Cigars and Cinema Podcast
Every cigar is smoked in thirds: First third, second, and final, just as every Movie is performed in three acts. Join Eric Drazin and Mike Coleman to delve into the world of cigars and movies as they analyze, break down, and critique cigars and films as each progress.
Cigars and Cinema Podcast
"It's The Oscars! Are They Worth It?" Ep. 103 4/9/26
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It's that time of year again, Curtis and Eric recap the Oscars: the nominees, the winners, the whole show! What are your thoughts on the Oscars? Interesting? Take it or leave it? We are lighting up the Crowned Heads Mini Dozer for the show!
Crowned Heads Mini Dozer LINK:
https://oakglentobacconist.com/product/crowned-heads-juarez-mini-dozer-le-4x58/
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Welcome back to another episode of Cigars and Cinema. Grab a cigar, something to pair it with, and let's journey into another episode of Smoke and Screen. Join the community and smoke with us on the Oakland Tobacchinist channel as we delve into the written experience of 15 and craft cigars. And many cigars and vitolas custom made just for our membership. If you're interested and if you want to find out more about the subscription and a whole host of these cigars, visit us at www.com or find us on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok at OGT Cigars. Hello everybody and welcome back to another episode of Cigars and Cinema Podcast. Thank you for jumping on this Tuesday evening, hanging out with us as we recap the Oscars of this year. If you're new to the channel or if you've been following us for some time, uh this is the podcast where we smoke cigars, unabashedly commentating, in some cases, giving extreme opinions on film and entertainment. I am one of your hosts, Eric Dresen from OGT Cigars. With me tonight, my co-host, Curtis Bailey. Curtis, thank you for jumping on. Great to be back at it.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and uh we're we're gonna be super professional as we go about this because naturally we haven't seen all the movies that were nominated for this thing. So whatever, who cares?
SPEAKER_00This is this is more this is more about sincerity. Like some of these movies, I think for both of us are just like, I don't know if it piqued my interest enough to watch this movie.
SPEAKER_02That does happen.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it does happen. So drop those comments down, guys. I see we have several people jumping on, as always, to our uh loyal watchers, the guys that hang out with us every Tuesday night. Thank you guys so much. And I see you dropping down comments. We want to know what are you enjoying tonight? Are you pairing anything tonight? And also, what is your opinion on the movies that we are going to be talking about? Over as a as a broad like recap. We got RJ on saying, hello, Eric and Curtis. Looking forward to the show tonight. Tonight I'm smoking a Bruno the Butcher cigar along with iced tea. Nice, nice. We actually were uh last podcast, I believe RJ had mentioned that he's not really a coffee drinker, uh, and he drinks iced tea with the majority of his uh cigars. And I'm like, I really gotta pair more, I gotta get into it.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, that honestly, that that sounds like a nice pairing to be like really. Um, especially because um, you know, tea or tea adjacent things are a flavor that you can often find in tobacco, and maybe there's just like this synergy about like I'm smoking leaves, I'm drinking leaves, there's leaves everywhere.
SPEAKER_00It's all leaves inundated with leaves, yeah. Yeah, um, and I I mean, yeah, we've mentioned many times of like, oh, this has a black tea, a matcha tea thing going on. Jason's saying, Hello, Eric and Curtis, great to see you too. So far, enjoying a gin and tonic.
SPEAKER_01Hey, that's there you go.
SPEAKER_00Am I to understand it then? Is the gin and tonic just because it was like the mood, or is the weather quite warm?
SPEAKER_02And so that's it's it's a little warmish today, but it also just sounded good.
SPEAKER_00Okay, okay. Well, and and as we're talking about pairings and such like this, Curtis, what is one of the like most memorable cigar pairings that you've had enough to stick in your mind? Like, I remember this and it was really good, right?
SPEAKER_02Um well, I mean, uh I I the last couple shows, I was drinking that uh Kilcaron uh Scotch whiskey. Um almost gone now. And uh that one, I mean, I think it's a great whiskey on its own, and it probably pairs well with a lot of cigars, but um Southern Draw, uh, I assume they still make the Cedrus to my knowledge, they do, yeah. That cigar and that whiskey were really special together for me. Nice. Um, and then uh you'll have to forgive me. I don't remember the cigar, a ticeing night we did at the shop where we bought that um uh Armagnac uh for the pairing was a really nice one too. I just I don't remember what the cigar was. I just remember like, wow, that was nice.
SPEAKER_00It was it the the one the Armagnac that starts with an H, or am I thinking about something else?
SPEAKER_02Uh no, that was that's a that's a cognac. Uh the Armagnac was the bottle, it was a 25-year-old. It had like that kind of like really loose, handwritten looking thing.
SPEAKER_00Okay, that was in the days of Oz. He was very happy with it.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it was it was a number of years ago.
SPEAKER_00Nice, nice. Awesome. Well, we got some more comments coming here. We got uh Anthony is saying, Hey fellas, I had no pairing, but I enjoyed it. Oliva small batch, very nice, right on, very nice. David's on. What's up, guys? Just lit up the NBK from Blackworks, tried it in the OGT variety and had to get more. Yes, NBK, the Habano that you're smoking, I feel like is one of the most overlooked, I wouldn't say like not appreciated, but people always don't talk about it. And that's why we put it in the variety club, and it's such a banger. Great cigar. Speaking of good cigars, we have a cigar to smoke ourselves tonight. Out of the variety pack, we are gonna be lighting up the Juarez Mini Dozer Limited. This is a very unique looking cigar because it's it's kind of a kind of a short fella. This is a uh the Crownheads Juarez Mini Dozer is a four by 58 box press, so it's a short, stocky one. Uh, it sports a Mexican San Andreas wrapper over an Ecuadorian Sumatra binder and fillers from Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, and from Mexico. So it's a it's all got a whole bunch of different country mixes in there.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it's a very attractively formed box press.
SPEAKER_00I agree. I agree. The thing is, is like, okay, so this comes from Crown Heads, Crownheads Cigars manufactures it. Uh, once again, Crown Heads is knocking it out of the park. They originally uh launched War as as sort of an affordable Mexican San Andreas cigar that you can get. Their core line, I don't know, it's like around eight dollars, something like that. Um, last year they did the bulldozer, which was a bigger version of what we're smoking tonight, similar composition, and it was meant to be a bit more bold, a bit heavier. Um, and I mean, really maybe a dollar more, not much more. Right. But then they released this mini dozer, and in my opinion, and I'm curious to see what you think, but I think it is the best Warez we have seen to date. All right. I really like this cigar. So we're gonna jump into that. Um, but before we do, just a quick announcement. Uh, OGT Variety Club for this next month is going out, and it is a complete Agonorsa Leaf Takeover. This is a like five-pack of favorite blends from the Agonorsa Leaf Connecticut Robusto, which is one of my personal favorite coffee pairings. We got the Guardian of the Farm, which is like one of my overall favorite cigars that they make. The Limited 2026 Supreme Leaf, the Cerberus, but uh this Cerberus has to be, I think, if you're gonna smoke the cigar, it needs to be in this Lonsdale, the six by 44 Lonsdale. And then finally the JFR Maduro, a bit more oomph. And then in the pack, you also get three tasting fumas to explore the entire, like, or I should say, explore the most popular tobaccos that Agonorsa uses. So this is a really special pack because normally fumas are like only at an Agonorsa event, but it's being sent to everyone in the variety club.
SPEAKER_02That is a nice lineup.
SPEAKER_00It is it is pretty good. So we've we've got some great cigars ahead of us to go through because we smoke it every week uh on the Cigars and Cinema podcast. So if you're part of the membership, jump on and smoke with us. Um, that being said, I'm ready for a cigar. How about you? Heck yeah. All right, let's jump into it. Uh, let's get a cold draw on this mini dozer. Also, it's kind of like a smaller pigtail cap. Wide open draw. Ooh, very smoky cold draw.
SPEAKER_02Um it's a little barnyardy to me.
SPEAKER_00Okay, barnyard. Honestly, I almost get uh like like the the smell like of a campfire that's like died down. You have that charcoal kind of deal going on, but also earthy as well, so maybe that's where the barnyard is. Yeah, interesting.
SPEAKER_02And since you know, I just was just talking about this, there is that slight T note that is pretty common to find for me on a cold draw.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. Jason said he's already smoked this one, so he's gonna be lighting up the silver blaze. Those are the collector items at this point. Yeah, no kidding. All right, well, let's get this lit up and see where it starts. Every cigar leaves an impression.
SPEAKER_02However, it's not until you take a moment and analyze the full experience from construction to flavor to profile that you can truly appreciate it.
SPEAKER_00So enjoy your cigar as you light it up. Take the time to toast it, smell the room notes, and experience the first notes as they come alive.
SPEAKER_02In the same way, movies can tell deeper stories or show us things we haven't noticed on the surface. So journey with us as we take a more detailed appreciation for the craft of cigar and movie making.
SPEAKER_00Alright, so what I will say is Crown Heads has a really good like palette. Uh what was the best word? Well-rounded like palette for their portfolio. They're not normally known for like heavy, peppery, like right out the gate. However, this one definitely starts with a kick to it.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Right off the bat, I'm getting kind of a um uh earthy, nutty, slightly bitter, almost like you know, like pecan or walnut shells kind of flavor.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. I'm getting some black pepper going. I got it like a zing of like some kind of I don't think perfume, but it's like aromatic. I would say I'd say aromatic type of sense to it. A little bit of sweetness to it. Um, I could see that I can see the walnut aspect too. How you're saying there's a little bit of bitterness, but it's not quite over the top. Yeah, it's a bit. I can see it for sure. It's definitely the most aggressive out of the Warez cigars, in my opinion. That's maybe why I like it from like.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I I feel like that sort of like slight nutty thing is almost multidimensional. Like I swear, that last puff I was like, is that sesame, maybe?
SPEAKER_00Okay, yeah, a lot going on for such a small cigar. And a lot of people who enjoy that kind of like Oliva Nub experience, uh, this isn't that far off, and it's better because it's a box press.
SPEAKER_01So um, all right.
SPEAKER_00Well, not a bad start. We'll see where the war is takes us. Definitely more aggressive than the other ones. If you enjoy a stronger cigar, mini dozer is definitely a good one to try out. I'm also curious to see how long this is gonna last, if it's gonna last a whole hour of the show, or we'll see. Okay, so we are going to be uh basically doing our second annual Oscar show. Uh, this is maybe turning into tradition. I don't know. We did it last year, sort of basically looking back at what was nominated, what won. Do we agree with it? Did we not agree with it? Overall, though, for 2026, uh, what is your thoughts, Curtis? Good year for movies, bad year for movies, so so what do you think?
SPEAKER_02Uh overall, a pretty good year. There were uh a lot of movies that um I I enjoyed, and I was glad that I that I watched them. Some really you know interesting artistic expression, you know, uh uh voices having a chance to um you know uh be brought to the forefront that we don't always get to hear from. So lots of really interesting stuff going on. There just I don't know that there was a lot from this m year that I am really gonna like take home in my heart and be like these are personal favorites that I'm gonna watch a bunch, you know. Does that make sense?
SPEAKER_00Sorry, we lost you there for a second.
