Ask Nathaniel
Monday, January 29, 2018 at 1:26AM 
stop staring. Everyone knows you're jealous of my Joan Crawford tank top. It's been ages since we did a Q&A and I feel so disconnected so let's do one. I've been experiencing rather a lot of chaos offline and one of the personal life upheavals involves a move (If you've ever moved after living in the same place for well over a decade, you know it's traumatic!).
The moving isnt actually happening quite yet so please distract me. Ask me a good movie question. (Please nothing that would require a full essay or a top ten list) and I'll pick a handful or two to answer this week, perhaps on the regular. If you asked a really good one previously that I didn't answer feel free to re-ask (I know I face-planted last time but 2017 was not kind to me so forgive/forget). Okay? Okay.
Ask Nathaniel
Reader Comments (62)
Are character costumes more distinctive to you when the actor themselves has input on them?
1.When do you think will the first african-american director win at the oscars? And who do you think it'll be? Coogler? Peele? Lee? Duvarney? Rees?
2. Have you seen all the films in the IMDB top 250 films list? if not - what are you missing?
Before the age of 80, Christopher Plummer was a film and stage legend, but had never been nomainted for an Oscar. At age 88, he is a three-time nominee and one-time winner. Has anything like that ever happened before? And are there other actors you think that level of critical resurgence it can happen for?
Are there any notable Filipino films you have seen recently? :D
i moved after 16 years in one place; it was an excellent opportunity to purge and declutter [cloud/silver lining/etc]. plus the new place is so much better
could you recast 'the women' with the queens from drag race?
"2016 was not kind to me so forgive/forget"
So bad, you decided to skip a year!
Would you rather: have Liza Minnelli or Barbra Streisand have one last big film again or one last big album again?
(Or have someone find a way to put those two together...?)
Oh how about:
Thoughts on how "The American President" did so well at the Golden Globes (nomination wise) and so little at the Oscars (nomination wise)? Too light? Too liberal? Too "soft on crime / the environment"?
Michelle Pfeiffer..2017 with mother! and Murder on the Oreint Express or 2018 with Where Is Kyra? and Ant-Man and the Wasp. Which year you prefer? Is there any hope for her being an award contender this year?
Any thoughts on Spielberg's West Side Story reboot?
And speaking of Spielberg: why do you think The Post underperformed with the Academy? Are voters finally starting to see through traditional Oscar bait BS? The Post made me think for the first time that Spielberg's dated filmmaking is finally catching up to him and that it's going to take a lot to surprise us again.
Of her 21 nominated performances, which do you think is Meryl's very worst? And which do you think will actually be remembered as her worst?
1. With the little backlash to the Hong Chau snub do you believe that if Crazy Rich Asians is a financial and critical success that we will see a push to nominate Constance Wu and Michelle Yeoh as oscars has long ignored Asain actors?
2. What Leading Actress winners from the last 20 years and supporting actress from the last 20 years do you believe have the best chance of winning a second oscar in the opposite category (i.e Leading winner winning supporting).
Since you're moving, tell me which is your favorite movie apartment ever.
You get three wishes at the Oscars this year. How do you spend them?
Why is interracial romance still a taboo in movies, in a more and more liberal and inclusive Hollywood - including television - , even with sucessful films like The Bodyguard(1992) ?
Some actresses win an Oscar and then seem to immediately drop out of favor or fashion with the academy (Paltrow, Berry)...do you think this is solely based on their choices in the following years or something else? Will recent winners like Lawson and Stone suffer similar fates?
Are the Film Bitch Awards ever returning? :)
Will the Film Bitch Awards archive ever be online again?
What are your favourite representations of gay characters on screen, or portrayals with which you most identified?
What are your parents favourite movies?
Who do you think will be the upcoming generations icons? Chalamet? Ronan? Hedges?
Hedges and Feldstein of Lady Bird suggested Gerwig should direct a musical movie. Thoughts on this idea?
Your favourite costumes on film?
What oscar categories should be added?
Your dream Oscar presenters?
"WHY U MAD THO?" - Morgan McMichaels
Anyway why is it so hard to comment here these days? I always get 504 errors or some shit like that.
Who should replace Casey Affleck at the Oscars?
Are you going to write a post analyzing the Vanity Fair Hollywood Issue cover? I hope so! :)
From the past twenty years, what are your top three favorite currently unremembered films which consistently got into the Top 10 lists in their years?
Do you have a favorite Oscars dress of all-time?
Moving sucks, sending all the good vibes.
I saw that you really liked Darkest Hour. Do you think it is more successful as a film, than other "bio pics with a prosthetic / heavy transformation" - if you want to rank a few (like. The Queen, Iron Lady, Capote, etc) I would be v interested in your take...
What movie with 10+ Oscar nominations did not deserve so much love from the Academy (not only of last year but throughout the years)?
