AU isn’t just a Capitol Hill breeding ground—it’s also the alma mater of a number of acclaimed actors, writers, and directors of whom you may have heard. Here are a few AU alumni in the entertainment industry with works you can check out from our collection. Caroline AaronActor and playwright Caroline Aaron graduated from AU […]
Continue readingCategory Archives: Academy Awards
AU’s Oscar Ballot – How Did We Do?
84 AU community members entered our Oscar Ballot contest. Our winner got 16 correct, while one ballot only got 4 correct. There were some good surprises during the ceremony Sunday night (like Olivia Colman winning her well-deserved best actress statuette), and some not so-great surprises (Green Book winning Best Picture? Really?), overall our entrants were […]
Continue readingPreoccupied With 1989
1989 was a bit of a surreal year – the Berlin Wall came down, the Tiananmen Square protests gripped the world…. And a hostless Academy Awards ceremony become infamous in the annals of Hollywood history. Just like this year, the producers of the 1989 Oscars ceremony failed to find a host for the event. This […]
Continue readingBest Costume Design – Black Panther
Let’s take a hot minute to talk about the most important category at the Academy Awards—Best Costume Design. Historical costume dramas a la Anna Karenina, The Great Gatsby, or The Duchess (basically any Keira Knightley movie) typically dominate this category, and that’s probably one of the reasons why it’s the award I most look forward […]
Continue readingJudge Movies and Win!
It’s that time of year again! All the members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are busy watching and judging this year’s Oscar-nominated films and performances. Most films considered serious Oscar contenders are released between October and December of the preceding year, presumably so they’ll be fresh in everyone’s minds when nominees […]
Continue readingWatch this year’s Oscar nominees
The Oscar nominees for 2017 are out! Keep in mind that awards are political and determined by the arbitrary makeup of whichever group is voting for them. That said, this year’s nominations already seem richer and more varied than usual. There’s far greater diversity, led not just by Moonlight and the recent hit Hidden Figures […]
Continue readingLive up the Oscars glitz right here in DC
We’ve been more mum about the Oscars this year than usual. Maybe the controversies soured us a little bit. Then again, hey, the Oscars are on Sunday! That was fast! Most people would be comfortable watching at home or catching up on the results the next morning, but a certain level of Hollywood nerd might […]
Continue readingThis year’s Oscars remind about the importance of cinematography
This year’s Oscar nominations are out, with the usual mix of surprises (Mad Max!) and disappointments (whitewashing across the board). But the one incontestable standout out on the list is the Achievement in Cinematography award. 2016’s lineup might be one of the most competitive races ever. It’s too easy to lump cinematography in with the […]
Continue readingSee Leonardo DiCaprio’s next big (award-winning?) film early!
November and December are the peak release months for prestige films. Academy Award nominees are announced in January, and the big hopefuls have a habit of popping up right before the deadline. We’ve been fortunate enough to share passes to a few of these movies, but we’re saving the biggest for the end of the […]
Continue readingMeet Chuck Workman, the Oscar montage man
There’s really nothing else we have to say about the Oscars last night apart from congratulating Birdman for its big win. Instead, let’s direct your attention to one of the most important people behind the scenes at the biggest award show of the year. He’s Chuck Workman, and he creates the clips played during the […]
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