Lisa Marie’s Possibly Pointless and Totally Random Oscar Predictions for April

Posted on April 30, 2020 by Lisa Marie Bowman

To do Oscar predictions during a pandemic or not?

That’s the question.

Erik Anderson at Awards Watch announced on twitter that he’s not doing his monthly Oscar predictions for April and May. (He is, however, focusing on the Emmys so be sure to visit the site and check out his thoughts!) Over at Clayton Davis’s Awards Circuit, the Oscar predictions have been taken down and replaced by an ominous (though definitely needed) counter of how many people are currently infected with the Coranavirus. As of right now, there’s a lot of uncertainty. Are theaters even going to reopen before the year ends and if they do reopen, will people be willing to run the risk of going outside to see a movie? So many of the big films of 2020 have been moved back to 2021 that one could legitimately wonder whether any of the big “Oscar” films are even going to come out this year. Most ominously, for me, is that we could get hit by a second wave of the Coronavirus. It’s easy to imagine a situation where theaters reopen in the summer and, regardless of how business goes, are forced to close again in December.

The Academy is aware that the future is uncertain. Earlier this week, they loosened the eligibility rules. Films that premiere on VOD or a streaming service are now eligible for Oscar consideration as long as it can been proven that the film would have also gotten a theatrical release if not for the pandemic. I’m not sure how exactly that could be proven but it does show that the Academy is, as of now, planning to give out some Oscars next February.

(Of course, just because the rules have been temporarily loosened, that doesn’t mean that every studio and director is going to want to put their huge blockbusters out on Prime or Netflix or VOD. I doubt Spielberg wants to premiere West Side Story in your living room.)

So, for that reason, I’m going to continue to do my monthly Oscar predictions. Needless to say, these are even more random than usual. The predictions below are also being made on the assumption that theaters will be open in November, December, and January. Again, there are no guarantees, other than perhaps Netflix.

So, without further ado, here are my predictions. Also, be sure to check out my predictions from January, February, and March!

Best Picture

Ammonite

The Father

Hillbilly Elegy

Mank

Minari

News of the World

Nomadland

On The Rocks

Respect

West Side Story

Best Director

Sofia Coppola for On The Rocks

Paul Greengrass for News of the World

Ron Howard for Hillbilly Elegy

Francis Lee for Ammonite

Steven Spielberg for West Side Story

Best Actor

Ben Affleck in The Way Back

Tom Hanks in News of the World

Anthony Hopkins in The Father

Bill Murray in On The Rocks

Gary Oldman in Mank

Best Actress

Amy Adams in Hillbilly Elegy

Jennifer Hudson in Respect

Sofia Loren in The Life Ahead

Frances McDormand in Nomadland

Kate Winslet in Ammonite

Best Supporting Actor

David Alvarez in West Side Story

Tom Burke in Mank

Bo Hopkins in Hillybilly Elegy

Forest Whitaker in Respect

Steve Yeun in Minari

Best Supporting Actress

Glen Close in Hillbilly Elegy

Ariana DeBose in West Side Story

Saoirse Ronan in Ammonite

Amanda Seyfried in Mank

Helena Zengel in News of the World

We’ll see what happens. Right now, your guess is as good as mine. In fact, your guess is probably better.

Lisa Marie’s Possibly Pointless Oscar Predictions For March

Posted on March 31, 2020 by Lisa Marie Bowman

I’ve been going back and forth on whether or not I should even bother to continue my monthly Oscar predictions. With the current Coronavirus pandemic, it’s not unreasonable to wonder if there will even be an Oscar ceremony next year. Many completed films have been taken off the schedule so that they can be released at a time when people aren’t scared to leave their house. Meanwhile, production on several other films — some of them expected to be Oscar contenders — has been suspended. New films are continuing to premiere on the streaming services but the Academy has always insisted that films also play in a theater if they want to contend for an Oscar. That’s going to be difficult with the majority of the country’s theaters currently being closed.

Unlike a lot of people, I’m not necessarily apocalyptic or even that pessimistic in my outlook. I think that, one way or another, we will eventually be able to leave our homes again and that at least some of the movie theaters will reopen. So, I think that we will be able to have some sort of Oscar ceremony. For that reason, I’m going to make my predictions for March but, needless to say, take all of these with an even bigger grain of salt than usual.

If you’re curious to see what my Oscar thinking was in the months before the world went crazy, check out my predictions for January and February!

(I’ve tried to take the fact that the Coronavirus led to the suspension of many ongoing productions while making out my list below. As far as I know, filming wrapped on all of the films listed below before the outbreak.)

