Episode 13: Spotlight on Boston with Black Mass & The Oscar Race Continues

Black Mass, starring Johnny Depp and directed by Scott Cooper, tells the terrifying story of real-life Boston crime boss Whitey Bulger who kept Boston in his grip for decades. After 16 years on the run he was finally arrested in 2011 and found guilty of federal racketeering, extortion, conspiracy and involvement in 11 murders. Former Boston Globe reporter Dick Lehr was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in investigative reporting. He spent decades reporting on Whitey Bulger and his unholy alliance with the FBI. Together with Gerard O'Neill, Lehr wrote the critically acclaimed, NY Times bestselling book Black Mass, which the film is based on, as well as the book, Whitey: The Life of America's Most Notorious Mob Boss. We also follow up with Awards Daily Sasha Stone, arguably the best Oscar tracker in the industry, who we last spoke to after the Cannes Film Festival. We get all the buzz from the Telluride Film Festival – a hotbed for Best Picture winners. One film getting buzz is Spotlight about The Boston Globe’s investigative reporting unit, or "Spotlight" team, and their coverage of the Massachusetts Catholic sex abuse scandal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices