#i vote their faces for best cinematography

[brian-in-finance]

Nick Laird, 6, at home in Co Tyrone

There’s a moment in Belfast, Kenneth Branagh’s new film, when two East Belfast Protestant women discuss the possibility of emigrating from the powder keg that was late Sixties Northern Ireland to, well, anywhere else. One says to the other: “All the Irish need to survive are a phone, a Guinness and the sheet music to Danny Boy.” (In the next scene, to hammer home the point, a drunk woman sings Danny Boy, badly, at a street party.)

Of course, the idea that Protestants in working-class Belfast might casually refer to themselves as Irish requires a certain amount of wish fulfilment, or ignorance, and elides one of the fundamental sticking points of the Ulster question, but early on an informed audience will realise that to expect authenticity from Belfast is beside the point. Branagh’s film is not meant to be a slice of neo-realism but instead is a kind of deliberately simplistic — even cartoonish — child’s-eye view of his childhood.

And that childhood was spent in a difficult time and place, when the country was exploding. After partition in 1921, discrimination against Catholics in the north was widespread in housing, gerrymandering, employment and voting rights. The Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association, formed in 1967, imitated tactics from the American civil rights movement, holding protest marches. By mid-1969 the Northern Irish prime minister, James Chichester-Clark, introduced “one man, one vote”, the movement’s central demand, but in August 1969, after rioting spread across Northern Ireland, culminating in the Battle of the Bogside in Derry, the British Army arrived in Northern Ireland.

It’s then that Belfast is set. In its opening scenes Branagh’s avatar, Buddy, a young Protestant boy playing in the street, is caught up in a raid by Protestant thugs arriving in his “mixed” neighbourhood, to drive out the Catholic inhabitants. Seen through the eyes of his child self, Branagh’s Belfast is a somewhat fantastical place, where working-class Protestants quote Milton and Yeats, old married couples flirt and dance around the living room singing love songs to each other, and Belfast society — in reality, intensely racially homogenous at the time — casually includes an Indian schoolteacher, an Indian shopkeeper, and Indian and Chinese classmates.

Even the violence is choreographed: at one point Buddy’s father faces off in a showdown with a gun-toting paramilitary baddie (Colin Morgan being effectively menacing) and defeats him by throwing a brick from thirty feet, while dozens of British soldiers look on. A working-class funeral features a huge live band (three trumpeters!) as well as singing and dancing from the bereaved son. Which is all to say, the movie is more like a musical than neorealismo, with the dream logic musicals require.

It’s an evocative, magic-realist sequence of memories and rehearsed tropes of working class life: hiding behind the sofa from the rent man, playing in the street, being called in for your tea, or chased up the stairs by your mammy for some small infraction. And no familiar aspect of Ulster is left unutilised. Ciarán Hinds (charming throughout) describes the “art to an Ulster fry”. The entire soundtrack is Van Morrison’s songs played at five- minute intervals. A Paisley-esque preacher gives his best, sweaty hellfire and brimstone sermon.

At times I wondered if it did not bear the same relation to reality, for a Northern Irish audience, as a Jewish audience perhaps feels when confronted with Benigni’s Life Is Beautiful. The same child’s view of a dark scene. And with its beautiful, advertorial cinematography (it opens and closes with a modern colour section of shots straight from the Northern Irish tourist board: Harland & Wolff’s Samson and Goliath cranes, the Titanic museum, Cave Hill) Belfast is squarely aimed at a foreign audience, rather than the home crowd, who may find, for starters, its hubristic title slightly limiting, and its take on that period of time — even if refracted through fifty years and the eyes of a child — somewhat schematic and sentimental. Still, taken on its own terms, as a piece of understandably indulgent memorialising, it is effective as a movie about the young Branagh or the adult Branagh’s idea of the young Branagh, it’s lovingly shot, and mostly finely acted (though Judi Dench’s accent is, to this Northern Irish ear, a bit ropey).

After 1969, when Branagh’s family left for Reading, the situation in Northern Ireland worsened. Though the army arrived initially to protect the Catholic population from sectarian retribution, relations deteriorated quickly. The situation became polarised and militarised, and in the circumstances the Provisional IRA assumed a leading role and, particularly after Bloody Sunday, emerged as the dominant force, as Irish republicanism became the principal political position for those seeking radical social change.

For years, I’d been proud that my father, living in Derry at the time, had been at Bloody Sunday, and had hidden under a car when the violence broke out: the British Army shot dead 13 unarmed men that day. When I was working as a lawyer on the Saville Inquiry into Bloody Sunday, I asked him for more details, and discovered that he wasn’t actually marching for civil rights at all, but caught up in the commotion on his way home from the pub.

Ordinary people in Northern Ireland have had to deal with extraordinary things for decades, and my own parents — sick of the place — had tickets to emigrate to Canada booked in 1973 (my father’s brother had already gone) but then my grandmother became suddenly ill. (Miraculously, mysteriously, she recovered at once when plans to emigrate were shelved and the tickets cancelled.)

Both my parents came from large families whose members emigrated all over the world, in search of work and opportunity. My father’s father, in Ballyshannon in Donegal, ran a grocer’s shop, and was the youngest of 11; he was the only one to stay. Two died at the Somme (the Inniskilling Fusiliers), another died fighting for America, where he’d emigrated, later in the First World War, and the rest pitched up in Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Long Island, coming back once a decade or so, bringing chocolate, cowboy outfits and once, memorably, gifting my dad a Davy Crockett hat. Half my mother’s family (from Cork and South Armagh) left for Australia and New Zealand. We were, as my mother said when I left at 18 for England, reared for export.

It’s a precept that those who leave remember the old country in a certain sepia light, and Branagh left early, at the age of nine. Belfast is aware of its interplay of memory and reality and nostalgia (for the young Buddy, the movies and plays he sees are in colour, but real life is in black and white), and the film explores the ambiguities around emigration. As Dench’s grandmother explains to the young Branagh: “There are no roads to Shangri-La from our part of Belfast.”

The questions around guilt and emigration the film raises put me in mind of the late Derek Mahon’s lines about returning to the north:

“. . . the hills are still the same / Grey-blue above Belfast. / Perhaps if I’d stayed behind / And lived it bomb by bomb / I might have grown up at last / And learnt what is meant by home.”

Remember… For years, I’d been proud that my father, living in Derry at the time, had been at Bloody Sunday, and had hidden under a car when the violence broke out. — Nick Laird

[skloomdumpster]

Can we talk about the cinnamontography of Fate please

I

Anooon! What's up with anons spoiling me lately to hear my bafoon takes? Anyway, obligatory disclaimer that I'm REALLY bad with cinematography and it took me three years of movie school to understand what I should've learned in the first semester :)) Read this bs at your own risk >:)

Unlike costume design and plot where I had this huuuge huge rant, I think I cam summarize my feelings here as "not interesting enough". As far as my understanding goes cinematography is how you place your camera, or rather, your characters/world before your lenses and what you're trying to communicate with that.

Fate feels pretty standard and generic regarding this. I think they have only a handful of beautiful shots and that actually communicate something deeper than just simple back and forth, and they also have a handful of disgusting shots that make me, a self declared stupid individual on this matter, look at it like ??? the FUCK.

I don't have long coherent thoughts, so I'll just paste here the pretty and the ugly ones and ramble a bit:

The Pretty Ones

1x01 - The Specialist's training grounds:

I really adore this entire sequence. Camera wise its very purposeful and beautiful. It shows us how the training grounds integrate with the school and I like that it shows all of them actually exercising in different ways, having their own matches and going off on their own. I can really get a feel of how Silva commandeers and oversees their training. Also really adore the rhythm on how they cut between wide shots, to full shots, then medium shots then a back and forth between medium shots and close ups. It makes the scene feel dynamic, the close ups are used to convey familiarity between Sky/Riven and it just flows very quickly, despite being a long sequence.

1x01 - Bloom's face off with her parents:

I think this is a GREAT example of good cinematography in the show, because I fucking hate this scene. Bloom's anger feels real and this is largely because of the framing in this. B starts telling the story to Aisha and we cut to a super close up, we're in Bloom's mental state. We don't know yet what is happening. I like that we zoom out to set the scene, but not enough to remove us from Bloom's deep concentration. Then the harsh cut to Mike removing her door, medium shot, very jarring with what we were just watching, which makes sense because it takes Bloom by surprise! This entire scene has amazing face acting, both Bloom and Vanessa's actresses are talented enough to show their emotions on their faces and they edited with all the audio overlapping, so when B is speaking it's Vanessa we're seeing and vice versa. It's just a little bit more spicy than the average of the show which is to show us the character that is speaking and then so forth and I think it really adds here! Also adore that the camera stays in the hallway when Bloom enters her bedroom, showing us the day turning to night, instead of just harshly cutting to a dark scene! I like the camera, the audience, entering her room slowly, we're prying those memories out of her! Just overall beautiful framing and acting here.

1x01 - Bloom watching her parents:

This fucking scene. Okay this is NOT the greatest example, I think of all the ones mentioned so far is one of the worst. But it does have some pretty cool ideas: Bloom standing outside her family home, having her parents appear very tiny first and hammer in that she's an outside, she's looking at this life through a window. When her parents say "we love you" and we don't see their face, we only see Bloom's in a medium close up, giving in to a full body shoulder, hanging up and choking down the tears. Standing there gazing out to this life where she doesn't belong anymore, where she's just been told she doesn't belong. All while not moving the camera, all in Bloom's face and body acting!! Beautiful. Really beautiful, a trust vote for the audience. Bad point of the scene: giving us the inside of the house, especially showing Vanessa's burn marks up close. If they hadn't been cowards and given her actual full body burns, then we could've done this entire shot far away and outside the place and it would've been 10/10. It's a 7/10 as it stands.

1x02 Saul and Farah walking together: beaaautiful shot, so haunting, so in synch. Oof

1x 02 - The girls find the Burned One's destruction: this shot right here and how haunting it is! How the camera makes it look like this large battle field, when it's actually just five fallen people and probably no distance at all! Literally going over the girl's head! Making them smaller in comparison to the stretch of destruction they just walked in. Pretty!!

FINALLY, the prettiest shot in the entire show:

1x05 - Terra and Riven talk

The DISTANCE between them, the fixed camera, the awkwardness. Riven fully emotionally open and disarmed, legs open, chest open, hands out. Terra holding herself tight, hands clasped, legs shut, arms squeezed in, looking away. A literal friendly battle going on as their background!! God, I don't think i've seen a shot that wordlessly communicates so much so easily in a WHILE. This is the fucking highlight of the entire show, I'm not taking criticism on this one.

The Ugly Ones

Okay this post is pretty damn long, so I'm just going to include two scenes. But there are plenty more :))

1x05 - Sky facing off Silva

This scene is a "framing mistakes 101" . Sky is not the illuminated one, he's not the one who should be under the light. He's metaphorically the one in the dark! And yes, words could be said about this actually meaning Sky is innocent vs Silva's not, but I think it would be much more meaningful if we went with the different approach. Also, in this scene they overuse super close ups so much, it gets boring to watch, none of their facial expressions are groundbreaking and telling us anything new. In the two previous scenes with Bloom's close ups, Bloom snarled and nearly jumped her mom and the other one she was literally in pain while pretending not to be. There are so many things being said through her face. In here Sky is just confused and we know this by the plain dialogue, why do I have to keep seeing his face and then Silva when he speaks and then Sky- It's just boring.

1x04 - Sky and Riven's face off.

There IS such a thing as trying too hard. This scene tries so badly to be edgy and artsy, to be creative! All it manages it's to be nauseating to watch, difficult to comprehend and poorly executed. These two are best friends fighting over something that's been brimming since the pilot of the show, implicitly since before s1 starts. Riven straight up says more than one deep insecurity of his. And YET we have this weird stiff camera, a whole half a yard between them, zero emotional impact. Riven goes on to throw on Sky's face that he's a hypocrite and nothing NOTHING lands! We're so caught up with the camera twirling around that all the emotional punches fly out of the window.

[snkpolls]

SnK Episode 61 Poll Results (for Manga Readers)

The poll closed with 359 responses. Thank you to everyone who participated!

Please note that these are the results for the Manga Readers’ poll. If you wish to see the results for the Anime Only Watchers’ poll, click here. 

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RATE THE EPISODE 347 Responses

While this episode wasn’t as big of a hit as episode 60, overall most viewers still enjoyed the content and are looking forward to more next week!

amazing amazing! I'm so delighted with this season so far!

Im so beyond pumped i love everything

Dissapointing but acceptable.

I’m like angry I loved it so much.

I just wish we didn't have to wait a week

It was amazing. We all gotta apologize to MAPPA for ever doubting them.

It's a huge stepdown from episode 1. At times the animation was straight up painful to watch. My expectations were low and yet I'm still disappointed :/

WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING WAS YOUR FAVORITE SCENE/MOMENT? 349 Responses

Reiner-centric scenes were the highest on people’s radar, with 24.9% of respondents enjoying his reunion with the warrior cadets, and not far behind, 22.9% enjoyed Reiner bringing up the 104th at the dinner table. In third, with only 13.5%, was Pieck and Porco’s formal introduction to the audience. 

Hearing Zeke greet his grandparents with such happiness warmed my heart. I do believe that he loves them. 

They just had to add one last image of Ymir's broken face before she died, huh? :(

WE FORGOT TO ASK LAST WEEK D: WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING SCENES/MOMENTS FROM EPISODE 60 WAS YOUR FAVORITE? 348 Responses

Last week we forgot to include what your favorite scenes were. The scene from episode 60 that got the most favor was Reiner’s, “I’m sick and tired… of walls” with 33.6% of the vote. 16.7% most enjoyed Zeke’s titan transforming scream. 14.9% were hyped about Reiner and Porco wrecking Fort Slava.

MAPPA WENT ALL OUT WITH THE CINEMATOGRAPHY IN THIS EPISODE. WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE CINEMATIC PANS AND ROTOSCOPE ANIMATION? 349 Responses

Overall, a total of 74.5% respondents have positive feelings about MAPPA’s use of rotoscope animation and camera panning. Some felt like it was akin to watching a movie, while others are just happy to have the dynamic movement. A smaller amount of respondents didn’t have feelings one way or another, and a minority (about 10.3%) really are not a fan of this type of animation style for the series.

It felt odd sometimes as they used it for long scenes (like Udo talking or Gabi telling the story to her family) but overall it was pretty great and I prefer it to WIT's stale animation during season 3

I liked the more dynamic movement during dialogue, but my roommate found it super awkward and off-model. So a fifty-fifty split in a sample size of two lol

It could have been animated better, but I like the extra dimension it gives to scenes

Enjoyed it a lot! However, there were a few scenes that felt a bit off, like some frames were missing. Specifically, when Udo was doing all those gestures while talking with the rest of the Warrior Candidates.

It felt dynamic to the point of looking unnatural - some gestures and expressions just moved wrong

i'm split, in some scenes it was great (like reiner waking up), but in the dialogue scenes the constant movement seemed kinda unnatural and distracting

It was amazing but at the same time I'd didn't look fluid enough, especially at Udo's mouvements which made the character look kind of...video game-ish in constant moving. 

I thought it looked great the rotoscoping,the movements all looked amazing

The animation during Urdu’s scene is so cool!  I was caught of guard at first though lol. It’s so realistic!

NOW THAT WE’VE GOTTEN TO HEAR A LITTLE MORE OF THE NEW OST TRACKS, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE SOUNDTRACK SO FAR THIS SEASON? 344 Responses

So far, reception to the newer music is overall positive. 31.1% are really enjoying the music and think the songs are being used immaculately, and 40.4% really feel that the song choice compliments the scenes they’ve been used in. 13.1% think the songs are good, but miss having that sole Sawano feel to them. 10.8% just feel the music is “ok” and 2.6% aren’t a fan of the new OST tracks so far. 

I mean it sounds good, but we haven't gotten to important moments that require a memorable track, so we'll see!

First episode slapped because it really complemented the scene but it's more... generic. I didn't like how it was used in this episode, there wasn't enough of it and again, generic. I miss Sawano's unreal scores.

the animation absolutely blew me away, and i love the intense music that played during Reiners monologue 

The music is fine.

I've heard both new and old songs from the previous seasons. Still too soon to make an opinion as we need to hear more.

I am deaf, I can't hear no damn soundtracks 

That music guys when they came back to Liberio and reuniting with they parents, made me tear up but also because the scouts never had the chance to go back home with victory in the arms of their family, I wish I could have seen EMA like this.. It kinda felt unfair X) but I was happy for them nevertheless.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE CLOSEUP OF ZEKE’S MOUTH? 346 Responses

Our first of probably too many crack questions in this poll, 32.7% thought the closeup of Zeke lighting his cigarette was cool looking. 21.4% are concerned about Zeke’s lung health. 19.1% are probably annoyed with us and simply don’t care (lol). 13.3% wouldn’t mind smooching Zeke, and 11% were just plain grossed out.

Does smoke even affect a titan shifter? Surely his lungs just heal themselves

ASMR for the eyes, right there. Aww yiss

It was awesome! Zeke is shown as relaxed person with a big drop of mystery. 

Smoking Bad but he is gonna die in a year anyway

Suuuuuuucc

It might've just been an artistic choice to include it in there, but i gotta say I'm oddly fascinated and idk why

I don’t remember it lol

I didn't even notice.