Best Picture

Ammonite

Annette

Hillbilly Elegy

The Father

Minari

News of the World

Nomadland

On the Rocks

Tenet

West Side Story

Best Director

Isaac Lee Chung for Minari

Paul Greengrass for News of the World

Christopher Nolan for Tenet

Steven Spielberg for West Side Story

Florian Zeller for The Father

Best Actor

Tom Hanks in News of the World

Anthony Hopkins in The Father

Bill Murray in On the Rocks

Gary Oldman in Mank

Will Smith in King Richard

Best Actress

Amy Adams in Hillbilly Elegy

Clare Dunne in Herself

Jennifer Hudson in Respect

Frances McDormand in Nomadland

Kate Winslet in Ammonite

Best Supporting Actor

Tom Burke in Mank

Richard E. Grant in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

Mark Rylance in The Trial of the Chicago 7

Forest Whitaker in Respect

Steve Yeun in Minari

Best Supporting Actress

Abigail Breslin in Stillwater

Glenn Close in Hillybilly Elegy

Vera Farmiga in The Many Saints of Newark

Saoirse Ronan in Ammonite

Helena Zengel in News of the World

Congratulations! You Survived Oscar Sunday!

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Lisa Marie Bowman

That’s it! That’s a wrap!

We hope everyone has enjoyed Oscar Sunday!

Now that the Oscars are over with, it’s time to start a new year in entertainment! Thank you everyone for reading us over the course of 2019 and the first two months of 2020!

Now, let’s make 2020 the best year ever as we continue to celebrate the 10th year anniversary of the Shattered Lens!

Love you!

A Few Final Thoughts On The Oscar Ceremony

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Parasite made history and Bong Joon-ho proved himself to be one of the most charming people alive. That was the best thing about Sunday night’s Oscar ceremony.

Yes, Joaquin Phoenix and Renee Zellweger did ramble on a bit in their acceptance speeches but ….. I can’t complain. They’re both so sincere in their spaciness that you can’t help but be a little bit charmed by them. Plus, Renee’s a Texas Girl so I’ve got her back.

The show itself was incredibly dull. It was nice to see so many deserving winners but, beyond Parasite making history at the very end, there really weren’t any huge moments. There were no major fashion disasters. The speeches were all pretty much gracious. It was the way an awards ceremony should be but let’s be honest. One reason we watch award shows is so to see rich and famous people screw up. When that doesn’t happen, it just turns into a bunch of people patting themselves on the back.

Best Documentary Feature went to American Factory. The best documentary of the year was Apollo 11, which wasn’t even nominated. The documentary’s director called on the workers of the world to unite and it felt as vacuous as 70s-era Godard.

Brad Pitt finally won an Oscar for acting. (He already has one for producing.) My hope was that he would drop to one knee, produce a ring, and ask Jennifer Aniston to marry him again. Instead, he gave kind of a boring speech. Those of us who were hoping that stoner Brad Pitt would show up tonight were a bit disappointed. Brad shaved and washed his hair before the ceremony and was basically on his best behavior.

This was the 2nd year in a row that show didn’t have a host and …. eh. I enjoyed it when they went hostless last year but this year, the show felt like a formless mess. There was no one to steer the ship or to set the mood and, as a result, the ceremony felt somewhat directionless.

I get that we’re supposed to get excited whenever any former SNL cast member shows up to present an award but I always instinctively cringe whenever Will Ferrell or Maya Rudolph step out on stage. Both of them are such attention hogs that their arrival usually means that the show is going to come to a dead halt while they run a joke into the ground. This year, Ferrell wasn’t quite as bad as usual but Rudolph had me totally cringing. Speaking of stage hogs, I was actually surprised at how quickly Rebel Wilson and James Corden got through their bit. I assume they wanted to hurry up and get backstage so they could get out of their cat costumes. (Just imagine — Rebel Wilson actually had an important supporting role in one of the best picture nominees but, instead of celebrating that, the Academy made her put on her cat costume.)

Billie Eilish won the night with her reactions to …. well, everything.

As I said, this year’s ceremony was dull. Beyond Parasite winning and making history, this was probably the most boring ceremony since 2010. Interestingly enough, history was made there as well, when Kathryn Bigelow won Best Director. Why do good things always happen during boring broadcasts?

So, for next year, I hope we’ll see a return of a host, a return of tone deaf fashion choices, and hopefully a few undeserving winners, at least enough to liven up the ceremony a little.

