Tag Archives: Oscars

Oscars 2018 Predictions


Are you ready for all the glitz and glamour of Hollywood’s biggest night of the year?  On Sunday, the Oscars 2018 will take place.  Hopefully, there will be no repeat craziness (like last year’s La La Land/Moonlight mixup).

I will admit that two weeks ago I woke up and realized I hadn’t seen 90% of the films nominated this year.  A binge followed.  Luckily, I have a friend in the industry that helped me with this post, making sure I got to see all of the movies I had not been able to see yet.

Without further ado, here are my picks for this year’s Oscars.

Actor in a Leading Role

Timothée Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name)
Daniel Day-Lewis (Phantom Thread)
Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out)
Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour)
Denzel Washington (Roman J. Israel, Esq.)

REASON: Seriously, do you think anyone else will win?  Dude is playing Winston Churchill.  That’s a tall order, as well as a major transformation.



Actor in a Supporting Role

Willem Dafoe (The Florida Project)
Woody Harrelson (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)
Richard Jenkins (The Shape of Water)
Christopher Plummer (All the Money in the World)
Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

REASON:  Sam Rockwell…the same goofy guy from Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.  Technically, he usually plays that goofy guy in every film.  His role in this film was so powerful.  You love to hate him as he tries to go from being a horrible, self-centered asshole to a normal person.  While, Woody Harrelson also stars in this film and did an extraordinary job, Sam kind of knocked it out of the ballpark.

Actress in a Leading Role

Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water)
Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)
Margot Robbie (I, Tonya)
Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird)
Meryl Streep (The Post)

REASON: McDormand is a powerhouse.  The other ladies pale in comparison to her role in Three Billboards.  She was beyond incredible.  I loved her character.

Actress in a Supporting Role

Mary J. Blige (Mudbound)
Allison Janney (I, Tonya)
Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread)
Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird)
Octavia Spencer (The Shape of Water)

REASON: While I love Octavia Spencer and enjoyed her performance in The Shape of Water, Laurie Metcalf is my pick.  Within the first two minutes of watching her in Lady Bird, I thought…she’s the one that should win.



Animated Feature Film

The Boss Baby
The Breadwinner
Coco
Ferdinand
Loving Vincent

REASON: As much as I loved Coco, and loved the story from The Breadwinner, my pick is Loving Vincent.  This film is a work of art. With 100 artists telling the story of what happened to Vincent Van Gogh (did he kill himself, or did someone else?), you can’t help but notice how this film is unique and unlike any other animated film you’ve ever seen before.  They tell the story as if you are in a Van Gogh painting.  It was purely remarkable and unique.  It was far superior to any of the other nominees.

Cinematography

Blade Runner 2049
Darkest Hour
Dunkirk
Mudbound
The Shape of Water

REASON: I will admit that I have been tossing back and forth on which film should win.  My doubts with Blade Runner 2049 is that it is purely CGI, but beautifully done.  It would not surprise me if Dunkirk won.

Costume Design

Beauty and the Beast
Darkest Hour
Phantom Thread
The Shape of Water
Victoria & Abdul

REASON: I may be biased. Beauty and the Beast is my all-time favorite Disney cartoon.  Seeing Belle in her dress, and the Beast looking so dapper…I am just a little biased.  Also, if you have not seen Victoria & Abdul, you have to see it.  One of my favorite films from this year’s nominees.



Directing

Dunkirk (Christopher Nolan)
Get Out (Jordan Peele)
Lady Bird (Greta Gerwig)
Phantom Thread (Paul Thomas Anderson)
The Shape of Water (Guillermo del Toro)

REASON: I can’t stand Dunkirk.  The editing was so horrible, you can’t expect me to say Christopher Nolan should win.  Get Out was incredible and a great movie (very unique).  But I chose Guillermo del Toro for a reason.  When I finished watching The Shape of Water, he left his mark on my soul.  This film was so well done, I was tweeting del Toro about how much I enjoyed his film while I was still in front of the movie theater.