Zeke looks hotter than he has ever looked

WHAT’S YOUR OPINION ABOUT ELDIAN ASSES? 341 Responses

Most of the responses seemed to feel rather positively about Eldian asses, with almost 40% seeking out Zeke’s ass wiping technique. About 17% simply stated their appreciation for them, while almost 13% are just thirsty. In contrast, a little over 17% seemed confused to the question’s inclusion and about 10% were confused outright. 

MAPPA WHERE IS PIECK'S ASS

More into Eldian thighs, really

I bet Levi’s is nice

If only Eren had one

zeke has the energy of a straight man who doesn't wash his ass

Only Shadis' ass

GIVE IT TO ME 😏😏

They are like normal, human asses. Do not turn them into some magical, special snowflakes, just because they belong to Eldians. 

Seek help

Enough

DO YOU WANT REINER TO GIVE YOU A HEAD PAT? 343 Responses

A definitive majority, almost 59 percent, openly expressed enthusiasm for the prospect of a head pat from Reiner. However, a near 30% fraction of responders didn’t seem too happy about this recent chain of less than serious questions. We’re sorry about that. 😅. The rest either didn’t seem interested in said prospect or noted they wouldn’t care either way.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE DECISION FROM MAPPA TO CONDENSE REINER’S FLASHBACK INTO (PRESUMABLY) A SINGLE EPISODE? 346 Responses

It would appear that the majority of those who took our poll express cautious optimism at the prospect of seeing all (or the vast majority) of Reiner’s backstory being adapted into a single episode, with a near 47% supporting the move, thinking it could make the narrative “more coherent”. Almost 20% argue it would work better pacing wise. On the flipside, just over 17% state that they would rather have a more accurate adaptation to the manga. 11.6% simply say they have no opinion. There were also more than a few write-ins.

I do wish everything could be animated to full detail, but pacing and structure will benefit here

They've done a good job so far, so I'll reserve judgement until I actually watch it.

It will be difficult as they're chapters with loads of dialogue, but they can pull it off if unnecessary stuff gets cut out or changed in some type of way (like watching Marcel's death for the sixth time, them breaking through the wall or even Jean and Eren fighting) 

If they get the pacing right, then the rearrangement will be for the better.

Reiner flashbacks + Reiner suicide attempt + Falco meeting "Kruger" (more than 2,5 chapters) in a single episode? HELL NO! WTF MAPPA!  

Worried and cautiously optimistic.

At least it looks like they're going to stick to just one episode for the RBA flashback. It was mostly just filler anyway, so there was never any need to stretch it out and waste precious time getting back to the Paradis side of the story

I doubt that that's exactly how it is, but if so, then I don't think that that's a wise idea

It’s gonna be rushed as hell

Reiner flashback is very long and there is tons of dialogue, so I dont know how its going fit in only one episode, but if they can make it work then its fine for me

WHICH CHARACTER DESIGN DID YOU LIKE BEST IN COMPARISON TO THE MANGA? 346 Responses

This question gave us a somewhat evenly split pie chart, but Porco nonetheless managed to gain the bigger piece with just over 55%. Surely due to that bomber jacket and haircut. Nearly 45% picked Pieck (gottem) instead. Must have been the somewhat inconsistent nose. 

WHO’S SEIYUU DID YOU LIKE BEST? 335 Responses

On the flip side, 68.4% seemed to prefer Pieck’s soft voice. Porco with his (how the hell does Porco sound like… how can you describe his voice) managed to win the hearts of 31.6% of responses.

Pieck voice wtf? I imagined Pieck with a more Hanji-ish voice, not this sweet and high pitched.

DID MAPPA DO PIECK’S NOSE JUSTICE? 345 Responses

The debacle over Pieck’s POWERFUL nose gave us quite a colorful pie chart. Almost 39% of responses noted that Mappa was on point with Pieck’s nose for most of the episode. Afterwards, 26.7% stated that they thought that Mappa got it right only in some points of the episode. On the flip side, another 26.7% thought that Mappa was generally quite on point throughout the entire episode. A small minority (7.8%) thought that Mappa simply did a poor job. 

The animation is good, and while I don't want to complain, I have a small problem with the drawings themselves. I feel like they lack precision (like Pieck's nose, idk if that's clear).

I'm grateful for Pieck's nose. I always respected Isayama for drawing imperfect characters, because this way he has made them to look more realistic. Even though Pieck has so-called imperfect nose, she is still absolutely gorgeous. Her imperfections are part of what makes her beautiful and unique.

PORCO’S HAIR - WERE YOU TEAM RED HAIR OR BLOND HAIR? AND ARE YOU HAPPY WITH HIS ANIME COLOR SCHEME? 345 Responses

A far less controversial debacle concerned Porco’s hair scheme. The folks supporting a Blond color scheme were universally content with his hair color (all 57.4% of team Blond). On the flip side, an almost universal approval was also present from team Redhead (13.6% of those supported his blond hair color). 27.5% of the responses seemed to care not about this issue at all, however.

NOW THAT WE KNOW PORCO BETTER IN THE MANGA, DO YOU THINK HE WOULD HAVE *ACTUALLY* DONE A BETTER JOB THAN REINER IF HE HAD INHERITED THE ARMOR AND WENT TO PARADIS? 348 Responses

Porco inheriting the Armored Titan is a rather interesting what-if scenario. Perhaps of the most interesting as a whole, so it’s no surprise to see a rather divided opinion of those who took our poll. A little over 36% believe that Porco doing a better job than Reiner on Paradis is a definite possibility. Just over 24% believe it’s not likely Porco would have done better than Reiner. On the flip side, 21.6% think that is is likely Porco *would* have a more successful conduct on the island. 9.2% believe that Porco’s success is a given and in opposition to that, 8.9% think that Porco’s success would have been basically impossible.

HOW ABOUT IF PIECK HAD GONE TO PARADIS WITH THE WARRIORS? 346 Responses

Much less division here, however. 70.5% of responders believe that Pieck’s possible trip to Paradis (in the initial attack) would have not have resulted in a given “mission success” for the Warriors, although she would have been a rather useful ally. Nearly a quarter, on the other hand, think that Pieck’s inclusion would have ended the story right then and there. The rather small minority of the other responders think that Pieck would not have been useful had she participated in the mission.

GABI HAS ALWAYS BEEN A CONTROVERSIAL CHARACTER. HAS MAPPA BRINGING HER TO LIFE CHANGED YOUR FEELINGS TOWARD HER? 342 Responses

64.6% of respondents overall have positive feelings toward Gabi as of right now, with 39.5% having already been enjoying her character throughout the manga. 25.1% now view her more positively with her being brought to life. 20.2% don’t really care about Gabi either way, and 11.7% feel very negatively toward Gabi, without the anime swaying their opinions. 

Gabi still sucks

Sakura ayane as gabi is probably the best thing to happen to me all year

WITH SUCH A DIALOGUE-HEAVY ARC, CUTS WERE INEVITABLE. WHICH CUTS WERE YOU DISAPPOINTED IN, AND WHICH CUTS CAN YOU LIVE WITH?

Overwhelmingly, the scenes that were most missed by manga readers were “Pieck walking on all fours/scaring Porco”, “Zeke mentioning the Ackerman Clan”, “Reiner’s smirk when his family talks about ‘Island Devils’”, and “The imagery of Eren and Armin wrecking ships”. Smaller character details, such as Reiner mentioning how he acted like Marcel on Paradis, Gabi wishing to understand Reiner’s feelings, Falco pointing out how Reiner almost had the Armor taken from him, were also very missed by manga readers, although just less so. 

General Calvi talking about Zeke’s loyalty, Gabi getting praise from her parents when they reunite, and Magath trashing the Marleyan navy, were moments that many respondents didn’t feel strongly about one way or another, or felt that these were details that weren’t really needed anyway. 

Cutting the scene where Falcon talks about why Reiner kept the AT was really bad.  Also the table scene could have been better. Some imagery when Reiner was describing the 104th and his smirk.

The cuts the anime has done made the spectators less informed about some story background stuff. This is in order to direct attention to the marley's eldians planning how to overcome the world's disparagement towards the power of the titans. 

I'm sad they cut the gate guards. They humanize the marleyans a bit. Hope they add their scenes next episode and do them justice.

I hope we will get the Gabi/Reiner talk about understanding each other through PATHS when she eats him next episode

Gimme crawling best giiiirl

MAPPA cut Pieck's ass so this episode wouldn't be so ass centered with Zeke's ass wiping technique. This is my theory lol

Great episode but U was so looking forward to the Reiner scene talking about Paradis “devils”. In the mange it was a powerful scene really adding to the duality of Reiner and the pain he has, and the animation did not do it justice. Plus some parts of his speech were probably hard to understand for a non mange reader without the flashback. (Like which one is referring to Jean for example).  I really wish it had been better delivered

IS THERE ANY CHANCE WE’LL SEE SOME OF THESE CUTS ANIMATED IN A LATER EPISODE? 342 Responses

them into different scenes. Overall, the majority answered a big, fat, “maybe.” 15.8% are confident that what’s done has been done, and 12.6% are more optimistic that MAPPA will find a way.

Overall I was a bit disappointed. I feel like the amount of material cut from every conversation included really added up overall and gave it a very rushed feel to me. I really hope they add it all in later.

ON THE FLIP-SIDE, WHICH ADDITIONS/CHANGES DID YOU LIKE/DISLIKE?

The changes and additions that MAPPA made were overall viewed very favorably, with the scene of Porco and Pieck interacting with the warrior cadets being the most liked addition. This is followed closely by the overall character movement during dialogue scenes, the small detail about Pieck’s father being unwell, and Gabi shouting “Watashi!” on the train.

I loved the additional details made it very emotional

IT WAS A GREAT TIME TO BE GALLIPIECK TRASH

Sneakier Eren's a nice addition too

Porco my boiii I'm so happy he's here 💖💖💖💖 if mappa is adding some extra scenes then gimme more of gallirei 👀

WHICH SCENE FROM THE PREVIEW ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO? 338 Responses

Unsurprisingly, 42% of respondents are hyped about Kenny’s brief return and Annie’s unlikely encounter with him in the Underground. 22.2% are eager to get that sweet Reiner angst as he is rejected by his Marleyan father. 17.8% are looking forward to Reiner’s training days.

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ON THE EPISODE?

great! it was inevitable they would cut stuff but it hasn't changed any major plot point or thing i would want to see desperately 

It was just really great to see the scenes animated, it adds another level of depth and understanding to the story I believe. 

Loved anime-onlies missing Eren completely. Some even thought it was him but then noticed the leg and thought against it

I think it was very well done. Just need a little getting used to with MAPPA on the reins now. I think MAPPA added some scenes to show how those Eldians over there are still just human after all and they have their own problems to deal with. 8/10 episode.

I feel like they took a lot of emotion way from reiner. made him seemed stoic and determined to go to the island even though in the make he looked scared about having to return. 

I thought the rotoscoping was really well done! I’m happy with the pacing, the fact that the episode felt like it went by fast is good considering it was dialogue based.

Incredible. The direction, the cinematic quality, we are feasting. MAPPA is elevating the story beyond anything I could have imagined! I'm beyond hyped for the rest!! But where is asshole Marley guards/Hobo!Eren's appearance as a favorite moment?!

Incredible, it adapts the source material very well while adding some touches that make it unique in it's own way. As a manga reader, I'm really glad that they're doing this because it feels like a completly different experience from reading it and makes me excited on what changes or directing choices they're going to make during the course of the season, great job so far MAPPA!

Such an amazing episode. Made 20mins feel like 5. MAPPA is doing fantastic. The characters have never felt more alive and the animation style is something I never knew I wanted until now. 

I can't believe they didn't cast Mads Mikkelsen to voice Mads Mikkelsen

The episode was good but the dinner scene didn't do justice to the manga. It didn't have the same feeling to it. I saw a lot of anime onlys thinking Reiner was just trying to talk shit about the 104th. I feel like the flashbacks during that part in the manga gave it a nostalgic feeling that helped convey what he truly felt about his time on the island. His facial expressions were not quite there either. Specially sad because it was the moment I was expecting the most this episode and because it's a big part of Reiner's character, maybe next episode can kind of fix this.

I haven't seen the anime only poll results, but given personal conversations with them I imagine quite a few could care less about the Warriors and are looking forward to the 104th showing up to stir shit up. Boy are those folks in for a treat :)

I knew I'd feel more attached to all of them once they got animated. I didn't expect getting real thirsty for Lainah.

I was so happy with how much detail MAPPA put into the background scenery. Also, I think that an underrated moment during this episode was the Marlian douchebag triggering the Eldian soldier’s PTSD. You could really feel their terror, and THEY KEPT THE HOBO EREN PART IM SO HAPPY!

Its consistently very pretty and well animated which is great of course, but I worry the team won’t be able to maintain this quality for some of the meatier scenes in the later episodes. The fast pace of the episode (compared to the manga) as well as the many cuts make it a bit harder for scenes to stick, I wish there was a bit more breathing room at times. This also makes the fancy animation and frequent rotoscoping cuts feel less impactful for me—with every scene being cut down to its core ingredients, and every scene having at least one cut with more motion and energy than we’re used to, I can’t help but feel it all kind of mashes together without sticking out as much, leaving less of an impact. (I feel really really weird actually complaining about good camerawork/animation, what the hell lol) Also hobo <3

Plenty of questions about ass but no questions about the full ED? Or how we thought the episode did at hiding Eren in plain sight?

rip Reiner's chocolate abs :'(

The episode wasn't as interesting as the first one. I was yawning from time to time. Yet, I think that Mappa did a great job, because it's hard to animate full of  dialogues chapters. I was disappointed of the fact that flashbacks from Paradis have been cut. I hoped to see Sasha, Connie, Ymir and Marco while Reiner was speaking about them. Without the flashbacks we just got the dry speech and this way hard to say what Reiner is really thinking about people he met on Paradis. We - as manga readers - already are aware of his feelings, but anime onlies may not know and see Reiner as cold hearted person. I'm not complaining over animations or the OST tracks because no studio is perfect and some small mistakes here and there won't destroy my fun. I just sit and enjoy the episode. 

Very good, with the exception of the dinner scene, in which the director missed the mark completely with the tone.

WHERE DO YOU PRIMARILY DISCUSS THE SERIES? 328 Responses

Thank you again for participating! We’ll see you again next week!

[inkykeiji]

Hiya Clari 💖

I know it’s been awhile since I’ve checked in and this is another ask that you don’t have to reply to at all I just wanted to let you know that I’m still thinking of you and hoping that you are getting rest and taking care of yourself <3

Take as much time as you need to heal, I’m not going anywhere so bitch (respectfully) you’re stuck with me as an anon for what looks to be quite a while

I’ll give you a lil life update since I have missed talking to you but I 100000% understand why you have done a hiatus because your well being comes before anything else <3 I got my tattoo so very exciting times and uni terms start back in a few weeks so another exciting year for me

Also like I said this is just a lil message for you just so you know I’m still thinking about you and sending my love, you don’t have to reply at all or if you decide you want to take as long as you want/need so as always sending you all the love and hugs in the world <333-🍯

HI MY SWEET HONEYBUN <333

oh you are so lovely, thank you so much for your well wishes and for checking in!!! i appreciate it a lot <33 i am trying my best to rest and take care of myself!!! yesterday was filled with a lot of needless anxiety, so hopefully today is a little better <33

I’M GLAD YOU’RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE, BECAUSE I NEVER EVER WANT YOU TO LEAVE!!!!! EVER!!!!!!!! <33333333333

i’ve missed talking to you, too!!! sorry it’s taken me forever and a day to get to your message below waaaaah :(((( i feel really bad about that :/

OOOH U GOT UR TATTOO!? DID IT HURT??? WHAT WAS THE EXPERIENCE LIKE OMG!!!! that is super super exciting honey aaaah!!! yaaay uni!!! be safe and be kind to yourself during the school year, please!! remember that grades never equal your worth as a person!! <33

my gosh you genuinely are so incredibly sweet to me, and so understanding, and i just can’t express my gratitude enough; i literally cannot put into words how happy i am to have you in my life, my precious honey, my sweet virtual penpal <33

i hope u don’t mind me answering this here as well!! <33

BLAH it’s super hot here right now, too!! and extremely humid because it keeps raining, it’s so ._. icky. i went to the zoo with my boyfriend not too long ago and my shoulders + face got totally fried by the sun, it was awful :( fall and winter are my favourite seasons!! tho i do really love denim shorts, so i enjoy summer in that respect hehehe <3

OOOOH YES DID YOU??? I LOVE THEM BOTH SO MUCH!!!! get out totally blew me away, literally everything about that film is immaculate, from its writing to its acting to its cinematography to its sound and music, it’s an absolute masterpiece!! i wrote an essay on get out during uni and it’s still one of my favourite academic papers i’ve ever written hehe <3 BUT YES I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU, get out expertly builds this extremely unsettling tension in its viewers ugh it’s so so so goooooooooooood

kiki’s delivery service is my favourite ghibli film!!!!!! oh my gosh!! i just think it’s so so so sweet, i love magic and cats and cute little homey spaces like that, and i love the european inspired seaside town, that whole film is just SUCH a comfort movie and a feel good movie for me <3

HAHAHAHA WELL, IF U DID REREAD THEM i hope you enjoyed <3 i recently reread my 1950s dabi fic, because i love it so much??? and i’ve been listening to a lot of like, lana del rey and elvis lately so it got me in the mood hahahaha <3 hopefully one day i can do more with that universe, i wrote a whole backstory for 1950s dabi but i couldn’t find a good place in the fic to put it so it now sits abandoned in my notebook </3 ANDDDDDD if you haven’t yet, pls go vote on my poll for what you’d like to see posted next!!

i love your rambling, stop this nonsense 🥺 i sincerely love your little letters and i promise you i always look forward to reading them and replying to them, even if it takes me a little time to get there. they always put such a smile on my face and i am so grateful!!!

in terms of plans, tiff (toronto international film festival) is happening super super soon so i’m wickedly excited for that!!! my boyfriend and i always go and make a whole week out of the whole festival and it’s just lovely, we have so much fun!! they just released the schedule for the films yesterday and i am BUZZING eeeee!!! now that i’ve graduated uni i don’t get the film student discounts anymore which kinda sucks LMAO but!!! it’s okay!! i love supporting film and i especially love supporting film in my home city!!! <333

oh honeybee i love you so so so very much, please never forget it <33

[nitrateglow]

My god-tier Audrey Hepburn movies

I just realized I’ve technically seen all of Audrey Hepburn’s movies-- or rather, all the movies in which she was given star billing.