SPEAKER_02You said it wasn't a lot from this year that you might that that's that I'm gonna like take home in my heart as like personal favorites that I feel like I need to like revisit a lot, you know. Yeah, um uh in fact, I mean we'll we'll talk. We already kind of you know discussed this uh in an earlier show, but Sinners was a movie that I really liked from from last year, and I bought the Blu-ray of that because I was like, I feel like I I want to own that, and I'd like to watch the special features and learn more about you know how it was made and that kind of thing. But um, that was the only one from this year.
SPEAKER_00So yeah, I uh it's interesting because honestly, it falls under the category for me. Like, I don't remember a lot of like movies that just released this year that I was so excited about, but I also don't remember being like, oh man, these movies all suck. Like it's just that, like, well, it was a year of movies. There's some highlights, there's some not so much, but that's why we talk about the Oscars because uh you had mentioned, I think, last week, uh, that you usually watch the Oscar Awards every year. This was the first year I actually watched it ever. Yeah, wow. I don't know if it would be a tradition for me. I I was uh it was interesting. Um, but there was a lot of different um things I think we could talk about, and that being a lot of the different reward awards and movies, and this is a list of what was nominated. I did not see all these movies. How about you? Did you see a good amount of them?
SPEAKER_02Uh, I have seen all but three of them. Okay, I did not see the secret agent sentimental value or Marty Supreme, but I've seen the rest.
SPEAKER_00So, for those listening to the podcast, the nominees were Bogonia, F1, Frankenstein, Hamnet, uh, Marty Supreme, one battle after another, the secret agent, sentimental value, Sinners, and Train Dreams. Out of this list, I had seen Sinners, one battle after after another, Bogonia, Frankenstein, and that's it. Mallory really wants to watch Hamnet. I'm like, I've this movie strikes me as like probably a good movie, but you have to be in the right headspace. It seems like depressing.
SPEAKER_02Um, I I I think that Mallory is right to be interested in Hamnet uh after having seen it. I felt like it would be right up her alley. Okay. But um it's I I really liked it. Uh I thought it was solid. In fact, had I seen it before we did our uh you know, end of uh 2025 show, it might have snuck into my top five. Okay, okay. You know, there's a a lot of movies that we've talked about recently that are reaching for some kind of emotional resonance, like uh uh Great Gatsby that just don't don't make it happen for me. No, haven't it really worked on me?
SPEAKER_00Okay. Yeah. Um yeah, we'll we'll eventually have to get to it. Um, I know that she really wants to, so it'll it will happen. But on this list, uh let's talk about Begonia. You've seen that, I've seen that uh recently. Um interesting movie. I think it's I would you classify that as a dark comedy?
SPEAKER_02Yes, I would.
SPEAKER_00I I mean I I would lean towards that as well, and that's probably why I didn't enjoy it too much. I have just learned like that is not the genre for me.
SPEAKER_02It might not be.
SPEAKER_00And I mean, there are tons that I suppose there are many dark comedies that I really do like, but and more often than not, I'm just like, I I don't know. Did you did you find this movie humorous? What was your overthought overall thought of it?
SPEAKER_02Uh I I did think it was humorous, and this is one of those where it's like I liked it, but like you know, with an asterisk where it was like, you know, I it's not the kind of thing that uh I need to feel like I need to go out in the street and you know, with a sandwich board and a megaphone, be like, everybody watch Pagonia, it was awesome, you know. I mean, I I had a good time with it. I do like, you know, uh this director's you know semi-misanthropic take on you know humanity and our foibles and the dumb things that we let our brains and bodies do. You know, that's kind of a theme in a lot of his movies. Um and uh you know, with this one, I like the small scale setup. I mean, really the bulk of the movie is just a couple of actors and it could be a play almost, uh which I I just like seeing the the that kind of you know performance showcase. But you know, I feel like the what he was going for, and by the way, spoilers for begonia, there's I don't know how to get around this, but you know, he's got these conspiracy nut jobs, right? They've captured this woman and are convinced that she's an alien and they're grilling her in their dingy basement about like you know, trying to get her to admit this stuff, and you know, that's on in one level speaking to our times where like you know, uh uh disinformation and conspiracies have become so massive because the internet just lets those things turn into a self-feeding machine, right? But because Lanthomos, uh the filmmaker, is such kind of a uh uh I don't know a better way to put it, but like kind of a shit stir and sort of a uh you know misanthrope. He's gotta get out his sharp knife and poke at us, too. Turns out the conspiracy theorists are right, and then she's actually an alien, and there's this whole bananas revealed in. And I was just kind of like, you know, I almost any other time that that kind of dishonesty or however you want to view it would upset me. But for whatever combination of reasons, maybe Jesse Plemens just did such a good job playing this super job guy. I just kind of got a kick out of the absurdity of that that that ending.
SPEAKER_00Did you actually I'm curious, did you know that she was gonna be an alien? Like, did you see it coming?
SPEAKER_02Um, I I honestly could have seen it going either way, but I was fairly convinced for uh uh a decent chunk of the movie that the narrative goal was going to be about you know the way that uh society and information lets down impressionable guys like these two guys, and that that's where that's where it was gonna go. Um, so yeah.
SPEAKER_00Okay, yeah, no, I um I think it was probably a quarter in, and it's like when she's she's gone to sleep after she's been inducted, then she wakes up again, still there, and she's like, Okay, I'll try to cooperate. I uh Mallory and I was like, she's actually gonna be an alien. Uh and so it was. Uh let's see here, Jason saying, Seen most but Marty Supreme, I'll pass. Likewise, I don't I don't necessarily uh is it bad that my favorite Emma Stone movie is Easy A? That is an old movie. I barely remember it.
SPEAKER_02That movie's, I mean, I remember liking it. It's been a while since I've seen it, but I thought it was good, at least at the time.