Documentary (Feature)

Abacus: Small Enough to Jail
Faces Places
Icarus
Last Men in Aleppo
Strong Island

[TBD]

Documentary (Short Subject)

Edith & Eddie
Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405
Heroin(e)
Knife Skills
Traffic Stop

REASON: This short started off as a story about the oldest inter-racial couple in America.  The story turned into something much more powerful.  Heroin(e) is being listed as everyone’s favorite to win.  While it is an interesting story, I think Edith & Eddie is more incredible.  When they started filming this, the crew had no idea the story would change.



Film Editing

Baby Driver
Dunkirk
I, Tonya
The Shape of Water
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

REASON: I hated Dunkirk purely because of the editing…watch, it will probably win for editing.  I chose Three Billboards because of the ending.  It reminded me of the ending of Prisoners, where the last few minutes of the film are the most important minutes of the entire movie.

Foreign Language Film

A Fantastic Woman
The Insult
Loveless
On Body and Soul
The Square

[TBD]

Makeup and Hairstyling

Darkest Hour
Victoria & Abdul
Wonder

REASON: They transformed Gary Oldman into Winston Churchill.  To me, that is remarkable.

Music (Original Score)

Dunkirk
Phantom Thread
The Shape of Water
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

REASON: While I love the music to Phantom Thread, it is the score from The Shape of Water that is unique.  When you hear it, you instantly think of this movie, the water, the love story…the song beautifully matches the magic of the movie.

Music (Original Song)

Mighty River (from Mudbound)
Mystery of Love (from Call Me By Your Name)
Remember Me (from Coco)
Stand Up for Something (from Marshall)
This is Me (from The Greatest Showman)

REASON: While “Remember Me” from Coco sticks out as such an incredible song, “This is Me” is my theme song for 2018.  It is such a wonderful and powerful song.  I expected The Greatest Showman to receive more nominations, because I had goosebumps from start to finish when I watched the film.  Best Original Song was its only nomination, and they chose the best song from the movie.



Best Picture

Call Me By Your Name
Darkest Hour
Dunkirk
Get Out
Lady Bird
Phantom Thread
The Post
The Shape of Water
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

REASON: I loved The Shape of Water, but when it comes right down to the movie I want to represent the 2018 Oscars as the best picture, I have to go with Three Billboards.  That is the movie I would want everyone to remember.  The Shape of Water and Three Billboards are the two top contenders for this category.  I would be happy with either of them winning.

Production Design

Beauty and the Beast
Blade Runner 2049
Darkest Hour
Dunkirk
The Shape of Water

REASON:  Have you seen Blade Runner 2049?  The other films pale in comparison in this category.



Short Film (Animated)

Dear Basketball
Garden Party
Lou
Negative Space
Revolting Rhymes

REASON: Dear Basketball is Kobe Bryant’s retirement film.  There is a powerful message in the story of how basketball shaped Kobe’s childhood and made him into the person he is today, all the way to the end where he has to say goodbye.  It is an ode to the love of the game.  For any sports fan, they will understand how moving this is.

Short Film (Live Action)

Dekalb Elementary
The Eleven O’Clock
My Nephew Emmett
The Silent Child
Watu Wote/All of Us

REASON: When this story gripped the headlines, my heart went out to the people on that bus.  The re-telling of this story may be difficult for people to see, but it is the story everyone needs to see.



Sound Editing

Baby Driver
Blade Runner 2049
Dunkirk
The Shape of Water
Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Reason: I have to throw Dunkirk a bone.

Sound Mixing

Baby Driver
Blade Runner 2049
Dunkirk
The Shape of Water
Star Wars: The Last Jedi

REASON: Or two.

Visual Effects

Blade Runner 2049
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Kong: Skull Island
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
War for the Planet of the Apes

REASON:  This was a pretty tough category to choose from.  When I saw Guardians, I pointed out how much I loved the visual effects.  I mentioned it to so many people.  War for Planet of the Apes was another favorite that I remarked on how it was so beautifully done.  Keep on going down the list and I have to go with the film that blew them all out of the water…Blade Runner 2049.



Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

Call Me By Your Name
The Disaster Artist
Logan
Molly’s Game
Mudbound

REASON: First, why was Logan listed in this category?  I mean, I love Logan, but you can’t make me choose the film that fucked me up emotionally for months.  For the record, I was really messed up that I was being forced to say goodbye to Logan.  I was not okay with saying goodbye.  Also, add in that this is an X-Men film.  Up for an Oscar nomination?  Huh?  If we were to go with how Logan fucked me up for months, then let’s give them an Oscar for how it emotionally messed me up.  But if you want to talk about an incredible story, you go with Mudbound.

Writing (Original Screenplay)

The Big Sick
Get Out
Lady Bird
The Shape of Water
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

REASON:  A lot of hot contenders here.  Only one is not up for Best Film.  Technically, the film wasn’t that great, but the story, on the other hand, was spectacular.  It is the very emotional, real life tale about Kumail Nanjiani and his wife Emily V. Gordon.  There were a lot of personal conflicts which will touch your heart.  The things you do for love…love of family, love of a dream, and the love of your life.  It was by far the best screenplay.  Hands down, none of the other films compare in this category.  That says a lot, considering I did not like The Big Sick as a film, and loved the other four nominees as a film.  The Big Sick is just an excellent screenplay.



The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo [Book Review]

If you are looking for a great summer read, pick up “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.”

There are very few authors that can transport you into a new world and make you feel like you are the actual character. In this instance, Reid places us in Evelyn Hugo‘s shoes and makes us feel like we are a famous Hollywood starlet during the golden age of Hollywood.  We see and feel what it means to be a rich and famous actress over the last 60 years.

From the roles of her youth to the changing of roles as she grows older, we see the risks she takes to remain on top.  What happens off screen is just as important to her success as what happens on screen.

The most unique part of Hugo’s story is seeing how a woman succeeds in Hollywood.  A woman’s success depends on who she is married to.  For Evelyn, she starts out marrying a man who gets her out of Hell’s Kitchen and into Hollywood.  The men that follow help her star status skyrocket, all the while hiding her true love…the one she will never be able to marry.

The question that follows Evelyn in the end is which of her seven husbands did she love the most?  The answer will surprise you.


The Story

Evelyn selects a young reporter named Monique to tell her story in an upcoming magazine article.  Monique is an important character in this, having  just come off of a breakup with her husband.  She is lost and grieving when this opportunity pops up to cover this story.

Evelyn, though, invites Monique to do this story under false pretenses.  Instead of a magazine cover story, she offers her the rights to a tell all book.  There is a reason why she selects this young woman to confess all to.  She is trying to tell her how their lives are intertwined without coming out and saying so in the beginning.  We are left to judge in the end whether Evelyn is a good or evil person. and whether this opportunity she gave to Monique is a great chance at success in the end.


Thoughts

I received an advance copy from Simon & Schuster and fell in love with the story.  I told the author everything I loved about her book while she signed another copy for me at the Book Expo.  Ironically, if you are a Popsugar Must Have subscriber, this book is in the June boxes (which means I have three copies now).

Simply put, I love this book.  Reid is masterful in her storytelling.  There are very few artists that can paint a picture of someone so well that you feel like you are the character.

I felt like I was Evelyn Hugo, a Hollywood starlet wearing an emerald green dress at the Oscars.  I felt her loves, mistakes and heartaches.  I felt the pain she felt, and asked myself if I was in her shoes, would I do things the same way?  The answer is yes.

After I turned the last page, I put the book down and realized that I took a little bit of Evelyn’s strength with me.  She taught me how to succeed in life.  That was the good I took from her story.

I always wondered if most of these marriages and relationships in Hollywood are staged to help people advance their careers.  This little glimpse into Tinseltown is almost like an exposé into how things really work there (i.e. the answer is YES, some are staged, some are real).

Of all the books I’ve read so far this year, this one is by far one of my favorites.  A must read for this summer.  I plan on adding the autographed copy to my library and sharing the other two copies with my friends.  It is such a great read.  It will not disappoint those who love celebrities and the good old glamour of Hollywood.

[Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from Simon & Schuster.  This post contains affiliate links.  If you click on a link, I may receive some form of compensation.]  


The Oscars 2017: All of the Films and Where to Watch Them

Every year, I try to see as many Oscar nominated films as I can, as well as catch up on all of those films my filmmaker friends are raving about that I haven’t seen yet.

