Doc Corner: The 2019 Oscar Nominees!

By Glenn Dunks (returning from a writing break, I hope y'all missed me)

Following last year’s surprising line-up for Best Documentary Feature that ignored multiple major box office hits and favoured critical and festival hits, I asked how much the Academy’s changing dynamics had affected the nominations in this category that was often considered a musty piece of furniture. It was undeniable that a significant shift had been made and I am thankful to say that it wasn’t a fluke. The 2019 nominations for documentary have yet again marked the branch as one on its own course through the greater Oscar season narrative. A narrative that is otherwise marked by predictability, a distinct lack of adventurousness, and even outright laziness.

This year’s nominees took us from the bombs and missiles of a warzone of Syria (two times! The Cave and For Sama) to the silent beekeeping traditions of North Macedonia (Honeyland), through the muddy democratic waters of Brazil (The Edge of Democracy) and the blue collar working yards of America's midwest (American Factory). They represent American and international filmmaking at their finest made by newcomers and veterans alike...

Click to read more ...

"Bad Boys for Life" and audiences check out those BP nominees

The box office report comes real late this week since it takes a while for the coins to settle after holiday weekends. But here we go with the long weekend estimates (which probably aren't all in).

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are both in their 50s but there's no aging out of action franchises (as we saw with Hamilton & Schwarzenegger last summer in Terminator Dark Fate). The first Bad Boys arrived in 1995 as an instant smash and its sequel waited until 2003 but audiences haven't fallen out of love in the long gaps. They came back in droves 17 years later for round three.

Since this was the first weekend after the Oscar nominations and most of the Best Picture nominees (re) expanded their screen counts, let's check in with EVERYTHING in wide release... and their counterparts in platforming.

Weekend Box Office January 17th-20th (ESTIMATES) 🔺 = new or expanding / ★ = recommended
WIDE RELEASE (800+ screens)	PLATFORM TITLES
1 🔺  BAD BOYS FOR LIFE  $73.4 *NEW*	1 🔺   WEATHERING WITH YOU $1.7 on 486 screens *NEW* REVIEW  ★

Click to read more ...

The 2019 Team Experience Awards

It's that time again: the Team Experience Awards! Before Nathaniel starts dishing out the Film Bitch Awards you've all been waiting for, the rest of us at The Film Experience compile our ballots for our favorites of the year in film. This year, Greta Gerwig's Little Women leads the mentions with 11 nominations - but it's Bong Joon-ho's Parasite that is our ultimate runaway favorite. As usual, our ballot features some major divergences from Oscar and some unheralded favorites. Look out for a majority female Best Director lineup, a different double acting nominee than the one Oscar chose, and a few contemporary surprises in the design categories...

Best Picture

1. Parasite
2. Portrait of a Lady on Fire
3. Marriage Story
4. Little Women
5. Pain and Glory
6. Atlantics
7. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
8. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
9. The Lighthouse
10. Hustlers
    

Click to read more ...

Almost There: Jennifer Lopez in "Hustlers"

"Almost There" is a new series about actors who were obviously close to an Oscar nomination but somehow missed. Here's Cláudio Alves...

Regarding this year's Oscar nominations, no snub hurt quite as much as Jennifer Lopez's absence in the Best Supporting Actress line-up. The long-time actress turned pop diva earned herself a small mountain of critic's honor for her performance in Hustlers, including the LAFCA trophy, as well as crucial precursor nominations like the Critics Choice Award, the Golden Globes, and the SAG. Still, when it was all said and done, the Academy preferred five other actresses over Lopez. If we consider Dern, Pugh, and Robbie as near locks, then her spot was either taken by Scarlett Johansson or Kathy Bates. While neither work is meritless, they've got nothing on JLo's sterling achievement.

Still, we're not here to lambast the Oscar's chosen nominees, but to celebrate one hell of an awards-worthy performance. So, join us as we explore the wonders and sing the praises of Jennifer Lopez's Ramona…

Click to read more ...

Podcast: Oscar Nom Rants & Raves

In this hour long conversation Murtada and your TFE mastermind Nathaniel rant and rave on Oscar Nomination Morning (aka our Christmas).  We try to stay positive but there are a lot of things worth ranting about so it's a mix.

You can listen to the podcast here at the bottom of the post or download from iTunes. Continue the conversations in the comments, won't you? 

Nomination Rants and Raves