93rd Academy Awards: Best Costume Design

by Cláudio Alves

Costume illustrations by Gloria Young Kim (left) and Matthew JLeFebvre (righ)

After last year's dispiriting domination of Best Picture contenders in craft categories, this year's Best Costume Design lineup feels like a breath of fresh air. While the branch is resistant to contemporary narratives, their reluctance to honor new names has alleviated a bit. For the first time since 2006, we have three first-time nominees among the costume designers competing for gold. Better yet, the five achievements honored by AMPAS offer a dizzying variety of film styles, aesthetic strategies, genre, and tone. From Disney remakes to Italian literary adaptations, from biopics to biting period comedies, this batch of nominees has it all.

Still, in the end, one must win. With that in mind, here's how I'd rank the five Best Costume Design nominees at the 93rd Academy Awards…

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Beauty Break: Trans Day of Visibility

by Nathaniel R

Jamie Clayton of Sense8 fame photographed by Austin Hargrave

Since today is Trans Day of Visibility let's gaze at some trans actors. There's been an explosion of visibility for the community in the past ten years or so in showbusiness both in front of cameras and behind them. When we were growing up there were only a few out gay and lesbian celebrities but virtually no trans celebrities and now there are hundreds of queer actors working including trans actors. Even a couple of househould names. Let's be grateful for progress even in a world filled with many injustices and still rampant discrimination of the LGBTQ+ community.

After the jump a dozen semi-randomly selected trans actors (so don't say we missed someone. We're happy to report that there are many we missed but we're on a deadline)... 

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Which of these '96 babies will be Oscar-nominated first? (or again)

by Nathaniel R

Since it's 25 days till Oscar, we thought we'd talk about Hollywood's brightests stars hitting their quarter century mark in 2021. The year 1996 has been a surprising "early bird" year with the Academy since not many 1990s vintages have produced Oscar nominees yet. People born in 1996 are turning 25 this year but already this vintage has somehow produced FIVE Oscar nominees: Maria Bakalova (nominated this year for Borat Subsequent Moviefilm), Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine), Lucas Hedges (Manchester by the Sea), Florence Pugh (Little Women), and Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit). Do you think any of them will snag nomination #2 soon?

After the jump we've chosen the six actors "most likely to" follow them to Oscar glory. That said we know that Hollywood is always on the lookout for fresh faces and the next Oscar nominee born in 1996 could well be some unknown who hasn't even landed their first role yet. Who would you bank on from this list or the "alternates"? And what kind of a situation or role do you think it will take? 

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Happy 50th, Ewan McGregor, an Eternal Sexpot!

by Christopher James

Heartthrob Ewan McGregor hasn't aged a day, even as he turns 50 today.Everyone remembers their first movie star crush. Ewan McGregor wasn’t my first love, but certainly was an early obsession. Today on his fiftieth birthday, we celebrate a movie star who still hasn’t lost his good looks, effervescent glow and boundless energy.

Ewan McGregor was born on March 31st, 1971 in Perth, Perthshire, Scotland. In his nearly three decades of work as an actor, McGregor has been a swoon-worthy leading man, a Jedi, and, most importantly, a juicy snack. His performances have sparked the sexual awakening of so many millennial gay men and women, including yours truly. It helps when he either sings or gets naked in every one of his movies. He can do anything (except get that Oscar nomination that has eluded him for so long). True stars only get better with age, and Ewan is no exception. After the jump some of the thirstiest Ewan McGregor moments (NSFW)...

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Showbiz History: Ghost in the Shell, Brian Tyree Henry, and the 1980 Oscars

6 random things that happened on this day, March 31st, in showbiz history

1930  The Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America agree to accept the "Motion Picture Production Code" a self-censorship guide for Hollywood films. Still, the industry waited another four years to begin enforcing this code which is why early sound cinema is referred to as "Pre-Code" (even though the Code was actually in place already). It's agonizing to look back and wonder how progressive Hollywood might have become had they not begun to enforce the code in the mid 30s since it delayed mature conversations about sexuality and gender roles and marriage (separate beds!), psychology and reality (bad behavior must always be punished!), delayed reckoning with abusive or oppressive religious organizations (no critiques of the clergy!), and forbade sympathetic depictions of homosexuality and interracial romance...

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