The Lorehounds

David and John watch the doctors take each other to task in a contentious episode of The Pitt.
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Elysia is joined by Brandon from ShortStick blog and podcast for a look at the five nominees for each of the three short-film Oscar categories: Animated Shorts (00:08:29), Documentary Shorts (00:29:07), and Live-Action Shorts (00:54:48).
They lay out what each short film is, what makes it stand out, and where you can see them (when possible), as they discuss how short films works differently from feature films and the more difficult path to nomination, and also call out other top shorts from this awards season that they think Lorehounds listeners will also love.

Find Brandon at: Shortstick Films blog & podcast (on Spotify)
ShortStick's Top 75 Short Films of 2025

Nominated Shorts:
Animated Shorts
Butterfly – trailer, info, full film*
Forevergreen – trailer, info, full film*
The Girl Who Cried Pearls – trailer, info, full film* (in French), full film* (English dub)
Retirement Plan – trailer, info
The Three Sisters – trailer, info

Other shorts mentioned: Snow Bear (full film*), Playing God, The Night Boots, Hurikán, The Shyness of Trees (full film*), Autokar (to rent*), Two Ships, Ovary-Acting (previous film: Night of the Living Dread; full film)

Note: All nominated (and shortlisted) animated films are available on Animation Showcase, available to (free) members of DeathRaceTracking.com

Documentary Shorts
All the Empty Rooms – trailer, info (Netflix)
Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud – trailer, info (HBO Max)
Children No More: Were and Are Gone – trailer, info
The Devil Is Busy – trailer, info (HBO Max)  
Perfectly a Strangeness – trailer, info

Other shorts mentioned: Bad Hostage, All the Walls Came Down (LA Times Docs), Classroom 4 (PBS, US only), We Were the Scenery (on FestivalScope until Feb 22), Neil Armstrong and the Langholmites, Shanti Rides Shotgun (Vimeo) Confession

Live-Action Shorts
Butcher's Stain – trailer, info
A Friend of Dorothy – trailer, info (Disney+)
Jane Austen's Period Drama – trailer, info, available on Kanopy* or in Sweden
The Singers – trailer, info (Netflix, from Feb 13)
Two People Exchanging Saliva – trailer, info, full film*

Other shorts mentioned: Beyond Silence, Dad’s Not Home, Extremist (full film*), The Pearl Comb (Disney+), Pantyhose, Blondi, Wonderwall, One Day This Kid (Criterion), A Bear Remembers, Nervous Energy, The Second Time Around 

*Watch quickly! May be taken offline without warning.

The 98th Academy Awards will air Sunday, March 15, 2025 at 7 pm ET (on ABC/Hulu in the US) – where it's aired around the world (last year's link)
Check how many Oscar nominees you've seen at OscarsDeathRace.com – or with extended stats and access to the animated shorts via DeathRaceTracking.com

Oscars 2026 coverage
Nominations + Best Picture preview
Live-Action, Animated, & Documentary Shorts (this episode)
Production Design, Costumes, Makeup & Hair
International Features
Documentary Features
Animated Features
Score & Original Song
Cinematography, Editing, Sound, VFX
Director, Original & Adapted Screenplay
Lead & Supporting Actor & Actress, Casting
Ceremony reactions + Best Picture rankings

Deep dives into 2026 Oscar nominees
Sinners
One Battle After Another – pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3
Frankenstein
Weapons
Shorts: “Two People Exchanging Saliva,” “Jane Austen’s Period Drama,” “The Singers,” “Retirement Plan,” and “The Girl Who Cried Pearls”
For subscribers: Leiden IFF – WhachaWachin (Sentimental Value, If I Had Legs I Would Kick You, and Arco)

Additional awards coverage
BAFTA longlisted shorts
Independent Spirit Awards preview
BAFTAs preview

Revisit Oscars 2024 & 2025: links in these show notes

Contact Us
Questions or comments? Visit us at our website where you can use the contact form or use the voicemail feature. Or, send an email to [email protected].

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates
linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

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David, Jean, and Elysia discuss the first four episodes of Marvel's Wonder Man, exploring the show's unique approach to superhero storytelling through the lens of Hollywood industry satire. The conversation examines how the series balances meta-commentary on franchise fatigue with genuine character development, questioning whether its self-aware critique of Marvel's own practices serves the narrative or undermines it. They also analyze the show's tonal shifts, standout performances, and whether Wonder Man successfully carves out its own identity within the increasingly crowded MCU landscape.
Episode Discussion Time Codes:
Ep 1 - 00:32:10
Ep 2 - 01:00:30
Ep 3 - 01:18:26
Ep 4 - 01:37:50

Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: [email protected]
Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates linktr.ee/thelorehounds
Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

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John, Elysia, and Anthony from Properly Howard Movie Review recap the third episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. They talk about the Dunk & Egg relationship, the implications of book changes, and the tough spot Dunk has found himself in.
Contact Us Questions or comments? Send emails to: [email protected]
Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates: linktr.ee/thelorehounds
Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

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Book-reader Marilyn and show-and-movies-only Elysia and Jean gather to tell Rick Riordan's stories of the gods and their children in their deep dive into the seas of seasons 1 and 2 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians on Disney+.
After some background and spoiler-free thoughts on the series overall, they talk through the major character arcs across both seasons, comparing the show to the books and films and questioning what role they would play in this world.
(Note: There are NO future spoilers, beyond the two seasons aired.)

Contact Us
Questions or comments? Visit us at our website where you can use the contact form or use the voicemail feature. Or, send an email to [email protected].

Links to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliates
linktr.ee/thelorehounds

Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy