Oscars 2026 best picture nominees are long and depressing

If you love movies as escapist art, you might find the Monday’s Oscars ceremony a bit tedious. Today, our cheat’s guide to the movies vying for Best Picture – and a flashback to when movies used to be … fun. 

If you love movies as escapist art, you might find the Monday’s Oscars ceremony a bit tedious. Today, our cheat’s guide to the movies vying for Best Picture – and a flashback to when movies used to be … fun. 

Find out more about The Front podcast here. You can read about this story and more on The Australian's website or on The Australian’s app.

The weekend edition of The Front is co-produced by Claire Harvey and Jasper Leak. The host is Claire Harvey. Audio production and editing by Jasper Leak who also composed our theme. 

If you love movies as escapist art, you might find the Monday&rsquo;s Oscars ceremony a bit tedious. Today, our cheat&rsquo;s guide to the movies vying for Best Picture &ndash; and a flashback to when movies used to be &hellip; fun.&nbsp;
Find out more about The Front podcast <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/the-front/podcast/7e7d42e8c77b597cf8532d2e0c847e10">here</a>. You can read about this story and more on The Australian's <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/">website</a> or on The Australian&rsquo;s app.
The weekend edition of The Front is co-produced by Claire Harvey and Jasper Leak. The host is Claire Harvey. Audio production and editing by Jasper Leak who also composed our theme.&nbsp;

The Front brings the unrivalled journalism of Australia’s national broadsheet to audio, featuring each day’s essential page one stories, journalists’ candid take on the issues that matter and behind-the-scenes insight from our newsrooms. 

To find out more about The Front you can link here and for more from the newsroom at The Australian link here or search for The Australian in your app store.

The Front brings the unrivalled journalism of Australia&rsquo;s national broadsheet to audio, featuring each day&rsquo;s essential page one stories, journalists&rsquo; candid take on the issues that matter and behind-the-scenes insight from our newsrooms.&nbsp;
To find out more about The Front you can link <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/the-front/podcast/7e7d42e8c77b597cf8532d2e0c847e10">here</a> and for more from the newsroom at The Australian link <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/">here</a> or search for The Australian in your app store.

The Front brings the unrivalled journalism of Australia’s national broadsheet to audio, featuring each day’s essential page one stories.

The Front

The Front brings the unrivalled journalism of Australia's national broadsheet to audio, featuring behind-the-scenes insight from our newsrooms.

The Front brings the unrivalled journalism of Australia’s national broadsheet to audio, featuring each day’s essential page one stories, journalists’ candid take on the issues that matter and behind-the-scenes insight from our newsrooms.

To find out more about The Front you can link here and for more from the newsroom at The Australian link here or search for The Australian in your app store.

The Front brings the unrivalled journalism of Australia&rsquo;s national broadsheet to audio, featuring each day&rsquo;s essential page one stories, journalists&rsquo; candid take on the issues that matter and behind-the-scenes insight from our newsrooms.
To find out more about The Front you can link <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/the-front/podcast/7e7d42e8c77b597cf8532d2e0c847e10">here</a> and for more from the newsroom at The Australian link <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/">here</a> or search for The Australian in your app store.

Why are Oscar-nominated films such a slog these days?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/2fb3740d-3436-44af-8cc0-a91900716aa5/clips/3dabc7f7-2211-4a39-a7cb-b40c00088bdb/transcript

The Front podcast afternoon headlines: Iran’s Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei ‘in a coma’, The Sun reports

Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei was reportedly gravely injured in a strike during the Middle East conflict. Plus, Qantas settles a covid legal challenge for $105m and Bluesfest bites the dust.

Iran&rsquo;s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei was reportedly gravely injured in a strike during the Middle East conflict. Plus, Qantas settles a covid legal challenge for $105m and Bluesfest bites the dust.

Missing Mojtaba Khamenei reportedly ‘in a coma’

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/2fb3740d-3436-44af-8cc0-a91900716aa5/clips/5d02b3b2-6a4b-4be3-8d8c-b40c00392223/transcript

Hedley Thomas Sick to Death podcast: How The Australian made smash-hit audio adaptation

 Two years, 500 gigabytes of audio, and more than 200 voice actors. The Australian’s podcast adaptation of Hedley Thomas’ best-selling book Sick to Death is nearing its conclusion.

Two years, 500 gigabytes of audio, and more than 200 voice actors. The Australian’s podcast adaptation of Hedley Thomas’ best-selling book Sick to Death is nearing its conclusion. It’s the story of the havoc wrought on the Queensland medical system by the incompetent surgeon Jayant Patel 20 years ago – and there’s still more to come.

Today, Hedley and our production team get together to discuss this epic project – and why it still resonates in 2026.

Read more about this story at theaustralian.com.au and see the video by subscribing to our YouTube channel.

This episode of The Front is presented by Claire Harvey, produced by Kristen Amiet and edited by Lia Tsamoglou. Our team includes Tiffany Dimmack, Joshua Burton and Jasper Leak, who also composed our music. 

Two years, 500 gigabytes of audio, and more than 200 voice actors. The Australian&rsquo;s podcast adaptation of Hedley Thomas&rsquo; best-selling book Sick to Death is nearing its conclusion. It&rsquo;s the story of the havoc wrought on the Queensland medical system by the incompetent surgeon Jayant Patel 20 years ago &ndash; and there&rsquo;s still more to come.
Today, Hedley and our production team get together to discuss this epic project &ndash; and why it still resonates in 2026.
Read more about this story at <a href="http://theaustralian.com.au">theaustralian.com.au</a> and see the video by subscribing to our <a href="https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfDC8EeZJyt1IVjv5bCRbFBkTl-VYpJyf">YouTube channel</a>.
This episode of The Front is presented by Claire Harvey, produced by Kristen Amiet and edited by Lia Tsamoglou. Our team includes Tiffany Dimmack, Joshua Burton and Jasper Leak, who also composed our music.&nbsp;

How we made the smash-hit Sick to Death podcast

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/2fb3740d-3436-44af-8cc0-a91900716aa5/clips/ce137c73-bab2-4e41-ab6c-b40b00a6c38f/transcript

Atlassian AI Layoffs: Fuel Price Fears and Royal Commission Latest

Tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes is shedding 10 per cent of Atlassian’s workforce. Also today in The Front’s afternoon headlines, Australia will lower stringent sulphur standards in petrol and diesel to increase fuel supply to the regions. That’s as the International Energy Agency agrees to the biggest ever release of emergency public oil stocks - but jittery markets are already sending prices up, not down. Plus, what now for the Bondi Royal Commission?

Tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes is shedding 10 per cent of Atlassian&rsquo;s workforce. Also today in The Front&rsquo;s afternoon headlines, Australia will lower stringent sulphur standards in petrol and diesel to increase fuel supply to the regions. That&rsquo;s as the International Energy Agency agrees to the biggest ever release of emergency public oil stocks - but jittery markets are already sending prices up, not down. Plus, what now for the Bondi Royal Commission?

Atlassian blames AI for sacking 1600 staff

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/2fb3740d-3436-44af-8cc0-a91900716aa5/clips/4ed8ac3f-26d7-450f-bf5c-b40b00534d05/transcript

Why are Oscar-nominated films such a slog these days?

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