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chicagoindiecritics · 5 years ago

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New from Every Movie Has a Lesson by Don Shanahan: FEATURE: Final 2020 Awards Tracker

FINAL 2020 AWARDS TRACKER

Welcome to the ninth year of Every Movie Has a Lesson’s “Awards Tracker.” My goal every year is simple: Help each and every one of you win your Oscar pools. As a member of three recognized awards-voting bodies of film critics (OFCS, OFTA, and Chicago Indie Critics), it’s a pleasure and honor to see my own picks made it into the award season discussion. Here’s how this little page of my personal interest works. I find value in tracking the trends and following the tea leaves of the all the minor lead-up awards before the Oscars. I chart the winners of each category with listed winners and comments on the surrounding buzz.

FINAL TAKE: Prediction-wise, I was a so-so 16 of 24. Not great, but not bad. I’ll take being wrong to watch a night of history honoring women and international film!

BEST MOTION PICTURE

FINAL TAKE: Folks, in another year of #OscarsSoWhite and questionable gender appreciation, the 92nd Academy Awards dropped (or was it raised, LOL) a microphone of history in favor of diversity. Say it out loud. Parasite is first foreign language film to win Best Picture. Boom! What a boom!

WINNERS:

26- Parasite (ATL, Cannes, NYO, SEA, PCC, CIC, NC, FCC, Chicago, BO, CO, DC, DET, HOU, LA, NSFC, SE, UT, VAN, AUS, EDA, GA, GAL, OFTA, Online, London, Oscar)

10- Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood (OK, STL, LV, SAT, Globe, CC, SF, IA, HI, ND)

7- 1917 (KC, Globe, DFW, PGA, DEN, HC, BAFTA)

6- The Irishman (HFA, NBR, NY, SD, NT, NM)5- Marriage Story (GI, IN, NV, GW, DUB)

2- Knives Out (CIC, PHI)2- Little Women (Boston, WC)1- The Farewell (Spirit)

OTHERS: 1- Joker (PHX), 1- Jojo Rabbit (TIFF), 1- Ford v Ferrari (SAT), 1- Portrait of a Lady on Fire (FL), 1- The Nightingale (ACT), 1- Avengers: Endgame (PC), 1- Us (AA), 1- Dolemite is My Name (BF), 1- The Last Black Man in San Francisco (AA), 1- The Souvenir (Sight & Sound), 1- Clemency (Sundance), 1- Wild Rose (BAS), 1- For Sama (BI), 1- The Composer (GSA)

BEST DIRECTOR

FINAL TAKE: We all thought the WOW and WHOA of Parasite ended here. Man, were we surprised. Keep multiplying the history and reverence!

WINNERS:

27- Bong Joon-Ho for Parasite (ATL, NYO, SEA, Boston, PCC, CIC, NC, FCC, IN, Chicago, BO, CO, DC, GW, HOU, LA, VAN, AUS, CC, EDA, GA, GAL, SF, OFTA, Online, ND, London, Oscar)

10- Sam Mendes for 1917 (KC, Globe, DFW, NT, UT, DGA, CC, DEN, PHX, BAFTA)

7- Martin Scorsese for The Irishman (OK, BF, DET, PHI, SE, DUB, NM)5- Quentin Tarantino for Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood (NBR, STL, LV, IA, HI)3- Josh and Benny Sadfie for Uncut Gems (NY, SD, Spirit)

2- Greta Gerwig for Little Women (CIC, NSFC)

2- James Mangold for Ford V. Ferrari (HFA, SAT)

2- Noam Baumbach for Marriage Story (NV, HC)

OTHERS: 1- Olivia Wilde for Booksmart (HC), 1- Celine Sciamma for Portrait of a Lady on Fire (FL), 1- Kasi Lemmons for Harriet (BF), 1- Jordan Peele for Us (AA), 1- Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert for American Factory (DGA), 1- Jennifer Kent for The Nightingale (ACT), 1- Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne for Young Ahmed (Cannes), 1- Matt Pinder for Murder Case (BAS), 1- Jon S. Baird for Stan & Ollie (BAS)

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

FINAL TAKE: This may have been Adam Driver’s year and arguably his decade, but this made for a platform win for Joaquin. Moved and motivated, his late awards season surge culminated all the way to the biggest stage and microphone.

