Best Director Closet Picks... and Polls!
Friday, February 10, 2023 at 12:00PM by Nathaniel R
The Oscar charts are complete for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplays with "who should win" polls on each page. So vote for your favs daily! Each page also has trivia and factoids and listicles for your entertainment. For the first time in Oscar's 95 year history Director and Original Screenplay are an exact match and each of the directors also wrote or co-wrote the screenplays. We still can't get over that. Not just in 'how did it happen' but also in 'how did it never happen before?'. Do we just have more multi-hyphenates than we used to in Hollywood? (Probably) Or was it just a matter of the unique field of contenders this year? (Also possible)
Speaking of writer/directors. Today, February 10th, is Dan Kwan's 35th birthday and he has a lot to celebrate this year with 3 Oscar nominations for his 3rd feature Everything Everywhere All At Once. Remember his dance moves in "Turn Down For What?" Speaking of "Daniels"... what did you think of their Criterion Closet visit?
Reader Comments (14)
All Criterion closet picks are precious and perfect. They've really mastered the bite-sized content format for cinephiles.
Speaking of directors, I just found out that spanish Carlos Saura died today
RIP
@Cesar Gaytan-I just read that earlier today. Hugh Hudson of Chariots of Fire also died today.
Not to nitpick, but several people died in EEAAO - Most notably the guy whose head exploded into confetti.
I always enjoy the Criterion closet picks. It is a rare glimpse to the artistry and process of the featured personality. My top 5 favorite ones are those which I usually come back to rewatch what they had to say (in alphabetical order):
Agnès Varda
Claire Denis
Euzhan Palcy
Isabelle Huppert
Louis Garrel
You forgot Lasse Hallström! Swedish director nominated twice in that category. Fun fact, he's married to swedish actress Lena Olin who was nominated in best supporting actress in 1990 :)
after much thinking, I'd say that I wonder if Daniels actually ever saw Javier Fesser's El Milagro de P. Tinto (1998) - my fave spanish film ever, by the way - which in feel and mood is really close home to what EEAAO does... only a bit more goofy, but equally tender and touching... this film - which deserves Criterion Collection treatment, just saying - mixes in mood Spielberg, Capra, Looney Tunes, the propaganda docs of Franco's times in Spain, among other references/influences... it's hilarious and touching, a must see and a masterpiece - and one of the best film debuts ever for a director...
Did you see Charlotte Wells' closet picks? Amazing.
The Daniels picks are almost embarassing. They seem to be picking videogames instead of cinematic masterpieces.
I like using these videos to learn about films I haven't seen. On that measure, this one is a flop.
@cal roth
Because they are VINDICATING films, not showing off how cool or cinephiles they are. It's called being humble and paying tribute to those who influenced their work.
For example, I have only a few Criterion Collection titles, as I live in Europe and I don't have a multiregion bluray player - and also, they are soooo expensive, both player and Criterion Collection titles!
Beastie Boys (double DVD collecting their best music videos)
Bringing Up Baby
True Stories
Night of the Living Dead
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
I would totally love to have many more - specially from some spanish films, as their editions sem so much better than the ones I have, like some Almodovar films, or The Devil's Backbone... but well, step by step.
@Jesús Alonso
Since when liking challenging films became a sign of being not humble? Your post smells of anti-intelectualism.
One may like blockbusters as well as arthouse, but to me it feels weird when directors are only influenced by populist stuff and nerdist selfgratification..
Your adapted screenplay chart appears to suggest that Toews is nominated alongside Polley. Is this true? Oscars.org and imdb both single out Polley as the sole nominee.
n8 -- no, that was my mistake via IMDB's mistake If you click on "cast and crew" on IMDB it lists Miriam Towe under Screenplay with Polley, and also on a separate line as having written the book. But the actual Oscar credit is only Polley.
I agree, the movie is great color blind test