Oscar Predictions 2018

Can you believe how crazy this year has been for the Academy Awards? First there was that news about a “Popular Film” category being added in the middle of the year. Thankfully that didn’t happen. Then there was the whole Kevin Hart fiasco that led to the show having no host, we’ll see how that works out. Then there was the idea to not perform all the songs nominated for best song, that was a mistake. Then there was the completely asinine idea to not broadcast four awards in an attempt to save a few minutes. Thankfully, that idea was tossed out after multiple big name directors and a shit-ton of film twitter spoke out against it. #presentall24 worked! Great job, guys! We won!

Honestly, I wouldn’t mind if the Oscar ceremony lasted seven hours. I’ve complained before about having to stay up too late, especially in the years I was pregnant, but I really don’t mind. I love it. Following these films has kinda become my life’s work (if you can’t tell by this insane blog) and I would stay up all night to watch the Oscars. I say, give the world of film its one night and stop trying to cut it short.

Anyway, let’s play that one game I like where we pretend that we can only have 5 best picture nominations. Like it’s the good old days before 2009. My pick 5 would be:

The Favourite, Roma, Black Panther, BlacKkKlansman and Vice

My official predictions are…

Actor: Rami Malek

Actress: Glenn Close

Supporting Actor: Mahershala Ali

Supporting Actress: Regina King

Director: Spike Lee

Original Screenplay: The Favourite

Adapted Screenplay: BlacKkKlansman

Cinematography: The Favourite

Film Editing: Vice

Production Design: Black Panther

Costume Design: Black Panther

Makeup and Hairstyling: Vice

Original Score: BlacKkKlansman

Original Song: Shallow from A Star is Born

Sound Mixing: Bohemian Rhapsody

Sound Editing: A Quiet Place

Visual Effects: Solo

Best Documentary: Free Solo

Short Documentary: Period. End of Sentence.

Animated Feature: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Foreign Language Film: Roma

And Best Picture? Honestly, I have no idea what The Academy will pick. The more I study the Oscars the more it seems like the actual winner of this award does not matter. Some losers become better remembered classics than most winners. Many times we can look back at a runner up and say we “weren’t ready” for the one to win. I think that’s what we’d say if Roma loses, since there’s never been a foreign language film taking home the big prize. Safe winners would be A Star is Born, Bohemian Rhapsody or Green Book. Vice is political enough  to split votes, I would be surprised if it won, but it would be cool if it did. It would be very cool if Roma, The Favourite or BlacKkKlansman won.

But in all honesty, I hope Black Panther wins. I know that sounds cheesy and what every twelve year old wants, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. To bring such amazing diversity and empowerment to kids in superhero form is great, but to do it so amazingly well that appeals to the masses and keeps an amazing story, then hell yeah it should win. Black Panther is my personal pick for best picture. Eat your heart out, you fancy Academy voters.

Enjoy Oscar night!

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How a Film Enthusiast Prepares for Children

I wish I had found some camouflage maternity pants…

I realize things have been pretty slow here since Oscar season, but not without good reason.  I only have a couple of weeks (or less!) left before my bundle of joy bursts out of me Alien style and into the world.  My husband and I have been preparing for months in many ways.  Sure, most everyone gets a crib, some cute tiny clothes and a stockpile of diapers, dreaming of pushing a stroller and witnessing a child’s first everything.  But I’ve been taking it a bit further.

Slowly, I have gathered a decent blu-ray and dvd collection.  And the latest additions have all been treasured Disney and Pixar films.  From sweet classics like Bambi and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh to modern greats like Finding Nemo and Brave, I hope to share these with my child, when the time comes.  Until then, they will still make good entertainment for me and background noise for baby that I can feel good about.  In fact, I hope to put Fantasia on within the baby’s first few days.

A staple in any childhood film collection.

I know one day, as junior becomes more technologically advanced, certain movies will have to be kept out of reach.  The Quentin Tarantio collection my husband and I have gathered won’t come out with little eyes and ears in range.  Just imagine the damage done in just a few minutes of Reservoir Dogs, Jaws or Saving Private Ryan.  We’ll get to those when the time comes, some in a decade or so, but no earlier.

