The Academy’s Captive Audience
Welcome one and all to The Academy’s Captive Audience! Here your hosts Ben and Kit will delve into the award winning and rightfully nominated films since the creation of the Academy of Arts and Sciences. Our goal is to create an audio record of these films. Our reactions, thoughts, and overall experience will be here as a guide post to navigate all those films you may have never heard of and always wondered why they won. Without any further ado, Let’s roll that film!
Episodes
Ben and Kit are going back a decade to the year 2015 to look at the 87th Academy Awards nominees. In this first half of a two-parter, they explore the themes of the universe, war, morality, and just how far you will push yourself or be pushed to achieve artistic perfection. Discoveries are made, laughs are shared, and we reminisce on what may very well be one of the greatest lineups of the Best Picture nominees to date. We discuss ...
The second of our two part series on the 30th Academy Awards! Kit and Ben go over the last two of the years' best picture nominees and delve into studio practices, behind the scenes stories, and the deeper themes brought about by this lineup of Oscar contenders. Will we submit to and follow the rules of podcasting or circumvent the law and get away with what we say? Listen in to find out!
-
This episode features the following films...
In this episode, Kit and Ben head back to the 1950's to take a look at the 30th Academy's best picture nominees. We ask questions like what was going on between Japan and the United States? Why do courtrooms bring out the worst in people? And won't somebody think of the children? All this and more!
-
This episode features the following films...
Sayonara
12 Angry Men
Peyton Place
-
Don't forget to like, follow, subscribe, and hit th...
Join us for a special episode where we sit down with our friend and filmmaker A.R. Björklund as we discuss a myriad of films, the crew behind the scenes, the current state of Hollywood, and the ever enduring magic that cinema has had and continues to have on us.
Find out more about A.R. Björklund here...
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3923857/
Don't forget to like, follow, subscribe, and hit that notification bell for future episodes!
...Join Ben and Kit as we conclude our look into the 90th Academy Awards. Kit delves deep into the murky pool of this years Best Picture winner and Ben gives a master class of linguistic fluency. The following films are discussed...
Dunkirk
Darkest Hour
Call Me by Your Name
The Shape of Water
Ben and Kit take a look at the 90th Academy Awards best picture nominees and go into what makes this year so special. The following films are discussed...
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
The Post
Phantom Thread
Lady Bird
Get Out
In this episode Ben and Kit share their picks from the New York Times Top 100 Films of the 21st Century. We also share our thoughts on the new inductees into the Academy Awards. Come fly with us!
You can access the NYT article here.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/movies/best-movies-21st-century.html
And cast your own ballot here.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/movies/reader-ballot-movies-21st-century.html
Welcome one and all to The Academy's Captive Audience! Here your hosts Ben and Kit will delve into the award winning and rightfully nominated films since the creation of the Academy of Arts and Sciences.
After publishing our first three episodes on substack, we have finally expanded our reach to other podcast platforms. And what better place to begin Episode IV than with the 50th Academy Awards. Again Welcome and Thank You for list...
Popular Podcasts
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The heart was always off-limits to surgeons. Cutting into it spelled instant death for the patient. That is, until a ragtag group of doctors scattered across the Midwest and Texas decided to throw out the rule book. Working in makeshift laboratories and home garages, using medical devices made from scavenged machine parts and beer tubes, these men and women invented the field of open heart surgery. Odds are, someone you know is alive because of them. So why has history left them behind? Presented by Chris Pine, CARDIAC COWBOYS tells the gripping true story behind the birth of heart surgery, and the young, Greatest Generation doctors who made it happen. For years, they competed and feuded, racing to be the first, the best, and the most prolific. Some appeared on the cover of Time Magazine, operated on kings and advised presidents. Others ended up disgraced, penniless, and convicted of felonies. Together, they ignited a revolution in medicine, and changed the world.
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.