The Image Acting Winners for 2018 were as follows -
Actor - Daniel Kaluuya
Actress - Octavia Spencer
Supporting Actor - Idris Elba
Supporting Actress - Tiffany Haddish
TV Actor (Drama) - Omari Hardwick
TV Actress (Drama) - Taraji P. Henson
TV Actor (Comedy) - Anthony Anderson
TV Actress (Comedy) - Tracee Ellis Ross
If you were able to cast any 3 of these actors in an Oscar Bait project to be released later this year, who would you choose and what would be your reasoning?
What legend(s) should announce Best Picture this year?
I was 15 years in my old place when I moved here. I filled the car 3 times on trips to Goodwill.
Favorite child actor performances? (No need for a top ten -- off the top of your head is fine.)
Favorite child-to-adult actors (e.g. the Anna Paquin Awards).
I dunno, I'm just interested in the phenomenon of children in the movies right now.
What's your favorite film about a character moving somewhere new? What's your least favorite?
What's the most underrated Best Supporting Actress nominated performance you've seen?
Who would you cast in a biopic for Dolly Parton?
If you were able to determine the actual nominees each year, how many nominations do you think you would have given Streep by this point?
What new category(ies) would you create for this Oscar season and what movie(s)/artist(s) would you award ?
After all we have learned from the Weinstein accusers, which actress did you wish had a different or better career?
@Eoin Daly Michelle Yeoh oscar nom for CRA is a section of my dream board. Hoping the movie fleshes out her character a bit more! It was a fun character in the book, but mostly just a monster. I think it's an opportunity in the vein of Meryl in Devil Wears Prada. Super fun but one note villain in the book, much more depth in the movie. Fingers crossed!!
I second Eoin Daly's question. What are your prognostications for Crazy Rich Asians, given Hong Chau's snub?
From the list of movies nominated for all four acting categories, which one was least deserving of this honor? Any movie that you feel should have been on this list?
http://thefilmexperience.net/blog/2017/2/22/4-days-until-oscar-come-low-or-high-trivia.html
(I am asking least deserving because I have a feeling you would pick Streetcar for the sweep).
"What are your parents favourite movies?"
What are your grandparents' favorite movies, if you're aware? (My grandma was a major cinephile who introduced me to old Hollywood.)
Steve: Jessica Tandy was a stage legend (not necessarily screen, but still widely known) when she got her first nomination/win at 80, and parlayed that into a 2nd nomination two years later.
Question: which of the following Oscar-winning pairs would you most like to see present Best Picture at the Oscars?
Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway (a chance to redeem themselves)
Robert Redford and Jane Fonda
Kate Winslet and Leo DiCaprio
Julianne Moore and Colin Firth OR Jeff Bridges
Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks
Favorite Oscar-nominated Kate Hepburn performance?
Do you think GLENN CLOSE would have won the Oscar this year had THE WIFE been released? It's a competitive category but I'm sure the PR machine could have made it work...
If you had to recast an Oscar nominated role this year with Michelle Pfeiffer, which one would it be?
I know you were not an "I,Tonya" fan....but did you at least enjoy Janney's performance? Sure it lacked the subtlety of Metcalf, but it sure was one for the ages in my eyes anyhow.
Do you still buy physical media and If so, what is your favourite Blu Ray?
Why do you think Saoirse Ronan isn't the frontrunner for Best Actress? We've seen the ingenue take it in the last couple of years, she's in a Best Picture nominee and McDormand already has an Oscar. Why do you think the narrative isn't with her right now?
Where is my Mindhunter series finale breakdown? Did you lose interest in the series?
Kimberly Elise! Do you think someone will ever cast her in a role equal of her talents? If so do you think she’ll be a Oscar nominee/winner first or do you think she’ll do better on a top notch tv series/miniseries and get that Emmy?
Your thoughts or hopes for Crazy Rich Asians?
Even though Big Little Lies is coming back for a second season how do you feel about that? And since we are getting Queen Meryl as Perry mother who would you cast as the other ladies mothers and let say Bonnie’s mother is Black (a juicy part for a black actress) ? This should set you in overdrive having all of these actresses going at it!
What exactly is Oscars' apprehension towards awarding Asian actors/actresses? I have yet to watch Downsizing but it seems like the general consensus is how great Hong Chau is. She seems to be a sure thing till the nomination day. How will this affect Crazy Rich Asians should the movie deliver? Will it break the ground, both critically (award-wise) and financially?
Which Big Little Lies lady (excluding the newly included Meryl Streep) do you think is most likely to win an(other) Oscar first? Will Kidman or Witherspoon win a second? Will Dern finally get her due? Will Woodley or Kravitz ever be nominated?
I'd like to second Mark's question re: Kimberly Elise. I often fondly recall that 1,2 punch of Set It Off and Beloved...
With Streep going to HBO, what lead movie role would you put Michelle Pfeiffer in to catch on with film audiences?
Arguably, the last time The Academy went 4/4 character actors was in 1990. In between they always choose at least one starlet or one superstar/legend. At this point, IF there's a surprise, who is the most likely to upset?
What did you think of Seven Psychopaths?
What happened to your personal awards?
Have you seen the beautiful Quiet Passion ? It's been shut out from The Film Experience until it surprisingly got Best Actress and Best Screenplay nominations from your team of editors. But have you seen (and liked) it ?