Argo won Best Picture at the Oscars for its heart-stopping story about white people who really need to board a plane, but just how well does it stack up next to the O.G. "get on the plane" classic, Casablanca? On this episode, Jess and Jamal and joined by author Anthony Alberti to compare both films' positive character arcs and their matter-of-fact approaches to prejudice. MUSIC: "Four Way" by William Ross Chernoff's Nomads [CC-BY]

Is there any battle more intense than Kramer vs. Kramer? Hell yes, and it’s the battle between Jess and Jamal vs. Kramer vs. Kramer. In this special mini-sode, the hot-steppin’ hosts of All Systems Argo dive deeper into all the most troubling aspects of 1980’s Best Picture winner. They go over the implied horrors of the Kramers’ married life, dissect an especially bizarre restaurant scene, and laugh about the film’s overwhelming MGTOW vibes. MUSIC: “Dirty Beet Roots” by Futuristic Cavemen [CC-BY-SA]

It’s the deadbeat dad power hour on the pod, when Argo gets critiqued alongside the 1979 legal drama Kramer vs. Kramer. Jess, Jamal and special guest David from the podcast Robots Into Guys go all in on the films’ distractingly uneven takes on nuanced dilemmas and why both movies leave them all feeling downright unclean. MUSIC: “Dirty Beet Roots” by Futuristic Cavemen [CC-BY-SA]

Back in September 2020, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences issued a new set of inclusion mandates for future Best Picture nominees. In this mini-sode, Jess and Jamal break down what the guidelines could mean for the prestige film industry going forward (spoiler: not much), the pitfalls of checklist diversity, and why these newly proposed rules reek of weak tea. MUSIC: “Lost in the Flame” and “Don’t Need Drugs” by Kid N’ Nasty [CC-BY]

Moonlight, Barry Jenkins’s and Tarell Alvin McCraney's loving, melancholic triptych on the subject of Black masculinity, will forever be a part of Academy Awards history (stay gold, Warren Beatty). So too will Argo, for better or worse. Jess and Jamal bring on their producer and editor Ian to discuss the films' contrasting approaches to spatial immersion and the importance of knowing when a scene needs music. Listen to hear the shocking answer to the question: "Are there any Black people in Argo?" MUSIC: "Aim to Stay" by William Ross Chernoff's Nomads [CC-BY]

We don't make the rules, the academy does! But what makes a Best Picture winner truly special? And can something so subjective ever be measured? Yes! Join us as we embark on a never-ending journey to understand the True Neutral of Best Pictures and unravel the never-ending mystery of Argo! “Four Corners {103 & 4/4} ” by Mid-Air Machine From the Free Music Archive, CC BY-SA