The 2026 Oscar nominations are officially here and the Academy has certainly made some choices! In this episode of The Movie Dweeb Podcast, me and Niall Gray are diving headfirst into the 98th Academy Award shortlists to figure out who is actually taking home a statue and who was brutally snubbed.

The conversation gets chaotic immediately as Niall Gray attempts the impossible task of "winging it" through a series of films he has quite literally never heard of. You won’t want to miss his improvised plot summaries for the indie darling Train Dreams or the wonderfully titled If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.

Beyond the comedy of errors, we get serious about the frontrunners. We break down the massive momentum behind Timothée Chalamet and discuss whether Sinners is the juggernaut everyone thinks it is. From Best Picture locks to the dark horses that could steal the show, we’re laying out our full winner predictions.

Finally, we turn our attention to the ceremony itself with a segment on how we would actually fix the Oscars. We pitch our dream hosts for 2026, debate the best ways to keep the show under four hours, and suggest some truly devious music choices to play people off stage when their speeches start to drag. It’s a deep dive into everything that makes the Academy Awards both brilliant and frustrating.

Who do you think was the biggest snub this year? Let us know your picks in the comments and don't forget to subscribe for more movie deep dives.

In this episode of The Movie Dweeb podcast, I am joined by the brilliant Ailish Morrison to dive deep into the most exciting news coming out of Middle-earth. As one of the most dedicated Lord of the Rings creators I know, Ailish helps me break down the recent reports that Ian McKellen and Elijah Wood are set to reprise their legendary roles as Gandalf and Frodo in the upcoming film, The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. We discuss the implications of seeing these iconic characters again, how the production might handle the timeline, and what this means for the future of the franchise under the direction of Andy Serkis.

Beyond the Shire, we take a look ahead at the massive slate of films arriving this year as we rank our most anticipated releases for 2026. Our list covers everything from the post-apocalyptic intensity of 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple to the high-fashion drama of the long-awaited sequel to The Devil Wears Prada. We also discuss the mysterious new project, The Drama, starring Robert Pattinson and Zendaya, which is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing titles of the season. To wrap things up, we reflect on the cinematic highlights of 2025, revisiting the impact of Ryan Coogler’s Sinners and the emotional weight of Eternity.

In this special end-of-year episode of The Movie Dweeb Podcast, Em Wallbank and Henry Calvert go head-to-head in a chaotic quiz to see who truly remembers the biggest moments in film and television from 2025.

The duo dive deep into a year defined by viral sensations, from the internet-breaking obsession with Jonathan Bailey’s "slutty little glasses" to the bizarre marketing stunts that saw fans shaving their heads for Bugonia. They revisit the most talked-about performances and the most unhinged press tour quotes, including Hailee Steinfeld's instantly iconic dialogue in Sinners and the five-hour livestream that heralded the arrival of the Doomsday era.

The competition heats up as they recall Tom Cruise’s latest record-breaking stunts, the surprising critical reception of the MCU, and the strange coincidence of multiple A-listers being attacked by bees on the red carpet. Join us to see who is crowned the ultimate film buff and relive the most magnificent, messy, and memorable screen moments of 2025.