A closer look at the realities of an awards bait movie

We’re only two months from the start of awards season, which means all the high-profile Oscar contenders about serious, relevant social issues are hitting theaters. Or, as someone more cynical might put it, all the Oscar bait has finally been released into the waters. Filmmakers want to tell meaningful, engaging movies, but to be frank, … Continue reading “A closer look at the realities of an awards bait movie”

We’re only two months from the start of awards season, which means all the high-profile Oscar contenders about serious, relevant social issues are hitting theaters. Or, as someone more cynical might put it, all the Oscar bait has finally been released into the waters.

Filmmakers want to tell meaningful, engaging movies, but to be frank, studios back those films because they want to capitalize on popular topics and snag awards attention. The Los Angeles Times went into this tension in a recent article; they interviewed directors and writers of current Oscar contenders and found their interests divided between the creative and social dimension and the realities of the movie business.

Take Jeff Nichols, director of the upcoming interracial marriage drama Loving, who found the film’s true story important to tell. He also recognized that his film was checking a lot of boxes for distributor Focus Features, adding that fitting into a targeted, award-friendly slot in a studio’s schedule is “a big part of the business of this particular film and this model – and to deny that would be kind of silly.”

Movies can’t exist without support or some plan for revenue, no matter how heartfelt or timely. You might understandably be skeptical that all the serious movies come out right before Oscar nominations begin, but that’s a reality that allows them to get made.

What last night’s Emmys mean for diversity on screen

via Yahoo Last night’s Emmy Awards highlighted the diversity of the nominees and winners, especially in contrast to this year’s widely derided Oscars. The 2016 Emmys featured shows, stories, and artists from a wide spectrum of race, gender identity, and disability. Plus, we’re happy any time Key & Peele wins an award. Nooice! The Chicago … Continue reading “What last night’s Emmys mean for diversity on screen”

via Yahoo

Last night’s Emmy Awards highlighted the diversity of the nominees and winners, especially in contrast to this year’s widely derided Oscars. The 2016 Emmys featured shows, stories, and artists from a wide spectrum of race, gender identity, and disability. Plus, we’re happy any time Key & Peele wins an award. Nooice!

The Chicago Tribune published a great summary of why this year’s ceremonies were different and how that different mattered creatively. Featuring an increasingly higher numbers of non-white nominees doesn’t just capture the country more accurately; it also leads to greater diversity in subject matter, and the huge range of shows at the Emmys – including Master of None, Mr. Robot, and Orphan Black – reflects how media changes when you bring in new perspectives and voices. (There’s also the added benefit that diverse representation may help ratings.)

If the Emmys are a sign of the general direction television is heading, diversity in perspective, representation, and talent are intertwined and growing. Take note, film!

If you want to understand the Emmys, start with Mad Men

The Emmys are tonight! We love a celebration of the best of television as much as anyone, but as with any award show, remember that the nomination process is highly political and probably reflects the tastes and temperament of the voting body more than an objective measure of quality. It’s interesting to see what Emmy … Continue reading “If you want to understand the Emmys, start with Mad Men”

The Emmys are tonight! We love a celebration of the best of television as much as anyone, but as with any award show, remember that the nomination process is highly political and probably reflects the tastes and temperament of the voting body more than an objective measure of quality.

It’s interesting to see what Emmy voters broadly consider to be the most prestigious shows. The number-crunching wizards at FiveThirtyEight took a shot at quantifying the types of programs the Emmys love to nominate.

Generally speaking, sci-fi, fantasy and period dramas get nods for the technical awards. Late night comedy mops up for writing. Guest appearances on Law & Order will get you a nomination for acting. And right in the middle of all this is Mad Men, a show with a nomination pattern that matches the average Emmy show almost exactly. Unsurprisingly, that’s one of the most award-friendly shows in the last decade.

That article is super stats-wonky, but the point is that the Emmys have their own predictable tastes and politics. A show like The Americans is more likely to appeal to Emmy voters than Bob’s Burgers, even if Bob’s Burgers is wonderful and terrific.

A roundup of Tonys-related films from the Music Library

This Sunday was the 70th Annual Tony Awards, which featured awards for a few adaptations and revivals that have existed on film before. Rather than ramble about it ourselves, we’re going to turn things over to the Music Library, which put together a list of all the items in the library collections related to this … Continue reading “A roundup of Tonys-related films from the Music Library”

This Sunday was the 70th Annual Tony Awards, which featured awards for a few adaptations and revivals that have existed on film before. Rather than ramble about it ourselves, we’re going to turn things over to the Music Library, which put together a list of all the items in the library collections related to this weekend’s big winners.

Of note for us, we have DVDs of The Color Purple, Long Day’s Journey Into Night, and You’ve Got Mail (adapted from the same source material as She Loves Me).

See 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 reading “See 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 semester…

We have advance passes to see The Revenant, director Alejandro González Iñárritu’s upcoming frontier movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio! The Revenant is in serious contention for Best Picture, and DiCaprio is an early favorite to win Best Actor – potentially his first Oscar. And you can see it almost a month before everyone else. Lucky you!

