Film Bitch Award Medalists (aka If I magically chose all the Oscars)

by Nathaniel R

The Gold Medalists for acting this year: Colman, Cumberbatch, Negga, Domingo

The Film Bitch Awards are now in their 22nd year (gulp). While I don't normally track the stats of my own awards the way we all delight in tracking Oscar stats, I did notice that for the first time in all of those years the Picture/Director fields were an exact match. The nomination portion is more fun than the virtual medal ceremony since I've always believed that nominations are wins and spreading the wealth is more artistically accurate! The Power of the Dog emerged as the big winner (no surprise) with 5 Gold Medals. Dune and Zola were the only other films that picked up multiple gold medals in the Oscar parallel categories. (NOTE: The "extra" categories are not yet complete but we'll try to wrap them up before Oscar night).

See the Oscar parallel winners
Page 1  Picture, Director, Screenplay, Animated Feature
Page 2  Lead and Support Acting.
(Half of the 12 medalists -- gold, silver, and medal -- were not Oscar-nominated which is fairly typical. If I could choose only one "Performance of the Year" across all categories, it would be Ruth Negga for Passing. )
Page 3  Visual Categories
Page 4  Sound Categories

Oscar Volley: Best Picture in the final days...

Team Experience is discussing the various Oscar categories. Here's Baby Clyde, Elisa Giudici, Abe Friedtanzer and  Eric Blume to discuss Best Picture. We're not saving it for last. This conversation began BEFORE the PGA went to CODA but ends afterwards...

the five films with the most nominations this year.

ABE FRIEDTANZER: I'm thrilled to be talking the top Oscar prize with my esteemed colleagues Eric, Elisa, and Baby Clyde. I do think there's plenty to discuss here, but I believe that one film is very far out in front. That's The Power of the Dog, of course, which some may doubt after it missed out on an ensemble nomination from SAG. There is absolutely momentum for CODA after its win there and its triumph the night after that with the Hollywood Critics Association. But Dog also underperformed with nominations from the latter group, so the comparison isn't all that helpful. There just isn't enough going against Jane Campion's western for it to lose, in my opinion. But there are nine other nominees, and at least a few of those will siphon votes. Aside from CODA, King Richard gets a boost from its ACE Eddie win, and Drive My Car is worth considering since it hasn't been in competition with many other groups. What films do you think are still in the mix?

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Oscar Volley: A deep dive into Best Actor

Team Experience is discussing the various Oscar categories. Here's Cláudio Alves, Michael Cusumano, and Elisa Giudici to discuss Best Actor.

ELISA GIUDICI: Last year, we thought this Oscar was locked by Chadwick Boseman's intense performance. Yet we were surprised by the outcome, with Anthony Hopkins winning the golden statuette. The Academy was so confident about Boseman’s victory they moved the Best Actor category after Best Picture, the traditional one that closes the ceremony… only to stare at an empty stage, because the winner Anthony Hopkins was at home, sleeping. In 2022, Will Smith is the frontrunner in the Best Actor category. The odds are clearly in his favor…

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The ASC winner is 'Dune' but will it repeat at the Oscars?

by Nathaniel R

With the PGA, WGA, and now the American Society of Cinematographers, we have our last clues going into Oscar night. Not that guilds always line up with Oscar wins mind you. They do share some members with the Academy but all the guilds have far more members than their parallel branches in the Academy. Here's what they chose this year...

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"Introducing" The film debuts of your Best Actress nominees

by Nathaniel R

Nicole Kidman's first dramatic closeup in a movie. Her mother has just told her no in Bush Christmas (1983)This season's best actress race is a quintet of considerable fame. We have three previous Oscar winners (Nicole Kidman, Olivia Colman, Penélope Cruz), a multiple nominee (Jessica Chastain) and a first timer though she's been globally famous for over a decade (Kristen Stewart). All five are in demand and oft-celebrated. We thought it would be fun to look at their very first movies long before superstardom happened which was the impetus for this four part "introducing" series (you've already witnessed Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress).

How were these now acclaimed actresses introduced to audiences? Let's take them in chronological order of their official debuts after the jump...

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