weekly digest: awards season heads into the home stretch
everything that happened at Flick Filosopher from Monday, January 24th, to Sunday, January 30th
We’re heading into the final stretch of awards season! The two critics groups of which I am a member, the Online Film Critics Society and the Alliance of Women Film Journalists, both announced our year-end winners last week — links below — and Oscar nominations are due February 8th. (Those winners will be announced on March 27th.)
I don’t put much store in awards, even the ones I vote in — though I know they can be enormously important for all the creative people who make movies happen — and it’s really rare that I don’t have huge differences of opinion regarding which films deserve their wins. But the Oscars, as the final honors of the annual cycle, do bring closure to the movie year. And as a biggest celebration of movies every year, I do love the event, all its numerous problems aside. Getting to attend the Oscars ceremony, just once, is definitely on my bucket list.
For now, I head into my own annual event: trying to review as many more awards contenders as I can.
—MaryAnn
new at flick filosopher, Jan 24–30
new and ongoing cinema releases, US/Can, Jan 28
Animated documentary Flee expands to more cities; dramatic thriller Sundown is exclusively in cinemas; more… [get the full rundown]
new and ongoing cinema releases, UK/Ire, Jan 28
Animated musical Sing 2 and horror Amulet are new and exclusively in cinemas; more… [get the full rundown]
new and ongoing dvd/blu/vod releases, US/Can, Jan 25–28
The Matrix Resurrections arrives on premium VOD; Encanto is new on premium VOD and free on Disney+; more… [get the full rundown]
new and ongoing dvd/blu/vod releases, UK/Ire, Jan 24–28
Romanian dramedy Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn arrives on VOD; Encanto is new on premium VOD and free on Disney+; more… [get the full rundown]
Flee documentary review: home is when you don’t have to run away [pictured]
Impossibly, heartbreakingly poignant, rooted in tough emotion and hard realities. A deeply humane movie that makes an unspoken, effortless plea for compassion for refugees’ distress and desperation. [read the review | US cinemas + VOD; UK cinemas Feb 11]
A Taste of Hunger movie review: salt fat acid heat
Contemplative and tenderly observed, a slow-burn romantic and family drama about two complicated, difficult people and what they’re willing to risk to achieve their dream. Plus: Scandi food porn! [read the review | US cinemas + VOD]
AWFJ 2021 EDA Awards winners announced
And the winners are… [read more]
OFCS 2021 awards winners announced
And the winners are… [read more]
loaded question: what movie that you love would you change the ending of, and how?
Inspired by China’s new censoring of the ending of Fight Club, in the most bizarre way… [reply at Flick Filosopher | reply at Substack | reply at Patreon]
what I’m bingeing
The Book of Boba Fett [Disney+ globally]: this week’s episode was quite the nerd fest! it’s like they suddenly realized why it wasn’t really working…
Queer Eye Season 6 [Netflix globally]: I wasn’t feeling well over this past weekend, and this was perfect for huddling under covers and letting its kindness wash over me
Tweet of the week…
The missing image:
coming up at Flick Filosopher…
The Matrix: Resurrections
activist documentaries Maxima and Mothers of the Revolution
psychological neo-noir Nightmare Alley, from Guillermo del Toro
French freak-show Titane
I think Moonfall might have to mark my return to cinemas since *checks pandemic* November…
And more!
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