Awards Wiz

Under construction and coming soon

2019-06-29T12:48:00.002-05:00

If you've stumbled upon this site, or are an avid reader, know that I'm in the process of actively building something new. It may take a few months, but it is coming, and I love it.

Frozen 2 - trailer

2019-06-11T07:55:00.001-05:00

Looks good!! Since the sequel's announcement I've thought the biggest hurdle will be what "Frozen 2's" songwriters come up with that will be comparable to "Let it Go." Although (no surprise) we don't hear any of the songs, if you look closely, I think we get a glimpse of what that might be. Just look for Elsa waving her ice making hands and (possibly) singing a belty tune.

Academy honors Geena Davis, David Lynch and Wes Studi with Honorary awards

2019-06-03T11:07:00.001-05:00

LYNCH!!!!!!!

THE ACADEMY TO HONOR GEENA DAVIS, DAVID LYNCH,
WES STUDI AND LINA WERTMÜLLER
AT 2019 GOVERNORS AWARDS

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Academy announced today that its Board of Governors voted (Saturday, June 1) to present Honorary Awards to David Lynch, Wes Studi and Lina Wertmüller, and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award to Geena Davis. The four Oscar^®statuettes will be presented at the Academy’s 11th Annual Governors Awards on Sunday, October 27, at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center^®.

“These Governors Awards given by the Academy each year recognize individuals who have devoted themselves to a lifetime of artistic accomplishment and brought outstanding contributions to our industry, and beyond,” said Academy President John Bailey. “It is with great pleasure that we announce this year’s recipients.”

Davis, who won an Oscar for her supporting performance in “The Accidental Tourist” (1988), has been a passionate advocate for gender equality in media. She is the founder and chair of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, a nonprofit dedicated to educating and influencing film and television content creators to eliminate gender bias and stereotypes and create a wide variety of female characters in entertainment and media aimed at children. Davis was appointed Special Envoy for Women and Girls in Information and Communication Technologies for the United Nations’ International Telecommunication Union in 2012, and served as chair of the California Commission on the Status of Women. In 2015, she launched the Bentonville Film Festival to support women and diversity in the entertainment industry. As an actor, she is recognized for portraying strong leading roles in such films as “Thelma & Louise” (1991), for which she earned an Oscar nomination, “The Fly” (1986), “Beetlejuice” (1988), “A League of Their Own” (1992) and “The Long Kiss Goodnight” (1996).

Born in Missoula, Montana, in 1946, Lynch is a filmmaker, musician and artist. He wrote, produced and directed his first full-length feature film, “Eraserhead,” in 1977. With editing, scoring and sound design also led by Lynch, the film continues to draw a large cult following. Its success brought Lynch the opportunity to direct “The Elephant Man” (1980), which received eight Oscar nominations including Directing and Adapted Screenplay for Lynch himself. His prolific career has included two more Directing nominations – for “Blue Velvet” (1986) and “Mulholland Drive” (2001) – and additional directing credits for “Dune” (1984), “Wild at Heart” (1990), “Lost Highway” (1997), “The Straight Story” (1999) and “Inland Empire” (2006).

Studi is a Cherokee-American actor who has appeared in more than 30 films, becoming known for portraying strong Native American characters with poignancy and authenticity. Born and raised in Nofire Hollow, Oklahoma, Studi became deeply involved with Native American politics and activism after a tour of military service in Vietnam. He began his acting career with the American Indian Theater Company and his first film role in the independent feature “Powwow Highway” (1989) led to a memorable appearance in “Dances with Wolves” (1990). He has since co-starred in such films as “The Last of the Mohicans” (1992), “Geronimo: An American Legend” (1993), “Heat” (1995), “The New World” (2005) and “Avatar” (2009).

In 1976, Wertmüller became the first woman to receive an Academy Award nomination for Directing when she received both Directing and Original Screenplay nominations for “Seven Beauties.” Known for focusing on political and social issues, Wertmüller has written and directed such notable films as “The Basilisks” (1963), “The Seduction of Mimi” (1972), “Love and Anarchy” (1973) and “Swept Away” (1974).

The Honorary Award, an Oscar statuette, is given “to honor extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences, or for outstanding service to the Academy.”

The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, also an Oscar statuette, is given “to an individual in the motion picture arts and sciences whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry.”

The 11th Annual Governors Awards is proudly supported by Rolex, the Exclusive Watch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

# # #

ABOUT THE ACADEMY
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a global community of more than 9,000 of the most accomplished artists, filmmakers and executives working in film. In addition to celebrating and recognizing excellence in filmmaking through the Oscars, the Academy supports a wide range of initiatives to promote the art and science of the movies, including public programming, educational outreach and the upcoming Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, which is under construction in Los Angeles.

Heading Into the 10th season of Awards Wiz: struggles, solutions and a big announcement

2019-05-23T15:55:00.002-05:00

One of my biggest struggles going into the upcoming Oscar season is my desire to read up on all things Entertainment, but also avoid clickbait and outrage inducing think pieces.

I have a luxury at Awards Wiz that many other sites don't. Although I often peek at my stats/readership...numbers have NEVER been a driving factor in what I publish. I make no money off of this site, so the truth of the matter is, the number of clicks I get mean very little in the grand scheme of things.

As a reader, I am looking for quality writing, keen observations and original, thought provoking entertainment...but I would be lying if I didn't say that at this stage in both my life and in my Oscarwatching, I gravitate toward like-hearted, if not like-minded, individuals.

Not that I'm afraid to be challenged, but I have no interest in reading, for example, a piece about Quentin Tarantino's treatment of women in films based on his reaction to an interview question about Margot Robbie's screen time in a film I haven't seen. That many of the people who are writing about this situation have not seen. I also don't have interest in reading the think pieces about those think pieces.

Could this "story" cost Tarantino the Palme d'Or? It's hard to tell because the internet is not real. Film Twitter is not real. Ask "Roma." Better yet...ask "Green Book."

I know one thing for sure...once the next outrage comes along, this will be a thing of the past. Tha'ts our new pattern.

Hopefully it won't cost Quentin the Palme. If he deserves it, that is.

So, what do I do? Do I stop reading the sites that are guilty of this sort of reporting? I love Indiewire, for example, particularly Screen Talk with Anne Thompson and Eric Kohn, but Indiewire has been notorious for this behavior for quite some time. Even my dearly beloved Anne and Eric are not immune to this webdemic characteristic.

Then again, neither am I.

During the final weeks of "Game of Thrones" I found myself wrapped up in the insanity of the fan reaction to the direction Daenerys Targaryen's character headed in a matter of very few episodes, mostly reacted upon by men, with little focus on Daenerys herself...other than a very well acted close up atop her dragon, that was described by GOT creators as a spontaneous decision.

I became so enveloped in the outrage, obsessed even....reading site after site, comment after comment, that I even signed the petition to reshoot the final season.

WHAT?! Did I really do that?!

I don't want them to reshoot! The last episode was actually quite good, and already, a few days separated for the finale, I can better see Dany's trajectory and how it was laid out in all 8 seasons. It simply wasn't what I wanted for her.

The one shining light in the webisphere in regard to "Game of Thrones" was James Hibberd and his coverage at Entertainment Weekly.

I strive to be more like Entertainment Weekly. After all, EW helped star it all for me back in the early 90s.

So, why do I bring any of this up? Well, there has been a decision bouncing around in my head for the past few weeks, and having told my therapist, my bestie, and passively mentioning it on Facebook, it is time to tell you.

I started Awards Wiz 10 years ago this month. It was originally called "Brian's Blog," and in that very first post I said this –

Well hello!

I'm testing out this whole blogger thing. Hoping to start a place for my ramblings and movie reviews. I want lots of followers...so we shall see if this is the home.

I started my reviews on facebook...but two of the movies I have seen this year, both at Tribeca Film Festival, were not available...so I'm thinking I need a new home.

And I don't think I want anything as extravagant as a website...at least not yet.

SO....let's see how this goes.
Brian

I find this first post so very innocent. I find my desire for "lots of followers" to be a bit groan inducing, considering what I've just written, but when I put myself back where I was in May of 2009, I can almost guarantee those "lots of followers" dreams were in the lower hundreds. As I said, innocent.

Oscars 2016/17 and 2017/18 were absolute delights for me. "Moonlight" and "La La Land," not only duked it out for my personal top 10, but also the Academy's Best Picture prize. Then came "Call Me By Your Name" and my interviews with Timothee Chalamet and Peter Spears. My Foreign Film pieces at Awards Daily and the interviews with the nominated directors.

It was all pretty incredible.

But I had also been worn down a bit by late 2018, and definitely come Oscars 2019.

From the Film Twitter takedown of "La La Land" to the claims of racism toward "Three Billboards," to the opinion that LGBTQ people alone must play LGBTQ roles, I was finding myself on the outskirts of opinion and unsure of my voice.

This last Oscar season was such a challenge for me that I even had to write an Oscars Mission Statement to get through it. Well, I no longer want to "get through it."

In the vein of "Game of Thrones" and "Schitt's Creek" I am announcing a final season here at Awards Wiz, and I couldn't be more excited to take this last journey with you.

So, what will this look like?

In the next few weeks I will be working on my film directorial debut. Once shooting is done I will be publishing a very exciting profile on my friend, Writer/Director Will Stewart.

Following that, I will revisit last summer's Best Films Rewatch with several films I left off the list. (How could I forget "Zero Dark Thirty!?") And then?

One final Oscars season as we know it here at Awards Wiz.

For the first time in a long time, I can't wait. See you in a few weeks.

Coming SOON (and today!) - At the End of the Day, Devil's Path and Giant Little Ones

2019-02-26T15:17:00.000-06:00

Hello dear readers. You probably didn't expect me back so soon!! If you have learned anything from the past few weeks here at Awards Wiz it's that rules have gone out the window.

In addition to being filmed by award winning filmmaker John Afamasaga's upcoming "Southern Man," John has cast me in his next narrative short. You all know that I have my own short film in the pipeline....deep in the pipeline...and of course rehearsal for "Doubt" crank up tomorrow night.

I don't know what I will have time or leftover passion for when it comes to writing here at Awards Wiz, but I am going to take things a day at a time.

There are three films I want to tell you about coming to a device/theater near (ish) you.
So, let's get to it.

At the End of the Day

If you missed this great film at the Oxford Film Festival, you can buy/rent it TODAY!

To give you a little insider background, I first saw "At the End of the Day" back in late 2017, right before the Oxford Film Festival submission deadline for my 2nd year of programming. I was kind of in panic mode because I felt like we were missing something. I really wanted a narrative feature that told a story of love and acceptance, but I hadn't seen anything that really spoke to me. When I saw "At the End of the Day," that void was filled.

When we made the offer, we were unfortunately turned down. A quick glance at the film's FB page told us that we weren't quite in their plan...well...we were, but another festival was first dibs for their premiere. My film lover heart was broken.

I never got that narrative feature I was looking for and programmed another documentary, which was awesome.

Flash forward to 2018. My desires for programming weren't quite what they were the year before. I wasn't trying to fill a void or even fill seats. I was attempting to anticipate the needs of our audience while at the same time speak to them with my personal film aesthetic.

I never forgot about "At the End of the Day," and while trying to finalize things yet again, I went back to their FB page and saw they were still playing festivals. One of our "rules" is to show films that have yet to have a theatrical or digital release.

I reached out to Kevin O'Brien, the director, and this time the answer was yes.

The whole experience with "At the End of the Day" was an example of one of life's most important lessons. I may have wanted the film for the 2018 fest, but with all of the chaos and hate out there in the world, 2019 was exactly when Oxford needed it. And it was right before their digital release, which is TODAY.

Kevin made the film partly because of experiences he had growing up in the church, and I wanted to show it because of the fact that almost every queer person I know has struggled with Faith and Spirituality somewhere along the way to the present day.

Actor Stephen Shane Martin (who is not only talented but the nicest, down to earth person) leads a cast of fantastic, real characters in this uplifting, questioning film about inclusion and love. Check out the trailer below. And then go to itunes and watch!

At the End of the Day on iTunes

Devils Path

Next we have "Devil's Path" directed by Matthew Montgomery from Breaking Glass Pictures.

I received the email about "Devil's Path" in the heat of the final weeks of Oscar season. I am a big fan of Breaking Glass Pictures-particularly "The Falls" trilogy. I had actually hoped to program "The Falls: Covenant of Grace" into OXFF as well, but it didn't quite fit- timing, release dates, etc...It just wasn't going to work.

So, when I saw they were releasing a thriller about two men who meet at a hookup park, I was in. I watched it last night, and it was the perfect Oscars palette cleanser.

From writer/director Matthew Montgomery, Devil's Path follows two men who meet up in a popular wilderness park for a casual hookup. What seems like an innocent and random meeting quickly descends into a horrific nightmare. With recent disappearances and attacks, the two men soon find themselves in the terrifying position of being the next victims in a deadly game of cat and mouse...

