“Saturday Night Live” host Benedict “Dr. Strange” Cumberbatch and cast members gave one more blast of support for Roe v. Wade as the program closed out, wearing T-shirts reading “1973” — the year the Supreme Court issued the groundbreaking ruling recognizing women’s right to abortions.
Just minutes earlier, Arcade Fire’s lead singer Win Butler — whose guitar sported a 1973 sticker — proclaimed: “Women’s right to choose forever and ever and ever, amen” at the end of the song “The Lightning.”
Do “your nine, leave it on the sidewalk. Wrap it up like a little Moses, put it in a little basket, send it down the creek. … It’s simple,” McKinnon smirked.
What is “more traumatic?” she asked. “Safely ending an early pregnancy or giving full birth to a baby you can never see again because you put it on a Ferris wheel?”
Marvel has released a new trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The previous trailers gave us some hints at the supporting cast surrounding the good (and, possibly, evil Doctor), and this release adds a new wrinkle: Wanda Maximoff’s children from WandaVision make an appearance. There’s only one small problem… they were never actually real.
The multiverse has been the focus of multiple Marvel properties over the past few years, and it’s not a stretch to say that Endgame kicked it off with its own brand of time fuckery. There was a little bit towards the end of WandaVision, a lot of it in Loki, and nonstop fanservice meta-narrative multiverse storytelling in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness trailer
After the No Way Home final scenes revealed the full extent of the multiverse gone sideways, fans began eagerly awaiting the trailers for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Now, with nearly three trailer drops since the superbowl, we can see that the multiverse depends on Doctor Strange, Scarlet Witch, Wong, and Ms. America. They’ll all be fighting their worst fears, and the worst versions of themselves. There’s also some hints of the multi-villains they’ll be after, and while nobody’s been confirmed, there is a hint of Captain Marvel’s classic colorscheme of yellow-highlights-with-blue-glowy-hands.
There’s a ton of hints in the sets here too—the Sanctum in rubble, the creeping darkness towards Kamar-Taj, Wanda breaking down in a vision of her suburban home of Westview, we even get a glimpse of a science lab with ultron-bots running around, as well as images of a strange, broken-up world… possibly a broken universe, or maybe just a waypoint?
Directed by Sam Raimi and written by Loki’s Michael Waldron, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Michael Stühlbarg, and Rachel McAdams. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness hits theaters May 6.
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The 94th Oscars are ready to reveal their results, and we’re ready to hear them—but first, we’d like to offer up some educated guesses as the various outcomes. The editors of The A.V. Club looked closely at the biggest categories from this year’s Academy Awards nominations list, and then we broke down each of those races into “will win,” “could win,” and, in a show of blatant bias, “should win.” While some of these picks may feel like no-brainers (hello Troy Kotsur), many of the categories are still very much up for grabs leading into Sunday’s ceremony. So grab your ballot and gaze into the crystal ball with us, and be sure to follow along with our liveblog on Sunday.
Best Picture
Nominees:Belfast; CODA; Don’t Look Up; Drive My Car; Dune; King Richard; Licorice Pizza; Nightmare Alley; The Power Of The Dog; West Side Story
Will win:CODA
Sian Heder’s coming-of-age drama about a child of deaf adults, or CODA, took home top prizes at the Sundance Film Festival and the Producers Guild of America Awards—the latter a critical precursor for success with Academy voters. The first Oscar-nominated film featuring deaf actors in key roles is more than just a representation win for the disabled community; its uplifting sweetness seems to be exactly what resonates with voters and audiences alike these days.
Could win:The Power Of The Dog
Jane Campion’s Western contains slow-burning tension, sprawling fantasy, psychological drama, and some of the season’s most cohesive performances. Which begs the question: Is Campion a filmmaker or an alchemist? Sunday night will reveal whether her unique combination of genres—and this film’s Netflix distribution—will take it all the way.
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Should win:Drive My Car
The first Japanese film nominated for Best Picture, Drive My Car is helmed by the masterful Ryusuke Hamaguchi, whose inclusion in the Best Director race signals strong Academy support. Voters may not reward another non-English language film (and a three-hour affair about grief to boot) so soon after Parasite’s dominance, but they should.
