Wednesday
Jun132018
Ask Nathaniel
Wednesday, June 13, 2018 at 7:30PM 
Time for another Q&A. Shall we?
Remember that the question is more likely to be answered if it wouldn't require a 1000 word essay to answer or a massive list. For next week's installment, questions about 1994 or LGBT cinema are especially welcome (though not mandatory) as we approach the Smackdown and as we move through Pride month.
Have at it in the comments.
Reader Comments (42)
"The Avengers: Infinity War" reached 2 billion at box-office (domestic and internationally)... so, let's celebrate it (kinda) with the following question:
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# Considering each actor/actress' upcoming projects which Avenger cast member will get an Academy Award nomination first? Which one is overdue for a first / another Oscar nod?
What roles over the past 10 years do you think Heath Ledger would've excelled in?
Since it seems studios are constantly returning to old franchises and fashioning spinoffs around side characters (Solo, Maleficent, etc), are there any characters from the past that were explicitly or non-explicitly coded as gay that you would love to get a spinoff that fully explored their sexuality?
What made the Academy cold to Sigourney Weaver in the 90s? She had Dave (1993), Death and the Maiden(1994), The Ice Storm(1997), and A Map of the World (1999).
1994 was the year of Frankenstein, the movie that led to Emma Thompson and Kenneth Branagh splitting up, due to his affair with HBC. Thoughts on Thompson&Branagh’s (professional) partnership? What projects would they have excelled at if they stayed together?
Any deep dive into Dead Again highly appreciated!
In honor of the phenomenal Won't You Be My Neighbor? (GO, right now), what are your top five documentaries of all time? Along with that one, I'll go with The Times of Harvey Milk, The Celluloid Closet, Paris is Burning and CitizenFour, though I also love Shut Up and Sing, Bowling for Columbine, How to Survive a Plague and I'm sure a number that aren't coming to mind.
Considering Disney keeps remaking their animated movies, is there a live action movie you thought might be better as an animated film? Would it have suited the spirit of the film better or just allowed the imagination of the filmmakers to expand?
I watched ‘Wild at Heart’ the other day after several years since the last time I saw it. I remain strong in my belief that Diane Ladd is absolutely fucking brilliant in it. She is completely crazy & campy, which is exactly right for the role/movie.
I am eternally grateful that Ladd got a nomination for it.
Do you have a Top 3 “Favorite Campy (or just Batshit, if you prefer) Acting Nominations”?
With Season 2 of GLOW approaching, who are your favorite characters?
Who would you have more fun with, Tilly in Bound or Gershon in Bound?
Which 1994 acting nominee is most likely to be nominated again in the future? And which one would you most like to see nominated in the future? (My answers: Mirren and Ryder.)
I know 1994 wasn't a particularly great year for female leads (as far as the actual nominated performances are concerned), but out of all 1994 films which role do you most wish Michelle Pfeiffer had snagged?
Ed:
RDJ: Two nods. And, yes, a third wouldn't be crazy. Best shot he's currently confirmed for is that John Brinkley bio, but I'd say "Stephen Gaghan Doctor Doolittle" can't be entirely ignored.
Hemsworth: Should get a Globe Comedy nod at some point, and probably would have if it were divided, as it should have been, to three categories (Drama, Dramedy/Performance Musical, Comedy/Non-Performance Musical).
Ruffalo: Already at three and four nominations would be slightly overkill for him at this point, though The True American has promise.
Evans: I'd be stunned if his first nomination didn't happen around 4-5 years from now. But nothing he has lined up right now sounds promising for that.
ScarJo: She basically resigned herself awhile ago to being exclusively suited to an "anti-prestige" skill set, making Oscar notice hard. Probably won't break soon, unless Oscar gets a bit more of a taste for "action acting." Maybe in 8-12 years?
Cumberbatch: Nomination 2? Probably happens, but not for anything he's announced for right now.
Cheadle: Depending on who winds up on that Prince of Darkness thing he's developing, that could be a pretty obvious Oscar movie. House of Lies: 1870s, pretty much. Nod two is possible.
Tom Holland: I mean, I think he's a better actor than Tobey, so let's say its more plausible he winds up on at least one ballot at some point.
Boseman: He made all the right calls before Black Panther to get a nod. Eventually.
Bettany: After Creation, he basically just stopped striving for the Oscar. So, yeah. Unless he starts getting a taste for "hard" acting, probably won't get one.
Olsen: Less notable actresses wind up without at least one nomination than actors and she hasn't appeared in a lot. Maybe.
