Welcome to Oscar Talk.

In case you’re new to the site and/or the podcast, Oscar Talk is your one-stop awards chat shop between yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood. The podcast is broadcast in special installments 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.

On the docket today…

– AFI FEST CROWDS THE SEASON: Tons of events and of course a number of premieres made the week of AFI Fest busier than ever this year.

– TWO JOIN THE FRAY: “Out of the Furnace” and “Lone Survivor” joined the Oscar race at the fest by finally bowing to the world.

– CRITICS ON THE WAY: The critics awards groups begin dishing out kudos in a mere two weeks. What impact will they have this year?

Have a listen to the new podcast below. If the file cuts off for you at any time, try the back-up download link at the bottom of this post. You to subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here.

“Here I Come” courtesy of Stuart Park.