Podcast: Emmy Nods & Oscar Worries
Wednesday, August 5, 2020 at 11:00PM with Nathaniel R and Murtada Elfadl
Hey, it's a wee break from our smackdowning for an old school podcast of rambling conversation!
Index (68 minutes)
00:01 We're back talking about what we've been watching
08:13 Emmy nomination theories and viewing habits. The Mandalorian and more
19:13 Comedy series nominees: Insecure, What We Do in the Shadows, etc...
27:20 Limited Series is what we're both most invested in: Little Fires Everywhere, Unorthodox, Normal People, Mrs America and various acting categories
49:00 Emmy's "creative arts" - why not televised?
53:00 What kind of an awards season and Oscar race are we heading into? Fall festivals are announcing but not really happening. The movie calendar is in disarray
01:05:00 Critics groups will also postpone their awards
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?
Reader Comments (24)
@Nathaniel R
Have you attempted to calibrate your TV? I know they'll recommend having a professional do it but you should explore color temperature. Making adjustments to the levels for a more theatrically accurate picture.
Which supporting actress from Mrs America that did NOT have a showcase episode was the best? Rank? I know people loves them some Niecy Nash and TFE friend (and contact in Nathaniel’s personal Rolodex) Melanie Lynskey!
Yolanda. Great question. I was very fond of
Niecy, Bria Henderson (i think that's the larger actress who played the staffer who quit Ms... Loved her) Melanie, and I found the actress playing Lottie totally chilling (Cindy Drummond) -- great performance with a major unlikeable character.So those would be my 4 favs who didn't get their own episode (in no particular order)
/3rtful -- i have attempted several times. It looks better now but the problem doesn't look totally fixed to me. Definitely not on Disney+
@NATHANIEL
As you move through your 1938 viewing party, I would encourage you to branch out from the Best Picture nominees. Three Comrades stars New York Film Critics Circle Best Actress Margaret Sullavan (yes, she bested Bette Davis in Jezebel). The movie is a terrific picture about war and friendship.
Jeanne Tripplehorn or Cindy Drummond.
Good question Yolanda, here are my faves:
1- Bria Henderson - can you believe it's her first onscreen credit?
2- Nicey Nash - Sundays at Flo scene was a standout
and I think Margaret Sloan and Flo Kennedy could've gotten their own episodes based on their history within the movement. The show could've done 10 or even up to 12 episodes.
3- Melanie Lynskey - funny anatagonizing Cate and Paulson
4- Jeanne Triplehorn- tiny part but had a couple of really affecting moments
Niecy Nash (I also wish Flo Kennedy had her own episode, she's totally deserving) or Cindy Drummond. I'm unfamiliar with Drummond but I agree with Nathaniel, she was chilling.
Niecy Nash is so underrated! She needs a Support the Girls-type vehicle.
Like Murtada, I just have no interest in Watchmen. I love Regina King but I will have to miss this one.
Thanks for this, and really refreshing to hear that you're as scattered as I am when it comes to moviewatching. I'm struggling to keep up with anything new. What is new? If you can't see it in a theater, it's like, I have no intention to stream it. This whole quarantine was a great opportunity to catch up on some of the films I missed in theaters over the past few years -- the foreign or independent ones in particular. But when it's time to start watching, I just can't bring myself to do it!
With Cindy Drummond I was surprised they didn't just get Melissa Leo to sleepwalk the part lol
Cindy Drummond was terrific. I think the show is full of excellent work but one thing that really stayed with me is how it intelligently highlight the almost domestic banality of evil and Cate and Cindy are the most effective vessels for that.
Mrs. America was an excellent watch and the performances were topnotch. Cate Blanchett was stupendous.
Sarah Paulson, Melanie Lynskey, Jeanne Triplehorn, and Cindy Drummond should have been nominated.
As someone who has watched all 3 seasons of KILLING EVE and is a passionate defender of its second season, I can tell both of you that you aren't missing much by not continuing with the show. While the acting remains good, there's a noticeable and disappointing drop in quality (especially in the third season). The show also has completely sidelined Sandra Oh's character and plotline in favour of Jodie Comer to such an obvious degree that it's honestly extremely upsetting.
Cate Blanchett's last 2 scenes in "Mrs. America" will clinch the Emmy win...no dialogue, just face - her phone reaction to President Reagan's not giving her a White House position and next back to quietly baking a dessert.
