Awards Daily Tv's Water Cooler Podcast

First up, we review The Devil Wears Prada 2. Then, we continue in our “Megan’s Never Seen This Michael Douglas Movie” journey with The War of the Roses. This week, we chat about Meryl Streep’s return as Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada 2. The sequel to Oscar-nominated film revisits the publishing industry in a modern, digital era. How does this film justify itself as a 20-year-old sequel? What does it get right about modern journalism and sequels in general? Plus, have people been sleeping on Anne Hathaway? Then, we continue with the latest in our “Megan’s Never Seen This Michael Douglas Movie” series — The War of the Roses. Starring Kathleen Turner, Danny DeVito, and Douglas, Roses famously pits a married couple going through a painful separation. Since neither party is willing to give up their beloved home, they reluctantly live together until the stress becomes far too much to bear. We look at the film through a modern lens, ask if it takes sides in

In Episode 550, we look deeply and longingly at The Pitt. How much did we love Season 2? More importantly, how will Season 2 rewrite The Pitt Emmy narrative? We love The Pitt, and that did not change with Season 2. Yes, certain online communities seem to have already turned on the medical drama, but we believe Season 2 remained consistent in its extraordinary character depth and authenticity. After gushing over the new season, we spitball various The Pitt Emmy scenarios. Will Katherine LaNasa move up to Lead Actress? Who does that open space for in the Supporting Actress race? What guest performances will resonate with the Television Academy? Can anyone beat Noah Wyle? Or, for that matter, can any series stop a Drama Series repeat? We close our podcast, as always, with the Flash Forward to the media we’re most anticipating in the upcoming week. We’re deeply appreciative for your shares, likes, and positive ratings on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Click here to listen to our audio podcast. Our video podcast follo

Joey and Clarence look at Beef Season 2: the themes, the performances, and its Emmy chances. Plus, an early look at Michael. Beef Season 2 dropped last week without the typical Netflix limited series fanfare. Audiences reacted in kind: initial ratings ranked 60% lower from season to season. But Beef Season 2 may not be a shower, more of a grower. Starring Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan, Lee Sung Jin’s second season explores themes of wealth, cultural identity, marriages, and the vast generational gap. Joey and Clarence break things down and find common ground in their reactions, even if they don’t agree 100 percent on the merits of the season. Will audiences find their way to the season? Will the Television Academy embrace it as tightly as they did Season 1? Find out on this week’s podcast! But first, Clarence gives a quick sneak preview of his reaction to Michael, the new Michael Jackson biopic. We close our podcast, as always, with the Flash Forward to the media we’re most anticipating in

We continue our break down of the 2026 Emmys race where we focus on the bleak Comedy Actor race and the 2-woman Comedy Actress race. We’re back from our spring break and ready to tear into the 2026 Emmys race once more. With HBO MAX’s Hacks receiving series-best reviews in its final season, we wonder if anyone can beat Jean Smart’s clean sweep. Will she win Comedy Actress for all five seasons of the series? Or will Lisa Kudrow finally win Comedy Actress for HBO’s The Comeback? Is there really anyone else who can break into what appears to be a 2-way race? On the flip side, the 2026 Emmys Lead Comedy Actor race looks bleak. Bleak as any recent race we can remember and completely devoid of a frontrunner. Only Murder in the Building‘s Martin Short seems widely predicted to take home an Emmy, finally, but is that out of love for its latest, muted season or is he the last man standing? If not Short, then who? Jason Segel (Shrinking)? Adam Brody (Nobody Wants This)? The two Steves (Mar

Joey and Megan kick off Emmys 2026 with a look at the early frontrunners as we head into the end of the eligibility window. Are you ready to dive into some Emmy contenders? Yes, it is only April 1st, but we already have some bonafide Emmy passion with even more on the horizon. Megan and Joey begin this Emmy season with discussing the conclusion to Connor Hines’ Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette. Did the nine-episode season go on too long? Is Sara Pidgeon really out that far in front? With three women now battling for Supporting Actress (Naomi Watts, Constance Zimmer, and Grace Gummer), will one of them be left out? From there, Megan and Joey run down each series category to counter what may or may not make the cut. Can sophomore efforts like Jury Duty or Nobody Wants This break back in or will Comedy Series make way for something new like Rooster or The Chair Company or can The Comeback earn its first nomination? Will The Pitt grow in nominations as it defends its title? Which Limit