WINNERS:

29- Adam Driver for Marriage Story (GI, ATL, SEA, KC, PCC, SD, CIC, NC, FCC, IN, NV, Chicago, CO, DC, DFW, DET, FL, GW, HOU, PHI, SE, UT, VAN, DUB, EDA, GA, WC, Online, OFTA)

14- Joaquin Phoenix for Joker (NYO, SD, Globe, NT, CC, DEN, SAG, PHX, HC, IA, HI, ND, BAFTA, London, Oscar)

8- Adam Sandler for Uncut Gems (NBR, OK, STL, Boston, LV, BO, AUS, Spirit)

7- Antonio Banderas for Pain and Glory (HFA, NY, Cannes, LA, NSFC, SF, GAL)

2- Eddie Murphy for Dolemite is My Name (BF, AA)

2- Taron Egerton for Rocketman (SAT, Globe)

OTHERS: 1- Levan Gelbakhiani for And Then We Danced (NM), 1- Christian Bale for Ford v Ferrari (SAT), 1- Josh O’Connor for Only You (BI), 1- Damon Herriman for Judy and Punch (ACT), 1- Lorn MacDonald for Beats (BAS)

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

FINAL TAKE: Rambling speech or not, Renee peaked at the right time, even in an underseen movie. She joins a very exclusive list of multiple Oscar-winning women. Someday like Adam, Scarlett is going to get that make-up award for a late career success that harks back to her growth in Marriage Story.

WINNERS:

26- Lupita Nyong’o for Us (NY, NYO, SEA, OK, KC, PCC, SD, CIC, NC, FCC, IN, BF, Chicago, AA, BO, CO, DC, PHI, AUS, EDA, GA, WC, SF, Online, HC, OFTA)

16- Renee Zellweger for Judy (HFA, BI, ATL, NBR, LV, Globe, HOU, SE, CC, SAG, PHX, IA, Spirit, BAFTA, GAL, London)

12- Scarlett Johansson for Marriage Story (STL, FCC, NV, SAT, DFW, DET, FL, GW, UT, VAN, DEN, DUB)

4- Awkwafina for The Farewell (GI, Globe, SAT, HI)

2- Mary Kay Place for Diane (LA, NSFC)

2- Charlize Theron for Bombshell (NV, NT)

OTHERS: 1- Adele Haenel for Portrait of a Lady on Fire (NM), 1- Florence Pugh for Midsommar (ND), 1- Cynthia Erivo for Harriet (WC), 1- Saoirse Ronan for Little Women (Boston), 1- Jessie Buckley for Wild Rose (BAS), 1- Aisling Franciosi for The Nightingale (ACT), 1- Emily Beechem for Little Joe (Cannes)

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

FINAL TAKE: The show led off with lasting popular history. Pitt was the acting lock of the night and the moment did him right. Bravo!

WINNERS:

29- Brad Pitt for Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood (ATL, NBR, OK, STL, Boston, Globe, CIC, BF, Chicago, BO, DC, DFW, HOU, NSFC, PHI, SE, VAN, AUS, CC, DEN, EDA, SAG, SF, PHX, Online, IA, OFTA, HI, BAFTA, NM)

13- Joe Pesci for The Irishman (NY, NYO, KC, SD, NV, DET, FL, GW, PHI, UT, GA, HC, London)

7- Willem Dafoe for The Lighthouse (SEA, LV, IN, SAT, CO, Spirit, ND)

4- Song Kang-Ho for Parasite (PCC, CIC, LA, GAL)

OTHERS: 1- Tom Hanks for A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (NT), 1- Jamie Foxx for Just Mercy (AA), 1- Shia LeBeouf for Honey Boy (FCC), 1- Al Pacino for The Irishman (HFA), 1- Joel Edgerton for The King (ACT), 1- Hugh Laurie for The Personal History of David Copperfield (BI)

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

FINAL TAKE: As of this award, the acting prizes went pretty chalk with odds and trends. Laura Dern prevents a Marriage Story shut-out.

