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.

It’s been too long since we last got together. Technical difficulties conspired to keep us away during the Toronto Film Festival, while a bout of a flu-like-thing kept us away while in Telluride. Alas, it’s all for the better, as we come to you this weekend with a full, measured slate of material. Let’s see what’s on the docket…

Beginning with Telluride, we discuss films like “Argo,” “Hyde Park on Hudson” and “The Gatekeepers” (well, we get to the latter two eventually) that were looking for an early boost there before venturing out into the rest of the season.

Though I was not at the Toronto fest, Anne was. Nevertheless, screenings of “Anna Karenina,” “Looper” and “The Master” in New York give us plenty to talk about together, while Anne has plenty of thoughts on others like “Silver Linings Playbook” and “Cloud Atlas” that I haven’t seen yet.

Since we last met, the Academy has taken care of a little business, namely tapping Jeffrey Katzenberg, D.A. Pennebaker, George Stevens Jr. and Hal Needham as this year’s Honorary Oscar recipients. We discuss.

And finally, after a big drought, reader questions! We address queries concerning where blockbusters like “The Avengers” and “The Dark Knight Rises” can expect to find themselves in the season this year, fringe performances that might be ones to watch and our festival regimens.

Have a listen to the new podcast below. IT’S A LONG ONE, but hopefully that will make up for the delay in finally kicking off the season. 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.

“Here I Come” courtesy of Stuart Park.