Last year when the Academy Award nominations came out, there was one film among the Best Animated Feature category that I had never heard of before. It was a French film called Arco. I placed it on the list for the June Swoon 5 immediately.
I found it streaming on Hulu and watched it this morning with the English dubbed version. I typically am not a fan of the dubbed version, preferring the original voices. However, since it was an animated film, I decided it would not be as jarring as a live action dubbed film would be. Plus, the voice cast seemed very impressive with Will Farrell, Juliano Krue Valdi (who played young Michael Jackson in the biopic film, Michael), Mark Ruffalo, Natalie Portman, Andy Samberg, Flea, and America Ferrera.
According to IMDB, “In 2075, a girl witnesses a mysterious boy in a rainbow suit fall from the sky. He comes from an idyllic far future where time travel is possible. She shelters him and will do whatever it takes to help him return to his time.”
The voice of Iris, the young girl who discovered Arco, was done by Romy Fay, a talented voice actor and singer-songwriter.
The film has several underlying themes in the story that kind of take a back seat to the lost in time aspect for Arco and iris. Some of the characters do not have the depth that they required, but they do seem to work together to form a tapestry of color and creativity. The imagery of the rainbows are lovely and the friendship between Arco and Iris is sweet, even if the backdrop of the world is horrific.
The oddball trio, led by the voice of Will Farrell, feels like something right out of anime. In fact, this reminded me of a Studio Ghibli film, only considerably shorter.
Arco was an enjoyable enough film that had a good message with some amazing visuals. I can see why it received an Oscar nomination.
List from Angeline Jane Bernabe and Mason Leib on ABC News.com
These are my thoughts and predictions for Sunday night’s Academy Awards. As I said, these are my predictions for who I think will win. This is not my personal favorites. I will give a second choice as the runner-up in my opinion.
Best picture
“Bugonia”
“F1”
“Frankenstein”
“Hamnet”
“Marty Supreme”
“One Battle After Another”
“The Secret Agent”
“Sentimental Value”
“Sinners”
“Train Dreams”
I am a believer in the Sinner’s momentum. I do think that Sinners will overtake “One Battle After Another” which has been the leading candidate for much of the pre-award season. Sinners is also my personal favorite of the nominated films, so I am cheering for it. If not Sinners, it will be “One Battle After Another.”
Best supporting actress
Elle Fanning, “Sentimental Value”
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, “Sentimental Value”
Amy Madigan, “Weapons”
Wunmi Mosaku, “Sinners”
Teyana Taylor, “One Battle After Another”
This is a strong category, but the performance Amy Madigan gave in “Weapons” was just so special and it made that move more than what it would have been. Sure, it is a genre film and the Academy some times does not favor those, but I do believe this one transcends genre. Second choice: Teyana Taylor (OBAA).
Best actor
Timothée Chalamet, “Marty Supreme”
Leonardo DiCaprio, “One Battle After Another”
Ethan Hawke, “Blue Moon”
Michael B. Jordan, “Sinners”
Wagner Moura, “The Secret Agent”
Again, I believe in the momentum of Sinners. Michael B. Jordan’s victory at the Actor Awards was a significant signal that the race had switched. Jordan is a remarkably worthy potential winner as he played two different characters (and one of those he played two different ways when he was changed into a vampire). It brought a lot of energy. Second choice: Timothée Chalamet.
Best actress
Jessie Buckley, “Hamnet”
Rose Byrne, “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”
Kate Hudson, “Song Sung Blue”
Renate Reinsve, “Sentimental Value”
Emma Stone, “Bugonia”
Jessie Buckley. ‘Nuff said. I would have loved to cheer for Kate Hudson because I thought she was exceptional in “Song Sung Blue” but Buckley may have given the best performance I have ever seen. If she does not win this award, there should be investigations. Second choice: NONE. It is Buckley.
Best supporting actor
Benicio Del Toro, “One Battle After Another”
Jacob Elordi, “Frankenstein”
Delroy Lindo, “Sinners”
Sean Penn, “One Battle After Another”
Stellan Skarsgård, “Sentimental Value”
I am going with Stellan Skarsgård for his work in “Sentimental Value.” I think Del Toro and Sean Penn may split votes, opening up the large contingent of foreign voters in the Academy to give it to Skarsgård. This is a tough category too because you also have the spoiler floating around in Delroy Lindo. Second choice: Sean Penn, but I could see it being Lindo or Del Toro.
Best director
Chloé Zhao, “Hamnet”
Josh Safdie, “Marty Supreme”
Paul Thomas Anderson, “One Battle After Another”
Joachim Trier, “Sentimental Value”
Ryan Coogler, “Sinners”
This is the award they will give to this film since Sinners is going to win Best Picture. PTA has been deserving of an Academy Award for years, and this is the one he is going to get. Second Choice: Ryan Coogler.
Best makeup and hairstyling
“Frankenstein”
“Kokuho”
“Sinners”
“The Smashing Machine”
“The Ugly Stepsister”
The look of Frankenstein was great and it will most likely win this award. I would have liked to see “Smashing Machine” win because the Rock really did transform into Mark Kerr, but that is not going to happen. Second Choice: Sinners.
Best original score
“Bugonia” — Jerskin Fendrix
“Frankenstein” — Alexandre Desplat
“Hamnet” — Max Richter
“One Battle After Another” — Jonny Greenwood
“Sinners” — Ludwig Göransson
The music of Sinners is almost as important as the characters of the film. The soundtrack brings an authentic feel to this film and Ludwig Göransson will receive another Oscar. Second choice: Max Richter for Hamnet.
Best live action short film
“Butcher’s Stain”
“Jane Austen’s Period Drama”
“A Friend of Dorothy”
“The Singers”
“Two People Exchanging Saliva”
If I were voting, I would pick “Jane Austen’s Period Drama” because that was by far my favorite short on this list, but the Academy is not giving it an Oscar. “Two People Exchanging Saliva” is weird, wild and builds a fictional world around some of the strangest things. It wins. Second Choice: “A Friend of Dorothy”
Best adapted screenplay
“Bugonia” — Will Tracy
“Frankenstein” — Guillermo Del Toro
“Hamnet” — Maggie O’Farrell and Chloé Zhao
“One Battle After Another” — Paul Thomas Anderson
“Train Dreams” — Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar
One of the easiest picks to make. The Best Picture is coming down to One Battle vs Sinners so One Battle After Another wins this one. Second Choice: Hamnet.
Best original screenplay
“Blue Moon” — Robert Kaplow
“It Was Just an Accident” — Jafar Panahi
“Marty Supreme” — Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie
“Sentimental Value” — Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt
“Sinners” – Ryan Coogler
See above. Same reason “One Battle” wins Best Adapted. Second Choice: Blue Moon
Best animated short film
“Butterfly”
“Forevergreen”
“The Girl Who Cried Pearls”
“Retirement Plan”
“The Three Sisters”
This was my favorite animated short of this list and I do think it is the one with the best animation, a true story involving the Holocaust and an Olympic swimmer. It is far and away the best on this list. Second Choice: “The Girl Who Cried Pearls.”
