Cinema Cocktail 2021 Virtual Film Festival

Welcome to the second installment of the Cinema Cocktail Virtual Film Festival. We started the virtual film festival in 2020 while cinemas were closed due to the spread of COVID-19 and festivals around the country were closing down due to safety concerns. Even though cinemas are beginning to reopen and film festivals around the country have embraced virtual screenings, it was such a delight to program two weeks of film last year – staying connected with our online community of cinephiles and movie lovers using the streaming services we already know and love – that we decided to continue on and program a second edition.

The titles for this year’s festival have all been added, so browse by date, title, special events, or special programming. And if you’d like to join us for any of the festival galas, please fill out the RSVP form below.

We hope you’ll join us! We may be physically distant – but we’re connected by cinema!

Cinema Cocktail 2020 Virtual Film Festival

Updated May 20

Welcome to the very first edition of the Cinema Cocktail 2020 Virtual Film Festival. During this time when cinemas are closed due to the continued spread of COVID-19 and festivals around the country are closing down due to safety concerns, we thought what better way to stay connected with our online community of cinephiles and movie lovers than with an at-home festival, using the streaming services we already know and love.

The festival runs from May 15-31 and all films have been added to the lineup as of today. There has been on programming change – the Eliza Hittman retrospective originally scheduled for May 22 has been rescheduled for May 30, due to the sudden unavailability of Never Rarely Sometimes Always. It will be available as a less-expensive digital purchase beginning May 26, so we’ve adjusted the programming somewhat to accommodate the change in availability.

This was originally planned as a way for me to enjoy the same type of film festival vacation I take every year with the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF), and I’d encourage anyone who is able to consider donating to the GoFundMe that has been set up to help support SIFF’s year-round staff members in programming, education, development, and communications and marketing who have been fired due to the festival closure and the cessation of year-round operations. Half of all of our proceeds from festival merchandise and tickets to our Centerpiece Screening will go to help support this cause. You can donate here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-siff-staff

We hope you’ll join us! We may be physically distant – but we’re connected by cinema!

Announcing the Cinema Cocktail 2020 Virtual Film Festival

Every May for the past few years, I’ve taken some much-needed vacation time to attend the Seattle International Film Festival. The festival coincides with my birthday, and what better way to celebrate another trip around the sun than 25 days of incredible film from every corner of the globe? But with the COVID-19 spread necessitating the shutdown of public gatherings, this year’s festival was cancelled. Rather than give up my yearly celebration of cinema, I’ve decided to take the two weeks off and program my own virtual film festival to coincide with the time I’d be taking off under normal circumstances.

So here at Cinema Cocktail, I am pleased to announce the first-ever Cinema Cocktail Virtual Film Festival – May 15-31. Using streaming services like the Criterion Channel, Mubi, Ovid, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Shudder, and more – as well as the occasional Video on Demand title – I’ll be curating a selection of films that include silent cinema, classics, contemporary film from around the world, long form storytelling, family films, and midnight movies. There are a few principles that are guiding my selection as I narrow down the final choices:

- - All programmed films must be films that I have not yet seen, though exceptions will be made if I can track down some films that are exceptionally difficult to see;
  - If at all possible, 50% of all films programmed should be directed or co-directed by female filmmakers. black and indigenous filmmakers, and filmmakers of color; and,
  - If at all possible, programmed films should represent as many geographic regions as possible.

I do know that I am setting myself up for some challenges here and I may not achieve all three goals, but I do believe they’re worthy goals to strive towards nonetheless.

While the full lineup won’t be announced until early May, I am very pleased to announce both our Opening Night and our Closing Night films!

Opening Night Film and Festivities

We’ll kick off the festival with Autumn de Wilde’s Jane Austen adaptation, Emma., a stylized and luminous comedy that’s that been getting high marks from critics. As Justin Chang wrote for NPR, “This is the first feature from the photographer and music-video director Autumn de Wilde, and while she has an obvious eye for beauty, she has an equally sharp eye for the absurd.” We’ll also include a link to a 33-minute Q&A with de Wilde and star Anya Taylor-Joy for anyone who wants to learn more about the film.

Closing Day Screenings and Celebrations

We’ll be closing out the festival with a retrospective on the French filmmaker Céline Sciamma. Throughout the day we’ll view all of her feature films (Water Lilies, Tomboy, and Girlhood), one of her shorts (Pauline), and an in-depth interview between Sciamma and Tricia Tuttle, director of the BFI London Film Festival. Finally, we’ll end the evening with Sciamma’s latest film, Portrait of a Lady on Fire. “Sciamma has a keen eye for the ways that women have always cared for each other under the radar of society, dealing with unwanted pregnancies and building little communities in plain sight.” (Emily VanDerWerff, Vox)

If there’s enough interest, I also intend to host a few panel conversations and group discussions through the festival, and we’ll see what other ways we can build in some aspects of intentional community building that you get with a traditional film festival. I do hope you’ll consider joining me for as much of this two-week festival as you’re able. Stay tuned for more information!

Oscars 2020: Predictions, Preferences, and Winners

It’s been a whirlwind of viewing and a blur of awards activity since the nominations for the 92nd Academy Awards were announced just a few short weeks ago, and this is the first year in quite some time that I have fallen behind in my viewing schedule. Some of that is due to additional podcasting and working responsibilities, but much of it is due to the tighter awards season window. Thankfully, the academy is going back to a late-February ceremony next year which will give us all a little more breathing room.

I was able to squeeze in most of the major nominees – and will still try to fit in a few of the short films before the ceremony begins at 5:00 P.M. Pacific Time, but I know I’ll be playing catch up throughout most of the year. While it was lovely to finally see Marriage Story and The Irishman – both films absolute masterpieces that I am eager to revisit years from now – I was struck by the mediocrity of many nominees that I caught up with during this year’s Oscar run – from the current frontrunner 1917 (a technical exercise in search of a soul) to films like Ford v Ferrari, Bombshell, and Judy.

Still, no matter how bad (or mediocre) the nominees or winners, I love the Oscars and will be rooting for my favorites (Parasite and Little Women and The Irishman) to sweep all of the categories. So here are the films that I think will win, should win, and some possible spoilers. I’ll also be updating this throughout the night with the actual winners. And you can listen to the conversation Robert Taylor and I had on the subject earlier today.

Happy Oscars, everyone!

Complete List of Predictions, Preferences, Possible Spoilers, and Winners

Best Picture

- - 1917
  - Ford v Ferrari
  - The Irishman
  - Jojo Rabbit
  - Joker
  - Little Women
  - Marriage Story
  - Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
  - Parasite

Prediction: 1917

Preference: Parasite (or The Irishman, or Jojo Rabbit, or Little Women, or Marriage Story, or Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood)

Spoiler: Parasite

Winner: Parasite

Best Director

- - Bong Joon-ho – Parasite
  - Sam Mendes – 1917
  - Todd Phillips – Joker
  - Martin Scorsese – The Irishman
  - Quentin Tarantino – Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

Prediction: Sam Mendes

Preference: Bong Joon-ho

Spoiler: Bong Joon-ho

Winner: Bong Joon-ho

Best Actor in a Leading Role

- - Antonio Banderas – Pain and Glory
  - Leonardo DiCaprio – Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
  - Adam Driver – Marriage Story
  - Joaquin Phoenix – Joker
  - Jonathan Pryce – The Two Popes

Prediction: Joaquin Phoenix

Preference: Adam Driver (or Antonio Banderas)

Spoiler: None

Winner: Joaquin Phoenix

Best Actress in a Leading Role

- - Cynthia Erivo – Harriet
  - Scarlett Johansson – Marriage Story
  - Saoirse Ronan – Little Women
  - Charlize Theron – Bombshell
  - Renée Zellweger – Judy

Prediction: Renée Zellweger

Preference: Scarlett Johansson (or Saoirse Ronan)

Spoiler: Charlize Theron

Winner: Renée Zellweger

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

- - Tom Hanks – A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
  - Anthony Hopkins – The Two Popes
  - Al Pacino – The Irishman
  - Joe Pesci – The Irishman
  - Brad Pitt – Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

Prediction: Brad Pitt

Preference: Joe Pesci (or Al Pacino)

Spoiler: None

Winner: Brad Pitt

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

- - Kathy Bates – Richard Jewell
  - Laura Dern – Marriage Story
  - Scarlett Johansson – Jojo Rabbit
  - Florence Pugh – Little Women
  - Morgot Robbie – Bombshell

Prediction: Laura Dern

Preference: Laura Dern (or Florence Pugh, or Scarlett Johansson)

Spoiler: Scarlett Johansson

Winner: Laura Dern

Best Adapted Screenplay

- - The Irishman – Steven Zalilian
  - Jojo Rabbit – Taika Waititi
  - Joker – Todd Phillips & Scott Silver
  - Little Women – Greta Gerwig
  - The Two Popes – Anthony McCarten

