Podcast: On the nominations for the 91st Academy Awards

with Nathaniel R, Nick Davis, and Murtada Elfadl 

Hopefully you're not sick of talking Oscar nods, yet, since here's the last bit of the post-nomination blitz coverage... though obviously Oscar discussions will continue through Oscar night but we can diversify our attention after this one. 

Index (63 minutes)
00:01 Marina de Tavira for Roma (!) and women's stories at the Oscars
05:00 Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman & Coen brothers Buster Scruggs
12:00 Netflix and working hard for your nominations; it pays off
17:00 The joy of reaction videos: Richard E Grant and more
20:30 Best Cinematography: Caleb Deschanel for Never Look Away
23:30 Best Actor: Bradley Cooper, Christian Bale, or Rami Malek?
29:45 No more Potterverse nominations but that Elizabeth vs Mary franchise never goes away. And the same people are rewarded for it again!
32:35 Nominations we don't quite understand but aren't opposed to.
40:00 A24 Oscar fate: First Reformed and Eighth Grade
43:15 Discussions of these career moments and potential futures for the 20 acting nominees. 
57:00 Saying nice things about Green Book and Bohemian Rhapsody
60:00 Random happy thoughts to wrap-up

Referenced in the Pod
• Bobby Pontillas (animated short) reaction video
• Richard E Grant (supporting actor) reaction video
• Oscar Charts
• And this Blanchett-obsessed acceptance speech from Jenny Shircore...

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? 

Deep dive into the nominations

Beauty vs Beast: Why Must EVERYTHING Be a Contest?

Jason from MNPP here - I'm sure if Faye Dunaway were to come to The Film Experience and stumble upon us wishing her a happy 78th birthday here today with a Mommie Dearest themed edition of our "Beauty vs Beast" poll she'd roll her eyes in that certain way she does that makes you quake in your slippers and utter some four-letter word... and that's just why we love her. She may not love the movie that turned her knobs up to Full Camp and then snapped right off, but we do, and we always will - her stratopheric take on Joan Crawford has the stuff of myth about it, as if she squeezed heaven and hell like a wet rag and drank down every last drop right before they said "Action!" That said... Joan's a tough vote all the same! 

survey tools

PREVIOUSLY I think this is the first time this has ever happened, y'all - we ended with a tie on last week's poll! Mahershala Ali's performance in Green Book & Rami Malek's turn as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody came down 50/50. So I guess we'll go with the most magnaminous comment then... said lylee:

"Recognizing these were both problematic movies, I still really enjoyed them - and these performances. Fine acting by a couple of fiiine men. I pick Don because I have a soft spot for brilliant pianists and Freddie seems like he'd get exhausting after a while."

Team Experience Globe Fun: Fav Speeches + Maya & Amy's Nuptials

It's our final Golden Globes in review post. That was exhausting. As is our habit each big awards show, because TFE writers and podcasters are never all in the same room at the same time, we've collected the group's responses for you. Because we love the Globes even when we hate them (like we did Sunday night) we have a lot to say so this is for you die-hards who can't get enough. If you're already tired of the Globes look away look away there's plenty more to see here if you start clicking around.

We were going to talk about worst winners but we don't want to be negative for the wrap-up so I'll just share what Nick wrote in response to "Which win made you angriest?"

I don't know, which is worse, strychnine or anthrax? I refer, of course, to the two "Best" "Picture" "winners." There aren't enough scare quotes in the world, really.

Hee !!! We were co-miserating by text that night. 

Anyway, here are 5 fun questions that we hope you'll answer in the comments. Our answers are after the jump...

1. Which win made you happiest?
2. Who will you volunteer to comfort about their loss?
3. Which was your favourite speech?
4. Which table did you fantasize about sitting at?
5. What would you like your role to be at Maya Rudolph & Amy Poehler's 'wedding'? 

Click to read more ...

Fun Golden Globe Tweets

Tweets curated by Nathaniel R

Er.... pic.twitter.com/tVqHI5EW0Q

— Idris Elba (@idriselba) January 7, 2019

Idris made a subtle James Bond joke, haha.

Tired of our Golden Globe coverage, yet? No wait don't answer that because we're still working hard on it given that we have fashion and team reaction post left. Anyway here's a random curated selection of funny or gorgeous tweets you might have missed this week about the Globes. I'm certain I missed a thousand great ones but there's only so much time and googling one can do on big showbiz days. Enjoy...

Click to read more ...

Beauty vs Beast: Any Way the Wind Blows

Jason from MNPP here, fresh from a weekend stuck on the sofa nursing a stomach flu, and that was even before Green Book and Bohemian Rhapsody won top prizes at the Globes last night. On that sour note, I give you this week's "Beauty vs Beast" poll. Best to get these movies out of the way now, since I think (and hope and pray) that this might signify the peak of their awards run. As Nathaniel pointed out in his Globes take this morning...

"Both are films which have been accused of having their true stories of queer musicians diluted or significantly fictionalized by the people doing the telling (former bandmates in the case of Bohemian Rhapsody and the family of an employee in the case of Green Book)."

There exists in the ether of our imaginations two fascinating movies about Freddie Mercury and Dr. Don Shirley, full of sharp insights about race and sexuality in times and places that warped these men while simultaneously feeding off their talents, but those movies will have to, for the time, stay in our imagination. This is what we got.

panel management

PREVIOUSLY Way back before the holidays we faced down Dame Julie Andrews' two most iconic roles, and even though Mary Poppins can fly the saintly Maria took it to the mountain-top and spun herself up a win with 56% of your vote. Said Joel:

"Watching the precocious Maria makes me so happy that I want to yodel-lay-hee-hoo off a damn Alp."