Best Director
Nominees: Kenneth Branagh, Belfast; Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Drive My Car; Paul Thomas Anderson, Licorice Pizza; Jane Campion, The Power Of The Dog; Steven Spielberg, West Side Story
Will win: Jane Campion, The Power Of The Dog
Will Campion become the third woman to win this category, just one year after the second? All signs, including the crucial Directors Guild Of America Award, point to yes. Long after her directing nomination for The Piano, it’s The Power Of The Dog that seems to finally square with Oscar voters’ tastes.
Could win: Kenneth Branagh, Belfast
The actor-writer-director-producer’s decades of hard work have paid off this year: He now holds the record for the most nominations in different Oscar categories, with seven total for his career.
Should win: Steven Spielberg, West Side Story
Spielberg has received his due over the years, including two previous wins in this category. But at age 75, he took on his first movie musical and gave it a mesmerizing cinematic scale, political and emotional sophistication, and some of the year’s best acting, singing, and dancing.
Best Actor
Nominees: Javier Bardem, Being The Ricardos; Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power Of The Dog; Andrew Garfield, tick, tick… BOOM!; Will Smith, King Richard; Denzel Washington, The Tragedy Of Macbeth
Will win: Will Smith, King Richard
As Richard Williams, the father of burgeoning tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams, Smith turns in the most Oscar-friendly performance of his illustrious career. And that’s no backhanded compliment. The Academy loves biopics, family dramas, and triumphant sports films, and King Richard is all three. Smith has captured several top honors already this season, including the Screen Actors Guild Award.
Could win: Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power Of The Dog
The Power Of The Dog received the most nominations of any film this year, but is it too strange for Oscar voters? Where do Sam Elliott’s out-of-nowhere criticisms factor into this race? Uncertainty aside, if anyone can overtake Smith, it’s the hardworking and genuinely riveting Cumberbatch.
Should win: Andrew Garfield, tick, tick… BOOM!
It’s not like Garfield is new to the Hollywood scene, or even the Oscar race. But between tick, tick… BOOM!, The Eyes Of Tammy Faye, and of course Spider-Man: No Way Home, this has been his season, the perfect time to showcase his charms both on camera and off.
Best Actress
Nominees: Jessica Chastain, The Eyes Of Tammy Faye; Olivia Colman, The Lost Daughter; Penélope Cruz, Parallel Mothers; Nicole Kidman, Being The Ricardos; Kristen Stewart, Spencer
Will win: Jessica Chastain, The Eyes Of Tammy Faye
This year’s best actress race seemed like an uncertain one—the Twitter-released Golden Globe results likely won’t make an impact, while the British Academy Film Awards nominated six completely different women. Then Chastain emerged victorious at both the SAG and Critics’ Choice Awards, and those clues are all that’s needed to label her the Oscar frontrunner.
Could win: Penélope Cruz, Parallel Mothers
Cruz’s inclusion on the nominations list—without recognition from any precursor awards shows—signals strong support among the Academy’s membership. She’s already an Oscar winner, just not for a Pedro Almodóvar film. Considering that Parallel Mothers is their seventh collaboration, now could be the time to honor their extraordinary cinematic chemistry.
Should win: Kristen Stewart, Spencer
That Pablo Larraín’s impressionistic take on Princess Diana was shut out of all other Oscar categories doesn’t bode well for Stewart, whose acting, by her own admission, is not necessarily everyone’s cup of tea. But it should be. Spencer is Stewart’s most award-worthy performance in a career full of them, and it gave her a chance to inhabit the late princess’ authenticity, and, somehow, show off her own.
Best Supporting Actor
Nominees: Ciarán Hinds, Belfast; Jesse Plemons, The Power Of The Dog; Troy Kotsur, CODA; J.K. Simmons, Being The Ricardos; Kodi Smit- McPhee, The Power Of The Dog
Will win: Troy Kotsur, CODA
SAG plus Critics’ Choice plus BAFTA equals Oscar. The breakout star of CODA has charmed voters and Apple TV+ subscribers alike, earning well-deserved frontrunner status. Plus, a victory for Kotsur means the Academy doubles its total number of deaf winners (25 years after his co-star Marlee Matlin became the first).
Could win: Jesse Plemons, The Power Of The Dog
The glue that holds Campion’s extraordinary ensemble together, Plemons gives one of the season’s most underrated performances in The Power Of The Dog. Joining his real-life partner Kirsten Dunst onscreen, and on the Oscar nominations list for the first time, he could have enough goodwill among Academy members to make him a dark horse contender.
Should win: Troy Kotsur, CODA
Kotsur brings a scruffy, sensitive charm to his role as a father and a fisherman in a film that picked up steam at just the right time this season. There’s one scene in particular, in which his Frank asks his daughter Ruby (Emilia Jones) to sing for him, that alone should clinch the deal.
Best Supporting Actress
Nominees: Jessie Buckley, The Lost Daughter; Ariana DeBose, West Side Story; Judi Dench, Belfast; Kirsten Dunst, ThePower Of The Dog; Aunjanue Ellis, King Richard
Will win: Ariana DeBose, West Side Story
Even if DeBose didn’t have the major precursor accolades already on her mantle, including SAG, Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice, and BAFTA, her twirling, belting, emoting Anita would still be a shoo-in. After all, she’s following in the footsteps of her West Side Story co-star Rita Moreno, who became the first Latina Oscar winner for the same role in the original film.
Could win: Aunjanue Ellis, King Richard
Ellis, who plays mother hen Oracene “Brandy” Price in this sports biopic, gives a performance that’s just as Oscar-worthy as that of her co-star, Will Smith. Ellis combines maternal grace with fierce competitiveness in a vivid portrait that could prove unforgettable for voters.
Should win: Kirsten Dunst, The Power Of The Dog
Dunst deserves a win, not just for her haunting performance as a woman teetering on the edge, but in recognition of a career full of nuanced portrayals.
Best Original Screenplay
Nominees:Belfast; Don’t Look Up; King Richard; Licorice Pizza; The Worst Person In The World
Will win:Belfast
Despite nominations in seven different Oscar categories during his career, Kenneth Branagh has yet to win. If anything can reverse that trend, it’s his semi-autobiographical tale of 1969 Belfast, which has already picked up Critics’ Choice and Golden Globe honors.
Could win:Don’t Look Up
Love him or hate him, the Academy’s track record with Adam McKay makes it clear how they feel. His Writers Guild Award-winning script about the all-too-plausible scenario of an apocalypse that almost no one takes seriously brings humor to the big screen and insights to the ongoing conversations about climate change (and its denial).
Should win:The Worst Person In The World
Writer-director Joachim Trier and co-writer Eskil Vogt’s rendering of this sometimes romantic, sometimes comedic, always philosophical rom-com deserves awards recognition for subverting audience expectations at each of the film’s 12 chapters. Plus, what a showcase they gave to breakout star Renate Reinsve.
Best Adapted Screenplay
Nominees:CODA; Dune; Drive My Car; The Lost Daughter; The Power Of The Dog
Will win:CODA
If Best Picture is a showdown between Apple’s CODA and Netflix’s The Power Of The Dog, and Campion is a Best Director lock for the latter, this category will likely be how Oscar voters honor BAFTA Award winner Sian Heder, who was left out of the directing race.
Could win:Drive My Car
It’s always notable when a non-English language film breaks through in a screenplay category, but the fact that Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Takamasa Oe’s Drive My Car also notched nominations for Picture, Director, and International Feature boosts its chances here.
Should win:The Lost Daughter
After years of fascinating performances, Maggie Gyllenhaal proved just as adept behind the camera, and with the script, of her Elena Ferrante adaptation. Every line of dialogue in The Lost Daughter screenplay is dripping—or, like the misplaced doll crucial to its plot, infested?—with provocative subtext.
Best International Feature
Nominees:Drive My Car; Flee; The Hand Of God; Lunana: A Yak In The Classroom; The Worst Person In The World
Will win:Drive My Car
Whenever a film is nominated for both Best Picture and the International Feature prize, it’s pretty unlikely that it will lose the latter, regardless of its chances for the former.
Could win:Flee
Drive My Car isn’t the only film with recognition in other major Oscar categories this year; Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s Danish film Flee finds itself in the running here and in both animated and documentary feature races. There’s no contender like this gorgeously rendered refugee tale, which could mean voters are ready to honor it.
Should win:Drive My Car
Hamaguchi’s intimate epic about a theater maker, his car, and the woman hired to drive him should sweep its four categories. It’s as nuanced and sublime a portrayal of both human connection and isolation as you’ll ever see.
Best Animated Feature Film
Nominees:Encanto; Flee; Luca; The Mitchells Vs. The Machines; Raya And The Last Dragon
Will win:Encanto
In what could be one of this year’s tightest races, the Disney juggernaut is the safest bet. Encanto is the rare film to earn Oscar nominations for both score and original song, the latter of which might edge this past other worthy nominees.
Could win:The Mitchells Vs. The Machines
The Annie Awards—Hollywood’s foremost animation accolades, and a useful clue for Oscar prognosticators—opted for Mike Rianda’s frenetic Netflix comedy this year. Campaign materials for The Mitchells Vs. The Machines have underlined its emphasis on the joy of creativity and filmmaking, which isn’t a bad strategy for an awards voting body that especially loves movies about movies.
Should win:Flee
The most resonant and relevant entry in this race is also its most unique; the animated documentary format of Flee enables its protagonist, called Amin, anonymity as he recounts his fraught journey from Afghanistan to Russia to Denmark. It’s a hyper-specific refugee story as well as a universal tale of perseverance and love conquering all.
Best Documentary Feature
Nominees:Ascension; Attica; Flee; Summer Of Soul; Writing With Fire
Will win:Summer Of Soul
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson has added BAFTA, Critics’ Choice, Spirit, and PGA awards to his mantle for Summer Of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised). Considering how much Academy voters adore music documentaries, the love is not likely to stop there.
Could win:Flee
Animated documentaries are so unusual in awards history that it’s tricky to gauge how voters might feel about this one.
Should win:Summer Of Soul
Questlove’s ode to, and gorgeous depiction of, the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival joins the elite group of filmmakers with stunning feature debuts. You almost feel like he should have made the jump behind the camera sooner. His film brilliantly interweaves past and present with jaw-dropping footage and insightful interviews that linger in the mind long after credits roll.
Best Original Song
Nominees: “Down to Joy,” Belfast; “Dos Oruguitas,” Encanto; “Somehow You Do,” Four Good Days; “Be Alive,” King Richard; “No Time To Die,” No Time To Die
Will win: “No Time To Die”
A chance to crown a rising music star and a strong Oscar track record for Bond anthems makes Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell obvious frontrunners for this most unpredictable of Academy Award categories. Of the nominated songs, this one not only had the biggest commercial footprint, hovering on the charts and commercial radio, but it kept No Time To Die in moviegoers’ minds for almost 18 months ahead of its theatrical release.
Could win: “Dos Oruguitas”
Lin-Manuel Miranda would clinch EGOT status with this Encanto song—the one Disney submitted for this category over chart-topping hit “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” (which, despite its absence from the nominations, will be featured in the upcoming ceremony). Not that James Bond isn’t popular, but this Disney juggernaut of a movie is certainly fresher in voters’ minds.
Should win: “Be Alive”
How is Beyoncé not an Oscar winner? What are we even doing here, people? Even if “Be Alive,” her song for Venus and Serena Williams co-written with Dixson, weren’t terrific—which, of course, it is—the Academy should be clamoring to make sure they’re not ignoring the career of one of today’s most impactful artists.
Clockwise from left: Nightmare Alley (Photo: Searchlight Pictures), Dune (Photo: Warner Bros.), Don’t Look Up (Photo: Netflix), Drive My Car (Photo: Sideshow/Janus Films)Graphic: Rebecca Fassola
Yesterday morning, at a gruelingly early hour (as per tradition), the nominations for the 94th annual Academy Awards were announced. And for the first time in 11 years, they included a full 10 movies in the Best Picture lineup. Many words could be expended here on the fluctuating number of available slots in that top category, which over the last decade has allowed for as few as five or as many as 10, depending on the amount of consensus support the films got during voting. This year, though, the Academy changed its rules and explicitly set the lineup at an even 10 movies, which the organization hasn’t done since the dawn of the 2010s. Perhaps they were hoping a guaranteed full double-digit slate would nudge that gigantic Spider-hit into contention, the better to boost sliding ceremony ratings. They’ll have to make due with Dune, and also maybe the streaming smash Don’t Look Up.