Best casting
“Hamnet” — Nina Gold
“Marty Supreme” — Jennifer Venditti
“One Battle After Another” — Cassandra Kulukundis
“The Secret Agent” — Gabriel Domingues
“Sinners” — Francine Maisler
This is a brand new Academy Award this year and I think Sinners is going to get it. The casting of this film is just amazing and the cast brings it throughout. Second Choice: “One Battle After Another.”
Best original song
“Dear Me” from “Diane Warren: Relentless”
“Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters”
“I Lied to You” from “Sinners”
“Sweet Dreams of Joy” from “Viva Verdi!”
“Train Dreams” from “Train Dreams”
This song is one of the biggest hits of 2025, worldwide. The Academy is not going to miss this and create a controversy. There are only a couple of shoo-ins. This is one. Second Choice: “I Lied to You” (Sinners)- which would be my personal choice if I had a vote.
Best documentary feature film
“The Alabama Solution”
“Come See Me in the Good Light”
“Cutting Through Rocks”
“Mr. Nobody Against Putin”
“The Perfect Neighbor”
I have not seen many here. I did see “The Perfect Neighbor” and I loved it. Second Choice: No idea. Probably the Putin one..
Best documentary short film
“All the Empty Rooms”
“Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud”
“Children No More: ‘Were and Are Gone'”
“The Devil is Busy”
“Perfectly a Strangeness”
I have not seen any of these documentary shorts. I know “All the Empty Rooms” is about school shootings and that is usually Academy fodder, so I will guess that one. Second Choice: How about “The Devil is Busy”?
Best international feature film
Brazil, “The Secret Agent”
France, “It Was Just an Accident”
Norway, “Sentimental Value”
Spain, “Sirât”
Tunisia, “The Voice of Hind Rajab”
I have only seen two of these, though I am excited about seeing The Secret Agent during this year’s June Swoon. Because I have seen it, Sentimental Value gets my vote. Second Guess: “The Secret Agent.” – Heard good things.
Best animated feature film
“Arco”
“Elio”
“KPop Demon Hunters”
“Little Amélie or the Character of Rain”
“Zootopia 2”
K-Pop Demon Hunters is winning this. It would not have been my vote, but it is clearly the biggest cultural animated film of the year. Not sure why Elio is on this list. Second choice: Zootopia 2 (which would have been my vote).
Best production design
“Frankenstein”
“Hamnet”
“Marty Supreme”
“One Battle After Another”
“Sinners”
I feel like I should have gone with Frankenstein, but I am looking for an upset and Hamnet does have tremendous production design. Second choice: (and most likely winner) Frankenstein
Best film editing
“F1” — Stephen Mirrione
“Marty Supreme” — Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie
“One Battle After Another” — Andy Jurgensen
“Sentimental Value” — Olivier Bugge Coutté
“Sinners” — Michael P. Shawver
I have yet another win for Sinners. This could go to several on this list though. Second Choice: F1
Best sound
“F1”
“Frankenstein”
“One Battle After Another”
“Sinners”
“Sirât”
F1’s use of sound is a key element to the film. While there are some other good choices, I think the Academy wants to reward F1 with something more than a nomination and this makes sense. Second Choice: Sirât
Best visual effects
“Avatar: Fire and Ash”
“F1”
“Jurassic World Rebirth”
“The Lost Bus”
“Sinners”
Bah. I don’t want to pick this one because there was nothing new done in this film, but it is going to win anyway. What I wouldn’t give to have “The Lost Bus” get this award. It really does deserve it. I was really happy when it got the nomination. Sadly, Avatar wins again. Second Choice: “The Lost Bus”
Best cinematography
“Frankenstein”
“Marty Supreme”
“One Battle After Another”
“Sinners”
“Train Dreams”
I think this is another unlikely winner, but I just think that this film deserves the cinematography Oscar. Second choice: “One Battle After Another.”
Best costume design
“Avatar: Fire and Ash” — Deborah L. Scott
“Frankenstein” — Kate Hawley
“Hamnet” — Malgosia Turzanska
“Marty Supreme” — Miyako Bellizzi
“Sinners” — Ruth E. Carter
Another win for the technical aspect of Frankenstein. It did look great and the costumes are top notch. Second choice: Sinners
There are my picks. As always, I will miss some and get some right. I do hope there is a great ceremony and that Conan O’Brien is a funny host. I have Marty Supreme getting shut out. That doesn’t feel right, but I guess we will have to go with it.
Previous Winners: Frances McDormand (3 Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri), Viola Davis (Fences), Charlize Theron (Mad Max: Fury Road), Rosemund Pike (Gone Girl), Sandra Bullock (Gravity), Berenice Bejo (The Artist), Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn), Yalitza Aparicio (Roma), Renee Zellweger (Judy), Viola Davis (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom), Rachel Zegler (West Side Story), Danielle Deadwyler (Till), Emma Stone (Poor Things), Mikey Madison (Anora), Cynthia Erivo (Wicked)
Our final acting award is for our BEST ACTRESS which we named after Elizabeth Taylor, aka The Liz. We do have one two-time winner of The Liz, that being Viola Davis for her roles in Fences and in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. This year there are two possible actresses who could join her as a two-time winner.
#20. Cate Blanchett (Black Bag)
#19. Terri Apple (Strange Harvest)
#18. Hassie Harrison (Dangerous Animals)
#17. Carey Mulligan (The Ballad of Wallis Island)
#16. Margot Robbie (Big, Bold, Beautiful Journey)
Some newcomers in this first five. Terri Apple and Hassie Harrison were both in movies that surprised me with how awesome they were. The other three actresses in #20-16 are never a surprise.
#15. Elle Fanning (Predator: Badlands)
#14. Olivia Colman (The Roses)
#13. Renate Reinove (Sentimental Journey)
#12. June Squibb (Eleanor the Great)
#11. Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You)
Again, some consider Rose Byrne a favorite for the Oscar for her movie. She was good, but I can’t see that happening. Elle Fanning has now appeared on both Supporting Actress and Lead Actress this year. I always LOVE Oliva Colman.
#10. Rachel Brosnahan (Superman)
#9. Emma Stone (Bugonia)
#8. Julia Garner (Weapons)
#7. Sophie Thatcher (Companion)
#6. Sydney Sweeney (Christy)
Rachel Brosnahan was a perfect casting for Lois Lane and she was front and center in that movie. Emma Stone is one of the previous winners of The Liz so there will be no two-time for her. One more possible on this list. Sydney Sweeney got a lot of heat because Christy flopped. Her performance was stunning anyway.
#5. Florence Pugh (Thunderbolts*)
#4. Cynthia Erivo (Wicked: For Good)
#3. Vanessa Kirby (Fantastic Four: First Steps)
#2. Kate Hudson (Song Sung Blue)
Cynthia Erivo won the Liz last year so there will be no one joining Viola Davis as a two-time winner this year. I am sad that I have a feeling that the Academy will be overlooking Kate Hudson’s performance in Song Sung Blue. She is absolutely spectacular and only an all tie performance kept her from winning the Liz this year. Florence Pugh is so charming and engaging as Yelena that I am excited to see her in next year’s Avengers: Doomsday. Vanessa Kirby was a perfect Sus Storm casting.
