Ranking this year's Oscar speeches

by Cláudio Alves

As we finish our Oscar celebrations and mourn the end of another Awards Season, let's explore this year's Academy Award speeches. Unlike past ceremonies, this one was poor in truly disastrous acceptance speeches. Perhaps people saw the mess of last year's Best Makeup winners and decided they would be prepared to step on stage and receive their little golden men with dignity and generosity towards the teams that got them to that dazzling podium. Whatever the reason, this was a good year for Oscar speeches and we honor them, from the most unmemorable to the god-tier achievements in public speaking.

We begin with the least impressive efforts of the night…

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What's next for our Oscar champions?

by Cláudio Alves

Another Awards Season is over and we have newly anointed champions of the Academy Awards to applaud and celebrate. As cinephiles, the best way we have of celebrating is surely to watch and appreciate these filmmakers' work. After all, it was their sterling achievements that conquered them their little golden men and our eternal devotion. With that in mind, let's investigate the prospects of the Oscar Class of 2019, many of which already have their next movies lined up, some already in post-production even.

First up, we have the night's greatest star - the one and only Bong Joon-ho…

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A Celebration of Jacqueline Durran

by Murtada Elfadl

Florence Pugh and Durran on the set of Little Women

Though not as well known as preeminent costume designers and Oscar-magnets Sandy Powell and Colleen Atwood, Jacqueline Durran has quietly been building a stellar reputation over a two decade career. She is best known for her collaborations with Mike Leigh and Joe Wright, though in the last few years she's expanded her repertoire of directors and costumed movies such as Macbeth, Beauty and the Beast and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

This year she worked with Sam Mendes in creating WW1 military garb in 1917 and with Greta Gerwig dressing the March sisters in Little Women. The latter marks her 7th Oscar nomination. She's won once before.   Let’s take a look back at some of the highlights of her career...

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April Foolish Predictions #6: Costume Design

Our annual April Foolish Oscar Predictions continue

Can "Aladdin" repeat "Beauty & The Beast"'s success in Costume Design? And can we ever forgive Michael Wilkinson for making Aladdin wear a shirt for the whole movie?

The last few years of the Costume Design category have been very Powell/Atwood heavy as Oscar's two design queens have either won again (Atwood in 2016) or been double-nominated twice-over (Powell in 2015 and 2018) but it looks like we'll be taking a wee break from those much honored artists this year. Will there be any room room for first-time nominees (Paul Tazewell, Mayes C Rubeo, Julian Day, Daniel Orlandi?) or will we get mostly costuming regulars who could continue to march to Atwood and Powell-like status (Jacqueline Durran, Albert Wolsky, Consolata Boyle, Alexandra Byrne?)

Here's the chart (and the prediction index if you haven't been playing along). But after the jump some images to whet your appetite for the year in costuming to come...

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Beauty Break: April Foolish Costume Design Predictions

by Nathaniel R

Fantastic Beasts won Colleen Atwood her 4th Oscar. Will its sequel give her her 13th nomination?

The original Mary Poppins lost the Costume Design competition. Could Sandy Powell win it for the sequel?

Even if the year's Costume Design prospects weren't so tantalizing we'd be salivating because we love the artform. After a relatively weak previous season, this category has the opportunity to come roaring back for 2018 in a big way. Consider that all four of the Academy's favorite working costume designers (with 43 nominations and 13 wins between them) might be back this year...

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