2022 Ophir Nominees include dramedy "Karaoke" and animated "Where is Anne Frank?"

by Nathaniel R

the marital dramedy "Karaoke" might become Israel's Oscar submission

Israel's annual film awards, the Ophirs, are very hard to track. The nominations were announced yesterday but we're still searching for a full list of nominees since their website is in Hebrew (I think this is the list). Online media is historically terrible about providing full lists of nominations for anything outside Hollywood, usually opting for a couple of paragraphs about the top prize only. Such is the case this year. The only online article available at the time I'm writing this is from the Jerusalem Post which, true to form, lists only the Best Picture contenders. IMDb only lists two categories at this writing. But we finally found a list. The translation was computer generated so there may be a few errors and it reads a bit messy. Have patience.

The Best Picture nominees (one of which will become the Oscar submission)...

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2022 Emmy Category Analysis: Limited Series, Directing/Writing

by Nathaniel R

the riveting intriguing 1st episode of Station Eleven, "Wheel of Fire"

It's difficult to talk stats and predictions with the Limited Series categories since they've gone through so many identity shifts and upheavals in the past dozen years or so. For example, TV Movies are still eligible to compete for writing and directing prizes right here BUT they almost never do while TV Movies have always had their own top category BUT they used to be able to compete directly with limited series instead IF they were movie-length episodes of an Anthology Series. Confusing!  Let it suffice to say that there is only a little data that applies when predicting given frequent rule changes and the more Oscar-like shifts in eligibility since you can't usually honor the same things year after year. So we (mostly) have to go on pure feeling. And that's more fun anyway, so it's all good.

Let's discuss/predict...

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Review: Loveable Diane Keaton in "Mack & Rita"

By Christopher James

Branding is important. Craft a persona early enough, it can sustain you for a full career. Stallone and Schwarzenegger will remain action stars until they need rockers. DeNiro will be a gangster in every third rate mob movie known to man. Finally, Diane Keaton instantly conjures the vision of a kooky Grandma who loves Chardonnay.

Between Book Club and Poms, septuagenarian Keaton has once again found a way to lead movies packaged around her infectious star persona. Mack & Rita is the latest in this series. While it’s easily the shabbiest of the three, it’s not without its charms thanks to its Oscar-winning lead. Who wouldn’t want to jump to the point in their life where they could be Diane Keaton?

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To link, perchance to read...

• Defector "The money is in all the wrong places" fascinating piece in response to Euphoria's Sydney Sweeney and her lack of financial security despite being rich
• British GQ The Sandman and the return of the emo leading man
• Variety Keanu Reeves set to star in Devil in the White City (originally a film project for Leonardo DiCaprio) which will now be a Hulu series.

Brad Pitt's "shit list", Pac-Man, the red state/blue state prestige TV divide, Johnny Depp's (French) return and more after the jump...

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The Return of the Golden Globes... Eventually

by Nathaniel R

If you missed the kerfluffle last night, it went like this: Scott Feinberg at The Hollywood Reporter announced that the Globes were returning to NBC for the upcoming awards season, probably on January 10th, 2023. Just two hours later Deadline was like, "hold your horses, it's "not a done deal" and as a result Vanity Fair was all "so is it happening or not?". We have no inside intel to add but a return does seem likely and Feinberg is well connected so we know at least that there's conversations going on about that return to air. When this becomes official (this season or next) it's a very safe prediction that there will be many thinkpieces and many voices online proclaiming that Hollywood won't show up in protest. But Hollywood will...

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