OSCAR TALK: Ep. 51 — The new frontrunner, Santa Barbara tributes and panels, potential Oscar upsets

Summary: Welcome to Oscar Talk. In case you’re new to the site and/or the podcast, Oscar Talk is a weekly kudocast, your one-stop awards chat shop between yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood. The podcast is weekly, every Friday throughout the season, charting the ups and downs of contenders along the way. Plenty of things change en route to Oscar’s stage and we’re here to address it all as it unfolds. It’s been a little over a week since last we left you, and to say the least, plenty has happened in that stretch. We’re both back in Los Angeles after some festival bouncing and have a number of things to chew on so let’s see what’s on the docket today… • What a difference a week and a half makes. Since we last recorded, “The King’s Speech” has won the DGA and SAG awards and become the undeniable frontrunner for Best Picture. We talk about the race where it is now, and how it got here. • There are a few areas where we could see a few more surprises. We discuss what they might be. • The Santa Barbara Film Festival is on-going and we were both there last weekend. Anne participated in a bloggers panel and we both were on hand for a few tributes so we offer our separate experiences. • Finally, reader questions. We address queries concerning Sundance Oscar potential this year and what we would do if we were charged with turning the train around on “The Social Network.” Have a listen to the new podcast below. If the file cuts off for you at any time, try the back-up download link at the bottom of this post. And as always, remember to subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here. Back-up download: Oscar Talk Episode 51