So, because I’m bored, here’s a list of my top ten personal favorites of her films. The criteria is simple: 1) she had to have starred in it, so nothing from her pre-Roman Holiday career counts nor does 1989′s Always, and 2) this is based on my level of enjoyment of the movie in question.

1. Wait Until Dark

Wait Until Dark possesses many merits, but Hepburn is one of its key strengths. For me, the most interesting performances are the ones able to balance seemingly opposing elements of the character in question. Here, Hepburn balances vulnerability with inner strength, insecurity and terror with courage, angry frustration with budding confidence. She makes her character seem like such a real, vital presence, like someone you would know. Also, having someone as sweet as Hepburn as the target for the cruel mind games and brutal violence of the villains makes the horror all the more terrifying.

Beyond her performance, this movie feels like it was tailor-designed to appeal to me: an intelligent and formidable villain, the everyday setting juxtaposed with a menacing atmosphere, scary scenes that don’t rely on gore, eccentric criminals, dark humor, a tight script without an ounce of fat on it. But you’ve heard me go on, so I’ll leave it there.

2. Charade

Charade is a prime example of how to mix suspense and comedy. The mystery at the heart of the movie is very clever, with twists and turns every other moment, constantly keeping the audience on their toes. Best of all, the film holds up after repeat viewings because of the delicious chemistry between Hepburn and Cary Grant, and the witty screenplay, which has such an elegant and tight structure that I seethe with envy as a writer every time I revisit this glorious thriller.

As in Wait Until Dark, Hepburn is concerned for her life as she’s terrorized by criminals, only here, they’re mostly more humorous in nature, sometimes even lovable (except Scobie, he can just jump off a cliff). She mainly gets to exercise her comedic chops, throwing off quips, sarcastic lines, and screwball banter with wonderful finesse. It makes me sad she never made more films with Cary Grant-- the two have a spark that belies the large age gap between them.

3. Roman Holiday

The character-building, naturalistic performances, and humor make Roman Holiday one of the best examples of romantic comedy. The film has both a gentle touch and a grounded maturity that make it more than just a remix of the earlier and quite similar screwball comedy It Happened One Night. To get a bit literary and pretentious, it reminds me a bit of Romeo and Juliet-- not because of the romance, but in how the movie starts as a standard screwball comedy and ends on a lyrical, wistful note you might not have expected.

Even though this was her first lead role in a feature film, I think Hepburn’s performance as Ann remains one of her strongest. Ann feels regal and dignified while also possessing the naivete and restlessness of a teenager on the brink of adulthood. It’s as fabulous a star-establishing movie as anyone could want.

4. How to Steal a Million

How to Steal a Million is pure fun. Not a moment of this caper comedy is to be taken seriously (which makes it the perfect quarantine movie if you need something to de-stress with). I always regard this movie as Charade’s even frothier spiritual successor: both films are playful, stylish, funny, and packed with romantic banter, plot twists, and colorful 1960s fashions. The main difference is that in this one, there’s no mortal threat involved and the humor gets a little more risque though not crass.

Also, how nice is it for Hepburn to be paired with a leading man closer to her age? Peter O’Toole was only three years younger than Hepburn when this was filmed. The two of them have glorious, cute chemistry.

5. The Nun’s Story

I hate the question of “objective best” anything, but if you put a gun to my head, I would say The Nun’s Story is features Hepburn’s most impressive work as an actress. For those who accuse Hepburn of being too affected, of being a mere clothes’ horse, here she is bare-faced, dressed in a nun’s habit, and playing a very reserved character whose dilemmas are largely internal. She plays her character’s spiritual conflict with an understatement that could only be considered skillful.

The film itself will likely be seen as “too slow” by most and there are a few colonial elements towards the Congo section that date it, but the film’s strengths, both from Hepburn’s performance and the mature way it presents its individual versus the system story, give it classic status. Few movies regarding organized religion are this balanced and lacking in propaganda, either for or against it.

6. Breakfast at Tiffany’s

While still Hepburn’s most iconic role, Breakfast at Tiffany’s gets called “overrated” a lot these days and fans of the original Truman Capote novella routinely dog it for making heavy changes to the source material. There’s also the, you know, gross yellowface a la Mickey Rooney that deflates every scene in which he appears. However, is the move bad? NO. It juggles zany comedy, tender romance, and rather heavy drama too well for me to consign it to the “overrated” bin. Blake Edwards was a fine director and this movie is one of his best.

And Hepburn gives a damn good performance as Holly Golightly, even if she is not the character envisioned by Capote. This character could easily be unlikable if played the wrong way-- she’s a “phony,” rather pathetic, and self-loathing despite her wit and charm. But rather than coming off as an unbearable loser, Hepburn’s Holly is a realistic, relatable loser we all love in spite of her own delusions and lashing out. She might even hit too close to home (or maybe that’s just me).

7. Funny Face

Funny Face took a few viewings to grow on me. It was one of the first Hepburn movies I ever saw (that was back in high school) and I was initially excited because it was directed by Stanley Donen who co-directed Singin’ in the Rain with Gene Kelly, a long-time favorite of mine. I expected this movie to be just as sublime and was disappointed when it didn’t hit that high mark.

Rewatching it later, I now find it very charming. It’s incredibly upbeat and relaxing, the sort of old-school movie musical that doesn’t get made anymore. Hepburn’s singing is a bit rough in the bigger numbers, but she is very sweet, a damn good dancer, and quite attractive to the point where she just takes my breath away. Fred Astaire and Kay Thompson are also wonderful and get a lot of great moments that show off their talent.

8. My Fair Lady

When considering what would go on this list, I was honestly shocked to realize how much I like this movie. I’m in the camp that considers Hepburn miscast, I find George Cukor’s direction rather stiff, and I really don’t like how the ending is changed from the original play. In spite of all this, I still really enjoy this movie for the songs, costumes, and what remains of Shaw’s brilliant satire on class and gender relations. Those three hours go by and the movie never outstays its welcome.

While I think Hepburn wasn’t the number one best choice for the part (I don’t really buy her as a crass flower girl in the beginning), she isn’t a disaster by any means. She’s still charming and sympathetic, and once she makes her transformation, you have to wonder how Higgins held it together, she’s so gorgeous. And I love the relish with which she approaches the “Just you Wait” song or the way she delivers the “move your bloomin’ arse” line at the races.

9. Sabrina

I think producers figured because of the fairy tale appeal of Roman Holiday, Hepburn would be perfect for this modern take on Cinderella, set in 1950s New York. Just like in Roman Holiday, Hepburn gets to undergo dramatic character development and show her comedic skills. It’s a cute movie, with a very charming William Holden and gorgeous black-and-white cinematography. It’s also shockingly uncynical for a Billy Wilder project.

About the closest thing this movie has to a flaw is Humphrey Bogart as Linus, the guy who Sabrina chooses in the end. This is a role Cary Grant could have played in his sleep, but Bogart clearly is not enjoying himself in some scenes. However, he isn’t movie-breakingly bad by any means. His character is meant to be a hidden softie and far more dependable than his handsomer brother, so I can buy that Sabrina would warm to him in the end.

10. They All Laughed

People tend to argue what the last “worthwhile” Hepburn movie is. Most argue it’s 1976′s Robin and Marian, while I’ve seen some go as far back as How to Steal a Million in 1966. They All Laughed, a Peter Bogdonavich comedy from 1981, gets my vote. This is a love letter to screwball comedies much like Bogdonavich’s 1972 classic What’s Up Doc, only with a far more melancholy edge.

Hepburn does not become a major presence in the movie until nearly halfway through. However, she approaches her role with a mature dignity that makes me wish she’d done more work along this line towards the end of her career. Her character comes off as an older, sadder Princess Ann from Roman Holiday. This makes the movie sound morose, but it isn’t: it ends with life going on and the characters accepting that with grace.

[scottwasforcedtostartablog]

The Oscars are Basically Nonsense

There comes a time in every film fans life where they realise the Oscars is basically nonsense.

I don’t understand how a film that, according to the academy, doesn’t have the best screenplay, doesn’t have the best cinematography, doesn’t have the best production design, doesn’t have the best editing or sound and so can be considered the best film. Surely if other movies that are also nominated for best picture are more remarkable in these areas, they should be considered better... right?

To clarify I have nothing against Nomadland, like most of the nominations this year I have not seen it, I just can’t wrap my head around the voting process. The Academy thinks other films are better by their own admission surely. 

And what even is best?! How are we judging best?!! Every film is different because the creative decisions from behind and in front of the camera were made to specifically suit the film they were making. Manks cinematography cannot be compared to Nomadland. It’s production design can’t be compared to The Father. All these films did what they had to do in service of the story and themes they were trying to convey. Saying “best” implies all films should look and sound exactly the same.

I know films can be good and bad I’m not trying to suggest otherwise. For example a bad comedy is usually bad because it’s not very funny, its not generally because they don’t look like Mank. That being said my thoughts on the Oscar nominated movies I’ve seen this (or last I guess) year are as follows:

Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm: An attempt was made to create an effective satire of America during the coronavirus, but it boiled down to nothing more than surface level Twitter jokes. Wasn’t funny.

Soul: Really beautiful looking animation. Really entertaining and imaginative. Emotionally it didn’t hit very hard.

Mank: Clearly a passion project for David Fincher. It’s boring as fuck honestly, and really hard to follow unless you’re a huge Citizen Kane fan. I love Citizen Kane but I’ve only seen it once.

The Trail of the Chicago 7: It’s typical Aaron Sorkin stuff, but Sorkin is very good at being Sorkin. People like to criticise his visual style like it’s incompetent and I don’t know why.

And I believe that’s literally it. The film I enjoyed most last year was Bill and Ted Face the Music but honestly I’ve barely seen anything from 2020.

TV shows should be nominated. Pixar should get an honorary award every year just to give other animated films a fighting chance. Separating international films and American films is stupid and honestly feels a bit racist.

I think the Oscar are amazing for the people who are nominated because recognition is cool and it makes them feel nice. But why emotionally invest yourself it doesn’t make sense.

(Taken from my own Letterboxd)

[adamwatchesmovies]

Adam Watches the 92nd Academy Awards

The 92nd Academy Awards have come and gone. As always, there’s plenty to be happy about and plenty that’ll make you wonder what the heck the voters were thinking. I watched the ceremony and while I may say that I don’t care… I do. Those awards are a big deal. Legions of people who would’ve otherwise dismissed Parasite as some movie that requires them to read subtitles saw it because it was nominated. One of those golden statues can make a career and let’s face it, you like to hear your love for something validated by people who have even the semblance of authority on the subject.

But here’s what you may not know: most of the voters really don’t know what they’re doing. While cinematographers NOMINATE what films are up for that Best Cinematography Award, EVERYONE in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gets to vote for the winner and there’s no guarantee they’ve actually seen every nominee, know what the technical terms mean or are voting because what they saw is what they actually believe was “the best”. Once you take into account the dollars required to produce a nomination campaign, the stigma many genre films face, the prejudices against certain types of roles and/or actors, and how popularity influences votes, a win hardly means more than a bunch of people you don’t know saying they liked a movie.

If you want a better idea of which of 2019’s films were “the best”, you’re better off asking someone you know and trust, someone who can prove they’ve done their homework and aren’t just voting for their friends, the one they’ve heard is good from their kid, or got a special gift basket from. I may not be a paid professional, but I have put in the time and effort to see EVERYTHING nominated (with a few exceptions I’ll detail below). Reviews for some of these (The Irishman, Judy) are coming to the blog in a couple of days. If it were up to me the list of nominees would be different but we’ll get to that later. Without further ado, here’s who SHOULD’VE won. 

Best Visual Effects

1917 – Guillaume Rocheron, Greg Butler, and Dominic Tuohy The best special effects are the kind you don’t even notice. I couldn’t tell you where the explosions, sets, and actors in 1917 begin, and where the computer-generated imagery takes over. It’s seamless.

Best Film Editing

Parasite – Yang Jin-mo Got to hand it to Parasite for its amazing use of montage and the way it stitched its footage together. Some shots I initially thought initially were one take I realized under carefully scrutiny - and by that I mean frame-by-frame examination - were actually two melded together. The scenes showing how the Kim family infiltrate the Park’s household should be shown in film class to demonstrate how the art of montage is at its best should be done to maximum effect.

Best Costume Design

Little Women – Jacqueline Durran Funny how every single film nominated at the 92nd Academy Awards was a period piece. My vote goes to Little Women not because it was necessarily the most accurate (I couldn’t tell you what people wore in 1868) but because of the way the costumes were used. You can tell a lot about the characters from the multiple outfits they wear throughout the film - check out that purple bonnet adorned by Aunt Marsh (Meryl Streep).

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Bombshell – Kazu Hiro, Anne Morgan, and Vivian Baker I called it when I reviewed the film. The makeup used to transform John Lithgow was nothing short of incredible. It was an easy pick.

Best Cinematography

1917 – Roger Deakins I’m glad to see The Lighthouse on this list but I have to hand it to 1917. The one-shot motif adds so much to the story. Then, there are the individual shots I remember so vividly. The quiet meadow just outside of No Man’s Land, the raging inferno Schofield sees when he wakes up, the trench he must run in front of to reach the Colonel are all shots that permanently imprint themselves into your memory.

Best Production Design

1917 – Production Design: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales Tempted to hand it to Parasite for the house they constructed for the movie but I’m give it to 1917. The trenches, the blasted landscape of No Man’s Land still haunt me. When you see the craters, it’s jarring. Then, as your eyes become adjusted, you notice the rats. Then, the chunks of bone and charred meat that have now become part of the landscape. It’s horrific.

Best Sound Mixing

Ford v Ferrari – Paul Massey, David Giammarco, and Steven A. Morrow What you remember most from Ford v Ferrari is that big race at the end. The climax wouldn’t have been the same without the sounds we heard. The roar of the engines, the clacking and grinding as the pedals are pushed and gears are switched… the air rushing by. Out of the nominees, it’s the one whose sounds I most remember.

Best Sound Editing

Ford v Ferrari – Donald Sylvester This year, the Best Sound Editing award goes hand-in-hand with the sound mixing. Obviously, the actors were never moving at the kind of speeds depicted in Ford v Ferrari but you wouldn’t be able to tell because of the foley and sound design.

Best Original Song

Stand Up from Harriet – Music and Lyrics by Joshuah Brian Campbell and Cynthia Erivo Stand Up plays during the end credits of Harriet and it perfectly caps the film. Whenever I hear its lyrics, I’m transported back to that moment. It’s the most memorable and emotional song on this list.

Best Original Score

Joker – Hildur Guðnadóttir I chose the best song for its ability to stand out. In this category, Joker wins because its music doesn’t stand out… at least not at first. While you’re watching, those notes don’t draw attention to themselves. They subconsciously build the mood, augmenting the performance by Joaquin Phoenix, the visuals, and the story. You don’t notice how much of an effect it has on you until you see isolated clips. When you do, it’s shocking.

Best Animated Short Film

Abstaining (I’ve only seen Hair Love)

Best Live Action Short Film

Abstaining

Best Documentary Short Subject

Abstaining

Best Documentary Feature

Abstaining

Best International Feature Film

Abstaining, as I’ve only seen 2 films (Pain and Glory and Parasite)

Best Animated Feature Film

I Lost My Body – Jérémy Clapin and Marc du Pontavice I Lost My Body is the most audacious and inspired of the animated films nominated. The only movie among these to be aimed at adults, it often tells its story through visuals alone but when you get to the end, you realize it’s about more than just what was on-screen.

Best Adapted Screenplay

Little Women – Greta Gerwig based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott Greta Gerwig does more than merely adapt the classic novel, she breathes new life into it, makes it her own, makes it feel wholly new and modern. This version of the film surpasses all others we’ve seen before because of the changes she’s made to the story’s structure. 

Best Original Screenplay

Knives Out – Rian Johnson What a ride Knives Out was. It’s got so many twists and turns, so many delightful characters you want to re-watch it the second it’s over so that you are no longer distracted by its central mystery and can simply step back and admire the handiwork by Rian Johnson. A sequel’s been announced and I can’t wait to see it.