(Plus, there will be a Q&A afterwards with supporting actor Will Poulter!)

We have only 40 admit-two passes to give away for this screening on Thursday, December 3 at 7pm at the Georgetown Loews 14. Follow this link to redeem your pass before they’re gone. This screening will no doubt be packed, so you’ll need to arrive way in advance of the 7pm start time to ensure that you get a seat. Passes don’t guarantee that you’ll get in!

Snag a pass now so you can lord it over your family for Thanksgiving! Or, because it’s an incredibly exciting movie that you can see weeks early for free before it becomes a hot topic.

A look back at Hugo Award-winning television and film

Yesterday marked the 73rd WorldCon, an annual assemblage of science fiction and fantasy fans and writers that hosts the prestigious Hugo Awards. Named after science fiction editor Hugo Gernsback, the Hugos are awarded every year to groundbreaking genre fiction and proudly include legends like Isaac Asimov and Philip K. Dick among their winners. This year’s … Continue reading “A look back at Hugo Award-winning television and film”

Yesterday marked the 73rd WorldCon, an annual assemblage of science fiction and fantasy fans and writers that hosts the prestigious Hugo Awards. Named after science fiction editor Hugo Gernsback, the Hugos are awarded every year to groundbreaking genre fiction and proudly include legends like Isaac Asimov and Philip K. Dick among their winners. This year’s ceremony was steeped in controversy after anti-diversity groups flooded the nomination process to block submissions by and about people of different races and gender identities, and voters responded by, well, just not giving out some of the awards this time. (Probably an appropriate response!)

Among the many awards for short stories and novellas, the Hugos also honor “dramatic presentations,” usually films and television shows. This year’s crowns went to Guardians of the Galaxy and, for the first time, BBCs Orphan Black. As with the rest of the Hugos, the winners in both the Short Form and Long Form categories have a remarkable pedigree, though we’ll quibble with some of the choices over the years. No win for Last Year at Marienbad in 1963?

Below, we’ve assembled a sample of Hugo-winning titles in our collection. It’s not everything, but it’s a good representation of what the Hugos tends to honor. There’s a lot of obvious major names (of course Star Wars won), which if anything is a great indication of how often they get it right. Congrats to the Hugos on their weird but successful year, and we look forward to seeing what joins these annals in 2016!

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – HU DVD 480
The Lord of the Rings trilogy – HU DVD 808 – 810
Blade Runner – HU DVD 1067
Who Framed Roger Rabbit? – HU DVD 1096
Star Wars original trilogy – HU DVD 1643 – 1646
Pan’s Labyrinth – HU DVD 2770
Slaughterhouse-Five – HU DVD 5727
Star Trek: “The Menagerie” – HU DVD 6201, Disc 4
Inception – HU DVD 8000
The Incredible Shrinking Man – HU DVD 8968
Game of Thrones, Season 1 – HU DVD 10021
Doctor Who: “Blink” – HU DVD 10803, Disc 4
A Boy and His Dog – HU DVD 11420
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: “Conversations with Dead People” – HU DVD 14011, Disc 2
The Twilight Zone (television) – HU DVD 14063 – 14067
Star Trek: The Next Generation: “All Good Things…” – HU DVD 14209, Disc 7

Usher in Fall 2014 with the 2014 Emmys!

Today marks the star of the fall 2014 semester! After a slow, low-profile summer, we’re ready for another couple months of reservations, class screenings, and paper-writing. Today is also the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards. This is highly unusual, given that the Emmys usually air in September on Sunday, but we like to think that the … Continue reading “Usher in Fall 2014 with the 2014 Emmys!”

Today marks the star of the fall 2014 semester! After a slow, low-profile summer, we’re ready for another couple months of reservations, class screenings, and paper-writing. Today is also the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards. This is highly unusual, given that the Emmys usually air in September on Sunday, but we like to think that the television industry conspired with AU to give you the ultimate after-class activity.

If you’ve enjoyed television in the last year, this year’s Emmy ceremony is one to watch. There are many contentious categories (will Modern Family and The Big Bang Theory sweep comedy awards again, or is it time for Orange is the New Black?), but the big draw will be the showdown between Breaking Bad and True Detective. Both shows had truly standout seasons, and Bryan Cranston and Matthew McConaughey can both make a solid case for being the best Lead Actor in a Drama Series.

The Emmys begin in about four hours, but that’s enough time to watch one or two episodes of some of the best shows. There are many, many programs nominated for the Emmy this year, but we’d like to direct your attention to the big ones in contention (though many are not yet on DVD).

