Sunday, 27 March 2022

Welcome back to The Ephemeric. It's that time of year again where this blog astounds you with its super accurate Oscar predictions. Ideally I would have liked to post this last week, but unfortunately it has been about four months since I have been able to get away from work. Instead, we will need to make do with what is a very last minute effort! Think I'm exaggerating? Look up last year's post, this paragraph was copied word for word. It's not laziness, that's how short of time I am!
This year I find myself in the unfamiliar position of actually agreeing with most of the likely winners. Looking at the predictions below, it's only the two big ones with which I take issue. Whether that is a sign of one or two particularly strong frontrunners or a generally weak roster I will leave for interpretation. So take a gander at the list below, an idea perhaps of who is likely to come away with a statue from this year's ceremony.
Best Picture
Nominations:
- Belfast – Laura Berwick, Kenneth Branagh, Becca Kovacik and Tamar Thomas
- CODA – Philippe Rousselet, Fabrice Gianfermi and Patrick Wachsberger
- Don't Look Up – Adam McKay and Kevin Messick
- Drive My Car – Teruhisa Yamamoto
- Dune – Mary Parent, Denis Villeneuve and Cale Boyter
- King Richard – Tim White, Trevor White and Will Smith
- Licorice Pizza – Sara Murphy, Adam Somner and Paul Thomas Anderson
- Nightmare Alley – Guillermo del Toro, J. Miles Dale and Bradley Cooper
- The Power of the Dog – Jane Campion, Tanya Seghatchian, Emile Sherman, Iain Canning and Roger Frappier
- West Side Story – Steven Spielberg and Kristie Macosko Krieger
Who should really win: Belfast
Best Director
Nominations:
- Kenneth Branagh – Belfast
- Ryusuke Hamaguchi – Drive My Car
- Paul Thomas Anderson – Licorice Pizza
- Jane Campion – The Power of the Dog
- Steven Spielberg – West Side Story
Who should really win: Kenneth Branagh - Belfast
Best Actor
Nominations:
- Javier Bardem – Being the Ricardos as Desi Arnaz
- Benedict Cumberbatch – The Power of the Dog as Phil Burbank
- Andrew Garfield – Tick, Tick... Boom! as Jonathan Larson
- Will Smith – King Richard as Richard Williams
- Denzel Washington – The Tragedy of Macbeth as Lord Macbeth
Who should really win: Will Smith - King Richard as Richard Williams
Best Actress
Nominations:
- Jessica Chastain – The Eyes of Tammy Faye as Tammy Faye Bakker
- Olivia Colman – The Lost Daughter as Leda Caruso
- Penélope Cruz – Parallel Mothers as Janis Martínez Moreno
- Nicole Kidman – Being the Ricardos as Lucille Ball
- Kristen Stewart – Spencer as Diana, Princess of Wales
Who should really win: Jessica Chastain – The Eyes of Tammy Faye as Tammy Faye Bakker
Best Supporting Actor
Nominations:
- Ciarán Hinds – Belfast as Pop
- Troy Kotsur – CODA as Frank Rossi
- Jesse Plemons – The Power of the Dog as George Burbank
- J. K. Simmons – Being the Ricardos as William Frawley
- Kodi Smit-McPhee – The Power of the Dog as Peter Gordon
Who should really win: Troy Kotsur – CODA as Frank Rossi
Best Supporting Actress
Nominations:
- Jessie Buckley – The Lost Daughter as Young Leda Caruso
- Ariana DeBose – West Side Story as Anita
- Judi Dench – Belfast as Granny
- Kirsten Dunst – The Power of the Dog as Rose Gordon
- Aunjanue Ellis – King Richard as Oracene "Brandy" Price
Who should really win: Ariana DeBose – West Side Story as Anita
Best Original Screenplay
Nominations:
- Belfast – Kenneth Branagh
- Don't Look Up – Screenplay by Adam McKay; Story by Adam McKay and David Sirota
- King Richard – Zach Baylin
- Licorice Pizza – Paul Thomas Anderson
- The Worst Person in the World – Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier
Who should really win: Don't Look Up – Screenplay by Adam McKay; Story by Adam McKay and David Sirota
Best Adapted Screenplay
Nominations:
- CODA – Sian Heder; based on the original motion picture screenplay La Famille Bélier written by Victoria Bedos, Thomas Bidegain, Stanislas Carré de Malberg and Éric Lartigau
- Drive My Car – Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Takamasa Oe; based on the short story by Haruki Murakami
- Dune – Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve and Eric Roth; based on the novel by Frank Herbert
- The Lost Daughter – Maggie Gyllenhaal; based on the novel by Elena Ferrante
- The Power of the Dog – Jane Campion; based on the novel by Thomas Savage
Who should really win: CODA – Sian Heder; based on the original motion picture screenplay La Famille Bélier written by Victoria Bedos, Thomas Bidegain, Stanislas Carré de Malberg and Éric Lartigau
So there you have it, The Ephemeric's picks for the year. Enjoy the Oscars tonight, and when the results go as predicted, remember that you heard it here first!
Saturday, 5 March 2022
Hello and welcome back to 2022's final post from the Hot List. This week we will be looking at the most exciting new movies set to hit the big screen in 2022 from March onwards, after the cutoff point for this year's awards season.
So without further delay, the key films to keep an eye on in the coming year (trailers linked in the title where available), starting with number 15:
15. Men

Release Date: May 2022
14. Canterbury Glass

Release Date: November 2022
13. Killers of the Flower Moon

Release Date: November 2022
12. Wendell and Wild

Release Date: TBA 2022
11. Nope

Release Date: July 2022
10. Next Goal Wins

His next film, Next Goal Wins, is based on the true story of Dutch football coach Thomas Rongen and his efforts to take the American-Samoa national team, then considered the worst in the world, to the 2014 World Cup.
Michael Fassbender stars as Rongen, and he will be joined by Elisabeth Moss, Armie Hammer, and long-time Waititi collaborator Rhys Darby.
Release date is still TBA, but after a number of delays filming is said to be complete and should see release in 2022.
Release Date: TBA 2022
9. Avatar 2

Release Date: December 2022
8. Bardo

7. Lightyear

Release Date: June 2022
6. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One)

Release Date: October 2022
5. The Banshees of Inisherin

Release Date: October 2022
4. Empire of Light

Release Date: TBA 2022
3. The Fabelmans

Release Date: November 2022
2. She Said

Release Date: November 2022
1. Babylon

Chazelle is on something of a hot streak. His three last films all won Oscars, and if there's one thing the Academy loves, it's films about Hollywood. This releases in December and is my most hotly anticipated film of 2022.
Release Date: December 2022
So there you have it folks: The 2022 Hot List. I will be back with many more articles in due course, but for now stay safe and let's make 2022 a great year together.
Sunday, 20 February 2022
Welcome back to The Ephemeric's 2022 Hot List. This week we will be having a look at the most exciting new music due for release in the coming year.
Music is always the most difficult list to compile. Every year the volume of new content seems to increase, doubly so over the pandemic years. On top of which, the advent of digital self-publishing through services like Spotify has made it more difficult to keep tabs on all the promising new talent in the industry, and resulted in release schedules that are less formalised and harder to predict.
So without further ado, here is our list of the top albums to keep an eye on in 2022, starting with number 15:
15. Arctic Monkeys

Release Date: Summer 2022
14. Sarah Kinsley (New band)

Release Date: TBA 2022
13. Gabriels (New band)

Release Date: TBA 2022
12. "The Tipping Point" by Tears for Fears

Release Date: February 2022
11. "Time Skiffs" by Animal Collective

Release Date: February 2022
10. "As I Try Not to Fall Apart" by White Lies

Release Date: March 2022
9. "Once Twice Melody" by Beach House

Release Date: February 2022
8. Toledo (New band)

Release Date: TBA 2022

Release Date: April 2022
6. Skullcrusher (New band)

Release Date: TBA 2022
5. "From Capelton Hill" by Stars

Release Date: May 2022

Release Date: TBA 2022
3. "Chloe and the Next 20th Century" by Father John Misty

Release Date: April 2022
2. The xx

1. "Reborn" by Kavinsky

Release Date: March 2022
So there you have it folks: 2022 in music. Tune in next week for this year's final Hot List, where we look at the most exciting new movies in 2022.
Sunday, 13 February 2022
Welcome back to The Ephemeric's 2022 Hot List. This week we will be having a look at the most exciting theatrical productions coming to the stage in the coming year.
The last two years have not been kind to theatre, with pandemics, lockdowns, and tight restrictions on when and how you can congregate indoors. So much so, that this blog skipped the Theatre list entirely in its 2021 preview. But in 2022, theatre makes a comeback. The playhouses are reopening, the great thespians of the world are returning to the stage, and the pent-up creative output of two years is ready to be unleashed.
So without further ado here's our list of the top 10 theatrical productions to keep an eye on in 2022, starting with number 10:
10. "Glass Menagerie" by Tennessee Williams, at Duke of York's Theatre

9. "Marys Seacole" by Jackie Sibblies Drury, at the Donmar Warehouse

8. "4000 Miles" by Amy Herzog, at the Old Vic

7. "The House of Shades" by Beth Steel, at the Almeida

This world premiere at the Almeida comes courtesy of Hampstead Theatre regular Beth Steel, best known for her productions of Wonderland and Labyrinth on that stage. Here, she collaborates with director Blanche McIntyre, a familiar face for patrons of the Almeida following her star studded production of The Writer.
The House of Shades will run over the summer, with previews commencing in May this year.
6. "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Aaron Sorkin and Harper Lee, at the Gielgud Theatre

This is a production of the adaptation by legendary screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, previously a mega-hit on Broadway that has earned rave reviews from the critics. The London production had originally been cast with Rhys Ifans, but following a two year delay, he has been replaced by Rafe Spall. Ifans is one of the greats, but in Spall we have a very capable replacement. It will be interesting to see how he fares.
It is sad that in 2022, the 60th anniversary of the novel's original publication, its themes of racial injustice remain so pertinent, hopefully this production can serve as a timely reminder, and stir some fresh impetus into solving some of the problems that we still face as a society.
5. "The 47th" by Mike Bartlett, at the Old Vic

4. "The Father and the Assassin" by Anupama Chandrasekhar, at the National Theatre

3. "The Pillowman" by Martin McDonagh, at Duke of York's Theatre

2. "Jerusalem" by Jez Butterworth, at the Apollo Theatre

1. "The Burnt City" by Punchdrunk Theatre

So there you have it folks: 2022 in theatre. Tune in soon for our next instalment of the Hot List, covering the essential new music coming this year!
Saturday, 29 January 2022
Welcome back to The Ephemeric's 2022 Hot List. This week we will have a look at the most exciting new literature and novels you'll be reading in the coming year.
Some good news, book sales have soared over the past couple of years. People of all ages are getting back into reading, which is just as well because there has never been more content more readily available. Meanwhile the newest range of digital devices and subscription services allow for essentially unlimited reading without having to worry about the cost or storage. Get yourself into reading and you will suddenly find yourself open to countless new stories and adventures.
So here it is: your reading list for 2022, our list of the top 10 upcoming releases from the world of literature to keep an eye on this year, starting, as always, with number 10:
10. "Black Cake" by Charmaine Wilkerson
9. "Glory" by NoViolet Bulawayo

8. "The Perfect Golden Circle" by Ben Myers

7. "The Anomaly" by Hervé Le Tellier

6. "Yerba Buena" by Nina LaCour

5. "The Candy House" by Jennifer Egan

4. "The Premonitions Bureau" by Sam Knight

3. "Illuminations" by Alan Moore

2. "How High We Go in the Dark" by Sequoia Nagamatsu

1. "Sea of Tranquility" by Emily St. John Mandel

So there you have it folks: 2022 in literature. Tune in soon for our next instalment of the Hot List, covering the essential new theatre coming up in 2022!