It doesn't have a lot of scares per se, but at just under an hour and a half I was quite riveted to the screen. If you are looking for something fun and queer to watch, check it out. It opens in LA this Friday and will be on DVDE/VOD March 5th.

Giant Little Ones

Finally, we have "Giant Little Ones" written and directed by Keith Behrman and starring Josh Wiggins, Darren Mann, Taylor Hickson, Maria Bello and Kyle MacLachlan.

When I heard about the film after it played at Toronto, I almost immediately reached out to the producers about screening it at Oxford Film Festival. They responded right away and asked if they could wait a bit before sending it to me. I decided not to get my hopes up this time and continued along with my programming duties.

A few months passed and I reached out again...just a couple more weeks they said.

Then, right before the deadline they sent the film to me.

It was not only one of the best LGBTQ films I had seen for the fest, it was my favorite from what I had seen all year. I offered, they accepted and we screened the film.

Now that the festival is over I can tell you that this will certainly be in the running for my favorite film of 2019. On the first viewing I was a bit shaken by the fact that this coming of age story wasn't taking the traditional trajectory of most coming out films. By the time the credits rolled, I had come around but needed to see it again, which I did immediately.

When I saw the film again a few weeks ago at the festival, I was so blown away by the writing, directing, acting, the SCORE...everything...but mostly by the fact that a story about LGBTQ people could still surprise me.

Looking for the best trailer to post here I saw a youtube comment asking, "so is he attracted to girls or boys?" I get it...that was me. Open your mind and go along for the ride.

The film will be released this Friday, March 1st.

That's All Folks! An Oscars Post Mortem

2019-02-25T08:19:00.000-06:00

And just like that, Oscar season is over.

Last night's show was one of the best in ages. In terms of the telecast itself, the Academy had little to do with how things turned out, but producers Donna Gigliotti and Glenn Weiss should absolutely get the credit they deserve. 3 hours and 15 minutes is amazing. The set was gorgeous, the sound, the direction...Adam Lambert, Brian May and Queen...all top notch.

According the TV Line, the ratings seem to have gone up!

"According to very preliminary numbers, Sunday night’s host-free, tight-and-bright, 200-minute ABC telecast scored a 21.6 rating in the metered market households. That’s up 14 percent from last year’s 18.9...."

And the Academy should get some credit as well. They made some historic choices. Here are a few off the top of my head.

Ruth E. Carter was the first black artist to win an Oscar for Costume Design
Hanna Beachler was the first black artist to win an Oscar for Production Design
Spike Lee won. He finally won! (Perhaps it's time for me to finally watch "Do the Right Thing")
Alfonso Cuaron was the first director to win both Directing and Cinematography
Mexico won Foreign Language Film for the first time

After the opening musical number I asked "What's next? How do they do this without a host?" And out came Maya Rudolph, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler (not Whoopi Goldberg) giving a very abbreviated "non monologue" and from there intros were done by an announcer as I assumed and more time was given to presenters.

Gigliotti and Weiss stuck to their word about speech time. That bleeped part of Spike Lee's speech? That was him saying not to start the clock...and they didn't. But when an opportunity presented itself at a pause after an "ending," speeches were ceased. No one really seemed to have a problem with it, from what I could see. Everyone in the room was truly in good spirits all night. And although I've seen a few detractors on Twitter (deleting that app in 5, 4, 3, 2...) almost everyone seems good with the show.

Congrats to Sasha Stone with Awards Daily for predicting 22/24 categories. You could feel her excitement on Twitter at doing so well. I only met Sasha once although I wouldn' be here doing this without her. She is a genuinely sweet woman and a very good writer. Back in 2014 I went 22/24 and it is an amazing feeling indeed.

When Ruth Carter won Costume Design for "Black Panther" I got a little cocky thinking this could really be my night in terms of predictions. It wasn't. I had my worst year predicting in forever. 14/24. I tied with Eric Kohn at Indiewire, which makes me feel a little better. He and I actually had a few of the same riskier picks.

I missed 2/3 shorts, which is better than missing all of them. Yay, "Period. End of Sentence!" Boo "Skin"....although it was an Oxford Film Festival alum, which is cool. Had I known that I might not have trashed it so much here...oh well.

Could I have done things differently? I wish I had gone with "Black Panther" for Score. That seems obvious now. But I'm still glad with my choices for "Production Design" and even Original Screenplay.

Many people are saying that "Green Book" won Best Picture because of the Preferential Ballot which certainly played a major part, but Original Screenplay is certainly not a Preferential Ballot, and the Academy awarded "Green Book" there too. They loved the film, and so did a lot of other people not part of the Film Twitter bubble. Heck...after I saw it the first time I loved it as well. On the 2nd viewing, I was a bit less impressed, but I was also finalizing my Top 10 and my critical senses were on high alert.

I read on Twitter that when "Moonlight" won, it really threw a wrench into the idea of the "Oscar" movie...but "Green Book's" win last night shows, the OSCAR MOVIE is alive and well.

"Moonlight" was a situation where the film was so loved, the right film at the right time...and THIS IS IMPORTANT - awarding "Moonlight" sent a message.

Awarding "Roma" would have sent a message as well. That Netflix produces theatrical movies, and that is a message the Academy was not ready to send.

Almost no one saw Best Actress coming. Olivia Colman winning over Glenn Close was certainly a shock, and, yes, it is unfortunate that Glenn still doesn't have an Oscar. Close deserved it, not because she is overdue, but because of the 5 actresses nominated, I believe she gave the best performance. I just don't believe the Academy thought so. Also, with men they have less of a problem giving an actor the "overdue" award. With women...not so much. But at least Colman wasn't a 20 year old, right?

I did love Olivia Colman...she, along with Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone were in my Best Performances of the Year. But this category fraud thing is real. I'm finally coming around to that. Timothee Chalamet should have been in Lead. Mahershala should have been in Lead. Emma Stone was the lead of "The Favourite" if their was one, but if not, Colman was still supporting, even if she was the Queen.

But would it have mattered? I'm not sure. For all we know Lady Gaga might have won instead.

Speaking of: Let's just take a look at "Shallow" one last time before putting that song to bed.

After everyone went home and I was alone and trying to process everything, the weight of my predictions score started to set in. Honestly, and if you are still with me reading this you already know - I wasn't feeling this Oscar race like I have in the past, which was very strange for me.

I have been somewhat defined by the Oscars since I was 12 years old, and as always, the morning after I am having all sorts of reflective and projective thoughts.

I do believe in sign posts, and had I gotten 22/24 or even last year's 18/24 I might have gone into next season in the same way I have for the past 10. Who knows, after a break I might still?

I am planning a break, although I will be back in the coming weeks to write a few things completely unrelated to the Oscars.

Last year on this day after the Oscars I watched "The Shape of Water" again and relaxed. I still plan to relax...but I probably won't be watching "Green Book." Instead I think I'm going to watch a few episodes of "The X-Files."

For those of you who don't know - after watching "The X-Files" for the first time I marched down to the University of Southern Mississippi Registrar's office and changed my major to Acting.

Also today, my filmmaking friend John and I are headed out to location scout for a film I'm acting in. I'm tired and emotionally exhausted, so obviously I want to declare all sorts of things today, right here, right now. But no major decisions today. Although the direction my day is taking is telling.

See you in a bit.

Some additional highlights for me:

Thank you from Awards Wiz (video)

2019-02-24T15:37:00.000-06:00

Addiction in Film - when an Oscar lover's worlds collide

2019-02-23T08:48:00.001-06:00

Shortly before I interviewed Timothee Chalamet last season for “Call Me By Your Name” I heard about his next project - playing Nic Sheff in “BeautifulBoy.” I think I first heard about the book soon after it came out, but it was brought back to my attention while I myself was in substance use treatment. I was reading Augusten Burroughs’s “Dry” for the umpteenth time, but for the first time clean, when a fellow rehabber saw my book and suggested "Beautiful Boy" to me.

When it came time for the interview...I only had 15 minutes with Timothee, and at the very bottom of my notes I had typed "Beautiful Boy." I wanted so desperately to tell him that I knew what it was like to be addicted to meth, to ask him about his research...but with so little time I decided to wait.

I would ask him next year. We all knew he wasn't going to win on Oscar night for "Call Me By Your Name" but I knew...if he could pull off Nic, he would not only get nominated, he might win.

"Beautiful Boy" wasn't the only film about addiction and recovery coming out in 2018. There was also the Julia Roberts/Lucas Hedges film - "Ben is Back" and the Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga version of the classic "A Star is Born."

I knew about "A Star is Born," of course, but had never seen any of the previous iterations. I had no idea the extent it would delve into addiction. Even when the trailer came out, with the first glimpse of Bradley Cooper fidgeting with the cap of his liquor bottle, in the backseat of the car, it seemed cursory. There was A LOT packed into that amazing trailer.

Watching "A Star is Born" again the other night, the film felt so much smaller than I remember. Although a studio film, it was made for 40 million, which isn't really a lot for a studio film. Instantly I was reminded why the film spoke to me back in October. Jackson's absolute NEED to drink. Ally serving tables, taking out the trash and headed to sing at the drag bar. Cinematography Matthew Libatique's camera work is so invasive and personal, that I couldn't help be transported back toward my early days trying to "make it" in NYC.

Their long romantic first night together - I have had my share of those too. Sometimes, once the sun comes up, reality comes crashing down. Other times, it comes knocking at your door with a badge and a gun, waking you up from a 3 and a half year relationship binge that doesn't quite kill you, but comes close.

My most recent connection to the film is that 2nd half. Considering this is my last essay of the season, I will not defend offenses (RE: Oscars Mission Statement!) but I will say, that while others consider everything in "A Star is Born," post "Shallow" to be lesser than the first half, I found it to be the most truthful.

That binge relationship that almost killed me? Remember that scene when Jackson verbally abuses Ally in the bathroom? Lived it. Over and over and over. Just imagine if Ally was an addict as well. Not pretty.

The scene where Ally goes to visit Jackson in treatment is one brilliant piece of writing, acting and directing. You are watching Ally trying her best to love Jackson, not knowing what to say but also navigating how to say it, while Jackson fights the guilt and shame associated with that night at the Grammys. Of course, end the end they both fail. Ally's last conversation with Jackson is a lie, codependent as hell, and Jackson succumbs from the weight of one conversation from Ally's manager.

My Mom, who I saw the film with the first time, was so mad at Rez for saying what he did to Jackson. In tears she said, "if he hadn't said that to him...." I said to my Mom, "it wasn't Rez, Mom, it was Jackson."

Jackson was going to use...he just needed an excuse.

I have watched so many Jackson's come in and out of my life, and those who are unwilling to do the work to get down to the root of the problem don't make it. The ends are always the same.

Around the same time that I saw "A Star is Born" for the first time, I reached out to Amazon for the first time about interviewing the team behind "Beautiful Boy. I let them know that I had interviewed Timothee before, sent them a link to the story, and also disclosed that I was in recovery, pitching the idea of what you are reading right now. I got one email response from my contact connecting me to the PR folks specifically handling "Beautiful Boy."

As the year was ending, I also reached out to the folks handling "Ben is Back," disclosing again. An Oscar writer, in recovery, with a story to tell. No response.

As the year came to a close, "Beautiful Boy" made my Top 10 and I declared Timothee Chalamet to have given the Best Performance of the year.

Right before the nominations deadline, I reached out to Amazon, one last time. The writing was on the wall for Timothee, and I wanted to help. I got my first response since October asking who all I would be willing to interview. I responded with Felix, the director, Luke Davies, the screenwriter, and Timothee.

That was the last I heard from them, and Timothee didn't get nominated.

I did eventually see "Ben is Back" and absolutely loved it. I actually see it becoming a yearly "Christmas Movie" for me. I think any addict who sees it would say the same. You normies? Probably not your "It's a Wonderful Life."

I have wondered why "Beautiful Boy" and the 2nd half of "A Star is Born" didn't work for so many people, and I think it's because those people have the pleasure of not living that life, either as a family member or an addict. 1 in 10 people are vulnerable to addiction...which is a lot. But 9 out of 10 are not...and those 9, although certainly vulnerable to knowing someone either in their own family or neighborhood...are very prone to both denial or the negative effects of stigma.

I'm so glad 2018 gave us "Beautiful Boy" and "Ben is Back" even if they didn't get the Oscar love many of us hoped they might get this time last year. And although "A Star is Born" will more than likely take at least one prize on Oscar night, I can't help but wonder if things might have been different.

Would Timothee have had a chance had I been able to speak with him and the director, trying to bridge an understanding of the film's repetitive nuances to people who don't understand relapse?