Best Supporting Actress

Laura Dern – Marriage Story as Nora Fanshaw Laura Dern was also in Little Women and her two roles couldn’t be more different. Here, she’s loathsome and captivating. As soon as I saw Nora take off her shoes before she kneeled down on the couch to console Nicole, I knew there was a whole lot more to her character than what we were told. The more you see her, the more you want.

Best Supporting Actor

Al Pacino – The Irishman as Jimmy Hoffa Al Pacino has the advantage of getting A LOT of screen time as Jimmy Hoffa. The Irishman clocks in at over 3,5 hours and he isn’t in the whole movie but when he is, the seasoned performer gives us so much. At different periods of the story, you’ll feel differently about him. There’s no point comparing him to the real-life person. He takes the meaty role and makes it his own. His voice, his mannerisms, I can’t think of anyone who could’ve done it better.

Best Actress

Renée Zellweger – Judy as Judy Garland Judy was the very last movie on my list to watch, having missed it when it came to theatres. When I think back to Zellweger’s performance, I don’t see her. All I see is her character, a rich, complex person you sometimes hate, sometimes love and feel sorry for. The movie is not going to be on my “Best of” list but she is.

Best Actor

Joaquin Phoenix – Joker as Arthur Fleck / Joker To me, there was no question Joaquin Phoenix would take this one. I saw Joker three times and each time, I found something new in his performance.

Best Director

Sam Mendes – 1917 With this award, I’m awarding Sam Mendes for the craft he displayed in 1917. It’s such a visceral experience that when people asked me how it compared to Dunkirk, it felt weird to lump both together. This is coming from someone who gave both pictures a 5-star review, who put both on their respective “best of the year” lists. It’s a movie I’m going to go back to and wondering “how did they do that?!

Best Picture

Little Women – Amy Pascal It’s a tough call for me this year, partially because I loved Parasite, 1917, Joker, and others so much. I’m planning on adding those three films to my collection so I can pop them into my Blu-ray player any times I feel like it. That said, I would’ve given the Best Picture Award to Little Women. You’re so emotionally invested in this little story that telling you why with merely words is impossible. You fall in love over and over. It made me cry and every time I think back to that scene at Christmas, I tear up again. I’m choosing it because of all the things it does differently from the other films. At the end of the day, it isn’t a big story. It isn’t about people with guns, corruption, war, a turning point in history or even necessarily the biggest event in the lives of the characters but it feels like it is. That’s exactly why it’s so good. 

Disagree with my choices? I don’t blame you. What kind of idiot finds a way to leave out Marriage Story from their list? You let me know where it should’ve gone. Hopefully, commenting keep you warm until MY Best of 2019 list gets posted in the next few days.

[sebastbu]

My Top 40 Movies of the Decade

***just my opinion***this list is not set in stone either***

1. 12 Years A Slave (2013)

What Steve McQueen has managed to do with this movie in nothing short of the best thing art is capable of. He takes the horror of humanity and turns it into a heart shattering tale of the best of humanity. A film that could have sunk easily among the brutality it contains, instead soars with Solomon’s survival. It is one of the most life-affirming, uplifting works of art I’ve ever seen. It makes you cry, it makes you shout, it makes you cheer, it makes you breathless. In short, all the things movies are best at. Not just a definitive movie, but a definitive work of art.

2. The Act of Killing (2012)

This has my vote for the best documentary film of all time. What begins as a transfixing profile of the mass murders responsible for the 1965 Indonesian genocide quickly transforms into a Brechtian nightmare as director Joshua Oppenheimer somehow convinces these men to stage scenes for a fake movie reenacting their crimes. As the film progresses you can hardly believe what you’re witnessing. Horrifying, yet you can’t look away. Oppenheimer holds your attention for every second. What’s captured for film here is truly unique, ground-breaking, soul shaking. A statement about the banality of evil as profound as Ardent’s essays. 

3. The Tree of Life (2011)

Malick has reached his final form here. An organic art form, pure cinema, visual poetry, whatever you want to call it. Nothing but a movie could be this. The images he crafts here are as close to a religious experience as I’ve ever had watching a movie, and probably ever will. In exploring childhood memories, Malick’s style perfectly matches his subject manner. He use of ellipsis and fluidity mirrors the way memories flash through our heads. It is as if we are witnessing memory directly, unfiltered. This movie will move you in ways you didn’t know a movie could. 

4. The Social Network (2010)

That Facebook movie? Hell yeah that facebook movie. What Fincher and Sorkin have managed to do is take what could be a standard biopic, or dull tech movie, and made it into an epic tale of betrayal, greed, friendship, coming of age, and identity. Ross and Reznor’s score pulses, as does the dialogue. This movie starts the instant you press play and it doesn’t let you catch your breath for one second until the very end. Endlessly quotable, perfected acted. A masterclass.

5. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

What can I say about this movie? Every shot is perfect. Every joke, beat, pan, zoom. Well, I guess I’ll say this. This movie disarms with its charm, its facade. But at its heart is a wrenching tale of loss, nostalgia, and the fleeting nature of everything, especially those we love. A jewel of a film. Anderson makes sure you’re cozy and then pulls the rug out from under you, and suddenly you’re crying. 

6. The Master (2012)

Career best performances from Joaquin Phoenix and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Lushly shot. Greenwood delivers another ground breaking score. PTA has made an aimless film about aimless characters that nevertheless is riveting. At the end, you may not know exactly how far you’ve progressed, but you’re sure glad you went on the journey. 

7. Drive (2011)

This is not an action movie. It’s a love story. The now famous dream pop soundtrack. Ryan Gosling doing so much with so little. Refn’s breathtaking cinematography. Diluted dreams. Crushed hopes. Silent gazes, filled with more emotion than dialogue could ever render.

8. The Revenant (2015)

An achievement of pure cinematic insanity. I still have no idea how they got some of these shots. A brutal, thrilling story of survival among nature’s cruelty. Inarritu’s camera is like magic in this film, uncovering the previously thought not possible. 

9. La La Land (2016)

A reinvention of a genre that somehow manages to have its cake and eat it too: a nostalgia trip that also subverts expectations. Right up there next to Singin’ in the Rain, in my book at least. How on earth was that only Chazelle’s second ever movie? 

10. The Lighthouse (2019)

TELL ME YE FOND O ME LOBSTER! WHYD YA SPILL YOUR BEANS? IF I HAD A STEAK ID FUCK IT. That about sums it up.

11. Parasite (2019)

Bong Joon Ho has made a beautifully twisted psychological thriller that is also hilarious, touching, and a lasting commentary on class and social mobility. 

12. The Florida Project (2017)

Baker’s approach of setting this story from the viewpoint of children makes it a glorious romp through a world of innocence as well as tragedy, and also makes it all the more emotionally impactful.

13. Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)

It’s all about the cat. Alongside the Coen’s mastery of dialogue and the side character, as well as the beautiful folk music, this film acts as a deeply moving portrayal of depression, and how sometimes we are our own worst enemy. 

14. Moonlight (2016)

Expertly crafted. Expertly acted. Expertly shot. A gorgeously rendered coming of age story. I’m not really the person who should speak of its importance. I’ll just say: it is. Very. A movie that will stun you. 

15. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Practical! Effects! Yeah, that really is Tom Hardy swinging fifty feet off the ground on a pole as explosions go off behind him. A feminist, post-apocalypse, road trip movie brought to you by the director of Happy Feet and Babe 2. What more could you want?

16. Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

A wonderful celebration of childhood and of fantasy. Anderson crafts a world you want to return to again and again. Anyone else get jump scared when they realized Lucas Hedges was in this??? 

17. Arrival (2016)

I love Denis Villeneuve’s films for so many reasons. The most important I think is that he balances entertainment and artistic depth so well. Like all great scifi Arrival is not really about aliens, it’s about us. 

18. Inception (2010)

A film that runs on all cyclinders. Smart, funny, jaw dropping, just plain fun. Nolan manages to build some surprisingly moving moments as well. 

19. Gone Girl (2014)

Ah Fincher and his twists. Rosemund Pike at the top of her game. Ross and Reznor return with another gripping score. Around the narrative, Fincher creates a fascinating portrayal of the media and marriage, one with endless twists and turns. You never quite know where it’s headed.

20. Sicario (2015)

A second thing I love about Dennis Villeneuve: he does point of view characters better than anyone else. 

21. Enemy (2014)

A third thing I love about Dennis Villeneuve: he plays with genre and narrative structure unlike anyone else working right now.

22. Incendies (2010)

A fourth thing I love about Denis Villeneuve: he’s given us some of the best female lead characters this decade.

23. Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

A fifth thing I love about Denis Villeneuve: he somehow managed make a Blade Runner sequel work. Here’s hoping for Dune. 

24. The Look of Silence (2014)

The companion film of The Act of Killing. Oppenheimer does it again, this time focusing more on the victims of the genocide. Groundbreaking cinema.

25. Shame (2011)

Slow clap for Michael Fassbender. Slow clap for Carey Mulligan. Slow clap for Steven Mcqueen.

26. Hereditary (2018)

Using horror to examine mental illness and family trauma. Aster has made a new classic of genre, taking it to new heights.

27. Under The Skin (2014)

How to make a movie about an alien descended onto earth in order to capture men and engulf them in her weird black room of goo? Make a very alienation movie. Chilling. Otherworldly. Haunting. 

28. Son of Saul (2015)

In making any holocaust film there’s always the risk of feeling exploitative. Nemes’s radical camera work, focusing almost entirely on the main character’s face in close up leaves this concern in the dust. The horrors enter only at the corners of the frame, while humanity is firmly centered the whole time. An important film everyone should see. 

29. Whiplash (2014)

As visceral and heart pounding as the solos performed, the film as a whole is a perfectly made portrait of a obsession. 

30. Amour (2012)

Haneke takes his unforgiving approach and lays bare a topic with incredible emotional depth. The result is deeply moving without ever being sentimental. I’m hard pressed to find another film about old age that is this poignant. 

31. Birdman (2014)

A whirlwind of a film. A high wire act. The long takes turn it into something more akin to a play. A pretty damn good one at that. 

32. Once Upon A Time In Anatolia (2011)

What’s Chekhov doing in the 21st Century? He’s in Turkey. He name is Nuri Ceylan. 

33. The Favourite (2018)

Lanthimos turns down his style and turns up his humor. The result is the best of both worlds: a dark, twisted tale of power and a hilarious parody of monarchy and British costume drama. 

34. Phantom Thread (2018)

PTA delivers again. What could easily have been another tired tale of the obsessive artist and the woman behind him is instead a fairy tale-ish ensnaring of two people’s ineffable pull towards each other. 

35. A Hidden Life (2019)

Still fresh in my mind. Malick’s late style is given the backbone it needed in the form of a relevant tale of resistance and struggle. A meditative, prayer-like film about the power of belief. 

36. Prisoners (2013)

A sixth thing I love about Denis Villeneuve: his movies have layers, but only if you look. Otherwise, the ride is pretty great as well. 

37. Manchester By The Sea (2016)

A masterclass in doing less with more. 

38. Foxcatcher (2014)

Bennett Miller does biopics unlike anyone else. That is to say, maybe better than anyone else working today. 

39. The Witch (2015)

Eggers’s first foray into historical New England horror. A chilling commentary on the evils of puritanism.

40. The Kid With A Bike (2011)

The Dardenne brothers managed to make a gut-wrenching tale of childhood, masculinity, abandonment, the power of empathy, belonging, and redemption in 84 minutes. Here’s a suggestion. Watch this movie. Then watch it again. A better use of the same amount of time it takes to sit through The Irishman. Oh wait, no you still have 30 minutes left over. 

[warehouse13pod]

Show Notes 108A Duped - Part 1

Down the rabbit hole we go, Agents!

Here they are! At long, long last—the show notes for 108 “Duped!”

These notes cover 108 “Duped” Part 1.

You can listen to it in this embedded player:

Or on Youtube:

Let’s jump right in! 

Miranda and I started this episode with some fun facts about ourselves. Mine was that I once got a pillow from Sargento that said “Sweet dreams are made of cheese,” because I complimented it online.

First of all, here’s the song it references.

Now, here are the tweets of how it happened. Here’s the Tweet I saw from Warehouse 13 co-creator and legendary TV writer/producer, Jane Espenson and the conversation that followed:

And at this very moment, that pillow is serving as a laptop cushion.

Now, onto the show.

This week’s writer appreciation focused on another writing team, Benjamin Raab and Deric A. Hughes who shared some awesome behind-the-scenes pix with us on twitter! After we released the episode, Ben tweeted at us and told us the crew let Ben and Deric cameo on every episode they wrote/produced. Here’s the pic from “Duped!” They were on the elevator with Pete!

We got that tweet and some good corrections and fun facts from Ben and Deric themselves! What up, dudes‽

Miranda says that we start the episode “en media res” which means “in the middle of things” in Latin. Here’s a link to what it means in terms of narrative storytelling.

Later, we also compared Myka’s dress in the pilot…

…to her dress in Duped.

Great work by the costuming/hair/makeup team on emphasizing all the subtle ways that Myka was Not Normal™

Because we love to give due credit, so, the people responsible are

Costuming: Joanne Hanson

Hair: Susan Exton-Stranks

Makeup: Marie Nardella

We also have a good laugh talking about how Pete miscategorizes Alice in Wonderland as Chick Lit.

Alice in Wonderland is obviously not Chick Lit (although there’s nothing wrong with Chick Lit).

This led us to a brief discussion of how Miranda’s sister trolls her by calling “Doctor Who” Mister Who. That already wasn’t accurate, but now it’s especially inaccurate as The Doctor is a woman! As a side note, I personally would buy a T-Shirt that said “Mister Who” on it just to make a laugh. Anyone else? Anyone?

Next up, Miranda noticed that Pete was wearing a North Canton, Ohio t-shirt and connected the dots that Eddie McClintock himself is from North Canton. Further proof that Eddie and Pete are essentially the same person.

Speaking of Eddie, this is also the episode where we learned that Eddie was voted the 82nd Sexiest Man Alive, according to TVBuddy. Alas, alack, the link to the list is now dead. So I can’t link it. I tried.

Next, we talked about how amazing Eddie is at doing an impersonation of Myka sticking her neck out when she’s mad.

In the Warehouse, an artifactified disco ball plays Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive.”

Here’s that song:

When Act II starts we get some really orange lighting that plays right into our color theory. I couldn’t find a picture of that scene and Amazon won’t let me screenshot, but, in general, most cinematography of Myka in this episode is very orange. Here are a couple examples of how orange most things are that involve Alice in this episode:

Then we talked about how weird it was when Myka actually took one of Artie’s pastries.

Actual footage of my face when she took one:

Actual footage of my face when she took SECONDS:

Then we got the introduction of Gary and Jillian Whitman—this week’s red herring bad guys and focus of this week’s dual Actor’s Spotlight, courtesy of Miranda.

Gary was played by Niall Matter.

Miranda recommended watching the TV show he was on called The Best Years.

Jillian (my name-thief) was played by Erica Cerra.

Miranda noticed a subtle Walt Whitman reference and gave the dates of his life and Lewis Carroll’s/Charles Dodgson’s life.

Walt Whitman: 1819 - 1892

Lewis Carroll/Charles Dodgson: 1832 - 1898

There will be a lot more information about Lewis Carroll/Charles Dodgson in the show notes for Part 2 of this episode.

Then we talked about how Artie was a tad too aggressive in telling Claudia to “back off!” and how this all reminded us of a scene in The Importance of Being Earnest where two characters grumpily eat cakes. Miranda later specified that it reminded her of the scene where Jack and Algernon eat muffins. Meanwhile, it reminded me of the scene where Gwendolen and Cecily get passive-aggressive over whether tea should be enjoyed with bread and butter or with cake.

Here’s a snippet of the scene Miranda was thinking of:

 Algernon.  If it was my business, I wouldn’t talk about it.  [Begins to eat muffins.]  It is very vulgar to talk about one’s business.  Only people like stock-brokers do that, and then merely at dinner parties.

Jack.  How can you sit there, calmly eating muffins when we are in this horrible trouble, I can’t make out.  You seem to me to be perfectly heartless.

Algernon.  Well, I can’t eat muffins in an agitated manner.  The butter would probably get on my cuffs.  One should always eat muffins quite calmly.  It is the only way to eat them.

Jack.  I say it’s perfectly heartless your eating muffins at all, under the circumstances.

Here’s a snippet of the scene I was thinking of:

Cecily.  May I offer you some tea, Miss Fairfax?

Gwendolen.  [With elaborate politeness.]  Thank you.  [Aside.]  Detestable girl!  But I require tea!

Cecily.  [Sweetly.]  Sugar?

Gwendolen.  [Superciliously.]  No, thank you.  Sugar is not fashionable any more. [Cecily looks angrily at her, takes up the tongs and puts four lumps of sugar into the cup.]

Cecily.  [Severely.]  Cake or bread and butter?

Gwendolen.  [In a bored manner.]  Bread and butter, please.  Cake is rarely seen at the best houses nowadays.

Cecily.  [Cuts a very large slice of cake, and puts it on the tray.]  Hand that to Miss Fairfax.

[Merriman does so, and goes out with footman.  Gwendolen drinks the tea and makes a grimace.  Puts down cup at once, reaches out her hand to the bread and butter, looks at it, and finds it is cake.  Rises in indignation.]

Gwendolen.  You have filled my tea with lumps of sugar, and though I asked most distinctly for bread and butter, you have given me cake.  I am known for the gentleness of my disposition, and the extraordinary sweetness of my nature, but I warn you, Miss Cardew, you may go too far. 

