Griffin has one month to fine-tune his “Turn the Lights Down Low” rendition

Frederick Wiseman in Other People’s Children saying “Yes, life is long.”

I'm halfway through the novel now :( Is there an existing "definitive" adaptation? I've been meeting to see the Arnold, but maybe the Wyler would be the place to start?

"Last Time (I Seen the Sun)" - Sinners
"Clothed by the Sun" - The Testament of Ann Lee
"As Alive As You Need Me To Be" - TRON:Ares
"Train Dreams" - Train Dreams
"Open the Door" - The Twits

3/3

"Lose My Mind" - F1
"You Are My Homeward" - How to Train Your Dragon
"Golden" - KPop Demon Hunters
"My Baby" - Materialists
"I Feel Alive" - A Minecraft Movie
"I Lied to You" - Sinners

2/3

Ahead of tomorrow's Shortlist, here's my preferred lineup of 15. Not a sterling year (...compared to what...), but there are some keepers hidden in there!

"Clouds Away" - Arco
"Our Love" - The Ballad of Wallis Island
"Fight Like a Girl" - Ballerina
"The Risk" - A Big Bold Beautiful Journey

1/3

2025 Best Original Song Eligibility

Another year of marveling at the Best Original Song submissions. This year has a 2x Platinum-selling single, our first AI-generated(!) submission that's also under litigation(!!), and more Diane Warren knockoffs than you think are possible. As well as, obv, the genuine article. Feast or famine:

Breaking my long posting drought to affirm that Gilded Age is the best show on television and Clock Twink is Fellowes’ crowning achievement.

…So you’re telling me these gays *haven’t* ever met a neat lady? :(

Re: Katy et al

youtu.be/9BqokmjV7l4&...

WI Supreme Court results for Dane County WI showing Crawford kicking Schimel’s ass

Goes without saying that the great state of Wisconsin made me happy today, and feeling particularly proud of the turnout and (yes, expected) blowout in my beloved Dane County. Forward!

A Lovely Madness Beoga · A Lovely Madness · Song · 2005

15 years since I competed to this at the World Irish Dance Championships and it STAYS at the top of my running playlist. Nothing sounds more like 2009.

open.spotify.com/track/4B7k5X...

Back in 2015 Sean Baker showed Tangerine at the UW Cinematheque and afterwards I shook his hand and congratulated him on his work, so yes I do take this as a personal victory

All I Ever Asked (with sombr) Rachel Chinouriri, sombr · All I Ever Asked (with sombr) · Song · 2025

Cannot get this track out of my head or out of my rotation:

open.spotify.com/track/3h1SAC...

Oscar Contenders I: Original Song, Original Score, Sound (feat. Bennett Prosser) Podcast Episode · Oscar Wild · 01/31/2025 · 1h 41m

From last week: I joined my friends on @oscarwild.bsky.social to sigh heavily about the state of Best Original Song and other auditory categories. We now have three (3) people rooting for Diane!

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/o...

A scene from Hard Truths with its six principal characters.

This week I caught up with Mike Leigh’s HARD TRUTHS, a film I’ve been in the tank for since it announced early last year. Happiness is just one of many intense emotions it brings me. A highlight: the presence of a bouquet of flowers and its treatment by three separate characters. Mike Leigh 4ever

Omg a mirror-image experience: during my intermission tonight a group of older women were like “And now this got a lot but that Emilia Perez got the most! I’m so looking forward to seeing that one.” A real before/after between us.

I'm Outta Love - Hex Hector Radio Edit

To crib from NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour, and to maintain my sanity, my goal is to post something (anything) that made me happy this week for…as long as I can!

To begin: I’ve got a Hex Hector playlist regularly on shuffle, and this track has by far taken the lead.

open.spotify.com/track/6qOokT...

"The Journey" from "The Six Triple Eight"
"Out of Oklahoma" from "Twisters"
"No Better" from "Ultraman"
"Kiss the Sky" from "The Wild Robot"
"Harper and Will Go West" from "Will & Harper"

3/3

"Let It Roll" from "The Garfield Movie"
"In Time" from "His Three Daughters"
"The Idea of You" from "The Idea of You"
"Claw Machine" from "I Saw the TV Glow"
"Beyond" from "Moana 2"
"New Brain" from "Smile 2"

2/3

Ahead of tomorrow's Shortlist announcement, here's my preferred lineup. What I'd give to have a lineup of these otherwise extremely non-Oscary movies...

"Electric Energy" from "Argylle"
"Compress/Repress" from "Challengers"
"Custer Park" from "Dandelion"
"Mi Camino" from "Emilia Perez"

1/3

Devastated to say that no, her songs were either not submitted or (more likely) not eligible. Justice for “Release”

Panorama - Official Music Video - Theme - From Embers | Matthew Morrison & Kayla Bohan YouTube video by Kate - Beyond the Lens

At the… other… end of the list is this Matthew Morrison stunner from what appears to be a vanity project for the director’s daughter?

youtu.be/h2Xy8Vm_c4Y?...

Electric Energy Ariana DeBose, Boy George, Nile Rodgers · Electric Energy · Song · 2024

My #1 song in the list with a bullet is the Ariana DeBose / Boy George song from, yes, ARGYLLE. Get into it

open.spotify.com/track/50S5bD...

You and I, sir, have very different taste :) I might like “Winter Coat” if it were sung by someone else!

Vesta Sweetwater - My Pledge | Megalopolis (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) YouTube video by SonySoundtracksVEVO

Gonna spotlight some important gems today… Did you know there’s an eligible song from Megalopolis? Sung by one “Vesta Sweetwater” (Grace VanderWaal in character)

youtu.be/Q625nzwoOjQ?...

We've got our typical buckets represented:
- Documentary end credits
- Animation
- Indie original musicals
- Faith-based films
- Singer-Actors contributing to their own movie
- Compilation soundtracks
- Christmas!
- and Diane Warren