by Gary Meyer
“When they called my name, I had this feeling I could hear half of America going, ‘Oh no. Come on… Her, again?’ You know. But, whatever.”
– Meryl Streep, Best Actress, The Iron Lady, 2012
Will this be Glenn Close’s big night? As The Onion suggests in their annual irreverent Guide to the Oscars, “with seven nominations and no wins, Close currently holds the record for the most cut-to reaction shots of her pretending to look happy for other people.”
As we prepare for the “Big Night” without any Streep nominations I thought our readers would enjoy some tips and other fun. We’ve got speech writing tips, ballots, Oscar Bingo, food ideas and predictions. Plus the Independent Spirit Awards.
This is the official Oscar website.
The Academy Award ABC broadcast and streaming on Sunday, February 24 starts at 5pm with no host (that we know of— lately the Academy has been known to change their minds and there is a rumor that Whoopi will be a surprise host).
Why didn’t they invite the Obama Family to do it? They love movies.
Winning Speeches
“This moment is so much bigger than me. It’s for every nameless, faceless woman of color that now has a chance because this door tonight has been opened.”
– Halle Berry becomes the first black woman to win a Best Actress Oscar, Monster’s Ball, 2000
The Academy announced that winner(s) would have 90 seconds from the time their name is called to get down the aisle, up the steps, trip, and finish their speech. This will be interesting.
“I just want to thank everybody I’ve ever met in my entire life.”
– Kim Basinger, Best Supporting Actress, L.A Confidential, 1997
If you want to write the perfect acceptance speech and go viral take a look at this funny video.
Your Ballot
Here is the Rotten Tomatoes printable ballot with their scores. In the past Vanity Fair has had the easiest to read ballots but this year they are doing an interactive online version that actually is quite interesting with Oscar info. There are many ballots available if you do an Internet search.
Oscar Bingo Cards
There are two sets we like with a variety of cards if you have several people over. Here is the first.
An alternative set.
“What a thrill. You know you’ve entered new territory when you realize that your outfit cost more than your film.”
– Jessica Yu, Best Short Subject Documentary for Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O’Brien, 1997
Goodie Bags
“The best thing about being famous is the free stuff.”
-Samuel L. Jackson on the Ellen show after the 2018 Oscars.
We wrote about the unofficial Goodie Bags a few years ago and it is surely just as crazy this year.
The bags are called Everyone Wins and are “curated” by Distinctive Assets, a marketing company having nothing to do with the Academy. If you are nominated in the acting and directing categories you will receive swag bag including luxury and strange gifts such as a custom fragrance, giveaways for plastic surgery, vacations including a luxury small-ship adventure to your choice of the Amazon, Galapagos, Iceland or Costa Rica-Panama, private phobia relief sessions with the world’s #1 phobia expert, one-of-a-kind custom stained glass portraits, magical color changing lipstick, a week of mind/body/spirit renewal at the famed Golden Door luxury wellness resort, guilt-free chocolate (gluten free, dairy free, naturally sweetened), farm-to-table dinners, a spy pen from PETA, a wearable silent breast pump, and much more.
New this year are cannabis-infused products though the samples from Coda Signature are not actually infused because the company has not yet launched in California. A coupon allows a customized order to be delivered once Coda arrives in the spring.
Let’s not forget the multi-functional Mister Poop Emoji glow-in-the-dark toilet plunger.
What does every celebrity want on their wall? Surely this painting from Reian Williams, a self-proclaimed “Master of Emotive Realism.”
Here is a complete list reported to be worth six figures.
Curator Lash Fary tells us what was in the 2017 bag.
Who Will Win?
First there are The Independent Spirit Awards that were broadcast uncensored on IFC on Saturday. The guests walked the blue carpet showing off their style.
John Waters is missed as host but they actually had a host. Aubrey Plaza was a delight proving the right person makes it work. And we really liked her.
The entire show can be seen streaming or just watch highlights.
Oh yes—and John was there. Do you you think Tessa Thompson wants to know who he is wearing?
The really terrific Spirit Best Picture nominations are not duplicated on the Oscar list. And we are very happy with the wins.
Who did Anne Thomson think would be the Spirit winners?
And the actual Spirit winners.
Thompson’s final analysis of the results.
And The Oscar Goes to…..
ROMA has run an aggressive race and if this film made by Netflix wins top awards what does it mean to the film industry? Read our thoughts here.
The Short films categories continue to generate interest at the box office and have grossed over $3.2 million so far this year. You can still see the programs in theaters.
Who did Manohla Dargis and AO Scott at the NY Times think should have been nominated before they were announced.
Oscars 2019 Predictions: Why This Year Is Such a Tough Call — IndieWire’s Movie Podcast
The results of 41 critics voted on which films and talent deserve the Oscars. The results.
If you need some last minute catch up many can be rented online or streamed and here is where.
To confuse you here are a slew of predictions by Oscarologists. Hard to find many women and critics of color doing this but I am sure they exist.
Kristopher Tapley/Variety-InContention
Esther Zuckerman- Thrillist– some especially interesting observations
Andrew Carden/The Awards Connection
Scott Feinberg/The Hollywood Reporter
An anonymous female sound editor sounds off on her predictions.
And many more for the completist.
And Now—Let’s Eat
Whatever awards you watch you need to eat. At the Oscars there is a buffet before the show once you’ve gotten through the red carpet and press call and they often hand out candy during commercial breaks in the theater.
But you can have more fun at your own party.
And after the Awards the starving masses hop from party to party making sure not to miss Wolfgang Puck’s spread.
“This is one night I wish I smoked and drank.”
– Grace Kelly, Best Actress, Academy Awards, 1955
Members of the cast of “Bridesmaids” Rose Byrne and Melissa McCarthy drink a toast to Martin Scorsese as they present an award during the 84th Academy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012.
There are usually a few memorable screw-ups.
And finally check out the winners of The Razzies, awarded to the worst films of the year.
Gary Meyer started his first theater in the family barn when he was twelve-years-old. He directed a monster movie there and wanted to show it on the set. It became The Above-the-Ground Theatre screening dozens of silent films with music arranged from his parents’ record collection. Over 250 films were screened along with live productions, workshops and the publication of a literary/arts/satire zine, “Nort!” and a film newsletter, “Ciné.” After film school at SFSU he calls his first job as a booker for United Artists Theatres “grad school” that prepared him to co-found Landmark Theatres in 1975.
Gary and Cathy at the Academy Awards in 2013
It was the first national arthouse chain in the U.S. focused on creative marketing strategies to build loyal audiences for non-Hollywood fare. After selling Landmark, he consulted on many projects including Sundance Cinemas and the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Rose Cinemas, created several film festivals including the Dockers Classically Independent Film Festival and Tube Film Festival for the X Games, and resurrected the 1926 Balboa Theatre in San Francisco. Meyer joined the Telluride Film Festival in 1998, and was a Festival Co-Director 2007-2014. He founded the online magazine, EatDrinkFilms.com in April 2014.
eatdrinkfilms.com 