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The Oscars: It’s That Time Again

What's Eye Grabbing Since COVID Struck Cinemas?

The 93rd Annual Academy Awards or simply put, The Oscars, is right around the corner. Each year it’s surprising to learn the picks that did and didn’t take home the golden statue representing what’s deemed the best of the best in various categories. As usual, it will honor the best films released between January 1, 2020, and February 28, 2021. It is currently scheduled to take place in Los Angeles on April 25, 2021, two months later than originally planned, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cinema. The nominations were announced on March 15, 2021. See the article for more information about the current lineups or the official site here.

Those of you who follow me whether on Altered Geek or on a variety of other programs on the GeekCast Radio Network know, I don’t typically care about awards shows. I have in recent years found them self-serving and turned into a divisive platform for individuals that are a part of these programs to spew their viewpoint. That being said, I think there is some merit in the choices that are selected in these awards programs, and with such, I’m going to give my opinion on the next awards ceremony. My views are subjective and may not necessarily reflect the opinions of anyone else at the GCRN. See the last time I did one of these here.

What’s New This Year?

Well, since COVID, we’ve seen an influx of new cleaning protocols and multiple locations both in the US, and overseas to accommodate the attendees who are unable to traverse the deep blue sea between continents. Now, the movie industry had to adapt last year due to literally everything being out of commission and the majority of folks being stuck at home. So some of these films may have been seen in streaming platforms as most companies scrambled to create that option for release or towards the end of the year, opted for a dual platform release. One in theaters, and one on the home screen.

What Are The Categories This Year?

The categories we have for the 93rd Annual Oscars are as follows:

  • ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
  • ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
  • ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
  • ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
  • ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
  • CINEMATOGRAPHY
  • COSTUME DESIGN
  • DIRECTING
  • DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE)
  • DOCUMENTARY (SHORT SUBJECT)
  • FILM EDITING
  • INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
  • MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
  • MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
  • MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)
  • BEST PICTURE
  • PRODUCTION DESIGN
  • SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
  • SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)
  • SOUND
  • VISUAL EFFECTS
  • WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
  • WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)

What Are My Thoughts and Familiarity?

Well, suffice it to say, I haven’t seen a new movie in theaters in years. I am mostly a Netflix/Hulu/Amazon Prime/Disney+ person when it comes to my film and television consumption. That being said, I do see a few key categories here that interest me for more than the typical reasons. Aside from not having heard of or not seeing any of the selected films on this list, I am intrigued. I recall some of the names but overall, it’s fresh to me here. I’ve heard of Tenet, Mulan, Borat’s Sequel, Soul, Nomadland, but overall the films selected are uninteresting to me. What’s to be seen is who wins these categories, however. With multiple films in multiple categories, it’s slim pickings and makes you wonder their odds of winning some or most of these categories.

So let’s say I went with Animation, despite having no stakes in this at all, and with our background of doing a Top 100 Countdown of Animated Films,  I feel I can best judge this category. One that bothers me like no other is the claymation sheep movies. That and Cal-Arts style animation drive me up a proverbial wall. Also, mystical films don’t tend to resonate with me either. That being said, there are a few different sorts of styles of animation, storytelling, and genre’s touched on here. You have Soul, Wolfwalkers, A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon, Over the Moon, and Onward.

If I had to choose one to win, it’d likely be Soul due to the nature of the film, and being a Pixar piece. The rest while interesting or not so much didn’t do much in the way of knowing anything about them. That being said, the Academy voters do what they want and not surprisingly, films exclusive to streaming are not there, nor were there variety in regards to the options of films.

Final Thoughts

No matter where you land in the Oscar debacle, there are options. Whether you like the options or not, they are options nonetheless. What do you think the odds are of your favorite films or individuals that could likely win? Do you have a favorite film, director, or actor/actress? The year 2020 dealt us the short end of the stick here but here’s hoping for 2021 as things return to normal-ish.

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Steve "Megatron"

Co-Creator @GeekCastRadio | Creator @AlteredGeek | Voice Actor | Podcaster, Husband | Father | Web/Graphic Design | A/V Editor | Geek of Games, Tech, Film, TV.

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