Both of those scenes take place in Act II.

If you read nothing else in these show notes STOP AND WATCH THE FOLLOWING CLIP!

Here’s a clip from an early movie adaptation of The Importance of Being Earnest that features my favorite line delivery of anything ever:

Good luck ever looking at a handbag without thinking of that again.

While we’re on the subject, I played Cecily in the Importance of Being Earnest, so I’m legally obligated to share a couple photos of that as proof:

As a final note on the matter, you can read the entire play from project Gutenberg here (and I recommend that you do, because it’s one of my all-time faves.).

Later, Miranda and I wondered if the infinity tattoo on Myka’s ankle was Joanne Kelly’s or was something Alice did when they got to Vegas. I think someone tweeted at us about this awhile ago. If anyone has that info, I’ll update the show notes with that and credit to the Tweeter.

After that, we discussed Myka’s/Alice’s casual mention of Carson’s Rule of Linear Transfer and her assertion that it means “forced outcomes require tangency.” I posited that this rule is not a mathematic or scientific principle but rather a warehouse-specific rule. The only Carson’s Rule that Miranda and I could find when researching this was an unrelated rule about bandwidth. If you’re super into telecommunications, you can read more about Carson’s Banwidth Rule here.

Backing up a little bit in the episode, we discussed a little bit about the history of disco and disco clubs via exerpts from a written interview with Professor Carol Cooper.

She spoke with us about Studio 54, Vaughn Harper, and the roots of a Studio 54 laying in a black-owned club called Leviticus.

I didn’t mention it in the episode, but that makes the club in Empire (also named Leviticus) a truly nicely named homage to history. Bustle.com did a deep dive on that fact here.

Relatedly, when the disco ball drops earlier in the warehouse, Claudia does her own take on the Saturday Night Fever dance…

…then devastates Artie by incorrectly dating the Disco Era. Find approximate dates and more info here.

Then Miranda compared Deanna Troi from Star Trek: The Next Generation and Tara Maclay from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

First of all, the episode of Buffy that we referenced was Season 4, Episode 16 “Who Are You?”

Second of all, we made a Buffy reference, so… You know… Take a shot.

Then we talked about Myka’s reaction to Pete referencing a rabbit’s foot as a lucky charm.

That was both a great reference to the white rabbit in Alice in Wonderland…

…and a great reference to keychains from the 1990s and early 2000s. For those who don’t understand that reference, I was gonna link to some funny pictures from that era, but googling “rabbit’s foot” actually led me to down a sad path, so… like.. Not gonna share that.

Then we talked about how Pete saying “Kirk out

…was an improvised line that referenced Captain James T. Kirk on Star Trek: The Original Series and the communicators they used as well as to the flip phones from the era just before warehouse 13 premiered.

Then, both Ben Raab and Eddie McClintock explained that the reaction on set to Eddie saying “Kirk out!” looked something like this…

…until the network gave them the all-clear.

Winding things down for this episode, Miranda and I figured out what a Roulette table looked like:

…and appreciated Claudia’s knowledge of CIA laser mics. Turns out, laser microphones are really a thing!

Finally, for this week’s

~HEAVY THEMES~

…we talked about how off-putting Miranda and I found it when Alice (as Myka) drank both on the job and in front of Pete.

Not all people in recovery are triggered when people drink around them, but some are.

Here is an article from American Addiction Centers on how best to support an alcoholic and support their recovery.

If anyone has resources that they find helpful, we’re always happy to add them to these show notes or create a page devoted to resources for things discussed in our Heavy Themes sections. 

And, with that, we are done with Part 1!

 See you next time, Agents.

[straydog733]

Watching Resolution: 12 Angry Men (1957)

2. A black and white film: 12 Angry Men (1957)

List Progress: 8/12

I will admit that I have a fair amount of trepidation regarding “classics”, in both film and literature. You often run into this idea that enjoying a classic is the correct reaction, with any other reaction being incorrect. And often, I just don’t think classics live up to the hype; they are important for their impact on the history of the medium, but lacking as content on their own.

The 1957 courtroom drama 12 Angry Men deserves every bit of esteem and recognition that it gets and absolutely lives up to its reputation. This film is beautiful. It excels in writing, acting, directing, cinematography, even costuming, and I was riveted while watching it. This is a marvel of a film.

Directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Henry Fonda, 12 Angry Men takes place entirely inside a jury deliberation room, save for 3 minutes out of the 96 minute run time. Twelve men, known only by their juror numbers, are deciding the outcome of a murder trial that the audience has not seen. It’s an incredibly elegant premise, with Fonda’s character, Juror #8, voting not-guilty in the face of eleven guilty votes and trying to get the other men to genuinely examine the evidence and the nature of reasonable doubt. Despite introducing twelve characters all at once, the film makes sure that you know each of them as people, flawed people trying their best to do what they think is right. 

This is a master class in the “bottle episode” format. There is nowhere for a writer or actor to hide in a bottle episode, no action or adventure to distract from weak characters. 12 Angry Men puts these twelve characters under a microscope and does not look away until they have been cut open and exposed in depth. I have to keep coming back to it: this film is beautiful.

Watching this film with my roommate, a non-profit attorney, was especially powerful. The legal specifics of the film don’t hold up to scrutiny at all; jurors are not allowed to do nearly as much as Juror #8 does. But the central ideas, that all people are deserving of a fair and thorough trial and that care and consideration must be taken when dealing with the fate of human lives, are at the heart of everything my friend does. At the heart of what all people should do. Juror #7 wants to hurry the deliberation along because he has tickets to a baseball game. But he, the jury, the audience, and humankind, must take the time to listen, talk and think when human lives are on the line. The world would be a lot better if we all did.

Would I Recommend it: Absolutely.

[lifejustgotawkward]

365 Day Movie Challenge (2019) - #128: 12 Angry Men (1957) - dir. Sidney Lumet

On one of the hottest nights at the end of this past July, I revisited one of the all-time classics of American cinema, 12 Angry Men, which was available thanks to TCM on Demand. I don’t think I had seen the film in its entirety since I was a kid, and although I remembered the plot and the ending quite well, I knew it would be good to see Sidney Lumet’s feature directorial debut again with fresh eyes.

Adapted by Reginald Rose by a story he originally wrote for the “Studio One” anthology TV series, Men is built on a simple yet almost flawlessly realized idea: a jury is expected to render a verdict as to whether a teenage boy is guilty of stabbing his father to death. In the group’s first vote, eleven men agree on conviction, but the lone holdout, Juror 8 (Henry Fonda), is not so certain. Over the next few hours, he sways more and more of the men with detailed analyses of the case’s multiple possibilities for reasonable doubt, but a few of the men hesitate or outright refuse to change their minds, like Juror 3 (Lee J. Cobb), whose fraught relationship with his own son has prejudiced his ability to fairly judge the accused; Juror 10 (Ed Begley), a racist who wants to believe the worst of the boy on trial since he comes from a lower-class background; and Juror 4 (E.G. Marshall), whose stubborn stance is tinted with an air of moral superiority. Juror 7 (Jack Warden), meanwhile, is so lazy and resentful of being stuck in the jury room that he doesn’t even want to be bothered with the concept of changing his tune.

The performances by the actors playing the more reasonable men on the jury are equally impressive. Joseph Sweeney does fine work as Juror 9, the elder statesman in the room; Jack Klugman brings believability to Juror 5, whose upbringing in a slum is a motivator for his first “not guilty” vote; John Fiedler, best known as Disney’s voice of Piglet, is appropriately cast as Juror 2, who is timid until the moments when he feels strong enough to challenge the worst bigots at the table; George Voskovec as Juror 11, whose immigrant identity gives a more nuanced perspective on American values and the purpose of the justice system; Edward Binns as Juror 6, a house painter who sticks up for elderly Juror 9; lastly, Martin Balsam is solid as the foreman, Juror 1, who frankly doesn’t say much. If there is a single weak link, it’s Robert Webber as Juror 12, the ad executive who would rather chat and goof off than put in the effort of figuring out a verdict, but he’s not bad, just not on the level of his fellow actors.

In a little over an hour and a half, the film unfurls to present a thoroughly gripping drama. Boris Kaufman’s black-and-white cinematography captures every drop of sweat that glistens on the men’s faces - the narrative takes place in New York City on a brutally hot July day, much like the one I withstood while watching - and composer Kenyon Hopkins’ score strikes the right notes, making 12 Angry Men a must-see for students of Hollywood history.

[mst3kproject]

Tarantula

 I don’t know that this movie requires any introduction.  I’m sure we’re all aware that Leo G. Carroll was over a barrel when Tarantula took to the hills!  This time the film actually does have a tarantula in it, as well as Mara Corday from The Black Scorpion and the (hopefully) inimitable John Agar.  I’m pretty sure the only reason it was never MST3Ked was because somebody felt one black and white giant spider movie was plenty.  Somebody was wrong.

Matt Hastings is the town doctor in some middle-of-nowhere or other, who gets asked to look into a very unusual death – the corpse appears to be that of a hunchbacked ape-man in striped pajamas!  The dead man is identified as a Dr. Jacobs, but he didn’t look like that a week ago.  Jacobs worked for local Reclusive Scientist Professor Deemer, so Matt obviously asks him what happened, but Deemer won’t say. Over the next few weeks, Matt’s ongoing romance with Deemer’s new assistant Steve gives him an excuse to head out to the lab over and over, and he starts to learn the truth.  Deemer has developed a super-nutrient that produces uncontrolled cell growth.  Humans who take it turn into lumpy mutants, but other animals simply grow to tremendous size.  Even worse, one of those experimental subjects has escaped from the lab… and it wasn’t one of the bunnies, that’s a different movie entirely.

The humans who are injected with the super-nutrient are described as developing ‘acromegalia’, a dysfunction of the pituitary gland that causes the head, hands, and feet to grow and deform.  This is true – it was the condition that afflicted both Rondo Hatton (of The Brute Man) and Richard Kiel of (The Human Duplicators), and while its victims look nothing like the ape-faced sufferers in Tarantula, the side effects can definitely be fatal.  Somebody did do their research there, which makes it really quite annoying that they never bothered to spell-check – it’s actually acromegaly, not acromegalia.  Once again a movie gets the details right but blows it on the fucking obvious.  Similar gaffes happen elsewhere, too, as when Deemer carefully fills a syringe inside an isolation chamber as if handling something incredibly dangerous, then just squirts the bubbles out in the open air.

After watching The Choppers, it’s a relief to see that Tarantula actually had a budget and in many respects the movie looks pretty good.  The makeup may look nothing like actual acromegaly but it’s pretty impressive, especially the subtle changes we see in Professor Deemer as he responds more slowly than his colleagues.  The giant spider is achieved through Bert I. Gordon type matte shots and some miniature work, but all of this is of a very high quality.  There’s a shot of it scurrying across the road just after Matt and Steve’s car has gone by that’s practically seamless.  The desert scenery is gorgeous and the cinematography makes good use of light and shadow to show it off.  The only real failures are the nighttime attack scenes, which as usual are mostly too dark to tell what’s going on.  Since these are the only action pieces in the movie, that’s very disappointing.

Like The Black Scorpion, Tarantula is intended as a ripoff of Them! and the inspiration is much more obvious here even when the plot is not followed nearly so slavishly – we’ve got a story that starts in an investigation, here medical instead of police, and only gradually gets around to the giant insects.  Like the ants that could be anywhere, the spider lurks in the background of the movie, able to strike at any moment, but it just doesn’t work the way it did in Them!, because in Tarantula the characters are primarily concerned with things other than the title menace.  The opening shot of the movie is the deformed Dr. Jacobs staggering through the desert, and the rest of the film is much more about his death and those of his colleagues than it is about the spider.

We don’t see the process by which Deemer’s assistants were slowly altered and killed, but we do get to watch it happen to Deemer himself. We know, furthermore, that he saw the same thing happen to others, and that he is unable to stop the process.  That’s a far more potent source of horror than an absurd giant spider, and Matt’s investigation for most of the movie is interested in what triggered this baffling illness.  The giant tarantula is only a side effect of this work, and for most of the movie the characters aren’t even aware of it as it wanders the desert eating cows.  It’s only slightly more relevant than the Giant Gila Monster was to its movie, and once Deemer is dead and the movie’s focus changes, it feels like the writing simply gives up.  So far, this movie has been telling a story about science gone wrong, and the writers, makeup people, and actors were each giving it their all.  Now it’s just shooting at a spider, and effort is no longer required.

The tarantula-centric portions of the movie are also when we get the only really risible effects moments, which include the spider looking in a window to watch a woman undress, disappearing behind hills that aren’t there, and roaring as it destroys a police car in a POV shot.

Deemer dies when the spider knocks his house down on top of him, which I guess is a suitable mad scientist death in that he is destroyed by his own creation.  The odd part is that it’s completely unnecessary, because Deemer was on the point of death anyway!  Like his colleagues he has contracted acromegaly from the nutrient, and it’s clear from his appearance and behaviour that the condition is on the point of overwhelming him.  The feeling one gets is that the writers felt the movie had to end in a victory and there could be no victory over the acromegaly.  The spider is there to be defeated.

Obviously this is a distraction rather than a conclusion, and it’s a shame because if Tarantula had been about the nutrient and the acromegaly rather than about a giant arachnid, it could have been about the consequences of getting ahead of yourself in science.  The events at the beginning of Tarantula are literally a drug trial carried out too early and gone horribly wrong, but perhaps that didn’t have the same resonance it would have after things like Thalidomide.  Worse, the defeat of the spider is a big anticlimax.  There’s not enough time for a real rampage to happen, and then the monster dies when the air force drops napalm on it.  Not that this wouldn’t kill a spider no matter how big, but it’s over way too quickly and mostly just makes us think the tarantula wasn’t that formidable after all.

John Agar’s character is too bland to be really detestable but he is a slimy sexist douchebag as per usual.  There’s a bit where a woman opens her mouth to simply introduce herself and he still feels the need to interrupt and speak over her.  At another point he remarks, “you give women the vote and look what happens – girl scientists!” as if their very existence is a joke.  He’s a dick to the men, too.  When it seems that Deemer’s proven him wrong about something, Matt obsesses over it for days and actually does research specifically to try to show that he’s in the right.  And Tom and Crow would have loved that this is another movie in which John Agar seems to have the authority to evacuate a town and call in the national guard without saying why.

To the movie’s credit, not everybody in it is a sexist jerk.  Tarantula is very short on women, as old movies tend to be, but one of those women is a scientist and it’s not treated as ‘cute’ by anyone but Matt.  Deemer actually seems quite supportive of the idea of women in science.  He constantly urges his female colleague to be careful but this comes across as being more because he’s a worrier than because he thinks she’s not competent.  She was hired on the strength of a paper she wrote, and if Deemer is surprised that she turns out to be a woman he doesn’t let it affect his perception of her work.  She also has ‘feminine’ interests like shopping and going to the beauty parlour, and Deemer never shows any sign that he considers these incompatible with a scientific career.  When he scolds her, it is in a situation where he would almost certainly have done the same to a male colleague.

Matt’s relationship with Steve is utterly lifeless and the scenes in which the two attempt to be romantic are nothing more than dull.  This isn’t surprising, when Steve is basically a plot device rather than a character – Matt needs a reason to return to Deemer’s house repeatedly even though Deemer doesn’t want him there, therefore have him fall in love with one of the employees.  Steve doesn’t look into it at all, and frankly, neither does Agar.  There’s a bit where he seems more enthusiastic about meeting a rabbit than he does about spending time with Steve!  When Steve runs into his arms as the tarantula destroys the house, we just really, really, really don’t care.

‘Steve’ is short for ‘Stephanie’ by the way.  I didn’t mention that earlier because I’m a jerk.

As an attempt to cash in on Them!, Tarantula is okay but that’s about it.  It’s not very good, but it’s not memorably bad, and as a result it’s not very interesting.  The Black Scorpion used a more exotic setting and some fabulous stop-motion to give itself it’s own personality, but Tarantula has very little personality at all.  I’m getting so tired of films that ignore all their own best ideas… but don’t worry, I don’t intend to ever get tired of hating John Agar.

[conjugate-wumbo]

GOT 8x5 Penultimate episode here we go….

You ever notice how right when you’re watching the credits to any movie or tv show and there’s a part where you’re like really jamming to the music - like damn that’s some good stuff - is exactly when the “music by” credit shows up? Coincidence? Where’s that gif of Edna? 

If Varys ran for president, he would have a real shot at winning just based on the number of his own spies voting for him alone.

VARYS WHAT DID YOU WRITE IN THAT LETTER

Yo Tyrion and Varys were besties. 

I am not satisfied with this ending. 

“Far more people in Westeros love you than love me.” What do you think that means.  Return of D is for dum dum. 

“Is that all I am to you? Your queen?” “Nah fam you’re also my aunt.”

Just sayin, Jacob Anderson sounds like a native speaker of Valyrian. Def has the best accent to the language. 

I don’t see that there’s any time for Dany to redeem herself and be worthy of becoming queen. This attitude is getting real tiring.

It’s just a bunch of frowns all over the place isn’t it. 

“I’m Arya Stark. I’m here to kill Queen Cersei.” LOL “I need to go talk to my captain.” LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

Back to beginnings with prisoner Jaime. 

Damn even after all this shit, Tyrion just loves his big bro so much. Tyrion just wants a family. Tyrion is Iron Man.