WINNERS:

21- Laura Dern for Marriage Story (HFA, ATL, NY, NY, Globe, DFW, DET, FL, NSFC, SE, VAN, CC, DEN, SAG, PHX, IA, ND, HI, BAFTA, Oscar, London)

14- Jennifer Lopez for Hustlers (SEA, OK, FCC, IN, NV, SAT, DC, LA, AUS, SF, Online, HC, OFTA, GAL)

9- Florence Pugh for Little Women (NC, Chicago, BO, CO, GW, PHI, UT, EDA, GA)

5- Zhao Shuzhen for The Farewell (SD, CIC, HOU, NT, Spirit)

3- Da’Vine Joy Randolph for Dolemite is My Name (KC, BF, AA)

2- Margot Robbie for Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood/Bombshell (STL, LV)

OTHERS: 1- Yeo-Jeong Jo for Parasite (NM), 1- Thomasin McKenzie for Jojo Rabbit (PCC), 1- Kathy Bates for Richard Jewell (NBR), 1- Magnolia Maymuru for The Nightingale (ACT), 1- Ruthxjiah Bellenea for The Last Tree (BI)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

FINAL TAKE: Bong Hive! I was in the #AnyoneButQuentin camp of one, but this category didn’t become about preferences. This was a win for international cinema. It’s extremely rare for the scene to have attention, let alone victory, in these top categories.

WINNERS:

21- Bong Joon-Ho and Han Jin-Won for Parasite (ATL, NYO, SEA, NC, Chicago, AA, CO, NSFC, SE, UT, AUS, EDA, GA, SF, Online, HC, OFTA, GAL, BAFTA, WGA, Oscar)15- Noah Baumbach for Marriage Story (GI, STL, SD, FCC, IN, SAT, DC, DFW, DET, GW, LA, VAN, DUB, Spirit, London)

9- Quentin Tarantino for Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood (NY, STL, Boston, LV, Globe, NV, BO, CC, HI, ND)

8- Rian Johnson for Knives Out (OK, KC, CIC, PCC, HOU, PHI, DEN, PHX)

2- Josh Sadfie, Benny Sadfie, and Ronald Bronstein for Uncut Gems (NBR, FL)

OTHERS: 1- Robert Eggers and Max Eggers for The Lighthouse (NM), 1- Lena Waithe for Queen & Slim (BF), 1- Nicole Taylor for Wild Rose (BAS), 1- Jennifer Kent for The Nightingale (ACT), 1- Celine Sciamma for Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Cannes)

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

FINAL TAKE: This was quite a late season surge for Waititi. He is beloved and someday Greta Gerwig will get hers. It’s a matter of time.

WINNERS:

16- Greta Gerwig for Little Women (KC, CIC, NC, IN, Chicago, CO, SAT, DC, FL, UT, USC, AUS, CC, DEN, EDA, OFTA)

9- Steve Zaillian for The Irishman (NBR, OK, BF, GW, SE, GA, Online, HI, NM)

8- Taika Waititi for Jojo Rabbit (FCC, NV, SF, PHX, HC, BAFTA, Oscar, WGA)

OTHERS: 1- Todd Phillips and Scott Silver for Joker (SAT), 1- Anthony McCarten for The Two Popes (HFA, LV), 1- J.C. Lee and Julius Onah for Luce (SD)

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

FINAL TAKE: This was the forgone conclusion spot, despite some staunch competition. Go see the other nominees and you’ll find some lovely works.

WINNERS:

32- Toy Story 4 (HFA, ATL, SEA, OK, KC, STL, PCC, NC, FCC, NV, Chicago, BO, CO, DC, DFW, DET, GW, HOU, NT, PHI, SE, PGA, CC, DEN, GA, PHX, Online, HC, OFTA, IA, HI, Oscar)

14- I Lost My Body (Cannes, NY, NYO, Boston, SD, CIC, BF, FL, LA, UT, Annie, AUS, EDA, SF, ND)

2- Missing Link (LV, Globe)

2- How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (NBR, IN)

2- Abominable (GSA, AA)2- Klaus (Annie, BAFTA)1- Weathering With You (NM)

OTHERS: 1- The Lion King (SAT), 1- Love, Death, & Robots – Helping Hand (BAS)

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM

FINAL TAKE: An excellent winner with a Chicago connection in its director Matthew A. Cherry.

