A few Oscar-y things happened yesterday. The ACE Eddies (Editing), ASC (Cinematographers), Writers Guild and Art Directors Guild all announced their nominees. Instead of going into all of that in depth, I'll hit a couple of quick points.
Cinematography This group looks (literally) amazing, even without "If Beale Street Could Talk," "Black Panther" and "Suspiria" (Ok...that one's for me!) I wasn't the biggest fan of Robbie Ryan's work on "The Favourite," but that's more a matter of taste than anything else. Depending on how the Academy leans on "A Star is Born" and "First Man," there may be room for something else.
Alfonso Cuarón for Roma
Matthew Libatique, ASC for A Star is Born
Robbie Ryan, BSC, ISC for The Favourite
Linus Sandgren, ASC, FSF for First Man
Łukasz Żal, PSC for Cold War
Speaking of....
First Man
First Man did very well yesterday. Getting in for Art Direction (Oscar's Production Design), Cinematography and Editing. That means it has guild support, which also means it could have "below the line" Academy support (aka: nominations) which could also translate to a Best Picture nomination. What is this year's "Phantom Thread?" The movie we are all discounting that the Academy won't? Is it "First Man?" Perhaps!
Let's talk television - Schitt's Creek, season 5
Later today everyone will be talking about the Directors Guild Nominations and the Dorian Award winners, but something equally as exciting is happening today, at least in Canada, and that is the premiere of season 5 of "Schitt's Creek!"
I used to be an avid television watcher. I had Netflix, Hulu, Cable...but I found myself to be a bit of a captive to my DVR. I was watching so much that I didn't even care for. It has been a year and a half since I cut the cable chord, and it's been amazing. I still have HBO, Hulu, Netflix and FX VIP (thank you Galeca!) but I don't feel the pressure to check out so many of the new shows. Instead I let them come to me. Recent examples of that have been "The Haunting of Hill House" and "Elite" on Netflix and soon, I'm sure I will watch "You." I still watch a couple of standard network fare on Hulu - "Superstore" "Fresh Off the Boat" and "Will & Grace," and I'm sure I will catch back up on "The Good Fight," "Mom" and "Elementary" at some point.
As a Dorian Awards voter, I felt the need to catch up on a few things in order to be a better voter. The first was "Pose," which I loved, "Killing Eve" (FANTASTIC!) and "Sharp Objects." 5 episodes in and I'm not quite sold on "Sharp Objects," but I want to see where they are headed.
The most important discovery though has been "Schitt's Creek." If you want to know more about my love for it, check out my Honor Roll of 2018.
The Honor Roll of 2018
As I mentioned, season 5 premieres tonight on the CBC, and thankfully the new season is both everything "Schitt's Creek" has managed to be in it's previous 4 seasons and also completely fresh.
After a very moving Holiday Special, we are back to where we started at the end of season 4 and the flawless "Singles Week" episode. Everyone seems to be doing well. Ted and Alexis are a couple. David and Patrick have said I love you, Jocelyn and Roland have had Roland Jr...and Moira has indeed taken the part in "The Crows Have Eyes 2," having traveled on location to Bosnia!
The tone is a bit different than the previous seasons and certainly the Holiday special, and coming off of a very fresh binge of the first four seasons, it was a bit of an adjustment for me. Partly because (at least in the first 5 episodes) we don't really know where this season is headed. The laughs are still way out loud, particularly with our still entitled (but trying!) siblings Alexis (Annie Murphy) and David (Daniel Levy) and the real star of the first couple of episodes, Catharine O'Hara. I don't want to spoil anything, but everything from the Bosnian film shoot to the jet lag at home is utterly hilarious. Give O'Hara an Emmy nomination dammit!!
I've watched these 5 episodes about 4 times now (still a captive, perhaps, but at least to a show I love!), and I believe there is a hint of what's to come embedded in the 4th episode. Again, I don't want to give too much away, but as everyone in the Rose family seems to have incorporated into the town and the people in it, Moira reminds her husband that she seems to be the only one who hasn't veered off course. Although it hasn't really been addressed since the early days of season 1, might we see an opportunity for the Rose's to go back to their old life? And would they bring the likes of Ted and Patrick with them? We shall see!
In the 5th episode, “Housewarming” the new season really hits its stride with David and Patrick’s (very) High School Slumber Party. Set against Moira and Johnny babysitting Roland Jr, the episode is "Schitt’s Creek" at its most perfect - sincere and hilarious all at the same time.
The new season premieres tonight in Canada on the CBC and on PopTV in the US on January 16th.
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