067 – Cadillac Records (with Jourdain Searles)

This week, Bitch Media writer and Bad Romance podcast host Jourdain Searles joins us to talk about 2008′s musical multi-biopic Cadillac Records. Most famous for Beyoncé’s performance as Etta James, the film arrived when audiences and Oscar were getting fatigued with the genre. But detailing the groundbreaking Chess Records, the film spreads its attentions over several artists (including Jeffrey Wright as Muddy Waters) while it centers on as Adrien Brody as record exec Leonard Chess. The film itself earns our positive praise for the most part, but we all effusively praise Beyoncé’s invested (even if she doesn’t until an hour into the movie) and transformative performance. But Oscar ultimately overlooked her work along with the film as a whole. We also discuss Adrien Brody’s fitful post-Oscar career (including a dreadlocked cringe moment on SNL), the short-lived Oscar telecast presentation of former acting winners presenting the nominees, and Jeffrey Wrights understated gifts. Follow Us on Twitter! @Had_Oscar_Buzz Joe: @joereid Chris: @chrisvfeil Jourdain: @jourdayen