Oscar Volley: Is ‘Best International Film’ a done deal?

Team Experience is discussing the various Oscar categories. Here's Cláudio Alves and Nick Taylor discussing the Best International Feature Film race.

CLÁUDIO: Since the last batch of Oscar volleys in a pre-nomination world, few categories have been as shaken up as Best International Film. Back then, you could still wonder if All Quiet on the Western Front had been seen by enough people in the industry. Now, after its slew of Oscar nods and smashing BAFTA performance, it's competitive in multiple categories and expected to nab an easy victory in this one. I've already elaborated on my distaste for Edward Berger's war picture and find myself rather delighted to have been paired up with you, dear Nick, for this volley. You see, dear reader, here's someone who might dislike the movie even more than my nitpicky ass.

NICK: But I’ve softened on All Quiet a bit…

Click to read more ...

Best Ensemble, Casting, Stunts, and More...

by Nathaniel R

EEAAO an easy choice for "Best Ensemble" discussions.

With the SAG Awards airing tonight -- we expect to see encore speeches from Blanchett, Fraser, Bassett, and Quan since the acting winners tend to get set in stone once televised ceremonies begin -- let's talk acting categories that Oscar doesn't have. Here are my personal favourites for Casting, Ensemble, Stunts, and Juvenile Performances, a couple of prizes which SAG has and two that they don't...

Click to read more ...

Weekend Box Office: Magic Mike and James Cameron

By Ben Miller

Super Bowl weekend has never been a hotbed of film dollars, and this weekend was no different.  Magic Mike's Last Dance, the third and final entry in Steven Soderbergh's male stripper series, won the weekend with a sub-$10 million opening.  That doesn't happen very often in the world of big budgets.  In fact, in the 21st century (excluding COVID openings), only Bangkok Dangerous and Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star had a worse opening and still managed to top their weekends.  That being said, the film only opened on 1,500 screens, so the per-screen average was pretty solid.  Second and third both belonged to director James Cameron.  Avatar: The Way of Water continues to work its way up all-time charts, but the re-release of Cameron's 1997 Oscar-winner Titanic added a respectable total for a 25-year-old film.

Weekend Box Office (actuals) Feb 10th-12th 🔺 = new or expanding /  ★ = Recommended /  = Oscar Nominated
WIDE (Over 800 Screens)	LIMITED / PLATFORM
MAGIC MIKE'S LAST DANCE	CONSECRATION
1 🔺 MAGIC MIKE'S LAST DANCE $8.3 *NEW* 1,500 screeens	1 PATHAAN $976k (cum. $15.9) 492 screens
2 ★ AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER $7.2 (cum. $647.2) 3,065 screens	2  🔺 CONSECRATION $329k *NEW* 762 screens

Click to read more ...

Weekend Box Office: Shyamalan and the Brady Ladies Dethrone Avatar

By Ben Miller

It only took eight weeks, but Avatar: The Way of Water is no longer the top film at the box office.  M. Night Shyamalan's Knock at the Cabin and the award-winning ladies of 80 for Brady both managed to top James Cameron's sequel, though not with any overwhelming numbers.  Both films managed just north of $14 and $12 million, respectively.  More than anything else, it's just nice to have some competition and new things to watch in theaters.  Studios are releasing less and less these days...

Weekend Box Office (actuals) Feb 3rd-5th 🔺 = new or expanding /  ★ = Recommended /  = Oscar Nominated
WIDE (OVER 800 SCREENS)	LIMITED / PLATFORM
KNOCK AT THE CABIN	PATHAAN
1 🔺 KNOCK AT THE CABIN $14.1 *NEW* 3,646 screens	1  PATHAAN $2.6 (cum. $14.2) 683 screens
2 🔺 80 FOR BRADY $12.7 *NEW* 3,912 screens	2 THE WANDERING EARTH II $624k (cum. $4.1) 172 screens

Click to read more ...

"Close" gains Oscar momentum

by Nathaniel R

A few nights back I had the pleasure to attend a screening and reception for Close, Belgium's Oscar submission hosting by legendary indie producer Christine Vachon. Vachon joked that when people mistook her for the producer of Close, since she was hosting the event, she didn't actually want to correct them. "I wish I had produced this!" 

The film, which is stronger overall and certainly less divisive than Dhont's debut, the trans drama Girl (2018), has been a major hit on the festival circuit. It's about the intimate friendship between two 13 year-old boys. We first meet them in summertime bliss but a return to school, followed by stares and mild teasing from other kids, makes them self-conscious about their friendship. Not everyone loves the film but those that do really spark to its observational strength, patience and naturalism, and the potency of its emotional throughline despite coming at the drama sideways with very little audience hand-holding. I myself was jolted back to memories of that age...

Click to read more ...