What's your go-to comfort film?

by Juan Carlos Ojano

In her rock bottom, Kristen Wiig finds unexpected comfort with CAST AWAY in BRIDESMAIDS.Whether in personal heartbreaks, national tragedies, or even global catastrophies, cinema has given comfort to viewers all over the world. Time and time again, several films - from Christmas classics to rom-com favorites - have found a life not necessarily because they are deemed to be the best (although some of them are), but because these films have the capacity to be watched on a more casual setting while they are watched out of enjoyment, and most importantly, comfort. In this time of uncertainty, from the events of the last few years down to what just transpired days ago, cinema has the capacity to uplift us and make us look for the silver lining in these tough times. I would like to ask you, dear reader: what is your go-to comfort film?...

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Best Performances by Actors in Limited Roles

Andrew Scott gives incredible cynical cameo in "1917"

And now a semi-tangential train of thought. Over the 20 years of doing the Film Bitch Awards we've noticed that our cameo categories have gone from being a fun place to shine the spotlight on unknown actors who we're curious about to an annual war between not-quite household names or "it" girls and guys who are appearing in everything. The problem for lesser known actors trying to catch a break these days is that we're long past the years when mid-level stars, or even major stars, had egos about the size of their roles. More and more stars will happily become day-players as if everyone wants to be working 24/7 and has never heard of the concept of over-exposure...

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Film Bitch Awards - Heroes, Villains, Action, and More...

by Nathaniel R

We promised to finish up the 2019 Film Bitch Awards so we're doing that. Who talked us into so many categories? Oh that's right, no one but our own movie-loving madness. There's probably a cure for it but we're happy to stay addicted. 

HEROES, VILLAINS, DIVAS, and SEXPOTS
The character awards are now complete with honors for titular characters from Harriet and Diamantino and Joker and Us (just making sure you're not skimming but titular works there, too, right?) among other films like Synonyms, Toy Story 4, and Hustlers. As to the latter we realize that Jennifer Lopez factors quite heavily into all six of Hustlers nominations thus far but sometimes you ARE the movie, even if the movie itself is quite good. And, because sometimes moviegoing pleasure is perverse, we even found a way to "honor" Cats...

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Alternative Best Costume Design Ballots

by Cláudio Alves

The Best Costume Design category at the Oscars tends to be a place where one can find idiosyncratic choices. While it's true the Academy has a taste for the extravagant and period-looking, the Costume Branch is usually unafraid of celebrating films otherwise ignored. That's how we get such wonderful nods like those for Bright Star's Regency fashions, I Am Love's early aughts glamour, Jane Eyre 's Victorian severity, and Mirror Mirror's fairytale lunacy.

This year, for the first time in the category's history, all five nominees are Best Picture contenders. The arguable quality of the designs aside, this is a sad state of affairs that makes the usually cool Best Costume Design category look tediously similar to all the others. In an attempt to right the Academy's wrongs and offer a more varied look at 2019's achievements in film Costume Design, here's an alternative set of nominees, none of which were shortlisted by the Academy...

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The 2019 Team Experience Awards

It's that time again: the Team Experience Awards! Before Nathaniel starts dishing out the Film Bitch Awards you've all been waiting for, the rest of us at The Film Experience compile our ballots for our favorites of the year in film. This year, Greta Gerwig's Little Women leads the mentions with 11 nominations - but it's Bong Joon-ho's Parasite that is our ultimate runaway favorite. As usual, our ballot features some major divergences from Oscar and some unheralded favorites. Look out for a majority female Best Director lineup, a different double acting nominee than the one Oscar chose, and a few contemporary surprises in the design categories...

Best Picture

1. Parasite
2. Portrait of a Lady on Fire
3. Marriage Story
4. Little Women
5. Pain and Glory
6. Atlantics
7. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
8. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
9. The Lighthouse
10. Hustlers
    

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