Prediction: Jojo Rabbit

Preference: Little Woman

Spoiler: Little Woman

Winner: Jojo Rabbit

Best Original Screenplay

- - 1917 – Sam Mendes & Krysty Wilson-Cairns
  - Knives Out – Rian Johnson
  - Marriage Story – Noah Baumbach
  - Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood – Quentin Tarantino
  - Parasite – Bong Joon-ho & Han Jin-wan; story by Bong Joon-ho

Prediction: Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

Preference: Marriage Story (or Knives Out, or Parasite)

Spoiler: Parasite

Winner: Parasite

Best Cinematography

- - 1917
  - The Irishman
  - Joker
  - The Lighthouse
  - Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

Prediction: 1917

Preference: The Lighthouse

Spoiler: None

Winner: 1917

Best Film Editing

- - Ford v Ferrari
  - The Irishman
  - Jojo Rabbit
  - Joker
  - Parasite

Prediction: Parasite

Preference: Parasite

Spoiler: The Irishman

Winner: Ford v Ferrari

Best Costume Design

- - The Irishman
  - Jojo Rabbit
  - Joker
  - Little Women
  - Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

Prediction: Little Women

Preference: Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

Spoiler: Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

Winner: Little Women

Best Production Design

- - 1917
  - The Irishman
  - Jojo Rabbit
  - Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
  - Parasite

Prediction: 1917

Preference: Parasite

Spoiler: Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

Winner: Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

- - 1917
  - Bombshell
  - Joker
  - Judy
  - Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

Prediction: Bombshell

Preference: None (None of the nominees really stood out to me this year)

Spoiler: None

Winner: Bombshell

Best International Feature Film

- - Corpus Christi
  - Honeyland
  - Les Misérables
  - Pain and Glory
  - Parasite

Prediction: Parasite

Preference: Parasite

Spoiler: None

Winner: Parasite

Best Animated Feature Film

- - How to Train Your Dragon: Hidden World
  - I Lost My Body
  - Klaus
  - Missing Link
  - Toy Story 4

Prediction: Toy Story 4

Preference: I Lost My Body

Spoiler: Klaus

Winner: Toy Story 4

Best Documentary – Feature Film

- - American Factory
  - The Cave
  - The Edge of Democracy
  - For Sama
  - Honeyland

Prediction: American Factory

Preference: Honeyland

Spoiler: For Sama

Winner: American Factory

Best Documentary – Short Subject

- - In the Absence
  - Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)
  - Life Overtakes Me
  - St. Louis Superman
  - Walk Run Cha-Cha

Prediction: St. Louis Superman

Preference: In the Absence

Spoiler: Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)

Winner: Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)

Best Music – Original Score

- - 1917 – Thomas Newman
  - Joker – Hildur Guðnadóttir
  - Little Women – Alexandre Desplat
  - Marriage Story – Randy Newman
  - Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – John Williams

Prediction: Joker

Preference: Marriage Story (or Little Women)

Spoiler: 1917

Winner: Joker

Best Music – Original Song

- - Breakthrough – “I’m Standing With You,” music and lyric by Diane Warren
  - Frozen II – “Into the Unknown,” music and lyric by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez
  - Harriet – “Stand Up,” music and lyric by Joshuah Brian Campbell and Cynthia Erivo
  - Rocketman – “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again,” music by Elton John, lyric by Bernie Taupin
  - Toy Story 4 – “I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away,” music and lyric by Randy Newman

Prediction: Rocketman

Preference: Rocketman

Spoiler: Harriet

Winner: Rocketman

Best Sound Editing

- - 1917
  - Ford v Ferrari
  - Joker
  - Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
  - Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Prediction: Ford v Ferrari

Preference: Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

Spoiler: 1917

Winner: Ford v Ferrari

Best Sound Mixing

- - 1917
  - Ad Astra
  - Ford v Ferrari
  - Joker
  - Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

Prediction: Ford v Ferrari

Preference: Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

Spoiler: 1917

Winner: 1917

Best Visual Effects

- - 1917
  - Avengers: Endgame
  - The Irishman
  - The Lion King
  - Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Prediction: 1917

Preference: Avengers: Endgame

Spoiler: Avengers: Endgame

Winner: 1917

Best Animated Short Film

- - Dcera (Daughter)
  - Hair Love
  - Kitbull
  - Memorable
  - Sister

Prediction: Hair Love

Preference: Memorable

Spoiler: None

Winner: Hair Love

Best Live Action Short Film

- - Brotherhood
  - Nefta Football Club
  - The Neighbors’ Window
  - Saria
  - A Sister

