The Official 2021 Oscar Discussion/Contest Thread

[Still Servant]

Welcome to the 2021 Oscar Contest! Well, that was an interesting year. The COVID-19 virus rocked Hollywood, but the funny thing is that many of the films that would have been nominated in a non-virus year still came out in some way shape or form. The virus really only impacted mainstream films, most of which don't factor into Oscar season anyway. Either way, many of these films can be found on streaming services. I hope we can still get people competing regardless. It's just for fun.

The Rules

Oscar night is right around the corner, so I'm going to post the rules for those who might not be familiar with them. Please tell your friends from other boards to come on over and join us. The more the merrier.

You have until showtime on April 25, 2021.

IMPORTANT: Don't forget the tie breaker. It's simple: Basically, everybody will submit their choices like usual, except they will also add which film they think will win the most Oscars and give a number. In case of a tie, whomever has the closest number without going over is the winner. If the tie remains, the person who submits their ballot earliest is the winner.

Predictions have to be in by showtime, so there is no rush to post them. We still have some time before Oscar night. I myself will be waiting for the last possible moment to post my predictions.

Remember, these are just educated guesses. None of us have seen every film nominated and I doubt if anybody has seen any of the documentary short subject nominees. Just make an educated guess. Or an uneducated guess.

Returning this year:

Returning this year will be the online ballot submission I created. Of course, ballots can still be submitted here.

Where it says "name" just put your DT.org handle, or designate in some way that you are from the Dark Tower boards. I will be sharing the same contest form with other friends and I don't want to get them confused.

https://tinyurl.com/OscarContest2021

And the nominees are!


BEST PICTURE

The Father
Judas and the Black Messiah
Mank
Minari
Nomadland
Promising Young Woman
Sound of Metal
The Trial of the Chicago 7

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Maria Bakalova - Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Glenn Close - Hillbilly Elegy
Olivia Colman - The Father
Amanda Seyfried - Mank
Youn Yuh-jung - Minari

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Sacha Baron Cohen - The Trial of the Chicago 7
Daniel Kaluuya - Judas and the Black Messiah
Leslie Odom Jr. - One Night in Miami
Paul Raci - Sound of Metal
Lakeith Stanfield - Judas and the Black Messiah

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Another Round - Denmark
Better Days - Hong Kong
Collective - Romania
The Man Who Sold His Skin - Tunisia
Qu Vadis, Aida? - Bosnia and Herzegovina

DOCUMENTARY (SHORT)

Colette
A Concerto Is a Conversation
Do Not Split
Hunger Ward
A Love Song For Latasha

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Collective
Crip Camp
The Mole Agen
My Octopus Teacher
Time

ORIGINAL SONG

"Fight For You" from Judas and the Black Messiah
"Hear My Voice" from The Trial of the Chicago 7
"Husavik" from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
"lo Sì (Seen)" from The Life Ahead (La Vita Davanti a Se)
"Speak Now" from One Night in Miami...

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

Onward
Over the Moon
A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
Soul
Wolfwalkers

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Borat Subsequent MovieFilm
The Father
Nomadland
One Night in Miami
The White Tiger

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Judas and the Black Messiah
Minari
Promising Young Woman
Sound of Metal
The Trial of the Chicago 7

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Riz Ahmed - Sound of Metal
Chadwick Boseman - Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Anthony Hopkins - The Father
Gary Oldman - Mank
Steven Yeun - Minari

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Viola Davis - Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Andra Day - The United States vs. Billie Holiday
Vanessa Kirby - Pieces of a Woman
Frances McDormand - Nomadland
Carey Mulligan - Promising Young Woman

DIRECTOR

Thomas Vinterberg - Another Round
David Fincher - Mank
Lee Isaac Chung - Minari
Chloe Zhao - Nomadland
Emerald Fennell - Promising Young Woman

PRODUCTION DESIGN

The Father
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Mank
News of the World
Tenet

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Sean Bobbitt - Judas and the Black Messiah
Erik Messerschmidt - Mank
Dariusz Wolski - News of the World
Joshua James Richards - Nomadland
Phedon Papamichael - The Trial of the Chicago 7

COSTUME DESIGN

Emma
Ma Rainey's Blackbottom
Mank
Mulan
Pinocchio

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND

Greyhound
Mank
News of the World
Soul
Sound of Metal

ANIMATED SHORT FILM

Burrow
Genius Loci
If Anything Happens I Love You
Opera
Yes-People

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

Feeling Through
The Letter Room
The Present
Two Distant Strangers
White Eye

ORIGINAL SCORE

Da 5 Bloods
Mank
Minari
News of the World
Soul

VISUAL EFFECTS

Love and Monsters
The Midnight Sky
Mulan
The One and Only Ivan
Tenet

FILM EDITING

The Father
Nomadland
Promising Young Woman
Sound of Metal
The Trial of the Chicago 7

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

Emma
Hillbilly Elegy
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Mank
Pinocchio

[mae]

https://www.thewrap.com/oscars-international-race-breaks-record-93-entries/

The Academy on Friday unveiled to its voters a record 93 films will compete in the Best International Feature Film category — which will no doubt leading to a busy four weeks of viewing before first-round voting begins on Feb. 1.

Helped by COVID-inspired rules that relaxed the usual entry requirements, the films topped the record of 92 entries set in 2017, as TheWrap suggested they likely would in December. The films include a record 34 female directors, seven more than the previous high of 27 set last year.

This is not the official list of qualifying films, which is expected to be released by the Academy later in January. But these 93 films are all in the members-only online screening room devoted to the category, and each of them has been put on a “required viewing” list for one-fourth of the voters. It is unlikely that any of the films will be disqualified at this point, although last year two films were deemed ineligible even after the list of contenders had been announced, dropping the number of 2019 contenders from 93 to 91.

This year, at least three films — Canada’s “Funny Boy,” Portugal’s “Listen” and Belarus’ “Persian Lessons” — were submitted but turned down by the Academy, the first two for containing too much English dialogue and the Belarus entry for not having enough creative input from that country. Canada and Portugal submitted alternate films prior to the deadline. Additional problems caused submissions from Bhutan and Uzbekistan to be ineligible, while Algeria submitted “Heliopolis” but later withdrew it.

Among the films that made the cut are Denmark’s “Another Round,” Romania’s documentary “Collective,” Mexico’s “I’m No Longer Here,” the Ivory Coast’s “Night of the Kings,” Switzerland’s “My Little Sister,” Poland’s “Never Gonna Snow Again,” France’s “Two of Us,” Netherlands’ “Bulado,” Bosnia & Herzegovina’s “Quo Vadis, Aida?” and Russia’s “Dear Comrades,” which could receive support from the general voters that choose seven of the films on a shortlist that will be announced on Feb. 9; and Guatemala’s “La Llorona,” Portugal’s “Vitalina Varela,” Ukraine’s “Atlantis,” Taiwan’s “A Sun,” Georgia’s “Beginning” and Lesotho’s “This Is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection,” which could find favor with the executive committee that will fill the final three spots on the shortlist.

But in a year with few slam-dunk choices on the order of recent nominees “Parasite,” “Roma,” “Cold War,” “Les Miserables” and “Pain and Glory,” the battle for the nomination may be more wide-open than usual.