For those wanting to run out and see as many of the films as possible, I’ve simplified the process for you a little bit.  Here are the 62 films and where you can see them.  Fortunately, many of these films are available to stream, while others are still in the movie theaters.  There are a few that are not currently on the market and will be released to video or streaming after the Awards are over.Most movies that are in between theater and DVD release will be made available for streaming over the course of these next three weeks.

To simplify which movies are nominated, I’ve made an Excel spreadsheet you can print out to keep track of which movies you’ve seen. 

Download [15.05 KB]

If you want a detailed list by category, you can find that on the Academy Awards website.  This list is for those who need a simplified version of all of the films nominated in alphabetical order and where you can find the movie.  [NOTE: a few films are available directly online and the links are provided in the chart below.]

For those wanting the cheapest way to see all of the Best Picture nominations still in theaters, Regal Entertainment is hosting a film festival 2/17-2/26.  Tix are $35.  DETAILS.

Film Nominations Notes
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi Sound Mixing Available on Hulu, Amazon Prime; Youtube ($12.99); iTunes ($12.99); Vudu ($12.99) and Google Play ($12.99); FandangoNow ($14.99).
13th Best Documentary Available on Netflix.
20th Century Women Best Original Screenplay Available in theaters and on Vimeo.
4.1 Miles Best Documentary Short Available online at NY Times and Vimeo.
A Man Called Ove Best Foreign Film
Best Makeup/Hair		 Available through Amazon streaming rental ($4.99) or streaming purchase ($14.99); iTunes; FandangoNow
Allied Costume Design Available on Vudu ($14.99); Amazon and FandangoNow (2/14/17).
Arrival Best Picture
Cinematography
Best Director
Film Editing
Production Design
Sound Editing
Sound Mixing
Best Adapted Screenplay		 In Theaters. Also available for streaming purchase through Vudu ($14.99); CinemaNow ($15.99).
Blind Vaysha Best Animated Short Film In theaters, Vimeo and other streaming sites.
Borrowed Time Best Animated Short Film In theaters, also available online through Vimeo and other sites.
Captain Fantastic Best Actor-Viggo Mortensen Available on Amazon; iTunes; and FandangoNow.
Deepwater Horizon Sound Editing
Visual Effects		 Available on Amazon; iTunes; and FandangoNow.
Doctor Strange Visual Effects Scheduled streaming/video release 2/14/17.
Elle Best Actress-Isabelle Huppert Amazon release 2/28/17.
Ennemis Intérieurs Best Short In theaters.
Extremis Best Documentary Short Netflix.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Costume Design
Production Design		 Available to stream 3/7; for sale 3/28.
Fences Best Picture
Best Actor-Denzel Washington
Best Supporting Actress-Viola Davis
Best Adapted Screenplay		 In Theaters; available 2/24 at FandangoNow.
Fire at Sea Best Documentary iTunes.
Florence Foster Jenkins Best Actress-Meryl Streep
Costume Design		 Amazon; iTunes; Vudu; FandangoNow; OnDemand.
Hacksaw Ridge Best Picture
Best Actor-Andrew Garfield
Best Director
Film Editing
Sound Editing
Sound Mixing		 In Theaters and on FandangoNow on 2/7/17.
Hail, Caesar! Production Design HBO; FandangoNow ($14.99).
Hell or High Water Best Picture
Best Supporting Actor-Jeff Bridges
Film Editing
Best Original Screenplay		 Available for sale or rent at FandangoNow.
Hidden Figures Best Picture
Best Supporting Actress-Octavia Spencer
Best Adapted Screenplay		 In theaters.
I Am Not Your Negro Best Documentary Available on Amazon 6/13/17.
Jackie Best Actress-Natalie Portman
Costume Design
Best Original Score		 In theaters.
Jim: The James Foley Story Best Song-“The Empty Chair” HBO
Joe’s Violin Best Documentary Short New Yorker.
Kubo and the Two Strings Best Animated Feature
Visual Effects		 Vudu; CinemaNow; FandangoNow.
La Femme et le TGV Best Short iTunes.
La La Land Best Picture
Best Actor-Ryan Gosling
Best Actress-Emma Stone
Cinematography
Costume Design
Best Director
Film Editing
Best Original Score
Best Song-“Audition (The Fools Who Dream)”; “City of Stars”
Production Design
Sound Editing
Sound Mixing
Best Original Screenplay		 In Theaters.
Land of Mine Best Foreign Film In theaters; FandangoNow.
Life, Animated Best Documentary Amazon Prime.
Lion Best Picture
Best Supporting Actor-Dev Patel
Best Supporting Actress-Nicole Kidman
Cinematography
Best Original Score
Best Adapted Screenplay		 In theaters.
Loving Best Actress-Ruth Negga Available at Vudu; FandangoNow.
Manchester By the Sea Best Picture
Best Actor-Casey Affleck
Best Supporting Actor-Lucas Hedges
Best Supporting Actress-Michelle Williams
Best Director
Best Original Screenplay		 In Theaters and FandangoNow, Vudu, iTunes, and Google Play on 2/7/17.
Moana Best Animated Feature
Best Song-“How Far I’ll Go”		 Available to stream 2/21/17.
Moonlight Best Picture
Best Supporting Actor-Mahershala Ali
Best Supporting Actress-Naomie Harris
Cinematography
Best Director
Film Editing
Best Original Score
Best Adapted Screenplay		 In Theaters. Available at FandangoNow on 2/14/17.
My Life as a Zucchini Best Animated Feature In theaters beginning 2/24/17 in select theaters.
Nocturnal Animals Best Supporting Actor-Michael Shannon Available 2/7/17 at FandangoNow, Amazon, iTunes, GooglePlay and Vudu.
O.J. Made in America Best Documentary Hulu.
Passengers Best Original Score
Production Design		 In theaters.
Pear Cider and Cigarettes Best Animated Short Film In theaters.
Pearl Best Animated Short Film Youtube (make sure to have a VR headset).
Piper Best Animated Short Film FandangoNow.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Sound Mixing
Visual Effects		 In theaters.
Silence Cinematography In theaters.
Silent Nights Best Short In theaters.
Sing Best Short In theaters.
Star Trek Beyond Best Makeup/Hair Available for sale everywhere.
Suicide Squad Best Makeup/Hair Available for sale everywhere.
Sully Sound Editing FandangoNow, Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, Vudu.
Tanna Best Foreign Film Available 2/7/17 on iTunes.
The Jungle Book Visual Effects Available for sale and on Netflix.
The Lobster Best Original Screenplay Amazon Prime; FandangoNow.
The Red Turtle Best Animated Feature In select theaters.
The Salesman Best Foreign Film In theaters.
The White Helmets Best Documentary Short Netflix.
Timecode Best Short marvinwayne.com/en/timecode
Toni Erdmann Best Foreign Film Available to stream 4/11/17
Trolls Best Song-“Can’t Stop the Feeling” Vudu; FandangoNow.
Watani: My Homeland Best Documentary Short In theaters.
Zootopia Best Animated Feature Available for sale and on Netflix.

