2020 isn’t a year that anyone is going to look back on with much pleasure, but awards ceremonies have to award ceremony, if only to ensure advertising revenues are swept up. Even with a weakened field due to the lack of obvious blockbusters (West Side Story, Dune, In The Heights, Top Gun; Maverick), there were plenty of good films to choose from.
After some shonky work from the Golden Globes and BAFTA, the Oscars made good on their iconic position and made their own front-runners this year. Nomadland has been a front-runner from day one, but it’s also a tough watch for anyone but Oscar-watchers, so it’s nice to see entertaining, funny films like The Trial of the Chicago 7 and Borat 2 garner noms for Sacha Baron Cohen and Maria Bakalova, plus screenplay nods too. The most popular of the bunch is likely to be the blistering, provocative and issue-driven Promising Young Woman, ridiculously denied a nomination in the BAFTAS for Carey Mulligan, an error resolved happily here. And it’s a nice bonus to see the rousing song from the Eurovision movie rewarded here…
Elsewhere, talking points include Glenn Close demonstrating her versatility by snaring a Razzie AND an Oscar nom for Hillbilly Elegy, strong showings for Netflix titles like Mank, less so for Da 5 Bloods, News of the World or Amazon’s One Night in Miami, the last three all left out of the best picture category. The ongoing problem is that most of these films are familiar from streaming months ago, or not familiar to audiences at all because they haven’t been released and don’t even have a release date; as with the miserable ratings from the Golden Globes, having awards without a complete field of films is a downbeat business that is likely to turn viewers off.
The bottom line is that movies with big money-making potential were understandably not released with cinemas closed, leaving the streaming services largely competing against themselves. While the awards appear to have tackled their diversity problems successfully (two female directors, Riz Ahmed, Minari, Leslie Odom Jr), the point of the Oscars, to celebrate excellence in movies, is left somewhat in tatters. The Academy deserve credit for picking the best of the eligible bunch, but low public awareness and dismal, underwater ratings beckon at a time when cinema desperately needs a leg up.
Full list of 2021 nominations can be seen at https://oscars.org/
Chloe Zhao Win for Nomadland 🙂
The Harrison Cinema sounds a good idea. Given you have several windows in your house all a good six feet part and maybe more than one television set you could have invented a new way of watching pictures. You might even supply free coffee.
It would be in better fettle than the real cinema right now….
Get going with hiring a popcorn machine.
I wasn’t too enthusiastic about this year’s Oscars for obvious reasons, but I have to admit the Best Picture choices all look pretty good. I just watched Nomadland today, so I’m at least one down at the moment.
The Sound of Metal is good too, but it’s all indie counter-programming and no big studio beasts. The big films just areen’t in competition other than from streamers…
I didn’t even know the Oscars were still going on. Well, they can always stop another year I guess.
They do it to annoy you
I would have been surprised, but Bookstooge Gamma visited the either day and spilled the beans.
You know, this whole broken continuum thingy could really have some great side benefits.
This year, there is only one contender, Alex’s production of Critters vs Leprechauns, starring Sir Anthony Hopkins and Riz Ahmed. You should see it!
Is Megan Fox in it?
Big time. Oscar worthy work from her.
Well, I guess she really is turning her career around. I’m surprised Jen hasn’t jumped on this bandwagon.
Jen leads the critters!
Well, that is great news. Always good to see actors getting back to their roots. Keeps them humble…
Jared Leto will play the Lep.
Oh, I bet Warwick is pissed at that!
Warwick has a knowing cameo, he’s cool with it. Alex is scripting it out, money in the bank for all of us!
Excellent. My last bank heist only netted me 3 hamburgers, so I’m in need of some serious cash flow.
Hmm…that may not have been a bank if you walked out with hamburgers. Maybe a planning issue?
Could be. I let Mr Zip the monkey do the planning….
Aha, and I take it that I’m speaking to Mr Zip now? Well, did the bank you robbed have a logo that looked like Golden Arches? Did it, Mr Zip?
No, I’m Bookstooge Prime. Mr Zip is a stuff monkey toy. How could he use a keyboard?
Mr Zip is partial to chicken fingers so I made it a point to make sure we didn’t rob any chinese restaurants by accident. Guess I should have been even more specific.
I couldn’t see any golden arches, but the mask was making it hard to see.