It’s also more uncertain when it comes to who will vote. First-round balloting is open to all Academy members for the first time ever, which could shift the balance of power away from the Los Angeles-based members who have attended special screenings and determined the bulk of the shortlist for years. But members are receiving their lists of “required viewing” only three-and-a-half weeks before phase-one voting begins, and exactly four weeks before it ends on Feb. 5. And in order for votes to count, members must see a minimum of 12 films from their required-viewing lists, which consist of 23 films (Groups 1, 2 and 3) or 24 films (Group 4).

For members who have been watching the films since they began to be placed in the category’s online screening room, those numbers are within reach, assuming that enough of the movies they’ve seen are on the required-viewing list. But if voters have waited to receive those lists so they know which films to focus on — a situation that anecdotal evidence suggests some have done — they are now faced with watching four or five international movies a week for the rest of January, a prospect that could result in less-motivated participants dropping out.

Here are the films that have been placed in the Academy screening room and assigned to voters in the category:

Albania: “Open Door”
Argentina: “The Sleepwalkers”
Armenia: “Songs of Solomon”
Austria: “What We Wanted”
Bangladesh: “Sincerely Yours, Dhaka”
Belgium: “Working Girls”
Bolivia: “Chaco”
Bosnia & Herzegovina: “Quo Vadis, Aida?”
Brazil: “Babenco – Tell Me When I Die”
Bulgaria: “The Father”
Cambodia: “Fathers”
Cameroon: “The Fisherman’s Diary”
Canada: “14 Days, 12 Nights”
Chile: “The Mole Agent”
China: “Leap”
Colombia: “Memories of My Father”
Costa Rica: “Land of Ashes”
Croatia: “Extracurricular”
Cuba: “Buscando a Casal”
Czech Republic: “Charlatan”
Denmark: “Another Round”
Dominican Republic: “A State of Madness”
Ecuador: “Emptiness”
Egypt: “When We’re Born”
Estonia: “The Last Ones”
Finland: “Tove”
France: “Two of Us”
Georgia: “Beginning”
Germany: “And Tomorrow the Entire World”
Greece: “Apples”
Guatemala: “La Llorona”
Honduras: “Days of Light”
Hong Kong: “Better Days”
Hungary: “Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time”
Iceland: “Agnes Joy”
India: “Jallikattu”
Indonesia: “Impetigore”
Iran: “Sun Children”
Ireland: “Arracht”
Israel: “Asia”
Italy: “Notturno”
Ivory Coast: “Night of the Kings”
Japan: “True Mothers”
Jordan: 200 Meters”
Kazakhstan: “The Crying Steppe”
Kenya: “The Letter”
Kosovo: “Exile”
Kyrgyzstan: “Running to the Sky”
Latvia: “Blizzard of Souls”
Lebanon: “Broken Keys”
Lesotho: “This Is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection”
Lithuania: “Nova Lituania”
Luxembourg: “River Tales”
Malaysia: “Roh”
Mexico: “I’m No Longer Here”
Mongolia: “Veins of the World”
Montenegro: “Breasts”
Morocco: “The Unknown Saint”
Netherlands: “Bulado”
Nigeria: “The Milkmaid”
North Macedonia: “Willow”
Norway: “Hope”
Pakistan: “Circus of Life”
Palestine: “Gaza, Mon Amour”
Panama: “Operation Just Cause”
Paraguay: “Killing the Dead”
Peru: “Song Without a Name”
Philippines: “Mindanao”
Poland: “Never Gonna Snow Again”
Portugal: “Vitalina Varela”
Romania: “Collective”
Russia: “Dear Comrades!”
Saudi Arabia: “Scales”
Senegal: “Nafi’s Father”
Serbia: “Dara of Jasenovac”
Singapore: “Wet Season”
Slovakia: “The Auschwitz Report”
Slovenia: “Stories From the Chestnut Woods”
South Africa: “Toorbos”
South Korea: “The Man Standing Next”
Spain: “The Endless Trench”
Sudan: “You Will Die at Twenty”
Suriname: “Wired”
Sweden: “Charter”
Switzerland: “My Little Sister”
Taiwan: “A Sun”
Thailand: “Happy Old Year”
Tunisia: “The Man Who Sold His Skin”
Turkey: “Miracle in Cell No. 7”
Ukraine: “Atlantis”
Uruguay: “Aleli”
Venezuela: “Once Upon a Time in Venezuela”
Vietnam: “Dreamy Eyes”


Descriptions and trailers here: https://www.thewrap.com/oscars-international-entries-2020-the-complete-list-so-far/

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXLQx36Uc0g

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPDMgO3-m2k

[Still Servant]

So happy to see Promising Young Women get some love. I'm also happy to see Da 5 Bloods get left out in the cold.

[webstar1000]

You know the year has been FUBAR when it's January 2nd and I'm just now creating an Oscar thread. Usually, Mae is reminding me in September to create one!

Well, 2020 has sure been an interesting year for the world, like many facets of life, Hollywood has really been thrown out of wack. With that being said, the show must go on. As I was putting together my Favorite Films of 2020 list, I was surprised to see how many great films had been released this year despite the pandemic. So, even though many people have probably not seen most of these films (including myself) I still feel we need a place to discuss the 2021 Oscars.

This year the show will air on April 25. As always, this first post will eventually have rules etc.

I'm just going to add a few films I expect to get Oscar attention:

Nomadland
The Trail of the Chicago 7
Minari
Mank
One Night in Miami
The Father
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Judas and the Black Messiah
News of the World
Promising Young Woman
Sound of Metal
Soul
Ammonite
Pieces of a Woman
First Cow
Never Rarely Sometimes Always

My hope is that Da 5 Bloods gets no attention. I thought it was one of the worst films of the year and a total mess. Finally, I'm seeing people come around to my side on that.
Promising Young Woman was my fave of this list!

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZ4FE5RFWhw

[Still Servant]

Loved Bosman in Ma Rainey, but after watching Judas and the Black Messiah, I don't know how anyone who goes up against Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield have any chance of winning. Kaluuya has reached another level with his performance.

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naLbJ3ojZqQ

I'm sorry if anyone hates these but I find these doofuses entertaining.

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iBuUn3Qrpk

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzKUlotBRZs

[Still Servant]

Fincher is a legend and one of my favorite directors of all time, but Mank is a real slog. I'm not going to be happy if Fincher or Spike Lee get nominations this year.

My picks for Best Director:

Chloé Zhao - Nomadland
Lee Isaac Chung - Minari
Emerald Fennell - Promising Young Woman
Shaka King - Judas and the Black Messiah
Darius Marder - Sound of Metal

Outside of the top two, I doubt these will happen. The King that should get nominated is Shaka, he has crafted a far superior film to Regina King's One Night in Miami, which I enjoyed, but the Academy just adores her. I see no way they leave her out of the best director race.

I don't really give a shit about such things, but I know the Academy does, so I will point it out - my picks are diverse as fuck.

[mae]

I feel like Sound of Metal might be too niche for The Academy.

[Still Servant]

I feel like Sound of Metal might be too niche for The Academy.

Yeah, especially for Best Director. I do think Riz Ahmed will get a nomination though.

[Mattrick]

I'm likely not even watching The Oscar's this year. I'll probably still do the contest with 100% guess work.

[Heather19]

I'm likely not even watching The Oscar's this year. I'll probably still do the contest with 100% guess work.

Me too, I might not even do the contest though. I didn't even watch The Golden Globes last night. I've seen very little this past year and therefore unfortunately not excited at all for it. I honestly probably couldn't even name 10 movies released last year. Hopefully things will begin to change this year.