I’m already wondering when to first take my child to a public screening setting.  Taking a baby to a movie theater never seemed right to me, so I know I’ll be out of the loop on new releases for a while.  My husband and I have already discussed how I’ll be going out on my own for most of next years Oscar nominated movies.  However, I am hoping our town continues to screen family classics in the park this summer.  Free, outdoors, informal and with other small children possibly being more disruptive than ours, what a paradise!

Bruce is a nice step as we work our way up to Jaws.

Of course there are some things I don’t want to rush into, got to make sure we put the horse before the cart.  This kid needs to learn to swim before seeing Jaws, it may not work the other way around.  We’ll try to read at least a few Harry Potter books before getting into the movies, as well as The Hobbit.  And I want to make sure this kid can name a few dinosaurs before jumping into Jurassic Park.

Perhaps I’m getting ahead of myself, but it’s all so exciting!  Am I the only one who is putting more thought in their child’s film future rather than what onsie to bring them home in?  What film experiences have other parents enjoyed or are looking forward to with their little ones?

My Movie Year

Fandango Groovers has thought of yet another amazing idea for a blogathon: My Movie Year.  Really, I have taken every year in terms of Oscar nominated films, but let me think about what was the best year of memorable movie experiences for me.  I think I’ll have to go with 2005.  You see, that summer I was 19, just about 20, and working at a movie theater all the time.  When I wasn’t at the theater working around the movies, I was at home watching them with my family.  And when the summer was over, I went back to college and became part of the films committee on the student union board.  It was probably the first year I was surrounded by movies all the time.  Here are some movie memories from my 2005.

Star Wars III Revenge of the Sith

Working at the theater, I was required to work at the midnight showing for last Star Wars movie.  That night itself was a harrowing experience.  So many people demanding popcorn and armed with plastic lightsabers.   But one little perk that hardly anyone knows about, was that some of the workers got to see the new Star Wars before anyone was even lining up in Jedi robes.  Wednesday evening, we all stayed after work and watched it, technically so that we could make sure the film was put together by our manager properly.  And being a huge Star Wars fan, it was just awesome.  I remember driving home around 3 a.m., in my junky old truck looking up at the moon and thinking about how I was one of the few people that had already seen the last Star Wars movie.  I was so giddy with excitement and it made my little brother so jealous.

War of the Worlds

This was another movie I stayed late to watch before it was officially out in theaters.  Since I wasn’t regularly reading about upcoming movies yet, I was completely unaware of nearly everything about to happen.  That first loud noise from the tripods nearly scared the crap out of me, and I loved it.  When I took my brother and sister to see it (free tickets were what I lived for then) my brother was so freaked out at one scene he hid his face and cried.  I love reminding him of that today.  And all summer, I kept track of each theater, so I could watch the audience during certain scenes in the film.  I still love watching a packed house jump.

Walk the Line

This came out in the fall, my mom and sister dying to see it.  I still got free tickets and walked right in like I owned the place.  Growing up on country music, I immediately loved the soundtrack.  This was one of the first movies I really started to notice a great acting performance.  I could really believe Reese Witherspoon as June Carter.  There was real pain in her face and voice, and the way she carried on and tried to restrain is was perfect and heart wrenching.  This was one of the first years I was really excited about the acting categories at the Oscars.

Brokeback Mountain

In my review, I already talked about my parents warning me against seeing this movie, only too late.  The story behind seeing it is a little slap-dash, but fun.  My roommate and I were simply bored one weekend night.  We thought about seeing whatever the student union board was playing (were were both members of the films committee) but decided instead to drive into town and see Brokeback Mountain.  On the way there, I made the realization outloud, “You realize we could have walked ten minutes and seen a movie for free, but instead we’re driving twenty minutes and paying eight bucks to see a movie about gay cowboys, right?”  I believe my roommate said something along the lines of, “And that’s what makes us awesome.”

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

What makes this movie memorable was the way I perfectly and accidentally ruined a possible date for two friends of mine in college.  But hey, if you nonchalantly ask a group of people if they want to see Harry Potter tomorrow and are casually trying to score a date with just one person, do you homework and make sure everyone else is going to be busy.  I got the stink-eye from my guy friend for a while, but I didn’t care, I snuck in some candy, sat myself in the middle and had a fun time.  All awkwardness has since been forgiven.

What’s your movie year?