Media

Yes, 2020 was a weird year, and the rules for movies to debut in movie theatres were waived, but still: Netflix had seven statues, Amazon two, Disney one (or a lot more, if you count Nomadland as a Disney production), and Warner Bros one, all for movies that were either only streamed or debuted on streaming and theatres (if any were open) on the same day. – Los Angeles Times

Basically, her subjects tell their stories; she works with those stories and fictionalizes them, and then the subjects act out their fictionalized lives. “The outcome is scripted but the raw material is fact. There’s a personal rediscovery for the men and women onscreen as they interpret themselves in Zhao’s fabricated versions of their realities.” – Los Angeles Times

Yes, Nomadland is only the second movie directed by a woman to win a Best Picture Oscar, and the first Best Picture Oscar to go to a film directed by a woman of color. But also: Nomadland is about women. “Movies about women basically never win Best Picture. By my count, Nomadland is one of only six movies focused on the lives and stories of women ever to win the award. That’s in 93 years.” – Slate

Here are the live updates and the winners list as it happens. – Los Angeles Times

A dubious proposition, but a possible one: “If numbers or data or statistics can provide any ounce of entertainment, there’s no better time than the present.” (If you’re a betting person, bet on Nomadland to take it all.) – The Hollywood Reporter

Broadcast TV ratings have been declining for years, and this ceremony will be no different – and won’t mean anything about the actual movies involved. “I have long thought that the thing the Oscars needs most is one of those old Christmas special sets, with the cool living room sofa, the baby grand and that front door through which all the guests enter. Especially this year, when, until recently, so many of us have been unable to cross any threshold but our own. What better way to capture the mood of ‘opening up’?”- Los Angeles Times

Embrace the absurdity: “Look, things are going to get weird. There was a small fire within the first 15 minutes of the Emmys. (It started as a bit, but then a slightly panicked Jennifer Aniston could not put out the flames with an extinguisher.) In the closing moments at the MTV Video Music Awards, the Black Eyed Peas wore pants with glowing crotches as they belted out ‘I Gotta Feeling,’ with lyrics encouraging everyone to ‘party every day.’ (Not something anyone should do in a pandemic.)” – Washington Post

What the directors say, including clips about how to make a dramatic scene more dramatic with whispers – and how to cast a “good guy” to make a point in a scene about a not very good guy at all. – The New York Times

Probably there will still be a lot of private showings, now that we’re somewhat used to the idea. And then … a return to Moviepass, or something like it? “To survive beyond the pandemic, theaters must persuade moviegoers not just to come back, but to come back more frequently than they did—to start thinking of their local cinema as akin to their favorite coffee shop. Because a return to pre-pandemic habits isn’t enough.” – The Atlantic

Well, what a surprise: “For white actors, Academy recognition quickly leads to starring roles, both in big-budget blockbusters and prestige dramas. For actors of color recognized by the Academy, landing those roles typically takes much more time—if they ever land them at all.” – Vice

According to Laverne Cox, it can’t all be fashion – but then it can’t all be politics, either. “There’s so, so much work that goes into a look. This is the sad thing about there not being red carpets. It’s a whole cottage industry of stylists and hair and makeup people. I think we can celebrate that and also do something else. I can shout out the designers that I’m wearing and also talk about something that is important to me.” – The New York Times

“[Anant] Patwardhan views his filmmaking practice as comprehensive — not just researching, shooting, and completing films, but also taking them on tour and holding discussions, involving the communities and people he profiles. … Even if he is routinely cited as India’s leading documentarian, actually showing his films there is a bedeviling challenge” — especially his latest, Vivek (“Reason”), about the current wave of Hindu nationalism.” – Hyperallergic

“The streaming device maker will rebrand the Quibi library, which it bought in January, as Roku Originals in the run-up to debuting them on its free, ad-supported Roku Channel later in the year. Any future original programming will fall under that banner as well. … The Roku Originals library includes some 75 shows” — with expensive talent and production values — “from Quibi, including a dozen that hadn’t been released when Quibi shut down in late 2020,” collapsing after about six months of operation. – The Hollywood Reporter

It alleges Google “punishes” publishers in its rankings if they don’t sell enough advertising space in its marketplace. Google called the claims “meritless”. Associated Newspapers’ concerns stem from its assessment that its coverage of the Royal Family in 2021 has been downplayed in search results. – BBC

That’s a notable uptick from the streamer’s 2020 spend of $11.8 billion, as the pandemic prompted production delays across the industry, and a 2019 content spend of $13.9 billion. – Variety

Steve Gilula and Nancy Utley have been at the helm of Searchlight Pictures since the turn of the millennium, and one could argue that the films they’ve produced have (as Brooks Barnes puts it here) “shaped global culture.” They’ve won four Best Picture Oscars in the past dozen years (for Slumdog Millionaire, 12 Years a Slave, Birdman, and The Shape of Water); if Nomadland wins this Sunday, that will make five. – The New York Times

“NPR cut spending in areas including staff and executive pay to offset a decline in revenue spurred by the pandemic, particularly in corporate sponsorship. The network’s revenue is ‘slightly above’ its 2019 income but hasn’t reached 2020 levels, [acting CEO Deborah] Cowan said. Next year, NPR will aim to completely roll back the budget cuts that staffers agreed to last year in order to avoid layoffs.” – Current

“[Anders] Hammer is bemused at the lengths to which China has gone to stop its citizens catching even a brief glimpse of his latest film” — Do Not Split, about the 2019 pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong. “In the rest of the world, that move has earned him the type of press coverage he could never have dreamt of.” – The Guardian

It’s not the 1960s anymore (not by a long shot), so actors usually don’t play drunk by getting drunk. Instead, consider Aubrey Plaza’s technique for her movie Black Bear. “Acting drunk when you’re sober is no easier than acting sober when you’re drunk. To get into the right frame of unsteadiness, Plaza would spin round until almost throwing up just before the scene. That’s commitment.” – The Guardian (UK)