[fernandito]

I watched like 15 minutes of the GG last night and turned it off. Boooooriiiiiiinnnnggggg

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKy0RYIp4ZI

[Ricky]

I didn't even watch The Golden Globes last night. I've seen very little this past year and therefore unfortunately not excited at all for it. I honestly probably couldn't even name 10 movies released last year.

I know what you mean. I've hardly seen any "new" stuff this past year. I've mostly been watching stuff on DVD that I missed from the year or two before. Not having watched any of the Globes noms does kind of take the fun out of it. I hope it's not the same for the Oscars, but I'm prepared that it might be. :(


I watched like 15 minutes of the GG last night and turned it off. Boooooriiiiiiinnnnggggg

I watched the whole thing but yeah, I agree, it wasn't the most entertaining or engaging show.

[Still Servant]

Actually, it might be interesting for you guys to enter with little knowledge of the films. It would be cool to see how well you do.

[Ricky]

Heather will end up seeing none of the nominated movies and still win our contest. :rofl:

[Heather19]

Maybe that's been my problem the last few years, maybe going in blind will put me on top again :lol:

[fernandito]

The only good thing about the GG is that it gave me a blueprint of 2020 films I want to watch and in what order.

[Still Servant]

The only good thing about the GG is that it gave me a blueprint of 2020 films I want to watch and in what order.

I could have given you that!

[Mattrick]

Heather will end up seeing none of the nominated movies and still win our contest. :rofl:

Nah fam. It's my year. No personal feelings to muddy up the waters.

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7Dohb9Ont0

[mae]

Nominations are coming 3/15!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDuKK0LkUhE&t=1836s

[Still Servant]

I'm not sure if anything is going to beat Nomadland at this point. It seems like they are pulling away.

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JT984gIKKPs

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8HyyDEqhEg

[mae]

https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/15/entertainment/oscar-nominations-2021/index.html

BEST PICTURE
"The Father"
"Judas and the Black Messiah"
"Mank"
"Minari"
"Nomadland"
"Promising Young Woman"
"Sound of Metal"
"The Trial of the Chicago 7″

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Maria Bakalova, "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm"
Glenn Close, "Hillbilly Elegy"
Olivia Colman, "The Father"
Amanda Seyfried, "Mank"
Youn Yuh-jung, "Minari"

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Sacha Baron Cohen, "The Trial of the Chicago 7"
Daniel Kaluuya, "Judas and the Black Messiah"
Leslie Odom Jr., "One Night in Miami"
Paul Raci, "Sound of Metal"
Lakeith Stanfield, "Judas and the Black Messiah"

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
"Another Round" - Denmark
"Better Days" - Hong Kong
"Collective" - Romania
"The Man Who Sold His Skin" - Tunisia
Qu Vadis, Aida? - Bosnia and Herzegovina

DOCUMENTARY (SHORT)
"Colette"
"A Concerto Is a Conversation"
"Do Not Split"
"Hunger Ward"
"A Love Song For Latasha"

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
"Collective"
"Crip Camp"
"The Mole Agent"
"My Octopus Teacher"
"Time"

ORIGINAL SONG
"Fight For You" from "Judas and the Black Messiah"
"Hear My Voice" from "The Trial of the Chicago 7"
"Husavik" from "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga"
"lo Sì (Seen)" from "The Life Ahead (La Vita Davanti a Se)"
"Speak Now" from "One Night in Miami..."

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
"Onward"
"Over the Moon"
"A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon"
"Soul"
"Wolfwalkers"

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
"Borat Subsequent MovieFilm"
"The Father"
"Nomadland"
"One Night in Miami"
"The White Tiger"

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
"Judas and the Black Messiah"
"Minari"
"Promising Young Woman"
"Sound of Metal"
"TheTrial of the Chicago 7"

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Riz Ahmed, "Sound of Metal"
Chadwick Boseman, "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom"
Anthony Hopkins, "The Father"
Gary Oldman, "Mank"
Steven Yeun, "Minari"

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Viola Davis, "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom"
Andra Day, "The United States vs. Billie Holiday"
Vanessa Kirby, "Pieces of a Woman"
Frances McDormand, "Nomadland"
Carey Mulligan, "Promising Young Woman"

DIRECTOR
Thomas Vinterberg, "Another Round"
David Fincher, "Mank"
Lee Isaac Chung, "Minari"
Chloe Zhao, "Nomadland"
Emerald Fennell, "Promising Young Woman"

PRODUCTION DESIGN
"The Father"
"Ma Rainey's Black Bottom"
"Mank"
"News of the World"
"Tenet"

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Sean Bobbitt, "Judas and the Black Messiah"
Erik Messerschmidt, "Mank"
Dariusz Wolski, "News of the World"
Joshua James Richards, "Nomadland"
Phedon Papamichael , "The Trial of the Chicago 7"

COSTUME DESIGN
"Emma"
"Ma Rainey's Blackbottom"
"Mank"
"Mulan"
"Pinocchio"

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND
"Greyhound"
"Mank"
"News of the World"
"Soul"
"Sound of Metal"

ANIMATED SHORT FILM
"Burrow"
"Genius Loci"
"If Anything Happens I Love You"
"Opera"
"Yes-People"

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
"Feeling Through"
"The Letter Room"
"The Present"
"Two Distant Strangers"
"White Eye"

ORIGINAL SCORE
"Da 5 Bloods"
"Mank"
"Minari"
"News of the World"
"Soul"

VISUAL EFFECTS
"Love and Monsters"
"The Midnight Sky"
"Mulan"
"The One and Only Ivan"
"Tenet"

FILM EDITING
"The Father"
"Nomadland"
"Promising Young Woman"
"Sound of Metal"
"The Trial of the Chicago 7"

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
"Emma"
"Hillbilly Elegy"
"Ma Rainey's Black Bottom"
"Mank"
"Pinocchio"

[webstar1000]

Promsing Young Woman is the best and I hope it wins. Nomadland IS BRUTAL. What a horrible movie. I could barley finish it... boring is just not the word here...

[fernandito]

Watched Judas and the Black Messiah over the weekend. Incredible movie.

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAOdlIQDbVQ

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_DHSpcnGtA

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqOnWAol8Ho

[Heather19]

I guess I should really try to start watching the ones that are streaming. I did watch Wolfwalkers the other week, which I highly recommend. It's streaming on Apple tv right now. I wish there were more people making animated films like that still.

[mae]

I guess I should really try to start watching the ones that are streaming. I did watch Wolfwalkers the other week, which I highly recommend. It's streaming on Apple tv right now. I wish there were more people making animated films like that still.

Couldn't agree more, Heather. I love traditionally animated films, too. I guess they're all done on computers nowadays anyway. I mean the 2D aesthetic.

[Ricky]

Welp, I've seen a whopping...0/8 of the BP noms. Guess I have some watching to do :lol:

And it looks like the AMC Oscar marathon I usually go to every year is cancelled. :cry:

[Still Servant]

Thank you for posting, Mae. I've seen all but one of the BP nominated films.

[mae]

I haven't seen three of the Picture nominees since they're not streaming yet (The Father, Minari, Promising Young Woman).

[Still Servant]

I haven't seen three of the Picture nominees since they're not streaming yet (The Father, Minari, Promising Young Woman).

As you probably know, Promising Young Woman comes out on Blu-ray and for rental tomorrow.

