Let's talk 2018 Oscars

Sharon Stone's dress is outrageous!  Lol!

Laura Dern Big Little Lies!

angelak said:

Sharon Stone's dress is outrageous!  Lol!

Looks like a Thierry Mugler

Allison Janney's was really stunning.

Congrats to Janney for best supporting actress.

I still see her as the quintessential press secretary. She was a far cry from Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

I love Kirk Douglas.

Nice speech by Ewan.

That was a nice tribute to Oprah Winfrey.

Great speech.

Great tribute to the press.

She's good.

Oprah for President!!!!

The Germans halted their advance on Dunkirk.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Dunkirk

drummerboy said:

I know - that's what I'm trying to get at - British air support seemed pretty meager as portrayed in the movie. Why didn't the Germans just lob a couple of V2 rockets (or was this pre-V2?) and just wipe them out?

To me it makes it seem like the movie has told an incomplete story - which in this case is not so good because this movie is "just" a story. Nothing complicated about it.

I think I prefer the more cerebral Nolan. With him, if I don't understand something, it's probably because I wasn't supposed to. 

brealer said:

The movie teaches that not many British planes provided air support to the British soldiers trapped on the Dunkirk beach. The soldiers and their ships were undefended--sitting ducks for German planes flying low & slow, unopposed. Except for one British plane. Nolan devotes lots of movie time to the British pilot who did make it across the channel, and did provide some cover. Remember?

Glad for Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird, and Gary Oldman.

Nice win for Frances McDormand.

3 Billboards.  Well deserved.

What was up with Sam Rockwell thanking his agent at the very end of the broadcast? 

Here's the complete list of Golden Globe winners:

http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/07/entertainment/golden-globes-winners/index.html

SAG awards up next, Sunday, January 21st.  Here's the nominees:

https://www.sagawards.org/awards/nominees-and-recipients/24th-annual-screen-actors-guild-awards

I just now came across the NYT review of A Fantastic Woman tonight.  Sorry I missed this one.

The_Soulful_Mr_T said:

Saw "A Fantastic Woman" last night at the Angelika. It got a rave review in the NYTimes. ("It’s a fantastic movie. Daniela Vega, the star, is fantastic in it. Quote me in the ads, with exclamation points if you must. My work here is done.") I wasn't as floored by it although I thought it was very good, very natural the actress Daniela Vega is so very good. Another fascinating film about a fascinating woman.

well, now that would explain it. Mystery solved!

jeffl said:

The Germans halted their advance on Dunkirk.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Dunkirk

drummerboy said:

I know - that's what I'm trying to get at - British air support seemed pretty meager as portrayed in the movie. Why didn't the Germans just lob a couple of V2 rockets (or was this pre-V2?) and just wipe them out?

To me it makes it seem like the movie has told an incomplete story - which in this case is not so good because this movie is "just" a story. Nothing complicated about it.

I think I prefer the more cerebral Nolan. With him, if I don't understand something, it's probably because I wasn't supposed to. 

brealer said:

The movie teaches that not many British planes provided air support to the British soldiers trapped on the Dunkirk beach. The soldiers and their ships were undefended--sitting ducks for German planes flying low & slow, unopposed. Except for one British plane. Nolan devotes lots of movie time to the British pilot who did make it across the channel, and did provide some cover. Remember?

James Franco joins the list of those accused of sexual misconduct.

http://beta.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-james-franco-allegations-20180111-htmlstory.html

Critics Choice awards, scroll down a bit for the list of winners:

http://www.criticschoice.com/critics-choice-awards/

saw Phantom Thread tonight and really wanted to like it. But...nope.  Those annoying pregnant pauses just wouldn't stop. The dialogue went nowhere.  The characters were so shallow. 

Daniel Day Lewis has a profound presence on the screen but this was a crap vehicle for him. 

Callin' 'em like I sees 'em. 

I was going to see Phantom Thread this week in Maplewood, but based on your review and others, I'll probably give it a miss.   Saw The Post.  Good movie.  I can't see it winning many Oscars, but totally worth the price of admission.  Oscar nominations are announced this Tuesday.

The_Soulful_Mr_T said:

saw Phantom Thread tonight and really wanted to like it. But...nope.  Those annoying pregnant pauses just wouldn't stop. The dialogue went nowhere.  The characters were so shallow. 

Daniel Day Lewis has a profound presence on the screen but this was a crap vehicle for him. 

Callin' 'em like I sees 'em. 

I saw Call Me By Your Name over the weekend. Again, I wanted to like it but it was problematic for me. (Spoiler alert)

I think the reviews have been rapturous. And it's a beautiful film; who wouldn't want to spend a few hours around a gorgeous villa in northern Italy with beautiful people, beautiful food, beautiful wine?

But this gay seduction scenario has been done so much better by the French over the years.

And given current sensitivities, the seduction of a teenage boy by an older man (in the film, an American grad student in his 20s played by Armie Hammer) smacks of pedophilia. It made me uncomfortable. The older grad student character seems selfish, oblivious, arrogant.

The speech delivered by the father at the conclusion seems to be, and is meant to be, loving and accepting and non-judgemental. But in the end, it's enabling, blind and damns the son to confusion and further exploitation.

The film was written by James Ivory, an ancient queen (of Merchant-Ivory fame) and this is likely a wet dream for him.

Callin' 'em likes I sees 'em.

There's a bunch of Best Documentaries streaming now - here's the list of what you can watch at home:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/23/watching/oscars-nominated-movies-where-to-stream.html

Scripted Features

‘Get Out’
Nominated for: best picture, best director, best original screenplay, best actor
Where to watch: HBO

‘Dunkirk’
Nominated for: best picture, best director, best production design, best cinematography, best sound mixing, best original score, best film editing
Where to watch: Amazon, iTunes

‘The Big Sick’
Nominated for: best original screenplay
Where to watch: Amazon Prime, iTunes

‘Mudbound’
Nominated for: best cinematography, best supporting actress, best original song, best adapted screenplay
Where to watch: Netflix

‘Blade Runner 2049’
Nominated for: best production design, best cinematography, best original sound mixing, best visual effects
Where to watch: Amazon, iTunes

‘Victoria & Abdul’
Where to watch: Amazon, iTunes

‘Logan’
Nominated for: best adapted screenplay
Where to watch: HBO, iTunes

Animated

‘Loving Vincent’
Nominated for: best animated feature
Where to watch: Amazon, iTunes

‘The Boss Baby’
Where to watch: Netflix, Amazon

Documentary

‘Abacus: Small Enough to Jail’
Nominated for: best documentary feature
Where to watch: Amazon Prime, iTunes

Bryan Fogel in “Icarus.”Netflix
‘Icarus’
Nominated for: best documentary feature
Where to watch: Netflix

‘Last Men in Aleppo’
Nominated for: best documentary feature
Where to watch: Netflix, iTunes

‘Strong Island’
Nominated for: best documentary feature
Where to watch: Netflix

Every year awards are given for animated as well as live action short films but where is one supposed to see them?  They don't play in theaters and they're hard to find in library networks to. 

Animated shorts used to be compiled into an annual release for theaters, but it’s been decades since I’ve seen one.

we saw The Post today. I thought it was great. So important right now to examine the intended role of the press.