A Few Thoughts On The 2023 Emmy Nominations

Posted on July 12, 2023 by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Emmy nominations were revealed today. There’s so many of them that I couldn’t even begin to list them all here on the site but you can view them over at the Emmys’s main site. While looking over the nominees, I had just a few thoughts.

First off, the Emmys themselves always feel a bit silly. I think it’s because there’s so many different categories and so many contenders that, inevitably, one feels as if they’ve only seen a few of the actual nominees. As well, the Emmys tend to fall into the habit of nominating the same programs over and over again, regardless of whether the show or performer actually had a good individual season. Once a show is nominated two times in a row, it seems destined to be nominated for the rest of its run, even if its subsequent seasons aren’t that interesting. (Cases in point: Only Murders In The Building and Ted Lasso.) By that same token, if a show is snubbed during it’s first or second season, it’ll probably never be nominated for anything, regardless of how popular or critically acclaimed it may eventually become. (Case in point: Yellowstone.) In other words, don’t take the Emmys seriously.

In the comedy categories, I was really happy to see that both Jury Duty and James Marsden were nominated. Ted Lasso was nominated because the Academy is addicted to voting for it and not because it had a particularly noteworthy third season. I was glad to see that Barry was nominated but annoyed to see that neither Sarah Goldberg nor Stephen Root were remembered. I was glad that Natasha Lyonne was nominated but Poker Face still deserved far more nominations than it received.

In the drama categories, it’s pretty much all Succession. Succession ended this season and I’m glad that I’ll no longer have to pretend to care about it. There’s something so liberating about the prospect of never having to read another cutesy interview with Brian Cox or another think piece on why Shiv is the greatest character ever. I imagine Succession will sweep the Emmys, which is a bit unfortunate as this year will always be Better Call Saul‘s last chance to be honored. Hopefully, Bob Odenkirk will finally win an Emmy for Better Call Saul. I’m glad that Andor was nominated but I’m disappointed that Diego Luna was not.

In the limited anthology series category, it’s hard not to be a bit annoyed that the Academy went for Ryan Murphy’s overlong and rather pointless miniseries about Jeffrey Dahmer while completely snubbing National Geographic’s A Small Light. At this point, I guess the Academy feels obligated to honor anything that Ryan Murphy forces on them. I was also disappointed that The English failed to pick up any major nominations, not even for the great Emily Blunt. The Emmy win that would make me happiest would be for Ray Liotta to win for Black Bird.

In the movie category, Beavis and Butt-Head Do The Universe was not nominated but …. well, I kind of knew that it wouldn’t be. It was hilarious but, unfortunately, it’s not the type of thing that wins awards.

Traitors should have been nominated for Best Reality Competition.

South Park‘s “Worldwide Privacy Tour” was not nominated for Best Animated Program. That’s just ridiculous. The Television Academy wimped out as far as that’s concerned.

Anyway, it’s the Emmys. In the end, no one really cares that much.

What If Lisa Marie Had All The Power: 2023 Emmys Edition

Posted on July 10, 2023 by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Emmy Nominations are due to be announced tomorrow so it’s time for the Shattered Lens to play a game that should be familiar to our longtime readers, What If Lisa Marie Had All The Power.

Below, you’ll find my personal Emmy nominations. Keep in mind, these are not necessarily the shows and performers who I think will be nominated, though a few definitely will be. Instead, these are my personal picks. This is what would be nominated if I had all the power.

Now, there’s a lot of Emmy categories. I went through the Emmy submissions and I picked nominees for every single category. However, in the interest of space, I can’t list all of them in this post. Instead, below, you’ll find my picks for the major categories. If you want to see the complete list of my nominees, you can see it by clicking here!

Looking over my full list of nominees, you’ll see that there are some shows that I really, really liked. Those shows include A Small Light, Poker Face, The English, Andor, The Traitors, Abbott Elementary, Ghosts, Making the Cut, Wednesday, Better Call Saul, Barry, The Bear, Bob’s Burgers, South Park, Beef, Beavis and Butt-Head Do The Universe, Black Bird, Atlanta, Five Days At Memorial, Daisy Jones and the Six, Prey, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, The Amazing Race, and The Last Thing He Told Me. Interestingly enough, a lot of my favorite shows aired their final season over the past year. I look forward to seeing what replaces Barry and Better Call Saul in my annual Emmy line-ups.

Here are my picks for the major categories, with my winners in bold!