[Heather19]

Welp, I've seen a whopping...0/8 of the BP noms. Guess I have some watching to do :lol:



Me too :lol:

In other categories I have seen Wolfwalkers, United States vs Billie Holiday, and Tenet. I started to watch Mank but wasn't really feeling it which surprised me because I thought it would be right up my alley. I'll have to go back and give it another chance.

So yeah, I'm not really excited this year since I haven't seen anything. Hopefully that'll change if I watch some of the movies.

[Ricky]

Yeah, I thought Mank would definitely be up your alley! :o

And how was Billie Holiday? That's been on my radar but I haven't gotten to it yet.

I'm having trouble summoning up excitement for this year's Oscars, too, so I'm right there with you. Hopefully as it gets closer my excitement will pick up.

[mae]

So weird! I'm as pumped as any year. So many great movies!

[Still Servant]

I'm surprised you guys haven't seen more stuff. Judas, Ma Rainey, One Night in Miami, Nomadland, Mank, Trial, Sound of Metal and so many more are available on streaming devices that almost everyone has.

For some reason, during the pandemic, people seemed to lean more towards TV shows.

I get it though, for many people film is about going to the theater.

[mae]

In a silly move by HBO Max, Judas actually was taken off the service yesterday. The new theatrical releases only stream for a limited time on HBO Max but they should've extended it past the nominations day by at least a couple of days.

[Heather19]

Oh bummer, that's one that I've been wanting to watch. Wish they had at least kept it up for another week. Ma Rainey and Nomadland have also been on my list to watch. The problem is that I've been watching a lot of TV, and on weekends I'll watch movies with my boyfriend, but we have exact opposite taste in films so it usually results in us scrolling for an hr before we can finally agree on something :lol:

I really enjoyed Billie Holiday. I honestly didn't know much about her life or that any of that had happened. I was also horrified to find out that there is still no anti-lynching law.

[fernandito]

I still need to get to Another Round (Denmark). Mads Mikkelsen is my bb ♥

[mae]

This has actually been an amazing year for movies. I'm stil working on my usual Top 30 of 2020, but I still have a bunch of biggies to see. Here's a good discussion to that effect:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_e5MrvNKz4

[mae]

One curious thing about this year's Oscars that I'm not sure when or if it happened before, but there are movies nominated for Best Picture from three different years.

Sound of Metal first premiered in 2019 and Judas and the Black Messiah first premiered in 2021. The other six movies all first premiered in 2020.

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92jLqwJZi5o

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxI_VA6ty6c

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XjVZauX4hU

[Still Servant]

Like they mentioned, this year seems super predictable. The only main category that might be up for grabs is Best Actress. It looks like Mulligan has closed the gap. I'm really rooting for her. I loved Promising Young Woman!

[mae]

Have we already posted our picks? It’s been so long I don’t even remember!

[Still Servant]

I'm not sure anyone has posted just yet. I haven't submitted my form yet. I will probably post everything again here next week. I suspect a low turnout this year.

It's going to be a weird show.

[Ricky]

And apparently now there's going to be a pre- AND post-Oscars show. :panic:

[Heather19]

I am totally off the Oscar's radar this year. Off the top of my head I couldn't even name most of the films that have been nominated, nor have I seen most of them. I think I mentioned that I had seen 1 or 2, but honestly I don't even know what those films are without going to check what's been nominated :lol:

[Still Servant]

I am totally off the Oscar's radar this year. Off the top of my head I couldn't even name most of the films that have been nominated, nor have I seen most of them. I think I mentioned that I had seen 1 or 2, but honestly I don't even know what those films are without going to check what's been nominated :lol:

I know we discussed this before, but that's so odd to me because most of the films can be found on streaming devices. They are, for the most part, the same films that would be nominated in a non-COVID year.

Essentially, COVID really only hurt the big blockbusters, which are films that don't usually factor into Oscar season anyway.

I do agree that when people think film they think movie theaters, so I can understand why a lot of people ignored many of these movies this year. That's a shame because 2020 was a sneaky strong year for movies.

[mae]

Same. I watched most of my movies on streaming anyway, pre-pandemic. So to me the only difference was watching some of the blockbusters at home, like Wonder Woman 1984, which I normally would’ve seen in IMAX. But things like Sound of Metal? Plus now that I have a huge 4K TV watching stuff at home is a great experience.

[Heather19]

Yeah, I'm not sure what it is. I don't typically watch most of those Blockbuster films, so you would think I would have seen more of the others. There's a few I want to see but haven't gotten to yet. I feel like this past year I've been watching tons of series, and reading tons of books. I think the latter is how I spent a majority of my time. I read the most books in a year than I ever have before, and I've already read 35 so far this year, which is what I would average a couple of years ago for the entire year. So thinking about it I'm going to blame reading for my lack of viewing movies :D

[Still Servant]

Oscar night is almost upon us! I hope people still participate even if they aren't as familiar with the films this year like they normally would have been in past years. As always, it's just for fun.

The Rules

Oscar night is right around the corner, so I'm going to post the rules for those who might not be familiar with them. Please tell your friends from other boards to come on over and join us. The more the merrier.

You have until showtime on April 25, 2021.

IMPORTANT: Don't forget the tie breaker. It's simple: Basically, everybody will submit their choices like usual, except they will also add which film they think will win the most Oscars and give a number. In case of a tie, whomever has the closest number without going over is the winner. If the tie remains, the person who submits their ballot earliest is the winner.

Predictions have to be in by showtime, so there is no rush to post them. We still have some time before Oscar night. I myself will be waiting for the last possible moment to post my predictions.

Remember, these are just educated guesses. None of us have seen every film nominated and I doubt if anybody has seen any of the documentary short subject nominees. Just make an educated guess. Or an uneducated guess.

Returning this year:

Returning this year will be the online ballot submission I created. Of course, ballots can still be submitted here.

Where it says "name" just put your DT.org handle, or designate in some way that you are from the Dark Tower boards. I will be sharing the same contest form with other friends and I don't want to get them confused.

https://tinyurl.com/OscarContest2021

And the nominees are!


BEST PICTURE

The Father
Judas and the Black Messiah
Mank
Minari
Nomadland
Promising Young Woman
Sound of Metal
The Trial of the Chicago 7

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Maria Bakalova - Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Glenn Close - Hillbilly Elegy
Olivia Colman - The Father
Amanda Seyfried - Mank
Youn Yuh-jung - Minari

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Sacha Baron Cohen - The Trial of the Chicago 7
Daniel Kaluuya - Judas and the Black Messiah
Leslie Odom Jr. - One Night in Miami
Paul Raci - Sound of Metal
Lakeith Stanfield - Judas and the Black Messiah

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Another Round - Denmark
Better Days - Hong Kong
Collective - Romania
The Man Who Sold His Skin - Tunisia
Qu Vadis, Aida? - Bosnia and Herzegovina

DOCUMENTARY (SHORT)

Colette
A Concerto Is a Conversation
Do Not Split
Hunger Ward
A Love Song For Latasha

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Collective
Crip Camp
The Mole Agen
My Octopus Teacher
Time

ORIGINAL SONG

"Fight For You" from Judas and the Black Messiah
"Hear My Voice" from The Trial of the Chicago 7
"Husavik" from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
"lo Sì (Seen)" from The Life Ahead (La Vita Davanti a Se)
"Speak Now" from One Night in Miami...

