FEINBERG & FRIENDS, Ep. 4: Scott & Gold Derby's Tom O'Neil on the Awards Race (Audio)

Courtesy of The Weinstein Company

The scene-stealing dog "Uggy" in The Artist.

I'm very pleased to bring you the fourth episode of "Feinberg & Friends," a podcast that will air on The Race every week, usually on Tuesdays.

Each episode features a discussion between me and a different guest -- a film blogger, critic or journalist of some other variation -- about 10 different awards-related topics (which we will list in the text accompanying the audio so that you know exactly what you're signing up for) and will last approximately 30 minutes (so that if one topic is not of particular interest to you it will only be about three minutes before we're on to the next one, which hopefully will be).

I was delighted that my friend and former Los Angeles Times colleague Tom O'Neil, who now owns and operates GoldDerby.com, agreed to join me for this episode. I really enjoyed our chat, during which we tackled the following 10 questions...

1. Who was the biggest winner and the biggest loser at Monday night's 15th annual Hollywood Film Awards?

2. Do the Gotham Independent Film Awards, which announced their nominations a few days ago, actually impact Oscar voting?

3. Can Shame score with Oscar voters in spite of the NC-17 rating that it received as a result of Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan's full frontal nudity and graphic sex scenes?

4. A recent report suggests that most young people today have no idea who J. Edgar Hoover was. Will this hurt the film at the box-office or in the awards race, despite the fact that it stars matinee idol Leonardo DiCaprio?

5. Why do movies that prominently feature kids and animals tend to come up short at the Oscars? And should War Horse, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, The Artist, Beginners, The Adventures of Tintin, Buck, and -- above all -- We Bought a Zoo be worried?

6. The Tree of Life has turned off at least as many people as it has turned on -- but those who love it really love it. Will that be enough to snag it a best picture nod under the current voting system?

7. Could 13-year-old Elle Fanning score a nod in the wide open best supporting actress category for her great work in the summer blockbuster Super 8?

8. We know that J. Edgar is being held for the opening night of the AFI Fest, but why are the other year-end awards hopefuls -- War Horse, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Iron Lady, We Bought a Zoo, and Young Adult -- still being held so close to the vest?

9. The Academy just announced that it will no longer reveal Oscar nominees in alphabetical order, but rather in a random order to further heighten the suspense. Good move?

10. As Tower Heist opens, what is the level of enthusiasm for this year's Brett Ratner-produced/Eddie Murphy-hosted Oscars?

Give it a listen...