Animation

Outstanding Animated Program

Archer — “The Big Con” (FX)

Bob’s Burgers — “Plight Before Christmas” (FOX)

Harley Quinn — “Batman Begins Forever” (Max)

Mike Judge’s Beavis and Butthead — “Meditation Suck/Polling Place” (Paramount Plus)

Rick & Morty — “Night Family” (Adult Swim)

South Park — “World Wide Privacy Tour” (Comedy Central)

Documentary

Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Special

Bama Rush (Max)

Elmore Leonard: But Don’t Try To Write (PBS)

Inside High Noon (PBS)

Pamela, A Love Story (Netflix)

Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields (Hulu)

The Princess (HBO)

Selena Gomez: My Mind and Me (Apple TV+)

Serial Killer Capitol: Baton Rogue (Peacock)

Shania Twain: Not Just A Girl (Netflix)

Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie (Apple TV+)

Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Series

American Masters (PBS)

Artful (BYUTv)

Cold Case Files (Netflix)

Cold Justice (Oxygen)

Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields (Netflix)

MH370: The Plane That Disappeared (Netflix)

Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence (Hulu)

Trainwreck: Woodstock ’99 (Netflix)

The U.S. and the Holocaust (PBS)

Unsolved Mysteries (Netflix)

Host

Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Competition Program

Alan Cumming for The Traitors (Peacock)

Cat Deeley for So You Think You Can Dance (Fox)

Phil Keogan for The Amazing Race (CBS)

Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn for Making The Cut (Prime)

Jennifer Nettles for Farmer Wants A Wife (Fox)

Jon Taffer for Bar Rescue (Paramount)

Outstanding Host For A Game Show

Wayne Brady for Let’s Make A Deal (CBS)

Brooke Burns for Master Minds (GSN)

Drew Carey for The Price Is Right (CBS)

Pat Sajak for Wheel of Fortune (CBS)

Performer

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series

Utkarsh Ambudkar in Ghosts (CBS)

Donald Glover In Atlanta (FX)

Bill Hader in Barry (HBO)

Ralph Macchio in Cobra Kai (Netflix)

Steve Martin in Only Murders In The Building (Hulu)

Jason Segel in Shrinking (AppleTV+)

Martin Short in Only Murders In The Building (Hulu)

Jason Sudiekis in Tad Lasso (AppleTV+)

Jeremy Allen White in The Bear (Hulu)

William Zabka in Cobra Kai (Netflix)

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series

Penn Badgley in You (Netflix)

Jeff Bridges in The Old Man (Hulu)

Kevin Costner in Yellowstone (Paramount)

Harrison Ford in 1923 (Paramount Plus)

Diego Luna in Andor (Disney+)

Bob Odenkirk in Better Call Saul (AMC)

Pedro Pascal in The Last of Us (HBO)

Matthew Rhys in Perry Mason (HBO)

Michael Shannon in Waco: The Aftermath (Showtime)

Dominic West in The Crown (Netflix)

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Limited or Anthology Series

Steve Carell in The Patient (Hulu)

Joe Cole in A Small Light (National Geographic)

Taron Egerton in Black Bird (Apple TV+)

Jesse Eisenberg in Fleishman Is In Trouble (Hulu)

Jake Lacey in A Friend of the Family (Peacock)

Eric McCormack in Slasher: Ripper (Shudder)

Ewan McGregor in Obi-Wan Kenobi (Disney+)

Kumail Nanjiani in Welcome to Chippendale’s (Hulu)

Chaske Spencer in The English (Prime)

Steven Yeun in Beef (Netflix)

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Movie

Bryan Cranston in Jerry and Marge Go Large (Paramount)

Josh Duhamel in Shotgun Wedding (Prime)

Andy Garcia in Father of the Bride (Max)

Kelsey Grammer in 12 Days of Christmas Eve (Lifetime)

Dennis Quaid in On A Wing and Prayer (Prime)

Daniel Radcliffe in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (Roku)

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series

Christina Applegate in Dead To Me (Netflix)

Rachael Brosnahan in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime)

Quinta Brunson in Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Linda Cardellini in Dead To Me (Netflix)

Anna Gasteyer in American Auto (ABC)

Selena Gomez in Only Murders In The Building (Hulu)

Natasha Lyonne in Poker Face (Peacock)

Rose McIver in Ghosts (CBS)

Jenna Ortega in Wednesday (Netflix)

Melissa Rauch in Night Court (NBC)

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series

Tawny Cypress in Yellowjackets (Showtime)

Juliette Lewis in Yellowjackets (Showtime)

Melanie Lynesky in Yellowjackets (Showtime)

Helen Mirren in 1923 (Paramount Plus)

Sophie Nelisse in Yellowjackets (Showtime)

Kelly Reilly in Yellowstone (Paramount)

Charlotte Ritchie in You (Netflix)

Keri Russell in The Diplomat (Netflix)

Imelda Staunton in The Crown (Netflix)

Roselyn Sanchez in Fantasy Island (Fox)

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited or Anthony Series

Emily Blunt in The English (Prime)

Lizzy Caplan in Fleishman Is In Trouble (Hulu)

Whitney Cummings in Accused (Fox)