Prediction: Brotherhood

Preference: None (I’ve only seen one of the nominees)

Spoiler: Sariahs

Winner: The Neighbors’ Window

Cinema Cocktail, Episode 2 – Oscar Predictions

Josh Hornbeck is once again joined by screenwriter and critic Robert Taylor for a discussion about the 92nd Academy Awards. With the shortened Oscar window, the two have had less time to see the films, but still give their predictions and preferences for who will (and should) win the Oscar in each category.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Episode Links

- - List of Oscar Nominations

Where to Find Us Online

- - Robert Taylor: Website
  - Josh Hornbeck: Twitter | Instagram | Letterboxd

Support the Show

- - Cinema Cocktail
  - List of Patreon Supporters

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Oscars 2020: Nominations

Nominations are in for the 92nd Annual Academy Awards and as the awards season has become shorter, everything about the season has become more and more predictable. Waking up the this morning’s list of nominees felt like checking off the list of presumptive frontrunners and gallery of names who have been circling the conversation since mid-November. This isn’t to say that there aren’t some very deserving films on this list, and it isn’t to say that there aren’t some serious disappointments as well. But none of the nominations (or even any of the snubs) came as much of a surprise if you’ve been paying attention to the conversation at all over the coming months.

Perhaps the biggest surprise here is the sheer number of nominations that Joker received. The film received a decidedly negative reaction from critics and the film’s sophomoric nihilism seemed too dark to resonate much with Oscar voters. But never underestimate the need for white, entitled comic book fans to feel that the things they love are taken seriously. There was such an Oscar backlash when The Dark Knight failed to received a nomination for Best Picture that this feels like an overzealous course correction in favor of a film that pretends to have something meaningful to say.

There are also quite a few nominations for 1917, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, The Irishman, Jojo Rabbit, Little Women, Parasite, and Marriage Story – making them all viable contenders for some major awards, though I maintain that the bulk of the academy will favor the sturdy war drama 1917 as the safe bet – especially among the crafts and the Best Director/Best Picture awards. Netflix is still seen by many in the industry as a disrupter and while the rumblings are quieter this year, I don’t believe that Academy voters are ready to fully embrace the streaming giant as the new studio in town. After all, last year was the first year that any Netflix film cracked the Best Picture race at all. They still have a long way to go.

I was very happy to see that Greta Gerwig’s Little Women picked up a few more nominations than expected – especially a nomination for Best Picture – but was dismayed that she was passed over for Best Director. In fact, though it wasn’t a surprise, it was still quite frustrating to see so many female filmmakers, so many directors of color, and so many performers of color sidelined this awards season. Awkwafina’s performance in The Farewell was outstanding, as was Zhao Shuzhen, who played her grandmother in the film. And I knew that Chinonye Chukwu’s Clemency would be a long shot with Oscar voters – both for Best Picture and Best Director – but I had hoped that Alfre Woodard might have squeaked into the Best Actress category with her magnificent performance. Still, my biggest disappointment was the omission of Mati Diop’s Atlantics from the Best International Film category – a film that was one of most gorgeous and haunting films of the year.

The best surprise of the day was seeing how well represented Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite was in the nominations, with six total nominations including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Production Design, and Best International Film. Bong is an immensely talented filmmaker and Parasite is a fantastic film, so it’s lovely to see him recognized so fully. And it’s also lovely to see South Korea receive recognition at the Oscars for the very first time. Parasite was one of my favorite films of the past year, so I will definitely be carrying my torch for its intricate, clock-work perfection throughout the coming weeks and holding out hope – faint though it may be – that it sweeps its categories and truly surprises us all this year.

Complete List of Nominees

Best Picture

- - 1917
  - Ford v Ferrari
  - The Irishman
  - Jojo Rabbit
  - Joker
  - Little Women
  - Marriage Story
  - Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
  - Parasite

Best Director

- - Bong Joon-ho – Parasite
  - Sam Mendes – 1917
  - Todd Phillips – Joker
  - Martin Scorsese – The Irishman
  - Quentin Tarantino – Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

Best Actor in a Leading Role

- - Antonio Banderas – Pain and Glory
  - Leonardo DiCaprio – Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
  - Adam Driver – Marriage Story
  - Joaquin Phoenix – Joker
  - Jonathan Pryce – The Two Popes

Best Actress in a Leading Role

- - Cynthia Erivo – Harriet
  - Scarlett Johansson – Marriage Story
  - Saoirse Ronan – Little Women
  - Charlize Theron – Bombshell
  - Renée Zellweger – Judy