WINNERS: 1- Hair Love (Oscar)

OTHERS: 1- Uncle Thomas: Accounting for the Days (Annie), 1- Grandad Was a Romantic (BAFTA)

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT

FINAL TAKE: I didn’t know this category well, but I loved the Zack Gottshagen appearance as the presenter. That made my night.

WINNERS:

1- The Neighbor’s Window (Oscar)

OTHERS: 1- The Distance Between Us and the Sky (Cannes), 1- The Devil’s Harmony (London) 1- Anna (BI), 1- The Joke That Isn’t Funny Anymore (BAS)

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

FINAL TAKE: There was no Obama shout-out or red carpet appearance, but the love was there. I’m still going to be pissed for years for omitting Apollo 13.

WINNERS:

34- Apollo 11 (CCD, ATL, NYO, SEA, KC, STL, PCC, LV, CIC, NC, FCC, NV, Chicago, BO, CO, DC, DFW, DET, FL, GW, HOU, NT, PHI, SE, UT, AUS, DUB, EDA, GA, SF, Online, HC, IA, OFTA)

8- Honeyland (NY, Boston, NSFC, Sundance, VAN, DEN, ND, GAL)

6- American Factory (GI, OK, LA, EYE, Spirit, Oscar)

6- For Sama (BI, Cannes, IN, IDA, BAFTA, London)

3- One Child Nation (SD, Sundance, PHX)

OTHERS: 1- Diego Maradona (NM), 1- Varda by Agnes (WC), 1- The Black Godfather (AA), 1- Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am (BF), 1- 63 Up (SAT), 1- Amazing Grace (KC), 1- Maiden (NBR), 1- The Cordillera of Dreams (Cannes), 1- Real Kashmir F.C. (BAS)

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT

FINAL TAKE: Let this be a lesson to me to always follow the IDA Award winner in my picks.

WINNERS:

3- Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (if you’re a girl) (IDA, BAFTA, Oscar)

1- Period. End of Sentence. (CCD)

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM

FINAL TAKE: This was a no-doubter and the minimum of the top prizes Parasite was thought to win tonight.

WINNERS: 46- Parasite (BI, ATL, NBR, NY, SEA, OK, KC, STL, Boston, PCC, SD, LV, Globe, CIC, NC, IN, BF, Chicago, AA, BO, CO, DC, DFW, GW, HOU, NT, PHI, SE, VAN, AUS, CC, DEN, EDA, GA, SF, PHX, Online, HC, Spirit, HI, BAFTA, ND, NM, GAL, OFTA, Oscar)

4- Portrait of a Lady On Fire (NYO, FL, WC, London)1- Pain and Glory (LA)

OTHERS: 1- Truth and Justice (SAT), 1- The Souvenir (Sundance), 1- Monos (Sundance)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

FINAL TAKE: The GOAT maintains his GOAT status. Speaking of locks, the technical/artistic lock of the night stayed the lock of the night.

WINNERS: 36- Roger Deakins for 1917 (ATL, NBR, NYO, SEA, KC, STL, PCC, LV, CIC, NC, FCC, NV, SAT, BF, Chicago, CO, DC, DFW, FL, HOU, NT, SE, UT, ASC, AUS, CC, EDA, GA, SF, PHX, Online, HC, HI, OFTA, BAFTA, Oscar)

5- Claire Mathon for Portrait of a Lady on Fire (NY, Boston, GW, LA, NSFC)

5- Jarin Blaschke for The Lighthouse (SD, PHI, Spirit, ND, NM)

2- Robert Richardson for Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood (OK, BO)

OTHERS: 1- Hoyte van Hoytema for Ad Astra (DUB), 1- Adam Arkapow for The Nightingale (ACT), 1- Fejmi Daut and Samir Ljuma for Honeyland (ASC), 1- Mihai Malaimare Jr. for Jojo Rabbit (HFA), 1- Benjamin Kracun for Beats (BI)

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN/ART DIRECTION

FINAL TAKE: I may have been a big fan of the massive work in 1917 and not a huge Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood lover, but I cannot argue with the artistic brilliance on display here. All the neon, the dinge, the sets-within-the-sets, and the period architecture were worth this.

WINNERS:

15- Barbara Ling for Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood (SEA, STL, LV, NV, Chicago, DC, FL, LA, CC, SF, ND, London, ADG, Oscar, NM)

5- Dennis Gassner for 1917 (SD, GA, PHX, BAFTA, Online)

4- Ha-Jun Lee for Parasite (Online, HI, ADG, OFTA)

OTHERS: 1- Charles Wood for Avengers: Endgame (ADG), 1- David Crank for Knives Out (CIC), 1- Ra Vincent for Jojo Rabbit (HFA), 1- Beth Mickle and Michael Ahern for Motherless Brooklyn (SAT), 1- Fiona Crombie and Alice Felton for The King (ACT), 1- Bob Pauley for Toy Story 4 (ADG), 1- Cristina Casali for The Personal History of David Copperfield (BI)

BEST FILM EDITING

FINAL TAKE: While Ford v Ferrari was the awards season leader going in, the editing work was not the entering favorite. However, this was a superior technical win, which I’ll always respect and enjoy.

WINNERS:

7- Michael McCusker and Andrew Buckland for Ford v Ferrari (HFA, SD, LV, SAT, DC, BAFTA, Oscar)

6- Thelma Schoonmaker for The Irishman (Boston, Chicago, BO, EDA, HP, NM)

4- Lee Smith for 1917 (CIC, CC, PHX, HC)

4- Ronald Bronstein and Benny Safdie for Uncut Gems (SEA, GW, AUS, Spirit)

3- Jimno Yang for Parasite (ACE, Online, OFTA)

2- Fred Raskin for Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood (STL, HI)

2- Todd Douglas Miller for Apollo 11 (LA, UT)

OTHERS: 1- Louise Ford for The Lighthouse (ND), 1- Tom Eagles for Jojo Rabbit (ACE), 1- Axel Geddes for Toy Story 4 (ACE), 1- Todd Douglas Miller for Apollo 11 (ACE), 1- Bob Ducsay for Knives Out (CO), 1- Peter McNulty and Anthony Maras for Hotel Mumbai (ACT), 1- Chloe Lambourne and Simon McMahon for For Sama (BI)

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

FINAL TAKE: When in doubt, pick the period piece. This stood as the single consolation spot for all things Little Women.

WINNERS:

7- Ruth E. Carter for Dolemite is My Name (SD, LV, CIC, SAT, BF, CC, OFTA)

4- Jacqueline Durran for Little Women (Chicago, BAFTA, OFTA, Oscar)

3- Julian Day for Rocketman (PHX, HC, HI)

OTHERS: 1- Jenny Eagan for Knives Out (CDG), 1- Mayes C. Rubeo for Jojo Rabbit (CDG), 1- Ellen Mirojnick for Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (CDG), 1- Anna Mary Scott Robbins for Downton Abbey (HFA), 1- Jan Petrie for The King (ACT), 1- Suzie Harman and Robert Worley for The Personal History of David Copperfield (BI)

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIR-STYLING

FINAL TAKE: Much like The Darkest Hour, flashy individuals beats volume and that’s perfectly OK. Great to see the wealth spread.

WINNERS:

6- Vivian Baker, Kazu Hiro, and Anne Morgan for Bombshell (CIC, CC, MH, HC, OFTA, Oscar)

2- Nikki Ledermanm, Tania Ribalow, and Sunday Englis for Joker (MH, HI)

OTHERS: 1- Lizzie Yianni-Georgiou, Tapio Salmi, and Barrie Gower for Rocketman (HFA), 1- Jeremy Woodhead for Judy (BI), 1- Zeljka Stanin, Paul Pattison, and Cheryl Williams for Lambs of God (ACT)

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

FINAL TAKE: 1917 entered the night a big favorite, but this was not a spot it was favored, making this a very cool win. I was in the #AnythingButTheIrishman mosh pit of one.

WINNERS:

8- Dan Deleeuw, Matt Aitken, Russell Earl, and Dan Sudick for Avengers: Endgame (STL, LV, NC, NV, CC, PHX, HC, OFTA)

5- Greg Butler, Guillaume Rocheron, and Dominic Touhy for 1917 (CIC, HOU, DEN, BAFTA, Oscar)

4- Allen Maris, Jedediah Smith, Guillaume Rocheron, and Scott R.Fisher for Ad Astra (SEA, SD, Chicago, Online)

3- Joe Letteri and Eric Saindon for Alita: Battle Angel (SAT, FL, HI)

2- Robert Legato, Andrew R. Jones; Adam Valdez, Elliot Newman, and Audrey Ferrara for The Lion King (HP, VES)

2- Pablo Helman for The Irishman (HFA, VES)

OTHERS: 1- Brad Schiff, Travis Knight, Steve Emerson, and Benoit Dubac for Missing Link (VES), 1- Benjamin Fiske, Alex Moaveni, Jesse Erickson, Dimitre Berberov, and Kee Nam Suong for Frozen 2 (Annie), 1- Brendan Seals, Michael Perdew, Andrew Zink, and Adam Gailey for Spider-Man: Far From Home (ACT), 1- Howard Jones for A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon (BI)

BEST SOUND EDITING

FINAL TAKE: Excellent and correct technical win and not a Best Picture sweeper. Well done!

WINNERS:

4- Donald Sylvester, Paul Massey, David Giammarco, and Steven A. Morrow for Ford v Ferrari (HFA, SAT, HI, Oscar)

2- Oliver Tarney and Rachel Tate for 1917 (BAFTA, OFTA)

OTHERS: 1- Tim LeBlanc, Tom Ozanich, Erik Aadahl, Nancy Nugent, and Jason W. Jennings for Godzilla: King of the Monsters (HP), 1- David Bowtle-McMillan, Joakim Sundstrom, and Robert Farr for Beats (BI), 1- Liam Egan for Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan (ACT)

BEST SOUND MIXING

FINAL TAKE: The technical skill of 1917 is fitting for this position. It was going to be between this and the editing winner Ford v Ferrari. This boosted totals nicely.

WINNERS:

3- Donald Sylvester, Paul Massey, David Giammarco, and Steven A. Morrow for Ford V. Ferrari (HFA, SAT, CAS, HI)

3- Mark Taylor and Stuart Wilson for 1917 (BAFTA, OFTA, Oscar)

OTHERS: 1- Doc Kane, Vince Caro, Michael Semanick, Nathan Nance, David Boucher, and Scott Curtis for Toy Story 4 (CAS), 1- David J. Turner, Tom Myers, David Blanck, and Frank Rinella for Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound (CAS), 1- David Bowtle-McMillan, Joakim Sundstrom, and Robert Farr for Beats (BI)

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

FINAL TAKE: I love this moment of history for Hildur and her speech was fitting and matching of the moment. Joker haters, be damned.

WINNERS:

11- Hildur Gudnadottir for Joker (PCC, LV, Globe, SAT, CC, DEN, HC, HI, ND, BAFTA, Oscar)

8- Thomas Newman for 1917 (ATL, STL, DFW, AUS, GA, PHX, IA, OFTA)

5- Michael Abels for Us (CIC, IN, CO, DC, Online)

4- Daniel Lopatin for Uncut Gems (SEA, OK, BO, FL)

2- Alexandre Desplat for Little Women (Boston, Chicago)

2- Randy Newman for Marriage Story (HFA, GW)

OTHERS: 1- James Newton Howard for A Hidden Life (NM), 1- Emile Nommensen for The Last Black Man in San Francisco (SF), 1- Matt Morton for Apollo 11 (UT), 1- Dan Levy for I Lost My Body (LA), 1- Matthew Margeson for Rocketman (NYO), 1- Alberto Iglesias for Pain and Glory (Cannes), 1- Francois Tetaz for Judy and Punch (ACT), 1- Jack Arnold for Wild Rose (BI)

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

FINAL TAKE: The legend won in the spot where legends win. I would have loved Cynthia Erivo, but who can argue with Elton John.

