It’s that time of year. My FAVORITE time of year. The weather changes and the food changes and the whole world starts to feel a little quieter. Everyone wants to just snuggle up in some dim light and enjoy…some potential Oscar-worthy films.
That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, I am not speaking about autumn. I am, in fact, speaking of Oscar season, which is quite possibly the most thrilling time of the entire year. TONS of movies are coming out all at the same time because all of the directors and production companies want them to be nominated. More than just the ten or so that get nominated, it’s all of the ones that would like to get nominated. So that means for three and a half months, you could go to the movies every single day and almost be guaranteed a pretty good to spectacular film. Not to mention the oncoming storm of happiness that is the new Star Wars movie.
It is a time full of suspense. I have been known to be a betting man. The season starts slow for me in February, usually the exact day after the Oscars end. Look at the movies headed into production. One must plan ahead. Then, summer comes and with summer comes the trailers. You can start knocking some off the list that you think will make it. The trailer answers a lot of questions. Then, your first movie comes out. It’s mid-October and the adventure begins.
This year, it began with "The Martian", which I found to be thoroughly enjoyable. Matt Damon is an exceptional actor and the film captured an amazing tone of peril while still being funny and not excessively stressful. "Black Mass" also came out within the month, bringing in an astounding performance from Johnny Depp, but not enough quality story to keep it at the front of my Oscar-winning list.
There are some hot topic films you should be on the lookout for, such as "Suffragette," "Carol," and "The Danish Girl." Along with those, biopics do really well, such as "In The Heart of The Sea", "Steve Jobs" and "Bridge of Spies". Movies about Hollywood are loved by the Academy, so they’re expected to love "Hail Caesar" (a personal favorite of mine in the race) and "Trumbo". And, of course, there are certain people that the Academy just expects quality from, like "Joy" (from director David O. Russell), "The Hateful Eight" (from Tarantino), and "The Revenant" (from Inarritu, who directed Birdman last year). Personally, you can also throw in "Macbeth," which I am insanely excited about.
One might call that list above my unabridged Oscar-prediction list. It may shift and change, but the rollercoaster of Oscar emotions is rather unpredictable. That’s part of what makes the season so amazing. I will always love pie and sweaters and some good coffee, but my love for them will never equal my Academy Award love. Happy Oscar Season, folks. Let’s hope it’s a good one.
