Scorsese at the Oscars: The Complete Tally

by Cláudio Alves

With Killers of the Flower Moon still in theaters, conversation on the film has drifted from first impressions to Oscar prognostication. Amid these talks, Martin Scorsese's golden record has been heavily debated. Some say he's been severely under-rewarded, while others regard such talking points with disdain usually reserved for teenaged pop stans. Wherever you fall in this spectrum, knowing the director's exact Oscar stats will be helpful, if not enlightening. None of his short or documentary work has ever been recognized by AMPAS, and out of 25 narrative features, 17 have received at least one nomination – or 68%. Seven of those won an Oscar – or roughly 41% of his nominated work.

For a more in-depth analysis, let's consider the complete tally, sorted by category…

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1999 with Nick: Best Cinematography Falls on "Cedars"

This week, in advance of the Oscars, Nick Davis is looking back at the Academy races of 20 years ago, spotlighting movies he’d never seen and what they teach us about those categories, then and now...

Spotlight Movie: Snow Falling on Cedars

Today's case study from the 72nd Academy Awards is a less auspicious instance than yesterday's of a movie sneaking onto Oscar's ballot with just one nomination. I'd also call it an example of good filmmaking that, in context, arguably constitutes bad filmmaking, or at least disappointing and misguided filmmaking. Cinematographer Robert Richardson is not the exclusive or even the primary defendant in the case I’m going to make. He was probably executing to the best of his ability the mandates of a director and a producing team intent on the picturesque. Still, I’m not sure we needed to reward him for following such dubious orders. And now, as so often in this movie, we flash back...

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33 Days till Oscar

33 is sometimes called 'the Jesus year' but how many people have won the Oscar while sporting Jesus hair. Not too damn many. We can only think of Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club, Best Supporting Actor), Robert Richardson (three wins in Cinematography), and Ludwig Goransson (Black Panther's score) if you don't require the beard with the long hair. Christian Bale (The Fighter) almost applies but then he went and cut his hair between the Globes and Oscar night in the winter of 2011. Anyone else?

ASC Nominees and "Spotlight" Cinematographers

The Cinematographer's guild has spoken and they basically went with mainstream Best Picture frontrunners as is their habit. The five theatrical nominees are...

• Roger Deakins for 1917
• Phaedon Papamichael for Ford V Ferrari
• Rodrigo Prieto for The Irishman
• Robert Richardson for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
• Lawrence Sher for Joker 

All but Sher are familiar to the Oscar race having been nominated before, particular Deakins (14 nominations / 1 win) and Richards (9 nominations / 3 wins).

Their "spotlight" nominees -- a fairly new category -- are always more interesting since they tend to be far removed from the Oscar race...

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Once Upon a Link

• Variety Lee Pace talks about his new projects and a possible Pushing Daisies reunion
• IndieWire wait, what? Is this the 1990s again? Adriane Lyne (Fatal Attraction, Unfaithful) is making a new erotic thriller. It's called Deep Water and Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas are set to co-star
•  /Film Disney animators have "huge resentment" of the new Lion King... and with good reason, too

After the jump an Academy election, Kelvin Harrison Jr, Meryl Streep screaming, and lots of fascinating thoughts on Once Upon a Time in Hollywood...

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