Split Decision: “Society of the Snow”

No two people feels the exact same way about any film. Thus, Team Experience is pairing up to debate the merits of this year’s Oscar movies. Here’s Eric Blume and Cláudio Alves on Society of the Snow...

ERIC: Hi Cláudio, there are few finer, smarter people to discuss a film with than you.  So I'm looking forward to diving into J.A. Bayona's Oscar-nominated Society of the Snow.  To me, Bayona has delivered one of the best films ever in the "survival genre," a tiny slice of cinema that admittedly isn't for everyone.  And perhaps I'm a sucker for these tales, as I also loved the best most recent example, Danny Boyle's 127 Hours, as well.  But what I feel Bayona accomplished here, and it's no small feat, is a one hundred percent believable environment where he gets his actors to a level of despair and desperation very, very high, very, very early in the film and sustains it for almost two hours…

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Drag Race RuCap: "Snatch Game"

Like last year, Nick Taylor and Cláudio Alves are following and recapping RuPaul’s Drag Race season sixteen…

That's Emmy-worthy production design, right there.

CLÁUDIO: Well, it seems miracles can happen. We closed last week’s Rucap by casting doubts on Mhi’ya’s ability to survive Snatch Game, and wouldn’t you know it - the bitch thrived. She might not have won the challenge, but Miss Le'Paige won the episode, proving she’s more than the queen of flips while finally showing some much-appreciated personality with her sisters. Overall, this was an entertaining hour, even though this bunch’s snatches could have been better. Sometimes, you don’t need amazing performances to make good reality TV or just a showcase of drag excellence. Were you similarly entertained or does “Snatch Game” get a boot from you?

NICK: I am mixed, but mostly happy with it. We had two of Drag Race’s most iconic challenges today, and though the best turns were definitely entertaining, I wanted more from this cast. . . .

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More Oscar News: The Winners’ Circle is Back!

by Cláudio Alves

On the heels of yesterday's presenters announcement, AMPAS has revealed that it'll be reviving the winners circle presentation of the 81st Academy Awards. That means five past victors will present the acting categories, each presenter dedicating a little speech to one of the year's nominees. As someone who's yearned for its return since 2009, I can't begin to tell you how over the moon I am about this news. And judging by social media, I'm not alone. Oscar obsessives everywhere are rejoicing in anticipation while also theorizing about what stars the Oscar producers will pair together. Judging by the previous list of names, we can make some assumptions, but why not share one's own ideas instead?

If it was up to me, here's who I'd choose to present the acting nominees…

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Are we getting a "Scarface" reunion at the Oscars?

by Cláudio Alves

As the first lists of Oscar presenters are released, it's fun to try parsing out potential connections between invited names. Even if it's nothing but a brief shot of nostalgia at seeing two familiar faces backed by a classic's main theme, there's something thrilling about the whole apparatus. Since the Oscars have grown so allergic to celebrating cinema's past – unlike the Grammys - these tidbits feel extra special. When perusing the first batch of celebrities, a couple of names stood out. First, we have Michelle Pfeiffer, eternal Film Experience favorite. And then there's Al Pacino, who starred with the blonde star in Brian De Palma's Scarface. The picture just celebrated 40 years last December, making an awards show tribute especially timely.

Would you like to recall Pacino's iconic Tony Montana and Pfeiffer's chilly, sensual Elvira? I know that in my ideal world, she'd have been a Best Supporting Actress contender in 1983, while her costumes would have earned an Oscar. And these are far from the only big names presenting at the 96th Academy Awards…

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2023 Team Experience Awards - NOMINEES

From the team...

Poor Things earned 12 nominations from the team, including Picture, Director, Actress and two Supporting Actor citations.

Poor Things led the nominations for the Team Experience Awards for the 2023 awards season. Yorgos Lanthimos' film earned 12 nominations, the most of any film this year. Despite the team falling for a movie loved by the Oscars, they were not afraid to deviate from the expected nominees. Only six out of ten Best Picture nominees overlapped with Oscars, while Lanthimos is the only director honored by the Film Experience team and the Oscars with a nomination. The selections for these nominees were determined through a collective voting process involving all the writers at The Film Experience, with the exception of Nathaniel, who will announce his personal Film Bitch Awards separately. Be sure to visit The Film Experience on Sunday, March 2nd when the winners will be announced.

See the full list of nominees after the jump...

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