Today feels like Saturday. Or like Friday, 12.25, will probably feel. What’s the difference? There are no weekends, no holidays…life is an eternal flatline. Okay, sorry, too downerish…it’s not an eternal flatline. Life is a festival of joy. Seriously, at least Orange Plague is history.
Daily
A Sensible Conclusion
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has respectfully declined to go along with Focus Features’ suggestion that Emerald Fennell and Carey Mulligan‘s Promising Young Woman (12.25) should be classified as a comedy or musical as far as the Golden Globe awards are concerned. It will instead compete as a drama.
Eight days ago (12.14) Variety‘s Clayton Davis reported that Promising Young Woman had been “submitted by Focus Features to the Golden Globes in the comedy or musical categories.” In a 12.15 piece called “Loosely Defined,” I wrote that “there’s nothing the least bit amusing about Promising Young Woman, and I mean not ‘ironically’, not darkly comedic or comedy of horrors…trust me, swear to God, take it to the bank, none of that.”
Promising Young Woman is a sharp and boldly drawn film that doesn’t pussyfoot or pull punches, and that’s why it’s a stand-out. If there’s any 2020 film that expresses the saying “revenge is a dish best served cold,” it’s this one. But just because it exudes a certain dry, arch and frosty attitude doesn’t make it “funny”. Macabre wit, yes, but no snickers, titters or guffaws.
The HFPA and Hollywood Elsewhere feel one way; others disagree. In his 12.14 article Davis called Promising Young Woman “darkly comical”, and the headline of a 12.17 Carina Chocano N.Y. Times‘ profile of Fennell read as follows: “Emerald Fennell’s Dark, Jaded, Funny, Furious Fables of Female Revenge.”
Please watch Promising Young Woman when it begins streaming on 12.25, and if you agree with Davis and Chocano, please write and tell me what aspects of the film you honestly believe are funny or amusing or anything in that realm.
I’m Certain This Is Good
The Little Things is a grade-A, bucks-up, all-star movie for smart people…obviously. You can tell right off the top. Denzel means take-it-to-the-bank assurance — Denzel plus Rami Malek means that plus intrigue. Directed and written by John Lee Hancock…another assurance. Produced by Mark Johnson…ditto. Jared Leto as the psycho-wacko bad guy…the Kevin Spacey-level “John Doe” fruitcake hippie-hair douchebag fucktard. Plus music by the great Thomas Newman. Plus cinematography by John Schwartzman.
“Clashes between a Kern County deputy (Denzel) and a Los Angeles detective (Rami) occur during the investigation of a murder”…perfect.
Absolutely Final “Mangrove” Oscar Assessment
From Friendo #5: There actually is something of a history of foreign/international “TV movies” being released as theatrical features in the U.S. and then going on to Oscar success. I did some research on this a few years ago so here goes.
Ingmar Bergman did this several times (i.e. SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE, FANNY AND ALEXANDER), where a made-for-Swedish-TV “series” was cut down into an internationally released “theatrical” feature. Stephen Frears’ MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE was originally made for Channel 4 in the U.K., but was so acclaimed in its early festival appearances that it went on to garner a theatrical release even there (and, eventually, an Oscar nom for Best Original Screenplay). ENCHANTED APRIL was also made and released as a TV film in the UK but shown theatrically in other territories, and it wound up with three Oscar noms. And I’m sure there are more.