Best Picture is a full spectrum of budgets and subject matter this year, ranging from that aforementioned sci-fi monolith to what has to count as one of the artiest and least likeliest of nominees in this category ever. (Hint: It’s the one all the Oscar bloggers were up in arms about critics’ groups honoring in the early days of our endless awards season.) The actual quality of the movies up for the big prize ranges, too—though, of course, that’s always true and always a matter of opinion. Consider the full ranking of the Best Picture nominees that follows simply one man’s opinion, formed after another year on the review beat, watching spectacles he loved, coming-of-age dramas he didn’t, and everything in between. Fair warning: The list starts with a blast crater of disapproval, and takes a few clicks to get much more forgiving.
The psychological Western drama film was released on Netflix in November.
And Benedict Cumberbatch, 45, looked as dashing as ever as he attended a special screening of The Power of the Dog hosted by Tom Hiddleston, in London, on Friday.
The actor, donned a brown chequered jacket with a fleece trimmed collar as he turned up to speak with the Marvel actor, 40, at the event.
Dapper: Benedict Cumberbatch, 45, looked dashing in a chequered jacket as he joined a suave Tom Hiddleston, 40, for a special screening of The Power of the Dog in London on Friday
Benedict, who takes on the role of the lead character in the film, dressed down for the occasion as he teamed the jacket with washed out jeans.
He layered a cream shirt and grey T shirt underneath before completing his look with a pair of suede boots.
Tom looked slick in a navy ensemble as he wore as smart blazer with a matching sweater and suit trousers.
Low-key: The actor, who takes on the role of the lead character in the film, dressed down for the occasion as he teamed the Lumberjack style number with washed out jeans
Pals: Tom looked slick in a Navy ensemble as he wore as smart blazer with a matching sweater and suit trousers
Pose! Tom and Benedict looked as handsome as ever as they posed for photos
All smiles: Marvel actor Tom hosted the event for the Netflix hit
The actors sat down together as Benedict discussed his latest role with Tom before the screening.
The pair met in 2010 on the set of Steven Spielberg’s epic War Horse and have been friends ever since.
Also in attendance was director Rupert Goold, 49, who posed for photos alongside his wife, actress Kate Fleetwood, 49.
Nicholas Pinnock, 48, best known for his role in Top Boy put in a casual display in an all-black ensemble as he wrapped up warm in a parka.
Bromance: The pair met in 2010 on the set of Steven Spielberg’s epic War Horse and have been friends ever since
Chat: The actors sat down together as Benedict discussed his latest role with Tom before the screening
Plot: The Western drama is the film adaptation of Thomas Savage’s 1967 novel of the same name
Drama: It tells the story of a charismatic rancher named Phil Burbank (played by Benedict) who inspires fear and awe in those around him
His Top Boy co-star, Ashley Walters, 39, wore a charcoal printed hoodie with cargo trousers and Nike trainers for his appearance.
The Western drama is the film adaptation of Thomas Savage’s 1967 novel of the same name.
It tells the story of a charismatic rancher named Phil Burbank (played by Benedict) who inspires fear and awe in those around him.
When his brother brings home a new wife (played by Kirsten Dunst) and her son, Phil torments them until he finds himself exposed to the possibility of love.
Story: When his brother brings home a new wife (played by Kirsten Dunst) and her son, Phil torments them until he finds himself exposed to the possibility of love
Attendees: Top Boy stars Nicholas Pinnock, 48, and Ashley Walters, 39, wrapped up warm for the screening
Guests: Also in attendance was director Rupert Goold, 49, who posed for photos alongside his wife, actress Kate Fleetwood, 49
In light of his characters behaviour, Benedict used a promotional interview to explain the importance of exploring such topics.
He told Sky News: ‘We need to fix the behaviour of men. You have to kind of lift the lid on the engine a little bit.
‘I think it’s ever relevant, and in a world that’s questioning and ripping into and finally pointing out the inadequacies of the status quo and the patriarchy, it’s even more important.
‘You get this sort of rebellion aspect, this denial, this sort of childish defensive position of ‘not all men are bad’. No, we just have to shut up and listen.’