For now, though, congratulations to the cast and crew of Parasite on winning Best Picture and making history, all in the same night! Woo hoo!

Here Are The Oscar Winners!

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Best Picture — Parasite

Best Director — Bong Joon-ho for Parasite

Best Actor — Joaquin Phoenix, Joker

Best Actress — Renee Zellweger, Judy

Best Supporting Actor — Brad Pitt, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Best Supporting Actress — Laura Dern, Marriage Story

Best Original Screenplay — Parasite

Best Adapted Screenplay — JoJo Rabbit

Best Animated Feature Film — Toy Story 4

Best International Feature Film — Parasite

Best Documentary Feature Film — American Factory

Best Documentary Short Subject — Leaning to Skate In A Warzone (If You’re A Girl)

Best Live Action Short Subject — The Neighbors’ Widow

Best Animated Short Film — Hair Love

Best Original Score — Joker

Best Original Song — Rocketman

Best Sound Editing — Ford v Ferrari

Best Sound Mixing — 1917

Best Production Design — Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Best Cinematography — 1917

Best Makeup and Hairstyling — Bombshell

Best Costume Design — Little Women

Best Editing — Ford v Ferrari

Best Visual Effects — 1917

Book Review: Inside Oscar by Mason Wiley and Damien Bona and Inside Oscar 2 by Damien Bona

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Lisa Marie Bowman

If you’re an Oscar fanatic or if you’re just a film lover who thinks that the Oscars are a joke, these are two books that you simply have to have.

As you can probably tell from the titles, Inside Oscar and Inside Oscar 2 are all about the Academy Awards. Inside Oscar starts with the founding of the Academy and ends with the 1994 Oscar ceremony. Inside Oscar 2 picks up with the 1995 ceremony and takes us through the year 2000. The books were written by two Oscar fanatics and, as a result, it contains just about every bit of trivia that you could hope to find about the Academy, the Oscars, and Hollywood during the previous century. (Unfortunately, both Mason Wiley and Damien Bona have passed away so we probably won’t be getting an Inside Oscar 3.) The books contain not only every detail that you could possibly want about the ceremonies themselves, they also touch on what was going on in America and the rest of the world during each year. For example, it’s quite interesting to read about how different the 1958 Academy Awards ceremony was to the 1968 ceremony. (Essentially, in 1968, longtime Oscar host Bob Hope made a joke about the ceremony being moved back a few days out of respect for the recently assassinated Martin Luther King, Jr. For the first time in Oscar history, the audience booed one of the host’s jokes.) As a result, Inside Oscar and its sequel aren’t just books about Hollywood. In their way, they also serve as an examination of the ever changing cultural and political landscape of the United States.

It’s not just the books are full of snarky details, though they are. It’s also that the books serve as a great reference to the history of the Oscars. In the appendixes, you’ll find every year’s list of nominees, some genuinely interesting trivia, and — perhaps most importantly — a list of notable films (and, in some years, songs) that were not nominated. As you might guess, it’s those lists of unnominated films that I find especially interesting. Every year, some very good films are ignored by the Academy. That was true in the past and it’s true in the present and it will probably continue to be true in the future.

Taken together, Inside Oscar and Inside Oscar 2 are the two best reference books out there for film lovers like you and me.

A Blast From The Past: Robert Opel Crashes The 1974 Oscars

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Lisa Marie Bowman

On April 2nd, 1974, just as David Niven was about to introduce Elizabeth Taylor so that she could announce that The Sting had won Best Picture of the year, the Oscar telecast was interrupted by a naked man running across the stage.

The streaker was a man named Robert Opel. A former student activist who had reportedly briefly worked as a speechwriter for future President Ronald Reagan, Opel was employed as a teacher when he made his Oscar debut. He lost his job as a result but he found a new fame as a professional streaker. He also went on to open his own photography business and ran for President in 1976. His slogan was reportedly, “Not Just Another Crooked Dick.” Five years after making his television debut, the 39 year-old Opel was murdered in his apartment.

There’s some debate as to whether or not this was actually a spontaneous moment. It’s been reported that Niven wrote down his famous quip about short comings during a rehearsal. It’s also interesting to note that the camera seemed to be perfectly positioned to not catch anything that could actually get the broadcast fined by the FCC. If this had been truly a spontaneous event, I’m not sure that would have been the case.

Anyway, that was 1974 for you. Who knows what might happen tonight?

(Of course, there’s no host so, if something does happen, there won’t be any quips. Oh well.)

Future Winners: 6 Directors Who I Hope Will Have Won An Oscar By 2030

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Lisa Marie Bowman

We’ve looked at actors.

We’ve looked at actresses.

Now, let’s look at directors.

But first, a word about David Lynch. The Academy gave David Lynch a special award for his cinematic contributions back in October. It’s not the same as a competitive Oscar but it’s probably the best that a boldly idiosyncratic filmmaker like David Lynch could ever hope to get from the Academy. Normally, I would list Lynch below. I’m not doing so this year because, realistically, Lynch has said that it’s doubtful he’ll ever make another theatrical film. That said, I hope to God that someone gives David Lynch a blank check and allows him to make at least one more movie.

With that in mind, here are 6 other directors who I hope will have finally won an Oscar by 2030!

The Safdie Brothers

The Safdie Brothers deserved a nomination this year for their work on Uncut Gems. Unfortunately, that film was a bit too anxiety-inducing for the Academy. The Safdies are exciting filmmakers and I hope that someday, the Academy will realize what everyone who has seen Good Time and Uncut Gems already knows.

2. Sofia Coppola

She was nominated for Lost In Translation. She deserved to be nominates for several other films. Sofia Coppola is consistently one of the most challenging and interesting (if often criminally underrated) filmmakers working today. No other American director captures existential angst with quite the style of Sofia Coppola.

3. Christopher Nolan

Christopher Nolan has emerged as one of the most influential directors of the 21st century. With The Dark Knight, he revolutionized comic book films. With Inception, he created one of the greatest fantasy/action/sci-fi hybrids of all time. With Dunkirk, he paid tribute to one of the most heroic moments of World War II. Every recent film with a jumbled timeline owes a debt of gratitude to Christopher Nolan. Nolan seems destined to win someday.

4. Denis Villeneuve

Speaking of being destined to win, that seems to also be an apt description of this visionary Canadian director. Some people think that Villeneuve will be an Oscar contender this year with Dune. Maybe. Maybe not. That said, Villeneuve seems destined to win at some point in the future.

5. Andrea Arnold

You might not recognize the name but Andrea Arnold is responsible for two of my favorite films of the last ten years: Fish Tank and American Honey. She deserved to be nominated for both of those films. My hope is that, between now and 2030, she’ll finally get the recognition that she deserves.

6. Werner Herzog

You know it would be the greatest acceptance speech ever.

Agree? Disagree? Let us know in the comments below!

Future Winners: 6 Actresses Who I Hope Will Have Won An Oscar By 2030

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Continuing the theme from my previous post, here are 6 actresses who I sincerely hope will have won their first competitive Oscar by the time that the 2030 ceremony rolls around.

(By the way, there’s a chance that Scarlett Johansson, Saorise Ronan and Florence Pugh could finally win Oscars tonight. That’s the only reason why they’re not on the list below.)

Amy Adams

Much like Bradley Cooper on my previous list, Amy Adams is probably the most obvious pick here. I’m actually amazed that, after been nominated a total of 6 times, the terrifically talented Amy Adams has yet to win her first Oscar. The fact that she could even receive a nomination for a film like Vice reveals that she’s got fans in the Academy and she’s definitely reached the point where she can say that she’s overdue for the award. The Woman In The Window was originally promoted as being an Oscar contender but, considering all the trouble that film’s gone through to just get a release date, Adams may have to wait another year or two. Still, she seems destined to win eventually and it’ll be a great day for all the members of the 2% of us who have naturally red hair.

2. Emily Blunt

How has Emily Blunt never received a single Oscar nomination? I mean, Amy Adams should be angry that she doesn’t have an Oscar yet but at least she has six nominations. Emily Blunt doesn’t even have one yet, despite being one of the best actresses working today. Again, Blunt seems destined to win. It’s just a question of when.

3. Carey Mulligan

Carey Mulligan should have won for her performance in An Education. She also deserved to be nominated for Shame. She doesn’t have an Oscar but she certainly has the talent to win one. She’s one of the best actresses around, though she often seems to appear in the type of good but challenging films that fall off of the Academy’s radar. Promising Young Woman was a hit at Sundance so we’ll see if that leads to another nomination.

4. Jamie Lee Curtis

Jamie Lee Curtis has been giving good performances since before I was born but since so many of them were in horror films, the Academy failed to notice. She’s now one of those actresses who people seem to take for granted. Hopefully, someone writes a great role for her in the future as Curtis is overdue for not just a nomination but for an award as well.

5. Jessica Chastain

Jessica Chastain is one of those actresses who I think everyone assumes has won an Oscar but actually, she hasn’t. She’s been twice nominated and even that seems like it has to be a mistake. I mean, really? Only two nominations for Jessica Chastain? (Personally, I chalk it up to the Academy having an issue with those of us who have naturally red hair.) Much like Amy Adams, Chastain is another actress who seems destined to win over the next decade.

6. Jennifer Jason Leigh

Seriously, how does Jennifer Jason Leigh — one of the greatest actress of all freaking time — only have one nomination? Not only is she overdue for the award but, based on Marriage Story, she deserves one just for putting up with Noah Baumbach for eight years.

Agree? Disagree? Have another name to offer up? Let us know in the comments below!

Future Winners: 6 Actors Who I Hope Will Win An Oscar In The Next Ten Years

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Lisa Marie Bowman

We talk a lot about which performers and directors have been snubbed at Oscar time. For movie lovers, that’s an important subject. We all know that great actors like Peter O’Toole, Cary Grant, Albert Finney, and others all went to their grave with several nominations but not a single competitive Oscar to their name. Earlier this week, Kirk Douglas died at the age of 103 without having ever won a competitive Oscar. We always talk about how certain actors are overdue for their first Oscar but sometimes we forget that being overdue doesn’t always translate into an eventual win.

With that in mind, here are 6 actors who I sincerely hope will have won their first Oscar by the time 2040 rolls around:

Bradley Cooper

Bradley Cooper is kind of the obvious choice for a list like this. It’s still amazing to think that Cooper started the previous decade best known for a supporting role on Alias and for playing the smarmiest of the friends in The Hangover films. Over the past ten years, he has emerged as not only a excellent actor but an excellent filmmaker as well. (He may not have received a nomination for Best Director for A Star Is Born but he deserved one.) Considering how often he’s been nominated over the past few years, Cooper is reaching overdue status and I full expect he’ll win an Oscar sometime during the next decade.

2. Ethan Hawke

Ethan Hawke has hardly been snubbed when it comes to nominations. He’s been twice supported for Best Supporting Actor and he’s got two nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay. That Ethan Hawke was not nominated for First Reformed is still a shock to me. It was one of the best performances of 2018 but it was also a rather subtle and, at times, rather depressing performance as well. With the exception of his nomination for Training Day, all of Hawke’s nominations have been the result of collaborating with Richard Linklater. Hopefully, Linklater is currently working on a great script that has a great role for Ethan Hawke because Hawke deserves to win an Oscar before 2040.

3. Steve Carell

When it comes to talking about actors who will someday win an Oscar, Steve Carell seems like an obvious choice. He’s only received one nomination — for Foxcatcher — but people just seem to love him. I think the man obstacle standing in Carell’s way is that he has a habit of appearing in movies that sound like they should be good but then turn out to be the total opposite. (Welcome to Marwen, anybody?) Still, it’s hard not to feel that Carell will eventually get the right role.

4. Oscar Isaac

Isaac has yet to receive his first nomination but it feels like it’s only a matter of time. He’s talented, he’s super hot, and I still love the way he delivered the line, “I declare him to be an ….. OUTLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW!” in Robin Hood.

5. Robert Downey, Jr.

Obviously, Robert Downey, Jr. is not going to win for Dr. Doolittle. In fact, if he keeps making movies like that, he’s going to make me look really stupid for putting him on this list. But the fact of the matter is that Downey is an actor who not only made an amazing comeback but who also served as the anchor for one of the most successful film franchises in history. It’s hard to imagine the MCU becoming what it became without Downey’s involvement. Downey can also be an excellent actor. (People tend to forget that he had two nominations to his name before he ever played Iron Man.) Someone needs to write Downey the perfect role and hope that he’ll accept it, regardless of how much money he’s being offered to star in the latest Disney live action remake.

6. Kurt Russell

Somehow, Kurt Russell does not have a single Oscar nomination to his name! Despite being one of the most beloved actors out there and being something of a cinematic icon, Russell has never once been nominated. (One problem is that all of the truly great Kurt Russell roles end up going to Jeff Bridges. It’s every easy to imagine Russell playing every role ever played by Jeff Bridges and vice versa.) The thing is, Kurt’s not getting any younger. So, let’s hope that Quentin Tarantino is currently writing the role of a lifetime for Hollywood’s greatest Libertarian.

Agree? Disagree? Have someone else who you have picked over these six? Let me know in the comments below!