What if Bradley Cooper had been more vocal, as he has been in the past, about his own recovery from addiction? I have read many think tweets about Cooper's aloofness during this season...which looking back must have been deliberate.

What if I had not disclosed being in recovery to Amazon? Would it have made any difference had I just approached it all like any other run of the mill journalist...Or am I just being overly sensitive about the whole thing?

We'll never know. But I do know this.

No amount of awards or lack of them can take away the films we love.

Brian's Oscar Predictions

2019-02-22T15:39:00.001-06:00

For better, worse or indifference, here are my Oscar predictions.

Picture

“Black Panther”

“BlacKkKlansman”

“Bohemian Rhapsody”

“The Favourite”

“Green Book”

“Roma”

“A Star Is Born”

“Vice”

If the Academy continues with the trend of the season (each guild has given a different film its award), they could go with either "A Star is Born" or "BlaKkKlansman." But the Academy is not a collective mind. Neither film has won a major prize.

The only film to win Best Picture on a Preferential Ballot was "Green Book" at the PGA. But can "Green Book" win on the Academy's PB. This isn't the Producer's Guild. The recent additions to the membership should have an affect here. Sorry, "Green Book." I can't see "The Favourite" winning either. Too queer. Sure, "The Shape of Water" was quirky, but in actuality the tale was quite traditional. "Vice" is despised by many...but are those people in the Academy?

That leaves us with "Black Panter," "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "Roma." I haven't thought much about "Bohemian Rhapsody" for this...but it could spoil, now that I'm really looking at it. I think the top prize goes to either "Black Panther" or "Roma."

will win/should win:

ROMA

Actress

Yalitza Aparicio, “Roma”

Glenn Close, “The Wife”

Olivia Colman, “The Favourite”

Lady Gaga, “A Star Is Born”

Melissa McCarthy, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”

Several people are still holding on to a spoil by Olivia Coleman. Could I be blinded here by my lukewarm response to "The Favourite?" Perhaps. If anything, I still think Lady Gaga could squeak by for a win.

But, it must be Glenn Close's year. The last time an overdue actor lost, it was Sylvester Stallone, and it was mostly due to a split, right? Hmmm....maybe Olivia Coleman makes sense after all?

will win/should win:

Glenn Close

Actor

Christian Bale, “Vice”

Bradley Cooper, “A Star Is Born”

Willem Dafoe, “At Eternity’s Gate”

Rami Malek, “Bohemian Rhapsody”

Viggo Mortensen, “Green Book”

What once was Christian Bale is now Rami Malek. And I couldn't be more meh.

Actually, I think I've made peace with this. Although Bradley Cooper was the only one from this bunch to land on my Top Performances of the year, I think I am feeling Dafoe for the "Should win."

will win:

Rami Malek

should win: Willem Dafoe

Director

Spike Lee, “BlacKkKlansman”

Pawel Pawlikowski, “Cold War”

Yorgos Lanthimos, “The Favourite”

Alfonso Cuarón, “Roma”

Adam McKay, “Vice”

Is it Oscaritis causing people to think that Spike Lee has a chance here? Or is it really possible? I would like to think so. I would vote for him. It could happen, and that would be pretty bad ass. I'm thinking it's Cuaron though.

will win:

Alfonso Cuaron

spoiler: Spike Lee

should win: Spike Lee

Supporting Actor

Mahershala Ali, “Green Book”

Adam Driver, “BlacKkKlansman”

Sam Elliott, “A Star Is Born”

Richard E. Grant, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”

Sam Rockwell, “Vice”

Oh, Timothee. You should have been a contender. But you're not. I do like the fact that a true supporting performance such as Rockwell's got in, but the pretty much leading performance of Mahershala Ali is going to take the prize.

will win:

Mahershala Ali

should win: Richard E. Grant

Supporting Actress

Amy Adams, “Vice”

Marina de Tavira, “Roma”

Regina King, “If Beale Street Could Talk”

Emma Stone, “The Favourite”

Rachel Weisz, “The Favourite”

Oscaritis says Rachel Weisz has a chance. But she didn't win SAG, Emily Blunt did. There is really no evidence other than a BAFTA win for this, and they notoriously vote for their own.

will win/should win:

Regina King

Live Action Short

“Detainment,” Vincent Lambe

“Fauve,” Jeremy Comte

“Marguerite,” Marianne Farley

“Mother,” Rodrigo Sorogoyen

“Skin,” Guy Nattiv

Going out on a limb here and picking my favorite, "Fauve." People are saying "Marguerite" because it isn't as bleak as the others...that it is the most emotional. I actually found "Fauve" to be more emotional and a much better film.

will win/should win:

Fauve

spoiler: Marguerite

Animated Short

“Animal Behaviour,” Alison Snowden, David Fine

“Bao,” Domee Shi

“Late Afternoon,” Louise Bagnall

“One Small Step,” Andrew Chesworth, Bobby Pontillas

“Weekends,” Trevor Jimenez

This is the category giving me the most grief this year, I think. Last year I was convinced that "Dear Basketball" would not win because it was the worst of the bunch. But Kobe Bryant played Hollywood and the Academy and they caved like the HFPA (Golden Globes, y'all). "Bao" is Pixar...and it is the worst of the bunch. Pixar doesn't always win, although progs almost always predict it. They won for "Piper" in 2017, but "Piper" was quite strong. Before that you have to go all the way back to 2000. I'm taking a risk here and going for "Animal Behaviour."

will win/should win:

Animal Behaviour

spoiler: Bao or Weekends

Animated Feature

“Incredibles 2,” Brad Bird

“Isle of Dogs,” Wes Anderson

“Mirai,” Mamoru Hosoda

“Ralph Breaks the Internet,” Rich Moore, Phil Johnston

“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman

This a no-brainer, which is so exciting to say. "Spider-Man: Into the Spider" is one of the best films of the year.

will win/should win:

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Cinematography

“Cold War,” Lukasz Zal

“The Favourite,” Robbie Ryan

“Never Look Away,” Caleb Deschanel

“Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón

“A Star Is Born,” Matthew Libatique

Matthew Libatique should have won for "Black Swan," but alas, he did not. His work in "A Star is Born" is equal to the performance and the direction, but this isn't his year. I think the Academy will award Cuaron, particularly due to the fact that he came out for this category to be presented live. But I see Lukasz Zal as a spoiler here.

will win:

Alfonso Cuaron

spoiler: Lukasz Zal

should win: Matthew Libatique (by a hair!)

Editing

“BlacKkKlansman,” Barry Alexander Brown

“Bohemian Rhapsody,” John Ottman

“Green Book,” Patrick J. Don Vito

“The Favourite,” Yorgos Mavropsaridis

“Vice,” Hank Corwin

Ok...this is a hard one, and I'm avoiding looking at what other people are predicting because I don't want to be swayed. I think "Vice" could win. I even think "Bohemian Rhapsody" could win. But I'm going for "BlaKkKlansman."

will win/should win:

BlacKkKlansman

spoiler: Vice or Green Book or....you name it

Hairstyling and Makeup

“Border”

“Mary Queen of Scots”

“Vice”

I wish that "Border" would win because it absolutely deserves it.

will win: Vice

should win: Border

Documentary Feature

“Free Solo,” Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi

“Hale County This Morning, This Evening,” RaMell Ross

“Minding the Gap,” Bing Liu

“Of Fathers and Sons,” Talal Derki

“RBG,” Betsy West, Julie Cohen

This is a bit more difficult to predict than people might think. But, the fact that "RBG" wasn't nominated for the IDA, ("Minding the Gap" won) and honestly, I don't remember much about the film other than the scene with RBG working out, I'm going with "Free Solo."

will win:

Free Solo

should win: Minding the Gap (by a hair!)

spoiler: RBG

Documentary Short

“Black Sheep,” Ed Perkins

“End Game,” Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman

“Lifeboat,” Skye Fitzgerald

“A Night at the Garden,” Marshall Curry

“Period. End of Sentence.,” Rayka Zehtabchi

A great group of nominees. To me, the real standouts are Marshall Curry's "A Night at the Garden," "End Game" and "Period. End of Sentence." Curry's is my favorite of the bunch, but he basically just edited footage together to tell a story. Is that good enough? There is also a narrative that the Academy's male members won't vote for a short film about periods. I find this a bit unbelievable, but I could be wrong.

will win/should win:

Period. End of Sentence

Production Design

“Black Panther,” Hannah Beachler

“First Man,” Nathan Crowley, Kathy Lucas

“The Favourite,” Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton

“Mary Poppins Returns,” John Myhre, Gordon Sim

“Roma,” Eugenio Caballero, Bárbara Enrı́quez

Another tough call. Let's go ahead and eliminate "First Man" and "Mary Poppins Returns." I think "Black Panther" is a worthy choice here, same with "Roma" but the extravagance of "The Favourite" should take the prize.

will win/should win:

The Favourite

Visual Effects

“Avengers: Infinity War”

“Christopher Robin”

“First Man”

“Ready Player One”

“Solo: A Star Wars Story”

Dare I repeat myself again here? Not easy. This should have gone to "First Man," but the lackluster love the film received from the Academy in the major categories gives the edge to the Avengers. If it wins, this will be the first Marvel win in the category.

will win:

Avengers: Infinity War

should win: First Man

Sound Editing

“Black Panther,” Benjamin A. Burtt, Steve Boeddeker

“Bohemian Rhapsody,” John Warhurst

“First Man,” Ai-Ling Lee, Mildred Iatrou Morgan

“A Quiet Place,” Ethan Van der Ryn, Erik Aadahl

“Roma,” Sergio Diaz, Skip Lievsay

Ok...before I give my prediction, I know that I should predict the same film for both Editing and Mixing, but I have this funny feeling that they may split the vote on this. There is a reason they nominated "A Star is Born" in mixing.

First...editing. Let's go with "Bohemian Rhapsody."

will win:

Bohemian Rhapsody

should win: First Man

Sound Mixing

“Black Panther”

“Bohemian Rhapsody”

“First Man”

“Roma”

“A Star Is Born”

This prediction is probably a mistake. But I'm going out on a limb here.

will win/should win:

A Star is Born

spoiler: Bohemian Rhapsody

Original Song

“All The Stars” from “Black Panther” by Kendrick Lamar, SZA

“I’ll Fight” from “RBG” by Diane Warren, Jennifer Hudson

“The Place Where Lost Things Go” from “Mary Poppins Returns” by Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman

“Shallow” from “A Star Is Born” by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, Andrew Wyatt and Benjamin Rice

“When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings” from “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” by David Rawlings and Gillian Welch

For a hot second I thought that maybe Diane Warren could win for "I'll Fight" which would also give Jennifer Hudson a 2nd Oscar. But having rewatched "A Star is Born" last night, and revisiting "Shallow" again after the credits rolled. It has to win.

will win/should win:

Shallow

Original Score

“BlacKkKlansman,” Terence Blanchard

“Black Panther,” Ludwig Goransson

“If Beale Street Could Talk,” Nicholas Britell

“Isle of Dogs,” Alexandre Desplat

“Mary Poppins Returns,” Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman

If Shaiman wins he becomes and EGOT. But...pretty doubtful. The score for "If Beale Street Could Talk" is wonderful, but would really shock me. I'm going with "BlacKkKlansman."

will win/should win: BlacKkKlansman

Costume Design

“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” Mary Zophres

“Black Panther,” Ruth E. Carter

“The Favourite,” Sandy Powell

“Mary Poppins Returns,” Sandy Powell

“Mary Queen of Scots,” Alexandra Byrne

Apparently I am going out on a limb here predicting "Black Panther." I guess it is more obvious that the Academy would award Powell for "The Favourite" or "Mary Queen of Scots," but I'm feeling this for some reason.

will win/should win:

Black Panther

spoiler: The Favourite

Original Screenplay

“The Favourite,” Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara

“First Reformed,” Paul Schrader

“Green Book,” Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly

“Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón

“Vice,” Adam McKay

One of the toughest races to call. I honestly think any of these films could win, but I think the Academy will give Adam McKay his second Oscar.

will win:

Adam McKay

should win: First Reformed

spoiler: Any of them

Adapted Screenplay

“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” Joel Coen , Ethan Coen

“BlacKkKlansman,” Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott, Spike Lee

“Can You Ever Forgive Me?,” Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty

“If Beale Street Could Talk,” Barry Jenkins

“A Star Is Born,” Eric Roth, Bradley Cooper, Will Fetters

This has to be Spike Lee. If they aren't going to award him Best Director, they will award him here. Although I personally would vote for "Can You Ever Forgive Me."

will win:

Spike Lee

should win/spoiler: Nicole Hologcener and Jeff Whitty

Foreign Language Film

“Capernaum” (Lebanon)

“Cold War” (Poland)

“Never Look Away” (Germany)

“Roma” (Mexico)

“Shoplifters” (Japan)

"Burning's" omission here is glaring, and for a minute I was on the bandwagon that "Cold War" could win this. And it might. But I'm going for "Roma."

will win/should win:

ROMA

FULL PREDICTIONS

Picture: ROMA
Director: Alfonso Cuaron

Cinematography: ROMA

Actor: Rami Malek

Actress: Glenn Close

Supporting Actor: Mahershala Ali

Supporting Actress: Regina King

Foreign Language Film: ROMA

Animated Feature: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Documentary Feature: Free Solo

Editing: BlacKkKLansman

Original Screenplay: Vice

Adapted Screenplay: BlacKkKlansman

Original Score: BlacKkKlansman

Original Song: Shallow

Sound Editing: Bohemian Rhapsody

Sound Mixing: A Star is Born

Live Action Short: Fauve

Animated Short: Animal Behaviour

Documentary Short: Period. End of Sentence

Costume Design: Black Panther

Production Design: The Favourite

Visual Effects: Avengers: Infinity War

Makeup and Hairstyling: Vice

Is Best Picture predictable this year?

