Crip Camp
Awards

93rd Annual Oscars Spotlight on Documentary Feature

Welcome to one of my favorite of the categories. It wasn’t always thus, but the last few years I have become entranced by the quality of the films that have earned nominations, and more than a few that I felt deserved a nod, but didn’t get one. Last year, for instance, the movie that I thought was the very best of the year, non-Parasite category, was a doc called Maiden, […]

Emma
Awards

93rd Annual Oscars Spotlight on Costume Design

Welcome to my sister-in-law Mindy’s favorite category, the one which she and I will discuss the most and, if she really likes one of the contenders, will refer to the clothing as “scrumptious.” That, actually, is why I’m making the choice I am making in this category, which of course you will see below. Before we get there, though, a note about this category that sort of jibes with the […]

Tenet
Awards

93rd Annual Oscars Spotlight on Visual Effects

For the first time that I can remember, the Visual Effects category is not populated by the big, epic sci-fi/fantasy/superhero entries that are the usual fare. Thanks, Covid! So no Marvel movies, no DC, no Star Wars, no flights, no tights, no nothing. It’s a shame, really, and I’ve been lamenting the fact for a while, stuck as we are with more thoughtful fare and not the normal bombast that […]

Soul
Awards

93rd Annual Oscars Spotlight on the Sound Nominees

This is the first year that Sound is just a single category, after decades of it being split into Sound Editing and Sound Mixing. There is a difference, but it’s now moot, because after years of the Academy members also being confused, the two were combined into the single category, which makes sense.  In a normal year, the Sound category might be considered one of the less glamorous of the […]

Tenet
Art Direction

93rd Annual Oscars Spotlight on the Production Design Nominees

There has been talk recently about splitting this category into two, period pieces vs modern, in a sort of opposite tack to the one taken with the Sound categories. The argument is that period pieces have an advantage and win the category at a much higher rate. Looking at the last five winners, though, I’m not sure how much water this position holds. Last year’s winner was Once Upon a […]