Outstanding Drama Series
True Detective, Season 1 – HU DVD 11445
Breaking Bad, The Final Season – HU DVD 14053
House of Cards, Season 2 – HU DVD 14211

Outstanding Comedy Series
Orange is the New Black, Season 1 – HU DVD 11416

Outstanding Television Movie
Sherlock, “His Last Vow” – HU DVD 7958

18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards

Last night on Sunday, January 29, 2012, tons of Hollywood’s biggest television and movie stars came together for the 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards. What’s interesting about the SAG awards is that there isn’t some predetermined committee that votes every year; instead its members vote on the SAG Award nominees and recipients. The Screen … Continue reading “18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards”

Last night on Sunday, January 29, 2012, tons of Hollywood’s biggest television and movie stars came together for the 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards. What’s interesting about the SAG awards is that there isn’t some predetermined committee that votes every year; instead its members vote on the SAG Award nominees and recipients. The Screen Actors Guild represents over 100,000 television and film actors. Of these, 4,200 are randomly selected to choose the nominees in thirteen performance categories (plus two stunt ensemble categories). Then all of the SAG members receive a ballot in order to vote for the award recipients.

The SAG Awards only honor performers in film and television; and they also give awards to out standing ensemble casts. See the nominees and recipients of the outstanding performance by and male and female actor in a leading role below.

Outstanding Performance By A Male Actor In A Leading Role

Demian Bichir, A Better Life
George Clooney, The Descendants
Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar
WINNER – Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Brad Pitt, Moneyball

Outstanding Performance By A Female Actor In A Leading Role

Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
WINNER – Viola Davis, The Help
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

Here is the full list of nominees and recipients.

SAG NOMINATED TITLES AVAILABLE FOR HOME USE IN MEDIA SERVICES

Moneyball – HU DVD 9419
The Help – HU DVD 9309
Bridesmaids – HU DVD 9014
Modern Family –HU DVD 8951-8957 (Seasons 1 & 2)
The Office – HU DVD 4011-4028 (Seasons 1-5)
30 Rock – HU DVD 8921-8931 (Seasons 1-4)
Downton Abbey – HU DVD 8391-3
Mildred Peirce – HU DVD 9481
Boardwalk Empire – HU DVD 9421-9425 (Season 1)
Friday Night Lights – HU DVD 9001-9019
Breaking Bad – HU DVD 8901-8911 (Seasons 1-3)
Midnight in Paris – HU DVD 9410
Dexter – HU DVD 6631-6650 (Seasons 1-5)
True Blood – HU DVD 3391-3405 (Seasons 1-3)



84th Academy Award Nominations

The 84th Academy Awards nominees have been announced and mubi.com/notebook has nicely listed them with links to film clips and info. See a few of the nominees below or check it all out here. BEST PICTURE The ArtistThe DescendantsExtremely Loud and Incredibly CloseThe HelpHugoMidnight in ParisMoneyballThe Tree of LifeWar Horse DIRECTING The Artist, Michel HazanaviciusThe … Continue reading “84th Academy Award Nominations”

The 84th Academy Awards nominees have been announced and mubi.com/notebook has nicely listed them with links to film clips and info. See a few of the nominees below or check it all out here.

BEST PICTURE

The Artist
The Descendants
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
The Help
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
War Horse

DIRECTING

The Artist, Michel Hazanavicius
The Descendants, Alexander Payne
Hugo, Martin Scorsese
Midnight in Paris, Woody Allen
The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Demián Bichir in A Better Life
George Clooney in The Descendants
Jean Dujardin in The Artist
Gary Oldman in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt in Moneyball

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Kenneth Branagh in My Week with Marilyn
Jonah Hill in Moneyball
Nick Nolte in Warrior
Christopher Plummer in Beginners
Max von Sydow in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Glenn Close in Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis in The Help
Rooney Mara in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams in My Week with Marilyn

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Bérénice Bejo in The Artist
Jessica Chastain in The Help
Melissa McCarthy in Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer in Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer in The Help

64th Annual Cannes Film Festival – Wrap Up

The 64th Annual Cannes Film Festival ran from May 11 – 22, 2011 and there have been quite a few good re-caps popping up in the news and a number blogs in the past couple days. Here’s a little bit of what’s out there. ArtInfo.com has this to say. CBS News.com is highlighting a rather … Continue reading “64th Annual Cannes Film Festival – Wrap Up”

The 64th Annual Cannes Film Festival ran from May 11 – 22, 2011 and there have been quite a few good re-caps popping up in the news and a number blogs in the past couple days. Here’s a little bit of what’s out there.

ArtInfo.com has this to say.

CBS News.com is highlighting a rather large photo gallery of the event.

This LA Times article links to several other interesting Cannes Film Festival related articles, as it briefly summarizes most of what took place.

The Festival de Cannes site lists all the winners here.

Director, Terrence Malick walked away with the Palme d’Or for his film, “Tree of Life”

Here are some other films directed by Terrence Malick, which are available for Home Use in Media Services:

TERRENCE MALICK

The New World – HOME USE COLLECTION DVD 1963
Days of Heaven – HOME USE COLLECTION DVD 1964
The Thin Red Line – HOME USE COLLECTION DVD 2264
Badlands – HOME USE COLLECTION DVD 361