Yesterday N.Y. Times industry reporter Kyle Buchanan declared that The Pot-Au-Feu (aka The Taste of Things) is “absolutely” competitive above and beyond the Best Int’l Feature category. He believes this because Tran Anh Hung’s French culinary romance is “incredibly Academy friendly.” Most of us know what “Academy-friendly” means…a film that feels confident and well-crafted in … Read more
Vulture‘s Kyle Buchanan, Stacey Wilson Hunt and Chris Lee have posted a piece about the views and attitudes of the Academy’s new voters, all of whom were invited to join the Academy over the last two years and who constitute roughly 17% or 18% of the present membership. Of the 14 members interviewed, more than … Read more
Native American history, identity and (if the New Academy Kidz along with Variety’s Matt Donnelly have their way) inevitability. Sorry but the concept of merit needs to step aside; bigger, more important social fish need to be fried. But Leonardo DiCaprio never had a shot at a Best Actor nom. No way. Certainly not after … Read more
HE answer: There’s no way SAG/AFTRA and the New Academy Kidz would give a Best Actor Oscar to a white Italian actor playing a brute beast who slaps his wife around.
Killers of the Flower Moon‘s Lily Gladstone, whose performance as Mollie Burkhart is basically a supporting role (i.e., a victim who does nothing to defend or save herself from predatory Oklahoma beasties), recently won Best Actress trophies from the Gotham Awards and the New York Film Critics Circle. Her performance is admired in some corners, … Read more
This striking Vogue cover photo is about as good or glammy as it will probably ever get for Lily Gladstone…photography, lighting, the right angle, wardrobe…it all came together. Leo looks great also…pushing 50 in actuality, he looks like his mid to late 30s. After being attacked by Bobby Peru for allegedly diminishing Gladstone and her … Read more
Here’s a fast and blunt assessment of Scott Feinberg’s handicapping of Best Actor and Actress hotties, posted on 9.21.23. BEST ACTOR FRONTRUNNERS: Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer — HE: I realize he’s a likely nominee, but he wears the same chilly, cold-eyed, alien-from-Betelguese expression in every scene. Colman Domingo, Rustin — HE: A spirited channelling of an … Read more
Variety‘s Clayton Davis is reporting that Killers of the Flower Moon costar Lily Gladstone won’t campaign for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar (a prize she would almost certainly win without breaking a sweat) but instead for Best Actress, which is not my idea of a smart move. For one thing Gladstone will be going up … Read more
Emma Stone‘s Poor Things performance is an all-but-certain lock for a Best Actress nom, and the big Venice win for Yorgos Lanthimos‘ emphatically carnal, Terry Gilliam-like fantasy makes a Best Picture Oscar nom all the more likely. But don’t kid yourself. The New Academy Kidz will adore Poor Things, but the Searchlight release (opening on … Read more
In the immediate wake of Everything Everywhere All At Once winning seven Oscars out of eleven nominations, I was consumed by the deepest and darkest depression of my Hollywood journalism career. I knew this had happened because of the New Academy Kidz — recently consecrated Academy members who are resolute about making identity and wokesterism … Read more
“Then I awoke / Was this some kind of joke? / Much to my surprise / I opened my eyes” — from Bill Wyman‘s “In Another Land“, a track from “Their Satanic Majesties Request.” Silly me for observing a plain fact over the past six or so years. What I’ve said repeatedly is that woke … Read more
Originally posted on 1.27.20: On 1.14.20 author Stephen King stood up like a man and told the truth about the proper evaluation of excellence and award-worthiness in the realm of motion pictures. What was this brave and fearless statement? Simply that he “would never consider diversity in matters of art. Only quality. It seems to … Read more