The catch, in all cases, is that these movies were released theatrically in the U.S. before they were shown on television or any other medium there (what happened internationally didn’t matter). The Academy has a longstanding rule about this. This year, the rule was supposed to be altered due to COVID. You were supposed to be able to qualify with a streaming-only release IF the movie in question was ORIGINALLY intended for theatrical release. The Academy then further modified those rules in October to state as follows:
“With the gradual re-opening of theaters, there are two methods of qualification for awards consideration in Best Picture and general entry categories through the remainder of the 93rd Academy Awards year (February 28, 2021):
“(1) Films which are intended for theatrical release, but are initially made available through commercial streaming, VOD service or other broadcast may qualify under these provisions; that the film be made available on the secure Academy Screening Room member site within 60 days of the film’s streaming/VOD release or broadcast; or that it meets all other eligibility requirements”
OR
“(2) Films that open in theaters in at least one of the six qualifying U.S. cities, depending on theater availability, may qualify under these provisions; that the film completes a qualifying run of at least seven consecutive days in the same commercial venue, during which period screenings must occur at least three times daily, with at least one screening beginning between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. daily; that it meets all other eligibility requirements; Six qualifying U.S. cities include: Los Angeles County; City of New York [Five Boroughs]; the Bay Area [counties of San Francisco, Marin, Alameda, San Mateo and Contra Costa]; Chicago [Cook County, Illinois]; Miami [Miami-Dade County, Florida]; and Atlanta [Fulton County, Georgia]; Drive-in theaters are included as a qualifying commercial venue in the above cities; an Academy Screening Room would be optional.”
Given that Amazon never intended the Small Axe McQueen movies for theatrical release AND failed to do a qualifying run as described above prior to (or on the same day as) launching the movies online, I really don’t see how the cat can be put back in the bag at this point. But perhaps Clayton Davis understands these rules differently.”
“Red River” Belt Buckle — El Cheapo Knockoff
I’ve been reading for years about monogrammed Red River belt buckles. An elite few (director Howard Hawks, John Wayne, screenwriter Borden Chase, et. al.) received personalized belt buckles as keepsakes after the 1948 western (actually lensed in ’46) finished shooting. Nine years ago Michael Cieply wrote about the matter of three missing Red River belt buckles in the N.Y. Times.
I’ve always wanted to see or better yet hold one of these real-deal belt buckles, which are about 4 x 3 inches. Knowing that to be impossible and fool that I am, I decided earlier today to buy a poor man’s version of one of the originals. Yes, I know — too shiny and brightly colored, but I’m figuring I can lacquer or grime it up when it arrives.
One thing I’ve always loved about Hanoi (which I’ve visited three times) is that it has its very own Red River flowing just north of the city.
An allegedly original Red River belt buckle.
Piece-of-shit Tijuana border crossing version.
Knockoff of Howard Hawks’ (HWH) RR belt buckle.
Those Huge Norelco TV Cameras
The fourth and final appearance of the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show was taped on Saturday, 8.14.65. Rehearsals took place from 11 am to 2 pm, as the lads were unhappy with the initial sound balance; they tinkered until it was right. A dress rehearsal took place at 2.30 pm in front of a studio audience of 700. The show itself began recording at 8:30 pm.
The initial plan was for that episode to be color. That summer had been spent converting the studio into color, the goal being that the Beatles would be the stars of Ed’s first color episode. But tech issues interfered. Sullivan had no choice but to tape the show in black and white.
“Vivid Emotional Truth”
Selma Dell’Olio‘s Fellini of the Spirits will stream on 1.2.21 via the San Diego Italian Film Festival. The doc honors the 100th anniversary of Fellini’s birth — the 101st is less than 20 days off.
I’ve watched three movies on acid — Fellini Satyricon, Sidney Pollack‘s Castle Keep and William Wyler‘s Funny Girl. Talk about melted and mesmerized.
A friend and I watched Satyricon together. We didn’t talk back to the screen, didn’t trade notes, didn’t chuckle…just sat there like marble statues. But when it ended, we looked at each other for two or three seconds before erupting in gales of laughter. Joyful, ecstatic laughter…all those grotesque Fellini faces, the impressions spilling over, all the perversity and phantasmagoria, etc. It was glorious.
Eddie’s Barber Is Cool
Craig Brewer‘s Coming 2 America (Amazon, 3.5.21) seems to have more on its mind than just a cash grab by way of Zamunda wealth porn. I have this idea — call it a conviction — that Brewer (Dolomite Is My Name, Hustle & Flow) is a lot more than just an Eddie Murphy “house” director, and that he knows how to spin this kind of material. Great cast — Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Jermaine Fowler, KiKi Layne, Leslie Jones, Shari Headley, Tracy Morgan, Wesley Snipes, James Earl Jones, et. al.
