Failed Oscar Campaigns: "Wonder Wheel" (2017)

Scene from Wonder Wheel

As awards seasons pick up, so do the campaigns to make your film have the best chances at the Best Picture race. However, like a drunken stupor, sometimes these efforts come off as trying too hard and leave behind a trailer of ridiculous flamboyance. Join me on every other Saturday for a highlight of the failed campaigns that make this season as much about prestige as it does about train wrecks. Come for the Harvey Weinstein comments and stay for the history. It's going to be a fun time as I explore cinema's rich history of attempting to matter.

The First "Wonder Wheel" Trailer Takes Woody Allen for a Beautiful, Magical Spin on Coney Island

Scene from Wonder Wheel

It seems like no year is complete without a new film from Woody Allen. Last year marked the first since the early 90's to feature two (Cafe Society and the "limited series" Crisis In Six Scenes). Still, it's been awhile since he's released an out and out hit. With Wonder Wheel, he looks to be making a return to the awards race with a film that potentially puts Kate Winslet into the Best Actress race. Based on the first trailer, it looks like the odds are more than in her favor. It also helps that this is also one of his best looking movies in years and one of the most promising since Blue Jasmine, which was his last movie to receive Oscar consideration. All things are looking up in the first trailer, which looks to at least be his most upbeat and accessible movie in awhile.