Failed Oscar Campaigns: "Cats" (2019)

Scene from Cats (2019)

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.

Every Best Picture Nominee of the 2010's Ranked: #65-69

Scene from American Sniper

As 2019 reached its end, another decade of cinema had passed. It's amazing to think about how things have evolved since 2010 when the biggest controversies were about recognizing genre movies. Things look different now, especially as genre films like The Shape of Water and Parasite are winning Best Picture and the voting body looks incredibly different with each passing year. With this period in the books, it feels like a good time to celebrate their accomplishments by ranking all 88 titles nominated for Best Picture from worst to best with the goal of seeing which films are more likely to stand the test of time. Join me every Saturday and Sunday as I count them down, five at a time. It's going to be a fun summer looking back on what was, especially as we prepare for the decade ahead and an even more interesting diversity that we haven't even begun to think of.

The Memory is Over as Universal Stops Campaigning for "Cats"

Scene from Cats (2019)

At this point, director Tom Hooper's Cats has been a universal meme of poor studio decisions and surrealistic nightmares involving Rebel Wilson's costume change. There are those who are going for a good time, while others have outright called it the worst movie of 2019. For a film that was once primed to get some Oscar traction, this has been a rough two weeks. Now, with only a single full week of release behind them, the worst news of all has come: Cats is bowing out of the awards race. Many saw it coming, but it wasn't until recently that Universal Studios removed Cats from its For Your Consideration page, and thus bids the end for the film. The good times have come to an end for Cats, and with that its status as one of the oddest Christmas releases of the decade (possibly ever) will forge ahead of its own legacy, whatever that may be. 

Review: "Cats" is at Its Best When Nothing Makes Sense

Scene from Cats (2019)

How do you adapt a musical like Cats into the cinematic landscape? That is the question that has been asked for almost 40 years as Andrew Lloyd Webber's hit show has existed in pop culture. It is to Broadway what the Transformers movies were to action cinema: relatively dumb to everyone except those who can appreciate the craft it brings to the medium. Even then, with feline/human Animorphs designs, how was it ever supposed to appeal to a general audience? It couldn't. Director Tom Hooper has made a film that feels as misunderstood as its opening moment when Victoria (Francesca Hayward) is thrown out onto Jellicle row in a bag. Those willing to look at it and see the craft may be able to appreciate what lies inside. Everyone else will give it a Razzie because, let's face it, even if it's a good adaptation of Cats, Cats is still Cats and you can only take a show about dancing cats so seriously. 

"Cats" Hacks a Hair Ball at the Box Office

Scene from Cats

Things just keep getting worse for Cats. In just a week, the film featured some of the year's worst reviews with many bashing the visual design of characters. Then, to make matters worse, director Tom Hooper came forward to say that there was a cut coming to theaters this week with "improved" special effects. In one of the more predictable moves, its choice to open opposite Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker may have backfired, as the film becomes a rare Christmas season movie musical bomb. No, the good cheer towards our whiskered friends wasn't enough to draw out audiences, and one has to wonder if things will ever rebound. After all, cats are known for having nine lives. What are the odds that Cats could have just as many?

In an Unprecedented Move, "Cats" to Get Improved Effects After a Few Days in Release

Scene (?) from Cats

It was never going to be easy for the cinematic version of Cats. The film comes over 40 years after its Broadway debut that made it one of the biggest shows in its history. The reviews haven't been any more favorable, and that leads some to wonder if it's even in the Oscar race anymore. Well, for those who saw Cats in the first 48 hours need to know that the version they saw no longer exists. No, the film wasn't pulled out of theaters due to embarrassment (in fact, Twitter will have you convinced it's a celebration of poor taste enthusiasts and theater kids). It's just getting a small update. Yes, despite being publicly released the film is pulling the unprecedented move of creating an "improved" version with better visual effects. It's a fascinating call, especially since what exactly is "improved" for Cats?

