James Cagney danced and sung his way to a Best Actor Oscar for Michael Curtiz's Best Picture nominated film, Yankee Doodle Dandy . In this episode of Awards Don't Matter , both Andrew and Dave are genuinely surprised by the love they have for a film that has all of the faults of other films that were nominated in 1942, and that they've covered in the past. We also ask, will Lin Manuel Miranda get a film like this in the future, and at what point is patriotism too much? Dig on in. Listen to Dave ...
Aug 10, 2021•44 min
As we arrive at the 15th Best Picture winner, Mrs Miniver , we find ourselves in the depths of the cinematic output during World War Two. As such, the Academy Award winners during the era reflected an optimism or jingoism that was needed to drive people to support the war effort. William Wyler's film is one such winner, with Greer Garson taking the lead and winning the Best Actress award. Co-hosts Dave and Andrew skirt around discussing Mrs Miniver as they seek to find the entry point for this e...
Jul 27, 2021•43 min
We all have a creative entity within us, but how do we get to that path of creativity? In Roger Ungers documentary, Finding Creativity , he seeks to answer that question by interviewing various creative minds, like a glass blower, a chef, a musician, and more. And, stretching deeper into the well of creativity, Andrew interviews Roger about his creative process. Finding Creativity screens at the 6th Melbourne Documentary Film Festival and tickets can be purchased here . Check out Rogers other wo...
Jul 19, 2021•30 min•Season 7Ep. 6
The Melbourne Documentary Film Festival is always home to a plethora of great and varied documentaries from around the globe. This year, the festival will host the deep and moving documentary, Batoor: A Refugee Journey by Walkely Award winning photojournalist, Barat Ali Batoor. Batoor: A Refugee Journey follows Batoor's path from Afghanistan through to Australia in search of safety and sanctuary. This powerful film comes at a devastating point in Australian history, where the Australian governme...
Jul 19, 2021•44 min•Season 7Ep. 5
We once again return to the world of Alfred Hitchcock's with the third of his Best Picture nominated films, Suspicion . Joan Fontaine won Best Actress for her performance as Lina, a young woman who falls for a suave and confident man named Johnnie, played with ultimate-comfort by Cary Grant. Dave defends his favourite Hitchcock, delving into the complexity of the narrative, the uncertainty of the ending, and the eroticism of wanting Cary Grant to 'step on your neck'. Dig on in to this episode of...
Jul 14, 2021•54 min
The Melbourne Documentary Film Festival kicks off its in-person in-cinema screenings on July 21st through to July 31st at the Cinema Nova. Screening at this years fest is the film, Mental as Everything : Damon Smith has estimated that he has spent around 50 thousand hours of his life, so far, participating in absurd ritualistic behaviors associated with his obsessive Compulsive Disorder. With the help of his anxious friend, Adam, these two, Australian musicians, share, with original music, prepo...
Jul 14, 2021•43 min•Season 7Ep. 4
We arrive at maybe the most notorious and contentious Best Picture winners... ever? John Ford's How Green Was My Valley which triumphed over the 'Best Film Ever', Orson Welles Citizen Kane . In a possibly strident, and yet no less passionate, defense of How Green Was My Valley , co-hosts Dave and Andrew discuss John Ford's enduring classic, encouraging modern viewers to embrace this film without the shackles of its Oscar glory. Somehow we even wrap in a comparison to Steven Spielberg's Ready Pla...
Jul 07, 2021•1 hr 1 min
The Scandinavian Film Festival is fast approaching, and Andrew caught up with the Icelandic Film Centre's Festival Manager, Christof Wehimeier, to discuss all things Nordic with an interview that explores the importance of cultural representation on film, what exactly makes up a Scandinavian film, and the need for festivals like this. Head over to the festival website for more details, and keep up to date with the festival via their Facebook page . Support The Curb on Patreon , and make sure to ...