Movie magic: Benedict showed off his rugged good looks as Phil Burbank for the poster
As is the nature of film franchise releases, Film Twitter discourse is often painfully cyclical. Likewise, it’s not surprising that the Great Martin Scorsese-Marvel War of 2019 is being rehashed once again on social media. This time, however, it’s thanks to Spiderman: No Way Home star Tom Holland, who gave a belated rebuttal to the Oscar-winning director’s statement that superhero films “aren’t cinema” in an Empire magazine interview a couple of years ago.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter about the latest Spiderman sequel’s Oscar chances in light of its record-breaking box office numbers and critical acclaim, Holland defended the film’s place alongside “prestige” films that typically receive Oscars attention, like much of Scorsese’s filmography.
“You can ask [Martin] Scorsese, ‘Would you want to make a Marvel movie?’ But he doesn’t know what it’s like because he’s never made one,” said Holland. “I’ve made Marvel movies and I’ve also made movies that have been in the conversation in the world of the Oscars, and the only difference, really, is one is much more expensive than the other. But the way I break down the character, the way the director etches out the arc of the story and characters—it’s all the same, just done on a different scale. So I do think they’re real art.”
He continued: “When you’re making these films, you know that good or bad, millions of people will see them, whereas when you’re making a small indie film, if it’s not very good no one will watch it, so it comes with different levels of pressure. I mean, you can also ask Benedict Cumberbatch or Robert Downey Jr. or Scarlett Johansson—people who have made the kinds of movies that are ‘Oscar-worthy’ and also made superhero movies—and they will tell you that they’re the same, just on a different scale. And there’s less Spandex in ‘Oscar movies.’”
Holland is certainly not alone in what he thinks Oscar movies should be allowed to be. Film critics and awards-show obsessives have long bemoaned the exclusion of comedy, horror and action films (and their performances) in the Oscars’ major categories in favor of more serious, dramatic fare like period pieces and biopics. And recent calls for diversifying the makeup of the Academy and its nominees have included the argument that the ceremony doesn’t represent the tastes of moviegoers beyond older, white men in the industry looking out for their own interests.
However, Holland reducing the qualitative differences between low-budget indies and Marvel films to a matter of money is to overlook how that money is earned and made available. Furthermore, this framing ignores the intense, profit-driven process of making the latter, which are, as Scorsese pointed out in a New York Times op-ed explaining his remarks, “market-researched, audience-tested, vetted, modified, revetted and remodified until they’re ready for consumption.” The use of these measures to ensure Disney’s bottom line is a well-known fact that directors have gone on record about but also just a standard practice in the making of studio-backed films.
Holland also noticeably conflates the experience of acting in these types of films, mentioning his older colleagues, with making them. While it seems like common knowledge that independent filmmakers have more creative freedom and aren’t as burdened by the restraints of the marketplace, this is understandably a topic Holland would have a blind spot in (or simply not want to discuss too deeply, in the interest of his career).
While Holland doesn’t verbalize this outright, his words seem to hinge on a widely touted belief on the internet that expanding the definition of “Oscar movies” to include the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which routinely occupies technical categories and has won several Oscars for Black Panther, is a progressive move simply because it represents a wider demographic of moviegoers’ tastes, including underrepresented groups.
This is some potent trickery by Marvel, which has spent the last three years lauding itself as a pioneer of diversity in the blockbuster world, notably with the release of 2018’s Black Panther and 2019’s Captain Marvel, after years of pressure from audiences. (Meanwhile, film franchises like The Matrix and Fast & Furious were casting people of color decades prior, but I digress). Consequently, they’ve been able to convince some fans into thinking they’re doing a public good and transforming Hollywood by hiring actors of color and telling diverse stories while simultaneously controlling the market and limiting the cinematic imaginations of young audiences, who fall in love with film via the one-dimensional characters, colorless dialogue, and predictable three-act structure of the modern superhero movie.
“Consequently, they’ve been able to convince some fans into thinking they’re doing a public good and transforming Hollywood by hiring actors of color and telling diverse stories while simultaneously controlling the market and limiting the cinematic imaginations of young audiences…”
Marvel fans also fail to realize that, while the studio has helped the careers of some actors and directors of color, this doesn’t make up for the barriers they’ve created for up-and-coming filmmakers, including those from marginalized groups, to get their movies greenlit. Scorsese has spoken numerous times about the difficulty of getting his latest feature The Irishman made, forcing him to turn to Netflix and subsequently limiting the film’s time in theaters. So one can only imagine the scant opportunities for people from marginalized groups without Scorsese’s resume in the current market, beyond what current and former filmmakers from said communities have already told us about their experiences.
However, Scorsese has been repeatedly misrepresented by the comic-book fan community online and by certain actors and filmmakers as just another old, white, establishment gatekeeper looking down on the cinematic tastes of younger, more diverse audiences and impeding the “evolution” of the medium. One could only come to this ill-informed conclusion by simply looking at the racial and gender makeup of Scorsese’s filmography, which overwhelmingly but not solely features white, male characters, and comparing it with Marvel’s more (recently) inclusive world. Meanwhile, his reputation as a promoter of international film, founding the World Cinema Project to preserve and restore neglected foreign films and boost the profiles of international filmmakers, and co-launching the similar African Film Heritage Project, is well documented for anyone interested in doing a cursory Google search.
While one can only hope that this tired discourse is on its last legs, this probably won’t be the final soundbite we get from a celebrity about the alleged plight of being in the most successful franchise in movie history and how the older generation is inhibiting their rights to saturate even more of the culture. Until then, Disney and its employees can wipe their tears with their billions of dollars, and Scorsese will continue making excellent movies.
Benedict Cumberbatch in The Power Of The DogPhoto: Kirsty Griffin/Netflix
Here’s what’s happening in the world of television for Wednesday, December 1. All times are Eastern.
Top pick
The Power Of The Dog (Netflix, 3:01 a.m.): “Westerns have been deconstructing toxic masculinity for ages. The Thomas Savage novel on which The Power Of The Dog is based got there way back in 1967. But [director] Jane Campion approaches the task with a sensual touch few of her peers possess—and with an equally uncommon understanding of where humanity’s darkest and most transcendent impulses intersect. In The Power Of The Dog, ordinary life is a soap bubble that can burst at the slightest touch. Campion’s films frequently use families to explore the commingling of personal and political violence, and The Power Of The Dog fits this mold.” Here is Katie Rife’s complete review of the film, which stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, and Kodi Smit-McPhee.
Regular coverage
Hawkeye(Disney+, 3:01 a.m.) It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia(FXX, 10 p.m., season 15 premiere): The comedy returns after a two-year break with a two-episode premiere, titled “2020: A Year In Review” and “The Gang Makes Lethal Weapon 7.” Two new episodes will air every Wednesday until the season finale on December 22. Dennis Perkins will recap. DC’s Legends Of Tomorrow (The CW, 8 p.m.): In lieu of a regular episode, Legends ups the game with a holiday special called Beebo Saves Christmas. The cast additions include Chris Kattan, Yvette Nicole Brown, Keith Ferguson, while Victor Garber returns to narrate the hour. Keep an eye out for Sam Barsanti’s coverage of the episode
Wild cards
Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas (Roku, 3:01 a.m.):NBC’s loss is Roku’s gain. The broadcast network canceled Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist earlier this year after two seasons, but Roku snatched it up for a one-off holiday special. The film picks up after the finale, as Zoey (Jane Levy) navigates her familial and romantic relationships. The musical dramedy also stars Mary Steenburgen, Skylar Astin, Alex Newell, Peter Gallagher, and Bernadette Peters. Meanwhile, both seasons of Zoey’s are available for a free and heartwarming binge on Roku.
Lost In Space(Netflix, 3:01 a.m.): In the third and final season of this sci-fi drama, the stakes are higher than ever for the Robinson family. After a year of being trapped on a mysterious planet, they must lead the 97 young Colonists in a harrowing evacuation. John (Toby Stephens) and Maureen (Molly Parker) battle overwhelming odds as they try to reunite with their kids. The cast includes Taylor Russell, Mina Sundwall, and Douglas Hodge. Season three consists of eight episodes.
Fruitcake Fraud (Discovery+, 3:01 a.m.): Enjoy your holiday celebration with a side of notorious fraud. This Discovery+ true-crime special covers the case of husband and wife Sandy and Kay Jenkins, who embezzled over $17 million in a decade from the Collin Street Bakery in Corsicana, Texas, where Sandy worked as an accountant. The bakery is known for its fruitcakes, selling up to 20,000 per day during the holiday season. The 90-minute special traces how the duo were able to go undetected for several years, and how the case baffled the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s office once it was revealed.
