10 Oscar Snubs From the 1990s


Ah, the 90s. Some would say that this was the last good decade that the world would ever experience. It was certainly a good decade for films!  Still, there were some notable Oscar snubs during this decade.  Here are ten of them.

1990: Ray Liotta Is Not Nominated For Goodfellas

The fact that Ray Liotta did not even receive a nomination for playing Henry Hill in Goodfellas will always astound me.  While the film did receive several nominations (and really, it should have won the majority of them), Ray Liotta was snubbed despite the fact that it was his performance that pretty much held the film together.  Alec Baldwin, Tom Cruise, and Val Kilmer were among those who were considered for the role before Liotta received it.  They’re all fine actors but it’s hard to imagine any of them bringing Henry to life quite as well as Ray Liotta.

1991: John Goodman is Not Nominated for Barton Fink

“I WILL SHOW YOU THE LIFE OF THE MIND!”

It’s a little bit amazing that John Goodman has never received an Oscar nomination.  I don’t think he’s ever been scarier (and, in his way, more poignant) than when he played Charley “Mad Man Mundt” Meadows in Barton Fink.

1993: The Age of Innocence Is Not Nominated For Best Picture

While we’re on the subject of Scorsese films that were snubbed by the Academy, it’s amazing to me that Scorsese’s witty, smart, and visually stunning adaptation of The Age of Innocence did not receive a Best Picture nomination.

1993: Dazed and Confused Is Completely Snubbed

Okay, maybe this one isn’t as surprising as the Academy snubbing as Scorsese picture.  Even today, it’s doubtful that the Academy would embrace a film about a bunch of stoned Texas high school kids.  Still, it bothers me that Dazed and Confused received not a single nomination.  It’s certainly better remembered than many of the films that were nominated that year.

1995: Heat Is Completely Ignored

Considering that the film is now regularly cited as one of the best crime films ever made, it’s interesting to note that the Academy totally ignored Heat.  The film received no acting nominations.  Michael Mann was not nominated for his skill in juggling several different storylines.  The film didn’t even receive any technical nominations.  The cinematography was ignored.  You would think that the massive shoot-out would have gotten the film a nomination for Best Sound Editing but, even in that category, Heat was ignored.

Needless to say, Heat was not nominated for Best Picture.  The 1995 Best Picture line-up has always seemed like an odd mix of films, with Babe, Apollo 13, Sense and Sensibility, and Il Postino all losing out to Mel Gibson’s Braveheart.  Apollo 13 and Sense and Sensibility didn’t even receive nominations for their directors, Ron Howard and Ang Lee.  It was an odd year, I guess.  Heat was not the only acclaimed film to miss out on a Best Picture nomination but at least Casino, Leaving Las Vegas, and Dead Man Walking still received nominations in other categories.  Heat was totally snubbed.

1996: Steve Buscemi Is Not Nominated For Fargo

Despite being a cultural institution, Steve Buscemi has never received an Oscar nomination.  I would have nominated him for Fargo.

1997: Boogie Nights Is Not Nominated For Best Picture, Best Director, or Best Actor

Despite receiving two acting nominations for Burt Reynolds and Julianne Moore and a screenplay nomination, Boogie Nights missed out on the big award.  To be honest, I have a feeling that the film would have been nominated if it had been released today.  But, in the year of Titanic, the Academy may not have been ready to embrace a film about the Golden Age of Porn.  And they certainly weren’t ready to embrace Mark Wahlberg, despite his award-worthy performance of The Touch.  Given a choice, the Academy will always embrace the James Camerons of the world before it embraces the Jack Horners.  That said, as we saw in the film, Dirk and Angels Live In My Town swept the AFAA awaards and that’s the important things.

1997: Billy Zane Is Not Nominated For Titanic

C’mon, he was the best thing about the movie!  If Billy Zane can’t receive a nomination for shouting, “I hope you’ll be very happy together!” while chasing Leo and Kate through a sinking ship, what is the point of even having the Oscars?

1999: Reese Witherspoon Is Not Nominated For Best Actress For Election

Reese Witherspoon’s performance as Tracey Flick is iconic precisely because it feels so real.  Everyone has known as Tracey Flick.  Everyone has been annoyed by a Tracey Flick.  Everyone has hoped for a Tracey Flick to fail.  And everyone has inwardly lost a little faith in karma as the Tracey Flicks of the world have continued to find work as mid-level bureaucrats.  In fact, I imagine that might be the reason why Reese Witherspoon was not nominated for her outstanding performance in Election.  No one wanted to reward Tracey Flick.

1999: Bruce Willis Is Not Nominated For Best Actor For The Sixth Sense

Seriously, everyone really took him for granted.  Just try to imagine The Sixth Sense with someone else in his role.

Agree?  Disagree?  Do you have an Oscar snub that you think is even worse than the 10 listed here?  Let us know in the comments!

Up next: A new century brings new snubs!

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Roger Deakins Edition


4 Or More Shots From 4 Or More Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking!

Today, the Shattered Lens wishes a happy birthday to the legendary cinematographer, Roger Deakins!  It’s time for….

4 Shots From 4 Roger Deakins Film

Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984, dir by Michael Radford, cinematography by Roger Deakins)

Fargo (1996, dir by the Coen Brothers, cinematography by Roger Deakins)

Kundun (1997, dir by Martin Scorsese, cinematography by Roger Deakins)

1917 (2019, dir by Sam Mendes. cinematography by Roger Deakins)

14 Shots From 14 Films: Special Roger Deakins Edition


4 Shots From 4 Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking!

Usually, we only do 4 shots from 4 films but today is the birthday of our greatest living cinematographer, Roger Deakins!  And it’s impossible to only pick 4 when it comes to Deakins.

So, it’s time for….

14 Shots From 14 Films

Marquis De Sade’s Justine (1977, dir by Chris Boger, cinematography by Roger Deakins)

Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984, dir by Michael Radford, cinematography by Roger Deakins)

Barton Fink (1991, dir by the Coen Brothers, cinematography by Roger Deakins)

Fargo (1996, dir by the Coen Brothers, cinematography by Roger Deakins)

Kundun (1997, dir by Martin Scorsese, cinematography by Roger Deakins)

House of Sand and Fog (2003, dir by Vadim Perelman, cinematography by Roger Deakins)

No Country For Old Men (2007, dir by the Coen Brothers, cinematography by Roger Deakins)

A Serious Man (2009, dir by the Coen Brothers, cinematography by Roger Deakins)

Skyfall (2012, dir by Sam Mendes, cinematography by Roger Deakins)

Prisoners (2013, dir by Denis Villeneuve, cinematography by Roger Deakins)

Sicario (2015, dir by Denis Villeneuve, cinematography by Roger Deakins)

Hail Caesar! (2016, dir by the Coen Brothers, cinematography by Roger Deakins)

Blade Runner 2049 (2017, dir by Denis Villeneuve, cinematography by Roger Deakins)

1917 (2019, dir by Sam Mendes. cinematography by Roger Deakins)

 

Here’s What Won At The Emmys Last Night!


Last night, Lisa Marie did not watch the Emmys because she says that, “I’m just not feeling TV this year.”  If Twin Peaks had been eligible to be nominated, I bet it would have been a different story!

Instead, she asked me to watch the ceremony and let everyone know what I thought.  It needed less politics and more cats.

Here’s the list of winners:

COMEDY

BEST COMEDY SERIES
“Atlanta”
“Black-ish”
“Masters of None”
“Modern Family”
“Silicon Valley”
“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”
X — “Veep”

BEST COMEDY ACTRESS
Pamela Adlon, “Better Things”
Jane Fonda, “Grace and Frankie”
Allison Janney, “Mom”
Ellie Kemper, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”
X — Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep”
Tracee Ellis Ross, “Black-ish”
Lily Tomlin, “Grace and Frankie”

BEST COMEDY ACTOR
Anthony Anderson, “Black-ish”
Aziz Ansari, “Master of None”
Zach Galifianaks, “Baskets”
X — Donald Glover, “Atlanta”
William H. Macy, “Shameless”
Jeffrey Tambor, “Transparent”

BEST COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Vanessa Bayer, “Saturday Night Live”
Anna Chlumsky, “Veep”
Kathryn Hahn, “Transparent”
Leslie Jones, “Saturday Night Live”
Judith Light, “Transparent”
X — Kate McKinnon, “Saturday Night Live”

BEST COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTOR
Louie Anderson, “Baskets”
X — Alec Baldwin, “Saturday Night Live”
Tituss Burgess, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”
Ty Burrell, “Modern Family”
Tony Hale, “Veep”
Matt Walsh, “Veep”

BEST COMEDY DIRECTING
X — “Atlanta” (“B.A.N.”)
“Silicon Valley” (“Intellectual Property”)
“Silicon Valley” (“Server Error”)
“Veep” (“Justice”)
“Veep” (“Blurb”)
“Veep” (“Groundbreaking”)

BEST COMEDY WRITING
“Atlanta” (“B.A.N.”)
“Atlanta” (“Streets on Lock”)
X — “Master of None” (“Thanksgiving”)
“Silicon Valley” (“Success Failure”)
“Veep” (“Groundbreaking”)
“Veep” (“Georgia”)

DRAMA

BEST DRAMA SERIES
“Better Call Saul”
“The Crown”
X — “The Handmaid’s Tale”
“House of Cards”
“Stranger Things”
“This is Us”
“Westworld”

BEST DRAMA ACTRESS
Viola Davis, “How to Get Away with Murder”
Claire Foy, “The Crown”
X — Elisabeth Moss, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
Keri Russell, “The Americans”
Evan Rachel Wood, “Westworld”
Robin Wright, “House of Cards”

BEST DRAMA ACTOR
X — Sterling K. Brown, “This is Us”
Anthony Hopkins, “Westworld”
Bob Odenkirk, “Better Call Saul”
Matthew Rhys, “The Americans”
Liev Schreiber, “Ray Donovan”
Kevin Spacey, “House of Cards”
Milo Ventimiglia, “This is Us”

BEST DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Uzo Aduba, “Orange is the New Black”
Millie Bobby Brown, “Stranger Things”
X — Ann Dowd, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
Chrissy Metz, “This is Us”
Thandie Newton, “Westworld”
Samira Wiley, “The Handmaid’s Tale”

BEST DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTOR
Jonathan Banks, “Better Call Saul”
David Harbour, “Stranger Things”
Ron Cephas Jones, “This is Us”
Michael Kelly, “House of Cards”
X — John Lithgow, “The Crown”
Mandy Patinkin, “Homeland”
Jeffrey Wright, “Westworld”

BEST DRAMA DIRECTING
“Better Call Saul” (“Witness”)
“The Crown” (“Hyde Park Corner”)
“The Handmaid’s Tale” (“The Bridge”)
X — “The Handmaid’s Tale” (“Offred”)
“Homeland” (“America First”)
“Stranger Things” (“Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers”)
“Westworld” (“The Bicameral Mind”)

BEST DRAMA WRITING
“The Americans” (“The Soviet Division”)
“Better Call Saul” (“Chicanery”)
“The Crown” (“Assassins”)
X — “The Handmaid’s Tale” (“Offred”)
“Stranger Things” (“Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers”)
“Westworld” (“The Bicameral Mind”)

MOVIE/LIMITED SERIES

BEST LIMITED SERIES
X — “Big Little Lies”
“Fargo”
“Feud: Bette and Joan”
“Genius”
“The Night Of”

BEST TV MOVIE
X — “Black Mirror: San Junipero”
“Christmas of Many Colors”
“The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks”
“Sherlock: The Lying Detective”
“The Wizard of Lies”

BEST MOVIE/MINI ACTRESS
Carrie Coon, “Fargo”
Felicity Huffman, “American Crime”
X — Nicole Kidman, “Big Little Lies”
Jessica Lange, “Feud: Bette and Joan”
Susan Sarandon, “Feud: Bette and Joan”
Reese Witherspoon, “Big Little Lies”

BEST MOVIE/MINI ACTOR
X — Riz Ahmed, “The Night Of”
Benedict Cumberbatch, “Sherlock: The Lying Detective”
Robert De Niro, “The Wizard of Lies”
Ewan McGregor, “Fargo”
Geoffrey Rush, “Genius”
John Turturro, “The Night Of”

BEST MOVIE/MINI SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Judy Davis, “Feud: Bette and Joan”
X — Laura Dern, “Big Little Lies”
Jackie Hoffman, “Feud: Bette and Joan”
Regina King, “American Crime”
Michelle Pfeiffer, “The Wizard of Lies”
Shailene Woodley, “Big Little Lies”

BEST MOVIE/MINI SUPPORTING ACTOR
Bill Camp, “The Night Of”
Alfred Molina, “Feud: Bette and Joan”
X — Alexander Skarsgard, “Big Little Lies”
David Thewlis, “Fargo”
Stanley Tucci, “Feud: Bette and Joan”
Michael Kenneth Williams, “The Night Of”

BEST MOVIE/MINI DIRECTING
X — “Big Little Lies”
“Fargo” (“The Law of Vacant Places”)
“Feud: Bette and Joan” (“And the Winner Is”)
“Genius” (“Einstein: Chapter One”)
“The Night Of” (“The Art of War”)
“The Night Of” (“The Beach”)

BEST MOVIE/MINI WRITING
“Big Little Lies”
X — “Black Mirror: San Junipero”
“Fargo” (“The Law of Vacant Places”)
“Feud: Bette and Joan” (“And the Winner Is”)
“Feud: Bette and Joan” (“Pilot”)
“The Night Of” (“Call of the Wild”)

VARIETY/REALITY

BEST REALITY COMPETITION PROGRAM
“The Amazing Race”
“Amercan Ninja Warrior”
“Project Runway”
“RuPaul’s Drag Race”
“Top Chef”
X — “The Voice”

BEST VARIETY TALK SERIES
“Full Frontal with Samantha Bee”
“Jimmy Kimmel Live”
X — “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”
“Late Late Show with James Corden”
“Late Show with Stephen Colbert”
“Real Time with Bill Maher”

BEST VARIETY SKETCH SERIES
“Billy on the Street”
“Documentary Now”
“Drunk History”
“Portlandia”
X — “Saturday Night Live”
“Tracey Ullman’s Show”