Jul 02, 2021•29 min•Season 7Ep. 3
Perth's Revelation Film Festival has been partially delayed due to lockdowns, but that doesn't stop the films being talked about. Andrew catches up with local filmmaker Sharnya Yates to discuss her short film, Choice , which screens alongside Rebel Dykes . This is a powerful short film that deserves to be seen by all. The plot is: Nina is a caring, loving, but exhausted mum & wife who has tried to be everything that everyone needs. Responding to the coming out of her transgender teenager, Ni...
Jul 02, 2021•30 min•Season 7Ep. 2
Charlie Chaplin is best known for his silent films, but quick in the minds of film lovers would be his iconic speech that concludes his Best Picture nominated film, The Great Dictator . Co-hosts of Awards Don't Matter sift through this powerful satire and assess how difficult it is to craft biting comedy that shakes its fists at the powerful. Find out in this episode whether Chaplin's maniacal dictator film still matters or not in this episode. Featured in this episode is a clip of Daniel Tarada...
Jun 28, 2021•51 min
Perth's Revelation Film Festival kicks off on July 1st and runs through til July 11th. Andrew caught up with festival programmer Richard Sowada to discuss how the festival has changed due to the ongoing pandemic, the impact of streaming services on film festivals, and more. Make sure to head along and check out some of the stellar films screening at this years festival, and if you can't head along, support the festival by donating here . And, if you're not in Perth or can't attend the festival, ...
Jun 28, 2021•44 min•Season 7Ep. 1
The great Alfred Hitchcock never won a Best Director Oscar, and only received the prestige of winning Best Picture once in his career. Join co-hosts Dave and Andrew as they return to Manderlay and revisit the gothic romance that is Rebecca . Featuring stellar performances from Joan Fontaine and Laurence Olivier, this is a mystery you'll want to dive into. Subscribe via R S S Feed , Anchor.fm , Apple Podcasts , or Spotify . Follow the hosts on social media at the links below: Andrew F Peirce – @T...
Jun 22, 2021•49 min
We take momentary leave from the 1930's and 1940's to move to the modern day, and look at the most recent Best Picture winner, the 93rd in fact: Chloé Zhao's Nomadland . Winning three awards, including Best Actress for Frances McDormand and Best Director for Chloé Zhao, Nomadland follows Fern (McDormand) as she navigates her nomad life in modern America, through the rising gig economy and the pressing reality of a world that pushes against an ageing workforce. In this episode, co-hosts Andrew an...
Jun 14, 2021•41 min
The deserving Best Picture winner of 1939, Ernst Lubitsch's masterful Ninotchka , gets a deep dive discussion in this episode as co-hosts Dave and Andrew swoon over Greta Garbo, laugh over her immaculate comedic timing, and fawn over the hilarious script co-written by the one and only Billy Wilder. Dig into this Russian/France rom-com and discover your new relationship litmus film. Please, go and watch this delightful film right now. Subscribe via R S S Feed , Anchor.fm , Apple Podcasts , or Spo...
May 17, 2021•56 min•Ep. 22
Aussie author, screenwriter, and critic, Anthony O'Connor, has landed on the bookshelves of the nation with his debut novel, STRAYA , a post-apocalyptic look at the Australia of the future. I won't drop a synopsis here - you'll have to dig into the interview above for that, and much more, including what goes in to writing a sci-fi novel, the need to be genre agnostic, and how long it takes to actually write one of these darn things. Dig on in and make sure to pick up a copy of STRAYA at your loc...
May 10, 2021•39 min•Season 6Ep. 9
Writer/Director JJ Winlove helms June Again , a powerful drama/comedy about a mother living with dementia, June (Noni Hazelhurst), who has a day of clarity and sets about restoring the fractures in her family. Her kids, Ginny (Claudia Karvan) and Devon (Stephen Curry), have stopped talking to one another, and it's up to June to bring them together once again. Andrew caught up with actor Stephen Curry to discuss what it was like working with an icon like Noni Hazelhurst, as well as creating a bal...
May 10, 2021•16 min•Season 6Ep. 8
A long epic Best Picture winner deserves a long epic discussion. It's Gone With the Wind time as Dave and Andrew tackle Victor Fleming's (and George Cukor and Sam Wood) 1939 'classic', tackling the themes of racism, love, Vivien Leigh's performance, and Clark Gable's attractiveness. It's a long, complex discussion, embracing film history, and the value of reflection. Dig on in. Read Angelica Jade Bastién's piece on Gone With the Wind on Vulture here . Subscribe via R S S Feed , Anchor.fm , Apple...