How many scorpions do they have wow.

Ok wtf is up with the travel times in this show. How is Jaime already there. How did Dany pull a there and back again so quickly. In the first episode weren’t Robert Baratheon’s party riding for a month to get from King’s Landing to Winterfell?

What?

FUCKING EVERYONE IS THERE ALREADY

WHAT

I smell some expendable-story-telling-reshirts stuff about to happen.

Does Euron have stars on his jacket? 

K that first dragon quick-spin shot was pretty sick. 

So when dragons breathe fire...  It must be some expulsion of gas right.  And it’s just ignited internal right before it leaves the dragon’s mouth.  Because otherwise how is the fire hitting things with such weighty force. 

Golden Company definitely realizing that they don’t get paid enough for this shit. 

It would have been fun to see Daario fight the leader of the Golden Company.  Missed Opportunity. 

Are all those other scorpions just waiting until everyone else gets their chance at a close up before trying firing at Drogon? How considerate. Equity in screen time.

Daenerys, if you’re planning on living there like maybe try to save yourself a little bit on renovation fees. 

WTF IS DAVOS DOING RIGHT AT THE FRONT OF THE LINE

THAT’S NO PLACE FOR WESTEROS’S DAD

Not gonna lie, it’s weird seeing Jon against the backdrop of King’s Landing. 

I can just see it on the Lannister soldiers’ faces, “thank god, I didn’t want to be the first one to drop my sword.”

Ring a ding ding. Cersei whatchu doing.

DAMMIT DAENERYS

YOU’RE RUINING IT

STAAAAAAHP

BRUH THAT IS NOT EVEN THE RED KEEP

WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING

GREY WORM DON’T YOU DARE

YES JON YES

OH MY FUCKING GOD GREY WORM DON’T. YOU. DARE.

Grey Worm’s gonna die isn’t he.

...Maybe not...

Time to bring back this meme to encapsulate the episode: Everyone: Daenerys NO Daenerys: DAENERYS YES

Come on Jaime, we need a Queenslayer You can do it Where the fuck are you even

LISTEN TO JON YOU FUCKS

FUCK RETURN OF THE REDSHIRTS

JON SAVE THAT LITTLE GIRL

Dany u gotta stop All that good architecture just going to waste. 

Wow if Euron kills Jaime that’ll be the most unsatisfying shit in the world.  However.  If Davos saves Jaime and kills Euron like a badass.  That would be something that Westeros’s dad deserves. 

Well fuck I am unsatisfied. I feel nothing. Like obviously I’m sad because it’s Jaime, but like story-wise. 

If Jaime dies here by the hand of Euron.  Like what was I waiting for? 

What is this episode

What WHAT WHATWHATWHATWHATWHATWHAT

That’s it Jaime YESSSSS JAIME Ok this is more satisfying Should’ve been Yara who killed Euron but whatever (Also where is Yara??????? We just killed her brother and then we’re just never going to see her again?)

OMG FATHER FIGURE HOUND. LOVE IT. THIS IS WHAT I WANTED FROM ARYA’S ARC. LEARNING TO MOVE ON FROM REVENGE. YESS ARYA. THIS IS THE WHOLESOME CONTENT I WANT TO SEE. TOO BAD THEY JUST RUSHED THROUGH IT IN TWO SECONDS. THIS DESERVED A WHOLE SCENE WITH BUILDUP AND TENSION AND AN AMAZING SCORE AND MAYBE EVEN A SMOL TEAR FROM ARYA.

Ok if Cersei just dies from falling rubble... THANK GO SHE SURVIVED that would have been the MOST unsatisfying. 

OH SHITTTT. CLEGANE BOWL ABOUT TO BEGIN. HERE WE GOOOO. LET’S GOOOOO. (The Mountain has no neck?) Qyburn killed by the Mountain = oddly satisfying. Not what I thought but I’ll take it.  WHY IS THERE NO SCORE FOR CLEGANE BOWL. Damn boy Gregor u gotta start wearing sunscreen.

YESS LANNISTER BOWL. JAIME IF YOU DON’T KILL CERSEI I SWEAR- Cersei: “You’re hurt” Jaime: “It’s only a flesh wound”

Not Found: Any dramatic tension in this episode

WHERE ARE THE EMOTIONAL BEATS IN THIS EPISODE

Sandor just stabbed Gregor and like. I have no reaction.

What is this episode???

If the Hound dies. I will be so unsatisfied.

ARYA SAVE SOME OF THE INNOCENTS COME ON. FIND JON. HELP HIM. If Arya just fucking dies from bricks. I will be so unsatisfied.

WHAT IS THIS EPISODE

Where is any dramatic tension?

Like I care, but I don’t care? At least the score is back. Some good cinematography though, for these cuts switching back and forth between Arya and the Hound. BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN THEMATICALLY? WHY ARE THEY BEING CONNECTED? What is the narrative message????

WHAT DOES IT MEAN. NOTHING. 

YASSS RETURN OF THE RED SHIRT

Damn if I haven’t said it enough times already. If the Hound just dies here. I’ll be so unsatisfied.

“FUCKING DIE” lol OKAYY you can’t give me three seconds of score and assume that means the dramatic tension in Clegane bowl was relieved.

YOU CAN’T RELIEVE WHAT WAS NEVER TENSE. THE HOUND IS ONE OF MY FAVES. AND HE JUST DIED. AND I’M LIKE MEH.

WHAT IS THIS EPISODE? ??????

Lol ok wildfire I guess we’re in act three now?

THIS SCORE MEANS NOTHING NOW. YOU CAN’T FOOL ME.

Lol D&D would never have the guts to kill Arya. But what does she have left to do even? What is her arc now? It’s done??? She’s technically in the danger zone, but like what does the danger matter now? She’s just running again.

Ok leadership let’s go.

What is this episode???? Why is this sequence so long???

And there go the redshirts.

DID WE JUST KILL ARYA????

Ok some dramatic tension back now. I guess Cersei and Jaime are dead now.

LOL I KNEW THEY COULDN’T KILL ARYA. THEY WOULD NEVER HAVE THE NARRATIVE INTEGRITY.

Here’s how they can salvage this dramatic tension, First of all take some of that plot armor off of these major players and just bite the bullet and let Arya die. You could even make it a legendary tragic scene. One for the ages. Just milk it for all it’s worth because it’d def be worth 10000x whatever this is.  Like literally everyone else around her is burnt to a chalky crisp.  And yet she’s not only alive, but mostly uninjured. Not a single burn. Not a single broken limb.

HOWEVEr

If you insist on keeping her life. Pull an Eowyn. Arya becomes a maester. Realizes how silly war and violence are.

Is that Shadowfax. LORD OF THE HORSES. What does this scene have to do with anything? What does it mean? Did Arya request that horse on Lyft?

AND THAT’S THE END

WHAT

What was the point of this episode?

Nothing happened………………. None of the story, that’s for sure

If this were the book, this would have been like half a chapter. With how little the course of the story changed.

WELL THAT LEAVES ONLY LITTLE OVER AN HOUR TO WRAP UP THIS BEAST OF A STORY. 

HOW ARE WE GOING TO KILL DAENERYS IN A SATISFYING WAY AND STILL HAVE TIME FOR AN EPILOGUE WITH ONLY ONE EPISODE LEFT. 

I have a strong feeling that this next episode is also going to feel incredibly rushed. 

WHAT IS THIS EPISODE

[hyperbolog]

2019 Oscar Predictions Pt. 3: Screenplays, Supporting Actress & Actor, Best Actress & Actor, Director and Picture

Best Original Screenplay

This is a difficult category to predict, as four of the five films are contenders in several key categories and three of those films are potential Best Picture winners. Green Book has won several key precursor awards, but it also is the recipient of extreme award-season backlash. Another knock against Green Book is that the script is as generic as a script can be, often telegraphing it’s major plot points and character arcs pages before they occur. The Favourite is a very funny and acerbic script, however the strangeness of the film may alienate the type of voters that gravitate towards backwards Boomer nostalgia like Green Book. My personal favourite script of the year is Schrader’s First Reformed, and I would love to see it rewarded, but that would be a true upset in a category that rarely provides surprises. The WGA provided no clues this year, as The Favourite did not meet their draconian nomination requirements and the winner, Eighth Grade, was not nominated for an Oscar. I’m taking The Favourite, but would not be shocked if Green Book ended up winning.

Will Win: The Favourite Should Win: First Reformed Could Win: Green Book Should Have Been Nominated: Sorry To Bother You

Adapted Screenplay

The Adapted Screenplay category can sometimes be a real shitshow. This year has avoided awarding middling fare by nominating five legitimately good to great films. This means there will be no Argo or Imitation Game travesties. BlacKkKlansman is the Academy’s best chance to award Spike Lee directly, as the film is unlikely to upset Roma for Best Director or Picture. The Academy loves it when the Coens go country, with previous nods for their adaptations of No Country and True Grit and while Buster Scruggs features many of the Brothers virtuoso monologues, it’s hard to imagine it being a serious contender. A Star is Born is the weakest of the bunch, and probably should have been overlooked in favour of Granik’s Leave No Trace. Can You Ever Forgive Me? is a potential spoiler due to its WGA win, however that is a notoriously fickle guild. Lee’s other competition is Jenkin’s Beale Street which, as good as it is, features some real clumsy translations of Baldwin’s prose. I’m hoping Lee is finally awarded here after three decades of iconoclastic, incendiary and often brilliant filmmaking.

Will Win: BlacKkKlansman Should Win: BlacKkKlansman Could Win: Can You Ever Forgive Me? Should Have Been Nominated: Leave No Trace

Best Supporting Actor

This has been in Ali’s award to win all award season. In a fraught campaign for Green Book, Ali has been able to absorb and deflect all criticism. I’m not sure that even detractors of the film will vote against him, though he won this award just two years prior. Some are predicting that Sam Elliott will join the ranks of Palance and Coburn, who were both industry stalwarts that won Supporting Actor Oscars in their 70s. However, those septuagenarians faced a crowded field with no clear frontrunners. If the night goes Green Book’s way, this could be the second time in three years that Ali wins Best Supporting Actor for a film that wins Best Picture, which is a truly meaningless coincidence.

Will Win: Mahershala Ali, Green Book Should Win: Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me? Could Win: Sam Elliott, A Star is Born Should Have Been Nominated: Michael B. Jordan, Black Panther

Best Supporting Actress

Both supporting categories seem locked up, with King being the runaway favourite. The only time she lost was at the SAGs to Emily Blunt. However that is essentially meaningless as King wasn’t even nominated for a SAG and Blunt is not nominated for an Oscar. If long-time also-ran Amy Adams couldn’t pull out a win at SAGs with King absent, it’s unlikely that she will pull off an upset at the Oscars. Rachel Weisz should technically be up for Best Actress, swapping places with Colman in this category. Weisz’s performance in The Favourite is electric, but King is the beating heart of Jenkin’s Beale Street.

Will Win: Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk Should Win: Rachel Weisz, The Favourite Could Win: Rachel Weisz, The Favourite Should Have Been Nominated: Margot Robbie, Mary Queen of Scots

Best Actor

What is happening? How is it possible that Malek’s karaoke performance is the frontrunner for Best Actor? Wait, that’s not fair. Karaoke singers actually perform the songs themselves. Malik is essentially doing the equivalent of a Lifetime Movie performance in the longest episode of Celebrity Lip Sync Battle. The only upside to Malek‘s Mercury winning Best Actor, is that it will end all arguments regarding “Worst Performance to Ever Win an Oscar.” You’re off the hook John Wayne and Sandra Bullock. Best Actor has gotten into a real rut this decade, only awarding two performances that were not based on real life historical figures. No other decade awarded less than five performances of original characters. It has become a category for the year’s Best Imitation, which would still place Malek far behind Bale’s Dick Cheney and Dafoe’s Van Gogh. As Ethan Hawke was inexplicably left off the ballot, my vote would be for Bradley Cooper, who gives a surprisingly sensitive and nuanced performance in A Star is Born. But honestly, I’d take Viggo’s caricature from Green Book over Malik.

Will Win: Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody Should Win: Bradley Cooper, A Star is Born Could Win: Christian Bale, Vice Should Have Been Nominated: Ethan Hawke, First Reformed

Best Actress

What was once the lone exciting race in the performance categories has now become a foregone conclusion, as Glenn Close is running away with Best Actress. Close, as always, gives a great performance, but make no mistake, this is a legacy win. The Wife is not a good film, in fact it is a patently ridiculous trifle. This year’s Oscar run-up closely resembles 2014, when Julianne Moore won for the mediocre Still Alice. The only major difference is that Moore had no real competition, while Close should be pacing fifth of five. Olivia Colman’s Queen Anne is a wonderful performance which manages to be both extremely funny and moving, as she infuses empathy into a character that could have easily been a punchline. Lady Gaga is terrific in A Star is Born as is McCarthy and Aparicio in their respective roles. However, it is Close’s year, as the Academy looks to honour a beloved seven-time nominee. When Close wins, it means that Amy Adams will now have more Oscar nominations without a win than any other living actor, placing her just two behind Peter O’Toole for most all time.

Will Win: Glenn Close, The Wife Should Win: Olivia Coleman, The Favourite Could Win: Olivia Coleman, The Favourite Should Have Been Nominated: Toni Colette, Hereditary & Joanna Klug, Cold War

Best Director

The days of Director and Picture lining up are becoming few and far between. It could be that voters are seeing these categories as intrinsically separate, with Director representing the vision and creativity of a film, while Picture being an award for Best Production, or it could be simply the result of the preferential ballot. There have been four splits this decade between Director and Picture, which is one off the mark for the most in a 10 year span with two ceremonies left to go. This year has a real “2015” vibe to it. That year, Inarritu’s The Revenant performed as the perfunctory favourite for Picture based on the strength of various Guild, Critics and Golden Globe wins, only to lose the Oscar to Spotlight. Inarritu’s Birdman had just won the year before, which may have played into that loss, but the feeling is that voters admired The Revenant, but didn’t particularly like it. Roma has that same admiration and that same cold response. Do audiences love Roma? Everybody seems to agree that the film is a gorgeous love-letter from Cuaron, and a personal achievement. However, much like The Revenant’s gorgeous natural light and impressive camerawork, Roma’s pristine artifice may distance viewers from actually engaging emotionally with the film. I expect voters to award Cuaron’s craft, but not his product. There have been some rumblings of a Spike Lee upset, which seems outrageous, but would be very welcome. Cuaron is already expected to take home Cinematography and Foreign Language, so it is possible that voters could choose to honour Lee’s BlacKkKlansman, which definitely carries an emotional immediacy that is lacking from Roma.

P.S How much better would this year’s Oscars be with only five Best Picture nominees that aligned with the films up for Best Director. Think about a year where the five films vying for Best Picture are Roma, BlacKkKlansman, Cold War, Vice and The Favourite. Nary a Green Book or Rhapsody in sight. We can dream, can’t we.

Will Win: Alfonso Cuaron, Roma Should Win: Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman Could Win: Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman Should Have Been Nominated: Paul Schrader, First Reformed

Best Picture

The expansion of Best Picture from 5 to a potential of 10, has definitely had an impact on the Oscars. This decade, Best Pictures have averaged a total of 3.5 total Oscar wins. That’s two less that last decade’s 5.5 average and far less than the 90s, where Best Pictures averaged 6.1 total Academy Awards. The last time a decade averaged so few total awards per Best Picture was the 1930s, which also nominated as many as 10 films a year. In the 2000s, the film to win Best Picture was the evening’s most awarded film nine times. That’s only happened four out of the last eight years. In fact, in two of those years, the film to win Best Picture tied with another film for most total Oscars. That means that the year’s Best Picture has been the lone most celebrated film only twice this decade. Whether this is a result of the expanded lineup, or a side-effect of our shifting cultural landscape, where streaming platforms, VOD and the general surfeit of films have fragmented consensus, the films that win Best Picture are changing. There’s nothing to suggest that trend will abate this year. All eight films nominated for Best Picture are predicted to win at least one Oscar. Roma is the favourite to take home top honours but is projected for just four total wins. However, it’s Best Picture frontrunner status is debatable. Many see Green Book as this year’s Spotlight, though not in terms of quality. It’s the kind of low stakes, ahistorical Boomer garbage that does very well at the Oscars. Black Panther is another potential spoiler, having both the cultural and box-office capital rarely seen in this category. Also, Panther won the SAG, which is a strong Guild win. BlacKkKlansman appears to be this year’s Get Out, as it’s the film that best captures the time in which we live and is certainly too good to win Best Picture. Further hampering BlacKkKlansman, is that it did not win a single Guild. Only Out of Africa has won Best Picture with no Guild support. The Favourite appears to be on no-one’s top pick, but preferential balloting may reward a film so generally well regarded. A Star is Born could also find itself on the top half of a lot of ballots. It seems that the only film that is totally out of the running is Vice. Then there’s Bohemian Rhapsody, which would surely be the worst film to ever win Best Picture. Not only is it essentially directorless, it’s a nearly unwatchable mess, operating more as a collection of montages than a proper film. It’s an abysmal, objectively terrible film that bares closer resemblance to a Hallmark Channel “Movie-of-the-Week” than an Oscar winner. How did this happen? I know that we all like Queen, but we still have eyes and ears, right? I’m taking Green Book, as I do not think that voters are ready to give top honours to a Netflix film, especially producers and directors who may view giving Best Picture to a streaming service as a case of “Too-Much Too-Soon.” Green Book has the air of competent mediocrity which so often goes hand-in-hand with Best Picture winners. That Moonlight win is looking to be more and more of an anomaly.