And #1… winner of 2025 The Liz Award
Jesse Buckley (Hamnet)
Jesse Buckley’s performance in Hamnet is quite literally the BEST performance I have seen this year over any medium or any forum. TV. Movies. Lead. Supporting. Male. Female. Other. YouTube. TikTok. You name it! Anything. It was a generational performance. The first half of Hamnet was not that good, and her work kept that film afloat until the second half of the film when her performance transcended the film into legendary statis. If she does not win the Oscar this year, no one should. She certainly has won The Liz at EYG.
Previous Winners: James McAvoy (Split), Denzel Washington (Fences), Bryan Cranston (Trumbo), Michael Keaton (Birdman), Tom Hanks (Captain Phillips), Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln), Ryan Gosling (Drive), Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody), Joaquin Phoenix (Joker), Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom), Andrew Garfield (Tick, Tick…Boom), Brendan Fraser (The Whale), Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers), Timothée Chalamet (A Complete Unknown).
We come to the BEST ACTOR award that we have named in honor of EYG Hall of Famer Peter Sellers and his multiple roles in the movie Dr. Strangelove. Again, no actor has won this award more than once. We do have one possible two-timer on the list and we will see if he can reach the top of the list.
#20. Austin Baker (Caught Stealing)
#19. George Clooney (Jay Kelly)
#18. Paul Mescal (Hamnet)
#17. Stellan Skarsgård (Sentimental Value)
#16. Cooper Hoffman (The Long Walk)
Our first five on the list all have nice performances. Cooper Hoffman was the biggest surprise of these five as his work on The Long Walk was exceptional.
#15. Brad Pitt (F1: The Movie)
#14. Daniel Craig (Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery)
#13. Jeremy Allen White (Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere)
#12. Joel Edgerton (Train Dreams)
#11. Pedro Pascal (Fantastic Four: First Steps)
Big names in this part of the list. Pedro Pascal I expected to be higher until I stated to compile the list. I loved his portray of Reed Richards. Jeremy Allen White did a great job as Springsteen. Daniel Craig was down further than I thought too. His performance as Benoit Blanc is always sensational. Some are saying Joel Edgerton has a chance to be nominated for an Oscar. I am not sure I would go that far, but he was good in Train Dreams.
#10. Channing Tatum (Roofman)
#9. David Jonsson (The Long Walk)
#8. Russell Crowe (Nuremberg)
#7. Matthew McConaughey (The Lost Bus)
#6. Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another)
Some think Leonardo is going to win the Oscar this year. I have already said that I was not a fan of One Battle After Another. He was fine there. Heck, he was better than fine as I have him at #6. David Jonsson in The Long Walk was exceptional and extremely moving. Russell Crowe playing Herman Goering is hard to give a lot of affirmations. He was great as the Nazi.
#5. Josh O’Connor (Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery)
#4. Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme)
#3. Hugh Jackman (Song Sung Blue)
#2. Dwayne Johnson (The Smashing Machine)
Timothee Chalamet won this award last year when he played Bob Dylan, so no two-time winner this year. The Rock gave his best performance of his career. It is a shame it is being overshadowed by the failure at the box office of Smashing Machine. Hugh Jackman is brilliant in Song Sung Blue, a film I just saw yesterday. Josh O’Connor did the impossible… stole the Knives Out movie from Benoit Blanc.
And #1…Strangelove winner for 2025
Michael B. Jordan (Sinners)
Michael B. Jordan played twins in Sinners and he did such a great job, there were times that I wondered if it was actually him playing both roles. Both characters, Smoke and Stack Moore, were individual people and had their own traits and personalities. It was a tour de force performance from a man who has only been getting better every movie.
“All Right, Mr. Deville, I am Ready for my Close Up” Award for Best Director
Previous Winners: A.G. Inarritu (Birdman), Tim McCarthy (Spotlight), Damien Chazelle (La La Land), Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman), Alfonso Cuarón (Roma), Anthony and Joe Russo (Avengers: Endgame), Spike Lee (Da 5 Bloods), Jon Watt (Spider-Man: No Way Home), Ryan Coogler (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer), Robert Eggers (Nosferatu)
We have some top of the line directors up for this award this year. We have never had a repeat winner in this award before, but we definitely have some possible 2nd time winners among our list.
Honorable Mention: Scarlett Johansson (Eleanor the Great), Jafar Pasnahi (It Was Just an Accident), Rob Reiner (Spinal Tap II: The End Continues), Francis Lawrence (The Long Walk), Joseph Kosinski (F1: The Movie).
#15. Kathryn Bigelow (A House of Dynamite)
#14. Mike Flanagan (Life of Chuck)
#13. Yorgus Lanthimos (Bugonia)
#12. Jon M. Chu (Wicked: For Good)
#11. Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another)
Discussion: Many Oscar pundits have PTA leading the pack for Best Director, but I did not love One Battle After Another. There is no argument that he did a great job as the director. Jon Chu and Mike Flanagan had dance and musical numbers to deal with. Kathryn Bigelow had to show multiple POVs in her film and Yorgus had to direct one of the most crazy scenes of the year.
#10. Chloe Zhao (Hamnet)
#9. James Gunn (Superman)
#8. Josh Safdie (Marty Supreme)
#7. Jake Schreier (Thunderbolts*)
#6. Matt Shakman (Fantastic Four: Final Steps)
I thought Matt Shakman, fresh off WandaVision, created a great tone in FF: First Steps. Thunderbolts was a great ensemble and Schreier managed the group extremely well. James Gunn had a lot of pressure choosing to direct the first DCU film himself and he did a great job. Josh Safdie won the battle of the Safdie brothers this year. Hamnet had a remarkable ending, but the first half was too slow.
#5. Paul Greengrass (The Lost Bus)
#4. Zach Cregger (Weapons)
#3. Guillermo Del Toro (Frankenstein)
#2. Rian Johnson (Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery)
With this group of directors, Rian Johnson’s brilliant story was presented in a perfect manner. Del Toro brought a stylish version of Frankenstein to Netflix. Zach Cregger’s work on Weapons was great, again with a style of differing POVs. The directing job done by Paul Greengrass with the fire and the stunts in The Lost Bus should not be overlooked, although it does feel as if it has been.
#1…
Ryan Coogler (Sinners)
Here is our first two-time “All Right, Mr. Deville, I am Ready for my Close Up” Award for Best Director winner. Coogler won a few years ago for his great work on Wakanda Forever and he absolutely took the next step with Sinners. This movie was such an epic that you can’t help but be impressed by his amazing work. Vampires. Music. Dance routines. Bloody standoffs. Sinners has everything.
We have given the best shows in each of the categories (Drama, Comedy, Genre, Animation). Now let’s get a little more specific.
