The 88th edition of the Academy Awards are less than a week away, so we’re taking a brief pause from the ongoing coverage of the 39th edition of the Portland International Film Festival to provide the following public service.
Despite their predictable lameness, and their lamentable whiteness, the Oscars remain a cultural touchstone for moviegoers, celebrity hounds, and fashion mavens around the globe. Millions of Americans, many of whom haven’t seen most (or even any!) of the nominated films, will fill out ballots and enter office pools. The best way to improve one’s chances of winning these kinds of contests if to browse the various expert websites, most of which will agree on some sort of consensus prior to Sunday night. That consensus will turn out to be largely correct. But where’s the fun in that?
Unless the kids’ college fund is at stake, it’s much more rewarding to see as many of the movies as possible and vote with your heart at least some of the time. That way, if you win, it’s doubly sweet, and if you lose, you can curse the ignorant voters and the vagaries of fate with sublime satisfaction. It’s like being a Cleveland Browns fan.
To that end, here is a list of every feature film nominated for a 2016 Oscar, along with the ways you can see it, either in a Portland-area theater or at home, in the next week. Every one of the 42 movies is available somehow, with the exception of the Colombian Best Foreign Language Film nominee “Embrace of the Serpent.” If you missed that one during PIFF, you’ll have to wait until March 11, when it opens at the Living Room Theaters.
Both the animated and live-action short film nominees are playing at the Living Room now, but you may have missed your chance to see the short documentary nominees. It does look like all the short film nominees will be available for download and via Video on Demand starting Tues., Feb. 23. (These buggers can be the tiebreakers in that office pool, so they may be worth looking at. They’re also really good.)
The list is divided into two parts. The first has the films up for “major” awards: Best Picture, Director, or one of the four acting trophies. The second is all the rest, including the unpleasant reminder that “Fifty Shades of Grey” is an Oscar-nominated film (for Best Song, but still…).
This is a great opportunity to get to know your local, second-run, independent theaters, for what it’s worth: several of the nominees initially released late last year are playing at the Laurelhurst Theater and/or the Academy Theater.
Lastly, this list is good through Thursday, Feb. 25. We’ll try to update the post by then to reflect any relevant changes for last-minute catching-up.
“45 Years” (Best Actress): Living Room Theaters, Regal Bridgeport Village. No DVD/Blu-ray or digital release dates announced.
“The Big Short” (Best Picture, Director, Supporting Actor, Adapted Screenplay, 1 other): Living Room Theaters, Hollywood Theater, Bridgeport Village. Coming to DVD/Blu-ray March 15.
“Bridge of Spies” (Best Picture, Supporting Actor, Original Screenplay, 2 others): Academy Theater. Available on DVD/Blu-ray and digitally.
“Brooklyn” (Best Picture, Actress, Adapted Screenplay): Cinema 21, Clackamas Town Center, Regal Tigard 11. Available digitally on Tues., Feb. 23, and on DVD/Blu-ray on March 15.
“Carol” (Best Actress, Supporting Actress, Adapted Screenplay, 3 others): Laurelhurst Theater, Academy Theatre. Coming to DVD/Blu-ray March 15.
“Creed” (Best Supporting Actor): Academy Theatre. Available digitally for purchase only; coming to DVD/Blu-ray March 1.
“The Danish Girl” (Best Actor, Supporting Actress, 2 others): Laurelhurst Theater, Academy Theatre. Available digitally for purchase only; coming to DVD/Blu-ray March 1.
“The Hateful Eight” (Best Supporting Actress, 2 others): Laurelhurst Theater, Academy Theatre. Coming to DVD/Blu-ray March 29.
“Joy” (Best Actress): Laurelhurst Theater, Academy Theatre. No DVD/Blu-ray or digital release dates announced.
“Mad Max: Fury Road” (Best Picture, Director, 7 others): Playing Monday, Feb. 22 and Friday, Feb. 26 at Century Cedar Hills Crossing. Available on DVD/Blu-ray and digitally.