With the Oscars behind us, Joey and Clarence introduce Megan to the classic erotic thriller Basic Instinct. With Oscars 2026 put to bed, we’re turning our sights elsewhere this week. A few podcasts ago, Megan shockingly revealed that she’d never seen the 1992 erotic thriller Basic Instinct. Directed by Paul Verhoven from a screenplay by Joe Eszterhas, Basic Instinct stars Sharon Stone (her star-making performance) as a potentially murderous writer (“She’s evil! She’s brilliant!”). Michael Douglas plays the troubled cop (“Shooter”) trying to catch her or screw her. Or both! Controversy assailed the film upon its release, following it to this day. Yet, you cannot deny the influence Basic Instinct had on 1990s cinema. Several films tried (and failed) to capture its heat. Joey and Clarence have seen the film multiple times. Megan, however, sees it for the first time through modern eyes. Does the film hold up? Does it live up to its reputation? We slash Basic Instinc

Joey, Megan, and Clarence regroup at the Water Cooler for an Oscar Quickie to reflect on the 2026 Oscar ceremony. We waited 24 hours to let the 2026 Oscar ceremony sink in. We wanted to let a little perspective in before passing full judgment on last night’s 98th Annual Academy Awards. And we think that’s a good idea that should be echoed across the internet. So, Joey, Megan, and Clarence gather at the Water Cooler to share their thoughts in our Oscar Quickie podcast. What did we think of Conan O’Brien and the winners? What were our favorite moments of the evening? And what are we looking forward to at the 2027 Oscars? We close our podcast, as always, with the Flash Forward to the media we’re most anticipating in the upcoming week. We’re deeply appreciative for your shares, likes, and positive ratings on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Click here to listen to our audio podcast. Our video podcast follows below.     Podcast Music: Royalty Free Music from Tunetank.com Track: Here We Go! b

The full roster at The Contending gathers around the Water Cooler to give their (somewhat) final 2026 Oscars predictions! We are about to put the 2026 Oscars season to bed. Join the full team at The Contending as we give our predictions (as they stand at the time of recording) across all 24 Oscar categories. Some (Animated Feature, Song, Best Actress, to name a few) seem like foregone conclusions. Others (Best Supporting Actress, Cinematography) feel more debatable. And are people fooling themselves for thinking Sinners has a shot at Best Picture? Or is it really all sewed up with One Battle After Another? We offer interesting stats, theories, and gut takes as we wade through our final (and nearly 2-hour) podcast before Sunday’s 2026 Oscars ceremony. Plus, stick around until the end for a deep thought from our own David Phillips! Check back on Friday for our final, locked Oscar predictions on the site! We’re deeply appreciative for your shares, likes, and positive ratings on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. C

Following last night’s surprising and at times emotional Actor Awards, we chat about the 2026 Best Actor and Best Actress Oscar races. It was a big weekend of film awards. If you follow the Oscar race, then you’re either cemented that One Battle After Another‘s Best Picture coronation is inevitable or you’re convinced that a Sinners upset waits in the wings. There’s literally no in between. On this week’s podcast, we talk about the 2026 Actor Awards: the winners, the speeches, and whatever else crosses our minds. Then, we springboard into the latest 2026 Oscar analysis conversation. The Best Actress Oscar may be all sewed up (congrats Jessie Buckley), but Best Actor feels unexpectedly wide open. How do we think the race shakes out following Michael B. Jordan’s surprise Actor Awards win? Find out on this week’s podcast! We’re deeply appreciative for your shares, likes, and positive ratings on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Click here to listen to our audio podcast. O

Jalal joins the Water Cooler to discuss this weekend’s shocking BAFTA Supporting awards and to weigh in on France’s favorite, Ella McCay. We’re not sure what’s more shocking: this weekend’s BAFTA Awards or French film critics’ great love of James L. Brooks’ Ella McCay. But, we are here to break it all down for you. First up, we thought we had a handle on the Supporting Oscar races, but BAFTA voters just tossed a huge curve ball into the game. They rebuffed convention and handed their supporting prizes to Sean Penn (One Battle After Another) and Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners) when most Oscar watchers thought their nominations would be their win. Will BAFTA change Oscar’s trajectory? Then, we finally take a look at Ella McCay, the much-maligned new film from James L. Brooks. We thought we’d put this one behind us, but French critics seem primed to rescue it with some using the “M word.” Jalal joins us to talk about both topics as we head into next weeken

