Oscar Stuff
2023 Oscar Predictions – The Rules of the Game
The Oscars are still months away. This is the moment where the pundits each offer up a picture of how they think they should go. To know their predictions is to know them. How do they go about forming their projections? Here’s the dirty little secret that no one wants to say out loud: a lot of it is wishful thinking disguised as punditry. Some of it is advocacy disguised as punditry and some of it is advocacy to satisfy advertisers. [AwardsDaily]
Truth vs. Fiction – When It Matters, When It Doesn’t
This year, we’re seeing major films that are based on filmmakers’ reflections of their own lives – like Sam Mendes’ Empire of Light, James Gray’s Armageddon Time and Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans. Other movies, like Elvis and Blonde, are seeking to bring famous icons back to life. Then there are films being debated in terms of whether they adhere to history, like The Woman King, or whether their casting could be causing some controversy, like Brendan Fraser in The Whale. [AwardsDaily]
Sam Mendes’ ‘Empire of Light’ To Close 10th Annual Middleburg Film Festival [AwardsDaily]
Critics Choice Association Unveils Honorees for Inaugural Celebration of Asian Pacific Cinema and Television [HR]
‘Woman King’ Director Gina Prince-Bythewood and ‘Triangle of Sadness’ Star Dolly De Leon Among Middleburg Film Festival Honorees [Variety]
New York Film Festival Marks 60th Anniversary [Variety]
Ava DuVernay Named Guest Artistic Director of AFI Fest 2022 [Indiewire]
Ron Howard to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award in Directing at SCAD Savannah Film Festival [Variety]
Composer Hildur Guðnadóttir Goes for Double Oscar Nominations as ‘Tár’ Music Is Deemed Eligible (EXCLUSIVE) [Variety]
Movie Stuff
Box Office: ‘Smile’ Earns $2 Million in Previews, ‘Bros’ Behind With $500K [Variety]
2022’s Last Hopes: Box Office Projections for ‘Avatar 2,’ ‘Black Adam,’ ‘Black Panther 2’ [Variety]
Other Stuff
#MeToo, Five Years Later: No One’s Fully Returned From “Cancellation” — No, Not Even Louis C.K. [HR]
Savannah Film Fest: Colson Baker, aka Machine Gun Kelly, Will Receive Discovery Award, Record Live Episode of THR’s ‘Awards Chatter’ Podcast [HR]
Cabinet of Curiosities trailer
Today in Apology Culture
Selena Gomez Calls Out “Vile” Trolls After Hailey Bieber’s “Call Her Daddy” Interview [Teen Vogue]
University of Oregon ‘taking a number of actions’ to address fan behavior; Oregon State apologizes for sign at USC game [Oregon Live]
Sam’s Club apologizes and removes controversial products with Dior logo following dispute [Global Times]