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

- - Tom Hanks – A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
  - Anthony Hopkins – The Two Popes
  - Al Pacino – The Irishman
  - Joe Pesci – The Irishman
  - Brad Pitt – Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

- - Kathy Bates – Richard Jewell
  - Laura Dern – Marriage Story
  - Scarlett Johansson – Jojo Rabbit
  - Florence Pugh – Little Women
  - Morgot Robbie – Bombshell

Best Adapted Screenplay

- - The Irishman – Steven Zalilian
  - Jojo Rabbit – Taika Waititi
  - Joker – Todd Phillips & Scott Silver
  - Little Women – Greta Gerwig
  - The Two Popes – Anthony McCarten

Best Original Screenplay

- - 1917 – Sam Mendes & Krysty Wilson-Cairns
  - Knives Out – Rian Johnson
  - Marriage Story – Noah Baumbach
  - Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood – Quentin Tarantino
  - Parasite – Bong Joon-ho & Han Jin-wan; story by Bong Joon-ho

Best Cinematography

- - 1917
  - The Irishman
  - Joker
  - The Lighthouse
  - Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

Best Film Editing

- - Ford v Ferrari
  - The Irishman
  - Jojo Rabbit
  - Joker
  - Parasite

Best Costume Design

- - The Irishman
  - Jojo Rabbit
  - Joker
  - Little Women
  - Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

Best Production Design

- - 1917
  - The Irishman
  - Jojo Rabbit
  - Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
  - Parasite

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

- - 1917
  - Bombshell
  - Joker
  - Judy
  - Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

Best International Feature Film

- - Corpus Christi
  - Honeyland
  - Les Misérables
  - Pain and Glory
  - Parasite

Best Animated Feature Film

- - How to Train Your Dragon: Hidden World
  - I Lost My Body
  - Klaus
  - Missing Link
  - Toy Story 4

Best Documentary – Feature Film

- - American Factory
  - The Cave
  - The Edge of Democracy
  - For Sama
  - Honeyland

Best Documentary – Short Subject

- - In the Absence
  - Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)
  - Life Overtakes Me
  - St. Louis Superman
  - Walk Run Cha-Cha

Best Music – Original Score

- - 1917 – Thomas Newman
  - Joker – Hildur Guðnadóttir
  - Little Women – Alexandre Desplat
  - Marriage Story – Randy Newman
  - Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – John Williams

Best Music – Original Song

- - Breakthrough – “I’m Standing With You,” music and lyric by Diane Warren
  - Frozen II – “Into the Unknown,” music and lyric by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez
  - Harriet – “Stand Up,” music and lyric by Joshuah Brian Campbell and Cynthia Erivo
  - Rocketman – “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again,” music by Elton John, lyric by Bernie Taupin
  - Toy Story 4 – “I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away,” music and lyric by Randy Newman

Best Sound Editing

- - 1917
  - Ford v Ferrari
  - Joker
  - Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
  - Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Best Sound Mixing

- - 1917
  - Ad Astra
  - Ford v Ferrari
  - Joker
  - Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

Best Visual Effects

- - 1917
  - Avengers: Endgame
  - The Irishman
  - The Lion King
  - Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Best Animated Short Film

- - Dcera (Daughter)
  - Hair Love
  - Kitbull
  - Memorable
  - Sister

Best Live Action Short Film

- - Brotherhood
  - Nefta Football Club
  - The Neighbors’ Window
  - Saria
  - A Sister

Golden Globes 2020 – Winners, Thoughts, and Reflections

Ah, awards season – that stretch of time on the movie calendar from mid-Novmber to early-February where studios launch their prestige films in theaters in hope of securing placement on critics lists and gathering smaller awards nominations in the inevitable march toward Oscar glory. In the film world, there are a wide range of reactions to this season of pseudo-serious cinema that dominates the conversation. The over-enthusiastic movie lovers take this time as an excuse to binge-watch as many films as possible – the good, the bad, and the Bohemian Rhapsody. The more serious cinephiles shake their heads and launch into a diatribe or two about the meaninglessness of all things awards. But the one thing during awards season on which all cineastes can agree is that the Golden Globes are terrible.

Unlike many of the awards that are given out in the run-up to the Oscars, the Golden Globes aren’t run by any critics groups or industry professionals. Instead, they’re run by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), a group of journalists who write entertainment news for foreign magazines, website, and newspapers, and seem more eager to rub elbows with celebrities than adhere to any sort of journalistic standards or ethics. But when they sold television rights for their awards ceremony to NBC, they positioned themselves as the final stop before the Academy Awards and the must-watch ceremony if you want to stand a chance at winning your Oscar pool – no matter how rarely the Golden Globe winners actually line up with the Oscar winners.