Vera Farmiga in Five Days At Memorial (Apple TV+)

Jennifer Garner in The Last Thing He Told Me (Apple TV+)

Riley Keogh in Daisey Jones and the Six (Prime)

Elizabeth Olsen in Love and Death (Max)

Bel Powley in A Small Light (National Geographic)

Naomi Watts in The Watcher (Netflix)

Ali Wong in Beef (Netflix)

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Movie

Annette Bening in Jerry and Marge Go Large (Paramount Plus)

Danai Gurira in Richard III (Great Performance) (PBS)

Jennifer Lopez in Shotgun Wedding (Prime)

Amber Midthunder in Prey (Hulu)

Angourie Rice in Honor Society (Paramount Plus)

Sidney Sweeney in Reality (HBO)

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series

Benjamin Bratt in Poker Face (Peacock)

Anthony Carrigan in Barry (HBO)

William Stanford Davis in Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Harrison Ford in Shrinking (Apple TV+)

Thomas Ian Griffith in Cobra Kai (Netflix)

Brian Tyree Henry in Atlanta (FX)

James Marsden in Jury Duty (Freevee)

Stephen Root in Barry (HBO)

Tyler James Williams in Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Henry Winkler in Barry (HBO)

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama

Jonathan Banks in Better Call Saul (AMC)

Timothy Dalton in 1923 (Paramount Plus)

Giancarlo Esposito in Better Call Saul (AMC)

Cole Hauser in Yellowstone (Paramount)

John Lithgow in The Old Man (Hulu)

Johnny Lee Miller in The Crown (Netflix)

Jonathan Pryce in The Crown (Netflix)

Stellan Skargard in Andor (Disney+)

Kyle Soller in Andor (Disney+)

Elijah Wood in Yellowjackets (Showtime)

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Limited or Anthology Series

Murray Bartlett in Welcome to Chippendale’s (Hulu)

Hayden Christensen in Obi-Wan Kenobi (Disney+)

Colin Hanks in A Friend of the Family (Peacock)

Paul Walter Hauser in Black Bird (AppleTV+)

Richard Jenkins in Monster: Dahmer — The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (Netflix)

Greg Kinnear in Black Bird (AppleTV+)

Ray Liotta in Black Bird (AppleTV+)

Robert Pine in Five Days At Memorial (AppleTV+)

Stephen Rea in The English (Prime)

Liev Schrieber in A Small Light (National Geographic)

Outstanding Supporting Actor In Movie

Julian Black Antelope in Prey (Hulu)

Marchant Davis in Reality (HBO)

Dane DiLiegro in Prey (Hulu)

Josh Hamilton in Reality (HBO)

Cheech Marin In Shotgun Wedding (Prime)

Rainn Wilson in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (Roku)

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series

Zazie Beetz in Atlanta (FX)

Alex Borstein in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime)

Sarah Goldberg in Barry (HBO)

Janelle James in Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Danielle Pinnock in Ghosts (CBS)

Sheryl Lee Ralph in Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Kristen Schaal in What We Do In The Shadows (FX)

Juno Temple in Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)

Lisa Ann Walter in Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Rebecca Wisocky in Ghosts (CBS)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Amy Brenneman in The Old Man (Hulu)

Carol Burnett in Better Call Saul (AMC)

Elizabeth Debicki in The Crown (Netflix)

Denise Gough in Andor (Disney+)

Samantha Hanratty in Yellowjackets (Showtime)

Lesley Manville in The Crown (Netflix)

Christina Ricci in Yellowjackets (Showtime)

Rhea Seehorn in Better Call Saul (AMC)

Sophie Thatcher in Yellowjackets (Showtime)

Olivia Williams in The Crown (Netflix)

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Limited or Anthology Series

Annaleigh Ashford in Welcome to Chippendale’s (Hulu)

Maria Bello in Beef (Netflix)

Billie Boullet in A Small Light (National Geographic)

Ashley Brooke in A Small Light (National Geographic)

Clair Danes in Fleishman Is In Trouble (Hulu)

Li Eubanks in Mike (Hulu)

McKenna Grace in Friend of the Family (Peacock)

Cherry Jones in Five Days At Memorial (Apple TV+)

Juliette Lewis in Welcome to Chippendale’s (Hulu)

Anna Paquin in Friend of the Family (Peacock)

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Movie

Jennifer Coolidge in Shotgun Wedding (Prime)

Gloria Estefan in Father of the Bride (Max)

Spencer Grammer in 12 Days of Christmas (Lifetime)

Melissa Joan Hart in Dirty Little Secret (Lifetime)

Julianne Nicholson in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (Roku)

Evan Rachel Wood in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (Roku)

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series

Matthew Baynton in Ghosts (CBS)

Jon Bernthal in The Bear (Hulu)

Eric Berryman in Atlanta (FX)

Adrian Brody in Poker Face (Peacock)

Paul Walter Hauser in Cobra Kai (Netflix)

Luke Kirby in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime)

Joel McHale in The Bear (Hulu)

Tim Meadows in Poker Face (Peacock)

Nick Nolte in Poker Face (Peacock)

Matt Walsh in Ghosts (CBS)

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series

Murray Bartlett in The Last of Us (HBO)

Bryan Cranston in Better Call Saul (AMC)

Timothy Dalton in The Crown (Netflix)

Tony Dalton in Better Call Saul (AMC)

Bruce Davison in 1923 (Paramount Plus)

Joel Grey in The Old Man (Hulu)

Greg Grunberg in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC)

Nick Offerman in The Last of Us (HBO)

Aaron Paul in Better Call Saul (AMC)

Andy Serkis in Andor (Disney+)

Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series

Ellen Barkin in Poker Face (Peacock)

Clea DuVall in Poker Face (Peacock)

Ayo Edebiri in Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Lisa Gilroy in Jury Duty (Freevee)

Sian Heder in Barry (HBO)

Taraji P. Henson in Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Judith Light in Poker Face (Peacock)

S. Epatha Merkson in Poker Face (Peacock)

Chloe Sevigny in Poker Face (Peacock)

Catherine Zeta-Jones in Wednesday (Netflix)

Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series

Betsy Brandt in Better Call Saul (AMC)

Claire Foy in The Crown (Netflix)

Christine Hakim in The Last of Us (HBO)

Vanessa Kirby in The Crown (Netflix)

Melanie Lynseky ih The Last Of Us (HBO)

Natascha McElhone in The Crown (Netflix)

Nico Parker in The Last of Us (HBO)

Ashley Platz in Yellowstone (Paramount)

Ella Purnell in Yellowjackets (Showtime)

Fiona Shaw in Andor (Disney+)

Program

Outstanding Comedy Series

Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Atlanta (FX)

Barry (HBO)

The Bear (Hulu)

Cobra Kai (Netflix)

Ghosts (CBS)

Jury Duty (Freevee)

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime)

Poker Face (Peacock)

Wednesday (Netflix)

Outstanding Drama Series

Andor (Disney+)

Better Call Saul (AMC)

The Crown (Netflix)

House of the Dragon (HBO)

The Last of Us (HBO)

1923 (Paramount Plus)

The Old Man (Hulu)

Perry Mason (HBO)

Waco: The Aftermath (Showtime)

Yellowstone (Paramount)

Outstanding Limited or Anthology Program

Beef (Netflix)

Black Bird (Apple TV+)

Daisey Jones and the Six (Prime)

The English (Prime)

Fives Days At Memorial (Apple TV+)

Fleishman Is In Trouble (Hulu)

A Friend of the Family (Peacock)

The Last Thing He Told Me (Apple TV+)

Slasher: Ripper (Shudder)

A Small Light (National Geographic)

Outstanding Television Movie

Beavis and Butt-Head Do The Universe (Paramount Plus)

Father of the Bride (MAX)

Honor Society (Paramount Plus)

Jerry and Marge Go Large (Paramount Plus)

On A Wing and Prayer (Prime)

Prey (Hulu)

Shotgun Wedding Prime)

Sick (Peacock)

The 12 Days of Christmas Eve (Lifetime)

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (Roku)

Outstanding Talk Series

Hart to Heart (Peacock)

Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)

The Talking Dead (AMC)

The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon (NBC)

Outstanding Scripted Variety Program

Amazon Music Live (Prime)

Studio C (BYUTv)

Outstanding Variety Special (Live)

The Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show Starring Rihanna (Fox)

Chris Rock: Selective Outrage (Netflix)

The Oscars (ABC)

29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (YouTube)

Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded)

Bill Burr: Live at Red Rocks (Netflix)

The Fangoria Chainsaw Awards (Shudder)

Richard III (Great Performances) (PBS)

South Park: The 25th Anniversary Concert (Comedy Central)

Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama, or Variety Series

I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson (Netflix)

The Party (YouTube)

Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction Or Reality Series

A Look Inside Five Days At Memorial (Apple TV+)

Tasting Wild (National Geographic)

Yellowjackets: Behind the Buzz (Showtime)

Yellowstone: Tales From The Bunkhouse (Paramount Network)

Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction Or Reality Series

History’s Greatest Mysteries (History Channel)

On Patrol: Live (Reelz)

Outstanding Structured Reality Program

Antiques Roadshow (PBS)

Bachelor in Paradise (ABC)

Bar Rescue (Paramount)

60 Days In (A&E)

Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program

Intervention (A&E)

Married At First Sight (Lifetime)

Naked and Afraid (Discovery)

Selling Sunset (Netflix)

Outstanding Reality Competition Program

The Amazing Race (CBS)

The Circle (Netflix)

Dancing With The Stars (Disney+)

Farmer Wants A Wife (FOX)

The Floor is Lava (Netflix)

Hell’s Kitchen (FOX)

Making the Cut (Amazon Prime)

So You Think You Can Dance (FOX)

Survivor (CBS)

Traitors (Peacock)

Outstanding Game Show

Let’s Make a Deal (CBS)

Master Minds (GSN)

The Price is Right (CBS)

Wheel of Fortune (CBS)

Lisa Marie’s Early Oscar Predictions For June

Posted on June 30, 2023 by Lisa Marie Bowman

It’s time for my Oscar predictions for June!

With the year almost halfway over, the Oscar race still feels pretty fluid, though I think things will come a bit more into focus next month with the release of Oppenheimer and Barbie. Obviously, Oppenheimer feels more like an Oscar picture than Barbie but you never know what could happen. The Academy appears to really like Greta Gerwig. Of course, both of those film have received so much hype that the true test could be just living up to expectations. Killers of the Flower Moon manage to pass that test at Cannes and, as a result, it’s the current Oscar front runner.

Below are my predictions for June. Be sure to also check out my predictions for March and April and May!

Best Picture

Air

Barbie

The Color Purple

Dune: Part Two

The Holdovers

Killers of the Flower Moon

Maestro

Oppenheimer

Poor Things

The Zone of Interest

Best Director

Blitz Bazawule for The Color Purple

Jonathan Glazer for The Zone of Interest

Christopher Nolan for Oppenheimer

Alexander Payne for The Holdovers

Martin Scorsese for Killers of the Flower Moon

Best Actor

Bradley Cooper in Maestro

Leonardo DiCaprio in Killers of the Flower Moon

Colman Domingo in Rustin

Paul Giamatti in The Holdovers

Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer

Best Actress

Emily Blunt in Pain Hustlers

Greta Lee in Past Lives

Natalie Portman in May December

Margot Robbie in Barbie

Emma Stone in Poor Things

Best Supporting Actor

Willem DaFoe in Poor Things

Matt Damon in Oppenheimer

Robert De Niro in Killers of the Flower Moon

Robert Downey Jr. in Oppenheimer

Ryan Gosling in Barbie

Best Supporting Actress

Viola Davis in Air

Lily Gladstone in Killers of the Flower Moon

Taraji P. Henson in The Color Purple

Julianne Moore in May/December

Da’Vine Joy Randolph in The Holdovers

Lisa Marie’s Early Oscar Predictions For May

Posted on May 31, 2023 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Here are my Oscar predictions for May!

Well, for once, Cannes has helped the Oscar picture to come into focus. The triumphant premiere of Killers of the Flower Moon not only cemented the film’s status as an early front runner but it also confirmed that Leonardo DiCaprio will be in the running for Best Actor and Lily Gladstone for either Best Actress or Supporting Actress. It also sound like Robert De Niro could receive another nomination. (Despite the importance of his role, Jesse Plemons’s screen time is apparently limited.)

The other Oscar contender to come out of Cannes would appear to be Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest. There is some talk that the film itself could be a bit too chilly for the Academy and, being familiar with Glazer’s work, that would not necessarily surprise me. But, for now, The Zone of Interest is among my predicated Best Picture nominee. I’m also going to continue to predict that Oppenheimer will be nominated and, after seeing the trailer, I’m a bit more confident that The Color Purple will be nominated as well. And I’m still going to toss in Barbie because why not?

That said, the year isn’t even halfway over yet and there’s a lot of films to come. It’s entirely possible that the majority of the best picture nominees are going to be films that haven’t even shown up on anyone’s radar yet.

Below are my predictions for May. Be sure to also check out my predictions for March and April!

Best Picture

Air

Barbie

The Color Purple

Dune: Part Two

The Holdovers

Killers of the Flower Moon

Maestro

Oppenheimer

Poor Things

The Zone of Interest

Best Director

Blitz Bazawule for The Color Purple

Jonathan Glazer for The Zone of Interest

Christopher Nolan for Oppenheimer

Alexander Payne for The Holdovers

Martin Scorsese for Killers of the Flower Moon

Best Actor

Bradley Cooper in Maestro

Leonardo DiCaprio in Killers of the Flower Moon

Colman Domingo in Rustin

Paul Giamatti in The Holdovers

Andre Holland in The Actor

Best Actress

Emily Blunt in Pain Brokers

Greta Lee in Past Lives

Natalie Portman in May December

Margot Robbie in Barbie

Emma Stone in Poor Things

Best Supporting Actor

Willem DaFoe in Poor Things

Matt Damon in Oppenheimer

Robert De Niro in Killers of the Flower Moon

Ryan Gosling in Barbie

Samuel L. Jackson in The Piano Lesson

Best Supporting Actress

Viola Davis in Air

Jodie Foster in Nyad

Lily Gladstone in Killers of the Flower Moon

Taraji P. Henson in The Color Purple

Da’Vine Joy Randolph in The Holdovers

Here’s What Won At Cannes

Posted on May 27, 2023 by Lisa Marie Bowman

And so, another Cannes film festival has come to a close! Despite my initial predictions and some generally respectful reviews, Ken Loach did not win a third Palme d’Or for The Old Oak so I’m happy about that. Here’s what did win:

COMPETITION

Palme d’Or: “Anatomy of a Fall,” Justine Triet

Grand Prix: “The Zone of Interest,” Jonathan Glazer

Director: Tran Anh Hung, “The Pot au Feu”

Actor: Kōji Yakusho, “Perfect Days”

Actress: Merve Dizdar, “About Dry Grasses”

Jury Prize: “Fallen Leaves,” Aki Kaurismaki

Screenplay: Sakamoto Yûji, “Monster”

OTHER PRIZES

Camera d’Or: “Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell,” Thien An Pham

Short Films Palme d’Or: “27,” Flóra Anna Buda.

Short Films Special Mention: “Fár,” Gunnur Martinsdóttir Schlüter

Queer Palm: “Monster”

UN CERTAIN REGARD

Un Certain Regard Award: “How to Have Sex,” Molly Manning Walker

Jury Prize: Asmae El Moudir, “Hounds”

Best Director Prize: “The Mother of All Lies,” Asmae El Moudir

Freedom Prize: “Goodbye Julia,” Mohamed Kordofani

Ensemble Prize: “The Buriti Flower,” cast and crew

New Voice Prize: “Omen,” Baloji

DIRECTORS’ FORTNIGHT

Europa Cinemas Label: “Creatura,” Elena Martín

Society of Dramatic Authors and Composers Prize: “A Prince,” Pierre Creton

CRITICS’ WEEK

Grand Prize: “Tiger Stripes,” Amanda Nell Eu

French Touch Prize: “It’s raining in the house,” Paloma Sermon-Daï

GAN Foundation Award for Distribution: Pyramide Films, “Inshallah a boy”

Louis Roederer Foundation Rising Star Award: Jovan Ginić, “Lost Country”

As far as the Oscars are concerned, I think the big winner at Cannes was Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. Yes, it was screened out of competition but the response to the film was so enthusiastic that it pretty much confirmed that, for now, it’s the Oscar front runner. If nothing else, the response temporarily silenced those who have been insisting that Killers of the Flower Moon would be a disappointment. (Bizarrely, there’s a whole generation of film commentators who seem to be obsessed with claiming that Scorsese is somehow overrated. I’d hate to think this is all about something as petty as Scorsese’s criticism of the Marvel films but then again, we live in petty times.) I would also keep an eye on Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest, which many expected would win the Palme but which had to settle for the jury prize. From what I’ve read, Glazer’s film sounds like it could be an Oscar contender.

Lisa Marie’s Way Too Early Oscar Predictions For April

Posted on April 30, 2023 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Here are my Oscar predictions for April! As always, when it’s this early in the year, I recommend taking all of these with a grain of salt. At this point, the only thing that anyone knows for sure is that it’s safe to remove Jonathan Majors and Magazine Dreams from any list of predictions.

Check out my predictions for March by clicking here!

Best Picture

The Actor

Barbie

The Color Purple

Dumb Money

Dune: Part Two

Flint Strong

The Holdovers

Killers of the Flower Moon

Oppenheimer

Rustin

Best Director

Blitz Bazawule for The Color Purple

Rachel Morrison for Flint Strong

Christopher Nolan for Oppenheimer

Alexander Payne for The Holdovers

Martin Scorsese for Killers of the Flower Moon

Best Actor

Bradley Cooper in Maestro

Colman Domingo in Rustin

Paul Giamatti in The Holdovers

Andre Holland in The Actor

Anthony Hopkins in Freud’s Last Session

Best Actress

Fantasia Barrino in The Color Purple

Emily Blunt in Pain Brokers

Greta Lee in Past Lives

Margot Robbie in Barbie

Emma Stone in Poor Things

Best Supporting Actor

Willem DaFoe in Poor Things

Matt Damon in Oppenheimer

Brian Tyree Henry in Flint Strong

Samuel L. Jackson in The Piano Lesson

Jesse Plemons in Killers of the Flower Moon

Best Supporting Actress

Viola Davis in Air

Jodie Foster in Nyad

Lily Gladstone in Killers of the Flower Moon

Taraji P. Henson in The Color Purple

Da’Vine Joy Randolph in The Holdovers

Here’s What’s Coming To The 2023 Cannes Film Festival

Posted on April 13, 2023 by Lisa Marie Bowman

The initial line-up for the 2023 Cannes Film Festival was announced today. Usually, films are added (and occasionally even withdrawn) after the initial announcement so this list will probably be added to in the days and weeks to come:

