Welcome to Oscar Talk.

In case you’re new to the site and/or the podcast, Oscar Talk is a weekly kudocast, your one-stop awards chat shop between yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood. The podcast is weekly, every Friday throughout the season, charting the ups and downs of contenders along the way. Plenty of things change en route to Oscar’s stage and we’re here to address it all as it unfolds.

Even though we’ve been neck deep in Oscat talk for a few months now, the season proper only really starts this week (advertising-wise). It makes sense, then, that we’re starting to pile on the screenings and have plenty to discuss today as a result. So, with that in mind, let’s see what’s on the docket today…

The big reveal this week was Clint Eastwood’s “J. Edgar,” which opened AFI Fest last night at the historic Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. We dig in on what has been one of a few elusive titles of the season.

Also finally popping up in LA this week was Jason Reitman’s “Young Adult.” I was at the screening, though Anne had a prior commitment, so this is just me giving my thoughts and the two of us weighing the benefits of Paramount’s “pop-up screening” strategy with the film.

Also employing a pop-up screening strategy across the country is, strangely enough,”War Horse.” We consider the meaning and impact of that, which leads to some candid discussion on the pecking order of screening schedules for press and whether that should really matter. (I think it shouldn’t, while Anne argues that it can cause petty backlash.)

Revealed earlier this week were the British Independent Film Award nominations, which were a feather in the caps of “Shame,” “Tyrannosaur” and “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.” We discuss.

And finally, reader questions. We address queries concerning the extended Oscar chances of “Martha Marcy May Marlene,” the re-release of “Sarah’s Key” and the category placement of the “Carnage” cast.

Have a listen to the new podcast below with a little Starship leading the way. (Why, you ask? Because its in “The Muppets,” which I loved but Anne hasn’t seen yet, therefore it was on the brain.) We go about 10 minutes longer than normal this week. If the file cuts off for you at any time, try the back-up download link at the bottom of this post. And as always, remember to subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here.

“We Built This City” courtesy of Starship and Grunt Records.
“Queen Bitch” courtesy of David Bowie and RCA Records.