Topic: Screeners

Mimi Smith-Dvorak describes the internal voting process of the Academy, sharing anecdotes about helping sort through the screeners of the late actor Jackie Cooper. The discussion touches on how "pity awards" and popular votes have historically influenced winners, such as the 1969 Best Actress category. Current trends in the industry are criticized for prioritizing skin color and gender over artistic merit in the selection process.

The film industry is accused of using "prestige" and awards to mask the greed of high-budget "tentpole" pictures. A technical explanation is offered for why blockbuster movies rarely win major awards: studios often refuse to release digital screeners for these films to prevent high-quality leaks on sites like Pirates Bay, thereby limiting their exposure to award voters.

The hosts address a significant audio lag caused by a local network being saturated by 48 high-definition movie downloads via iTunes. They also discuss a deceptive iPad offer link appearing in a PC Magazine article, which Dvorak identifies as an automated scam link often found in digital publications.

The transition from physical DVD screeners to digital iTunes codes for Screen Actors Guild members is examined. Concerns are raised regarding the quality of judging movies on computer screens versus television sets and the effectiveness of Apple's DRM in preventing unauthorized distribution.