I was thinking about a Point Break type heist with the WP4 disguised as political figures de jour. we use the money to finance a Lep film, so no theft involved; what we give back to the people is ten times what we steal.
Hmmm, that is a very clever idea. Do we get to use masks from all of history or just recent (ie, last 200’ish years)?
The Love/War Boat would make an excellent getaway vehicle too.
Keep the motor running on the boat, because we’re heading off with more than burgers!
All of history. Since we’ll be making history with this robbery!
Well, I’m claiming the Paul Bunyan mask then. Since he’s the founder of Canada, I figure that’s as political as it gets.
I was going to suggest we hide our stash on the moon, but I know your feelings about the moon people….
My remarks about the moon people have been taken out of context. No one has done more for the moon people than me.
I’m going as Keanu Reeves. He’s prime minister of Kung fu.
No one has done more for them than you? For the record, just how many of them have you kidnapped? I’ve kidnapped at least 500.
I just watched, in the background, Man of Tai Chi (again) today. Ahhh, love those martial arts movies 🙂
I will claim the Scarlett Witch mask, for obvious reasons.
A bit of a damp squib then this year. Also maybe you can help me out on this one.. I’ve been wanting to see the Riz Ahmed movie Sound of Metal. Internet says it should be on Amazon UK since January 29th but it isn’t and hasn’t been. What’s going on?
A good question. Last I heard, Nomadland was out January 1st, Promising Young Woman was out Mid Feb. Although they all sent me screener discs before Xmas, the releases have been pulled and delayed over and over again. An Oscar nomination only provides a couple of months of exposure, so hopefully they’ll be quickly scheduled for UK release soon, but right now, it’s a shambles; I’ve been sitting on these reviews for months, but according to awards rules, I can only run them WOR ie week of release. If you drive up to my house and peer through the window, you can see Sound of Metal so give me a text if you are passing by…
It doesn’t seem fair to me that Sound of Metal has been on Amazon Prime USA since 2019 or similar but not here, and Riz is bloody English so double unfair. Dunno about the others am happy to wait for them.
If you hide your IP number, it’s easy enough to see Prime or Netflix in any other territory. It’s no help to me, though, because although I can see the film, there’s little point in me reviewing it until the public can see it too. Otherwise I’m advertising a product that most of my readers can’t see. Still, plenty of Chevy Chase movies to tide us over…
Blerk to Chevy. I don’t know how to hide my IP number and anyway my account is in UK so how can Amazon USA not see that?
But if you flew to NYC, the same account would allow you to watch what’s on Amazon US. Plentiful free products online allow you to conceal your VPN or Visible Pants Number. Thus your under crackers will be visible globally. Any questions?
No. I’ll wait. Sigh.
If you re-capitulate the interociter on your duo-flange VPL, then fly to Greenland and watch the film on your iphone with subtitles, that should do it. Or just watch the trailer over and over again and use your imagination.
Ditto previous comment.
So Do you want mustard on your panini? or not?
Depends on what’s in the panini. Roast beef and horseradish with a bit of iceberg lettuce and mayo is my fave.
I’m sorry, I have to serve alternate universe Bookstodge first, you’ll have to wait.
That’s fine, A.U Booky is just as important at O.U Booky.
That is accurate in a sense.
Of course!
I am equally fond of them both.
Me too.
I seem to be able to access everything here in France. They know how to handle Netflix and the other tech giants here, I’ll give them that.
Another fantasist. You are not in France, toots. Is this your contribution to the Oscar debate? Critters vs Leprechauns? Actually, that sounds good! I’d watch it!
You’re so lucky!
Critters vs. Leprechauns sounds better than anything I’ve heard getting Oscar buzz this year. Or for many years, actually.
Let’s make it! Money in the bank!
It’s very nice here! But I do think it’s time to come home.
Bon voyage!
To Canada?
No he’s in Canada, going home to France I think. He’ll be missing the Chample easies.
Alex in Canada? Wut?
He’s ambidextrous.
The Gaul? Helmet with wings? Pal called Obelix ?
I’m amazed it hasn’t been made yet. Seems to me we should be able to buy up the rights for a peck of quid, or whatever a case of beer goes for at that store Fraggle hangs out by.
I think that store price their goods specifically to attract the likes of fraggle…
the likes of??? How very dare you!? I’m unique.
Yes, that appears to be true also.