ASC surprises with nominations for "Wicked" and "Maria"

by Cláudio Alves

WICKED's Alice Brooks may become the fourth woman ever nominated for the Best Cinematography Oscar.

This past week, among the bigger guild announcements, like those of the WGA and PGA, the American Society of Cinematographers also shared their nominees for the season. And what a collection of curious choices they make. For starters, the ASC rules mean its nominees on the main film category can fluctuate and, this year, we have seven nominees instead of the traditional five. But then you have the honored works themselves, including Wicked, which has been lambasted to hell and back for its blinding light choices, poor blocking, and murky color grade. The presence of some of the guild's favorite artists – Papamichael and Lachman come to mind – also surprised, somewhat. It seems A Complete Unknown has a shot at a Best Cinematography nomination, and Maria hasn't been so utterly forgotten after all…

Click to read more ...

The 'Guild Week' starts with the Cinema Audio Society

by Cláudio Alves

The Cinema Audio Society sure loves themselves some Timothée Chalamet.

This week will be all about the Hollywood guilds having their say, giving us awards obsessives a better picture of the industry's reaction to the season's top contenders. Today, the Cinema Audio Society shared their film and TV nominations, with various of the Academy's shortlisted picks making the cut. But pundits beware, for the CAS can fail to be in perfect synchronicity with AMPAS. The TV nominees are much of the same as we've seen so far in the season, Emmy and Golden Globe favorites on repeat. That being said, there's a sense of individuality to the organization's taste. The voters love music-heavy projects, war, and racing cars…

Click to read more ...

"Conclave" and "A Complete Unknown" lead the AARP Nominations

by Cláudio Alves

What would Cardinal Lawrence's AARP ballot look like?

Though they're not especially insightful for punditry purposes, the AARP Movies for Grownups Awards have a special place in the season. If you've ever listened to the fabulous "This Had Oscar Buzz" podcast by Chris Feil and Joe Reid, you've undoubtedly heard of them and their distinctive tastes. Sometimes, the AARP Magazine offers choices that are good for a laugh. Still, there's obvious value in celebrating so-called movies for grownups within an industry that so often seems obsessed with youth – both as product and consumer. This year, Conclave and A Complete Unknown lead the nominations, with five a piece, closely followed by Gladiator II and September 5, with four, and Emilia Pérez with three. Come read their full lineup and some added commentary, after the jump…

Click to read more ...