2019-02-20T06:45:00.002-06:00

If this Oscar season has been anything, it has been unpredictable. For years I have watched people complain about how boring predictable seasons are, and this year everyone has pretty much lost their collective minds due to the unpredictability. I find it all fascinating.

I have very little doubt that whatever I correctly predict come Sunday will mostly come from luck and gut. I would like to get Best Picture right, mostly because I have missed it for the past several years. Not since "Spotlight" have I correctly picked the big winner.

This time of year, people get some crazy ideas about things. I've been reading that "A Star is Born" and "Black Panther" actually have a shot winning with the Academy's Preferential Ballot. I would like for that to be possible with "A Star is Born" in particular, but I just don't see that happening. I think that line of thinking is boredom talking. "Black Panther," maybe, but "A Star is Born" has seemed out of the race for a while.

The only film to have won on a preferential ballot so far has been "Green Book" with its Producer's Guild Award. The actors spoke for "Black Panther," but SAG has not been a predictor for Best Picture in a few years.

Awards Daily posted a fantastic piece about the competing agendas each contender and their studio has, (The State of the Race — Competing Agendas Throw Oscar Race Out of Whack), and in there she mentioned how each guild has gone with a different film for its prize.

Perhaps that is the story of predicting 2019. I know that I personally feel more than ever that I want to stand alone. This is the first time in almost 10 years that I haven't published at Awards Daily, and my Oscar world didn't end. I also halted my 27 Days of Oscar series. And, before Oscar night I will write my opinion on Queer Representation and Addiction in film instead of traditional looks at every category.

Side note: Did you see Brett Easton Ellis's piece on Representation that came out yesterday morning? It was fantastic, and certain to be eviscerated by Outrage (Film) Twitter. Bret Easton Ellis: The Year the Oscars Finally Got Gay Right (Guest Column)

If the Academy continues along this path of singularity, they could go with "BlacKkKlansman" or even "The Favourite." The problem with "The Favourite" winning is the Preferential ballot. BUT..."BlacKkKlansman" is a possibility. As has been said elsewhere, the Academy seems, on occasion, to use their vote to do the right thing. Pun, intended.

I do know this...and HEAR ME PEOPLE...I've said this recently, and I will say it again. As a voting advisory board member for the Dorian Awards...I can tell you, we are a body of critics, but we do not have a collective voice. I did not vote for half of the things that won, several of which I would never have considered for the win, including our Best Film.

I also voted for several Queer directors' films for the LGBTQ Film prize, but that was not how things landed when nominations came out. And Twitter (or at least one person on twitter) took our collective body to task, stating we should do better. I wanted to shout, "BUT I DID!!"

My point, the Academy is thousands of members, and sometimes, no ALWAYS, the win comes down to votes. With Best Picture there is the fact that a hated movie will never win (SORRY "VICE") even if it has its champions. All thanks to the Preferential Ballot.

Side note #2 (taken from ABC News)
Counting the best picture race is complicated: The process of counting votes for best picture isn't as simple as one might think. According to Cullinan, each voter is asked to rank the nominated films, with one being their top choice. After determining which film garnered the least number of votes, PwC employees take that title out of contention and look to see which movie each of those voters selected as their second favorite. That redistribution process continues until there are only two films remaining. The one with the biggest pile wins. "It doesn’t necessarily mean that who has the most number one votes from the beginning is ensured they win," he added. "It’s not necessarily the case, because going through this process of preferential voting, it could be that the one who started in the lead, doesn’t finish in the lead."

SO, is this year predictable? Meaning...can Best Picture be predicted?

Last year I was sure that "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" was going to win, but in the end it lost to "The Shape of Water" a film that no one had an issue with. And while "Green Book" might seem on the surface like an "Academy" film, there are too many people in the Academy who won't rank the film anywhere near the top, not because they don't like it, but because they feel the pressure to do the right thing. It's possible that some Academy members had their heads in the sand during the negative campaigning, but they read the trades. Funny how it wasn't until after ballots were almost completely in that the Hollywood Reporter published a positive response from Don Shirley's heir. Not as sexy as trashing the film, I guess.

'Green Book' Subject Don Shirley's Heir Speaks Out for First Time

So, what is going to win?!

I've seen a few critics, particularly in the group I belong to, say some negative things about "Roma," but I don't see that happening amongst people who actually make movies.

"Roma" is an amazing piece of filmmaking and hard not to love. I'm picking it to win. I love the film, and of all the ones nominated it was placed highest on my Top 10. It deserves it as well.

The Animated categories - a glance at the past and a hope for the future

2019-02-19T08:19:00.002-06:00

As I mentioned when I published my Top 10, there have been 2 Animated features to make my Top Ten list in the 10 years (10 YEARS!) since I have been writing about the Oscars here at Awards Wiz. There was "Princess and the Frog" back in 2009 and also "The Secret of Kells" the following year. "La Maison en Petits Cubes" made my Top 10 back in 2008, although I hadn't started Awards Wiz yet.

Disney animated films made a huge impact on me in my youth. I loved "The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast," liked "Aladdin" and "Mulan" but was less thrilled with "The Lion King," which I have only seen once - on its release date, also my 18th birthday...so I thought I knew something.

The two Disney films that made the biggest impact on me were "Pocahontas" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." I remember being a bit crushed with "Hunchback" received negative press and no awards love. I thought it was even better than "Beauty and the Beast" and deserved an Oscar nomination for Best Picture.

"Hunchback" came out in 1996, but Pixar had already begun with "Toy Story" the year before. "Hunchback" was the turning point for me and a change in direction for animated features...it wasn't really until "Princess and the Frog" (and eventually "Frozen") that I loved another Disney movie the way I did in my youth.

The first Animated feature I saw this year was "Isle of Dogs." I absolutely loved it. My first thought was that Anderson would probably get another screenplay nomination, although that didn't happen. The animation was fantastic, the screenplay great...an overall fantastic, original film.

Even before its release date (also my birthday interestingly enough!) everyone was saying "Incredibles 2" was going to take the Oscar, without a doubt." I had my doubts...uninterested in seeing it at all.

No Pixar movie has ever made my Top 10, and now I wonder if one ever will. I think I saw "Incredibles 2" before "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse" but not absolutely sure. I know I saw it on DVD with my family around the holidays.

I already had Pixar fatigue, but even with an open mind, I was pretty disappointed with "Incredibles 2." For a studio that managed to revolutionize animation, they somehow couldn't come up with an original story. Sure...it was fine, but nothing fantastic.

Then came "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse." I've said it before, even said it with my Top 10...will say it again...this film is not only the best animated film of the year, it is one of THE BEST FILMS of the year. I had to see it twice and cannot wait to see it again. If it loses the Oscar, I will lose all faith in the Academy...until I forget, of course.

The last two nominated films are "Ralph Breaks the Internet" and "Mirai." "Ralph" has some pretty incredible themes...particularly the one about friends moving on with their lives to achieve their dreams and what that means for a friendship...pretty powerful stuff. It had its issues for me...the major conflict was a bit silly, but every time the Disney Princesses came on screen they saved the day.

And "Mirai?" Well, I think I sadly might have GKids fatigue as well. The film starts off in a way that made me think that this was going to be a run of the mill story about a kid adjusting to the arrival of a baby sister...but when the older brother whacks the baby with a toy and immediately envisions his Mom as a hag (devil!) I was intrigued. BUT...an hour and a half of a bratty kid having fits...I hate to say...I hated it.

"Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" gives me hope for the future of animation, which for me, lies in the storytelling."

In addition to watching "Mirai" last night I watched the Animated Shorts. Best overall batch in years.

Things started off wonderfully with "Animal Behavior." A sweet look at mental health through a group of animals seeing a psychiatrist. Each character was so unique and fully developed...and when Victor the ape shows up...it's just delightful. The greatest thing about this short is that it elicits emotion without manipulation.

Can't say the same thing for Pixar's "Bao." It's manipulative, but unfortunately, it's manipulation didn't work on me. I felt absolutely nothing from this film. The animation is almost too perfect and the trajectory of the story, the "Pixar story," is beyond tired.

Next is "Late Afternoon" which is the polar opposite of "Bao." Another lovely short, simply drawn with wistful animation telling a tale of a woman reminiscing on her past with her daughter while having tea and biscuits.

The passage of time as well as the parental themes continue with "One Small Step." A young woman grows up before our eyes, encouraged and loved by her father as she dreams of going to space. It's another no frills piece of animation with a lot of heart.

"Weekends" definitely has the most depth of the bunch. It follows a young boy going back and forth between the homes of his recently divorced parents, as they navigate their own lives while the boy processes much of what's going on through dreams.

Weekends (Trailer) from Trevor Jimenez on Vimeo.

For me, "Bao" is by far the weakest of the bunch, with the best being either "Animal Behavior" or "Weekends," although I wonder if the latter might be a bit too cerebral for the Academy. They don't usually go for that type of animated short.

I am leaning toward "Animal Behavior" for the win, although last year, my disdain for "Dear Basketball" kept me from seeing the obvious.

Oscar-Nominated Minding the Gap Premieres on PBS TONIGHT

2019-02-18T10:21:00.001-06:00

Catch my favorite documentary of the year, the fantastic "Minding the Gap" tonight on PBS.

With the Oscars this Sunday, watch Bing Liu's debut feature film Minding the Gap, a Best Documentary Feature nominee that A.O. Scott called "a rich, devastating essay on race, class and manhood in 21st-century America." Want to learn more? POV Engage dives into the issues with their discussion guide, lesson plan and reading list.

STREAM MINDING THE GAP (TONIGHT) HERE

Directing actors, Timothee/Dafoe, and overdue v/s deserving

2019-02-17T10:51:00.000-06:00

I'm in the midst of a two day audition for the next play I'm directing for Theatre Oxford, "Doubt: A Parable," so I certainly have acting/directing on the brain.

In regard to Oscar...

First: what happens when a first time or inexperienced actor's director gets the opportunity to direct seasoned or amateur actors.

Second: how could Willem Dafoe get nominated for Best Actor in "At Eternity's Gate" when Timothee Chalamet couldn't get nominated in Supporting Actor for "Beautiful Boy."

Third: Overdue v/s deserving

Let's look at the first one.

I have been pretty vocal here about my disappointment with "Hereditary" and "Vice" and the lead performances in both of them. My real issue doesn't lie with either Toni Collette or Christian Bale, but more with directors Ari Aster and Adam McKay.

In each film there are moments of acting greatness. With Collette, I remember watching her in the support group scene, being absolutely blown away. Also in the scene where she attempts to contact her daughter from beyond the grave, to the wonder and fear of both her husband and son, Collete's raw emotion is so incredibly vibrant.

But then, there are moments that are so incredibly baffling to me. Collette and Ann Dowd have a scene in a shopping center (I think!) parking lot that is so poorly directed in terms of staging, camera and, sorry, acting, especially on Dowd's part that I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

Collette is a great actress (Dowd as well), but Aster used the most overcooked moments along with underdone backstory, leaving us with a very inconsistent film. But...people love it. They sure do.

With Bale, there are so many incredible moments. Particularly when he is the older Dick. His villain is real and it is incredibly frightening. But, in his youth Bale plays the clown, smirking and pulling faces instead of giving us truth. I've begun to wonder if this is what McKay wanted. OK...clearly, it's what he wanted. The better choice, in my opinion, would've been to ground this in realism in the way he did with "The Big Short." The insanity and comic horror of the circumstances of Cheney's life could have provided the perfect setting for an honest start to finish portrayal by Bale.

But then you have someone like Bo Burnham, first time director of "Eighth Grade," who manages to get the most amazing performances out of all the actors in the film. Is it because it is a more straight forward script? Less experienced actors? Elsie Fisher may be young, but she isn't a first time actor to say the least.