COMPETITION:

Club Zero, Jessica Hausner
Asteroid City, Wes Anderson
The Zone of Interest, Jonathan Glazer
Fallen Leaves, Aki Kaurismaki
Les Filles D’Olfa (Four Daughters), Kaouther Ben Hania
Anatomie D’une Chute, Justine Triet
Monster, Kore-eda Hirokazu
Il Sol Dell’Avvenire, Nanni Moretti,
La Chimera, Alice Rohrwacher,
About Dry Grasses, Nuri Bilge Ceylan,
L’Ete Dernier, Catherine Breillat,
The Passion of Dodin Bouffant, Tran Anh Hung,
Rapito, Marco Bellocchio,
May December, Todd Haynes,
Firebrand, Karim Ainouz,
The Old Oak, Ken Loach,
Perfect Days, Wim Wenders,
Banel Et Adama, Ramata-Toulaye Sy,
Jeunesse, Wang Bing,

OUT OF COMPETITION:

Killers of the Flower Moon, Martin Scorsese
The Idol, Sam Levinson
Cobweb, Kim Jee-woon
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, James Mangold
Jeanne du Barry, Maiwenn

MIDNIGHT SCREENINGS:

Omar la Fraise, Elias Belkeddar
Kennedy,” Anurag Kashyap
Acide, Just Philippot

SPECIAL SCREENINGS:

Retratos Fantasmas (Pictures of Ghosts), Kleber Mendonca Filho
Anselm, Wim Wenders
Occupied City, Steve McQueen
Man in Black, Wang Bing

CANNES PREMIERE:

Le Temps D’Aimer, Katell Quillevere,
Cerrar Los Ojos, Victor Erice,
Bonnard, Pierre et Marthe, Martin Provost,
Kubi, Takeshi Kitano

For Oscar watchers, the big news is probably that both Asteroid City and Killers of The Flower Moon will be premiering at Cannes. Asteroid City is the latest from Wes Anderson and, to be honest, I have my doubts about it as an Oscar contender. The trailer indicates that it’s very, very quirky. While Anderson did receive some Oscar recognition for Grand Budapest Hotel, a good deal of that film’s success was due to Ralph Fiennes’s lead performance. Fieness kept Grand Budapest rooted in a stylized reality. I’m not sure if anyone in the cast of Asteroid City is going to perform the same duty. If Asteroid City is going to become an Oscar contender, a good showing at Cannes would definitely help.

As for Killers of the Flower Moon, it’s being shown out of competition. I can understand the logic. With all of the high expectations that come along with being Martin Scorsese’s latest film (as well as being the first Scorsese film to feature both De Niro and Di Caprio), it’s best not to run the risk of being snubbed by the unpredictable Cannes jury. The last thing anyone wants is for the narrative to shift from “sure-fire contender” to “late career disappointment.”

The Cannes Film Festival runs from May 16th to May 27th!

Lisa Marie’s Way Too Early Oscar Predictions For March

Posted on March 14, 2023 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Now that the 2022 Oscars are over with, it’s time to move on to the 2023 Oscars!

Needless to say, there’s probably nothing more pointless than trying to guess which films are going to be nominated a year from now. I can’t even guarantee that all of the films listed below are even going to be released this year. And, even if they are released this year, I can’t guarantee that they’ll actually be any good or that the Academy will show any interest in them. I mean, Martin Scorsese always seems like a safe bet but we all remember what happened with Silence. For months, everyone said Silence would be the Oscar front runner. Then it was released to respectful but not ecstatic reviews. Audiences stayed away. The film ended up with one technical nomination.

My point is that no one knows anything. As much as I hate quoting William Goldman (because, seriously, quoting Goldman on a film site is such a cliché at this point), Goldman was right.

So, you may be asking, how did I come up with the nominees below? For the most part, I guessed. A few of them I went with because of the people who made the film. Though shooting has wrapped, Ferrari might not even be released this year but it’s a Michael Mann film that stars Adam Driver so, for now, I have to include it. Of course, I had to include Scorsese and Killers of the Flower Moon. Asteroid City is there because the Academy embraced Wes Anderson once and it could always happen again. Fair Play and Magazine Dreams‘s Jonathan Majors are listed because the Sundance Film Festival is still a recent memory. Maestro is there because the Academy seems like to Bradley Cooper. Dune Part Two and Oppenheimer are there because Film Twitter is convinced that they will be.

In other words, there’s no real science to these predictions. It’s too early in the year to do anything but guess. And for now, these are my guesses. A year from now, they’ll be good for either bragging rights or a laugh. Hopefully, they’ll be good for both.