SPEAKER_00I would definitely say, I mean, she it's not because of her acting, but I think that one of my favorite movies she's in is Zombie Land. I think it's a great movie.
SPEAKER_02Oh, Zombie Land's tons of fun.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it is, it is. Yeah, no, Bogonia, I've just learned I don't think uh I don't want to butcher his last name, Yorgos. What's his name? Lant Lanthamos, Lanthimos, uh, is just not the director for me.
SPEAKER_02Um I get that for sure. Yeah, he's very idiosyncratic.
SPEAKER_00He is, yeah. I it just wasn't really my thing. So Bogonia didn't really, aside from being like, all right, that was a movie and now it's over. That was about enough for me. I don't I think uh Plemens did do a good job. Uh, we talked a little bit about Frankenstein, Frankens Frankenstein, how it was kind of like I don't know, I feel like it missed its mark. I had a lot of writing on it, uh, and it just didn't really rise to the occasion, I guess. Yeah. Um, and then of course we had one battle after another, and we had Sinners. Both of us were giving high marks to Sinners. Yes, and if anyone is wondering about some of the things that we're referencing, listen to the episode where we kind of like chose our favorite movies out of the year, and I believe both of us landed on Sinners.
SPEAKER_02Sinners was our favorite for both of us. That's right. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00And again, it's not because Sinners, I think, is so revolutionary, I just think that it really outran the other movies that it was in contention with.
SPEAKER_02So, yeah, it's it it you know, it didn't make any huge mistakes in filmmaking execution and felt like it really had something to say and that was worth listening to a message that was worth it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yes. Um, let's see here. Jason says, I really liked F1. I know Zeke would agree. What you said you watched it, what were your thoughts?
SPEAKER_02Um, yeah, F1 was perfectly enjoyable as a you know sort of uh you know uh uh popcorn, you know, summer distraction kind of thing. If you've seen Top Gun Maverick, it's basically the same movie, but with F1 cars and Brad Pitt and Brad Pitt, you know, and Brad Pitt's charismatic. There are some other really good people in the cast. The the um the way that the races are shot looks pretty good. It's just for me, like the um dramatic ceiling on a movie like this is kind of low. Um, and uh, you know, I I can oftentimes like put a lot of weight behind a movie that is just an escapist entertainment thing and be like, you know, this can be the best movie of the year. It doesn't have to be like the most intense personal drama, you know. Sometimes, you know, something like a Star Wars is the best movie, right? Um F1's not that, it's good, but it's I I almost feel like it was thrown into this list to appease that like the Oscars trying to play a little bit more populist and seem less. Snooty with the the the picks that they make, but what is what are your thoughts on the Oscars?
SPEAKER_00Do you feel like the the rumors of conspiracy and it's always rigged and such like that? Like, do you lean towards that?
SPEAKER_02Do you what do you think I I I don't believe that it's rigged? Um uh I don't think that there's sufficient evidence to support that, but uh I think that there are some things that a lot of people don't know about how the Oscars operate that does kind of impact what movies get chosen, how they get chosen, and all that kind of thing. And one of the main things is that the academy doesn't have a body of people who have watched all the movies and go talk to the academy in like meetings where, like, all right, let's get all the members together, we're gonna propose these are the movies that should be nominated. That's not how it works. Okay, the movie studios that own the rights to the films have to campaign for their movies to get nominated as best picture, best animated, best score, best whatever. Uh, so that's step one, right? That just that the movies that are selection only get in there if the studios generally are willing to spend the money to campaign for them to become Oscar contenders. Okay. Um, and then the other thing is that uh, you know, uh we don't have full transparency on this, but uh, you know, a lot of the time the uh way that the voting is done is uh kind of the way that you know, I guess maybe the rest of us do voting is just that, you know, like for example, the year that Al Pacino won his best actor for Scent of a Woman, that's not the best performance he's ever given. Sure, it's an okay movie and he's good in it, but it's a thing where the academy voters were like, all right, this guy's one of the luminaries of our industry, he's never gotten one of these statues. We don't feel like we need to pick any of the other people that were nominated this year. Let's give it to old Al Pacino, right? Yeah, so yeah, uh you know that and some other things, you know, make it so that it's not just like the most pure, uh, you know, uh unaffected expression of celebrating the the art form for what it is, you know, there's there's there's politics involved, there's money involved. I mean, uh a couple years ago, um uh Enora won Best Picture, which I thought was actually a really good movie. But one of the things that may have worked in their favor is that uh rather than sending the Academy voters a link in an email to watch a streaming copy of Enora, they actually spent spent the money to have DVDs printed and sent DVDs instead. Yeah. And more people probably watched those, right? You know, so there's just all kinds of goofy stuff that goes on with it. Nevertheless, because I love movies so much, I do like to see the good work that the people do get celebrated. Obviously, it can oftentimes mean a whole lot personally to the people who uh sure have spent a lot of uh uh uh time and uh uh effort, you know, learning their craft and getting better at it. And when you see some of those instances of those people getting up on stage and you know that their uh life has just changed, being affirmed by their peers, you know, I understand why that's a really good feeling. So that part makes me happy too.
SPEAKER_00Okay, okay. Yeah, my my thoughts have always been like, I don't know if it's rigged, I don't think it is rigged, but this is an industry where money talks, and at some point the squeaky wheel is gonna get the grace. Like, I feel like there's got to be a level of that. So it's not 100% rigged that way. Um, I've always just been curious, and it's I mean, it's the same thing. You see things like uh New York Times bestseller, and how that whole thing, like how to get a New York Times bestseller. Um, and oddly enough, there's some parallels to a certain large publication in the cigar industry that sounds eerily similar in terms of what gets recognized and what doesn't. Um but I I think that there is a level of that that is unavoidable. So even this being the first year that I watched it, uh there's like for me an element of like a huge table spoon of uh salt and a lot of tug in cheek, and it's just like, all right, this is just kind of entertaining to see. Um I thought honestly, one of the most moving moments of the entire thing, they did a tribute to Katherine O'Hara Hara, and I was like, that's cool.