Political Influence
In the last paragraph of his review of Ryan Murphy‘s The Prom, New Yorker critic Anthony Lane alludes to hinterland loathing of strident p.c. badgering, which we know was a factor that favored President Trump, particularly in the run-up to the 11.3 election.
My reaction to The Prom was mixed-positive. I was just as uncomfortable as Lane was about the
as militant wokester instruction. And yet I melted toward the end because it plucked my parental heartstrings. Anyway…
Unhinged Despot Allegedly Pondering Martial Law
Three nights ago (Friday, 12.18), Orange Plague “discussed naming Sidney Powell, who as a lawyer for his campaign team unleashed conspiracy theories about a Venezuelan plot to rig voting machines in the United States, to be a special counsel overseeing an investigation of voter fraud, according to two people briefed on the discussion.” — from 12.19 N.Y. Times story by Maggie Haberman and Zolan Kanno-Youngs.
From Forbes‘ Nicholas Reimann: “On Thursday, [the pardoned] Michael Flynn said that Trump could deploy the military to swing states he lost to President-elect Joe Biden in order to “rerun” the presidential election.”
Straight Answers for Clayton Davis
Early this morning Variety‘s awards-handicapper Clayton Davis posted some thoughts about what pretty much everyone wants Amazon to do — i.e., enter Steve McQueen‘s Mangrove as a Best Picture contender and submit the other four as an Emmy award hopefuls. Because at 128 minutes, it happens to be 2020’s best feature-length drama.
Nobody will argue with a straight face that any of the other Small Axe films — Red White and Blue, Lovers Rock, Alex Wheatle and Education — have the horses to compete in the Best Picture race. But Mangrove (which I re-watched a night or two ago with Tatiana) clearly and obviously does. Everyone understands that McQueen is a masterful director working at the top of his game. Given the across-the-board praise for Mangrove, what Oscar strategist would insist that its proper place is with the Emmys?
Davis was responding, of course, to the LAFCA foodies yesterday giving the the entire Small Axe package their award for Best Picture.
As Davis notes, “Since LAFCA was established in 1975, no piece of art like McQueen’s has ever been awarded the top prize.” And no made-for-British-TV miniseries has ever been Oscar-nominated en masse. But this is a weird year, and there’s no clear dividing line between theatrical and streaming. There may be unmovable rulebook obstacles, but what a shame all around if so.
Davis has raised three questions — let’s cut to the chase.
1. Can Amazon make the pivot from Emmys to the Oscars?
Yes, if Amazon decides to. Davis: “Under the current guidelines, it looks as though Amazon would have to submit each of the five [Small Axe] films individually. A feature film only has to be at minimum 40 minutes, but that would mean McQueen would be competing against himself for five separate films. It’s hard enough to get AMPAS voters to choose between two films or performances released in the year by the same artist, and Amazon would have to build a consensus around one.” HE: Yes, they need to build a consensus around Mangrove.
2.. What was Small Axe intended for, and doesn’t that matter most?
No, it doesn’t matter. Small Axe was originally intended for British TV, yes, but things change. The pandemic has completely changed the rulebook. Mangrove began as one thing, and is now something else as a result of critical acclaim. It’s simply a matter of Amazon saying, “Okay, maybe the Mangrove fans have a point. Maybe we need to re-think and adapt rather than hold our ground, Alamo-style”
Davis: In January 2017, Variety reported that directors Joel Coen and Ethan Coen worked on their first-ever TV series with Annapurna Television. In August 2017, it was announced that Scruggs would debut on Netflix, and still, it was labeled as a ‘TV series.’ It wasn’t until July 2018, ahead of its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, that it was announced as a film and headed for the awards season. The film had six separate stories, with no narrative thread, with the film being named after the first segment. So is this just a marketing issue?”
3. Can you submit Small Axe as a single movie?
No — bad idea, can’t happen, won’t fly.