Best Actor Drama:Sterling K. Brown (Paradise). Runners-Up: Stephen Graham (Adolescence), Noah Wylie (The Pitt), Michael C. Hall (Dexter: Resurrection), Jeremy Allen White (The Bear), Lee Jung-jae (Squid Game 3), Josh Holloway (Duster)
Best Actress Drama: Rhea Seehorn (Pluribus). Runners-Up: Melanie Lynskey (Yellowjackets), Christina Ricci (Yellowjackets), Julianne Nicholson (Paradise)
Best Supporting Actor Drama: Owen Cooper (Adolescence). Runners-Up: Gerran Howell (The Pitt), Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear), Elijah Wood (Yellowjackets), Peter Dinklage (Dexter: Resurrection), Jason Isaacs (The White Lotus).
Best Supporting Actress Drama: Uma Thurman (Dexter: Resurrection). Runners-Up: Tracy Ifeacho(The Pitt), Katherine LaNasa (The Pitt), Erin Doherty (Adolescence), Jamie Lee Curtis (The Bear), Parker Posey (The White Lotus).
Best Actor Comedy: Seth Rogen (The Studio). Runners-Up: Steve Martin (Only Murders in the Building), Martin Short (Only Murders in the Building), Owen Wilson (Stick).
Best Actress Comedy: Selena Gomez (Only Murders in the Building). Runners-Up:Natasha Lyonne (Poker Face).
Best Supporting Actor Comedy: Marc Meron (Stick). Runners-Up:Christoph Waltz (Only Murders in the Building), Ike Barinholtz (The Studio), Bryan Cranston (The Studio), Teddy Coluca (Only Murders in the Building), Peter Dager (Stick).
Best Supporting Actress Comedy: Meryl Streep (Only Murders in the Building). Runners-Up: Kathryn Hahn (The Studio), Patti Harrison (Poker Face), Renee Zellweger (Only Murders in the Building), Zoe Kravitz (The Studio).
Best Actor Genre: Gabriel Luna (Andor). Runners-Up: Charlie Cox (Daredevil: Born Again), John Cena (Peacemaker), Ncuti Gatwa(Doctor Who),Alexander Skarsgård (Murderbot), Vincent D’Onofrio (Daredevil: Born Again).
Best Actress Genre: Jenna Ortega (Wednesday). Runners-Up: Rebecca Ferguson (Silo), Bella Ramsey (The Last of Us), Dominique Thorne (Ironheart), Jennifer Holland (Peacemaker), Jaz Sinclair (Gen V), Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things 5).
Best Supporting Actor Genre: Bill Skarsgård (IT: Welcome to Derry). Runners-Up: David Harbour (Stranger Things 5), Tim Robbins (Silo), Stellan Skarsgård (Andor), Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us), David Dastmalchian (Murderbot), Anthony Ramos (Ironheart), Steve Agee (Peacemaker), Arian S. Cartaya (IT: Welcome to Derry).
Best Supporting Actress Genre: Danielle Brooks (Peacemaker). Runners-Up: Sadie Sink (Stranger Things 5), Matilda Lawler (IT: Welcome to Derry), Genevieve O’Reilly (Andor), Isabela Merced (The Last of Us), Lyric Ross (Ironheart).
Best New Theme: IT: Welcome to Derry.
Best Makeup: Stranger Things 5. Runners-Up: Fallout, IT: Welcome to Derry, Gen V, Alien: Earth, Wednesday.
Best Animated Show: Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man
Best Animated Show Voice Actor: Christian Borle (Hazbin Hotel). Runners-Up: Erika Henningsen (Hazbin Hotel), Colman Domingo (Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man), Jeremy Jordan (Hazbin Hotel), Will Forte (Win or Lose), Hudson Thames (Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man)
Best TV Show Cameo: Sacha Baron Cohan (Ironheart). Runners-Up: Nicholas Hoult (Peacemaker), Rob Reiner (The Bear), Olivia Colman (The Bear), Keegan-Michael Key (Only Murders in the Building), Simon Helberg (Poker Face), John Cena (Pluribus), Martin Scorsese (The Studio), Ron Howard (The Studio), Ice Cube (The Studio).
Here are the nominees for the EMMY Awards. These were given out this morning with some sad omissions. For me, I was hoping for Kathryn Hahn to be nominated for Agatha All Along. I would have liked for Patti LaPone to get a nom too, as her episode was one of the best of the year. I am thrilled that Agatha All Along received a nomination for Outstanding Original Music and Lyricswith “The Ballad of the Witches Road.” That should really win. There was no song that was more intricate to the plot than this one.
Nothing for Squid Game is shocking, despite season 2 being a lesser season.And despite getting 14 nominations, there was nothing for Diego Luna or Stellan Skarsgård in acting categories.
Way too man nominations for The White Lotus, which was, at best, an average show this season. That show dominated the acting categories and should probably only should have had about half of the noms it got.
I love Martin Short, but I really thought Steve Martin had a better season on Only Murders in the Building this year with all the stuff he had to do with Jane Lynch’s character Sazz Pataki’s murder.
Outstanding drama series
“Andor” (Disney+)
“The Diplomat” (Netflix)
“The Last of Us” (HBO Max)
“Paradise” (Hulu)
“The Pitt” (HBO Max)
“Severance” (Apple TV+)
“Slow Horses” (Apple TV+)
“The White Lotus” (HBO Max)
Outstanding comedy series
“Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
“The Bear” (FX)
“Hacks” (HBO Max)
“Nobody Wants This” (Netflix)
“Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)
“Shrinking” (Apple TV+)
“The Studio” (Apple TV+)
“What We Do in the Shadows” (FX)
Outstanding limited or anthology series
“Adolescence” (Netflix)
“Black Mirror” (Netflix)
“Dying for Sex” (FX)
“Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” (Netflix)
“The Penguin” (HBO Max)
Outstanding television movie
“Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy” (Peacock)
“The Gorge” (Apple TV+)
“Mountainhead” (HBO Max)
“Nonnas” (Netflix)
“Rebel Ridge” (Netflix)
Outstanding reality competition program
“The Amazing Race” (CBS)
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” (MTV)
“Survivor” (CBS)
“Top Chef” (Bravo)
“The Traitors” (Peacock)
Outstanding talk series
“The Daily Show” (Comedy Central)
“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC)
“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS)
Outstanding scripted variety series
“Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” (HBO Max)
“Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
Outstanding variety special (live)
“The Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show Starring Kendrick Lamar” (Fox)
“Beyoncé Bowl” (Netflix)
“The Oscars” (ABC)
“SNL50: The Anniversary Special” (NBC)
“SNL50: The Homecoming Concert” (Peacock)
Outstanding variety special (pre-recorded)
“Adam Sandler: Love You” (Netflix)
“Ali Wong: Single Lady” (Netflix)
“Bill Burr: Drop Dead Years” (Hulu)
“Conan O’Brien: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize For American Humor” (Netflix)
“Sarah Silverman: Postmortem” (Netflix)
“Your Friend, Nate Bargatze” (Netflix)
Outstanding game show
“Celebrity Family Feud” (ABC)
“Jeopardy” (ABC)
“The Price is Right” (CBS)
“Wheel of Fortune” (ABC)
“Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” (ABC)
Outstanding lead actress in a drama series
Kathy Bates, “Matlock”
Sharon Horgan, “Bad Sisters”
Britt Lower, “Severance”
Bella Ramsey, “The Last of Us”
Keri Russell, “The Diplomat”
Outstanding lead actor in a drama series
Sterling K. Brown, “Paradise”
Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses”
Pedro Pascal, “The Last of Us”
Adam Scott, “Severance”
Noah Wyle, “The Pitt”
Outstanding lead actress in a comedy series
Uzo Aduba, “The Residence”
Kristen Bell, “Nobody Wants This”
Quinta Brunson, “Abbott Elementary”
Ayo Edebiri, “The Bear”
Jean Smart, “Hacks”
Outstanding lead actor in a comedy series
Adam Brody, “Nobody Wants This”
Seth Rogen, “The Studio”
Jason Segel, “Shrinking”
Martin Short, “Only Murders in the Building”
Jeremy Allen White, “The Bear”
Outstanding lead actress in a limited or anthology series or movie
Cate Blanchett, “Disclaimer”
Meghann Fahy, “Sirens”
Rashida Jones, “Black Mirror”
Cristin Milloti, “The Penguin”
Michelle Williams, “Dying for Sex”
Outstanding lead actor in a limited or anthology series or movie
Colin Farrell, “The Penguin”
Stephen Graham, “Adolescence”
Jake Gyllenhaal, “Presumed Innocent”
Brian Tyree Henry, “Dope Thief”
Cooper Koch, “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story”
Outstanding supporting actress in a drama series
Patricia Arquette, “Severance”
Carrie Coon, “The White Lotus”
Katherine LaNasa, “The Pitt”
Julianne Nicholson, “Paradise”
Parker Posey, “The White Lotus”
Natasha Rothwell, “The White Lotus”
Aimee Lou Wood, “The White Lotus”
Outstanding supporting actor in a drama series
Zach Cherry, “Severance”
Walton Goggins, “The White Lotus”
Jason Isaacs, “The White Lotus”
James Marsden, “Paradise”
Sam Rockwell, “The White Lotus”
Tramell Tillman, “Severance”
John Turturro, “Severance”
Outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series
Liza Colón-Zayas, “The Bear”
Hannah Einbinder, “Hacks”
Kathryn Hahn, “The Studio”
Janelle James, “Abbott Elementary”
Catherine O’Hara, “The Studio”
Sheryl Lee Ralph, “Abbott Elementary”
Jessica Williams, “Shrinking”
Outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series
Ike Barinholtz. “The Studio”
Colman Domingo, “The Four Seasons”
Harrison Ford, “Shrinking”
Jeff Hiller, “Somebody Somewhere”
Ebon Moss-Bachrach, “The Bear”
Michael Urie, “Shrinking”
Bowen Yang, “Saturday Night Live”
Outstanding supporting actress in a limited or anthology series or movie
Erin Doherty, “Adolescence”
Ruth Negga, “Presumed Innocent”
Deirdre O’Connell, “The Penguin”
Chloë Sevigny, “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story”
Jenny Slate, “Dying for Sex”
Christine Tremarco, “Adolescence”
Outstanding supporting actor in a limited or anthology series or movie
Javier Bardem, “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story”
Bill Camp, “Presumed Innocent”
Owen Cooper, “Adolescence”
Rob Delaney, “Dying for Sex”
Peter Sarsgaard, “Presumecd Innocent”
Ashley Walters, “Adolescence”
Outstanding guest actress in a drama series
Jane Alexander, “Severance”
Gwendoline Christie, “Severance”
Kaitlyn Dever, “The Last of Us”
Cherry Jones, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
Catherine O’Hara, “The Last of Us”
Merritt Wever, “Severance”
Outstanding guest actor in a drama series
Giancarlo Esposito, “The Boys”
Scott Glenn, “The White Lotus”
Shawn Hatosy, “The Pitt”
Joe Pantoliano, “The Last of Us”
Forest Whitaker, “Andor”
Jeffrey Wright, “The Last of Us”
Outstanding guest actress in a comedy series
Olivia Colman, “The Bear”
Jamie Lee Curtis, “The Bear”
Cynthia Erivo, “Poker Face”
Robby Hoffman, “Hacks”
Zoë Kravitz, “The Studio”
Julianne Nicholson, “Hacks”
Outstanding guest actor in a comedy series
Jon Bernthal, “The Bear”
Bryan Cranston, “The Studio”
Dave Franco, “The Studio”
Ron Howard, “The Studio”
Anthony Mackie, “The Studio”
Martin Scorsese, “The Studio”
Outstanding directing for a drama series
“Andor,” Janus Metz (“Who Are You?”)
“The Pitt,” Amanda Marsalis (“6 P.M.”)
“The Pitt,” John Wells (“7 A.M.”)
“Severance,” Jessica Lee Gagné (“Chikhai Bardo”)
“Severance,” Ben Stiller (“Gold Harbor)
“Slow Horses,” Adam Randall (“Hello Goodbye”)
“The White Lotus,” Mike White (“Amor Fati”)
Outstanding directing for a comedy series
“The Bear,” Ayo Edebiri (“Napkins”)
“Hacks,” Lucia Aniello (“A Slippery Slope”)
“Mid-Century Modern,” James Burrows (“Here’s To You, Mrs. Schneiderman”)
“The Rehearsal,” Nathan Fielder (“Pilot’s Code”)
“The Studio,” Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg (“The Oner”)
Outstanding directing for a limited or anthology series or movie
“Adolescence,” Philip Barantini
“Dying for Sex,” Shannon Murphy (“It’s Not That Serious”)
“The Penguin,” Helen Shaver (“Cent’anni”)
“The Penguin,” Jennifer Getzinger (“A Great or Little Thing”)
“Sirens,” Nicole Kassell (“Exile”)
“Zero Day,” Leslie Linka Glatter
Outstanding writing for a drama series
“Andor,” Dan Gilroy (“Welcome to the Rebellion”)
“The Pitt,” Joe Sachs (“2 P.M.”)
“The Pitt,” R. Scott Gemmill (“7 A.M.”)