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

Onward
Over the Moon
A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
Soul
Wolfwalkers

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Borat Subsequent MovieFilm
The Father
Nomadland
One Night in Miami
The White Tiger

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Judas and the Black Messiah
Minari
Promising Young Woman
Sound of Metal
The Trial of the Chicago 7

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Riz Ahmed - Sound of Metal
Chadwick Boseman - Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Anthony Hopkins - The Father
Gary Oldman - Mank
Steven Yeun - Minari

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Viola Davis - Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Andra Day - The United States vs. Billie Holiday
Vanessa Kirby - Pieces of a Woman
Frances McDormand - Nomadland
Carey Mulligan - Promising Young Woman

DIRECTOR

Thomas Vinterberg - Another Round
David Fincher - Mank
Lee Isaac Chung - Minari
Chloe Zhao - Nomadland
Emerald Fennell - Promising Young Woman

PRODUCTION DESIGN

The Father
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Mank
News of the World
Tenet

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Sean Bobbitt - Judas and the Black Messiah
Erik Messerschmidt - Mank
Dariusz Wolski - News of the World
Joshua James Richards - Nomadland
Phedon Papamichael - The Trial of the Chicago 7

COSTUME DESIGN

Emma
Ma Rainey's Blackbottom
Mank
Mulan
Pinocchio

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND

Greyhound
Mank
News of the World
Soul
Sound of Metal

ANIMATED SHORT FILM

Burrow
Genius Loci
If Anything Happens I Love You
Opera
Yes-People

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

Feeling Through
The Letter Room
The Present
Two Distant Strangers
White Eye

ORIGINAL SCORE

Da 5 Bloods
Mank
Minari
News of the World
Soul

VISUAL EFFECTS

Love and Monsters
The Midnight Sky
Mulan
The One and Only Ivan
Tenet

FILM EDITING

The Father
Nomadland
Promising Young Woman
Sound of Metal
The Trial of the Chicago 7

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

Emma
Hillbilly Elegy
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Mank
Pinocchio

[mae]

My picks in bold:



And the nominees are!


BEST PICTURE

The Father
Judas and the Black Messiah
Mank
Minari
Nomadland
Promising Young Woman
Sound of Metal
The Trial of the Chicago 7

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Maria Bakalova - Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Glenn Close - Hillbilly Elegy
Olivia Colman - The Father
Amanda Seyfried - Mank
Youn Yuh-jung - Minari

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Sacha Baron Cohen - The Trial of the Chicago 7
Daniel Kaluuya - Judas and the Black Messiah
Leslie Odom Jr. - One Night in Miami
Paul Raci - Sound of Metal
Lakeith Stanfield - Judas and the Black Messiah

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Another Round - Denmark
Better Days - Hong Kong
Collective - Romania
The Man Who Sold His Skin - Tunisia
Qu Vadis, Aida? - Bosnia and Herzegovina

DOCUMENTARY (SHORT)

Colette
A Concerto Is a Conversation
Do Not Split
Hunger Ward
A Love Song For Latasha

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Collective
Crip Camp
The Mole Agen
My Octopus Teacher
Time

ORIGINAL SONG

"Fight For You" from Judas and the Black Messiah
"Hear My Voice" from The Trial of the Chicago 7
"Husavik" from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
"lo Sì (Seen)" from The Life Ahead (La Vita Davanti a Se)
"Speak Now" from One Night in Miami...

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

Onward
Over the Moon
A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
Soul
Wolfwalkers

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Borat Subsequent MovieFilm
The Father
Nomadland
One Night in Miami
The White Tiger

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Judas and the Black Messiah
Minari
Promising Young Woman
Sound of Metal
The Trial of the Chicago 7

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Riz Ahmed - Sound of Metal
Chadwick Boseman - Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Anthony Hopkins - The Father
Gary Oldman - Mank
Steven Yeun - Minari

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Viola Davis - Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Andra Day - The United States vs. Billie Holiday
Vanessa Kirby - Pieces of a Woman
Frances McDormand - Nomadland
Carey Mulligan - Promising Young Woman

DIRECTOR

Thomas Vinterberg - Another Round
David Fincher - Mank
Lee Isaac Chung - Minari
Chloe Zhao - Nomadland
Emerald Fennell - Promising Young Woman

PRODUCTION DESIGN

The Father
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Mank
News of the World
Tenet

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Sean Bobbitt - Judas and the Black Messiah
Erik Messerschmidt - Mank
Dariusz Wolski - News of the World
Joshua James Richards - Nomadland
Phedon Papamichael - The Trial of the Chicago 7

COSTUME DESIGN

Emma
Ma Rainey's Blackbottom
Mank
Mulan
Pinocchio

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND

Greyhound
Mank
News of the World
Soul
Sound of Metal

ANIMATED SHORT FILM

Burrow
Genius Loci
If Anything Happens I Love You
Opera
Yes-People

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

Feeling Through
The Letter Room
The Present
Two Distant Strangers
White Eye

ORIGINAL SCORE

Da 5 Bloods
Mank
Minari
News of the World
Soul

VISUAL EFFECTS

Love and Monsters
The Midnight Sky
Mulan
The One and Only Ivan
Tenet

FILM EDITING

The Father
Nomadland
Promising Young Woman
Sound of Metal
The Trial of the Chicago 7

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

Emma
Hillbilly Elegy
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Mank
Pinocchio

Tiebreaker: Nomadland with 4

[webstar1000]

Did anyone here really like Nomadland?

[mae]

Did anyone here really like Nomadland?

I liked it but it's not my top movie of the year. That reminds me, I still need to do my ranking.

[Ricky]

I enjoyed Nomadland but it was a little too meandering for me. I'd never consider it the "best" film of the year.

Also, I keep having to remind myself that the show is this week. Back when they postponed it, April seemed so far away...and now it's here already! :panic:

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqnmPJiJSNk

[Still Servant]

Did anyone here really like Nomadland?

I liked it, but I didn't really like it.



Did anyone here really like Nomadland?

I liked it but it's not my top movie of the year. That reminds me, I still need to do my ranking.

I've been waiting for this list forever. You're killing me.

[Mattrick]

I've submitted without having seen a single film or having paid attention to any buzz or other awards shows. I've only heard rumblings about Nomadland doing well so I went with that.

[Still Servant]

Tonight is the night! Get your picks in.

BEST PICTURE

The Father
Judas and the Black Messiah
Mank
Minari
Nomadland
Promising Young Woman
Sound of Metal
The Trial of the Chicago 7

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Maria Bakalova - Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Glenn Close - Hillbilly Elegy
Olivia Colman - The Father
Amanda Seyfried - Mank
Youn Yuh-jung - Minari

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Sacha Baron Cohen - The Trial of the Chicago 7
Daniel Kaluuya - Judas and the Black Messiah
Leslie Odom Jr. - One Night in Miami
Paul Raci - Sound of Metal
Lakeith Stanfield - Judas and the Black Messiah

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Another Round - Denmark
Better Days - Hong Kong
Collective - Romania
The Man Who Sold His Skin - Tunisia
Qu Vadis, Aida? - Bosnia and Herzegovina

DOCUMENTARY (SHORT)

Colette
A Concerto Is a Conversation
Do Not Split
Hunger Ward
A Love Song For Latasha

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Collective
Crip Camp
The Mole Agen
My Octopus Teacher
Time

ORIGINAL SONG

"Fight For You" from Judas and the Black Messiah
"Hear My Voice" from The Trial of the Chicago 7
"Husavik" from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
"lo Sì (Seen)" from The Life Ahead (La Vita Davanti a Se)
"Speak Now" from One Night in Miami...

