riz Ahmed and James McAvoy. To request a ticket, please email us: littlegoldmen@vf.com Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Ahead of the fall festivals, David, Rebecca, and Richard get wildly speculative by presenting their own predictions for which 10 movies will be nominated for the best-picture Oscar. They discuss the apparent front-runner so far, the few other apparent locks, and which winter releases appear bound to surprise.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The actor and director, nominated in both Emmy categories, talked to Rebecca about her ambitions for writing and directing in the future, including giving a certain purple dinosaur of children’s TV the film treatment. She also shares her thoughts about fans shipping Syd and Carmy, and why being on The Bear has made her hopeful for the future of Hollywood. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

This week, David, Richard, and Rebecca take a look at Warner Bros.' hot streak, which continued with the horror hit Weapons. They also each pick a couple Emmy nominees they hope get a little love from voters ahead of final voting next week. Finally, they answer some listener questions, defending the Academy's choice to open up Best Picture to 10 nominees. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices