Initial Thoughts on 2026's Oscar Nominations

Black Bat Productions' latest play, The Time Has Passed, premieres this week at VAULT's The Glitch - Weds 25th & Thurs 26th, at 8:30pm - so here's a quick ep about it. Directed by our very own Phoebe and starring Lydia Kirton and someone named Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller, this new two-hander is about a first date between Cydney and Remo. She works in massive tech, he does the opposite, and both can barely contain their opposition to each other. But Cydney has brought along a device that gives her a unique upper hand as the acidic conversation flows, and resets...Catch The Time Has Passed on Weds 25th & Thurs 26th, at 8:30pm, on Lower Marsh in London. Tickets available here, at ⁠www.tickettailor.com/events/vaultcreativearts/2033557⁠, and at @BlackBatUK.The Time Has Passed has many inspirations, from Solvej Balle’s On The Calculation of Volume series of books to Casino to Dan Deacon and Daniel Lopatin's music, but its tone perhaps owes more to the Albert Brooks film Modern Romance than any other. Listen in to hear more - and see you at the show.

This is Part 2 of our Top Films of 2025 super-episode return. Here we tackle what Phoebe & Nathaniel make of this past week's Academy Award nominations. To hear them tell it, this is not a good year.Find out why they would think such a thing. Thank you as always for listening._____Music by White Bat Audio.

Welcome back. As we face fascism and lament a lamentable year for the Oscars, we also return to Initial Thoughts to discuss what the hell we've been up to and what the heck we made of the year in cinema since we last did this.What was Nathaniel’s favorite film of 2025? What was Phoebe’s favorite first-watch of the last 12 months? What did they think of Marty Supreme? Where do they think cinema is going? And does one of them believe Ella McCay could be the greatest film ever made?Find out in this year's Top Films episode. Part II, featuring our initial thoughts on the 2026 Oscar nominations, is right up next._____Tickets for The Time Has Passed on 25th & 26th February are available now at blackbat.uk, and at www.tickettailor.com/events/vaultcreativearts/2033557._____Music by White Bat Audio.

It's the 97th Oscars! Listen in! Conan made us laugh (mostly). Winners won well (mostly). We were pretty accurate (to a point). Intrepid correspondent Michael Zwiauer even joined us from sunny California. Not to be missed.Our hosts stayed up very, very late, so the least you can do is listen to them. Lots of love!_____Music by White Bat Audio.

Today this could be, the greatest pod of our lives. Phoebe and Nathaniel are back for Oscar Week, predicting (and in their own way, improving) the Academy’s cinematic selections. Tune in for ribald and robust discussion of each category, the safe choices, the sure surprises, and the Zag’s to be zagged. Plus, our host’s own choices of what they believe deserves recognition in each category - Oscar nomination or not.Plus, impromptu discussions of Nickel Boys, The Apprentice, I’m Still Here, The Brutalist, zoos, okapis, the Kennedy Center, and more. Enjoy the Academy Awards this Sunday night! Initial Thoughts will be back with an Oscars Special next!_____Music by White Bat Audio.

Determine your nominees and initialize your thoughts, it is once again time for Phoebe and Nathaniel to weigh in on The Academy's choices! Did your favorite film of 2024 get enough love? Did ours? Find out! _____Music by White Bat Audio.

As Phoebe would say, we are so back. Initial Thoughts returns as if our last chat were only yesterday, to discuss a year of high highs, low lows, multiple plays directed, and quite a lot of films viewed. NBB & PRJ discuss their favorites, their also-rans, the films they wish they'd seen by now, and which not-new movies they most enjoyed seeing for the first time - including many from Initial Thoughts episodes! Tune in, find cheer, stay warm, and thank you for listening! Happy New Year everyone! _____ Music by White Bat Audio.

Hollywood is a killer. MAXXXINE is a movie. Initial Thoughts is a podcast. You are a listener. This is an episode. Listen in! Neither Phoebe nor Nathaniel have seen this week's film, though one of them has seen the previous two films in Ti West and Mia Goth's gooey trilogy of throwback mayhem. This film supposedly wraps up the story of these interlinked protagonists with an 80s-tastic slasher feel, but did our hosts buy it? Find out, on Initial Thoughts! _____ Music by White Bat Audio.

We do this for a living. Does it star Tom Cruise? Who directed it? Do you believe in Santa Claus? Find out all these things and more as Phoebe and Nathaniel rev up their taxicab and drive through the streets of podcasting with 2004's Collateral. _____ Music by White Bat Audio.

There's a difference between knowing the pod, and listening to the pod. So listen to the podcast! This week we're casting our mind back 25 years (or ahead 175?) to the world of green text, omnipotent agents, teleportation telephones, double-cats and existential choices of pill: it's The Wachowski's The Matrix. _____ Music by White Bat Audio.