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

Onward
Over the Moon
A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
Soul
Wolfwalkers

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Borat Subsequent MovieFilm
The Father
Nomadland
One Night in Miami
The White Tiger

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Judas and the Black Messiah
Minari
Promising Young Woman
Sound of Metal
The Trial of the Chicago 7

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Riz Ahmed - Sound of Metal
Chadwick Boseman - Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Anthony Hopkins - The Father
Gary Oldman - Mank
Steven Yeun - Minari

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Viola Davis - Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Andra Day - The United States vs. Billie Holiday
Vanessa Kirby - Pieces of a Woman
Frances McDormand - Nomadland
Carey Mulligan - Promising Young Woman

DIRECTOR

Thomas Vinterberg - Another Round
David Fincher - Mank
Lee Isaac Chung - Minari
Chloe Zhao - Nomadland
Emerald Fennell - Promising Young Woman

PRODUCTION DESIGN

The Father
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Mank
News of the World
Tenet

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Sean Bobbitt - Judas and the Black Messiah
Erik Messerschmidt - Mank
Dariusz Wolski - News of the World
Joshua James Richards - Nomadland
Phedon Papamichael - The Trial of the Chicago 7

COSTUME DESIGN

Emma
Ma Rainey's Blackbottom
Mank
Mulan
Pinocchio

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND

Greyhound
Mank
News of the World
Soul
Sound of Metal

ANIMATED SHORT FILM

Burrow
Genius Loci
If Anything Happens I Love You
Opera
Yes-People

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

Feeling Through
The Letter Room
The Present
Two Distant Strangers
White Eye

ORIGINAL SCORE

Da 5 Bloods
Mank
Minari
News of the World
Soul

VISUAL EFFECTS

Love and Monsters
The Midnight Sky
Mulan
The One and Only Ivan
Tenet

FILM EDITING

The Father
Nomadland
Promising Young Woman
Sound of Metal
The Trial of the Chicago 7

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

Emma
Hillbilly Elegy
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Mank
Pinocchio

Nomadland - 4

[mae]

I can't believe it's finally happening! :panic:

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82pD8Rpyyc8

[Still Servant]

It will be the lowest-rated Oscars of all time.

[mae]

It will be the lowest-rated Oscars of all time.

Again, I honestly don't understand why. Sure the theaters were closed for most of the year for most people. But everyone has these streaming services, or shares passwords. So the movies are all mostly out there.

[Mattrick]

It will be the lowest-rated Oscars of all time.

Again, I honestly don't understand why. Sure the theaters were closed for most of the year for most people. But everyone has these streaming services, or shares passwords. So the movies are all mostly out there.

Nope.

[Still Servant]

It will be the lowest-rated Oscars of all time.

Again, I honestly don't understand why. Sure the theaters were closed for most of the year for most people. But everyone has these streaming services, or shares passwords. So the movies are all mostly out there.

Same. It makes no sense.

[Ricky]

Here we go!

BEST PICTURE: Nomadland

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: Youn Yuh-jung

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: Daniel Kaluuya

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: Another Round - Denmark

DOCUMENTARY (SHORT): Colette

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: Crip Camp

ORIGINAL SONG: "Speak Now" from One Night in Miami...

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM: Soul

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: One Night in Miami

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Promising Young Woman

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE: Chadwick Boseman

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE: Viola Davis

DIRECTOR: Chloe Zhao

PRODUCTION DESIGN: Mank

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Joshua James Richards - Nomadland

COSTUME DESIGN: Mulan

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND: Sound of Metal

ANIMATED SHORT FILM: If Anything Happens I Love You

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM: White Eye

ORIGINAL SCORE: Soul

VISUAL EFFECTS: Tenet

FILM EDITING: Sound of Metal

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING: Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

*Tie-breaker: Nomadland and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom tied with 3 wins each. (Can I do that?)

[Lurker]

Best Picture
Nomadland

Best Actor *
Chadwick Boseman - Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Best Actress *
Viola Davis - Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Best Supporting Actress *
Youn Yuh-jung - Minari

Best Supporting Actor *
Daniel Kaluuya - Judas and the Black Messiah

Best Director *
Chloe Zhao - Nomadland

Best Adapted Screenplay *
Nomadland

Best Original Screenplay *
Promising Young Woman

Best International Feature Film *
Another Round - Denmark

Best Production Design *
Mank

Best Film Editing *
Sound of Metal

Best Cinematography *
Joshua James Richards - Nomadland

Best Visual Effects *
Tenet

Best Costume Design *
Ma Rainey's Blackbottom

Best Achievement in Sound *
Sound of Metal

Best Original Score *
Soul

Best Documentary Feature *
My Octopus Teacher

Best Documentary Short *
A Love Song For Latasha

Best Makeup and Hairstyling *
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Best Animated Feature *
Soul

Best Animated Short *
If Anything HAppens

Best Live Action Short *
Two Distant Strangers

Best Original Song *
"Speak Now" from One Night in Miami...

Ma Rainey - four; Nomadland - four

[Still Servant]

The players so far:

Me
Mae
Lurker
Ricky
Matt

[Ricky]

HEATHER AND FERNANDO GET YOUR BUTTS IN HERE RIGHT NOW.

[webstar1000]

This is the first time in a long time I really could care less about the Oscars... it seems I’m not alone

[mae]

This year had great films. Really sad some of you missed out.

[Mattrick]

The show start at 8?

[mae]

The show start at 8?

Yup.

[Still Servant]

HEATHER AND FERNANDO GET YOUR BUTTS IN HERE RIGHT NOW.

Feev?

He barely enters in a non-COVID year! :lol:

[Still Servant]

Well, I guess I won't be up until midnight grading this year. :lol:

[Ricky]

:lol:

[mae]

I feel like I will do terribly.

[mae]

Wow some huge surprises tonight, especially at the end!

[Ricky]

Well, uh...that was a show? There were people...and words...and pictures and stuff.

[Still Servant]

Yeah, I echo Ricky. That was very interesting. I will expand on my thoughts tomorrow.

As always, it's late so please double check my scoring. I want to thank everyone who participated. This is the worst turnout we have ever had for this contest, for obvious reasons. I wish more people submitted just for fun as Matt did. Matt hasn't seen any films and he actually got 12 right.

Anyway, like seems to be the case more often than not, there was a tie. Myself and Lurker both tied with 17. His tiebreaker was Ma Rainey with 4 and my tiebreaker was Nomadland with 4. Ma won 2 Oscars and Nomadland won 3, making me the winner by tiebreaker. Nice work, Lurker. You always put up strong numbers.

2021 results

Servant - 17 (Winner by first tiebreaker)
Lurker - 17
Ricky - 15
Mae - 15
Matt-12

[Mattrick]

Awful, boring show. The only kind of entertainment they attempted was that fucking awkward and terrible music trivia game where it was either all planned and scripted (making it worse) or that Questfire (whatever his name is) was pretty racist assuming an old white woman wouldn't know the song...the whole segment made me cringe.

Pros: The set was nice. Way fewer ugly dresses than normal. Frances McDormand is wonderful.

Cons: Boring. Felt way longer than 3hrs 15mins. Halle Berry's ugly hairdo. WTF even was that In Memoriam? I feel bad for those people who were on screen for barely a second...I had to rewind just to learn Kelly Preston died because it a blip. The whole montage just felt lazy and poorly planned.

