THE OSCARS 2025: A Recap & Review

The 97th Oscars: A Night of Big Wins, Big Speeches, & Big Conan Energy

Award season is officially over, and the 2025 Academy Awards are now in the books. As I do every year, I watched the telecast. This year I watched with my girlfriend, Julie, and we had a small Oscar party, which was a blast.

But the real fun? The live interactive chat on my Patreon page, where we had a great crowd of subscribers discussing the ceremony in real-time. We talked about the pacing, debated the winners, analyzed the speeches, and even shared photos of what we were eating. It was a fantastic interactive event, and honestly, that made the night even more entertaining.

So, how was the show? Well, it ran 3 hours and 45 minutes, which is fairly typical these days. They’ve now permanently moved the start time to 6:00 p.m. Central, which Conan O’Brien made a joke about right at the top: “Hollywood’s biggest night... and it’s 4:00 in the afternoon.” Classic.

Later in the show, Conan made this statement directly to the camera: "If you're still enjoying the show, you have something called Stockholm Syndrome." Also, classic.

The Big Oscars 2025 Winner: Anora

The big winner of the night was Anora. Sean Baker took home four Oscars—Best Director, Best Editing, Best Original Screenplay, and of course, Best Picture. Now, I’m not the biggest fan of Anora. I think it’s wildly overrated, and Sean Baker has made far better movies in the past.

But hey, it was the Academy’s golden child this year, and it completely steamrolled the competition.

There were a few upsets and surprises, but overall, it was a fairly predictable night in terms of winners.

Conan O’Brien: The Host the Oscars Need (and Deserve)

Let’s talk about Conan O’Brien. Wow. This was a home run. This guy should absolutely become a recurring host, maybe alternating with Jimmy Kimmel every year.

Conan was fantastic. His monologue killed, filled with sharp, hilarious jokes that took well-placed jabs at Hollywood, movies, and even the ridiculousness of the Oscars themselves.

Now, I was hoping for some classic Conan weirdness—maybe a Masturbating Bear cameo or Triumph the Insult Comic Dog roasting A-listers. But he kept things professional (for the most part).

Still, he worked in his signature self-deprecating humor, sharp improv skills, and perfectly timed jabs. The pre-written bits were excellent, and his off-the-cuff reactions to things happening live in the theater were hysterical.

If you ask me, he should be back next year. This is the guy to host the Oscars. Make it happen, Academy.

The Good, The Bad, and The Awkward

The Good

Nick Offerman as the Oscars Announcer: Genius. Known for his deadpan delivery (hello, Parks & Rec fans), Offerman not only read the intros beautifully, but he also had great comedic bits throughout the night, especially in his interactions with Conan and Amy Poehler. A terrific choice for the job.

First Responders Tribute: Brilliant idea. Having firefighters and first responders from L.A. take the stage to tell jokes and introduce awards was a heartfelt, human moment. It was touching and funny, which is a rare balance for an awards show.

Andrew Garfield making Goldie Hawn cry: This was a surprisingly sweet moment when Garfield spoke about how much his mother loved Goldie Hawn—she was visibly moved. One of those unexpected, genuine moments that made the night special.

Flow wins Best Animated Feature: This was one of the biggest pleasant surprises of the night! I loved Flow, and it deserved the win. Also, in a rare turn of events, all the nominees in this category were great, which made this an even more satisfying victory.

Sean Baker’s Speech: As much as I think Anora is wildly overrated, Sean Baker’s speech about the importance of movie theaters and the theatrical experience was one of the best speeches of the night. He talked about how moviegoing is dying, how young people don’t get to experience it like past generations, and how we need to keep independent theaters alive. Fantastic message.

The Bad

The James Bond “Tribute”: This was an absolute disaster. It started off strong with a great montage, but then we got… that. Some relatively unknown pop singers came out, performed horrible arrangements of mediocre Bond songs, and Margaret Qualley awkwardly danced around in a comically bad choreographed number. What should have been a celebration of one of cinema’s most iconic characters turned into a baffling mess.

Quincy Jones Tribute Fail: How do you honor Quincy Jones—one of the greatest producers, composers, and musicians of all time—by only performing one song (Ease on Down the Road from The Wiz) and calling it a day?! They didn’t even include a montage of his greatest works, and not playing the Sanford and Son theme? That’s criminal.

The Most Annoying Acceptance Speech of the Night: The Best Original Song winners (El Mal from Emilia Pérez) decided to sing the backend of their acceptance speech. No. Just… no. Painfully self-indulgent, unbearably pretentious, and one of those moments where you just scream at the TV for the orchestra to start playing them off.