Will Win: Green Book Should Win: BlacKkKlansman Could Win: Roma Should Have Been Nominated: First Reformed

[reelgalsofglasgow-blog]

The Golden Gals: The Reel Gals Academy Awards

The time has come. The envelopes have been sealed (with the right cards in each - we hope). We’ve been sewn into our best outfits. In lieu of an exuberant opening musical number featuring the ubiquitous James Corden, please enjoy a short clip of the best Oscars moment ever:

Honestly, if this year’s ceremony doesn’t open with just those fourteen seconds on a loop for a solid seven minutes, we’ll be sorely disappointed.

...

We know that all you’ll be thinking about now is that clip and basking in how gloriously weird it is… so maybe take a few minutes, watch that clip another eight or so times just to be sure; grab yourself a cuppa and settle in - because it’s time to announce our own Reel Gals Academy Award winners! The ‘Osc-hers’, if you will.

Ask any professional in TV - and they’ll tell you that the best entertainment always starts not with an idea or any spark of passion… but with a spreadsheet. Spreadsheets are the equivalent of Amino Acid for British TV programmes. Boring, but true. So we put together a spreadsheet listing each category and, depending on how many nominees, numbered them 1-5 (or 1-8 in Best Picture’s case) where 5 = favourite nominee. Then the magic spreadsheet worked out the average for us because damn, we’re not NASA.

With all our votes cast (unfortunately four of the categories had to drop as we just couldn’t get viewing copies in time - sorry Documentaries, Short Docs, Live Action Shorts and Foreign Language films!) our WhatsApp group chock full of planning for hectic last-minute trips to the cinema, trailer breakdowns, Spotify playlists, Adam Driver spam [Sorrrrry ~ Jen] and late night Netflix binges - we’re ready to present our own personal winners of each category - JUST in time for the ceremony itself.

Will we be as off-the-mark as the Academy not putting Emily Blunt up for a Lead Actress nomination for her stellar work in A Quiet Place? Or will it turn out that we are actually a collective of omniscient New Age Mystics, ordained by the gods of Hollywood themselves - imparting our sage wisdom and knowledge of the Future? Who can tell? Not us. (Or can we??)

So, get Red Carpet ready and join us for our 2019 Oscars picks and their close-fought runners-up, as voted for by us!

LEAD ACTOR

1. Christian Bale - Not gonna lie, it’s difficult to completely lavish Bale with praise considering that a major part of the prep in his transformation into the illusive Dick Cheney was “eating a LOT of pies”. If I was paid on the premise of my pie eating abilities, I’m pretty sure I would be up for an award too, just sayin’. Anyway, he does a pretty good damn job of depicting someone that no one really knows a great deal about in the first place, especially viewers outside the UK (I had to google him twice).  His flair for delivering an all consuming, intense and seminal performance is as apparent as ever despite the layers of latex and make up to contend with. Particularly during the heart attack scene in which I found myself worryingly questioning how much red meat and cream I’d had in the last month. It worth saying that his performance owes a great deal to the aforementioned hair and makeup team, whose work is nothing short of astonishing.  It’s literally the only Christian Bale film in which I’ve never been attracted to Christian Bale, for real.  Considering that his last Oscar win was in 2011 for The Fighter, another dramatic, transformative role then he might be in with a chance. The voters have shown time and time again that they award convincing portrayals of famous figures so I reckon It’s a toss up between Malek and Bale this year, although with utmost respect to Malek, I hope it’s the latter. [~Marie]

RUNNERS UP:

2. Viggo Mortensen 

3. Rami Malek

LEAD ACTRESS

1. Olivia Colman - So, I always hear “Olivia Colman can do no wrong” and I have to admit that The Favourite is absolutely no exception. I first stumbled across her while heavily invested in Peep Show during my late teens, but it was really in Broadchurch that I fell in love with her as an actor (and while watching her acceptance speech for her recent BAFTA win, I fell in love with her as a person). I know that us Reel Gals were definitely a little divided regarding The Favourite as an overall film, but I don’t think any of us will have any major qualms if she picks up the Oscar this weekend. Her performance and portrayal of Queen Anne more than deserve it, and I stumbled around looking for the perfect phrase to express this embodiment, and her ability to make us empathize with this rather “brutish” historical figure. In the end what sums it up is Colman’s lack of fear to exhibit ‘grotesque charm’ balanced with her open vulnerability in the role of Queen Anne that (along with the other female-lead performances) kept the film afloat for me. [~ Kayleigh]

RUNNERS UP:

2. Yalitza Aparicio

3. Lady Gaga

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

1. Mahershala Ali - Ali, to me is one of those faces (handsome faces) that, when you see, you can't quite put your finger on and when you IMDb search him you find yourself saying “Oh yeah, that's what he's in”, and to me that includes the fact that I forget about his Academy Award winning performance in Moonlight.  After Green Book I don't think I'll be forgetting him again and us Gals believe he should be receiving his second Oscar tonight to join his BAFTA and Golden Globe for the performance.  His portrayal of Classical and Jazz pianist Dr Don Shirley is the perfect accompaniment and antithesis to the uncouth Tony Lip portrayed by Viggo Mortensen.  I don't know enough about Dr Don Shirley to say that Mahershala embodies him, but I don't think that matters as much as the feeling watching his performance gives the viewer.  You can feel his frustration with Tony during their road trip, you can feel his loneliness in the hotels at night, you can feel his passion for music and playing the piano, you can feel his anger at how he is treated by the ignorant white southerners purely based on the colour of his skin and you can feel his love in the tear inducing final scene.  Any performance that can make me empathise with the emotions of an American male, mid-30s, black, upper-class, talented performer trying to overcome racism and ignorance in the American Deep South in the 60s (and if you hadn't guessed I fit none of those categories), is a powerful performance indeed.  Good luck Mahershala!   [~Robyn]

JOINT RUNNERS UP:

2. Richard E Grant / Adam Driver

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

1. Regina King - This may well have been the easiest category for me to vote on. (Even though I actually felt that this year showcased a whole lot of strongly-delivered performances, by so many talented women.) Regina King - wow - what a badass lady right there. I thought that the acting from all parties in If Beale Street Could Talk was so incredibly sincere, but especially that of King's. Together with the colour palette, soundtrack and cinematography, I was honestly so moved by the whole film (and am *entirely gutted* that it's been overshadowed by its competitors). I have only one complaint about IBSCT and that is that Regina King should have got more screen time. Everything I've seen King in I've loved and I have to admit that I was just happy to see this nomination, let alone think that her performance in IBSCT was flawless and even although she has some tough competition, that she fully deserves to win the Oscar. If Beale Street Could Talk represents love, passion, strength and power, whilst addressing themes such as race and equality - everything this film stands for, Regina King embodies in herself as a person and channels in her character, Sharon Rivers. It was refreshing to watch King and just believe her, believe in her character and believe in her as woman and a mother. You will forever be one of my heroes Regina, thank-you for sharing your talent. [~Katie]

RUNNERS UP:

2. Rachel Weisz

3. Emma Stone

BEST DIRECTOR

1. Spike Lee - I’m almost pained to admit that my first experience of a Spike Lee film only came about during my 3rd year of studying film at uni (for shame).  The module was ‘The Importance of Soundtrack’ and in particular, the inclusion of pop, hip-hop & R&B music to accentuate social commentary and help establish mood, setting and underlying tension that any director worth their salt can’t express through dialogue alone.  I remember leaving the tiny Gilmore cinema on a Tuesday afternoon having watched Do the Right Thing and feeling unusually energised, awake and slightly angry -  but in a good way. Cut to roughly 7 years later, I’m leaving Cineworld, on my 29th birthday, no less,  after a screening of BlacKkKlansman, still vibrating with anger and frustration 5 minutes after the film ended. It’s the most powerful last 10 minutes of a film, but it’s not Spike Lee’s best. Nor do I think it’s the best film of the year (although I’m possibly in the minority of my Reel Gals peers in saying that). However, in light of a barrage of recent injustices in the US  - social and political -  it cannot be considered anything less than a vital and timely film which (despite its shortcomings) deserves all the Oscar attention it gets. Lee is a complete master in his unique ability to inject comedy and style into a hard-hitting subject matter such as blind, racial hatred. Since next year will mark the 30th year since Lee’s first infamous Oscar snub, I feel like it’s only right that the academy should Do the Right Thing (heh, you see what I did there..?) and honour him for managing to stay angry (or #woke, if you prefer) and keeping us angry - in a good way. [~Marie]

RUNNERS UP:

2. Alfonso Cuarón

3. Yorgos Lanthimos

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

1. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - If you were to pause this film on any frame, you could print it and hang it on your wall. Every single frame is a work of art. The Best Animated Feature category was extremely strong this year with the usual gorgeous Pixar and Disney outings that ordinarily would have snatched the title as they have done in previous years. Such is the power and unique brilliance of this film to take on the two Animation behemoths at their best and come out on top. Boasting twice the normal number of animators (177!!) to bring to life Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s vision for Miles Morales’ colourful and diverse world, it utilises a glorious twist of new and old forms of animation as well as ideas from print - halftones, hatching and overprinting as well as inserting comic cells and onomatopoeic graphics (“THWIP!” and “BAGEL!” are particular favourites). Not only have we mixtures of frame-rates for characters within the same frame (Whaaaaat?!) to denote Miles’ initial clumsiness versus the other Spider-People’s practised grace; but we’re treated to mixtures of graphic styles with Manga, Noir and classic American cartoon for each of the Multi-Verse Spiders - which shouldn’t work, but does here so, SO well. It’s easy to understand how 10 seconds of final cut content took an entire year for 177 people to create. Lovely little touches like characters stepping into Noir’s space being affected by his immediate ‘windy’ environment and the hand-drawn overlays and inserted comic style frames make this the most exciting, innovative and beautiful-looking animated film not only of 2018 but we believe also of the last decade. It is a true cinematic experience and one that not only deserves the Oscar, but also deserves recognition for changing the landscape of what’s possible for film animation. Also, not going to lie - a lot of us came out of the film inexplicably attracted to Peter B Parker and wish he was real. We would buy that man as many bagels as he wants, for sure. [~Jen]

RUNNERS UP:

2. Isle of Dogs

3. Ralph Breaks the Internet

BEST ANIMATED SHORT

1. Bao - Pixar shorts. They are great. One of the Reel gooduns is, Bao. It’s kinda silly, it’s a bit weird, but ultimately it does what Pixar does best. It taps into very touching, emotional aspects of the human condition. Bao is a 2018 computer-animated short film written and directed by Domee Shi and produced by Pixar Animation Studios. It was released with Incredibles 2 on June 15, 2018. It’s the shortest film of the shorts-lineup. Focusing on a middle aged mother is a wonderful perspective to choose. The film is about an ageing Chinese-Canadian mother, suffering from empty nest syndrome. She receives a rather unusual second chance at motherhood when she makes a baozi dumpling that comes to life as a boy. The film takes you by surprise at several points, after being lulled into a place of “OK, maybe this human baozi is something I can get on board with”, but it ends on a beautiful note. So, as Danny Devito once put it: “I like it, I love it, I want more of it”. [~ Caroline]

RUNNERS UP:

2. Late Afternoon

3. One Small Step

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

1. BlacKkKlansman - Last year Get Out won the award for best original screenplay for its haunting, hilarious, terrifying, and almost ridiculously scary tale. Some thought this tale of fiction was too simple in its over-the-topness, but the message it wanted to pass was far from it. This year, the equally unbelievable and extremely important story of racism and bigotry comes in an adapted script form based on the true reports of police officer and KKK infiltrator Ron Stallworth. Released as a memoir in 2014 by Stallworth, screenwriters David Rabinowitz and Charlie Wachtel were shocked to find out that no studios even bothered buying the rights to this unbelievable tale and independently adapted the work. It’s not just a brilliant story cause of what happened. It’s not just an amazing comedy cause of the clever dialogue. Its ingenuity, lies on how contemporary this ‘period’ piece reads. From dialogue that feel as if you’re reading the latest Trump supporter’s tweets, to the unbelievable and unapologetic beliefs some have and march for even today. And in case quotes from the Grand Duke of the KKK like ‘I just want to make America great’ didn’t give the film a terrifying enough case of the ‘history is repeating itself’, the brilliant end scene sure does. Thank you for your public service, one day *hopefully* we’ll learn from past mistakes. [~ Lia]

RUNNERS UP:

2. Can You Ever Forgive Me?

3. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

1. Green Book - Well, I can genuinely say that Green Book is one of the most beautifully written and delivered films I have been blessed with watching at the cinema in a long time. Based on a true story, it invites the audience to join a world class African-American pianist and his Italian-American driver from the Bronx, on a concert tour of the Deep South in the 60′s - a difficult storyline, fraught with potential pitfalls, executed in a gentle and respectful way. Named after a legitimate travel guide that listed businesses that would accept African-American custom, Green Book confronts infuriating themes such as racism, segregation, class and sexuality – all of which are still issues today. The story encapsulates the growth of an unlikely partnership between the musician Dr Shirley (Mahershala Ali) and Tony Lip (Viggo Mortensen) – quick note to talk about how outstanding, heart-warming and believable their performances were – as with time, the begin to respect, understand and care for each other. [Obviously there are questions about why Green Book would frame a story about racism in the Deep South around a white man’s experience - and have the man of colour take a back seat. Literally. My takeaway from the film was mostly that people aren’t defined by their class as much as they aren’t by their colour - just because Dr Shirley is black does not mean he ought to fall into tired old stereotypes - just because Tony is poor (by comparison) and working class, doesn’t mean he can’t enjoy the ‘perceived spoils of the upper classes’ - classical music or any of the rest of it. Dr Shirley expands Tony’s experience and understanding with regards race - while Tony expands Dr Shirley’s in class. In a post-Brexit and Trump world, where working class people are feeling increasingly marginalised and are partaking in scapegoating of people of colour as a result, perhaps Green Book (however problematic it may still be) presents a message that might get through to those people in today’s political climate? But of course, all of this is my opinion as a lower middle-class white lassie from the UK. ~Jen] 

As such, Peter Farrelly, Brian Currie and Nick Vallelonga (notably Tony Lip’s son) presents us with a rather Hollywood (in other words: soft) version of this story, resulting in a mixed response for this film (not from us down at Reel Gals HQ, we loved it), however, he tries to carefully balance out the hard-hitting, dark scenarios that our duo face on the road with the cleverly written dialogue and characterisation running into some really special, incredibly warm moments of character-driven humour.  

All in all, I would say Green Book is a cinematically stunning piece of work as well as a story of growth and respect; a feel good film that deserves the Oscar (I'm going to give Roma a quick S/O, as I do believe that it it too would be a worthy winner). I can also say that Farrelly really surprised me after some of the (in my opinion) trash that he’s previously had his name on (Dumb and Dumber, I’m looking at you). You will leave the film feeling warm, with faith in cinema and the inability to stop thinking about how much you want to fold up an entire pizza and eat it like a sandwich – I know I did. [~ Katie]

RUNNERS UP:

2. Roma

3. Vice

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

1. Roma -  Rumour has it that the revolution will not be televised, and up until recently, the category for Cinematography was almost relegated to the ad-breaks. Why John Bailey, why? Thankfully, after a public ballyhoo, we will be able to see the award presented via live stream (as well as Editing, Live-Action Short, and Makeup and Hairstyling). So why is Cinematography so vital to us?

 Let’s go back forty-eight years for a moment. Director, Norman Jewison once talked about how he created the warm, earthy haze of Fiddler on the Roof (1971) with the director of photography, Oswald Morris. They lined a lens with a pair of brown nylons seen on a woman on set (hello, 1970’s Hollywood!). Though Jewison shrugged this story off as a lucky spur-of-the-moment decision, it was made and carried out to stunning effect. Watch it and see. Almost half-a century later, and cinematography has continued to thrive in ingenuity and style.

 The Reel Gals have come together to appreciate Alfonso Cuarón’s, cinematographic mastery in Roma. Originally, Emmanuel Lubezki was set to take on this task, but there was an availability clash. Cuarón took over as well as writing the screenplay and directing the film. Lubezki remained an influence to Cuarón who said in an interview with Variety that Lubezki’s voice was in the back of his mind as he worked.

Roma is a semi-autobiographical take on Cuarón's upbringing in the Colonia Roma neighbourhood of Mexico City. Cuarón said of his stylistic choices:

 “I would say it’s the ghost of the present that is visiting the past, without getting involved, just observing, not trying to make a judgment or commentary.”

 With this in mind, I can see why he shot it in black and white. Actually, he shot it in colour with the Alexa 65, then paired it back to black-and-white, like a photo-realistic painter. The effect of this is that the film is crisp, and each scene seems almost 3D. When you take the colour away, other senses become heightened. The sounds in Roma, for example, are so much more present. The less you see, the more you fill in with your mind. Strangely, things seem more vivid in black and white.