As Oscar season has become progressively shorter over the last few years, the Globes have taken on an outsized importance during awards season, as Academy voters look for any guidance to sort through the glut of screeners and films they must wade through when preparing to cast their ballots. Hence, films like Green Book and Bohemian Rhapsody won major awards at last year’s Academy Awards – despite critical derision – due in no small part to their major wins at the higher profile Golden Globes. They may not be predictive, but they do suggest some overall trends that are shaping this awards season narrative, and – much as it pains me to admit – bear some further consideration and reflection.

The biggest surprise of the evening was the virtual shutout of Netflix in the motion picture categories. Five Netflix films received a total of fifteen nominations, and only one of those nominees won an award – Laura Dern for her supporting role in Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story. Considering the prestige and the buzz behind Marriage Story and Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, it’s a surprise that neither film did better among the HFPA voters. But the battle between Netflix and the old guard of Hollywood has been going on for several years now. Steven Spielberg famously lobbied against Roma last year because of its debut on the streaming service. With the Golden Globes seeming to take such a firm stance against Netflix and against two of the most lauded films of the year, it seems that, once again, the Oscar deck is stacked against Netflix.

All of which leads us to our next surprise – the wins of 1917 for Best Director (Sam Mendes) and Best Drama. It’s the latest film to open of any of the Best Picture contenders and hasn’t had the same buzz and momentum as frontrunners such as The Irishman, Marriage Story, and Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood (which did win for Best Comedy). The win here suggests that more conservative awards voters will be looking for something of quality, gravitas, and technical achievement that they can support instead of the Netflix films. A World War I drama put together in a gimmicky, simulated single tracking shot seems destined to fit the fill.

Finally, Joaquin Phoenix’s win for Joker has bumped him ahead of the competition in the best actor race, while Leonardo DiCaprio’s loss to Taron Egerton has dramatically diminished his odds. For the longest time, it seemed to be that Adam Driver’s turn in Marriage Story and Antonio Banderas’s performance in Pain and Glory were the real frontrunners, but now Phoenix seems to the one to beat come Oscar night.

A surprise of the much more pleasant variety, I can only hope that Awkwafina’s win for Best Actress in a Comedy for The Farewell bodes well for her chances when nominations are announced on January 13.

At the end of the day, we won’t know how much influence the Globes really had on the Oscars until February 9, when the ceremony is over and we take stock of the final winners. But there has been a growing trend of influence over these last few years, and it’s a helpful barometer as we enter into this even more compressed awards season, ready to sprint for the next three weeks of movie watching.

Full List of Winners and Nominees

Winners are listed in bold and are immediately followed by an asterisk.

Best Motion Picture – Drama

- - 1917 *
  - The Irishman
  - Joker
  - Marriage Story
  - The Two Popes

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

- - Dolemite Is My Name
  - Jojo Rabbit
  - Knives Out
  - Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood *
  - Rocketman

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama

- - Cynthia Erivo – Harriet
  - Scarlett Johansson – Marriage Story
  - Saoirse Ronan – Little Women
  - Charlize Theron – Bombshell
  - Renée Zellweger – Judy *

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

- - Antonio Banderas – Pain and Glory
  - Christian Bale – Ford v Ferrari
  - Adam Driver – Marriage Story
  - Joaquin Phoenix – Joker *
  - Jonathan Pryce – The Two Popes

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

- - Awkwafina – The Farewell *
  - Cate Blanchett – Where’d You Go, Bernadette
  - Beanie Feldstein – Booksmart
  - Emma Thompson – Late Night
  - Ana de Armas – Knives Out

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

- - Daniel Craig – Knives Out
  - Roman Griffin Davis – Jojo Rabbit
  - Leonard DiCaprio – Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
  - Taron Egerton – Rocketman *
  - Eddie Murphy – Dolemite Is My Name

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture

- - Kathy Bates – Richard Jewell
  - Annette Bening – The Report
  - Laura Dern – Marriage Story *
  - Jennifer Lopez – Hustlers
  - Margot Robbie – Bombshell

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture

- - Tom Hanks – A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
  - Anthony Hopkins – The Two Popes
  - Al Pacino – The Irishman
  - Joe Pesci – The Irishman
  - Brad Pitt – Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood *

Best Director – Motion Picture

- - Bong Joon-ho – Parasite
  - Sam Mendes – 1917 *
  - Todd Phillips – Joker
  - Martin Scorsese – The Irishman
  - Quentin Tarantino – Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture

- - The Irishman
  - Marriage Story
  - Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood *
  - Parasite
  - The Two Popes

Best Motion Picture – Animated

- - Frozen II
  - How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
  - The Lion King
  - Missing Link *
  - Toy Story 4

Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language

- - The Farewell
  - Les Misérables
  - Pain and Glory
  - Parasite *
  - Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Best Original Score – Motion Picture

- - 1917
  - Joker *
  - Little Women
  - Marriage Story
  - Motherless Brooklyn

Best Original Song – Motion Picture

- - Cats – “Beautiful Ghosts”
  - Frozen II – “Into the Unknown”
  - Harriet – “Stand Up”
  - The Lion King – “Spirit”
  - Rocketman – “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” *

2020 Oscar Shortlist Announced

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has announced the shortlists for the 92nd Annual Academy Awards in nine categories, narrowing the field dramatically and giving us an even better indication of what the Oscar race will look like when nominations are announced on January 13.

There aren’t any big surprises here or major snubs here, though we do see the continuing trend of popular biographical documentaries (Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am and Ask Dr. Ruth) overlooked in favor of the political documentaries. And while the omission of Alejandro Landes’s Monos is certainly regrettable, the current list of shortlisted films for International Feature Film is still incredibly strong.

Here are all of the films shortlisted for Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject, International Feature Film, Makeup and Hairstyling, Music (Original Score), Music (Original Song), Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film, and Visual Effects.

Documentary Feature

- - Advocate
  - American Factory
  - The Apollo
  - Apollo 11
  - Aquarela
  - The Biggest Little Farm
  - The Cave
  - The Edge of Democracy
  - For Sama
  - The Great Hack
  - Honeyland
  - Knock Down the House
  - Maiden
  - Midnight Family
  - One Child Nation

Documentary Short Subject

- - After Maria
  - Fire in Paradise
  - Ghosts of Sugar Land
  - In the Absence
  - Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)
  - Life Overtakes Me
  - The Nightcrawlers
  - St. Louis Superman
  - Stay Close
  - Walk Run Cha-Cha

International Feature Film

- - Czech Republic – The Painted Bird
  - Estonia – Truth and Justice
  - France – Les Misérables
  - Hungary – Those Who Remained
  - North Macedonia – Honeyland
  - Poland – Corpus Christi
  - Russia – Beanpole
  - Senegal – Atlantics
  - South Korea – Parasite
  - Spain – Pain and Glory

Makeup and Hairstyling

- - 1917
  - Bombshell
  - Dolemite Is My Name
  - Downton Abbey
  - Joker
  - Judy
  - Little Women
  - Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
  - Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
  - Rocketman

Music (Original Score)

- - 1917
  - Avengers: Endgame
  - Bombshell
  - The Farewell
  - Ford v Ferrari
  - Frozen II
  - Jojo Rabbit
  - Joker
  - The King
  - Little Women
  - Marriage Story
  - Motherless Brooklyn
  - Pain and Glory
  - Star War: The Rise of Skywalker
  - Us

Music (Original Song)

- - Aladdin – “Speechless”
  - The Black Godfather – “Letter to My Godfather”
  - The Bronx USA – “Da Bronx”
  - Frozen II – “Into the Unknown”
  - Harriet – “Stand Up”
  - The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part – “Catchy Song”
  - The Lion King – “Never Too Late”
  - The Lion King – “Spirit”
  - Motherless Brooklyn – “Daily Battles”
  - Parasite – “A Glass of Soju”
  - Rocketman – “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again”
  - Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am – “High Above the Water”
  - Toy Story 4 – “I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away”
  - Wild Rose – “Glasgow”

Animated Short Film

- - Dcera (Daughter)
  - Hair Love
  - He Can’t Live without Cosmos
  - Hors Piste
  - Kitbull
  - Memorable
  - Mind My Mind
  - The Physics of Sorrow
  - Sister
  - Uncle Thomas: Accounting for the Days

Live Action Short Film

- - Brotherhood
  - The Christmas Gift
  - Little Hands
  - Miller & Son
  - Nefta Football Club
  - The Neighbor’s Window
  - Refugee
  - Saria
  - A Sister
  - Sometimes, I Think About Dying

Visual Effects

- - 1917
  - Alita: Battle Angel
  - Avengers: Endgame
  - Captain Marvel
  - Cats
  - Gemini Man
  - The Irishman
  - The Lion King
  - Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
  - Terminator: Dark Fate

2020 Golden Globe Award Nominations

This morning, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) has announced the nominees for the 2020 Golden Globe Awards. Leading the nominees is Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story with six nominations (Motion Picture – Drama, Actress – Drama, Actor – Drama, Screenplay, Score, Actress in a Supporting Role), followed closely by Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman and Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, each with five nominations.

