Happy Monday, all!
The nominations for the weirdest Oscars in recent history have dropped. THESE are the nominations for the year of our pandemic, 2020. The year that Los Angeles had all movie theatres closed for almost ten full months. The year we shifted to in-home movie premieres and zoom-call awards shows.
What's different about this year?
-Relaxed rules on movies needing to be released in theatres
-Extended deadlines for qualifying and nominations
-Later announcement of nominees and later Oscar Awards Presentation (April 25)
The biggest news is that I did NOT get nominated for editing The Last Laugh (the horror film, not the comedy), which was released last year and has been airing in the coveted 3am slot on Showtime! I really thought this was my year because our movie did not need a theatrical release to qualify. But, as they say, it is an honor just to be considered to be nominated. And since I considered it, I think I am the real winner this year.
Again, the complete list of nominations can be found here. (I linked it twice! I'm so excited!)
There are two women nominated in the directing category this year! That's a first. There's also Steven Yeun, the first Asian American actor nominated in the Leading Actor category and Riz Ahmed, the first Muslim man nominated in the same category.
I also want to say that in prepping for these nominations I have watched the following films: One Night in Miami, Judas and the Black Messiah, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Da 5 Bloods, The United States Vs. Billie Holiday and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. That line up felt like the most kick ass film class themed around Black Stories in American history! Wow! I am grateful for this line up of films and how they all seemed to play off of one another in terms of context and theme. With all of that quality and compassionate story telling, I am blown away that it's a slate of films from a single year. If that film "class" is all that came out of 2020, I'd be happy.
So where am I in terms of watching all of these movies?
I've seen 6 of the 8 Best Picture nominees, which covers a lot of ground in the other categories. I've got access to quite a few others, some for the low, low price of $19.99! Why does that feel so exorbitant? I mean, I know I'd buy tea and popcorn and end up spending that much at the theatre but it feels like a lot to spend at home where I am way more likely to get distracted by kids or construction or sleeping.
(REALIZATION!: I just figured out that one of the reasons I like movies is that it gives me a place to go where I won't be interrupted for two hours!!!! This makes sense. Gods, do I miss it! How's everyone doing? Are you ok?)
Anyway, I'm guessing I won't see the Short Subjects without the Laemmle Theatre to be my support mechanism. I was worried about the International Film Category as well, but this article helps track down as many films as possible. This will definitely be my least successful year as far as completing the challenge of watching every single film in every single category.
Let me give a nod to the weirdest nominations:
1. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm or if we use the full title, Borat: Gift of Pornographic Monkey to Vice Premiere Mikhael Pence to Make Benefit Recently Diminished Nation of Kazakhstan got two nominations! Two of them! It is nominated for Adapted Screenplay and Supporting Actress. Whatever you think of the film, or of this style of film making, the Academy generally ignores comedies. Lots of great comedic performances have been passed right over, so why are we bothering with this film right now? There were no other films to nominate in these categories? Sigh.
2. Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga is nominated for the Original Song Husavik. Again, comedy. Again, longer than average title. But this category always has the potential for super weird outlier films, so I'm less aggrieved.
3. A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmaggedon is nominated for best animated feature. Ok, I'm just picking on the long titles now. No judgment on the film but it amuses me to watch a film subtitled Farmageddon.
Let me end this opening post with my movie graveyard. Here lie the films I watched based on my best guesses that did not, in fact, receive nominations. Some are regretted, some are not:
Dick Johnson is Dead
The Way I See it
I Care a Lot
Malcolm & Marie
First Cow
Wonder Woman: 1984
The Invisible Man
TIME TO GET REVIEWING! Watch all the movies with me! Or read along! Or pick and choose! Do you need the nominations again? Here they are: nominations!
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