Category Confusion '24: COMEDY or DRAMA – Part One

by Cláudio Alves

Is THE SUBSTANCE a comedy or a drama? What gives?

This year, I am part of the voting body for the Golden Globes, which gives me access to a cornucopia of screeners and FYC material that was erstwhile inaccessible to me. This also means I get a front row seat for the absolute circus that is category fraud from studios and distributors alike. Not just in terms of finagling distinctions between lead and supporting performances. Because this is the Globes, there's also the matter of which films compete in Drama, and which others battle it out in the presumably less competitive realm of Musical or Comedy. Because we all need distractions right now, let's ponder these inconsequential genre divides and enjoy some benign polls whose results don't really matter beyond these awards obsessive circles of ours…

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Category Confusion '24: LEAD or SUPPORTING – Part One

by Cláudio Alves

With the first batch of awards season honors coming in hot, questions of category fraud are bound to come up. And this year will be a doozy in that regard, with various leading actors campaigning as supporting for convenience's sake. It's a tried and true strategy that tends to block actual supporting and character actors from getting their flowers, forever living in the shadow of big stars in the wrong category. Well, if you're a regular at The Film Experience, you probably have read all this before, so let's not belabor the point. Instead, let's have some fun with polls like we did last year. This is just part one, of course, since many contenders still haven't been released beyond the festival circuit...

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Poll: What's Gaga's Best Leading Lady Turn?

by Cláudio Alves

Have you ventured into the movie theater to watch the bomb of the season? Joker: Folie à Deux has confounded film critics and fans alike, leading many to point fingers at its creators in hopes of finding someone to blame. Some hate its moroseness, others can't stand the showtune numbers or the entire song and dance idea. Still, in the middle of this ruckus, one name should be left out of the discussion. Lady Gaga is the best thing about the DC Comics musical, even if she's terribly underutilized by Todd Phillips. Indeed, many Little Monsters have taken to social media to catalog every shot seen in the trailer or behind-the-scenes footage that centered on Mother Monster but somehow didn't make it to the finished flick. One can only imagine that more Gaga would have done Folie à Deux a world of good.

Regardless, the singer turned movie star's latest production seems to consolidate her screen siren status. A Star Is Born was no fluke, and though House of Gucci didn't nab her a second Best Actress Oscar nomination, it didn't blemish her filmography too much. Which leads one to ask – what's Gaga's best leading lady turn? You can vote, after the jump…

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What's Céline Dion’s best Oscar performance?

by Cláudio Alves

Céline Dion sings from the Eiffel Tower at the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony.

After hours of badly shot kitsch, much Parisian rain, and the occasional surge of Revolutionary camp complete with flamethrowers, the 2024 Olympic Opening Ceremony came to a close. Thankfully, artistic director Thomas Jolly saved the best for last, ending the festivities with Céline Dion, glorious on the Eiffel Tower, singing her take on Piaf's "Hymn to Love." For those who've followed the artist's recent health struggles or watched the documentary I Am Céline Dion, the moment had added meaning. Despite it all, the great diva fulfilled what she promised, returning to the world's stage after five years away from her public. It was beautiful beyond words.

Because Oscars are always on the mind around these parts, Dion's many Academy Award performances came to mind. She has appeared in six ceremonies to sing seven numbers, ranging from Best Original Song contenders to In Memoriam segments. That makes her one of the most invited singers in the awards' history, with every appearance an event. But what is her best Oscar performance? Time to vote on a new readers' poll…

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What Director to Rank Next?

by Cláudio Alves

I don't know about you, but I had a lot of fun ranking Hayao Miyazaki's feature filmography. So much so that I feel inspired to do the same with some other beloved auteur. The only issue is deciding which director to rank next. In those write-ups, a commenter suggested David Lynch, so he's on the list of candidates, but there are many more possibilities, storied careers full of fascinating films. Why not put it to a readers' vote and let you choose who you wish to read about? That's exactly what we're doing, and you have ten possibilities to choose from, all of which have works I love and a filmography small enough to be manageable…

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