The Awkward

Robert Downey Jr. is now officially insufferable: Once a charming, charismatic actor with an inspiring comeback story, Downey Jr. has now become obnoxious, smarmy, and borderline unbearable. His condescending tone and sarcastic remarks throughout his presentation were painful to watch. A tiny dose of RDJ is fine. Anything beyond that is exhausting.

Adrian Brody’s Speech: Just wow. Brody wins Best Actor for The Brutalist and proceeds to deliver one of the most pompous, self-important speeches I’ve ever seen. At one point, he even stopped the orchestra from playing him off, declaring: “I’ve been here before. This isn’t my first rodeo.” Yikes. You just won an Oscar, dude—maybe try not being unbearable?

Demi Moore’s Disappointment: Everyone expected Demi Moore to win for The Substance. She was the favorite. But Mikey Madison pulled the upset. Now, I wasn’t the biggest fan of Anora, but I was fine with this win, just because it meant we didn’t have to hear another one of Moore’s painfully self-important speeches.

Final Thoughts: A Solid Show with a Standout Host

The Oscars 2025 was a strong telecast. Sure, it had some lowlights (the Bond tribute disaster, the Quincy Jones snub, a few insufferable speeches), but the highlights far outweighed them.

And above all else, Conan O’Brien absolutely stole the show. His perfect mix of satire, sharp humor, and genuine love for movies made for an unbelievably fun and engaging night.

So, award season 2025 is officially over, and while many of my favorite films and performances were snubbed, it was still a fantastic night of entertainment. See you next year, Oscars—hopefully with Conan back at the helm.

Here’s the complete list of winners at the 97th annual Academy Awards:

Best Picture

Anora

Best Actor

Adrien Brody, The Brutalist

Best Actress

Mikey Madison, Anora

Director

Sean Baker, Anora

Best Supporting Actress

Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez

Best Supporting Actor

Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain

International Film

I’m Still Here

Documentary Feature

No Other Land

Original Screenplay

Anora, Sean Baker

Adapted Screenplay

Conclave, Peter Straughan

Original Score

The Brutalist, Daniel Blumberg

Original Song

El Mal from Emilia Pérez

Animated Film

Flow

Visual Effects

Dune: Part Two

Costume Design

Wicked, Paul Tazewell

Cinematography

The Brutalist, Lol Crawley

Documentary Short Film

The Only Girl in the Orchestra

Best Sound

Dune: Part Two

Production Design

Wicked

Makeup and Hairstyling

The Substance

Film Editing

Anora, Sean Baker

Best Live Action Short

I'm Not a Robot

Best Animated Short

In the Shadow of the Cypress

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"SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night" A Review

As you probably already know, I am a huge "Saturday Night Live" fan and have watched every episode since the very first one in October 1975. I also host a podcast about SNL called "That Show Hasn't Been Funny in Years: An SNL Podcast" on the Radio Misfits Podcast Network.

Well, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the landmark sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live. In addition to great hosts, surprise guests, and memorable moments during the regular season, NBC and Peacock are celebrating the milestone with some special shows.

"SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night"

First is "SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night," a four-part docuseries that just dropped on Peacock. It gives viewers a detailed behind-the-scenes look at the legendary comedic institution.

Executive-produced by Academy and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville, the program draws from decades of SNL shows and features interviews with more than 60 contributors who share their insights into SNL's deep and dynamic history.

I have seen all four episodes and thoroughly enjoyed each one. They are a must-see for any SNL fan, and I highly recommend them to anyone interested in television comedy and history.

The series owes much to the fine ESPN docuseries "30 For 30" in its structure, style, and content. Each episode is written and directed by a different crew and executed in a different style, making it unique, distinct, and surprising to watch.

As a fan, I couldn't wait to see what the next episode had in store, and I was surprised by how much new material each show offered.

I am rarely unfamiliar with any story about SNL before it unfolds, but surprises were aplenty in this series. That has everything to do with the thoroughness of the writing and research and the participation of so many key players in SNL history.

My only complaint is that the four parts don't add to a cohesive story with a solid arch. The chapters are disparate and disconnected, which would be fine if this were an ongoing series with no final episode in sight.

As a four-part piece, however, I wanted closure, connection, and an effort to fill the gaps between the stories told in each episode. That doesn't happen, and as a result, it feels a bit incomplete.