Also the utter lack of edited clips when introducing nominees. Instead of getting a sample of a nominees work (sound, VFX, acting, cinematography) we got them sitting at tables awkwardly while someone off camera spoke little factoids. It was TERRIBLE. You'd think in a year where many films likely weren't seen by people you'd WANT to give the audience a sample of it. No, instead we get people just sitting there like this

http://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/oscars-misha-collins-1-1619397163.jpg?resize=480:*

WTF: Doing best Picture BEFORE the two acting awards was a massive error in judgment. Not only was McDormands speech 61 words since she just said everything 8 minutes earlier accepting Best Picture, but Hopkins wasn't even there. The last segment of that show was a total shame. It was like eating a crust of bread that was soaked in tap water.

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DN6zGZqbxU

[fernandito]

I honestly completely forgot the Oscars were on until Ricky messaged me yesterday. Even when I got home I didn't care to check out the winners and stuff on social media, that's how little I cared about it :fairy:

Sounds like it a was a complete shit show tho lol

[Heather19]

You guys, I didn't even watch. I put it on and maybe only lasted 5 min before I switched to something else. Could just be my lack over not seeing the films or being excited about them this year. Also the change of setting, which I completely understand, it just felt weird and added to my feeling of it not feeling like the Oscars. I'll be curious to hear from those of you who watched it what you thought. Also what films do you guys think I need to see? I still want to see Ma Rainey, and I was wanting to see Nomadland until I heard not so great things about it.



I honestly completely forgot the Oscars were on until Ricky messaged me yesterday. Even when I got home I didn't care to check out the winners and stuff on social media, that's how little I cared about it :fairy:

Sounds like it a was a complete shit show tho lol

I completely forgot they were on last night until I saw Mike post about it earlier in the day. And I still haven't even gone to see who the winners are either.

[mae]

I thought the Oscars were great! I might be in the minority but I don't watch the Oscars for the show. In fact, if they cut out all of the bits and cute moments, I would be more than okay with that. I only watch to see who wins and the speeches. There were some great speeches last night! And some pretty big surprises, mostly pleasant, like Sound of Metal not only winning for sound but also for editing! That was an amazing movie, very moving. Obviously, the big faux-pas of the night was awarding Best Picture third to last. I get why they made that switch, since Chadwick was so favored to win, but Best Picture is still Best Picture. If he had won it would've been a special moment regardless. And Hopkins very much deserved that win, I'm happy for him, too bad he wasn't able to accept live, but he actually posted an acceptance speech this morning on Instagram:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5PQKByUchA

Anyway, like I said, I don't watch it for the show. Not really. It's fun to see all the people and the (usually) amazing dresses, but it's really a celebration of the movies, so that's all I care about. And despite everything, this definitely was not a year when only 15 movies came out. True, there weren't as many films this year, but there were still plenty. I'll be posting my Top 30 of 2020 very soon, and this was a spectacular year in movies. I'm having real trouble pruning it down to 30.

[Lurker]

Thanks! And for hosting the contest.

I don't comment much about movies, or much of anything, but I've been watching the Oscars since I can remember. My Mom was really into movies and got me hooked. I just look to be entertained by them, don't really analyze them. But love the 1939 output. That was a great movie year.

[mae]

But love the 1939 output. That was a great movie year.

Then I hope you can join us for the upcoming 1930s tournament! The further back in time we go then more help nominating and voting we'll need.

[Stockerlone]

I haven't seen it live for the first time in a loooong time. is it truth that they forgot kirk douglas in In Memoriam and
olivia de haviland's name was shown for 0.5 sec ?

[Mattrick]

I haven't seen it live for the first time in a loooong time. is it truth that they forgot kirk douglas in In Memoriam and
olivia de haviland's name was shown for 0.5 sec ?

I don't recall seeing his name, but half the names came out in fully automatic fire mode so I can't be sure.

I know they typically have those made and edited well in advance (why there was no Jessica Walter), but Kirk Douglas was before Plummer and Holbrook so he should've been included.

[mae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HfT0UVl1Gc

[Ricky]

boring show. The only kind of entertainment they attempted was that fucking awkward and terrible music trivia game

Boring. Felt way longer than 3hrs 15mins. WTF even was that In Memoriam? I feel bad for those people who were on screen for barely a second.

Also the utter lack of edited clips when introducing nominees. Instead of getting a sample of a nominees work (sound, VFX, acting, cinematography) we got them sitting at tables awkwardly while someone off camera spoke little factoids.

WTF: Doing best Picture BEFORE the two acting awards was a massive error in judgment.

Agree with all of this. I don't know what they were thinking with these choices. When they announced that the song performances would be aired in the pre-show, I thought for sure that they were doing that to leave room to really go all out and make the show a love letter to movies. I was wrong. And what about Soderbergh saying that the show was going to feel cinematic and more like a movie than an awards show? Because it definitely did not.

The In Memoriam was embarrassing, the switcheroo of Best Picture to give Boseman some extra attention was embarrassing (even if it hadn't backfired on them), the acceptance speeches went on waaaaay too long, and that bit with Lil Rel and Glenn Close made me laugh, but at 10:43pm, what the hell were they thinking?

I liked that the show felt intimate and some of the speeches (especially Youn Yuh-jung, who seems like she's delightful in person), but I'm really struggling to find other things that stood out as positive. It was refreshing to see a no Zoom awards show again, but it just didn't deliver what it promised.


Could just be my lack over not seeing the films or being excited about them this year. Also the change of setting, which I completely understand, it just felt weird and added to my feeling of it not feeling like the Oscars.

Agree about the outdoor setting. It looked nice, but more backyard barbeque-y than Oscars. :lol:

As for the inside, again, it looked nice, but it didn't feel like I was watching the Oscars. It just didn't have the same energy as it does when it's held in the Dolby. Also, Mike and I talked about this already, but the lighting inside the train station (can't believe I'm typing that) was way off. I don't know if it was because there were windows, they used a weird filter or screen, or what, but it didn't make the TV presentation look professional or polished.

[Still Servant]

Thanks! And for hosting the contest.

I don't comment much about movies, or much of anything, but I've been watching the Oscars since I can remember. My Mom was really into movies and got me hooked. I just look to be entertained by them, don't really analyze them. But love the 1939 output. That was a great movie year.

You're welcome!

I echo a lot of what Matt and Ricky said. As Ricky mentioned, we messaged each other and said the same exact thing about the lighting. It's the first thing I noticed when the show came on. It was too dim. Way too dim. The other thing and I haven't seen anybody mention this, but there's no need for the cinematic 2.35:1 aspect ratio. I know they were trying to make it feel more like a movie, but it was just stupid and ended up causing some framing issues.

I also would have liked at least one montage of the year in film. I still don't think they celebrate the entire year in film. The frustrating part is that the Oscars had the advantage of being one of the last main awards shows to have a show. So many other awards shows have proven that you can still make it a big event. I see no reason why they couldn't have done the show on a large stage and really spread people out. As others have mentioned it just didn't feel like the Oscars. Lastly, it's fun to give a tidbit about a well-known actor and how they started out, but nobody gives a shit when it's some no-name production designer. They just don't.

Overall, it just wasn't fun. There are so many ways they could have made the show more fun. Mae, I know what you're saying, it's about film. That's why not having clips most of the night really bothered me.

[Ricky]

I wonder if they'd ever be up for splitting the show into two consecutive Sundays? Two two-hour shows, splitting the categories in half, with plenty of time for musical performances, comedy bits, and film montages. I'd dig that. The only thing would be would the celebrities (and at home audience) come back for day two?