“Severance,” Dan Erickson (“Cold Harbor”)
“Slow Horses,” Will Smith (“Hello Goodbye”)
“The White Lotus,” Mike White (“Full-Moon Party”)
Outstanding writing for a comedy series
“Abbott Elementary,” Quinta Brunson (“Back To School”)
“Hacks,” Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky (“A Slippery Slope”)
“The Rehearsal,” Nathan Fielder, Carrie Kemper, Adam Lock-Norton and Eric Notarnicola (“Pilot’s Code”)
“Somebody Somewhere,” Hanna Bos, Paul Thureen and Bridget Everett (“AGG”)
“The Studio,” Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Peter Huyck, Alex Gregory and Frida Perez (“The Promotion”)
“What We Do in the Shadows,” Sam Johnson, Sarah Naftalis and Paul Simms (“The Finale”)
Outstanding writing for a limited or anthology series or movie
“Adolescence,” Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham
“Black Mirror,” Charlie Brooker and Bisha K. Ali (“Common People”)
“Dying for Sex,” Kim Rosenstock and Elizabeth Meriwether (“Good Value Diet Soda”)
“The Penguin,” Lauren LeFranc (“A Great or Little Thing”)
“Say Nothing,” Joshua Zetumer (“The People in the Dirt”)
Best Picture Anora The Brutalist A Complete Unknown Conclave Dune: Part Two Emilia Pérez I’m Still Here Nickel Boys The Substance Wicked
Actor in a Leading Role Adrien Brody, The Brutalist Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown Colman Domingo, Sing Sing Ralph Fiennes, Conclave Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice
Actress in a Leading Role Cynthia Erivo, Wicked Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez Mikey Madison, Anora Demi Moore, The Substance Fernanda Torres, I’m Still Here
Actor in a Supporting Role Yura Borisov, Anora Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown Guy Pearce, The Brutalist Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice
Actress in a Supporting Role Monica Barbaro, A Complete Unknown Ariana Grande, Wicked Felicity Jones, The Brutalist Isabella Rossellini, Conclave Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez
Animated Feature Film Flow Inside Out 2 Memoir of a Snail Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl The Wild Robot
Documentary Feature Film Black Box Diaries No Other Land Porcelain War Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat Sugarcane
International Feature Film I’m Still Here The Girl with the Needle Emilia Pérez The Seed of the Sacred Fig Flow
Directing Sean Baker, Anora Brady Corbet, The Brutalist James Mangold, A Complete Unknown Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez Coralie Fargeat, The Substance
Cinematography Lol Crawley, The Brutalist Greig Fraser, Dune: Part Two Paul Guilhaume, Emilia Pérez Ed Lachman, Maria Jarin Blaschke, Nosferatu
Writing (Original Screenplay) Anora The Brutalist A Real Pain September 5 The Substance
Writing (Adapted Screenplay) A Complete Unknown Conclave Emilia Pérez Nickel Boys Sing Sing
Film Editing Anora The Brutalist Conclave Emilia Pérez Wicked
Music (Original Song) “El Mal” from Emilia Pérez “The Journey” from The Six Triple Eight “Like a Bird” from Sing Sing “Mi Camino” from Emilia Pérez “Never Too Late” from Elton John: Never Too Late
Music (Original Score) The Brutalist Conclave Emilia Pérez Wicked The Wild Robot
Sound A Complete Unknown Dune: Part Two Emilia Pérez Wicked The Wild Robot
Production Design The Brutalist Conclave Dune: Part Two Nosferatu Wicked
Visual Effects Alien: Romulus Better Man Dune: Part Two Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Wicked
Makeup and Hairstyling A Different Man Emilia Pérez Nosferatu The Substance Wicked
Costume Design Arianne Phillips, A Complete Unknown Lisy Christl, Conclave Janty Yates and Dave Crossman, Gladiator II Linda Muir, Nosferatu Paul Tazewell, Wicked
Best Animated Short Beautiful Men In the Shadow of the Cypress Magic Candles Wander to Wonder Yuck!
Best Documentary Short Death by Numbers I am Ready, Warden Incident Instruments of a Beating Heart The Only Girl in the Orchestra
Best Live-Action Short A Lien Anuja I’m Not a Robot The Last Ranger The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent
I was able to see the five Academy Award nominated Live-action shorts and the five animated shorts today at Cinemark. I look forward to this every year, getting the chance to see these well deserving films. I was under a time constraint today thanks to the WWE Elimination Chamber, but it was able to fit nicely in.
Live-Action Shorts.
I am going to list these in order of my favorite. I will also give you which one I think will win the Oscar. Spoiler, my favorite animation short is not the one that I am predicting will win the Academy Award.
#5. The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent. From Croatia. Honestly, this was my least favorite of the films I saw today. It felt like it was doing something special, but it just seemed to end and I did not like the conclusion of the film.
#4. Anuja. India. I liked this short. The actress playing Anuja does a great job with the talented young girl, but the ending of this one was left fairly uncertain and I wanted more closure.
#3. I’m Not a Robot. Netherlands/Belgium. This sci-fi short was very clever. Started off with some good humor, but developed into an obsession. I did not know that the CAPTCHA could identify robots in other ways. This was an enjoyable short.
#2. The Last Ranger. South Africa. A remarkably powerful short film detailing poachers targeting rhino horns. There are some really emotional moments in this short and the performance by Liyabona Mroqoza is riveting. I just about put this at number one, but…
#1. A Lien. USA. Man this was a tough short to watch. A young couple and their daughter heads down to have the husband’s green card meeting and ICE is there. The emotion, the fear, the anger and frustration jumps off the screen in this short.
A Lien gets my pick as the winner for the Academy Award for Best Live-Action Short.
Animated Shorts
I did enjoy the Live-Action shorts overall more than the Animated ones, but these were all pretty decent too.
#5. Wander to Wonder. Netherlands/Belgium/France. This was such a bizarre short. Wander to Wonder was a kiddie show at one point but things have become really dark. It was truly disturbing and weird.
#4. Beautiful Men. Netherlands/Belgium/France. Three brothers who were hoping to get a hair transplant surgery, have to face their problems and their insecurities. I thought this was a good short with some solid characteristic development.
#3. Magic Candies. Japan. This one felt like it was just too long. There was a scene in this film, where the young boy had some magic candy and it led to a nice moment with his father. That should have been the end, but then the short continued on. It just went too long for me. The first fifteen minutes or so were really great.
#2. Yuck!. France. This is the sweetest of the animated films as the whole thing was based around a first kiss. This was a nice animated short.
#1. In the Shadow of the Cypress. Iran. This was my favorite animated short. I loved the animation and I thought this story was the deepest. There was a lot of emotion. The father, daughter and a whale. I loved this whole thing.
However, my pick to win the Oscar is Magic Candies. I just have a feeling this is what the Academy will do. I hope In the Shadow of the Cypress wins, but I do not think it will.
Here are my official Academy Award picks for the Sunday night awards. I am not seeing the short films until tomorrow so I will be skipping that pick as of now.
