Imelda Staunton to take on 'The Crown'

by Murtada Elfadl

There’s a new queen in town. Following Claire Foy and Olivia Colman, Imelda Staunton becomes the latest British actress to take on the role of Elizabeth II in The Crown. She has even released a statement.

Netflix has announced that Staunton will take on the role in the 5th season of its royal drama. It also announced that the show will end with that season, one season shorter than the six-season plan creator Peter Morgan had originally envisioned for the show...

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Echoes from Oscars Past

by Cláudio Alves

The past always returns, one way or the other. It haunts the present and prophesizes our uncertain futures. That's why History is a cycle of recurring nightmares and dreams, one overtaking the other in ruthless combat.

Anyway, we're here to talk about the Academy Awards. The ghosts of Oscars past always come to haunt the current races, helping shape narratives, setting records to be broken and announcing patterns of cyclical discontent. Regarding the Best Picture nominees of 2019, here are some of the Oscar champions of the past that haunt them… 

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Almost There Extra: Tilda in "We Need to Talk About Kevin"

A bonus episode of "Almost There" (Claudio's Monday afternoon series) this week. Here's Eric Blume on a 2011 race...

There was a sad surprise when the 2011 Oscar nominations were read:  Tilda Swinton did not make the Best Actress slate, despite checking every precursor box along the way.  She had nominations from SAG, the BAFTAs, and the Golden Globes, but Oscar overlooked her magnificent performance.

Three of the nominees for the Oscar that year were considered locks:  Meryl (who won, of course) for The Iron Lady; Viola Davis for The Help; and Michelle Williams for My Week with Marilyn.  But the final two to make the list were Glenn Close for Albert Nobbs and Rooney Mara for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo...

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Remember "An Ideal Husband"?

This picture poppd into my head quite unexpectedly this morning. So many delicious actors were in this (Blanchett, Moore, Everett, Lindsay Duncan, Simon Russell Beale, etcetera). Oh, and a very happy 50th birthday today to the ever-undervalued Minnie Driver! 

"Because you love movies"

by Cláudio Alves

There's something mercenary, a bit unseemly, about many Oscar campaigns. Nobody should be slighted for campaigning too hard or for showing they want the award too much, of course -- that's not what we're saying (no Hathahating here). Still, studio's FYC ads tend to feel pushy, more interested in vacuous hyperbole than a genuine celebration of any film's particular merits.

All of that said, sometimes a campaign hits the nail right on the head, negotiating the needs of clever promotion and cinephile wonderment with utmost ease. Such is the case of Once Upon a Time ...in Hollywood's latest ads. As the final Oscar voting starts, Sony has played its last card in the campaign game. It's a rather simple one, focused on special screenings and a bunch of traditional paper ads as well as some internet banners. Their genius lies in the simplicity of it all, avoiding incomprehensible lists of critics' prizes in favor of a simple powerful message...

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