I have a theory that both McKay and Aster asked for the most extremes from their actors, and in the end, gave us the gamut through the editing process. With "Eighth Grade" it seems as if Burnham was going for truth and that's what we got.

Perhaps I am being overtly critical here...I've been wondering that since I left the theater after watching "Hereditary" for the first time. But we we talking about her getting in over the likes of Rosmand Pike and at the time Melissa McCarthy, who was not always a shoo-in. Those are great performances. I'm sad Pike missed the mark.

Do I think that Rami Malek deserves the award over Bale? That's a really tough one. I had issues with his performance as well, mostly in the lauded Live Aid performance. I saw an actor's hesitancy, especially compared to Queen's actual performance. If I had to choose between the two Bale or Malek, I don't know what I would do....Luckily, I wouldn't have to if I was an Academy member. For me, Bradley Cooper is the one that truly deserves the award. Or even Dafoe...

Willem and Timothee

I was shocked on Oscar nomination morning when Willem Dafoe was nominated for Best Actor and disappointed (if less shocked) when Timothee Chalamet was snubbed for Supporting Actor. As the season progressed we saw that Best Actor was a weaker race.

Amazon, who I have said a couple of times messed up with "Beautiful Boy's" campaign, really made their first mistake pushing Chalamet for Supporting. It is a leading performance. I didn't want to declare that before because I simply wanted Timothee to get in. And if Willem Dafoe could get in for a film that made 6 million, Timothee could have made it in with "Beautiful Boy" (which made 13 million, in case you were wondering).

Willem Dafoe gives a stunning performance in "At Eternity's Gate." There are moments when Van Gogh goes out into the world to fill his creative well, sometimes to work, sometimes merely to observe...and those scenes, the score, and Dafoe in them are all breathtaking. You can see Van Gogh in Dafoe's eyes.

Chalamet, on the surface gives exactly what the Academy would normally go for. I've said that it's not a showy performance, much more nuanced that people might think...but comparing it to Dafoe...it is an Oscar performance in the most cliched sense.

But, Chalamet wasn't up for Lead. And in the end, a true supporting performance by last year's winner, Sam Rockwell, got in. That last slot was crowded with possibilities. Rockwell, Chalamet, Michael B. Jordan.

I wonder how things might have gone otherwise. Could Chalamet have gotten in over Dafoe? Perhaps, perhaps not.

Side note:
As much as I loved many of the Popular films that made their way to the Oscars, there are an equal if not larger amount of smaller adult dramas, "At Eternity's Gate" now included, that touched my cinematic heart this season.

Overdue v/s deserving

Finally, overdue v/s deserving. I wonder if Timothee will win his Oscar in his late 50s like Gary Oldman. One thing I really don't want to hear is that he is "overdue" in his early 40s ala Leo DiCaprio.

This year, people are labeling Glenn Close as overdue...7 nominations, 71 years old...and yeah...I would say she was overdue for a win. She's given some damn great performances over the years.

If I believed Lady Gaga gave the better performance I would be the first one to cry foul. I think Lady Gaga is absolutely incredible in "A Star is Born."

By the way...It is possible to love a performance by an actor and not think they should get the award.

Luckily, this is a year I think the overdue actress gives the best nominated performance. Glenn Close deserves it.

Then you have Spike Lee, nominated for the first time for Directing with "BlacKkKlansman." Comparing Lee and Alfonso Cuaron is really apples and oranges. "BlacKkKlansman" is so well constructed, from page to screen. "Roma's" approach was completely different, with Cuaron almost never giving his actors a script, very much directing them in the moment. I go back and forth on whether or not his approach with Yalitza Aparicio (particularly in the hospital scene, where she wasn't aware of what was going to happen) was brilliant or something else.

In this case, you have two great pieces of filmmaking and one director who has not won.

I give it to Lee.

The Academy more than likely will not. So...will Gaga and Lee take their consolation prizes on Oscar night? Hopefully, they deserve those, indeed!

A look at the almost shunted 4: Cinematography, Editing, Makeup and Hairstyling and Live Action Shorts (reviewed)

2019-02-16T13:25:00.002-06:00

Yesterday afternoon, I took a peek at some of my favorite entertainment sites, mostly out of boredom, somewhat out of hope. Hollywood Reporter, Indiewire...most everything was still bleak on the Oscar front.

Then I read that a select group of cinematographers including Rachel Morrison, Chivo, and Hoyt van Hoytema had met with Academy CEO Dawn Hudson and Academy President John Bailey on the eve of the14th.

When I saw that report I breathed my first hopeful Oscar breath in quite some time.

I knew. I just knew it.

A few hours later, it was over. All 24 categories will be awarded live on Oscar night.

The show may be hostless, and it was quite a mess to get here, but we will indeed have our awards. All of them.

I can certainly relate to what the ABC is going through when it comes to ratings, to some extent. I wish I didn't care about site stats here at Awards Wiz, but I couldn't help but notice that once I started writing about the Oscars, my readership went down. Who knew that a Summer series about my favorite films of all time would be my biggest traffic spike since the "Black Swan," "The Social Network" days. And this week, heading into the show, when I generally see my readership go up...things have been bleak.

It appears that I'm not the only one with Oscar burnout.

As we head into the final 8 days of this year's Oscar season, I do have a couple of discoveries left to write about. But first...I thought we would take a look at the categories the Academy was considering to relegate to commercial breaks and put this whole thing to bed.

Editing

I grew up with the Oscars in the 90s...and started covering them 10 years ago. It's been a bit of a challenge to rewire my brain to understand that the Editing award (along with Directing) no longer telegraphs Best Picture. It can sometimes point toward something, as it did in 2005 when "Crash" won.

"Brokeback Mountain" wasn't even nominated for Best Editing, which said something as well. On the surface, "Brokeback Mountain's" deliberate pacing might seem like an "easy" editing job compared to the showy cutting together of "Crash" and its cast of thousands, but the fact that "Brokeback's" pacing was considered deliberate and not slow should have given editors Geraldine Peroni and Dylan Tichenor nominations. Either way, the lack of nomination and the Editing win on Oscar night should have telegraphed the biggest Best Picture mistake since "Citizen Kane" lost Best Picture.

"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" really blew the Editing/Picture combo up in 2011, although "Argo" took both prizes the following year...but since "Argo" no film has won both Editing and Best Picture.

So, does "Roma's" editing snub matter?

"BlacKkKlansman," Barry Alexander Brown
"Bohemian Rhapsody," John Ottman
"The Favourite," Yorgos Mavropsaridis
"Green Book," Patrick J. Don Vito
"Vice," Hank Corwin

Most people are predicting "Vice" to win. Something tells me "Green Book" could take it...but that's probably because of this group it has the best chance to win Best Picture, and I can't move out of the 90s! I would LOVE for Barry Alexander Brown to win for "BlaKkKlansman," but I think that is wishful thinking.

The ACE Eddie's went to "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "The Favourite," so WHO KNOWS!?

I hate going with the flow on these things, and since literally no one is going for "Green Book" I would love to be the sole predictor if it won. But, it probably will go to "Vice."

Cinematography
This one is a bit simpler to predict, I think. I love Matthew Libatique's work in "A Star is Born," even if it took a second viewing to really fall for it, but "A Star is Born" seems to be dead in the water. At this point I even wonder if "Shallow" will win for Best Song. Could the Diane Warren story of 10 noms, no wins prevail?

I digress...

Looking at the last winners for this, very deserving films have won, but level of difficulty and grand scope seem to play a part.

"Cold War," Łukasz Żal
"The Favourite," Robbie Ryan
"Never Look Away," Caleb Deschanel
"Roma," Alfonso Cuarón
"A Star Is Born," Matthew Libatique

There is a chance that "Cold War" could win this. But...here's the thing with the theory that "Cold War" could prevail over "Roma" here and in Foreign Film. That would leave Picture and Director...which could certainly repeat like last year. Right now, I'm feeling "Cold War" for FF and "Roma" for Picture, Director and Cinematography.

Makeup and Hairstyling

Last year, "Darkest Hour" won this. It was the lesser of three evils, to be honest. I would have given it to "Wonder" mostly because of my Gary Oldman resentment. This year, I think the same thing will happen with "Vice."

"Border," Göran Lundström and Pamela Goldammer
"Mary Queen of Scots," Jenny Shircore, Marc Pilcher, and Jessica Brooks
"Vice," Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe, and Patricia Dehaney

"Border" deserves this wholeheartedly. And I believe that if the Academy actually watched it, it would have a chance, but they will probably go for "Vice" (but hopefully not Bale!).

Live Action Short

First off, let me say that the Academy members who nominated this year's batch clearly had some sort of Freudian parent/child fear thing going on in their psyche.

"Detainment" is an interesting beast. One of my first roles as an actor in New York was in a play called, "Boy A, Boy B" based on this very same story. In 1993, teen boys, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables kidnapped and murdered 2 year old James Bulger in Liverpool England.

My best friend Brett and I were cast as the two teen murderers. The director chose to cast adults in the role, for various reasons. It is still one of the best, most challenging, but disturbing acting experiences of my life.

Was it a story that needed to be told? To attempt to understand why two teenagers would murder a child in such a horrific way? I think so. Does "Detainment" serve this or any purpose? The family of James Bulger, the murdered child, doesn't think so. The lead performances are a bit contrived at times, but Ely Solan comes across the strongest although I can't help but worry whether or not the raw emotion he portrays came to be the right way. The film itself...although taken directly from recordings from police interviews...somehow doesn't manage to say much at all. Perhaps because there are no answers for such a crime.

Detainment is written and directed by Vincent Lambe

"Fauve" begins with a Sundance laurel, which in and of itself attaches baggage, good or bad. For me, it comes with a bit of an eye roll, honestly. Watching immediately after "Detainment" I couldn't help but wonder if the former would have been better with a touch of the realism we immediately see with "Fauve" and its two teens. Things begin innocently enough with Tyler (Félix Grenier) and Benjamin (Alexandre Perreault) goofing off, until their escapades take them to a surface mine (whatever that is) and real danger.

Think "127 Hours," teen edition. Somehow, in a short amount of time, the film manages to earn it's very upsetting middle. And the ending is brilliant. This is definitely my favorite of the bunch.

Fauve is written and directed by Jeremy Comte

"Marguerite" is the film to beat, so says Gold Derby. Many people say, that when it comes to predicting the shorts, you go with emotion. The title character, Marguerite has been injured and is being cared for by Rachel. The relationship between the two brings up for Marguerite a past buried in boxes and memories. It's a sweet story, but it's also a bit slight. Of all the short films, this is the one I can see everyone liking. That being said, this isn't a weighted category. The most number 1s win.

Marguerite is written and directed by Marianne Farley

"Madre" brings us back to children in danger with a Mom (Marta Nieto) getting a call from her 6 year old son on holiday with his Dad, only to discover that Dad has taken said son to an empty beach only to disappear, leaving the kid alone but with his phone!? The film is shot in natural light, but the screenplay is anything but. It all seems a bit ridiculous, and the "stranger danger" ending was a bit off putting to me.

Madre is written and directed by Rodrigo Sorogoyen

"Skin" opens with actors we recognize -Jonathan Tucker and Danielle Macdonald, and yet another kid. The way things were going I thought Dad was going to slice his poor child's head open with the razor when he was (on the nose much?!) buzzing his head with. That doesn't happen, but things still end quite bleak.

Taken from imdb:

A small supermarket in a blue collar town, a black man smiles at a 10 year old white boy across the checkout aisle. This innocuous moment sends two gangs into a ruthless war that ends with a shocking backlash.

It's one hell of a twist ending, that's for sure. By choosing the white family as the focal point, writer/director Guy Nattiv makes them the protagonists...giving us no backstory for the black family or the gang that kidnaps the Dad. It's quite a choice, that's for sure. Is it a good one? Not really.

Written by Sharon Maymon and Guy Nattiv; Directed by Guy Nattif

So...what wins? I've read "Skins" (maybe?!) and "Marguerite" (which makes more sense).
When it comes to shorts I always pick my favorite, which far and away was "Fauve."

The Oscar Nominated Shorts 2019 opened in New York on February 6th and Los Angeles and nationwide on February 8th. The Animated and Live-action Shorts open in Los Angeles at Landmark’s Nuart theatre. The Documentary shorts open in Los Angeles at Laemmle Glendale on February 8th.

For all other theatrical openings click here: https://shorts.tv/theoscarshorts/theatrical-release/

Holding off the nail in the Oscar coffin; Documentary Feature

2019-02-15T07:34:00.001-06:00

Last night I watched the beautifully shot “Never Look Away” Oscar nominated for Cinematography and Foreign Language Film, directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. Germany had quite the run in the 00's, with 6 nominations for Foreign Language Film and 2 wins -for "Nowhere in Africa" and "The Lives of Others" also directed by von Donnersmarck. The German submission was nominated again in 2016 with critically acclaimed "Toni Erdmann," but ended up losing to "The Salesman."