“The Martian” (Best Picture, Actor, Adapted Screenplay, 3 others): Laurelhurst Theater. Available on DVD/Blu-ray and digitally.
“The Revenant” (Best Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor, 7 others): Playing at multiple local theaters, including Lloyd Cinemas, Regal Fox Tower, and Hollywood Theatre. No DVD/Blu-ray or digital release date announced.
“Room” (Best Picture, Director, Actress, Adapted Screenplay): Laurelhurst Theater, Academy Theatre. Available digitally for purchase only; coming to DVD/Blu-ray March 1.
“Spotlight” (Best Picture, Director, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Original Screenplay, 1 other): Regal Fox Tower, Century Eastport, Regal Bridgeport Village. Available digitally for purchase only; coming to DVD/Blu-ray Tuesday, Feb. 23.
“Steve Jobs” (Best Actor, Supporting Actress): Not in theaters. Available on DVD/Blu-ray and digitally.
“Trumbo” (Best Actor): Not in theaters. Available on DVD/Blu-ray and digitally.
“The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared” (Best Hair/Makeup): Not in theaters. Available on DVD/Blu-ray and digitally.
“Amy” (Best Documentary): Not in theaters. Available on DVD/Blu-ray and digitally.
“Anomalisa” (Best Animated): Cinema 21. No DVD/Blu-ray or digital release dates announced.
“Boy and the World” (Best Animated): Plays at Kiggins Theater in Vancouver Sat. & Sun., Feb. 20 & 21. No DVD/Blu-ray or digital release dates announced.
“Cartel Land” (Best Documentary): Not in theaters. Available digitally; coming to DVD March 29.
“Cinderella” (Best Costume Design): Not in theaters. Available on DVD/Blu-ray and digitally.
“Embrace of the Serpent” (Best Foreign Film): Opens at Living Room Theaters March 11.
“Ex Machina” (Best Original Screenplay, Visual Effects): Not in theaters. Available on DVD/Blu-ray and digitally.
“Fifty Shades of Grey” (Best Original Song): Not in theaters. Available on DVD/Blu-ray and digitally.
“The Hunting Ground” (Best Original Song): Not in theaters. Available on DVD/Blu-ray and digitally.
“Inside Out” (Best Original Screenplay, Animated): Not in theaters. Available on DVD/Blu-ray and digitally.
“The Look of Silence” (Best Documentary): Not in theaters. Available on DVD/Blu-ray and digitally.
“Mustang” (Best Foreign Film): Living Room Theaters. Coming to DVD/Blu-ray May 10.
“Racing Extinction” (Best Original Song): Not in theaters. Available on DVD/Blu-ray and digitally.
“Shaun the Sheep Movie” (Best Animated): Not in theaters. Available on DVD/Blu-ray and digitally.
“Sicario” (Best Sound Editing, 2 others): Not in theaters. Available on DVD/Blu-ray and digitally.
“Son of Saul” (Best Foreign Film): Cinema 21. No DVD/Blu-ray or digital release date announced.
“Spectre” (Best Original Song): Not in theaters. Available on DVD/Blu-ray and digitally.
“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” (Best Sound Editing, Visual Effects, 2 others): Playing at multiple locations. No DVD/Blu-ray or digital release date announced.
“Straight Outta Compton” (Best Original Screenplay): Not in theaters. Available on DVD/Blu-ray and digitally.
“Theeb” (Best Foreign Film): Not in theaters. Available digitally; coming to DVD/Blu-ray May 17.
“A War” (Best Foreign Film): Plays at the Portland International Film Festival on Opens at Living Room Theaters Feb. 26.
“What Happened, Miss Simone?” (Best Documentary): Not in theaters. No digital or DVD/Blu-ray release date announced. Available on Netflix.
“When Marnie Was There” (Best Animated): Not in theaters. Available on DVD/Blu-ray.
“Winter on Fire” (Best Documentary): Not in theaters. No digital or DVD/Blu-ray release date announced. Available on Netflix.
“Youth” (Best Original Song): Not in theaters. Available digitally for purchase only; coming to DVD/Blu-ray March 1.