matthew mcconaughey – This Had Oscar Buzz

301 – Bernie

our old friend Kevin O’Keeffe and Texas native for a very Texas movie. Debuting in 2011 but arriving in theaters, Richard Linklater’s Bernie accounts a real-life Texan wink wink bachelor Bernie Tiede (played by Jack Black), beloved by the church ladies and local community. However, he is taken in by the town villain Margie (Shirley MacLaine) and ends up convicted for her murder, but not necessarily in the court of public opinion. Though the film was recognized as comedy (especially for Black’s delicate performance), its awards history was largely left as a footnote to the McConaissance.

This episode, we talk about the different vibes of Texas cities and the film’s spectacular ensemble of real-life witnesses. We also talk about Linklater’s outsider status to the Hollywood establishment, Black’s preceding failures, and reporter Skip Hollandsworth.

Topics also include “one of them CMT girls,” Linklater’s upcoming Merrily We Roll Along, and 2012 Best Actor.

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214 – Mud (with Roxana Hadadi)

What’s better than movies like this? Guys being dudes! This week, Vulture television critic Roxana Hadadi joins us to return to the McConaissance with Jeff Nichols’ Mud. Matthew McConaughey stars as the film’s eponymous criminal who befriends a young teenager (played by Ty Sheridan) grappling with the death of his town and his parents’ divorce. The film debuted at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival while Nichols’ star was on the rise and McConaughey was mid-ascendancy, but was mildly received on the global stage. When the film was released in stateside theaters the following spring, critics were much more enthusiastic about Nichols’ take on masculinity and myth, but the film was ultimately overshadowed by McConaughey’s other Best Actor bid, Dallas Buyers Club.

This episode, we discuss the filmography of Jeff Nichols, including the divisiveness of Take Shelter’s ending and projects that almost happened. We also get into Sheridan’s career as a young actor, Matt Damon’s macho crypto ad, and the Independent Spirit Awards Robert Altman prize.

Topics also include Chris Pine nearly playing the lead, Taylor Sheridan as Nichols’ tether, and irrational fears of snakes invading our everyday lives.

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090 – Magic Mike

Based loosely on star Channing Tatum’s experience as an exotic dancer, 2012’s Magic Mike lured director Steven Soderbergh out of his ongoing “retirement” and became a summer smash. Women loved it, men loved, the critics loved it – except the Academy did not. Though released during the full swing of the McConnaissance, it would take another year for Oscar to honor Matthew McConaughey, overlooking his charming, thong-clad villain performance here, despite love from some major precursors.

This episode, we fire up the Ginuwine to discuss Tatum’s rising movie star career from beefcake to surprising comedic talent to his current downshift in visibility. We also look at Soderbergh’s career post-Oscar, including his reticence to play the Oscar game that might leave films like this (and Contagion) out of the running.

Topics also include the 2012 Best Supporting Actor field of all previous nominees (and who we think might have had sixth place), the forgotten Alex Pettyfer, and the multiple onscreen appearances of Channing Tatum’s bumbum.

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028 – The Paperboy

An episode that asks that oft-repeated eternal question: will the Academy ever be ready for a movie where Nicole Kidman pees on Zac Efron? In 2012, Lee Daniels followed up his Precious Oscar success with a film that scandalized Cannes and answered that question with a resounding “no”. McConaissance be damned!

The Paperboy may be a pulpy southern crime saga that shows Daniels at his most excessive, but it got shockingly close to Oscar thanks to Kidman’s audacious (and divisive) performance. But while negative reviews and the film’s definitive griminess kept it out of Oscar history, it still gave us Efron dancing in his tighty whities in the rain.

Also in this episode, we look at some highs and lows of the this era of the McConassaince, 2012′s odd Supporting Actress year, and an underrated performance from Macy Gray.

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