SPEAKER_02Yes, I did. I I watched that after the fact.
SPEAKER_00What's crazy is uh when we watched Home Alone this last Christmas, Mallory uh turned to me, she's like, You know, you're old when Katherine O'Hara is our age. Oh, and mom's age right, what that's funny to pass that year for us.
SPEAKER_02I just watched a um uh Scorsese movie from the 80s called After Hours that had both Catherine O'Hara and John Hurd in small roles. John Hurd plays uh um Kevin's dad in Home Alone. Oh, yeah. I was like, is this an underground prequel to Home Alone?
SPEAKER_00Okay, really quick. Uh, let's talk a little bit about mini dozer because I believe I am in the second third at this point of the cigar. Um I definitely think the pepper has died off a little bit. Savory element is coming definitely more forward. I'm getting like smoked wood, like out of smoker. You get anything like a barbecue. That's at least the prominent of what I'm dealing with right now. What do you what are you getting?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, um, I don't know that I taste that as much. Uh, I think what's come forward for me is um this is gonna sound gross, but I don't mean it as gross. Um, but it's got kind of a fatty flavor, like of a a good cooking oil or something like that, if that makes sense. Yeah, um uh there's a uh a certain richness that's not quite savory, but maybe getting there to me, which I think is nice. Um, but for me, that that nutty character is still there, a little bit of that barnyardy thing is still there. Um I I I think there's definitely uh uh probably the main thing that I get is some kind of nutty profile. Okay. I feel like that's the the center of the palette for me on this one.
SPEAKER_00Well, and I had mentioned too the uh like it being aromatic and just like kind of experiencing it a bit more as I had uh first mentioned. Uh it really tastes kind of like the after, like lingering the finish on pipe tobacco. Like there's some pipe tobaccos that I have smoked that I would say like more like uh burlies or vagin Virginias that are naturally sweet, not like actually cased with some kind of flavoring, and that's what it reminds me of. Like it's just that kind of finish, and it still has that aromatic presence that I really don't find in a lot of cigars. So I'm I'm really appreciating it.
SPEAKER_02That makes sense.
SPEAKER_00Uh let's see here. Jason says, I just watched Alien and Aliens, the extended cut, so good.
SPEAKER_02I well, I yeah, those are solid, super solid movies.
SPEAKER_00Now, good one battle after another. This wins best picture. It does. We talked about this movie, we rated it, and I am a Paul Thomas Anderson fan. This, in my opinion, is not one of his better works.
SPEAKER_02So, yeah, uh, well, I mean, yeah, from what I can recall on our up our episode where we talked about this one, I definitely came away liking this one more than you did. Um, uh, it wasn't my personal choice for best picture, but I also understand why a lot of the academy voters would have would have picked this one. Um it's not as old school conventional as a lot of past uh Oscar winners, but um, you know, maybe a slightly easier pill to swallow than something like Sinners or even Begonia, you know, with as wacky as that one uh was capable of being. Um but uh I mean the the story that that movie has feels very relevant to now, uh kind of kind of perennial. The performances were super strong, uh, lots of really cool uses of music and cinematography, you know. Like, I mean, I get it.
SPEAKER_00Okay, okay. For for me, okay, so this is again, and I don't want to draw too many parallels with the cigar industry, but this is where I start to secretly get annoyed about certain uh awards that are handed out, um, that are put out. And here's why is that to my knowledge, Director of Sinners um has not won an uh Oscar for Best Picture, Ryan uh Cooler.
SPEAKER_02Ryan Cooler, no, I don't believe so.
SPEAKER_00So, I mean, he's definitely done some really good stuff coming up. I think this is one of his better ones. I feel like this is a like up and coming type of like good modern storyteller that has a lot of good things to say. And oftentimes, instead of, as you were saying, like maybe it was uh didn't really fit the criteria or whichever to get best picture, you give it to someone, Paul Thomas Anderson, who's certainly deserving of an Oscar, but for this one, it's it's kind of like when you see a really good cigar maker, uh, and this is probably a little bit on topic of last year's or some of the few years we've seen, but you see, uh, like, yeah, of course they should get like Cigar of the Year, but for that cigar, like really scratching my head.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, uh, I mean, I I I'm I'd have to go back and look and see the history. I mean, I'm surely he's been nominated for a a uh uh you know best director or best picture at some point elsewhere in his career, right? That has to have happened at least a couple times, probably for probably, yeah.
SPEAKER_00There will be blood, I would think, and um, you know, I believe he was that was nominated that was nominated for best picture, just didn't win, right?
SPEAKER_02Um, but you know, I mean uh I agree with you like on the scope of a career, this wouldn't be the one of his that I I would choose. I understand why it won this year when you compare it to most of the other competition. Obviously, we really loved Sinners here on this show, but like if you're asking me to pick between one battle after another and F1, come on.
SPEAKER_00Okay, okay, fair enough, fair enough. But yeah, no, I just I feel like as you were saying, like uh the Al Pacino analogy, I can't help but feel that's kind of what's going on with one battle after another.
SPEAKER_02That may very well be the case.
SPEAKER_00I also feel like it uh checks the boxes in terms of a very topical subject, yeah. And so you have that uh on its side as well. So I don't know. Either way, I think Sinners, as uh I think Jason put it pretty well in his last comment saying uh uh wait, sorry, what did I live say? Let's just say that Sinners was robbed in some degree. Now it did get enough nominations and enough awards in other aspects. In fact, leading actor Michael B. Jordan, I thought was a good pick. Um, I think that he did a fantastic job defining his two roles as this twins, even though it's played by him. Um, so that was really cool to see.