Oscar Watch: “Family on Board” Given Oscar Consideration

(Courtesy of George Pogatsia, Director, Writer and Star of “Family On Board”)

Gino Cafarelli and George Pogatsia of "Family on Board."
Gino Cafarelli and George Pogatsia of “Family on Board.”

The big news coming out of the New York City International Film Festival (“NYCIFF”) is that “Family on Board” and “Malan Breton: A Journey to Taiwan” were submitted to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for a 2016 Oscar consideration.

“Family on Board” won in every category the short film was nominated in.  It picked up three NYCIFF awards for Best Narrative Short Film USA, Best Director in a Narrative Short, and Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Short Narrative Film.

Here is the official press release…
IMG_9576 (1)

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOCOjkLUqos]

You can read more about the short film Here and Here.

Congratulations to everyone that was a part of “Family on Board.”  If you get an opportunity to see it, it is a must see.  This short is the type of production that sticks with you long after you have seen it.  You will constantly be wondering about the fate of Mike Petito.  It will leave you with questions on whether a hero trying to save someone deserves to be thrown in prison.  It will also teach you a life lesson about staying true to yourself no matter what the circumstances are.

Kudos to George Pogatsia.  He created a masterpiece which (hopefully) is the beginning of a much bigger masterpiece down the line.

We’ll keep you updated on the film’s journey to Oscar night.