Watching "Never Look Away" took me back to last year around this time watching "The Square," a nice, last minute discovery I had discounted after Eric Kohn's lukewarm response after it won the Palme d'Or.

After watching "The Square" I interviewed the film's director, Ruben Östlund, who even gave me his phone number in case I had any follow up questions. It was such a fun few weeks leading up to Oscar night.

What a difference a year makes.

Had you told me a year ago that I would feel about the Oscars what I feel today, I would've told you that it was impossible. Since my first Oscars back in 1988 I have been in love with the show. Better than Christmas...my birthday even. That's how I would have described Academy Awards night.

Each new "clarification" about the latest change, relegating 4 categories to commercial breaks shown in real time only via a live stream on the internet, edited later into the television broadcast, out of order without the walk to the stage...each response is worse than the one before.

The latest from Producer Donna Gigliotti is so ridiculous, I won't even summarize it here. The momentum for the entire show will be diminished with these wins announced to the world on Twitter. Or streamed on a separate device during the commercial breaks...it's just complete nonsense. They are trying to get an audience that doesn't care about the Oscars while alienating those of us who do.

My biggest takeaway from 2019 is that the Oscars are finally and officially not about the movies. They are about money.

Maybe they always have been, but in my little world, watching the show....each year took me back to the first time when I was 12.

The most ironic thing about all of this. The Oscar story should have been about the fact that studios and the Academy finally did it. The studios made popular films that were not only good but landed nominations. "A Star is Born," "Black Panther," "BlacKkKlansman," "Green Book," "ROMA." THAT should have been the story heading into Oscar night, but instead, we have this complete, utter mess.

They Academy and ABC have wanted this since "The Dark Knight" was snubbed for Best Picture, and they totally blew it.

So, I have 9 days to finish watching the nominated films and pull some pieces out of hat, and call it a day. I'm trying really hard to hold off putting the final nail in the Oscar coffin, but it hasn't been easy.

So...let's talk about Documentary Feature.

My journey with Doc Feature started back in July with "Whitney" and "Won't You Be My Neighbor." What a different time July was. At that point I had already seen two films that ended up on my Top 10 list, "Final Portrait" and "Lean on Pete." 2018 was certainly shaping up to be a great year for Indie Cinema.

Who knew the studios would come along and match the indies with quality!?

I was quite indifferent to "Whitney" although there were certainly interesting parts to it, but "Won't You Be My Neighbor" was a complete delight. It managed to be entertaining, say something about our society today and let us know more about its subject than we knew going in.

However, this year's documentary branch was much less interested in entertainment than level of difficulty, whether that was with Alex's climb in "Free Solo" or a descent into the homes and lives of the Taliban in "Of Fathers and Sons." Or beautifully lensed observation in "Hale County This Morning, This Evening."

When I first tried to watch "Hale County This Morning, This Evening" I couldn't get past the first 30 minutes, but after the Oscar nominations came out, I decided to try again. For a film like this to work you really need to fall under its spell. I see what RaMell Ross was going for, but it wasn't really for me.

Interestingly, if you take away the interviews from "Minding the Gap" you are left with something like "Hale County This Morning, This Evening. In "Minding the Gap" you have multiple revelations through the interview process that tell you so much about the people we are watching, but completely without judgement. In "Hale County" it is the visuals alone that paint the picture.

"Of Fathers and Sons," was a film I found almost impossible to watch. Was I supposed to feel some sort of awe that we are allowed into the lives of these people? I certainly didn't feel empathy for them, or even sympathy for the children. The Documentary branch failed nominating this film over "Won't You Be My Neighbor" and "Three Identical Strangers." With "Hale County," a film I didn't really love, I can at least see what the branch was rewarding with the nomination.

That leaves us with the one not like the others - "RBG" It is not only an entertaining film, but also manages to speak to the Academy's liberal leanings.

For me, the best of the bunch is "Minding the Gap" followed closely by "Free Solo." Both films manage to say so much about humanity with completely differing approaches.

Last year I very incorrectly predicted "Faces Places" over "Icarus," because I believe that great filmmaking would prevail over subject. Most people are saying that "Free Solo" has this one in the bag, and I am tempted to predict it. But I have a feeling "RBG" might sneak in for the win.

Oxford Film Fest musings; What's next with the Oscars

2019-02-11T08:02:00.001-06:00

It's hard to believe, but just like that, the Oxford Film Festival is over. And in two weeks, the Oscars will be over as well.

This year's LGBTQ films at Oxford Film Festival were so incredibly special to me. I want to say a sincere thank you to everyone who came out to support Queer films, the films/filmmakers and me. I want to thank the filmmakers, actors, investors...everyone who played a part in making each of those films happen.

Obviously thanks to Melanie for continuing to trust me to program...and to Kayleigh for being a complete bad ass. And Maitland McDonagh for agreeing to jury the LGBTQ films. That was pretty bad ass. And my two Amys...I don't know what I would do without both of you. Women have played such a huge role in my life...the two of you honestly kept me afloat this weekend.

There were a few instances where my ego was taken down this festival, but those moments set the stage for true gratitude for the work that I did.

In the next few weeks look for reviews of "Giant Little Ones," "At the End of the Day," and "All We Are" as well as a profile on my friend Will Stewart - Angeleno/Mississippi native and director of "All We Are."

To John, Cheryl, Kevin, Stephen, Chelsea, Morgan, Malcolm, Lynn, Shawn, Will, Courtney, Jessica, Mark, Betsy, Russell, Oriana, Jane, Michael, Matt, Jack, Jo Ann, Lagueria, Daniel, Jaanelle, Drew, Michelle, Sam...

Thank you for coming to our festival and for making the LGBTQ q&as a complete delight. I feel an incredible bond with you in a way that is hard to explain unless you have every participated in programming for a festival. I know your work intimately and was able to connect with some of you in a personal way that I've never experienced at any other fest than Oxford.

The Oxford film community may feel the loss of our out of town brothers and sisters, but we should be recharged and ready to create. I know I am.

But first...The Oscars....

For any new readers I may have gotten post Film Fest...let me give you a little backstory. For almost 10 years I have written about the Oscars, here and at Awards Daily.

At AD I generally write one major essay per season, depending on what moves me. Last year it was "Love and Heartbreak" inspired by "Call Me By Your Name." A few years ago it was Best Actress...and (almost) every year that I can remember I have written about Documentary Feature and Foreign Language Film. I interview the actors, directors...it's often fun, always daunting.

When I couldn't land interviews with the team behind "Beautiful Boy" I shelved my planned piece on Addiction in Film for AD. A lack of response from emails to my editor at Awards Daily made me think twice about my FF and Doc pieces. I'm incredibly grateful for AD...when I publish there I get so much traction here. But this year, we just aren't feeling it, I guess.

Heading into the last two weeks of Oscar, I still have a few films to see.

New readers: I watch everything that is nominated. That isn't changing.

The remaining nominated films are:

At Eternity's Gate
Mirai
Never Look Away
Capernaum
Christopher Robin
Of Fathers and Sons
Shorts

Totally doable.

Now, some big news.

Traditionalists, hold on to your hats, "27 Days of Oscar" (where I write about every category and give my faves and predictions) is officially dead. This season, at least.

Instead I'm going to look at the things I really want to write about. First of all, the addiction piece is back.

Who cares if it won't help Timothee considering he didn't get nominated? That's not the right motive behind my writing at Awards Wiz. I don't get ad dollars, so no...I do this for me and the readers.

I also want to take a look at the LGBTQ films that made their way to Oscar...and what representation actually means for Queer actors. I've been so hesitant to write my thoughts on the subject...mostly because of the toxicity of Film Twitter and the heat packed into 280 words or less when anyone brings it up...but having taken a much needed break from the platform I'm not as insecure about my own, credible, experienced opinion and what others might have to say about it.

I am still going to look at the Docs and Foreign Films...but you will see that here.

And for the first time in a long time I'm going to take a crack at the Shorts.

Yes, I will write about the Acting categories, Directing and Picture, and I will give you predictions.

And that...will be that.

A peek inside this year's LGBTQ films at Oxford Film Festival

2019-02-07T13:58:00.001-06:00

Last night at Oxford Film Festival was Community Film Night, and it truly was amazing. It seemed as if the entire artistic community of Oxford came out to celebrate local film.

An added plus was having an Assistant Director credit for "Checked In," the 2019 Community Film directed by my friend Connor King, lensed by the wonderful Christina Huff and produced by OXFF director, Melanie Addington. Who knows, maybe next year you will see my directorial debut?!

Tomorrow really kicks things off for me as I finally get to show the world the films I programmed in the LGBTQ category.

Interestingly enough this year's batch of films goes back to 2017 with "At the End of the Day." Shortly before the submission deadline for last year's festival, this wonderful film was submitted and immediately landed at the top of my list to come to Oxford. Unfortunately things didn't work out, and I was crushed. BUT...the show must go on, and it did.

Then comes 2018. This year we had so many incredible options that I still had to reject films that I loved, but something was missing. I was feeling a strong need to program a movie that would serve as an antidote to the negatively and suppression we were feeling as an LGBTQ community. Not a documentary...a narrative feature that would leave the audience feeling hopeful.

A quick google search told me that "At the End of the Day" had done well on the film fest circuit but had yet to score a release date. (It has one now, which is awesome!) I crossed my fingers and reached out to the director asking him to resubmit. He did, and to my delight, we are showing the film...finally!

We have so many other incredible features this year as well...some fantastic Southern LGBTQ docs - "Gospel of Eureka" and Malcolm Ingram's Southern sequel of sorts to "Small Town Gay Bar," "Southern Pride." Several of the film's subjects will be in attendance which should make for an incredible q&a. We also have one of the absolute best documentaries I have seen this year, queer or otherwise, "Call Her Ganda."

Not to mention the other narrative films..."Jules of Light and Dark" a beautiful film we almost didn't get about the relationship between Maya, who recently breaks up with her girlfriend, Jules (played by Betsy Holt who will be in attendance!), after a car wreck and Freddy (the wonderful Robert Longstreet!) who discovers the couple after the accident.

And, "Giant Little Ones," which takes the coming out story and flips it in a unique and completely truthful way.

There are so many wonderful options, and I could go on and on about them, but you can read about them all for yourself here:

LGBTQ FILMS at Oxford Film Festival

The reason we have more films this year? Melanie applied for a grant from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (the Oscars) which allowed us to program additional features...which I then manipulated (with permission!) into a 2nd shorts block. Queer Edge.

A long, long time ago...some time in the summer of 2018 Melanie sent me a text about a film called "Hippopotamus." There may have been a couple of eggplant emojis in that text...which certainly intrigued me.

A couple of years ago there was a film submitted that involved some pretty explicit material, and I was apprehensive to program it...partly due to the fact it was my first year and also because it really stood out in its edginess. When it comes to programming a block, for me there are so many factors that go into it. As a group of films they need to have some sort of narrative through line. I also want the block to represent our entire community not only in the characters the films portray, but also behind the scenes. Standing out can actually do more harm than good when fitting the pieces of the puzzle together.

Once I watched "Hippopotamus," a thriller set in a gay clothing-optional resort, I found it less edgy in its use of male nudity, and more so in its writing/direction. This was one heck of a Queer movie. Next came "All We Are," directed by casting director turned first time director, Will Stewart, who grew up in Mississippi before moving to LA. This was a film I knew I wanted to program from the start but wasn't exactly sure how it would fit in a "traditional" shorts block.

A couple of weeks (or months?! Who knows?) later came "River," a film and character...forced to confront a (not so distant?) world where they must come to terms with who they are versus societal dictations. Also "Pepper," a film so unusual that it not only baffled the screeners but also me, despite absolutely loving it. I KNEW I wanted to show this film to an audience to let them judge it for themselves.

Suddenly, the idea of a separate experimental, edgy shorts block came to me.

"Sell Your Body" fit right in, speaking directly to my queer quirk sensibility and finally, right before it was go time came "Hiding in Daylight," the perfect companion to "River," showing a realistic "utopia" post gay purge and the lighter and bawdy "How I Came Out" followed by the very fun "Queen for a Day."

Our first screening of Queer Edge shorts is sold out, but you can still come to the added screening Friday night at 10:40pm. More information and descriptions are here:

Queer Edge Shorts

The creation of the Queer Edge Shorts category allowed for the LGBTQ+ Shorts category to open up to a wide variety of films that told a different type of story. Isn't it cool that we are in a time of queer filmmaking where we can begin to differentiate between ideas? The days of telling one type of LGBTQ story is over.

Each of the LGBTQ+ shorts take a look at relationships. With loved ones, family, ourselves...even television characters.