BEST VARIETY SERIES DIRECTING
“Drunk History”
“Jimmy Kimmel Live”
“Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”
“Late Show with Stephen Colbert”
X — “Saturday Night Live”

BEST VARIETY SERIES WRITING
“Full Frontal with Samantha Bee”
X — “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”
“Late Night with Seth Meyers”
“Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Scenes That I Love: “And It’s a Beautiful Day” in Fargo


As I sit here typing this at nearly 2 in the morning, this is what our front yard currently looks like:

SnowNow, admittedly, this is nothing compared to what fellow TSL writers Pantsukudasai56 and Leon The Duke are having to deal with up in Massachusetts.  However, Erin and I live in Texas, where we consider 90 to be a cold front.  So, to us, that is a lot of snow!

(Add to that, it’s still coming down…)

As I watched the flakes fall and I realized that our cat’s outside water bowl had now disappeared under a mountain of snow, I couldn’t help but think of one of the best (and most snow-filled) films ever made, 1996’s Fargo.  Fargo is a film about many things: greed, love, home, fate, guilt, and innocence.  It’s also a film that’s full of snow.

And tonight’s Scene That I Love comes from Fargo.  When people talk about Fargo, they always seem to mention the woodchipper scene, the accents, and maybe the scene where William H. Macy flees the interview.  However, for me, the film’s best scene comes towards the end.  As Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand) drives Gaer Grismund (Peter Stomare) to jail, she reflects on everything that’s happened.

Even though I’ve seen Fargo several times, this scene still always gets to me.  First off, there’s always a part of me that’s scared that Grismund is somehow going to attack Marge from the backseat.  But, beyond that, this is the scene where Marge reminds us that, for all the bad in the world, there’s still good as well.

And, of course, there’s all that snow…

Here’s What Won At The Golden Globes!


Film Awards

Best Film (Drama) — Boyhood

Best Drama Actor — Eddie Redmayne in The Theory of Everything

Best Drama Actress — Julianne Moore in Still Alice

Best Film (Comedy) — The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Comedy Actor — Michael Keaton in Birdman

Best Comedy Actress — Amy Adams in Big Eyes

Best Supporting Actor — J.K. Simmons in Whiplash

Best Supporting Actress — Patricia Arquette in Boyhood

Best Director — Richard Linklater for Boyhood

Best Screenplay — Birdman

Best Animated Feature — How To Train Your Dragon 2

Best Score — The Theory of Everything

Best Original Song — “Glory” from Selma

TV Awards

Best Drama Series — The Affair

Best Drama Actor — Kevin Spacey in House of Cards

Best Drama Actress — Ruth Wilson in The Affair

Best Comedy Series — Transparent

Best Comedy Actor — Jeffrey Tambor in Transparent

Best Comedy Actress — Gina Rodriguez in Jane the Virgin

Best TV Movie/Limited Series — Fargo

Best TV Movie/Limited Series Actor — Billy Bob Thornton in Fargo

Best TV Movie/Limited Series Actress — Maggie Gyllenhaal in The Honourable Woman

Best TV Supporting Actor — Matt Bomer in The Normal Heart

Best TV Supporting Actress — Joanne Froggatt in Downton Abbey

Here Are The AFI’s Top Eleven Films Of The Year!


AFI

Earlier today, the American Film Institute announced their picks for the top 11 movies and top 10 television shows of 2014!  As much as it pains me to admit it, Sasha “You Know Who I Am”  Stone of Awards Daily actually makes a valid point when she says that the AFI picks are actually a pretty good guide to what the Academy voters are responding to.  While Oscar watchers like me might get excited when Tom Hardy wins at LAFCA, the AFI is actually probably a better precursor to what actually will be nominated.

(Of course, immediately after making that point, she starts in on her usual “it’s all about me” nonsense because that’s what she does, after all.)

So, with all that in mind, here are the AFI’s picks:

AFI MOVIES OF THE YEAR
“American Sniper”
“Birdman (Or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
“Boyhood”
“Foxcatcher”
“The Imitation Game”
“Interstellar”
“Into the Woods”
“Nightcrawler”
“Selma”
“Unbroken”
“Whiplash”

AFI TV PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR
“The Americans”
“Fargo”
“Game of Thrones”
“How to Get Away With Murder”
“Jane the Virgin”
“The Knick”
“Mad Men”
“Orange Is the New Black”
“Silicon Valley”
“Transparent”

And, here are the names of the 20 members of the AFI jury:

Tom Pollock,

Jeanne Basinger,

Bob Gazzale,

Mark Harris,

Marshall Herskovitz,

Patty Jenkins,

Lisa Kennedy,

Kasi Lemmons,

Matthew Libatique,

Akira Mizuta Lippit,

Leonard Maltin,

Claudia Puig,

Peter Travers