SPEAKER_01I agree.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and it made me also like, you know what? I need to probably explore some of the other movies that he's in because I haven't seen a ton of them.
SPEAKER_02Uh there's another movie he made with Ryan Kugler about a decade ago called Fruitvale Station. Okay. Very good.
SPEAKER_00Okay.
SPEAKER_02Excellent movie. Broke my heart.
SPEAKER_00I might have to look this up. Yeah. Yeah, and that's the thing, is it's cool too, though. Like, this is earlier on, uh, for I don't know, to be nominated for Best Picture on that. I'm I'm interested to see where Kugler goes from here because I do think he's someone to watch for sure. And I guess there is the constellation that it wasn't like like you were saying, F1 or uh Marty Supreme or such like that.
SPEAKER_02Sure. You go. And I might love that movie. I haven't watched it yet. I don't know. Maybe I'll think it's awesome, but I I just yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Well, okay, and for best actress Jesse Buckley, she is phenomenal uh in a lot of different stuff. Um, what do you think of her performance in Hamnet since you've seen the movie?
SPEAKER_02Very deserving. Okay, she um I think the character is super well written from from you know to to at uh at the base level, so you know she gets some good material to work with. Um but uh um she has a lot of really complicated emotions that she has to play in that performance while also sort of delivering it through slightly period dialogue. They don't try to push the I mean if they had them speaking actual, what is it, Middle English, which would have been the thing when in the 1600s, yeah, we we probably wouldn't be able to understand them very well. But regardless, like um uh uh kind of a tough role, uh a nuanced role, and it's a thing that um the dramatic impact of what the movie's doing and what she is doing as the character she plays just keeps building as the whole movie goes. So it almost like snuck up on me like how uh uh impactful the some of the the final moments in the the movie were, and it has a lot to do with watching her face as she's reacting to stuff, so super good.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, no, she's usually really good in what she does. The first thing I ever watched her in was uh a like one-off miniseries with Tom Hardy called Taboo.
SPEAKER_02Oh wow, I forgot she was in that, yeah.
SPEAKER_00That was the first, and I was like, Who is this actress? I mean, she was a lot younger back then, uh, in terms of like her career. Um, and so it was it's been interesting. The roles she chooses are not like your average norm roles. Um, yeah, so it that that was that was cool, and uh she always does a great job. Yeah, Jason said seeing Michael B. Jordan celebrating his Oscar at In N Out after his Oscar was awesome. Facts, pretty cool, pretty cool. Uh let's see here. Uh anybody can change says hello. I am new to this channel. Uh smoking a Rocky Patel green label cigar, box press style, it's a good cigar.
SPEAKER_02I don't know if I know the that green label one.
SPEAKER_00I believe that is the Rocky Patel Emerald.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_00I believe. Uh, whether or not anybody can change can uh drop that down in the comment. But I believe it's the Emerald.
SPEAKER_02Uh well uh hey, what welcome to the channel? You're gonna have a lot of fun, maybe question mark, listening to two idiots try to pretend like they know what they're talking about.
SPEAKER_00It really is it's a passion project for sure. We uh we uh uh give high praise to a movie or we lambast the movie like Barbarian, you never know. Uh he says, yes, it's the emerald. So nice. I think it's a Maduro cigar. So awesome. Enjoy that. Uh tonight we are reviewing the uh limited edition War Min Warez Mini Dozer from Crown Heads. Um, did you feel like this year there was any Oscar bait?
SPEAKER_02Uh, you mean like things that were trying really hard and probably didn't deserve it or shouldn't have or whatever?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, were there any four scumps this year?
SPEAKER_02Uh I mean let me sit look at look at my list here.
SPEAKER_00Because that always intrigues me. There's some movies that come out that it's like, oh, this looks really uninteresting to me, but it looks like it's trying to match up all that criteria to get that nomination. Yeah. Uh while you're looking at that, Jason says Silverblaze still holds up. When was it released? I believe it was released in 2023, January 2023, I believe. So awesome. Glad to hear it aged pretty well. Uh, and also anybody can change saying sober and enjoying cigars, 95 days sober. Well, awesome! Congratulations. Um, because I mean, looking at this list, I'm tempted to say Marty Supreme, but I haven't seen it. Frankenstein almost feels like it was trying to reach for more than it was.
SPEAKER_02Um, but I I mean the the the studio uh uh behind Frankenstein might have had those aspirations. Knowing what I know about Gueramo del Toro as an artist, I don't think that's that kind of thing is on his mind at all. I don't think he gives a single care about that. Um I don't I mean I don't think that something like you know, uh even though I was thinking like it doesn't belong in the the category necessarily, I don't know that a movie like F1 is like really like trying to be that kind of thing. Um Train Dreams is an interesting one. Um again, I don't know that it was really going for that either, but it's definitely uh a movie that hits a lot of the uh the boxes as being kind of um you know a uh a melancholy drama about um you know uh a single man reflecting on his life and the um you know the result of some some of the choices that he made and stuff that he had no control over. Um but I don't think I don't I don't know that I would claim as far as these best picture nominees, I don't know that I would classify any of them as like that really like specific, like uh what's the name of that one with uh Rafe Feines, the English patient, you know, kind of yeah, uh Oscar Beatty. If you know, I don't know we had anything quite like that this last year.
SPEAKER_00Okay, yeah, no, I would say one of my biggest disagreements with like what won and what didn't, aside from one battle after another, I mean that's its own thing, but are the winners of the supporting roles? So, for example, Sean Penn winning supporting role. I don't I don't see it. I don't see it. I think that um honestly, uh what what's his name? Delroy um Delroy Lindo, yes, he's fantastic.
