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AFI Top 10:
BlackKklansman
Black Panther
Eighth Grade
If Beale Street Could Talk
The Favourite
First Reformed
Green Book
Mary Poppins Returns
A Quiet Place
A Star Is Born

Special Award: Roma.

Really? Also was this year that bad in Hollywood that we get A Quiet Place and Black Panther in a top 10 list? (Yeah I know BP is getting all sorts of raves)

And Mary Poppins, and A Star is Born, and Green Book, and......

The Favourite is an American production?

Fun fact: if A Quiet Place gets nommed for Best Picture, which now seems plausible, Michael Bay will become an Oscar nominee

domino harvey wrote:Fun fact: if A Quiet Place gets nommed for Best Picture, which now seems plausible, Michael Bay will become an Oscar nominee

I knew he belonged in the Collection!!

Funny how Green Book is playing everywhere but where I live. Usually these kind of movies play well here. I can't help but chuckle at the Mary Poppins one though. I mean it isn't even out yet!

The Oscars want Kevin Hart to host-- he's a funny guy and obviously the Academy wants the optics he brings, so seems win-win

Yeah, while I personally don't find him funny this is about the most natural choice since Billy Crystal.

Hart just confirmed on Twitter that he's the host

domino harvey wrote: Wed Dec 05, 2018 1:19 am Hart just confirmed on Twitter that he's the host

This is a good choice. He'll appeal to a younger demographic too which is something I'm sure ABC wants.

Hart is perhaps the most energetic, engaging person on the planet - it hasn't necessarily translated to good films, but he will do an excellent job with this and while I like Kimmel in general, it'll be nice to get away from the smugness of the last few telecasts, hopefully the segments that bring people in off the streets are going with him

domino harvey wrote: Wed Dec 05, 2018 12:56 am The Oscars want Kevin Hart to host-- he's a funny guy and obviously the Academy wants the optics he brings, so seems win-win

How many black hosts is the Oscars going to have before the decision isn't optics-based and just finding the right person for the job?

Dude, gimme a breaksville on this not being an intentional choice in a year predicted to have an unusually large number of black filmmakers and their work recognized

...there was a black host 2 years ago, and Kevin Hart is one of the biggest stars in the world. Why is it so much of a stretch to imagine someone just being hired to host a TV broadcast without their race being a consideration in 2018?

My money is on Michelle Wolf. I would think it is almost a certainty a woman will host.

I'm not that familiar with Kevin Hart myself but I had already decided not to watch the awards ceremony because Roma & A Star is Born look like they are going to scoop the pool and I don't care for either of those films.

How rude! wrote: Wed Dec 05, 2018 7:32 am My money is on Michelle Wolf. I would think it is almost a certainty a woman will host.

They've already hired someone.

The good news is that now we get to take How rude!'s money

The New York Times' critics top 10 lists:

Manohla Dargis:
1. Roma (Cuaron)
2. Burning (Lee)
3. Shoplifters (Kore-eda)
4. Zama (Martel)
5. Happy as Lazzaro (Rohrwacher)
6. BlacKkKlansman (Lee)
7. First Reformed (Schrader)
8. The Death of Stalin (Iannucci)
9. Monrovia, Indiana (Wiseman)
10. Colophon (for the Arboretum Cycle) (Dorsky)

A.O. Scott:
1. Monrovia, Indiana (Wiseman); Bisbee '17 (Greene); Hale County This Morning, This Evening (Ross); Minding the Gap (Liu)
2. Happy as Lazzaro (Rohrwacher)
3. First Reformed (Schrader)
4. Private Life (Jenkins)
5. Roma (Cuaron)
6. Let the Sunshine In (Denis)
7. Can You Ever Forgive Me? (Heller)
8. BlacKkKlansman (Lee)
9. Capernaum (Labaki)
10. The Favourite (Lanthimos)

Seems like The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, despite growing on me like a cancer (I've been singing "Surly Joe" to myself all morning), isn't gaining a ton of traction when it comes to critics' year end lists. That's a shame, but sort of par for the course for the Coens at this point - for as hot of a streak as they've been on, it's been quiet on the front of actual awards or critical plaudits.

I mean, their last film was kind of a dud, but I agree that Scruggs is a grower

On the other hand, great to see First Reformed, BlacKkKlansman, Death of Stalin, and other solid entries from earlier this year still getting both awards and critical recognition alongside the usual glut of September to December releases. I was particularly worried that First Reformed might get lost in the shuffle, but it looks like it has a solid chance of further recognition for the script, lead performance, and maybe even director or picture.

Ethan Hawke needs to be nominated, and seems like the most plausible person to be on the outside looking in. For as brilliant as Schrader is and this film is, I truly doubt he cares. But you know that recognition for his oft-underrated body of work is probably very important to Hawke, and I'd like to see him get it for this excellent performance.

Ethan Hawke is almost sure to be nominated-- last time I checked he was comfortably in the Top 5 Predix on Gold Derby, helped by the absolute bombing of First Man at all these precursor awards. Hawke has also been twice nominated already, so the Academy has shown a willingness to recognize him. First Reformed and Eighth Grade have been designated as this year's small movies that people want to champion, and I wouldn't be surprised to see both make it into Best Picture. But either way Hawke is a safe bet in a way he wasn't til recently