May 03, 2021•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 21
'This is why I'm obsessed with movies' - Dave We reach a monumental moment in the history of the Academy Awards: the first film not in the English language to be nominated for Best Picture. This is Jean Renoir's masterpiece, Grand Illusion ( La Grande Illusion ). Nominated solely for Best Picture, this masterful film encompasses the war movement in 1914, following captive French soldiers and their engagement with enemy forces. Find out why this one in particular matters more than most. Subscribe...
Apr 19, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 19
We return to the world of Frank Capra with his second Best Picture winner, You Can't Take it With You . Co-hosts Dave and Andrew dig into this charming film, and as they do they uncover a Hollywood that wilfully steals from its own past to weave new stories . Full of delight and whimsy, this Best Picture winner features Jean Arthur, Lionel Barrymore, James Stewart and Edward Arnold. At the end, Dave and Andrew are forced to ask... while You Can't Take it With You , does that matter? Subscribe vi...
Apr 12, 2021•39 min•Ep. 19
The first version of A Star is Born features the first ever Best Actress winner, Janet Gaynor, and Frederic March, and is directed by William A. Wellman, who collectively tell the tale of an actress on the rise, and an actor on his way down. It is a celebration of the rise and fall of greatness. Co-hosts Dave and Andrew leap into this slightly problematic tale, questioning its importance nowadays, and going further and asking whether this narrative still matters. Please be warned that this parti...
Apr 05, 2021•41 min•Ep. 18
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 t...
Mar 29, 2021•47 min•Ep. 17
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 film. Mak...
Mar 22, 2021•34 min•Season 1Ep. 16
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 watch...
Mar 15, 2021•38 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Perth indie filmmaker Levon J. Polinelli made a film, and then, one night, it was stolen from him. Fearing the worst, and having seen countless hours of work disappear immediately, Levon almost gave up hope, until the internet managed to save his film. Now, making its debut at Perth's WA Made Film Festival , a complete version of Everybody Gets Stabbed exists, and Levon sat down with me to talk about the process of making it, and the stress of it being lost, and the realm of microbudget filmmaki...
Mar 09, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Season 6Ep. 6
In 2020, I reviewed the utterly hilarious, and downright essential, 600 Bottles of Wine (on Netflix!) and found great comfort and joy with the biting comedy in the show, so much so that I emailed Grace Rouvray and demanded more episodes. One of the cast members was the brilliant Nerida Bronwen who brought superb comedic timing and impressive screen presence to the show. Nerida reached out to have a chat about her life in LA now, and the audition processes she goes through. Every so often, I get ...
Mar 08, 2021•37 min•Season 6Ep. 7
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 also ...
Mar 08, 2021•45 min•Season 1Ep. 14
Every so often, a film comes across your way that manages to reinforce a life perspective that you've long felt alone with feeling. For me, the discussions about end of life care, and voluntary assisted dying, have been something that I've found that we all need to talk about more. As our community ages, we owe it to our loved ones to support their end of life journey in the manner that they feel is best for them. Which is why I'm beyond grateful that I had the time to talk to filmmakers Sam Lar...
Mar 08, 2021•46 min•Season 6Ep. 5
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 here: And ch...
Mar 01, 2021•43 min•Season 1Ep. 13
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 yet... as we alwa...
Feb 27, 2021•52 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Oscar nominee Josh Lawson's new Australian drama/comedy, Long Story Short , features Rafe Spall, Zahra Newman, and Noni Hazelhurst, and follows Teddy, a man who suddenly starts jumping forward a year of his life every few minutes. It's an emotional film that feels appropriate for the time we find ourselves in. Andrew caught up with actor Rafe Spall to talk about the making of the film, his creative choices in a pandemic world, and what he wants to do as an actor. Long Story Short comes out on Fe...
Feb 08, 2021•25 min•Season 6Ep. 4