Best Picture

Asteroid City

The Color Purple

Dune Part Two

Fair Play

Ferrari

The Holdovers

Killers of the Flower Moon

Maestro

Oppenheimer

Rustin

Best Director

Chloe Domont for Fair Play

Christopher Nolan for Oppenheimer

Alexander Payne for The Holdovers

Martin Scorsese for Killers of the Flower Moon

Denis Villeneuve for Dune Part Two

Best Actor

Bradley Cooper in Maestro

Colman Domingo in Rustin

Paul Giamatti in The Holdovers

Jonathan Majors in Magazine Dreams

Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer

Best Actress

Emily Blunt in Pain Hustlers

Carey Mulligan in Maestro

Da’Vine Joy Randolph in The Holdovers

Julia Roberts in Leave the World Behind

Teyana Taylor in A Thousand and One

Best Supporting Actor

Mahershala Ali in Leave The World Behind

Willem DaFoe in Poor Things

Matt Damon in Oppenheimer

Ethan Hawke in Strange Way Of Life

Jesse Plemons in Killers of the Flower Moon

Best Supporting Actress

Emily Blunt in Oppenheimer

Tantoo Cardinal in Killers of the Flower Moon

Taraji P. Henson in The Color Purple

Florence Pugh in Oppenheimer

Tilda Swinton in Asteroid City

A Few Thoughts On The 95th Oscar Ceremony

Posted on March 12, 2023 by Lisa Marie Bowman

This year’s Oscar ceremony was all about the Slap.

Don’t get me wrong. No one got slapped during the ceremony. No one got yelled at. There wasn’t any major controversy at all, beyond the question of whether Everything Everywhere All At Once actually deserved all of those Oscars. Most of the awards speeches were nice. Ke Huy Quan was a highlight, calling his story “an American dream.” Much as when Gary Oldman praised America upon winning his Oscar for Best Actor, you could tell the audience at the ceremony wasn’t sure how to react to unironic praise of America but I can promise you that his speech touched the hearts of almost everyone watching. Compared to previous ceremonies, there wasn’t a lot of political blathering and the orchestra did its job and kept people from rambling on for too long. Obviously, the Academy learned its lesson from the Soderbergh Oscars and that guy who wouldn’t shut up about his octopus.

That said, from the start, it was obvious that The Slap and preventing another incident was on everyone’s mind. As opposed to last year’s Oscars, the entire ceremony felt tightly controlled. Jimmy Kimmel kept his jokes light and only poked fun at people who didn’t show for the ceremony, like James Cameron and Tom Cruise. Amongst the presenters, there was a definite lack of comedians or, really, anyone who might threaten to go off script and say something controversial. The show was carefully constructed to keep anything shocking from happening and, as a result, it was a bit dull. For all the drama and controversy that surrounded the Slap, it was probably one of the few truly spontaneous moments that we’ve seen on the Oscars. Certainly, more people talked about the Slap last year than are going to be talking the ceremony this year.

This year was safe and boring, though it was never as downright dull as the Soderbergh Oscars. Most of the victories felt inevitable. I guess the biggest upset was Jamie Lee Curtis winning Best Supporting Actress over Angela Bassett. (Though I appreciated that Curtis epitomized everything that normal people hate about the IRS, I was rooting for Kerry Condon.) There was a brief moment of excitement when it seemed like All Quiet On The Western Front might upset Everything Everywhere All At Once but that ended up as soon as All Quiet lost the Adapted Screenplay Oscar to Women Talking.

As far as the speeches go, Ke Huy Quan won the evening by giving a genuine, heartfelt acceptance speech. The Daniels got to give three acceptance speeches and they both seemed to get just a little bit more impressed with themselves with each speech. (A lot of people are going to have their knives out when the Daniels get around to making their third film.) EEAAO‘s editor went on for a bit too long, which is actually kind of a funny thing for an editor to do. Michelle Yeoh’s speech was classy and should be used as a guide who ever wonders what to say when accepting an award.

I was kind of dreading the prospect of Jimmy Kimmel hosting but I thought he did a good job. Other than throwing in a few heavy-handed political jabs towards the end, Kimmel struck the right tone for the show. Jimmy certainly seemed to have a better handle on things than Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes, and Regina Hall did last year. Of course, unlike those three, Kimmel didn’t have to deal with any nominees walking on stage and striking a presenter.

As far as the musical performances go, the performance of RRR‘s nominated song was a lot of fun and I also thought Lady Gaga did a wonderful job with her song. The other performances didn’t do much for me, though none of them were particularly bad. They were just kind of safe. The fact that EEAAO got a nomination for that song should have been everyone’s first clue that the Academy was going to love the movie.

The ceremony this year was controlled and boring and, most importantly, it’s now over. Now, we can start talking about what’s going to win in 2024!