The Academy Awards honors all different kinds of achievements made in cinema over the previous year. There are the obvious awards that people pay attention to and then there are numerous categories that go through the rest of what makes a movie great. Something we don’t really think about when we watch movies is all of the smaller details and most of the time, the music,or score, of the film. Sometimes films use music from various artists in the background to amplify a scene and other times they use music written specifically for them. Original music written for movies is the category we will be going over nominees for now.
First up on the list of nominees we have Hildur Guðnadóttir for her work on the movie Joker. It should be no surprise that she is on the list because Joker has been nominated for so many other categories. That is to say, there is a lot going for that movie and the score being incredible enough to be nominated is no surprise.
The next nomination for Best Music is for Alexandre Desplat for his work on the film Little Women. He has won two Academy Awards, for his musical scores to the films The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Shape of Water. Little Women is up for a few different Academy Awards, so adding Best Music to that list shouldn’t be much of a surprise.
Following that, we have Randy Newman for his composition of music for the movie Marriage Story. Newman is known for his distinctive voice and his work on numerous Disney-Pixar animated films. Marriage Story is yet another film to have numerous nominations, and Best Original Score just seems to make sense.
The next nominee for Best Music is the movie 1917 and more specifically, composer Thomas Newman. Cousin of singer- songwriter Randy Newman, Thomas Newman worked with Sondheim on Broadway plays. He has done other award winning films before, including The Shawshank Redemption, and the 1994 Little Women.
The final nominee for Best Music is John Williams for his work on Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Star Wars is known for having epic and incredible music. This time around is no different and the music would have to be great since this is supposed to be the last mainline film. Of course the list would be rounded out like this since the franchise is known for its score.
If you want to know some other nominees for different categories, we have also gone over Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Animated Feature Film, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Directing Nominees, Best Documentary Feature, Best Documentary Short, Best Film Editing, Best International Feature, and Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
Sonic the Hedgehog is a live-action adventure comedy based on the global blockbuster videogame franchise from Sega that centers on the infamously brash bright blue hedgehog. The film follows the (mis)adventures of Sonic as he navigates the complexities of life on Earth with his newfound – human – best friend Tom Wachowski (James Marsden). Sonic and Tom join forces to try and stop the villainous Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) from capturing Sonic and using his immense powers for world domination. The film also stars Tika Sumpter and Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic.
After the whole controversy regarding how the titular character looked, we have a character that looks similar to the one people know and love. With that controversy, a lot of publicity was generated for the film which will more than likely draw in crowds to watch the movie. This will end up being a very polarizing movie since it is one that is based off of a video game. Video game movies tend to not do so well since combining entertainment mediums tends not to go well. If you want to see for yourself how that will play out, then the movie will be released to theaters on February 14, 2020.
As stated above, Birds of Prey is an upcoming DC superhero film which centers on the titular team of the same name. The full title, Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), gives a bit more insight into the plot of the film. It is a story being told by Harley Quinn herself, and in a way only she can tell it. When Gotham’s most nefariously narcissistic villain, Roman Sionis, and his zealous right-hand, Zsasz, put a target on a young girl named Cass, the city is turned upside down looking for her. Harley, Huntress, Black Canary and Renee Montoya’s paths collide, and the unlikely foursome have no choice but to team up to take Roman down.
Margot Robbie (‘I, Tonya’) returns as Harley Quinn, alongside Mary Elizabeth Winstead (’10 Cloverfield Lane,’ TV’s ‘Fargo’) as Huntress; Jurnee Smollett-Bell (HBO’s ‘True Blood’) as Black Canary; Rosie Perez (‘Fearless,’ ‘Pitch Perfect 2’) as Renee Montoya; Chris Messina (‘Argo,’ TV’s ‘Sharp Objects’) as Victor Zsasz; and Ewan McGregor (‘Stephen King’s Doctor Sleep,’ the ‘Trainspotting’ films) as Roman Sionis. Newcomer Ella Jay Basco also stars as Cassandra “Cass” Cain in her feature film debut.
Directed by Cathy Yan (‘Dead Pigs’) from a script by Christina Hodson (‘Bumblebee’), the film is based on characters from DC. Robbie also produced, alongside Bryan Unkeless and Sue Kroll. The film’s executive producers are Walter Hamada, Galen Vaisman, Geoff Johns, Hans Ritter and David Ayer.
Joining Yan behind the scenes was a creative team comprised of director of photography Matthew Libatique (‘A Star Is Born,”Venom’); production designer K.K. Barrett (‘Her’); editor Jay Cassidy (‘American Hustle,’ ‘Silver Linings Playbook’) and editor Evan Schiff (‘John Wick Chapters 2 & 3’); and costume designer Erin Benach (‘A Star Is Born’). The music is by Daniel Pemberton (‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’). The movie releases to theaters nationwide on February 7, 2020.
1. Bad Boys for Life
Bad Boys for Life comes in at the top again as the number 1 movie at the box office with $34 million, and this brings its gross box office amount to $120.6 million.
2. 1917
1917 still maintains its place near the top of the box office list having made $15.8 million which brings its gross box office income to $103.9 million.
3. Dolittle
Dolittle hangs in there having brought in $12.5 million, and this brings the the gross box office income to $44.7 million after its second weekend.
4. The Gentlemen
This was The Gentlemen’s opening weekend, but it didn’t do all too well, having brought in $11 million which also makes that its current gross amount.
5. Jumanji: The Next Level
Jumanji: The Next Level relatively maintains its place on the top box office chart, having brought in $7.9 million, and thus bringing its gross amount to $283.4 million.