Every time I gaze at Kate Hawley’s costume design for Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein, I feel like I discover something new. Maybe The Creature’s hunt for humanity and compassion can be translated into our own curiosity for the exquisite Oscar-nominated work. One of the reasons why Hawley’s designs have dominated this season is because every piece is driven by character but also steeped in drama. Hawley’s work is robust, meaningful, and hypnotic. One might assume that a man of science like Victor Frankenstein doesn’t care about what he wears, but that is not the case in this new iteration. Oscar Isaac brings such a sexy swagger to the role but he allows his intelligence and passion for science do the talking. Hawley, though, translates that into how the doctor wears his clothes. His red gloves (I need…) are something that he has carried with him from his childhood, but notice how the camera captures the shape of his hats or how he wears his robes or jackets open. In

We review Love Story, the JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette limited series. Plus, we break down 2026 Oscar’s Supporting Actors! On this week’s Water Cooler podcast, we review the new Hulu on FX limited series Love Story. Created by Connor Hines and executive produced by Ryan Murphy (among others), Love Story looks at the tabloid-fodder relationship between John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. Is this a series worth exploring, or is it a cheap tabloid-fodder knock-off? And what’s to be made of Naomi Watts as Jackie Kennedy Onassis? Then, we revisit the 2026 Best Supporting Actor Oscar contenders. Is it Stellan Skarsgård’s to lose? Or is there something to his omission at The Actor (formerly SAG Awards)? If it’s not Skarsgård, then who could take home the Oscar? Could Sinners co-star Delroy Lindo surprise on Oscar night? We’re deeply appreciative for your shares, likes, and positive ratings on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Click here to listen to our audio podcast. Our video p

Joey and Clarence step through the buzziest Super Bowl commercials. Plus, where does the Oscar race stand post-DGA? Clarence returns to the Water Cooler, but sadly Megan’s under the weather this week. So, he and Joey tackle the major Super Bowl commercials without her and see what stuck with us the day after. Was it Ben Affleck’s Good Will Dunkin’? Was it Sabrina Carpenter romanticizing some Pringles? Or was it Lady Gaga waxing poetic about the Pokemon Jigglypuff? We give our classic Siskel and Ebert “thumbs up / thumbs down” on the 2026 Super Bowl commercials. But first, the Directors Guild of America handed out their awards for the best direction of 2026 across film and television. As expected, Paul Thomas Anderson received the award for his work on One Battle After Another. The 2026 director Oscar race may be over, but what does it say about Best Picture? We briefly chat about the awards race and about upcoming awards to watch out for. We’re deeply appreciative for your shares

The Water Cooler spends some time deserted with Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien for Sam Raimi’s ‘Send Help.’ Help! Clarence is deserted on a remote island–someone save him! Or, perhaps, Megan and Joey are talking about Sam Raimi’s Send Help and he’s a little under the weather. Even an S.O.S. can be dramatic. If you follow Megan on any social platform, you will notice how much she loves Raimi’s latest, which finds Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien butting heads and slaughtering boars after their plane crashes on a business trip to Bangkok. McAdams’ Linda has the survival skills, but O’Brien’s Bradley thinks he’s still in control. How does Raimi fare when giving this workplace hierarchy dark comedy his trademark bloody twists? A few new trailers dropped this week, and Joey and Megan give their instant reactions to The Devil Wears Prada 2 and Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette. Is the lighting that bad for Miranda P

The Contending’s Clarence Moye returns to his original interview with the great Catherine O’Hara, gone too soon at 71. We were not ready to say “Goodbye” to Catherine O’Hara today. When a friend send the news that she’d passed, it felt like a punch to the gut. I mourned not only the great comedic performances she’d given — Best In Show, Waiting For Guffman, Beetlejuice, and her Emmy-winning work in Schitt’s Creek — but I also mourned the great performances she’d yet to give. No matter her age, O’Hara always seemed down to play, and I always imagined her bringing that same inspired lunacy straight into her 90s. But the universe had different plans for her. In 2017, I had the great fortune of speaking with Catherine O’Hara when I wrote for Awards Daily. It would emerge as one of my very favorite interviews. She was kind, she was generous, and she was very, very funny as she dove into the process of Schitt’s Creek and Moira Rose.