Best Picture Anora The Brutalist A Complete Unknown Conclave Dune: Part Two Emilia Pérez I’m Still Here Nickel Boys The Substance Wicked
Actor in a Leading Role Adrien Brody, The Brutalist Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown Colman Domingo, Sing Sing Ralph Fiennes, Conclave Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice
Actress in a Leading Role Cynthia Erivo, Wicked Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez Mikey Madison, Anora Demi Moore, The Substance Fernanda Torres, I’m Still Here
Actor in a Supporting Role Yura Borisov, Anora Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown Guy Pearce, The Brutalist Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice
Actress in a Supporting Role Monica Barbaro, A Complete Unknown Ariana Grande, Wicked Felicity Jones, The Brutalist Isabella Rossellini, Conclave Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez
Animated Feature Film Flow Inside Out 2 Memoir of a Snail Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl The Wild Robot
Documentary Feature Film Black Box Diaries No Other Land Porcelain War Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat Sugarcane
International Feature Film I’m Still Here The Girl with the Needle Emilia Pérez The Seed of the Sacred Fig Flow
Directing Sean Baker, Anora Brady Corbet, The Brutalist James Mangold, A Complete Unknown Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez Coralie Fargeat, The Substance
Cinematography Lol Crawley, The Brutalist Greig Fraser, Dune: Part Two Paul Guilhaume, Emilia Pérez Ed Lachman, Maria Jarin Blaschke, Nosferatu
Writing (Original Screenplay) Anora The Brutalist A Real Pain September 5 The Substance
Writing (Adapted Screenplay) A Complete Unknown Conclave Emilia Pérez Nickel Boys Sing Sing
Film Editing Anora The Brutalist Conclave Emilia Pérez Wicked
Music (Original Song) “El Mal” from Emilia Pérez “The Journey” from The Six Triple Eight “Like a Bird” from Sing Sing “Mi Camino” from Emilia Pérez “Never Too Late” from Elton John: Never Too Late
Music (Original Score) The Brutalist Conclave Emilia Pérez Wicked The Wild Robot
Sound A Complete Unknown Dune: Part Two Emilia Pérez Wicked The Wild Robot
Production Design The Brutalist Conclave Dune: Part Two Nosferatu Wicked
Visual Effects Alien: Romulus Better Man Dune: Part Two Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Wicked
Makeup and Hairstyling A Different Man Emilia Pérez Nosferatu The Substance Wicked
Costume Design Arianne Phillips, A Complete Unknown Lisy Christl, Conclave Janty Yates and Dave Crossman, Gladiator II Linda Muir, Nosferatu Paul Tazewell, Wicked
Best Animated Short Beautiful Men In the Shadow of the Cypress Magic Candles Wander to Wonder Yuck!
Best Documentary Short Death by Numbers I am Ready, Warden Incident Instruments of a Beating Heart The Only Girl in the Orchestra
Best Live-Action Short A Lien Anuja I’m Not a Robot The Last Ranger The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent
I’ll pick the other two tomorrow after I see the live action and animated shorts.
Best Picture Anora The Brutalist A Complete Unknown Conclave Dune: Part Two Emilia Pérez I’m Still Here Nickel Boys The Substance Wicked
Actor in a Leading Role Adrien Brody, The Brutalist Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown Colman Domingo, Sing Sing Ralph Fiennes, Conclave Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice
Actress in a Leading Role Cynthia Erivo, Wicked Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez Mikey Madison, Anora Demi Moore, The Substance Fernanda Torres, I’m Still Here
Actor in a Supporting Role Yura Borisov, Anora Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown Guy Pearce, The Brutalist Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice
Actress in a Supporting Role Monica Barbaro, A Complete Unknown Ariana Grande, Wicked Felicity Jones, The Brutalist Isabella Rossellini, Conclave Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez
Animated Feature Film Flow Inside Out 2 Memoir of a Snail Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl The Wild Robot
Documentary Feature Film Black Box Diaries No Other Land Porcelain War Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat Sugarcane
International Feature Film I’m Still Here The Girl with the Needle Emilia Pérez The Seed of the Sacred Fig Flow
Directing Sean Baker, Anora Brady Corbet, The Brutalist James Mangold, A Complete Unknown Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez Coralie Fargeat, The Substance
Cinematography Lol Crawley, The Brutalist Greig Fraser, Dune: Part Two Paul Guilhaume, Emilia Pérez Ed Lachman, Maria Jarin Blaschke, Nosferatu
Writing (Original Screenplay) Anora The Brutalist A Real Pain September 5 The Substance
Writing (Adapted Screenplay) A Complete Unknown Conclave Emilia Pérez Nickel Boys Sing Sing
Film Editing Anora The Brutalist Conclave Emilia Pérez Wicked
Music (Original Song) “El Mal” from Emilia Pérez “The Journey” from The Six Triple Eight “Like a Bird” from Sing Sing “Mi Camino” from Emilia Pérez “Never Too Late” from Elton John: Never Too Late
Music (Original Score) The Brutalist Conclave Emilia Pérez Wicked The Wild Robot
Sound A Complete Unknown Dune: Part Two Emilia Pérez Wicked The Wild Robot
Production Design The Brutalist Conclave Dune: Part Two Nosferatu Wicked
Visual Effects Alien: Romulus Better Man Dune: Part Two Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Wicked
Makeup and Hairstyling A Different Man Emilia Pérez Nosferatu The Substance Wicked
Costume Design Arianne Phillips, A Complete Unknown Lisy Christl, Conclave Janty Yates and Dave Crossman, Gladiator II Linda Muir, Nosferatu Paul Tazewell, Wicked
Best Animated Short Beautiful Men In the Shadow of the Cypress Magic Candles Wander to Wonder Yuck!
Best Documentary Short Death by Numbers I am Ready, Warden Incident Instruments of a Beating Heart The Only Girl in the Orchestra
Best Live-Action Short A Lien Anuja I’m Not a Robot The Last Ranger The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent
It is that time of the year. It is time for the 2024 EYG Year in Review!
Over the next month (or so) I will be posting the winners of the awards that we give out this time of the year every year. This is our 14th year of giving out these awards and it is one of my favorite times of the year.
There are also several lists where I list my favorite and least favorites in a plethora of categories. Everything from the world of geek culture including movies, TV shows, comic books, WWE, YouTube and so on. The biggest hole in the year in review is video games as I do not play them (for fear of never stopping).
We have the records of all of our winners from the past found on the site. I will post the records during each award post. Here is an example:
The EYG Stan Lee Movie Cameo Award
Previous winners: Stan Lee (Big Hero 6*, Deadpool, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse* ), John Cena (Daddy’s Home), Chris Evans (Thor: The Dark World, Free Guy), Sigourney Weaver (Cabin in the Woods), Hugh Jackman (X-Men: First Class), Yoda (Star Wars: The Last Jedi), J.K. Simmons (Spider-Man: Far From Home), Harrison Ford (Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker), Rudy Giuliani (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm), Val Kilmer (Top Gun: Maverick), Rhea Perlman (Barbie)
There are a ton of potential winners in this category for 2024 so it will be interesting who receives the Stan Lee Movie Cameo Award this year.
We will end the year in review with our typical Best Movie and Worst Movie lists. It is unclear as of yet how many each list will be. Last year I had 40 films on the Best list and only 20 films on the Worst, but I think that may not be as split this year. I know there are about 5-6 films competing for the worst film of the year spot and I am unsure which one will land in that spot.
I should say that, even if there are films on the worst list, or something receives a ‘Batman and Robin Award for Rottenness,’ I have the utmost respect for those who create movies and TV shows. I know it is an amazingly difficult job. However, I do believe it is okay to criticize or critique these projects. I will never get personal though.
And I will say this many times… this is my opinion. You may have a different opinion on some of these and that is great. I had someone on Twitter/X this year get mad at me for my review of Kinds of Kindness and was very insulting to me about it, calling me names and being disrespectful. All art is subjective and what I hate completely (like Kinds of Kindness) may be your favorite film of the year. And that is OK. To attack someone for their opinions is not OK and goes against everything that we believe at EYG.
So here we go. 2024 is almost in the books. It flew by and we look back before we look ahead.
So the Oscars were last night, and I wanted to see how well I did. Here was the list of nominees, and my original picks for who should win and who will win. I will add the who did win section with some thoughts.
BEST PICTURE
American Fiction Anatomy of a Fall Barbie The Holdovers Killers of the Flower Moon Maestro Oppenheimer Past Lives Poor Things The Zone of Interest
SHOULD WIN: Oppenheimer
WILL WIN: Oppenheimer
WHO DID WIN: Oppenheimer
Not a surprise.
BEST DIRECTOR
Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon Justine Triet, Anatomy of a Fall
SHOULD WIN: Christopher Nolan
WILL WIN: Christopher Nolan
WHO DID WIN: Christopher Nolan. Nolan was another fairly obvious pick.
BEST ACTRESS
Annette Bening, Nyad Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall Carey Mulligan, Maestro Emma Stone, Poor Things
SHOULD WIN: Emma Stone
WILL WIN: Lily Gladstone (I’ve got a feeling on this one. I could see Emma Stone winning easily too)
WHO DID WIN: Emma Stone. I should have stuck with my gut, but I thought Lily Gladstone had the momentum.
BEST ACTOR
Bradley Cooper, Maestro Colman Domingo, Rustin Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction
SHOULD WIN: Paul Giamatti
WILL WIN: Cillian Murphy
WHO DID WIN: Cillian Murphy.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple America Ferrera, Barbie Jodie Foster, Nyad Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers
SHOULD WIN: Da’Vine Joy Randolph
WILL WIN: Da’Vine Joy Randolph (LOCK!)
WHO DID WIN: Da’Vine Joy Randolph. It was a Sure thing lock. She was wonderful with ehr speech too.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Sterling K. Brown, American Fiction Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer Ryan Gosling, Barbie Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things
SHOULD WIN: Robert Downey Jr.
WILL WIN: Robert Downey Jr. (Almost a LOCK)
WHO DID WIN: RDJ. Downey Jr. deserved his award for his performance and for years of great work.
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Justine Triet and Arthur Harari, Anatomy of a Fall David Hemingson, The Holdovers Bradley Cooper and Josh Singer, Maestro Samy Burch, May December Celine Song, Past Lives
SHOULD WIN: The Holdovers
WILL WIN: Anatomy of a Fall (I have not seen this film, waiting for the June Swoon.)
WHO DID WIN: Anatomy of a Fall. Got this one right. I did really well on the films that I have not yet seen.
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Cord Jefferson, American Fiction Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, Barbie Tony McNamara, Poor Things Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest
SHOULD WIN: American Fiction
WILL WIN: Oppenheimer
WHO DID WIN: American Fiction. I did the Should Win here. Too bad I didn’t put it on the Will Win.
BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE
Io Capitano, Italy Perfect Days, Japan Society of the Snow, Spain The Teacher’s Lounge, Germany The Zone of Interest, United Kingdom
SHOULD WIN: Society of the Snow
WILL WIN: The Zone of Interest
WHO DID WIN: The Zone of Interest. Easy to pick, even if I liked Society of the Snow. I’ll see Zone of Interest in June Swoon 3.
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
The Boy and the Heron Elemental Nimona Robot Dreams Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
SHOULD WIN: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
WILL WIN: I’m uncertain for this. I am tempted to say The Boy and the Heron, but I’ll stick with Spider-Man.
WHO DID WIN: The Boy and the Heron. I had this feeling, but I could not pick against Spidey. I was not surprised at this ‘upset.’
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Bobi Wine: The People’s President The Eternal Memory Four Daughters To Kill a Tiger 20 Days in Mariupol
Haven’t seen any of these. I’ll guess 20 Days in Mariupol
WHO DID WIN: 20 Days in Mariupol. Good guesser!
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
El Conde Killers of the Flower Moon Maestro Oppenheimer Poor Things
SHOULD WIN: Oppenheimer
WILL WIN: Oppenheimer
WHO DID WIN: Oppenheimer.
BEST EDITING
Anatomy of a Fall The Holdovers Killers of the Flower Moon Oppenheimer Poor Things
SHOULD WIN: Poor Things
WILL WIN: Poor Things
WHO DID WIN: Oppenheimer. Part of the Oppenheimer rush -7 total wins!
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Barbie Killers of the Flower Moon Napoleon Oppenheimer Poor Things
SHOULD WIN: Barbie
WILL WIN: Poor Things
WHO DID WIN: Poor Things. Very funny with a naked John Cena presenting this award.
BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP
Golda Maestro Oppenheimer Poor Things Society of the Snow
SHOULD WIN: Poor Things
WILL WIN: Poor Things
WHO DID WIN: Poor Things. People were surprised this did not go to Maestro. I was confident in Poor Things.
BEST SOUND
The Creator Maestro Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning Part One Oppenheimer The Zone of Interest
SHOULD WIN: Oppenheimer
WILL WIN: Oppenheimer
WHO DID WIN: The Zone of Interest. This was a surprise for me. Of course, I have not seen the Zone of Interest yet.
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
The Creator Godzilla Minus One Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning Part One Napoleon
SHOULD WIN: The Creator
WILL WIN: Godzilla Minus One
WHO DID WIN: Godzilla Minus One. I was excited for this win.
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Barbie Killers of the Flower Moon Napoleon Oppenheimer Poor Things
SHOULD WIN: Barbie
WILL WIN: Poor Things
WHO DID WIN: Poor Things. I did well with my Poor Things picks.
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“What Was I Made For?”, Billie Eilish and Finneas, Barbie “I’m Just Ken,” Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, Barbie “The Fire Inside,” Diane Warren, Flamin’ Hot “It Never Went Away,” Jon Batiste, American Symphony “Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People),” Osage Tribal Singers, Killers of the Flower Moon
SHOULD WIN: “I’m Just Ken”
WILL WIN: “What Was I Made For?”
WHO DID WIN: “What Was I Made For?” However Ryan Gosling’s performance of “I’m Just Ken” was one of the best moments of the night!
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
American Fiction Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Killers of the Flower Moon Oppenheimer Poor Things
SHOULD WIN: Oppenheimer
WILL WIN: Oppenheimer
WHO DID WIN: Oppenheimer
BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT
The After Invincible Knight of Fortune Red, White and Blue The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
SHOULD WIN: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
WILL WIN: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
WHO DID WIN: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar. Sad that Wes Anderson wasn’t at the ceremony.
BEST ANIMATED SHORT
Letter to a Pig Ninety-Five Senses Our Uniform Pachyderme War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko
SHOULD WIN: Letter to a Pig
WILL WIN: War is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko
WHO DID WIN: War is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko. Got this right. Letter to a Pig is much better still.
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
The ABCs of Book Banning The Barber of Little Rock Island in Between The Last Repair Shop Nai Nai & Wai Po
Again, have not seen any of these. Guess: The Last Repair Shop
WHO DID WIN: The Last Repair Shop. Another lucky guess!
I was 18/23 and I really came close to picking Emma Stone and The Boy and the Heron.
EYG- Embrace Your Geekness 