The "Cats" Oscar Campaign is Officially Down to Its Last Life as Bad Reviews Surface

Scene from Cats (2019)

Well, it was a fun ride while it lasted. Whether it existed as a serious thought or was something of a joke, the Oscar campaign for Cats has officially been declawed. The past week hasn't been its finest moment starting with the near exclusion from major Golden Globe nominations (Taylor Swift *did* get a song nomination for "Beautiful Ghosts") followed by their new song not making the Oscar shortlist for Best Original Song. It was a terrible way to build-up to the world premiere of the film this past week, which promised to have a memorable reaction even if this film was miraculously a masterpiece. Sadly, the embargo has lifted and things haven't played out too well for director Tom Hooper's sophomore movie musical. While it may still get some tech nominations (though let's face it, that's not likely), it's all but over for this kitty. Let's pour one out for the film, sitting pretty at 20% on Rotten Tomatoes, and the Oscar campaign dream that is all but a memory now. 

Check This Out: "Cats" Enters the Best Original Song Category with Taylor Swift's "Beautiful Ghosts"

Scene from Cats (2019)

Somehow, everyone knew that it just had to happen. With director Tom Hooper's Cats marking the major movie musical of the Christmas season, it just had to sneak into the Best Original Song category somehow. With that said, the moment is finally here and the song that likely exists only for Oscar punditry is "Beautiful Ghosts." While there's still a long way to go until its premiere, there's at least now some sense of what the soundtrack will sound like. With Taylor Swift offering her vocals to the song, it is a curious little ditty that feels like it will be big on emotions, vying for a chance to win the category over whatever Frozen II puts forward. Still, it's a decent song and one that reflects a familiar trend for longtime fans of Andrew Lloyd Webber's film adaptations. 

If "Cats" Is Not Careful, It Will Miss Key Awards Voting Deadlines

Scene from Cats (2019)

Next to Avengers: Endgame and Joker, the film that most haven't stopped talking about are director Tom Hooper's Cats. It's hard to tell how much of that buzz is genuine excitement and how many wants to believe they're seeing the next big trainwreck. However, given that the last three films that Hooper has made (The King's Speech, Les Miserables, and The Danish Girl) all won at least one Oscar, it's hard to not consider him out of the race entirely. Even then, there's one factor that will play against him if things aren't so careful: time. Yes, time finds Hooper and his Jellicle cats finding a deadline that could hurt their Oscar chances if they're not careful. With the threat of missing deadlines for major awards branches like the Golden Globes, Cats may have trouble getting much traction. 

The First Trailer for "Cats" (2019) is Here to Get Stuck in Your Memory

Scene from Cats (2019)

It was seven years ago that director Tom Hooper managed to turn Les Miserables into an Oscar-winning movie. While many complained about the close-ups, the bombastic nature and sheer dedication to such an iconic musical made it one of the boldest films of his career. With that in mind, nothing is likely to compare to Cats, his next musical and the first film adaptation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber juggernaut. Considering how divisive his last musical was, it's not going to be easy for audiences to get on board with a film about singing and dancing cats. As the first trailer, dropped with much anticipation and months of build-up, finally arrives it asks the viewer to start expecting something weird and different, much like the stage show itself.

Failed Oscar Campaigns: "Les Miserables" (2012)

Hugh Jackman

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.

Anne Hathaway Admits to Not Being Happy During Oscars Acceptance Speech

Anne Hathaway

Director Tom Hooper's Les Miserables may have been a box office hit, but the general reception in the years since has been mixed at best. Many accused the film of being melodrama with an exhausting, repetitive lyrics sheet. However, there was one spot that everyone seemed to agree upon: Anne Hathaway. While she is predominantly absent from the musical epic, her early scenes resonated with audiences and featured the film's most popular song: "I Dreamed a Dream." With a close-up on her face as she sang of her failures, there were predictions later validated that she would win the Oscar. However, there is one person who is a little regretful of the Oscar win: Hathaway herself. In a recent interview, she explained how she felt insincere when accepting the award that most had already given to her mentally.

Theory Thursday: Alicia Vikander Didn't Deserve an Oscar for "The Danish Girl"

Alicia Vikander in The Danish Girl

Welcome to a weekly column called Theory Thursdays, which will be released every Thursday and discuss my "controversial opinion" related to something relative to the week of release. Sometimes it will be birthdays while others is current events or a new film release. Whatever the case may be, this is a personal defense for why I disagree with the general opinion and hope to convince you of the same. While I don't expect you to be on my side, I do hope for a rational argument. After all, film is a subjective medium and this is merely just a theory that can be proven either way. 