6. The Turning
The Turning is another movie that didn’t really have a great opening weekend with it only bringing in $7.3 million, and thus its gross is the same amount.
7. Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker
The Rise of Skywalker still has a place on the top box office list with $5.2 million; bringing its gross amount to $501.6 million. As such, however, this makes it considered to be a disappointment by some because it is the last film in the main story.
8. Little Women
Little Women still finds itself on the top box office list, having brought in $4.7 million. This brings the gross amount brought in to $93.7 million.
9. Just Mercy
Just mercy manages to stay on the top box office list by raking in $4.1 million, and this brings its grand total grossed to $27.1 million.
10. Knives Out
Knives Out is still on the list having brought in $3.7 million this past weekend, and that brings it up to a grand total of $151.9 million.
Without a doubt, there are a ton of things in movies taken for granted, and one of those things is how actors and actresses look on screen. Portrayal of a character in the film is very important to the way the film plays out, as well as how the characters look in each scene they are in. Best Makeup and Hairstyling goes to the people that did such a great job that the movies’ characters seemed much more real to the audience. We will now go through the nominees for that award.
Up first on the list of nominees is the movie Bombshell, and more specifically the artists Kazu Hiro, Anne Morgan and Vivian Baker. Bombshell tells the story of three women taking on the controversial media empire Fox News and face off against the powerful man who created it. Given the plot of the film and the fact that the women in the movie are supposed be people who work in a newsroom, the makeup and hairstyling matches perfectly with the environment that they are supposed to be in.
It should be no surprise that the next nominees on the list are Nicki Ledermann and Kay Georgiou for their work on the movie Joker. In Gotham’s fractured society, a young man longs to be a stand-up comic, but finds the joke is always on him. Caught in a cycle of apathy, cruelty and ultimately, betrayal, the comedian makes one bad decision after another, bringing about a chain reaction of escalating events. In order to show the descent into madness, of course the makeup and hairstyling would have to be perfect.
Following that nomination, we have the nomination for the movie Judy, and more specifically Jeremy Woodhead. Thirty years after she shot to stardom, showbiz legend Judy Garland arrives in London to perform a five-week sold-out run of shows. As she prepares her act, fights with management, charms musicians and reminisces with friends and fans, her wit and warmth shine through. The makeup and hairstyling was perfectly done and allowed Judy Garland to be emulated wonderfully.
Following that, we have Paul Gooch, Arjen Tuiten and David White for their work on Maleficent: Mistress of Evil. The movie sees Maleficent and goddaughter Aurora beginning to question the complex family ties that bind them as they are pulled in different directions by impending nuptials, unexpected allies and dark new forces. The work of the artists is very obviously noticeable since many characters are meant to be either fantasy creatures or very regal characters.
Finally we have the movie 1917, for its artists Naomi Donne, Tristan Versluis and Rebecca Cole. 1917 sees, during World War I, two British soldiers sent on a dangerous mission to stop an attack by the British 7th Division that will result in a massacre by the Germans. Their assignment takes on extra urgency as one of the young soldiers’ brothers is fighting in that Division. As a period film, the makeup and hairstyling must match the period represented and it does that very well.
If you want to know nominations for other categories, then we’ve already done the nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Animated Feature, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Director, Best Documentary Feature, Best Documentary Short, Best Film Editing, and Best International Feature.
The Oscars have plenty of categories, and so far we’ve looked at categories that cover movies that had their biggest releases in the US. Now we will be taking a look at films that were released internationally. These movies were the ones chosen as the best movies outside of the country.
First up on the list of international nominees is a movie called Corpus Christi. After leaving the violent Youth Detention Center, 20-year-old Daniel decides to pose as a parish priest, despite his lack of religious education. His spirit and passion inspire his small-town congregants, who have been unable to heal after the tragic accidental death of seven of their youth. Originally a Polish film, it was rated highly after releasing in the United States.
Second on the list of nominees, we have the documentary feature Honeyland. Honeyland sees a woman, Hatidze, living with her ailing mother in the mountains of Macedonia, making a living cultivating honey using ancient beekeeping traditions. When an unruly family moves in next door, what at first seems like a balm for her solitude becomes a source of tension as they, too, want to practice beekeeping. Originally releasing in North Macedonia, it has become popular enough to not only be nominated for this category, but also the Best Documentary Feature.
Next up on the list, we have a movie from France called Les Misérables, but not the same one that was released in 2012. This film sees a man, Stéphane, joining the Anti-Crime Brigade in Montfermeil, the town where Victor Hugo set his novel “Les Miserables.” He quickly discovers tensions running high between neighborhood gangs. When his team finds itself overrun during the course of an arrest, a drone captures their every action.
After that, we have a movie from Spain that is actually in the category for Best Actor in a Leading Role because of actor Antonio Banderas. Pain and Glory sees Salvador Mallo, a renowned film director, in physical decline revisiting his past: his childhood with his mother, his first desire, his first adult love and breakup, and the early discovery of cinema.
The final nomination on the list for Best International Feature is another film that is on other nomination lists, and that is Parasite. Coming from South Korea, it is a film that, for many, came from nowhere and ended up as one of the Best Pictures of the year overall. Parasite sees greed, class discrimination and a mysterious interloper threatening the newly formed symbiotic relationship between the wealthy Park family and the destitute Kim clan.
We have also covered nominations for other categories such as Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Animated Feature, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Director, Best Documentary Feature, Best Documentary Short, and Best Film Editing.
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