The Golden Globes are voted on by members of the HFPA, an organization comprised of journalists who cover the film industry for publications around the world. With the ceremony broadcast on network television and combining awards for the Motion Picture and Television industries, it’s one of the highest profile awards ceremonies in the lead-up to the Academy Awards and has a hand in shaping the end-of-year awards conversation – even if their own winners are rather pedestrian and outright baffling at times.

Among the larger controversies arising from this year’s crop of nominees is the lack of representation from female and African American filmmakers in the top awards categories (Motion Picture, Screenplay, Director). It’s nice to see some actors of color nominated across several categories, and it is refreshing to see Bong Joon-Ho’s Parasite secure nominations for Foreign Language Film, Director, and Screenplay – especially considering the fact that South Korean films have traditionally been shut out of many Western awards ceremonies. And the Foreign Language category itself is more inclusive – with two female filmmakers receiving nominations (The Farewell and Portrait of a Lady on Fire), as well as a filmmaker of color (Les Misérables).

At the end of the day, while most of us in the online film community may not like the Golden Globes and may want to turn up our noses at the nominees and winners, the truth is that these nominations do influence the films that Academy Award voters will prioritize. And the added prestige of these awards seasons films means that your average moviegoer is more likely to seek out some of these films that are slightly more adventurous and risky than their usual Friday night blockbuster.

And as far as I’m concerned, that’s all for the better.

Here is the complete list of Golden Globe Nominees in the Motion Picture Categories:

Best Motion Picture – Drama

- 1917
- The Irishman
- Joker
- Marriage Story
- The Two Popes

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

- Dolemite Is My Name
- Jojo Rabbit
- Knives Out
- Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
- Rocketman

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama

- Cynthia Erivo – Harriet
- Scarlett Johannson – Marriage Story
- Saoirse Ronan – Little Woman
- Charlize Theron – Bombshell
- Renée Zellweger – Judy

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

- Christian Bale – Ford v Ferrari
- Antonio Banderas – Pain and Glory
- Adam Driver – Marriage Story
- Joaquin Phoenix – Joker
- Jonathan Pryce – The Two Popes

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

- Awkwafina – The Farewell
- Cate Blanchett – Where’d You Go Bernadette?
- Ana de Armas – Knives Out
- Beanie Feldstein – Booksmart
- Emma Thompson – Late Night

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

- Daniel Craig – Knives Out
- Roman Griffin Davis – Jojo Rabbit
- Leonardo DiCaprio – Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
- Taron Egerton – Rocketman
- Eddie Murphy – Dolemite Is My Name

Best Director – Motion Picture

- Bong Joon-Ho – Parasite
- Sam Mendes – 1917
- Todd Phillips – Joker
- Martin Scorsese – The Irishman
- Quentin Tarantino – Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture

- Noah Baumbach – Marriage Story
- Bong Joon-Ho and Jin Won-Han – Parasite
- Anthony McCarten – The Two Popes
- Quentin Tarantino – Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
- Steven Zaillian – The Irishman

Best Foreign Language Film

- The Farewell
- Les Misérables
- Pain and Glory
- Parasite
- Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Best Animated Feature

- Frozen 2
- How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
- The Lion King
- The Missing Link
- Toy Story 4

Best Original Score – Motion Picture

- Alexandre Desplat – Little Women
- Hildur Gudnadóttir – Joker
- Randy Newman – Marriage Story
- Thomas Newman – 1917
- Daniel Pemberton – Motherless Brooklyn

Best Original Song – Motion Picture

- Cats – “Beautiful Ghosts”
- Frozen 2 – “Into the Unknown”
- Harriet – “Stand Up”
- The Lion King – “Spirit”
- Rocketman – “I’m Gonna Love Me Again”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture

- Kathy Bates – Richard Jewell
- Annette Bening – The Report
- Laura Dern – Marriage Story
- Jennifer Lopez – Hustlers
- Margot Robbie – Bombshell

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture

- Tom Hanks – A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
- Anthony Hopkins – The Two Popes
- Al Pacino – The Irishman
- Joe Pesci – The Irishman
- Brad Pitt – Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood