The Triumphant Resurrection of The MovieMike Blog and the Weirdness of the 2020 Awards Season

Well... last time I wrote on this blog was Nov 2019. It was a simpler time when the awards season was fairly regular all things considered and the events of the year seemed fairly tame. Film fans looked ahead to 2020 with much anticipation: Parasite was beginning to look like the frontrunner for Best Picture at the Oscars, the blockbuster film schedule was packed with huge films and it seemed 2020 was going to be a massive year at the awards level with directors like Steven Spielberg, Wes Anderson, Denis Villeneuve, David Fincher and Christopher Nolan all bringing new offerings to eager cinema enthusiasts. As the awards season began to seem fairly predictable and normal, I failed to find motivation to offer my own two-cents and so after only two posts, just stopped writing. 

And then 2020 began, and Parasite did indeed win Best Picture, becoming the first non-English language film to take home the little golden dude, but the night was overshadowed by the ash clouds that choked out the Australian sun, and an uneasy anxiety was rising as a virus was steadily emerging around the globe. By April, the planet was in lockdown, cinemas closed, films got delayed, Tiger King became the pop culture sensation of the year, and cinephiles began to question whether or not any films would even come out this year. Not long into quarantine and many awards bodies announced new eligibility requirements that were sensitive to the emerging release strategy many studios began undertaking and awards prognosticators began theorising as to what film would remain eligible, and which would not. As the months rolled on, more and more films moved into 2021, and the awards race drastically thinned, leading some to question the need for a 2020 Oscars at all. However, I, amongst many others, believe that the Oscars are a time capsule that not only records what films came out in that year, but also serves as a snapshot of the cultural moments being experienced. Certain films win Best Picture because of the relevance of current events. As we look back on these winners, we often find it hard to fathom how something won over something else that has stood the test of time more so than whatever the winner was. The Oscars therefore need to occur for this year, as an important record of the films that did make it to audiences and as a snapshot of everything that's been experienced this year amidst pandemic, political upheaval, and other occurrences. 

Which brings us to December 2020. In any regular awards year, we'd already have almost every category placement confirmed, the fall festivals would've confirmed our frontrunners and precursor nominations and critics groups nominations would be dropping left, right and centre. Instead, precursors have been pushed back, some films may end up being eligible for some awards but not others, there are numerous legitimate wildcards and there's genuine competition in most categories, creating an absolutely fascinating awards season that I'm keen to contribute my two-cents to and maybe a little bit more.

So be on the lookout for frequent updates to predictions and some analysis of the major races as we enter the next 5 months!? (checks notes and sees the Oscars are April 25th....... but critics groups are starting this coming week). It's going to be a long season everyone! Strap in.