SPEAKER_02Should I watch him support him? I I thought he was great in centers, um, but I honestly can understand why this one went to Penn. This might be the one that we disagree on the most because you're saying you don't you don't see it. I think Sean Penn is outstanding in one battle or another, yes, yeah, for sure. Oh, interesting. Everything from uh like you know, little tiny ticks that he does with his body language to the way that he adopted a walk, a posture for this character, and the small gestures, like the way that he like you know, fixes his hair very specifically, even though it still looks fucking terrible. And you know, like you know, this is a a man desperately fighting against uh this fighting this battle between who his persona actually is and who he wants to be in society. And I feel like Penn makes both of those things feel like they're visible in his person. So I thought it was a great performance.
SPEAKER_00I won't argue with you on the on like his persona, I think he did a good job of that, but I do feel like we kind of address this when we we talked about the movie. One of the most impactful scenes when he finds out that it really is his daughter, uh, is really downplayed. And I think it's a lack of emotion. He kind of just sticks in this. I don't know, for me personally, I know we're probably not gonna agree on this, but he sticks in this like one lane of emotion, it really doesn't veer off of that. And for a scene as heavy as that is, I'm like, I I think that's a little flat. I don't know. I don't understand, and and I think too, when we're dealing with awards and such, like those types of things, a pinnacle moment in a movie is also part of the deciding process, right?
SPEAKER_02Um, I I think this is a category where I understand why they went with Sean Penn, you know, collectively, the Academy voters, but I would have been super happy if Delray Lindo won also because I've loved him for years. I don't think he's won anything before, uh uh like you know, as far as an Oscar for any uh acting role, so that would have been awesome for him. Um but I I do think that Sean Penn was fantastic, so okay, okay.
SPEAKER_00Well, then you have uh Amy Madigan from Weapons wins supporting actress that deserved that one was weird to me.
SPEAKER_02Now I have not seen um uh a lot of these, or at least a couple of these other performances, because I didn't watch Sentimental Value, and there's two nominees from that movie, right? Yes. Um like Tayana Taylor in one battle after another probably would have been my pick. She's the one that plays um uh perfidia, you know, the one who's pregnant and shooting the gun at the beginning, right? That that that character was just so complicated and messed up and kind of allowed to be, you know, like uh uh uh virtuous and angry and kind of a terrible person at the same time. And I think that she plays all of those colors with a lot of uh um uh uh fierceness and um a weird combination of self-awareness and lack of self awareness at the same time. Like I super like I really like that performance. Um, but uh I I haven't seen all of these. Amy Madigan is great, I've loved her for years. Her character and weapons, I don't think has like a ton to do.
SPEAKER_00No, no, it really does not, and that that's why it was so. confusing to me. I was like, what? Like, I don't know. I think when you're when you're dealing with the actor nominations and you're dealing with the awards there, I think like range has to at some point be like counted in that. Like what was the the limits that you pushed yourself to in terms of your performance and such like that. I don't see that at all in that character.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. And like I said, no slight on Amy Madigan as a performer. I like her, but the fact that this was the role that it feels like one of those Al Pacino Son of a woman kind of situations.
SPEAKER_00No, exactly. Again, it it yeah I can't help but think of some of the the cigar awards that happened that I'm like this thing. But you know there you go. I also think that um I I know I'm gonna butcher this name Wnumi from uh Sinners she did a fantastic job what wonderful character wonderful part she was awesome in that movie I absolutely agree I would have been happy to see her win as well yeah I thought yeah it's interesting now the one the award that uh one battle after another did get which was casting I'll give it that I think that it was well in terms of casting and that is one of the more like I think subconscious roles in the industry where a lot of people don't think of of that actual like the weight of what that is. So I thought that was quite cool.
SPEAKER_02There was there's some director um I'm gonna forget now who it was but they basically were saying that if you get the casting right that's like 90% of your movie is if you have the right performers in the right parts.
SPEAKER_00So um the then that person had not seen Bram Stoker's Dracula then well but is Keanu Reeves really the right person to play I guess not but I mean come on Anthony Hopkins and and Gary Oldman like I mean that's pretty spot on. Maybe there's some exceptions to the rule there's another one let's see here we got uh Jason asking a question what was the del Toro favorite mine was Shape of the Water.
SPEAKER_02Yeah Shape of Water is really strong. I do love that movie um I'm also a big fat stupid sucker for Pacific Rim because really yeah yeah um you know the the the story in that movie is dumb as dirt and you know the characters are are are anime stereotypes but that's sort of what makes it fun but I think the thing that I liked the most about that is that you know he took the idea of like these you know big stupid ridiculous things fighting each other and made it feel okay so there's a certain feeling that you have when you're a kid and you're watching cartoons like for me in the 80s it would have been Masters of the universe or Transformers and this feels like the most epic meaningful awesome thing that you've ever seen and then you watch it again 30 years later as an adult you're like wow this is really crappy for me the way he executes those fight scenes and the look and the design and the execution of uh these giant ridiculous things fighting each other brought back that feeling of being an eight year old and feeling the awe of like you know wow I can't believe I'm actually watching this so it's very silly but I just love the execution and the style of the the the action in that so and I totally understand in terms of what you mean by that feeling because equally probably as bad if not worse would be like Godzilla 1999 with Matthew Broderick.
SPEAKER_00But but it has that similar feel of you're like that is just like a fun Godzilla movie that I love watching as a kid. And so yeah no I totally get that um uh let's see here Juan saying hey what's up guys I missed the name of the movie you guys watched we're actually talking about the Oscars that was just uh saying and when are you guys going to watch Up in Smoke? I think maybe watch that maybe need to put that on the list yeah yeah yeah yeah put it put it in a uh a a run with uh the evil bong right watch the one time we're gonna like five we're gonna go through this movie I tour Texas tourists won't be watching won't show up yeah um yeah I would say out of the Guillermo del Toro movies going through them I feel like a lot of them actually miss the mark for me Shape of the Water was not a bad movie and I but it's been so long I think I watched it when it first came out that I would have to rewatch it. Right um the first Hellboy I think was not a bad try. It's overall pretty solid yeah it's entertaining but I looking through if you look at movies like uh Frankenstein Nightmare Alley Crimson Peak these are all movies that I was really like excited to watch and then watching them I was like this is not really working for me.
SPEAKER_02Yeah I and I'm I'm in a similar boat there's some of those films too that you know they they didn't hit my wavelength but at the same time I sort of I saw what he was doing I admired I respected it I was just like I'm just not the audience for this sure sure um and that goes back to even one of his older films uh like Kronos for example I watched that too and I was like eh this is this isn't for me but when when when his uh MO and my taste align I really like del Toro.
SPEAKER_00Okay yeah I do appreciate the fact that in his directing style he likes to get up close and uncomfortable and sure there's a level of like honesty and sincerity to that combined with the effects the practical effects that he still likes to use the the thing I will give him is he is definitely an artist and uh it's cool to see directors still doing that.
SPEAKER_02Agreed. There is that um but yeah overall I don't know if there's any other awards or anything that you want to make note of or make highlight of but well because I was a big fan of this movie I mentioned it in my top five uh uh in the episode where we discussed uh uh 2025 i it made me very happy to see K-pop demon hunters win best animated feature and for EJ which is the name of the at least the stage name of the uh Korean um singer songwriter who not only wrote um a big chunk of the music in the film but she also did the vocal performance of the main character seeing her win an Oscar after learning that she spent a decade in the drudges of trying to become a k-pop star and was always told no because her voice was too low and she didn't have the right whatever just it's a cool like Cinderella story thing for her. So um and and I thought that that I certainly haven't seen all of these animated films. In fact shit I think K-pop is maybe the only one I've seen so maybe I'm talking out of my butt but like it's a great movie. Totally totally deserved the the the accolades.
SPEAKER_00So that one made me happy I don't know if I can get Pat because it's okay I think there's a different experience when you have a teenage daughter in the house. And I will say that uh Mina is not into this movie but so many of her friends are sure and so when it's it's like the music is like everywhere you go when you turn I'm like I just don't know if I want to do a movie of this. I understand Jason's suggesting how about next month Heath Ledger films there's a lot of good stuff to pull from for that there is a lot of good stuff. And I will also say for me personally a decent amount that I have not actually seen that's not a bad idea. Not a bad idea at all. We're always open for like themes and such like that. So yeah thanks for dropping that in the comments um how about we talk about the final third of this mini dozer from Crown Heads I think uh the power and the strength still holds up to it. Why this is probably more impactful to me than the previous bulldozer is that it's got that shortness to it but that's because when you light it up you're ready to smoke the cigar there's no warm-up period. Yeah which I really enjoy I'm appreciating that uh as we're getting into the final third here that not a lot of changes in terms of like what the notes I think I'm picking up are but it's like everything take everything and toast it okay slightly toasted it in a pan over dry heat like that's what I'm getting okay yeah overall profile I would say it's got a peppery start like spicy finish start to it um it's got some really deep savory notes I think that nuttiness the walnut is where that's big for me on this one yeah and then you get um that aromatic just like maybe it's the room note I don't know but it's definitely for a seasoned pipe smoker I would say who is not gonna doesn't shy away from stronger ish cigars this is definitely one to check out because it has that similar quality that I really enjoy in a good aromatic pipe so pretty good stuff.
SPEAKER_02Okay so from uh a scale from one to ten uh where would you put mini dozer I actually already have mine got my my handy dandy sticking out before you show uh show it because I actually don't have my pad with me I'm gonna say it's a 7.5 for me 7.5 one of these days we will find a cigar but we're vastly different on it or what I should just do is I is I'll I'll send you a an acid cigar but relabeled oh no fantastic uh let's see here David says mini dozer was great like the flavor profile profile and the Vitola was surprisingly good especially when you're short on time yeah you know I probably need to go out of my way to remind myself that it's good to have some smaller sticks like this in the humidor because they really are great for those moments where like hey I want something good but I don't have or don't want to devote an hour and a half to two hours to it. And you know most of what I end up putting in my humidor are Toro ish or you know whatever. So I I'm always kind of locked into that oh okay this is gonna be 90 minutes.
SPEAKER_00Um so yeah that's that's a a good thing to remember that I need to to focus more on when I'm buying well well and I will say too like that I think one of the best or one of my favorite like affordable and shorter cigars right now uh that we have is that Houndstooth red from the domain factory. Smoked it on the channel I believe it's that Habano it's like so rich so affordable and it's also like a 45 minute to an hour cigar and it's it's incredible. It's a really good cigar um but there you go I think that uh we will be back next week it's gonna be a little bit interesting in April because we'll be back next Tuesday for Cigars and cinema and then we may be taking a break after that because of the PCA trade show. Right now the there's just so much in the ether with stuff getting ready. I'm super excited for the show coming up but there's a lot to do before and there's a lot to do when we return. So we'll see how that goes um yeah no I think that's it. Awesome well thank you guys for jumping on tonight uh check out mini dozer also check out the OGT Variety Club for uh full Agonor Salief takeover I'm super excited about it you're gonna see us being exploring these cigars in the future in future shows. Uh that being said have a great week thank you guys for jumping on dropping down those comments and we'll see you next time on Cigars and Cinema Podcast
