Looking through the list of Oscar nominees and winners in this category is good for several chuckles and head scratching moments.

@avclub-9ff7c9eb9d37f434db778f59178012da:disqus  I think 2010 is not a bad movie, and I really like Balaban's performance in it. He is convincing as someone who is an advocate for a seemingly sentient AI intelligence. As for the movie as a whole, it was crippled by the greatness of 2001. I always thought of it as a…

That's a very interesting take on her motivation for leaving. I suppose it could also be a combination of the two ideas - I don't think they're diametrically opposed.

Did you ever see Absence of Malice with Paul Newman and Sally Field? If not you may want to avoid it as it contains the only Bob Balaban performance that I've ever disliked. The problem for me was that Mr. Balaban plays this conniving D.A. Rosen, and in every one of his scenes he is constantly playing with this rubber…

In that scene you can tell she's possessed by the devil because she's able to pee standing up.

A notification complaint for this?

Yes! Fortunately it gave the judge opportunity to mock her "fake accent."  I couldn't help noticing how quickly the accent came and went.

So loved the story about a teenage Albert Brooks coming over to his house with his son Rob and making him laugh 'til it hurt.

I agree. Who has time to listen to all these podcasts and then read and post about them on the Interwebs? No one I think. At least that's partly why I come here to figure out which shit is worth listening to.

Agreed. The follow up with Carl Reiner made a great one-two punch of classic comedians. Looking forward to Dick Van Dyke. Unfortunately it sounds like a Sid Ceasar interview is out of the question, but it's good to hear he gets frequent visits from his old friends.

I would add Fred Rogers for many of the same reasons - the world needs more of these genuine people. Jim Henson's death was far more shocking though, so it made it sadder to think of all that should have been and was lost.

I enjoyed the "Polly Want Justice" Judge John Hodgman  episode, but I think the previous "Bleached and Mounted Bones of Contention" where a husband in a small apartment wants to start an animal skeleton collection that would include a human skull is one of the best they have done in the series. I don't think that went…

Of course you are entitled not to like the show, but I do find your post puzzling. Perhaps I'm just misreading you. You seem to be saying that the hype and critical praise surrounding the show prior to it having proved itself has made you "less inclined to continue to watch it in the hopes of uncovering the secret"…

You might feel better about episode 4, which is up on HBO Go and Time Warner also has it available on demand.

What's wrong, not a fan of Spring Awakening? I think the choice of music is meant to imply that listening to that song is a part of the torture aspect of that installation art video thing.

Usurped does not equal better than.

Usurped does not equal better than.

Always loved this closing section of "The sun whose rays are all ablaze"
from Topsy-Turvy.
http://youtu.be/rP2qJXT3olM

"This girl" that you mention didn't amount to much by the way, but I'm
pretty sure the kid who played Fat Sam went on to fame and fortune. This Q&A needs more of the genius of Paul Williams, though I did see a mention of "I'm Going To Go Back There Someday" up-thread. How about "Evergreen"?

Did you only listen to the first part and bail out before the interview?