With a few days behind us, we gather around the Water Cooler to chat about the 2026 Oscar nominations and spitball potential winners. We let the dust settle from last Thursday’s 2026 Oscar nominations, and now we’re ready to break them down. We chat about our surprises, our disappointments, and our favorite nominations. We also take our first stab at winner predictions. We have a long way to go before the 2026 Oscars, including major guild wins. Things are bound to change before we lock things in, but these predictions are what we’re feeling in late January. Following that, Megan recently reviewed Sam Raimi’s Send Help. Rachel McAdams plays a mousy woman trapped on a deserted island with her dude-bro boss. Based on the trailer, we think she’s not up for his shit. Megan weighs in on the film and McAdams’s performance. We’re deeply appreciative for your shares, likes, and positive ratings on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Click here to listen to our audio podcast. Our video podca

Team Contending gathers around the Water Cooler to unveil their latest and semi-final 2026 Oscar nomination predictions in all 24 categories. It’s finally that time of year. On Thursday, January 23, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will unveil the nominations for the 98th Academy Awards. The nominations will be read live by Danielle Brooks (Oscar nominee for The Color Purple) and Lewis Pullman. To prepare for the big day, Team Contending gathers around the Water Cooler to dish on their 2026 Oscar nomination predictions in all 24 categories. We’ll be finalizing our predictions on the site by end of day Tuesday! Be sure to stay with The Contending all week as we cover the 2026 Oscar nominations! We’re deeply appreciative for your shares, likes, and positive ratings on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Click here to listen to our audio podcast. Our video podcast follows below.   Podcast Music: Royalty Free Music from Tunetank.com Track: Here We Go! by cinematic alex https://tunetank.com/

The Copenhagen Test co-star Saul Rubinek talks about three recent major projects, including Peacock’s acclaimed thriller. Seasoned character actor Saul Rubinek’s incredibly diverse resume boasts collaborations with some of cinema’s greatest filmmakers. He worked with Oliver Stone on Wall Street and Nixon. He co-starred in Clint Eastwood’s Oscar-winning masterpiece Unforgiven. He was also featured in Tony Scott’s True Romance, based on a screenplay by Quentin Tarantino. His career also boasts memorable turns on such long-standing television series as Frasier, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Lost, Hunters, and most recently Peacock’s The Copenhagen Test. Created by Thomas Brandon, The Copenhagen Test stars Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) and Melissa Barrera (Scream). Liu plays Alexander Hale, an intelligence agent whose brain is hacked which allows access to everything he sees and hears. Rubinek’s Victor Simonek, a former intelligence analyst who now runs a r

We recap the 2026 Golden Globes, led by One Battle and Hamnet, and break down the 2026 Oscar Actress races. One Battle After Another and Hamnet took home the big Best Picture wins at the 2026 Golden Globe Awards. On this week’s podcast, we review the ceremony and host Nikki Glaser, its winners, and the best / worst moments of the evening. Plus, following last night’s actress wins, how does the 2026 Oscar Actress landscape change? Is Teyana Taylor the de facto frontrunner? Is Jessie Buckley unstoppable? Will Rose Byrne’s acclaimed performance in the challenging If I Had Legs I’d Kick You finally bring the actress Oscar attention? We tackle these questions and more as we dive into the 2026 Oscar Actress races. We close our podcast with a Flash Forward to the media we’re most anticipating in the upcoming week. We’re deeply appreciative for your shares, likes, and positive ratings on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Click here to listen! Our video podcast follows below!   Podcast Music: Roy

Alexandr Molochnikov’s Oscar-shortlisted film, Extremist, is ripped from the headlines. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has turned into all-out war, and citizens across multiple continents protest in any way that they can. Extremist tells the true story of Sasha Skochilenko, a Russian artist and musician who finds herself behind bars after she places facts about the conflict on stickers on products in a nearby store. While Molochnikov never shies away from the real implications behind Skochileno’s imprisonment, Extemist turns this story on its head to surprise the audience with a remarkable ending. More filmmakers should take risks with how they tell real-life stories, and Molochnikov explains that he wasn’t ever scared or worried to write a film that hones in on the truth. You cannot avoid the news of the war in Ukraine, and one way to protest the violence is by not shying away from it. Molochnikov shows two different worlds living side-by-side. Skochilenko fills her world with color and li