[Mattrick]

I wonder if they'd ever be up for splitting the show into two consecutive Sundays? Two two-hour shows, splitting the categories in half, with plenty of time for musical performances, comedy bits, and film montages. I'd dig that. The only thing would be would the celebrities (and at home audience) come back for day two?


It's the Oscars. It's not Wrestlemania. One night is more than enough for me! I'm generally with the show wrapping up around 3hrs15min. The real problem is when the show doesn't start until like 8:40 and it's midnight by the time it's over. Start it at 8pm sharp. They might even benefit from a 7:30 start so they can be done before 11pm.

[Mattrick]

And I know it's a major faux pas in these ultra PC times, but I felt the Academy did Sean Connery dirty by ending the In Memoriam with Boseman instead of Sean Connery. I'm not saying Boseman won't have a lasting legacy because of Black Panther, but Sean Connery has been a Hollywood Icon for 60 years. He's among the most impersonated people in history along with Arnold and Elvis. James Bond is THE Hollywood constant because of Connery. He's given plenty of great performances. Not to disrespect Boseman, but his career simply doesn't compare to a literal heavyweight legend like Sean Connery. Normally that wouldn't really bug me, but the entire In Memoriam was such a trainwreck. They couldn't even be bothered to put in actual clips of people, it was just pictures and that ugly, distracting crystal filter effect. Like, seriously? I just started video editing like months ago. I could whip together a way better In Memoriam than that. Was the A.C.E. office all closed down because of Covid or something and Jim from Sales did it?

Just compare the 2018 In Memoriam compared to the lazy ass 2021 In Memoriam

EDIT - I just noticed that Jessica Walter wasn't included despite being the rarity for an actress to be MORE relevant and popular in old age than she was as a younger age. She had a 50 year career...but they found time to slide in DMX for making a couple shitty movies.

https://imagesvc.meredithcorp.io/v3/mm/gif?q=85&c=sc&poi=face&w=500&h=333&url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.onecms.io%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F13%2F2016%2F06%2F05%2F high.gif



2018

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6IlObah1k8




2021

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oavHZ0L_vwg

[mae]

I had no issue with them ending on Chadwick. His passing was a shock to most people, he was so young and just at the start of his career. Connery lived a full life and wasn't making movies lately.

[Mattrick]

Man, I've been going back and watching In Memoriams and they were so much better ten years ago. They felt like they really cared about them and put a great deal of effort into them. I swear they forgot about this year's In Memoriam until Friday night.

[Mattrick]

Lastly, it's fun to give a tidbit about a well-known actor and how they started out, but nobody gives a shit when it's some no-name production designer. They just don't.


The worst was the one for the Mulan costume designer "She went to China for three weeks and went to museums to prepare!" Oh wow, so fucking interesting my ears are bleeding from the magnitude of my interest.



The one part of the show I did appreciate was Steven Yeun's story about his mom taking him to see Terminator 2. That was a funny little anecdote that made Steven Yeun seem like a person who actually lived an ordinary life that we can relate to. I would love to see more of that from presenters. It added a nice tone of humanity to the proceedings.

[fernandito]

Hulu has the complete recap of the Oscars. I watched it for about 15 minutes, cringed, and shut it off. If those 15 minutes are anything to go by, then my God that show was terrible.

[St. Troy]

The Chadwick/Connery thing comes down to this: an acting-based event ends on Connery.

[Stockerlone]

The Chadwick/Connery thing comes down to this: an acting-based event ends on Connery.

When I saw the end of the in memoriam, Connery then Boseman,
I thought, Ok nice idea .. then Kirk Douglas will come last .....

[Mattrick]

Hulu has the complete recap of the Oscars. I watched it for about 15 minutes, cringed, and shut it off. If those 15 minutes are anything to go by, then my God that show was terrible.

That was likely the best 15 minutes too.

[Still Servant]

Lastly, it's fun to give a tidbit about a well-known actor and how they started out, but nobody gives a shit when it's some no-name production designer. They just don't.


The worst was the one for the Mulan costume designer "She went to China for three weeks and went to museums to prepare!" Oh wow, so fucking interesting my ears are bleeding from the magnitude of my interest.



The one part of the show I did appreciate was Steven Yeun's story about his mom taking him to see Terminator 2. That was a funny little anecdote that made Steven Yeun seem like a person who actually lived an ordinary life that we can relate to. I would love to see more of that from presenters. It added a nice tone of humanity to the proceedings.

Yes! But that's what the Oscars should be about. Industry people talking about why they love film and how they got into the business.

Honestly, they missed a big opportunity to do some PR for theaters. They should have been going around the room the entire night having actors and directors talk about their favorite theater experience. Really hammer home how important theaters are to the industry.

They also should have had a package showing how even with the pandemic, the industry has kept rolling along. Show behind the scenes where the crew have taken PPE precautions.

Huge missed opportunity there.

[Mattrick]

Lastly, it's fun to give a tidbit about a well-known actor and how they started out, but nobody gives a shit when it's some no-name production designer. They just don't.


The worst was the one for the Mulan costume designer "She went to China for three weeks and went to museums to prepare!" Oh wow, so fucking interesting my ears are bleeding from the magnitude of my interest.



The one part of the show I did appreciate was Steven Yeun's story about his mom taking him to see Terminator 2. That was a funny little anecdote that made Steven Yeun seem like a person who actually lived an ordinary life that we can relate to. I would love to see more of that from presenters. It added a nice tone of humanity to the proceedings.

Yes! But that's what the Oscars should be about. Industry people talking about why they love film and how they got into the business.

Honestly, they missed a big opportunity to do some PR for theaters. They should have been going around the room the entire night having actors and directors talk about their favorite theater experience. Really hammer home how important theaters are to the industry.

They also should have had a package showing how even with the pandemic, the industry has kept rolling along. Show behind the scenes where the crew have taken PPE precautions.

Huge missed opportunity there.


But Mike, how could they fit in talking about the resiliency of the industry or giving theatres a boost when they had to do all that talking about how much they love women and minorities, especially women who are minorities? It's clearly far more important to point out The Academy is moving away from old white dudes. They couldn't even fit in much on how evil global warming is this year!

[OldCrow88]

The Chadwick/Connery thing comes down to this: an acting-based event ends on Connery.

When I saw the end of the in memoriam, Connery then Boseman,
I thought, Ok nice idea .. then Kirk Douglas will come last .....

Kirk Douglas passed at the beginning of February 2020, ahead of the 2020 Oscars ceremony. He was included in the In Memorium segment of the 2020 Oscars.

[Still Servant]

That's what I thought! I've been meaning to check that since reading this thread a few days ago but I got sidetracked.

[Garrell]

Just watched Nomadland. Ok at best. Love Francis but in this one, not a hard part to portray and ok also. I get 2020 was a weird year but concept/artsy films are good but not necessarily the best film of the year. The story itself was bland and weak. Promising Young Woman=bettter movie and story and a stellar female performance IMO.

[Ricky]

Agree with your Nomadland points. I've got Promising Young Woman lined up next and am looking forward to it.

[mae]

Nomadland ended up being #10 of my 2020 list and PYW was #2.

[Garrell]

#1?
BTW, Nobody!!! No awards but pure fun.

[Still Servant]

Nobody was tons of fun! I would like 2 or 3 more of those.