Mackie: A few promising calls, but I'd say the likeliest is Signal Hill, under Taylor Hackford, as a pre-glove Johnnie Cochrane.
Sebastian Stan: No. Just...no. The guy isn't THAT good. He might have a decent career if he puts his head and adds fighting skills into his repertoire, but Oscar is not in the cards.
And that's my guesses on all the Avengers. Not everyone IN Infinity War, but everyone who's actually an Avenger.
Any thoughts on The Laundromat with Soderbergh/Streep/Oldman/Banderas filming Fall 2018?
I remember repeatedly checking the Reviews page for your grade to the Safdie brothers’ Good Time. Did you ever end up watching it? If yes: thoughts on the film and on the performances? If no: why?!
Who has surprised you the most for being award-caliber actor 10 years or 20 years later?
I suposse many know why but I don't understand why LGTB people take actresses like Judy Garland as their icons. Why is that? What's the deal with gays and old time divas? Happy Pride month!
What is your opinion of Cruising? Is it still controversial and do you consider it homophobic?
I watched the documentary WESTWOOD: PUNK, ICON, ACTIVIST (I am counting her as close enough to "queer" to qualify. :-) ), and kept thinking throughout: if there was a movie made about/featuring Vivienne Westwood, who would play her? (I kept coming back to Amy Adams.)
Give one of Meryl Streep's Oscar nominated performances to an actress you think would have been superior in the role.
What's your dream Wicked the Movie casting? It's LGBT cinema for all I care.
Okay, a question about 1994:
Have you any thoughts about Rena Owen in Once Were Warriors?
(This is one of my very favorite performances of the decade, and should have won the Best Actress Oscar handily if people had actually watched the film.)
My question - Forrest Gump: why?
The casts of “The Help” and “Crazy, Stupid, Love” are already pretty well-Oscared, but who’s the next of those ensembles to join their co-stars in becoming Oscar winners?
Has Daniel Craig overstayed his welcome? Is new blood and reinvention necessary for the 007 franchise to thrive?
I’m in the mood for some great horror after watching Hereditary on the weekend. What are your top 5 horror movies?
I was thinking of Hermione Baddeley, who holds the record for shortest Oscar-nominated performance. What is the shortest un-nominated performance you'd have nominated for an Oscar? (Doesn't have to be shorter than hers!)
Add Copycat (1995) and I second /3rtful's question. Has always baffled me.
I 2nd 3rtful's question and also can we add Jamie Lee Curtis to that list.
Do you miss Bridget Fonda?
Cast the american remake of Stranger By The Lake (if there ever was going to be one lol).
And BPM Beats Per Minute and God's Own Country even though that's not really foreign.
What do you think of Jennifer Lopez as an all around performer? What are your top 5 favourite performances of hers and too 5 favourite songs?
How much of an impact do you believe the Berliner Schule has made on contemporary cinema? And of that group of German filmmakers, who is your favorite?
Why doesn't Salma Hayek get the respect she deserves? She's a good sport in so many movies (the most recent being The Hitman's Bodyguard, where she is just hilarious). Plus, she is smart, independent, powerful, and beautiful.
What one-off Oscar nominee (Agadashloo, Abdi, Bejo, etc.) would you want a fully formed career for?
Hollywood is having another go at West Side Story with Spielberg in the director's chair. I am personally worried that they are messing with a classic, and Spielberg is somewhat lacking in musical credence. Your take?
So often we see big hetero Hollywood actors scooping up all the gay character roles ...
Which isn't always a bad thing ... I mean, come on! Who doesn't fantasize about Armie Hammer and Jakey G. making out with dudes?!?
But Nathanial: what are some of your favourite performances by queer actors, playing queer characters?
Favorite Marsha Mason performance? :)
If you cast your own personal Drag Race All Stars with 10 queens (including winners and non-winners) who would you choose and what would the elimination order be?
Usually genre films don’t get attention for acting awards come awards season. But since Get Out got noticed last year , do you think there s a smidgeon of a chance that Toni Collette will get a nod for Hereditary? Do you think A24 will campaign for her strongly since the film is a critical and financial hit?
Would you consider a new column ranking each year's Oscar clip for the acting nominees? LOVED the one you did for this year. Hope all is well!
In honor of the recent post about Marvin's Room, who are some other major actresses you'd like to see Meryl dig into a really good scene with that she hasn't already?
What musical do you wish would be turned into a movie and who do you think should direct it? I ask because Wicked still hasn't happened and Spielberg seems like such an obvious choice for it if he's going to direct a musical (and I'm not sure he should, but still...).