Hello, Gorgeous: Best Actress of 2022

A new series by Juan Carlos Ojano

“WHO IS SHE?”, a philosopher named RuPaul once asked.

As with that question, character introductions are vital in storytelling. First impressions are usually given importance right from the page, as those will establish our relationship with said characters. Screenwriters strategize on how they describe a character when they enter the story. Likewise, directors pay attention to how characters enter the story for the first time. Whether those entrances become consistent with the rest of the character or are ultimately subverted as the narrative unfolds even further, they matter a lot. 

Since it is a truth universally acknowledged that Best Actress is perhaps the single most important category in the long history of the Academy Awards, particularly in the lives of its (mostly gay) fans who worship actresses to the ends of the earth, this new series will be focusing on how each of the five Best Actress-nominated performances were introduced in their respective films. Narrative functions, filmmaking decisions, emotional implications, and stray observations included...

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In defense of Jamie Lee Curtis

by Cláudio Alves

Yes, I know that title is ridiculous. After all, nepo baby extraordinaire Jamie Lee Curtis just achieved the highest form of recognition in her industry, winning the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award after having already nabbed a SAG in the same category. Moreover, Everything Everywhere All At Once, the film she's been championing ever since it premiered at last year's SXSW, became a sweeping sensation, our latest Best Picture champion. And yet, if you love the actress or have some fondness for her performance, social media has proved a hostile environment. It started way before the Oscar nominations when the possibility of Curtis making the lineup to Stephanie Hsu's detriment angered multitudes…

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Podcast: Oscar Season Finale (and Career Futures)

It's all over but the post-mortem and the huge sigh of relief that another awards season is over. Team Experience has a multiple time zone conversation to talk about the 95th Academy Awards and the season in general: Nathaniel in NYC, Ben Miller in Texas, Chris James in Los Angeles, and Baby Clyde in London. Hope you enjoy and do carry on the conversation in the comments, wherever you are.

1 hr and 10 minutes
00:01 Intros & Oscar parties
05:00 Length of the season / staying power of Everything Everywhere All At Once
19:00 Original Song performances / Acceptance speeches
33:00 The internet turning on Jamie Lee Curtis
38:00 Career futures: Paul Mescal, Hong Chau, Stephanie Hsu, Austin Butler, Colin Farrell
46:00 Miscellania: Kidman, Malala, Kimmel
1:02:00 Final thoughts - which acting nominee returns first? 

You can listen to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher or Spotify or download the attachment below. 

Goodbye to the Oscar Season

Year in Review: Nathaniel's 'Multiversal' Top Ten List & Personal Prizes

by Nathaniel R

Multiverses were the hot trend in mainstream cinema this year with the MCU banking its whole future on the appeal of mirror dimensions and alternate timelines. If you take the trend less franchise-literal, it was even more omnipresent. Multiple films asked us to consider alternate realities, ahistorical timelines, and the multiplicity of identity through the power of both storytelling and our own imagination. It's through this broad prism that I present my take on the year's best films.

I hope you enjoy though it always bears repeating that "Best" is necessarily subjective; We each occupy our own universes when it comes to these matters. Before the top ten, a bakers dozen of honorable mentions...

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Oscar Volley: Look at that -- Best Picture is actually a good time!

Team Experience has been pairing or tripling up to discuss the Oscar categories. Here's the (presumed) final award of Sunday night with Elisa Giudici, Nathaniel R, and Eric Blume...

NATHANIEL: Hello team. The final category. Best Picture is such a big big topic, 1434 minutes big. Or 24 and a half hours big if you wanted to watch all the films back to back... though, really, why would you? That's a lot of movie and it's also a lot of Movie-Movie since these mostly aren't shy and self-effacing films. With the exception of Women Talking, if all of these movies were at a party together they'd each try to be the life of it. Or at least life-adjacent. Banshees of Inisherin might just gab away in a corner and The Fabelmans might just watch everyone / everything... but quite enthusiastically! 

I picture Avatar The Way of Water arriving first, because it can't be bothered with a schedule and eager to scope out the scene and really become the vibe. TAR will arrive last with a big flourish and bold gestures expecting the party to shape-shift around it. I'm starting with a party-theme because I am willing myself to stay positive...

And also because I confess I really love a full half of these movies (which is rare). I think we all know who is leaving the festivities with the most party favors from that naked gold host but we don't have to start there.

Please enter this party festively and tell me what you think of the room...

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