However, if "SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night" comes back as a regular series (which I think is a distinct possibility), then the rag-tag style will be fine, and the choppy message will be more forgivable.

But this is a quibble because the series is terrific, and I highly recommend watching it all. Below is a brief rundown of each episode.

Episode 1: "Five Minutes"

Will Ferrell's five-minute audition is one of many featured in the first episode of "SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night."

Directed by Emmy-winning filmmaker Robert Alexander, "Five Minutes" offers an inside look at the SNL audition process. The documentary unveils never-before-seen audition footage and features personal stories from some of the show's most legendary cast members, sharing how they prepared for their big moment and what happened when they stepped on that stage.

It's solid, smart, and filled with memorable moments and priceless reactions from former cast members watching their auditions in real-time. Amy Poehler and Tracy Morgan provide the best moments in this very entertaining hour.

Episode 2 - "Written By: A Week Inside the SNL Writers Room"

The SNL writers' room in February of 2024, featured in episode 2 of "SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night."

What is it like to write for "Saturday Night Live?" This episode, directed by Academy Award winner Marshall Curry, reveals the creative process – and occasional chaos – as a sketch journeys from a pitch to a performance watched by millions.

This is the best episode of this series as it beautifully captures the insanity of doing "Saturday Night Live" from the Monday pitch meeting to the live broadcast. Chronicling the week in February 2024 when Ayo Edebiri hosted an excellent show with terrific sketches and wonderful moments, this outstanding chapter is packed with insight, laughs, and incredible detail.

It's all documented brilliantly in a suspenseful, educational, and hilarious fashion. Watching it feels like you're in the room, studio, or filming location during every step of the week's production. Outstanding television.

Episode 3 - "More Cowbell"

Episode 3 of "SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night" focuses solely on the legendary More Cowbell sketch.

This episode, directed by Neil Berkeley, looks inside one of SNL's most legendary sketches and how close it came to landing on the cutting room floor. Let's just say if you have a fever, the prescription might just be this episode.

I'm not sure that More Cowbell is the 'Greatest Sketch of All Time' as this episode insists, but it is great and funny, and so is this look back. Everyone involved in the creation, execution, and performance of the sketch is brought back—except Horatio Sanz (for complicated reasons) and Christopher Walken because the sketch kind of ruined his life—and tells fabulous stories about Cowbell.

But for me, the highlights involve the members of Blue Oyster Cult talking about "Don't Fear the Reaper" and the track's engineers and producers, who insisted that they played the Cowbell on the original recording.

It's an entertaining look at a classic sketch and an enlightening examination of what goes into creating a sketch that catches fire on the show.

Episode 4 - "Season 11: The Weird Year"

The cast of the weirdest year in SNL history, the topic of the final episode of "SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night."

The final episode, directed by Jason Zeldes, takes an in-depth look at SNL's 11th season, which Peacock describes as "the pivotal year that reset the show's direction and cemented its enduring DNA with Lorne Michaels at the helm."

This episode offers an excellent overview of the tumultuous year when Lorne Michaels returned after a five-year hiatus and brought unexpected cast members like Randy Quaid, Joan Cusack, Robert Downey Jr, and Anthony Michael Hall on board.

During this season, Jon Lovitz emerged as the standout star, and his catchphrase "That's the ticket" became the catchphrase of the year. It also featured Madonna kicking off the season with a notoriously poor episode.

Notably, this was the year when Francis Ford Coppola (?!?!) actually took over the show's direction, appearing in and directing an episode that resulted in a surreal 90 minutes of television that must be seen to be believed.

It was a wild ride through a tumultuous season in which the show faced potential cancellation after nearly every episode.

I highly recommend "SNL 50: Beyond Saturday Night." It is an exceptional piece of documentary television currently available on Peacock.

SNL50: The Anniversary Special 

In addition to this docuseries, there will also be a three-hour live special on NBC, airing on Sunday, February 16. I'm hosting a LIVE CHAT on Patreon for my paid subscribers with trivia, commentary, SNL Bingo, and more, so become a Patron today!

Ladies & Gentlemen...50 Years of SNL Music

Last but not least, "Ladies & Gentlemen...50 Years of SNL Music," a documentary about SNL's musical guests co-directed by Questlove and Oz Rodriguez, will air on NBC on January 27.

Thanks for reading, and please SUBSCRIBE to my weekly NEWSLETTER!

 And join me on Patreon as a paid subscriber to help keep this thing going.

Thanks again!