Best Lead Actor - New Oscar Chart

by Nathaniel R

If current predictions hold we're looking at quite an exciting Best Actor shortlist: Bradley Cooper, Willem Dafoe, Ryan Gosling, Ethan Hawke, and Viggo Mortensen. They've all been nominated multiple times for their acting but have yet to win. Since they're all hugely talented, it's basically a win-win scenario on Oscar night no matter who wins, really!  At least that's how it feels at this current moment looking at the grid.

Of course it's only September and things could definitely change. Things could definitely change in the name of Christian Bale as Vice Dick Cheney. Check out the revised chart with new photos, new ranking, new text. Thoughts?

Supporting Actor - New Oscar Chart!

by Nathaniel R

Barring a late year surprise like, oh any number of famous guys from the Dick Cheney biopic Vice (formerly known as Backseat), we may know the shape of the Best Supporting Actress race before any of the other acting races this year. That's unusual since the supporting shortlists usually clear up last since Best Picture heat is so (generally speaking) crucial to their composition.

So why the early cementing buzz? That's because  Mahershala Ali in Green Book, Sam Elliott in A Star is Born, and Timothée Chalamet in Beautiful Boy have all already staked a very solid claim. They look like the three who will be battling it out for the actual statue. The race would arguably already be wrapped up for Sam Elliott to honor both his long long career and this perfect fit of a role but for the fact that it looks like Ali and Chalamet, both co-leads in their films, will be competing in this category (sigh) since their co-leads (Viggo Mortensen and Steve Carell, respectively) also have penises but the advantage of top billing. So... you know how that goes with Oscar campaigns.

Check out the newly revised Supporting Actor Chart. All new text and photos for everyone!

Yes No Maybe So: Captain Marvel

by Nathaniel R

Hey look, it's our first official image of Brie Larson from Damien Chazelle's First Ma---- oh, that's not right. It's Brie Larson as First Woman to lead a movie in the MCU. Captain Marvel hits theaters on March 8th, 2019, or as we like to call it, two weeks after the Oscars and two months before Avengers Infinity War Part 2.

After the jump the first trailer and a quick Yes No Maybe So breakdown.

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Link Buzz

← TODAY'S MUST LISTEN. Nick and I joined Joe Reid and Chris Feil on their new podcast "This Had Oscar Buzz" this week for a special episode. If you haven't yet heard their podcast they generally cover one major failed Oscar bet each time and discuss that year as well. But this episode ignores the usual formula since we recorded in Canada and talked TIFF movies. We covered many of the films which currently have Oscar buzz like Widows, If Beale Street Could Talk, Wildlife, and  A Star is Born. 

Okay on to links! We probably missed a whole lotta news while we were away in Canada but here are a few random links for ya!

• IndieWire Critics rank of the best performances and films from TIFF. This list is completely nuts. Lady Gaga makes the list but Bradley Cooper doesn't? Whaaaa. FTR Gaga is solid with the acting but Bradley Cooper, a great actor already, tops his own previous career best. It's no contest. Maybe the odd results are that they only let us vote for one thing per category, so no rankings or anything else. But still.
• Feedspot "30 Best European Movie Blogs" Somehow The Film Experience made the list even though we aren't really European... (well a couple of contributors are!). And we do cover Eurofilms. But we're in good company so thank you Feedspot.
• Broadway.com had readers vote for which current TV series should be stage musicals. Weird poll but I can definitely see a few of them working
• THR Crazy Rich Asians star Henry Golding was added to the A Simple Favor poster after the fact to capitalize on his new stardom
• THR Bryan Singer in talks to direct Red Sonja. Somehow he's still going to be paid top dollar despite being fired from his last picture for frequently not showing up on set!

Soundtracking: "Lady Sings the Blues"

The 1972 Smackdown is coming soon! Here's Chris on that year's Oscar nominated biopic on Billie Holliday...

We complain a lot about stodgy biopics in the “greatest hits” mold, simply relying on the known Wikipedia fenceposts to construct its narrative. Lady Sings The Blues is kind of the poster child for such frustrations - I mean, the original poster literally proclaimed “Diana Ross IS Billie Holiday”.

What we were given is a film mostly bored by subject and performer, or at least unable to capture what made Ross and Holliday such captivating performers. Blues meanders through the singer’s life story, halting for her performances with fly-on-the-wall passivity that’s as indifferent to the magnetism of the music as it is to Ross’ take...

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