George Michael (RIP)

As a general rule of thumb, we love list-making and recapping of the year's significant moments and events but the exception is the work of the grim reaper. Death has claimed so many icons recently, particularly from the music world, that 2016 is starting to feel like a parody of its apocalyptic self as we reach its conclusion.

On Christmas day, of all days considering that one of his most enduring hits is "Last Christmas," George Michael was taken from us. Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou (better known as George Michael) was born in East Finchley London in 1963. By the age of 19 he'd charted his first hit with his friend Andrew Ridgeley (the other half of Wham!) called "Young Guns (Go for It!)". Two years later he was world famous by way of the global smash "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go." Which is when little Nathaniel first fell in love. But that initial fame wasn't the half of it. In fact the early hits I loved so much only hinted at the artist he'd become. He proved himself one of the great pop singers and composers over and over again. "Listen Without Prejudice Vol. I," released in 1990 is surely his masterpiece (and one of the greatest pop albums ever recorded) but he continued to be brilliant even when record contract troubles and personal problems overshadowed his talent with the public. His career had been quiet for some time but it's worth noting that he made one last significant contribution to pop culture that people don't regularly attribute to him -- he was the first star to sing with James Corden whilst driving around in a car back in 2011 which eventually became the ubiquitous "Carpool Karaoke" series of the here and now. 

Given his death this weekend, the lyrics and defiance of one of his very last records "White Light" (recorded in 2012 and inspired by his near death in 2011) are suddenly so much sadder.

There is no white light
and I'm not through
I'm alive I'm alive
and I've got so much more that I want to do.

Was it music or science that saved me? 

After the jump 16 favorite songs from his career...

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336 Films Eligible for the Oscar Race

Oopsie. In the Holiday rush we forgot to share one of the most important lists, the list of which films can be nominated for Oscars (in regular categories -- speciality categories like "best foreign language film" having their own rules). Every year the list is a wee bit odd if you really take a deep dive at it because it's filled with movies you haven't heard of as well as missing a few movies you have. Why is that? Because the list is made up of films which met two requirements.

1) Each film played for a week long engagement in Los Angeles that you could buy tickets to like you would any movie (i.e. not a festival engagement alone) and...
2) Films which did that and then ALSO submitted paperwork to the Academy to be eligible.

The most important film that is missing this year (apparently due to requirement #2) is acclaimed Aquarius starring Sonia Braga. Of films I personally saw in movie theaters or noted when they came out in movie theaters that weren't submitted the list is mostly foreign and indie though there are strange cases where wide releases didn't submit either. Another section of films that's often missing from these lists are films which were submitted for Oscar's foreign race the year prior but were not nominated and then released in the current calendar year when they theoretically would be eligible for any category BUT foreign film according to Oscar rules. ANYWAY. Of those missing films that could have been eligible there's no: Bang Gang: A Love Story, Best Worst Thing That Ever Happened, El Clan, El Club , The Family Fang, Glassland, Gods of Egypt, Lazy Eye, Morris From America (which got a Spirit nomination for Craig Robinson), Transpecos, and Under the Shadow and so on. The full eligible list is after the jump...

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AFI & AARP - which films are showing up on every top ten list?

Another couple of days, another couple of lists. After the jump the AFI and the AARP lists and a couple notes about which films are coasting through precursor season without a care in the world. Consensus: a powerful tool if you can grab it...

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Good Links Revolt

Autostraddle "How to Dress like Cate Blanchett's Oceans 8 Character Who is Definitely Queer, Right?"
Comics Alliance Pixar's Coco gets concept art and a voice cast - Gael García Bernal! 
Sydney Morning Herald Australia's own version of the Oscars goes big for Mel Gibson's Hacksaw Ridge with 9 wins from its 13 nominations.
The New Yorker "the fate of cinephilia in the age of streaming"

 

Awards Daily interviews the production design team on Loving 
EW Ryan Reynolds as Entertainer of the Year
Boy Culture Hunky Van Williams, discovered by Liz Taylor of people, who came to fame on TV's The Green Hornet has died at 82. His last movie role was as homage to his friend and co-star Bruce Lee in Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993)
The Wrap Madonna raises $7 million for Malawi with a little help from Sean Penn who she offers to marry again
THR Harsh words for Amazon with the cancellation of Good Girls Revolt 

The World Has Lost Its Mind
Twitter protesters of the lack of gender equality in the Australian film industry dressed as sausages at the AACTAS. "End the Sausage Party!"... they were not talking about the animated movie.
Daily Beast Sofia Vergara sued by her own embryos 
Time has released their Person of the Year stuff. I shan't type his name anymore ever (vomiting ∞). Beyoncé was apparently runner up. So that makes the second strong woman he who shall not be named has grossly defeated in this awful no good terrible when will it end year (except for at the movies. So many good movies) 

List-Making. Tis the Season
Vulture David Edelstein's top 16 includes 20th Century Women and The Fits
Vanity Fair Richard Lawsom's top 10 includes Jackie, The Lobster, and Fire at Sea
Time Stephanie Zacharek's top 10 includes The Shallows, Loving, and Paterson 

And we'll end with David Ehrlich's annual Top 25 Video Countdown. It's always a pleasure to watch this even if you don't agree on the films or their ranking though this year is a far more worthy selection than last year's!

Sight & Sound's Top 20

So many lists and awards announcements this week you'd think it was... oh, yes, it is December. Sight and Sound enter the fray now with their top 20 which is a mix of expected auteur worship titles, festival films that may or may not ever actually open. It's also very now. The oldest title here is the great German continuous shot film Victoria (which premiered at festivals last year -- we nominated it for cinematography in 2015) but almost everything else just opened or hasn't opened yet! It's to be expected but also deeply frustrating that distributors never really catch up to film buzz...

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