 I recommend this article as it gives much more information about the visual decisions which were made. All I can say at this point is that as viewers, we intuitively respond to what has been crafted for us, and this craft should be celebrated. Alfonso Cuarón has given us an incredible film which (like Fidder) will be talked about by new generations of Reel Gals in another fifty years.  [~ Caroline]

RUNNERS UP:

2. Never Look Away

3. A Star is Born / The Favourite

BEST FILM EDITING

1.Vice - Of all of the films shortlisted for the Oscars, one has stood out as being one with as many ideas laid out in the edit as it was in the writing and shooting of the piece. Hank Corwin makes use of syncopation like the greatest of musicians - very frequently going places creatively you would never expect… cuts to black; use of archive; the visuals quite often were at odds with the sound, but in the best possible ways. It is frantic, meta, fourth-wall busting, juxtaposition-filled mania with a persistent overarching feeling of extreme unease and increasing dread - perfectly fitting for Cheney’s journey into Power.[~ Jen]

RUNNERS UP:

2. BlacKkKlansman

3. Bohemian Rhapsody

BEST SOUND MIXING

1. Bohemian Rhapsody - So quickly, for those of you (like myself before casting my votes) who didn't know the difference between Sound Editing and Sound Mixing, Sound Editing is the creation and use of sound effects, Sound Mixing is the overall use of soundtrack including music, dialogue, sound effects, the whole shebang really.  Overall, although I thoroughly enjoyed Bohemian Rhapsody, I'm not sure I agree with the amount of award attention this movie is getting.  Maybe being a big Queen fan the movie left me feeling like it was mostly a celebration of them as a band and lacked any profound revelation.  However what can be truly marvelled at in this movie is the recreation of Freddie Mercury's performances; credit where it's due, Rami Malek did a great job of becoming him on screen; but the reproduction of that incredible voice and Queen’s Greatest Hits is what really makes the film what I would call “The Queen Experience”.  After seeing the movie and rediscovering an old love by listening to the soundtrack on repeat I noticed that it included live tracks and demos, and doing a bit of digging I discovered that for the concert scenes they used the real live sound from the concerts being recreated, in fact these sequences were chosen around the choice of recording (although don't quote me on that, my sources are from the internet, could be fake news).  Also, to make the Freddie Mercury voice perfect some of the recordings were mixed with Canadian Christian Rock artist Marc Martel whose voice is so similar you can barely tell the difference.  All of this attention to detail along with the cinematic surround sound effects means that for millennials like us, unfortunately too young to have seen Freddie perform live ourselves, can feel like we were actually at Live Aid (sorry Adam Lambert, you don't quite cut it).  That sounds award worthy to me. [~Robyn]

RUNNERS UP:

2. A Star is Born

3. First Man

BEST SOUND EDITING

1. First Man - As I mentioned above, for those of you who don't know, the Sound Editing category celebrates the creation and use of Sound Effects.  There are certain members of the Reel Gals that would disagree with me on my analysis of First Man - I found it boring and too long and to be 90% Ryan Gosling not really acting and mostly just being mopey (and this is coming from someone who loves Ry-Go as much as the next girl).  However I can appreciate that creating the illusion of space travel relies heavily on sound effects, on this I cannot fault the film.  Any scene that features people in the cockpit of a space rocket or bouncing about the face of the moon (spoiler - Neil Armstrong is the “first man” to take one small step for man and one… blah blah blah you know the rest), is beautifully soundtracked with what I imagine since I have never been to the moon, realistic sound effects. [Like Pavlov’s Dog - if I ever hear that intense rattling from this version of the cockpit of Apollo 11 again, I will take a serious whitey. ~Jen]  There are no dodgy Wilhelm Screams during the upsetting cockpit fire scene or Star Trek-like door “wooshes” here.  Now maybe if these types of sounds had been included I would have been more entertained, but the sound effects were so realistic and in the moon landing scene almost beautiful.  So well done to the sound team for keeping me too firmly in reality with this film. [~Robyn]

RUNNERS UP:

2. A Quiet Place

3. Bohemian Rhapsody

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

1. Mary Poppins Returns - I thought it was impossible to make a new Mary Poppins film and that attempting to remake a classic was just Hollywood proving it had run out of ideas but in the case of Mary Poppins Returns’ production designer John Myhre strikes a fine balance of appealing to the old eyes who watched the original and the fresh new ones experiencing this story for the first time. If you’re the one wearing the nostalgia glasses then each and every set in this film will make you feel like the kid you were all those years ago - from the cobbled streets of the reimagined 1930s London to the whimsical wonder that is the upside down house. This is where Myhre’s talent shines as he pays homage to the old while never quite replicating it. The house of 17 Cherry Tree Lane still looks and feels as if it has been lifted from Emile Kuri’s original designs but feels reimagined, the fingerprints of Michael Banks life as an adult are prevalent in every room - especially in the attic. Taking a trip up there feels like throwing yourself back in time filled with a clutter of old easter eggs that would thrill any fan of the first film - you don’t have to look far to spot the blocks used by Julie Andrews in ‘Spoonful of Sugar’ or the sash worn by Jane’s mum and of course the most notable throwback of all - the kite. In the end, this is a real house for a real man, in real depression who has lived a very real life but then cue Mary Poppins. The drab, brown and grey colour palette across the set bursts into colour as her mere presence turns this gritty reality into a magical fantasy. The mix of fantasy and reality blends seamlessly together so much so that even the expertly recreated scenes like Big Ben’s tower have a flare of magic to them.

I hadn’t realised until the credits started to roll that somewhere along the way I had taken my nostalgia glasses off and started to view this film as its own entity. Through beautifully crafted sets that meld seamlessly into the classic stylings of the animations, meticulous in detail, it captures the spirit of its predecessor but has an identity very much of its own. So, now I am prepared to eat my earlier retort and believe in the words of Mary Poppins herself - “everything is possible, even the impossible.”  [~Isla]

RUNNERS UP:

2. Black Panther

3. The Favourite

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

1. Shallow - A Star is Born - I have to admit, I’m rather gutted that All The Stars missed out on our number one spot (thanks Gals) but Shallow undoubtedly is a bit of a banger. “Is there somethin’ else you’re searching for” - Shallow poetically (when I say poetically, I mean pretty darn obviously) offers the audience an insight to both Ali and Jackson’s character growth throughout the film: Ali, looking to get more out of her life than it was offering her and Jackson, his deterioration in light of his dying career (is that a spoiler? Surely not!). Don’t get me wrong, I loved A Star is Born and genuinely think Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper *pauses for Bradley Cooper’s voice* have an undeniable connection, the way they perform together - both in this song and the film as a whole - left me with chills (an opinion shared by fewer than half of the Reel Gals) [I may have hated the film, but that won’t stop me beltin’ this mother out at the karaoke ~ Jen] - Shallow will live on and I am sure will be leaving with Academy award, however in my opinion, it’s not particularly inspiring or lyrically imaginative. Still love you, Gaga. [~ Katie]

RUNNERS UP:

2. All The Stars - Black Panther

3. The Place Where Lost Things Go - Mary Poppins Returns

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

1. BlacKkKlansman by Terence Blanchard - BlacKkKlansman marks the 19th project and 30th year of a Spike Lee/Terence Blanchard partnership and wowzers! Blanchard has composed a score that beautifully enhances the exquisite direction of Lee, capturing a sound that really drives the audience’s emotion throughout the film. Although I found it almost impossible to choose between all the nominations for Best Score, Blanchard has stolen top spot at the Reel Gals’ Academy Awards and to be honest, rightfully so! Terence Blanchard uses “his passion and desire to serve the story” when it comes to anything he composes, which is just one of the reasons he is fully deserved of the Oscar when it comes to the BlacKkKlansman score. He pulls in influences of Hendrix with the electric guitar (which in my opinion really captures Ron Stallworth’s character as a whole) and couples it with the power of brass, a combination that successfully delivers both chilling and comedic moments – alluding to what the audience should be feeling, rather than being on the nose. Terence Blanchard had the responsibility of composing for an unbelievable and haunting TRUE story and respectfully does so, joining Spike Lee in telling the a story of hate from the 70s and leaving the audience with the hard-hitting truths that we still deal with similar hate, even now. [~ Katie]

RUNNERS UP:

2. Mary Poppins Returns by Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman

3. Black Panther by Ludwig Goransson

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIR

1. Vice - Makeup and hair are such a crucial part of building the characters we see on screen - they help the actors embody the person they’re playing (literally!). The outcry when the Academy dared to suggest that they might bump this and other critical categories (Cinematography and Editing to name a couple for gawd’s sake - HOW DO YOU MAKE A FILM WITHOUT THOSE??!) to being hidden in the ad breaks was so vehement - and rightly so. I don’t know how many times I walked past the poster and ad screens for Vice and had next to no recognition at all for any of the main cast. When I eventually read the names under the pictures, I remember very loudly going “WHAT?! WHAAAAAAT?! all the way down the escalator in our local Cineworld (my partner can attest to his embarrassment at my outburst)… Steve Carell, Sam Rockwell, Amy Adams… and then we have Christian “So Method” Bale. 

Some people might argue that his transformation was mostly down to, as Marie suggests in our Lead Actor category, his increased pie intake and his unmatched ability to give himself over completely to the character.  But without the design and hard work every day of Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe and Patricia Dehaney, he would have just been “Thicc, Evil Christian Bale” - not an almost-indistinguishable-from-the-real-thing embodiment of political monster Dick Cheney. 

There is an absolutely excellent article I found in which Cannom talks website Vox through his design and daily process and it’s frankly incredible. < find it here >  More incredible still, once he had a cast of Bale’s head (whom he says was wary of the process of SFX makeup and prosthetics as he hadn’t done it before) he only had two weeks to design and build the various ages of Cheney onto Bale’s very differently-shaped head. The quality of the skin (given a sweaty shine by an application of KY Jelly as a final step to the process, hilariously) is impeccable; the build of the silicone to completely change the shape of Bale’s face is grotesquely gorgeous. Across the board this is one of the most impressive examples of practical makeup and hair SFX I’ve ever seen - and in an age of CGId top lips to remove stubborn moustaches and digital de-ageing processes getting more and more advanced, this film proves the practical way is as strong and vital as ever and fully deserving of taking centre stage - on air - at the Oscars. [~Jen]

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

1. Black Panther - I couldn’t possibly pretend to be an expert on costume design or on the numerous African Tribal influences that have given these costumes their heart and soul. But, I can say that while watching Black Panther I was utterly blown away with the attention to detail, combined with the bold bursts of colour and creativity. I also can’t explain my sheer relief and empowerment of watching fierce female characters kick ass without the carbon copy, over sexualized outfit with matching heels. Now I don’t want my first blog post to cause too much of a divide, but I’m definitely referring to my eye roll during Wonder Woman right after I spotted those raised golden beauties... and just for the record, I actually loved Wonder Woman (and I love heels) but it was just so refreshing, and practical, without losing any of the superhero escapism we all long for.  The head costume designer Ruth E. Carter absolutely fulfilled all my ‘tribal-warrior-female-fantasy’ dreams (is that a category from RuPaul’s Drag Race?) and I left the cinema envious of her talent. Some of the costumes were literally pieces of wearable art and will no doubt be celebrated as such. [~ Kayleigh]

JOINT RUNNERS UP:

2. The Favourite / Mary Poppins Returns

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

1. Ready Player One - This was one of the most difficult categories to vote for. All five films brought amazing innovations in the art of cinema and definitely deserve to be recognised for them and you know what, Reel Gals will! First Man combined a mixture of diverse sources for its aesthetic; visual effects, special effects, and even archival footage of the NASA launch. Solo gave us the perfect visual effect adaptation of the legend that Star Wars fans everywhere know as the 12 parsecs run. Christopher Robin created a photoreality mixed with shot on location footage so good, that its parody Trainspotting mashup video attests to its VFX perfection. Avengers: Infinity War had two different effects teams (TWO!) building the most realistic performance from Brolin’s onset one and could possibly land Marvel with their first ever effects Oscar. However, Ready Player One, created an entire virtual world that immersed characters and viewers alike by combining effects with animation. Remember The Overlook Hotel part from The Shining in the film? The blood? The scary twins and old lady turned into a zombie? That’s right, hand them that award now and then in true Mean Girls fashion, break it up and share with the rest. You’re all VFX queens. [~Lia]

RUNNERS UP:

2. Avengers: Infinity War

3. First Man

Which leaves us with just one more award to lay out… it’s the big’un. Can you guess what it might be, from our voting habits above?

BEST PICTURE

1. BlacKkKlansman - Winning our Best Picture vote - based on a true story, BlacKkKlansman is a spectacularly timely look at institutional and societal racism and bigotry - holding a mirror up squarely in the face of modern audiences. Set against the backdrop of the Ku Klux Klan’s ‘organised hate’ in 1970’s Colorado, it is equal parts horrifying and hilarious; poignant and relevant. The performances are compelling and perfectly balanced - most notably, the relationship between buddy cops John David Washington’s ‘Ron Stallworth’ and Adam Driver’s ‘Flip Zimmerman’ is nuanced and brimming with mutual respect, both for one another in character and as actors. The two have spectacular comic timing - but they both also boast the finely-honed acting chops to carry the Singularity-strength gravity of the themes presented by Ron Stallworth’s incredible true story. The beautifully-composed shots and off-kilter score compliment Spike Lee’s characteristically brave and politically-biting choices as director, exemplified particularly in the closing scene of his latest Joint, which (after a moment of levity and possibly the biggest laugh of the film) is affecting, desperately sad and deeply terrifying - and will stay with you for a long time.     [~ Jen]

RUNNERS UP:

2. Green Book

3. Roma

And that’s that. The audience’s sugar levels are low… The ‘get off the stage’ music has started playing… and the awards organisers are threatening to cut to an ad break. But before they can send the heavies onto the stage to forcibly remove us - it’s NOT OVER YET - *grabs microphone*  here are some nominations we would have added:

BEST PICTURE: First Man [Genuinely thought this was a shoe-in! ~Jen]

BEST SONG: Sunflower by Post Malone & Swae Lee for Spider-Verse [Honestly, the entire score for Spider-Verse was spectacular and I'm gutted it didn't get a nomination either, although it was tough enough as it is for best original score, as all nominations are stunning - BUT BEST SONG, where is this nomination? And WHY, GOD WHHHY is ‘I'll Fight’ on there? It genuinely made me want to pull out my eyeballs ~ Katie] [Couldn’t agree more. Ruth Bader Ginsberg deserves more than this old-fashioned early 2000s-style credit-roller ballad. You’re better than this, J-Hud. ~ Jen]

LEAD ACTRESS: Emily Blunt for A Quiet Place

LEAD ACTRESS: Viola Davis for Widows 

LEAD ACTOR: John David Washington for BlacKkKlansman [This omission I think has slightly tarnished Driver’s well-deserved nomination for Best Supporting; with a lot of people asking why the ‘white guy is the only one to receive an acting nom from a film about a black man’s struggles with the KKK’. I would suggest that Driver’s character Flip, as DJW’s character Ron states: “Also has skin in the game”, being Jewish - it’s hardly him doing a ‘Scarlet Johansson’, given the point of the story is that he’s Ron’s proxy and crucial to his takedown of the chapter. But then it *is* difficult to argue that the intentions of the Academy were (whether subconsciously or not) entirely well-intentioned on the matter of not including Washington in the nominations. ~ Jen]

LEAD ACTOR: Steve Carell for Beautiful Boy

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Steve Carell (again - what a year he’s had!) for Vice

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Timotheé Chalamet for Beautiful Boy

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Danai Gurira for Black Panther

VISUAL EFFECTS: Welcome to Marwen [This!! ~ Kayleigh]

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: Whitney [I would also say the editing of this was fantastic, if it's good enough for the Edinburgh Film Festival then it’s good enough for an Oscar consideration ~Robyn]  

And despite the outwardly more-diverse-than-usual (which still isn’t saying much) nominee list this year thanks to an extremely influential #OscarsSoWhite campaign and hopefully the beginnings of a turning of the tide for Hollywood (we hope - it's about bloody time something improved) - it seems the Academy aren’t quite there with equality and representation yet...

BEST DIRECTOR: A woman. Any women, for goodness’ sake. It’s 2019! A nod to Glasgow-born Lynne Ramsay for You Were Never Really Here, Marielle Heller for Can You Ever Forgive Me? and Debra Granik for Leave No Trace. Just in case the Academy didn’t think they had enough choice! [~Marie]

At time of writing, the other main awards events for the year have been and gone - and the differences in nominations and winners laid out by the Oscars, BAFTAs, Globes and Critics’ Choice nominees lists vs the reality of women’s film work in 2018 are still quite stark - specifically in contrast with events like the Independent Spirit Awards - (admittedly films like Green Book and blockbusters etc wouldn’t qualify) - who lavished their awards last night on films like If Beale Street Could Talk; You Were Never Really Here, Leave No Trace and Sorry to Bother You - notably with many of the winners crying out for more female representation in the nominations for Directing and other categories in film in general.

2018 was the strongest year for representation of women in film yet - with places like the BFI Film Festival presenting more female-led films than ever before in its history and how vociferous the support is getting for equal opportunity and recognition - importantly not only from women - in calling out these omissions-by-gender, here’s hoping the Academy will catch on. Eventually.

But until that time… thanks for joining us for our little pre-Oscars ceremony and our first proper blog! Cheers for reading, sharing and any hits of the like button are greatly appreciated… Thank you to the Academy… we’d also like to thank our parents, everyone who believed in us, Adele Dazeem, dogs (all of them) for being excellent...

*Rugby-tackled by security guards and dragged off-stage*

Xx ~ The Reel Gals

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[travidsota1987-blog]

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