@Marcia:
Cate Blanchett isn't winning anything. Mrs America was a big no1curr. Even posts on this blog about it barely had any engagement. You can tell Emmy voters didn't even get to the end of the series with the Sarah Paulson and Rose Byrne snubs (their best material came later in the show).
Regina King will deservedly win. She was far better than Blanchett who was doing nothing we haven't seen from her in movies. I think Blanchett might eben be in third place, and if someone upsets King, it might be Shira Haas for Unorthodox.
dewy -- i loved Regina King in watchmen but honestly what was *she* doing that we haven't seen before if we're going to use that criteria. Both of them have worked a lot. We've seen all their tricks but they're wonderful actresses.
Life is very beautiful and keeps on teaching something all the time.In the same way, you saw this post today and seeing that it was as if I had never imagined such a post that someone can make your beautiful post.
@Nathaniel:
You cannot be serious. No black actress has EVER had a TV role as multi-faceted and complex as Regina on Watchmen. She's the lead. She's an action star. She's a superhero. She gets to play lighter comic interludes, as well as dramatic pathos and generational tragedy. She is a middle aged black woman portrayed as sexually attractive and in a real, sexually charged relationship with Cal (Dr Manhattan). That never happens.
I like you Nathaniel, but you are speaking from a place of white privilege if you are trying to act as if King has ever had to play a role remotely like this. I've never seen any black actress have a lead role like Sister Night on TV. If you think King is doing things she's done before in Watchmen, then I don't know what to say.
And I know your natural reaction to this will be to get all defensive and say you don't see color and all the rest of that stuff, and you just think Regina is playing her usual Regina self or some such nonsense. But I'll have more respect for you if you just admit to having a blindside and being wrong. Regina played a role that black women NEVER get. Work your head around that.
dewy seems to be virtue signalling. Regina is great and groundbreaking if you look at it in some of your ways, but I personally loved Blanchett. As good as she's been in the past decade, I was shocked. Still probably favor King, but the difference in quality is close enough that t seems you must have motives or biases for a diatribe from a simple comment response and sharing of opinion from Nathaniel.
SHIRA HAAS
Kayli Carter - I found her interesting. The natural way she acts nervous, on the edge and disoriented. Loved her!
I want to know the name of the actor who knocked on the door and gave Phyllis her son´s wallet
aditya -- thanks for sharing. i will stick with my current plans to not continue.
henry -- omg you're right. I want to send the casting director a thank you note for noticing so many women who normally don't get such interesting roles
dewy -- please dont put words in my mouth just because we have a (slightly) different opinion of a possibly Emmy win. I would never say "don't see color" or that Regina always pays herself -- The latter in particularly would be an insane statement as she's a genius character actor and, like, say Sarah Paulson, doesn't seem to have a persona but just switches it up all the time and can play 100s of different things. i think both Cate and Regina are "Emmy Worthy" (I was only reacting to your dissing of Cate) and I'd be torn between them if I didn't believe in spreading the wealth (a belief I've shared countless times) . The equation is simple for me. They both have Oscars but Cate has 0 Emmys and Regina has 3 so I would prefer Cate to win -- That said Shira Haas has my personal imaginary vote as "Best" of the TV season.
You're right that I sometimes get too defensive. I'm working on that. You're right that she's never had an action hero role before (unless you stretch and count her other Emmy worthy cop role in Southland) but I am surprised that you're downplaying how amazing Regina has been for years now and how many complex roles are in her filmography: Southland, American Crime (multiple times w/ different fascinating characters), If Beale Street Could Talk, Year of the Dog, and many more. At any rate I hope we can agree that we are truly blessed to have her and that it's a relief that she keeps getting roles worthy of her gifts.
I keep forgetting you grew up Mormon, Nathaniel. Another thing we have in common. Lot's of gay (ex) Mormons. Lots of movie mad (ex) Mormons. Discuss....
@dewy - You misunderstood Nathaniel. He talked about the performance while you talk about the role, differemt subjects. Wish more roles like thar one come soon.
@Nathaniel, @dewy - Is 'she's doing nothing new' a valid criticism for a performance in a different movie, different story? I understand it in a TV serie, but in a movie... isn't it just our own expectation we are talking about rather than the performance itself?
I promote feminism and films about them, I watch them enthusiastically. Just like geometry dash scratch, I played hard and finally conquered it.