Almost There: Nicole Kidman in "The Paperboy"

The Almost There series is back after a brief hiatus. It's about performances that came close to an Oscar nomination but ultimately failed to secure the honor.

by Cláudio Alves

Robert Eggers's The Northman has many elements worthy of applause, from its sense of narrative anti-modernity to Claes Bang's hunky presence. However, for us, actressexuals, the main attraction is Nicole Kidman. Playing Prince Amleth's mother, the Australian actress delivers a powerhouse monologue late in the film, devouring the scenery whole as she drives her son and the audience into stupefied shock. It's one of those delightfully weird tour de forces Kidman's known for among her fans. Such inspired work is often rooted in an auteur's bold vision and represents a facet of the thespian's career that's seldom recognized by awards.

If one were to judge her based only on the actress's five Academy Award nominations, her filmography would look much less adventurous than the truth. One of the only times Kidman came close to Oscar glory for a go-for-broke gonzo performance happened in 2012 when she starred in Lee Daniel's The Paperboy…

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Behind the Scenes at an Annual Oscar Party!

By Christopher James

We come to this place for magic. We come to the Dolby theaters to love, to cry, to watch a truly unhinged Oscar night. The Oscars have reached an interesting inflection point in their history. How do they adapt to the changing times without leaving behind what makes them special? As a movie fan, of course, like Nathaniel I want the Oscars to err on the side of more-is-more. They should be the Super-Bowl of movies that everyone is excited to watch or, yes, half watch. How have we (by we, I mean people who don’t have an interest in football) been conditioned to watch the Super-Bowl each year? Simple: the Super-Bowl party. Who doesn’t love an excuse to party and hang out at a friend’s house on a Sunday and watch something that everyone will talk about the following day? The Oscars should be longer, bigger, more fun and be the type of event that people want to throw parties for.

Throwing an Oscar party each year (sans last year for obvious reasons) has been one of my greatest joys. I invite you behind the scenes of (East) Hollywood’s biggest night (aka me packing thirty rowdy Oscar watchers in a small apartment)...

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Who was best dressed? Best Actress Edition

You know about our "fantasy doll sets" and now we have more gowns to add to that imaginery collection! So it's time to talk about Best Actress fashion again. Who wowed you? Who disappointed you? Who gets your vote?

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• Best Dressed Supporting Actress
• Humor at the Oscars: Where Was It?
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• New Trivia via the latest Oscar race
• Complete List of Winners

Oscar Volley: Best Actress. You can sit with us.

Team Experience is discussing the various Oscar categories. Here's Nathaniel, Ben Miller, Mark Brinkerhoff and special guest Nick Davis to discuss Best Actress.

NATHANIEL: I've been thinking a lot about what the characters and not the nominated actresses would make of all the competitive hoopla around the Best Actress Oscar this year. Photographer Janis (soulfully embodied by Penélope Cruz) wouldn't quite want all the eyes on her but she'd keep busy and turn her lens on her fellow nominees. She'd stick around for all the events.  Professor Leda (Oliva Colman in all her complexity) and Princess Diana (anxiously inhabited by Kristen Stewart), who I'd never otherwise pair in thought, would both surely acknowledge the honors while eyeing the nearest exit and counting the minutes until they could escape. They would skip anything non-mandatory.  Lucille Ball (surprisingly portrayed by Nicole Kidman) would be the consummate star and pull all the focus... but what would she actually be thinking about in the glow of all the lights? Only Tammy Faye (enthusiastically reincarnated by Jessica Chastain) might truly enjoy it. She would be very extra about campaigning and thoroughly enjoy the circus of it all.

Am I stalling due to utter suspense about who might win? Sure...

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'Belfast' and 'King Richard' win big at "Movies for Grownups" Awards

by Nathaniel R

Alan Cumming hosts the Movies For Grownups Award © PBS

The AARP 'Movies For Grownups' Awards aired as a special on PBS last night to celebrate their 20th anniversary. Alan Cumming hosted the audience-absent virtual awards with disturbing laugh and applause track.  You can watch it on the PBS site through April 15th. Belfast which had led their nominations won the top prize but they spread the wealth. The only film to win more than one prize was King Richard (Actor & Supporting Actress). You have to be 50+ to be eligible for their prizes which is why some of the biggest Oscar contenders are absent.

Winners and comments and a few pics from acceptance speeches are after the jump...

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