Friday, December 18, 2020

No Oscar nominations? No problem!

Programming note!

You may remember that I am accustomed to finalizing my rankings of the year's best films on the morning the Oscar nominations are announced, which is usually about January 12th. 

You may have also noted that the Oscar nominations are not actually being revealed that day, or anywhere close to that day, in 2021.

Because of the pandemic -- those are maybe the four most common words to start any sentence this year -- the Academy has extended the release date to qualify for an Oscar to February 28th. So that means all your usual crappy January movies will be in under the deadline! 

I was going to include the dripping-with-sarcasm phrase "In its infinite wisdom" in there somewhere. Indeed, I don't think it was infinitely wise to extend this deadline. I've seen enough really good films this year to have what looks like a legitimate top ten in many other years. Just play the hand you're dealt and go with it.

But no, films will have until February 28th. Which obviously means the January 12th date is out of the question.

The actual date when the nominations will be announced will be March 15th -- two weeks after the show was already supposed to happen.

I ain't waiting until March 15th to announce my favorite movies of a year that will have already been over for 75 days by that point. 

So indeed, I'm just going to do it that same day I usually do, even though my post won't be buoyed by the pomp and circumstance that usually accompanies that day.  

The nominations have lately been going on a Monday morning U.S. time, so indeed, that's what I'm going to do this year. But since early Monday morning in California is Tuesday here, I will post this list on -- you guessed it -- Tuesday, January 12th, probably just after midnight my time like I usually do.

This may be a bit early to tell you about it -- you're probably more focused on last-minute Christmas gifts for your favorite uncle than my favorite movies -- but they, after a streak of like ten straight days with a post, I hadn't written anything in three days. So here you go.

Put it in your calendars.

Of course, I will likely hype the hell out of it and mention it in every other post between now and then anyway. It's my way. 

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