LGBTQ+ Shorts

One of the first to be submitted was "The Dress You Have On." A discovery challenges a couple to question the foundation of their relationship in director Courtney Hope Therond's wonderful short. In the experimentally told "home alone, baby blue," actor/director John e. Kilberg explores the trappings of his character's mind upon returning to his family home after a loss.

In three very different stories we see the relationship between parents and the LGBTQ children. A Mom makes a shocking discovery after left to pack her daughter's home after a tragic car accident in "Light in Dark Places." In "The One You Never Forget" we see Carey, nervously preparing for his first dance while his parents try to document the occasion. And finally there is "The boy who wanted to fly" which takes place in Madrid in the 80s.

Last but not least we have "You Say Hello" directed by OXFF alum, Lovell Holder. A young gay man retreats to his family home to end his life only to reconsider his plans after meeting up with a hustler.

BUT, THAT'S NOT ALL!

We have two more shorts playing before features. First is "Leia's Army," which was conceived after director Oriana Oppice attended the 2017 Women's March and met a young out teen who attended the march without telling her conservative parents. "Leia's Army" plays with "Call Her Ganda."

Playing with "Gospel of Eureka" is director/cinematographer Michael Williams's "A Son Inherit." This is by no means Michael's first film (he has had several at Oxford before) but this is his first to tell a fully LGBTQ story.

27 Days of Oscar, day 8: Processing my indifference and finding my MOJO

2019-02-05T07:10:00.000-06:00

A year ago I was not only riding the wave of the 2017/2018 Oscar season, I was equally thrilled about the year ahead. I was getting ready to interview Timothee Chalamet and preparing to finally put into words how much "Call Me By Your Name" meant to me. I had discovered that Timothee's next role was playing real life Nic Sheff in "Beautiful Boy" and Luca Guadagnino was making his own version of "Suspiria." In 2018 we were getting the gay conversion story, "Boy Erased" starring the wonderful Lucas Hedges and Gaga would be starring in the latest version of "A Star is Born."

I hoped very much that James Ivory would take the stage on Oscar night for his adaptation of "CMBYN," a win that would represent all that I loved about the movie. It happened, and he took Timothee on stage with him. His face on a shirt, that is.

It was a great end to a wonderful season.

This summer I wrote about my favorite films of the year...which was pretty amazing, even discovering that I had a new favorite film of all time, "Where the Wild Things Are." This was a surprise to me...but this film and my list gave me hope that I could continue to write with a singular voice about film in the very noisy landscape that was 2018.

As Oscar season approached I was already tiring of Twitter but I couldn't quite let go. Sometimes we latch on to the most toxic things in our life despite the damage they are doing to us.

First came "A Star is Born." It arrived with great praise, undeniable praise...but the vultures were there. One of the first posts I saw after Cooper was declared a Best Director contender back on August 31 was a comparison to Spike Lee.

It was only the beginning of Film Twitter's revisionist history of "A Star is Born." It worked. Cooper was out.

I will follow my My 2019 Oscars Mission Statement(s) and not "defend the offenses," but I will say this...both should have been nominated. And Cooper could have won Best Actor...and will probably lose to Rami Malek or Christian Bale...sigh.

On September 1st, both "Surpiria" and "Boy Erased" premiered at Venice/Terruride and Twitter took them down. I look forward to seeing "Boy Erased" again one day, but I agree that it was a disappointment. I think I may have said a few things in a tweet, but I didn't want to bash the film event though I didn't love it.

"Suspiria" has had a bit of a comeback of sorts thanks to the likes of the Indie Spirits and the film's champions (myself included!), but the digs keep coming. Just this morning I saw, yet again, the Indiewire piece stating that original "Surpiria" director, Dario Argento claimed the new version lacked the spirit of the original. Why? Why now? I hate this type of journalism. But that seems to be Film Twitter wants. They need something to hate, Indiewire provides.

"Beautiful Boy" premiered just a few days after "Surpiria" and "Boy Erased" in Toronto, and this takedown was a bit different. Initially, the response was muted in both its praise and criticism. Perhaps the bloodthirsty culture of Twitter collectively decided to take a back seat due to the subject matter. Briefly. A lack of understanding of what the filmmakers were trying to portray and not enough writers who got it being allowed to see the film (ME!) gave way to the vitriol. I had a fellow Galeca member say he wouldn't even consider Chalamet because that would mean he would have to vote for "Beautiful Boy." SERIOUSLY? What? I kept my mouth shut (that Mission Statement has really come in handy!!) Eventually a botched campaign by Amazon (spending money on ads isn't enough, people!!!) gave us...me...the worst snub of this year, with Timothee Chalamet without his 2nd Oscar nomination.

Honestly, that snub may have been the nail in this year's Oscar season for me.

Does that mean I give up? No. Absolutely not. There are a few films left to discover and some films to revisit.

I am still unsure of how the next 19 days will look. I have time to look at every category, but will I? Who knows?

I'm hoping that the energy of the Oxford Film Festival and the movies themselves will propel me to the finish line and a much needed break from writing about film and instead creating it.

Next year is the 10th Anniversary of Awards Wiz. Will I go out with a bang...or will this be a new age for the site. Time will tell....

27 Days of Oscar, day 5: STILL HERE (watching DOCS)

2019-02-02T07:50:00.000-06:00

Hello Oscarwatchers!

Although the site has been a bit silent over the last few days, I am still here and haven't stopped.

I will be posting a bit tomorrow and have much more for you next week.

In the meantime, check out the following trailers for the films I have been catching up on the past few days prepping for a look at Indie v/s Oscar: Documentary edition.

I will tell you this, had I seen the remarkable "Minding the Gap" (available on Hulu!) it very well may have creeped into my Top 10 films of the year.

Minding the Gap

Hale County This Morning, This Evening

On Her Shoulders

27 Days of Oscar, day 2: Indie v/s Oscar - ACTRESS edition

2019-01-30T08:07:00.005-06:00

I'm continuing to let the films lead me with this 27 Days of Oscar piece, and last night I watched a film that I have been hearing smatterings about for a while, "Madeline's Madeline."

I kind of hated this film. I found the screenplay exhausting in its uniqueness and both Miranda July and Molly Parker's characters/performances equally tiring. I have never imagined what it would've been like had my mother been present during some of my backstage theatrical experiences. And now I don't have to thanks to "Madeline's Madeline."

It's hard to tell if director Josephine Decker hates the creative theatrical experience or is simply precious in her view of it. Either way, I found her approach heavily affected.

Yes, Helena Howard is very alive at Madeline, and there are moments of greatness from both July and Parker...but it almost seems as if they were all tortured to get there. Yes...I see what they were going for...but, no thank you.

Speaking of Howard...

Similarly to the Independent Spirits Best Film category, the Best Female Lead is very different than the Academy. With the exception of Glenn Close for "The Wife," the list is comprised of women who didn't quite make it all the way but gave critically acclaimed performances.

Let's look at them, shall we:

Glenn Close, "The Wife"
Toni Collette, "Hereditary"
Elsie Fisher, "Eighth Grade"
Regina Hall, "Support the Girls"
Helena Howard, "Madeline's Madeline"
Carey Mulligan, "Wildlife"

All 6 of these performances are risky, unique, and fiercely independent. I've made not secret of my dislike of "Hereditary" and my qualms with Colette's performance in it, but somehow looking at the performance under the scope of risk and independence I can appreciate what she is attempting here. With a better director, this could have been great. Instead we get an overcooked performance in a laughable film. Sorry everyone...still hate it.

I really loved "Support the Girls" and wish I had space to honor it in some way, but it simply didn't happen. I was riveted by the film's naturalistic day in the life approach...something I really gravitate toward. In this case, a Hooters-esque restaurant, its cast of wonderful employees, manger (Regina Hall) and owner...all set to truth. Regina Hall creates a completely unique woman in Lisa...and although I might have put her a bit too intensely under the microscope comparing her to the likes of Lady Gaga, Close, Rosamund Pike, Melissa McCarthy...it is a great piece of acting even if I had some issues with it.

They you have Carey Mulligan who is simply electric as Jeannette in "Wildlife." If you haven't seen this film, you must. Another film that didn't quite make my top films of the year, it is a great piece of filmmaking. Yesterday I mentioned that "We the Animals" was probably my pick for Best First Feature, but now, I'm leaning toward "Wildlife."

Calling Jeannette "unlikeable" or "cold" is a bit sexist...we would never say that about a male character, I don't think...but she is complicated and searching.

Elsie Fisher is so vibrant in "Eighth Grade that she gives the impression that her dialogue is improv'd even though director Burnham insists that with the exception of a few "uhs" here and there, it is all scripted.

And finally we have Close, the one actress nominated for both the Oscar and the Indie Spirit. There have been years such as last year when an actress won both. Frances McDormand for "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri," Brie Larson for "Room" in 2016. Same with Julianne Moore in "Still Alice."

Actually, looking at the last 10 years, if the actress who eventually won the Oscar was nominated for a Spirit Award, she won both. So...will Close win? Probably. And I think she deserves it. If she goes home empty handed does that mean she loses the Oscar? Not in a year like this one.

27 Days of Oscar, Day 1: Indies vs the Oscars

2019-01-29T07:40:00.001-06:00

Remember when the Academy almost added the Popular Film Oscar?

If you're reading this website, then I'm guessing you do. If you don't...just think "Bird Box," Oscars edition.

Even without the new category, this has been the year of the Popular Oscar. There are the obvious films, "A Star is Born," "Black Panther," "Bohemian Rhapsody," but you also have "Roma," which has more than likely been seen by millions around the world thanks to Netflix, "BlacKkKlansman," Spike Lee's most "accessible" film in a long time. You have "Vice," immensely popular amongst the liberals in the Academy and beyond. Even "Green Book," a film that has been deemed divisive by the internet, but clearly, looking at the film's accolades from the very start at Toronto...not so much.

The Academy, and let's get real, ABC's need for this year's ceremony to be watched my more viewers, at least than last year has led them to scratch a host because no one was good enough...or willing to stand up to a complete evisceration by the same people (bloggers, journalists) bitching that the Academy was killing the Oscars with a proposed Popular Film Oscar.

No, I stand by the fact that the Oscars are actually being diminished by the people who claim to love it so.

BUT...the Academy is getting their popular Oscar category anyway. It's called Best Picture.

Indies at the Oscars

I LOVED the 90s. Especially 90s Oscars. It was before we had a million Oscar websites, mostly relying on Entertainment Weekly, Sunday Newspaper magazines and E! for our Oscar coverage. It was a time when Independent film almost always had at least one slot out of 5 for Best Picture- "Pulp Fiction," "The Crying Game..." and come out ahead in what I called the 90s BP consolation prize - Original Screenplay.

Last year we saw that again with "Get Out." Congrats on being an incredible film, but we're not giving you Best Picture...here's Original Screenplay. And Best Film from the Independent Spirit Awards.

There have been many years when the Independent Spirit Awards have had the same contenders for Best Film that the Academy nominated for Best Picture. Sometimes it is the consolation prize like last year's "Get Out," but in most recent years it has been a bell weather for a shifting tide. "Moonlight," "Spotlight," "Birdman" all went on to win the Oscar after prevailing at the Indie Spirits. In those 3 occasions I thought I was watching the consolation win only to be surprised on Oscar night.

One this is for sure, that will not be happening this year.

Film Independent nominated:

Eighth Grade

First Reformed

If Beale Street Could Talk

Leave No Trace

You Were Never Really Here

There was talk throughout Phase 1 that several of these might get nominated for the Oscar. At one point I was quite sure that "First Reformed" would get in. But, it didn't happen.

This is what the Academy gave us:

Black Panther
BlacKkKlansman
Bohemian Rhapsody
The Favourite
Green Book
Roma
A Star is Born
Vice

Looking even deeper at the Best First Feature category, you have 5 films that sadly never even had a chance at the Oscars.

Hereditary

Sorry to Bother You

The Tale

We the Animals

Wildlife

If I had to pick the film that would win the Indie Spirits, I would guess "If Beale Street Could Talk" would take the prize.

Last night I saw "The Tale," which was a harrowing film, flawed...but powerful. I feel the same way about "Sorry to Bother You." Truly original and independent, but kind of a mess at the same time. I found "Hereditary" a disaster only rivaled by "Vice" for my least favorite film of the year. And "We the Animals" and "Wildlife" amazing.

Don't be surprised if Film Independent (comprised heavily of film fans) goes for "Hereditary" here (and Collette for Female lead) but my vote will more than likely be "We the Animals."

So, what is going to win the Oscar for Best Picture? WHO KNOWS?! I can honestly make a case for almost every film. "Green Book" is my blind spot. But the weighted ballot might keep it off the list. Then again...how many members of Film Twitter are also Academy members?

The only film I think everyone seems to love that might survive the preferential ballot - "Black Panther."

Just don't hold me to that.

