WTF is Oscar Prep?
Oscar Prep is an activity of which my sister and I partake every year.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announces which films are nominated to receive an award – a gold statuette called an Oscar.
My sister and race to see as many nominated films as possible before the Academy Awards, in an attempt to best guess which movies will win the coveted prize.
Why does one Oscar Prep?
My sister began this exercise long before I joined in. She is truly a soul from another era – one in which movie releases were special occasions and one dressed up for premieres. She has always loved the glamour and magic of Hollywood.
I love spending time with my sister. So for me… Basically, it’s an excuse to see a lot of movies with one of my favorite people on the planet.
Sometimes we see some real stinkers, but even then it’s fun for us to tear them apart. And when we see a gem… well, that makes all the difference in the world. {See next point}
What is the official Oscar Prep movie?
A spectacle beyond anything you’ve ever witnessed. An experience beyond everything you’ve ever imagined. Behind the red velvet curtain, the ultimate seduction of your senses is about to begin. Welcome to the Moulin Rouge! Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor sing, dance and scale the heights of passionate abandon in the year’s most talked-about movie from visionary director Baz Luhrmann (William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet, Strictly Ballroom). Enter a tantalizing world that celebrates truth, beauty, freedom and above all things, love.
We didn’t always have an Oscar Prep movie. But here is the epitome of how wonderful the Oscar Season is.
That time just now when I said we see some real stinkers? Sometimes we go into a movie we ABSOLUTELY do.not.want.to.see.
And then it surprises us with its fabulosity and we have no choice but to admit we were wrong.
Case in point:
Moulin Rouge.
We had never heard of the movie pre-release. Weren’t interested. Didn’t know who was in it or what it was about. Didn’t realize it was a musical, but even that might not have turned our heads.
So we went into it prepared to sit through BLAH, but equally prepared to do our duty as Oscar Prep participants.
Of course, Moulin Rouge is just about the best movie that ever was made! It is now not only our favorite film just about EVER {although Ghostbusters is right up there, along with Gattaca, so, you know, tough competition}… it is now officially our Oscar Prep Kick-Off movie.
Seriously. We watch Moulin Rouge ever year around the time the Oscar noms are announced, as a reminder that you just never know what you might find. If it weren’t for Oscar Prep “forcing” us into the theater that night, we might have missed out on one of the best-ever movies. And that would be a damn crime.
Viewing Oscar-nominated films has enlightened us and pushed us beyond our comfort zone and thus is quite the cultural education.
When does one Oscar Prep?
One begins Oscar Prep the moment the Oscar noms are announced, typically early January.
The 2015 nominations were announced January 9.
So I am pretty late getting this out. Meh, whatevs.
How long does Oscar Prep last?
Oscar Prep – also commonly referred to as Oscar Season – lasts until the Academy Awards are presented.
The show will air live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide, via the ABC Television Network, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, on Oscar® Sunday, February 22, 2015.
Which movies should one view for Oscar Prep?
Ideally, we would watch ALL THE FILMS.
Well, I mean, all the nominated films. That would be so awesome.
Alas, not all films are available. Some haven’t even hit new-release theaters, while others are stuck in that no-man’s-land between theater and DVD. And some – usually just a handful of indie, foreign, or documentary films – are only played in certain theaters, which aren’t always local.
And then, of course, there is cost, because who the hell can afford to see like 45 movies in the space of two months?
And time – who the hell can watch 45 movies in the space of two months?
So one must choose wisely.
We try to hit every film nominated for Best Picture, usually ten movies – but this year there are only eight, so that makes things a tad easier.
After Best Pic, we like to see all the films with an Actor / Actress nominated for Best Lead or Supporting roles.
We also both like Best Documentary. And then we each have our personal favorite categories. My sister particularly likes Best Makeup & Hair, along with Best Costume. I like Best Foreign Film and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Where can one view films for Oscar Prep?
mmmm. This is a difficult question to answer, per my comment above regarding where each movie is at in its personal cycle. Several can be seen at new release theaters. If you are lucky enough to have a dollar theater in your area {we are}, a few might be playing there. A handful might already be released onto DVD, so you can pick those up from Netflix or RedBox. And a couple might be available via instant streaming on Netflix or Amazon Prime.
Obviously if a movie is available both in theater as well as via instant streaming, I’m going to choose the streaming option because why would I pay extra to see it on the big screen – unless it’s a BIG HIT family movie, something like Lord of the Rings or Hunger Games.
Don’t forget, too, that what’s in theaters THIS week might not be playing NEXT week. Lots to keep in mind when choosing which movies to see, and where, and when.
Now I don’t know if Cinemark has done this every year, or if this is the first time ever. But they are offering an Oscars Package for $40 which covers all eight films nominated for Best Picture, along with the nominated Short Films, which are usually much more difficult to find given their nature.
My sister and I are deffo purchasing the Oscars Package.
*NOTE* Make sure the package is valid at a Cinemark Theater near you before making the online purchase!
What does all this Oscar Prep net?
Watching Oscar-nominated films is preparation for completing a strong ballot. But FIRST! The party!
The night of the Academy Awards, we all get together for our annual Oscars Party. Sometimes it is quite the swanky function. Other years we watch in our pajamas. You just never know which way it will go.
Regardless of attire, there are always a multitude of finger foods and snackles from which to stuff your gullet. Once I even brought chocolate-dipped strawberries. It was a good year.
While filling our faces and hanging out, we watch the celebrities stroll down the Red Carpet, and we make fun of them. Because wearing clothing that costs more than a year’s worth of rent on my apartment is fucking stupid. And also because the interviews are so choppy and sometimes people say really idiotic things. Or there is always the hope that Jennifer Lawrence will trip again because that bitch is one hoopy frood.
At some point during the evening, ballots are handed out, and there is a time limit because your ballot must be completed prior to the start of the show. It’s a law. And it is strictly enforced.
The ballot is used to guess which film is most likely to win in each category. The person with the most correct guesses wins a prize.
Who doesn’t want to win a prize?
Usually the prize package consists of a gift card to a movie theater, as well as each of the books from which moves were created in the Adapted Screenplay category.
And thus is Oscar Prep complete!
How do you feel about this year’s nominated films?
Do you host or attend an Oscar Party?
Have you ever won the ballot? I have, but only once. It was another good year.
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