Ep. 41 - 2025 Oscars Special

Sean Baker’s movie had heart, but Football in the Groin had a football in the groin. Adam and Nate review the 97th Academy Awards, and compare their top five movies of 2024.

Also in this episode:

• The biggest surprises, snubs, and satisfying wins of the night

• Does former Simpsons writer Conan O’Brien work as host of the Oscars?

• A round-up of the night’s best Simpsons memes

• A trivia game about the most reference Best Picture-winners on The Simpsons, fresh from the Simpsons Movie Reference Database 

Next time, we’re back to our regularly scheduled programming with The Fortune Cookie (1966), a Billy Wilder joint that had its plot stolen for The Simpsons episode “Bart Gets Hit By a Car” (S2E10).

For more Simpsons movie parody content follow us @simpsonsfilmpod on Instagram, Bluesky, TikTok, YouTube, and Letterboxd. Discover more great podcasts on the That Shelf Podcast Network.

Top Movies of 2025

Adam’s Top 5 Movies of 2024

1. Conclave

2. Anora

3. Challengers

4. Sing Sing

5. Dune: Part Two (or Jim Henson Idea Man)

Nate’s Top 5 Movies of 2024

1. Challengers

2. The Brutalist

3. I Saw the TV Glow

4. A Real Pain

5. Dune: Part Two

The 10 Most Referenced Best Picture Winners on The Simpsons

1. The Godfather (1972)
   17 Total References, 8 Major References

2. The Godfather Part II (1974)
   12 Total References, 6 Major References

3. Titanic (1997)
   9 Total References, 2 Major References

4. Gone with the Wind (1939)
   8 Total References, 3 Major References

5. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
   7 Total References, 6 Major References

6. Ben-Hur (1959)
   7 Total References, 5 Major References (and recently covered on the podcast)

7. The French Connection (1971) & The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
   6 Total References, 2 Major References

8. The Lost Weekend (1945)
   5 Total References, 3 Major References

9. The Sting (1973)
   5 Total References, 2 Major References

10. The Sound of Music (1965)
    5 Total References, 0 Major References

Find more factoids in the Simpsons Movie Reference Database!

Bonus: The Best Simpsons Memes of Oscar Night

Bonus! An original joke from former Simpsons writer Jay Kogen:

Further Reading & Viewing

• Article: Scott Feinberg, “Oscars: Conan O’Brien to Return as Host in 2026,” The Hollywood Reporter, March 17, 2025.

• Article: Melena Ryzik, “Conan O’Brien Is Terrified of The Oscars. (He’s Hosting Anyway.)” New York Times, March 2, 2025.

• Video: “2014 Oscars Graphics Montage by Mill+,” millchannel, YouTube.com, accessed March 6, 2014. The best Oscars graphics package ever, according to Adam.

• Reference: “The 97th Academy Awards | 2025,” Oscars.org, accessed March 17, 2025.

View fullsize