Post SAG awards; 27 Days of Oscar - a murky preview

2019-01-28T07:42:00.001-06:00

Tomorrow begins my "27 Days of Oscar" series and what did I find myself doing all weekend? Avoiding movies at all cost and binging "Degrassi: The Next Generation" and re-binging "Degrassi: The Next Class." Even now I find myself wanting to say more about that show (HEY, NETFLIX...why have you not gone ahead and renewed the 5th season of this awesome show!!!) than the Oscars but luckily another Awards Wiz saving good night's sleep has given this Oscar season (another!) 2nd, 3rd wind.

I had hoped that last night's SAG Awards would do the trick, but it didn't. Although I was grateful that the show moved along, and that it had some good moments, I found the majority of the show - from presenters to winners insincere.

For some reason, listening to the presenters drone on and on about how each performance was groundbreaking in its individuality and skill played tired. With the exception of Emily Blunt (which I unofficially predicted...ASK MY MOTHER!) and Rami Malek, I found the majority of the actors who won to lean toward canned or emotionless.

While others were praising Chadwick Boseman's amazing speech, I couldn't help notice that he seems to have lost a significant amount of weight and honestly seemed to ramble with a complete disregard to time and place.

Of course, this is Hollywood, a place where we reward actors for unhealthy weight loss/gain instead of casting actors of appropriate size, so if something is actually wrong with Boseman (I think there was) we may not know because the scripts are already pre-written for exactly how we are supposed to respond to a "Black Panther" win. Everything is fine here! Pay no attention to the truth behind the curtain.

Maybe I'm wrong, maybe it doesn't matter. I'm thrilled "Black Panther" won. Either way...it was a pretty dull night for me, when the unpredictability of this season should be exciting me.

So, what's going on with this race? Perhaps for the first time in a long time each voting body, Golden Globes, Critics Choice, PGA, SAG...they are simply voting for their favorites and using their own voice. Or have they been doing that all along and Oscar prognosticators have been wrong saying that they are simply doing their best to fit into the presumed Oscar narrative?

I will say this, now having experience...the way we categorize these voting bodies as a unified voice is completely wrong. When the Dorian Award nominations were announced, we were criticized, as a unit, (by at least one person on Twitter) for not including more LGBTQ directors in the LGBTQ Film of the Year. A valid response. I get it...two of the films I personally nominated, "1985" and "Alex Strangelove" were directed by Queer people but did not make the list. I'm sure I'm not the only one either. This is simply how the votes added up.

Who knows what might happen come Oscar night. I'm not feeling a groundswell for Bradley Cooper for the DGA ala Ben Affleck when he was snubbed in Directing by the Academy, so I think they will go for Cuaron although the Academy could go for Lee which means "A Star is Born" is probably out for Best Picture. I think the same people who would vote for that film are more than likely to go for "Green Book" at this point.

I do know that tomorrow I start my 27 Days of Oscar series despite having no clue what that is going to look like. In the past I have had almost 27 Oscar nominated films to watch (sometimes more) which has made the layout of the series one film per day for as long as I can remember. This year I think I have 9 to watch as well as several Indie Spirits films.

But, my passions are lining up elsewhere. I'm already looking forward to a hiatus from Awards Wiz to focus on directing "Doubt" for Theatre Oxford and finishing up my short film screenplay to shoot that as well. Heck...last night I even dreamed that I was at a theatre conference preparing for a mass cattle call for acting. Even my dreams are telling right now.

But, the show and 27 Days of Oscar must go on!

The morning after (nominations) - letting go and moving on

2019-01-23T06:59:00.001-06:00

Thank goodness Oscar nomination day is over. After a few weeks being semi unplugged, I couldn't resist the lure of post nominations Twitter, and honestly, I'm feeling a bit hungover. Last night, all geeked up on social media, trying my best to disconnect, I was considering just ditching this race altogether. Luckily his morning I woke up feeling creatively refreshed and ready to end this season on a high note.

We are officially in Phase 2, but before I completely let go of Phase 1, I need to process a couple of things. And I need more than 280 characters.

Letting Go

I've been thinking a lot about both Bradley Cooper and Timothee Chalamet's Oscar snubs, and how each campaign could've learned from the other.

In a perfect world, the work would speak for itself, but that's simply not how these things go. Although both Timothee and Bradley worked the rooms and made the rounds, something was missing from both the campaigns.

For Bradley, there seemed to be a lack of personal connection in his interviews. Where Timothee wears his heart and emotions on his sleeve, Bradley only lets you in so far. I believe that the film itself, and Cooper's performance in it gave us a closer look at Bradley the person than any of his interviews or exposes did, but he made it look too easy, especially for a first time director.

The high level of difficulty and scope of "Roma," the simplistic beauty of "Cold War" and the liberalism of "Vice" won out. Yorgos, on the other hand made it look very difficult...the opposite of simplicity. And Spike Lee damn well deserved it. I think it's Lee's Oscar to lose, with "Roma" as Best Picture. Today, at least.

I loved "A Star is Born" and think Cooper should have gotten in, but Film Twitter began a takedown of the film, particularly Cooper as director, almost immediately - although it lost steam up against the powerful tsunami of love the film elicits in people. The Academy and Hollywood loves him, otherwise he wouldn't have 7 Oscar nominations (4 alone for acting!) but the Directing branch is persnickety.

Timothee, played all the right notes, charming as ever, and Amazon wasn't afraid to spend the money on this campaign. But the thing they neglected to tap into, closer to nominations at least, was that group of people, critics included, who loved the film. Film Twitter killed the film's chances the night it premiered in Toronto, declaring it divisive, and Amazon never figured out how to recover.

I know there are people out there who are disappointed that Ethan Hawke didn't get in for "First Reformed" or Toni Collette for "Hereditary." To those people and to the ones upset for "Won't You Be My Neighbor" or Timothee or Emily Blunt, remember that the Oscars cannot erase your love for a film or a performance. The great ones stand the test of time, especially if we continue to introduce people to the work. If you are reading this and are as let down, pick yourself up, remember - it's only an awards show - and keep the work in your heart. Just don't be afraid to share it.

Moving On

So, now what?

I watch more movies and prep for my "27 Days of Oscar" series which will start in less than a week! So what films remain unseen after yesterday's Oscar nominations? Not a lot, thank goodness. I even got an early start yesterday with "Mary Queen of Scots." Quick thoughts on that one? Pretty dull, but with some killer costumes, particularly Elizabeth's near the end of the film. More on its chances later.

Here is a list of the films I have yet to see:

At Eternity's Gate
Mirai
Ralph Breaks the Internet
Never Look Away
Capernaum
Christopher Robin
Hale County This Morning, This Evening
Minding the Gap
Of Fathers and Sons
Shorts

It's a very doable list. So, let's do this!

Oscar nomination snubs and surprises

2019-01-22T08:08:00.002-06:00

Let's start this with a positive, ok? SO SO SO SO happy that the very deserving Marina de Tavira was nominated for "Roma." She delivers one of the best performances of the year. Sorry Emily Blunt. I joked that my double prediction might have been a sign that she was going to get snubbed for both, and I was right. I think the only categories I got perfectly were Production Design and Animated Feature, two of the easiest to predict.

Let's get my biggest disappointment out of the way.

I saw the writing on the wall weeks ago for Timothee Chalamet. Multiple emails to Amazon went unanswered for months. Then, just when I thought I was going to land the interviews, silence, again. I simply didn't have the heart not to predict him. Sam Rockwell is fine in "Vice," But to say he is better than Chalamet is a joke. But the bleeding heart liberals in the Academy (and elsewhere) don't seem to care that the film is a mess because it reminds them that they are validated in their hatred of Cheney/Bush. I'm really irritated about this, but not at all surprised.

Dear Amazon,

Next time, listen to me.

Thanks,
Brian

SNUBS

Bradley Cooper, Best Director

Again, Adam McKay over Cooper is ridiculous. That being said, I'm so happy that Spike Lee got in. Never underestimate the foreign faction of the directors branch. Many people (including myself) wondered if they would go for Lanthimos OR Pawlikowski. They went for both.

Won't You Be My Neighbor, Best Documentary

This is a real disappointment for me. I know people loved "Hale County This Morning, This Evening," but I found it boring and couldn't finish. I'll give it another shot today. This is a shock. "Free Solo" should have this in the bag now.

First Man, Original Score

Many people thought this was the front runner, including myself. Not quite.

SURPRISES

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
For a second there I thought we were going to see a Best Picture nomination for this. First the Costume Design nomination, then Adapted Screenplay and Song...but alas, it didn't happen. But I bet it was close!

Never Look Away
I didn't predict "Never Look Away" because I simply couldn't go against my beloved "Burning," which was robbed, but not surprisingly left off. But that Cinematography nom!?! Was anyone expecting that?

Willem Dafoe
I wouldn't say that Sam Rockwell was a surprise, but this is a bit of a shock to me. But, I haven't seen it. We were all wondering if Ethan Hawke or John David Washington would get in, and alas, it was neither.

2019 Oscar Nominations (complete list)

2019-01-22T07:47:00.001-06:00

Best Picture
Black Panther
BlacKkKlansman
Bohemian Rhapsody
The Favourite
Green Book
Roma
A Star is Born
Vice

Best Director
Spike Lee, "BlacKkKlansman"
Yorgos Lanthimos, "The Favourite"
Alfonso Cuaron, "Roma"
Pawel Pawlikowski, "Cold War"
Adam McKay, "Vice"

Best Actor
Rami Malek, "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Willem Dafoe, "At Eternity's Gate"
Viggo Mortensen, "Green Book"

Bradley Cooper,"A Star Is Born"

Christian Bale, "Vice"

Best Actress

Melissa McCarthy, "Can You Ever Forgive Me"

Olivia Colman, "The Favourite"

Lady Gaga, "A Star is Born"

Glenn Close, "The Wife

Yalitza Aparicio, "Roma"

Best Supporting Actor

Adam Driver, "BlacKkKlansman"

Richard E. Grant, "Can You Ever Forgive Me"

Mahershala Ali, "Green Book"

Sam Elliott, "A Star is Born"
San Rockwell, "Vice"

Best Supporting Actress

Emma Stone, "The Favourite"

Rachel Weisz, "The Favourite"

Regina King, "If Beale Street Could Talk"

Amy Adams, "Vice"

Marina de Tavira, "Roma"

Best Cinematography

"Cold War"

"The Favourite"

"First Man"

"Roma"

"A Star is Born"

Best Adapted Screenplay

"BlaKkKlansman"

"Can You Ever Forgive Me"

"If Beale Street Could Talk"

"Leave No Trace"

"A Star is Born"

Best Original Screenplay

"The Favourite"

"First Reformed"

"Eighth Grade"

"Roma"

"Vice"

Animated Feature

"Isle of Dogs"

"Incredibles 2"

"Mirai"

"Ralph Breaks the Internet"

"Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse"

Best Costume Design
“Black Panther”
"The Ballad of Buster Scruggs"

“The Favourite”

“Mary Poppins Returns”
“Mary Queen of Scots”

Best Documentary Feature
“Free Solo”
“Minding the Gap”
“RBG”

"Hale County This Morning, This Evening"
"Of Fathers and Sons"

Best Editing

"Bohemian Rhapsody"

"BlacKkKlansman"
"The Favourite"
"Green Book"

“Vice”

Best Foreign Language Film
“Capernaum” (Lebanon)

"Never Look Away" (Germany)
“Cold War” (Poland)

“Roma” (Mexico)
“Shoplifters” (Japan)

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
“Border"

"Mary Queen of Scots"
“Vice”

Best Production Design
“Black Panther”
“The Favourite”

“First Man”

“Mary Poppins Returns”

“Roma”

Best Original Score
"Black Panther"
"BlacKkKlansman"
“If Beale Street Could Talk”

“Isle of Dogs”
“Mary Poppins Returns”

Best Original Song
“All the Stars” (“Black Panther”)

"The Place Where Lost Things Go"
“I’ll Fight” (“RBG”)

“Shallow” (“A Star Is Born”)
“When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings” (“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”)

Best Sound Editing
"Black Panther"
"Bohemian Rhapsody"
"First Man"

"A Quiet Place"

"Roma"

Best Sound Mixing

"Black Panther"
"Bohemian Rhapsody"
"First Man"

"A Star Is Born"
"Roma"

Best Visual Effects
“Avengers Infinity War”

"Christopher Robin"
“First Man”

“Ready Player One”
"Solo: A Star Wars Story"

Best Live Action Short

“Detainment”
"Fauve"

“Marguerite”
"Mother"
"Skin"

Best Animated Short

"Animal Behavior"
“Bao”
"Late Afternoon:
"One Small Step"
“Weekends”

Best Documentary Short

"Black Sheep"
"End Game"

"Period. End of Sentence."

"Lifeboat'
"A Night at the Garden"