Nothing But the Best: "The King's Speech" (2010)

Scene from The King's Speech

Welcome to the series Nothing But the Best in which I chronicle all of the Academy Award Best Picture winners as they celebrate their anniversaries. Instead of going in chronological order, this series will be presented on each film's anniversary and will feature personal opinions as well as facts regarding its legacy and behind the scenes information. The goal is to create an in depth essay for each film while looking not only how the medium progressed, but how the film is integral to pop culture. In some cases, it will be easy. Others not so much. Without further ado, let's start the show.

Birthday Take: Anne Hathaway in "Les Miserables" (2012)

Anne Hathaway in Les Miserables

Welcome to The Birthday Take, a column dedicated to celebrating Oscar nominees and winners' birthdays by paying tribute to the work that got them noticed. This isn't meant to be an exhaustive retrospective, but more of a highlight of one nominated work that makes them noteworthy. The column will run whenever there is a birthday and will hopefully give a dense exploration of the finest performances and techniques applied to film. So please join me as we blow out the candles and dig into the delicious substance.

Birthday Take: Colin Firth in "The King's Speech" (2010)

Colin Firth in The King's Speech

Welcome to The Birthday Take, a column dedicated to celebrating Oscar nominees and winners' birthdays by paying tribute to the work that got them noticed. This isn't meant to be an exhaustive retrospective, but more of a highlight of one nominated work that makes them noteworthy. The column will run whenever there is a birthday and will hopefully give a dense exploration of the finest performances and techniques applied to film. So please join me as we blow out the candles and dig into the delicious substance.

Why I Like Eddie Redmayne (Even If You Think He's Oscar Bait-y)

Eddie Redmayne in The Danish Girl

There is a certain amount of flack that I have received for my opinions on Eddie Redmayne. Mind you, I don't consider him my favorite actor. It mostly came to fruition last year when The Theory of Everything had come out. Most considered it a little too sentimental of a portrait of Stephen Hawking. Meanwhile, I thought that it was perfectly accessible biopic fare that was, at very least, better than The Imitation Game. It was also a moment in which I chose to argue that I was as impressed with his physical transformation as I was watching Daniel Day Lewis in My Left Foot. I still maintain that. With director Tom Hooper's The Danish Girl making rounds at the Venice Film Festival, many are claiming that something unusual will happen. He may get back-to-back Oscars. Without seeing the film, I can honestly say that I hope it works out.

The First Trailer for "The Danish Girl" is a Compelling Look at the First Transgender Woman

Eddie Redmayne

With the start of September, we officially have crossed the threshold into Oscar Season. While this is the dry month where not a lot happens (Black Mass could still surprise us), it is time to gear up and see the season take shape. There's nothing more apropos to do so than to have the debut of the first trailer for director Tom Hooper's The Danish Girl. In a year where there is going to be a lot of potential candidates from LGBT films (see also: Freeheld and Carol), this is among the front runners thanks to the presence of last year's Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne (Best Actor - The Theory of Everything). From what the trailer holds, it's going to be another promising year for the actor and director.

Why I Hate the "Oscars So White" Campaign

It's the happiest time of the year for fans of movie award shows. For better or worse, the Academy Awards are perceived as the pinnacle of cinema in any given year. In fact, there's very little to argue against this, considering that when someone "bad" happens, the internet gets into a frenzy over a few poor judgment calls. While this is a warranted comment on a society desiring further equal representation in their pop culture media, it is also a little uninformed. With the slogan "Oscars so white" popping up on Twitter, there's concern that 2014's nominees is the least diverse in 20 years. This is true, but please stop acting like this is a new outrage.

Which Christmas Release Stands the Best Chances at Best Picture?

Les Miserables

Update: I have written a review for Les Miserables posted here.

Before I begin, I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Why is this relevant? Because as per usual, almost every December 25 sees the release of the tent pole movies of the year. This year's class joins the ranks of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (though that did open on the 20th) in terms of films that somehow deserve to be the last of the awards-worthy. This year, we have three very interesting, if entirely different nominees: director Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained, director Kathryn Bigelow's Zero Dark Thirty (released December 21), and director Tom Hooper's Les Miserables. Will any of them stand a chance when it comes to winning Best Picture, or is Argo pretty much locked in?