WINNERS:

6- “Glasgow (No Place Like Home)” from Wild Rose (HOU, CC, DEN, GA, HC, ND)

6- “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from Rocketman (Globe, SAT, CC, HI, OFTA, Oscar)

OTHERS: 1- “Swan Song” from Alita: Battle Angel (NM), 1- “I Punched Keanu Reeves” from Always Be My Maybe (CIC), 1- “I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away” from Toy Story 4 (IA), 1- “Into the Unknown” from Frozen 2 (PHX), 1- “Letter to My Grandfather” from The Black Godfather (HFA), 1- “Stand Up” from Harriet (LV)

ACRONYM KEY FOR AWARD GROUPS

African-American Film Critics Association (AA), ACE Eddie Awards (ACE), Art Directors Guild Awards (ADG), Annie Awards (Annie), American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), Atlanta Film Critics Circle (ATL), Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (ACT), Austin Film Critics Association (AUS), British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), BAFTA Scottland (BAS), Black Film Critics Circle (BF), British Independent Film Awards (BI), Boston Society of Film Critics (Boston), Boston Online Film Critics Association (BO), Cannes Film Festival (Cannes), Cinema Audio Society (CAS), Costume Designers Guild (CDG), Chicago Film Critics Association (Chicago), Chicago Indie Critics (CIC), Broadcast Film Critics Association/Critics Choice Awards (CC), Critics Choice Documentary Awards (CCD), Columbus/Central Ohio Film Critics Associations (CO), Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association (DC), Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association (DFW), Denver Film Critics Society (DEN), Detroit Film Critics Society (DET), Directors Guild of America (DGA), Dublin Film Critics Circle (DUB), Alliance of Women Film Journalists/EDA Awards (EDA), Cinema Eye Awards (EYE), Online Association of Female Film Critics (FFC), Florida Film Critics Circle (FL), Georgia Film Critics Association (GA), Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association/Dorian Awards (GAL), Gotham Independent Film Awards (GI), Golden Screen Awards (GSA), Greater Western New York Film Critics Association (GW), Hollywood Critics Association (HC), Hawaii Film Critics Society (HI), Hollywood Foreign Press Association/Golden Globes (Globe), Hollywood Film Awards (HFA), Houston Film Critics Society (HOU), Hollywood Professionals Association (HP), Iowa Film Critics Association (IA), International Documentary Association (IDA), Indiana Film Journalist Associations (IN), Kansas City Film Critics Circle (KC), Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LA), London Film Critics Circle (London), Las Vegas Film Critics Association/Sierra Winners (LV), Makeup and Hair-Styling Guild (MH), National Board of Review (NBR), North Carolina Film Critics Association (NC), North Dakota Film Critics Society (ND), National Society of Film Critics (NSFC), New Mexico Film Critics (NM), North Texas Film Critics Association (NT), Nevada Film Critics Society (NV), New York Film Critics Circle (NY), New York Online Film Critics Association (NYO), Online Film and Television Awards (OFTA), Oklahoma Film Critics Circle (OK), Online Film Critics Society (Online), The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences/Academy Awards (Oscar), People’s Choice Awards (PC), Producers Guild of America (PGA), Philadelphia Film Critics Circle (PHI), Phoenix Critic Circle (PCC), Phoenix Film Critics Society (PHX), Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG), International Press Academy/Satellite Awards (SAT), San Diego Film Critics Society (SD), Southeastern Film Critics Association (SE), Seattle Film Critics Society (SEA), San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle (SF), Independent Spirit Awards (Spirit), St. Louis Film Critics (STL), Sundance Film Festival (Sundance), Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), USC Libraries Scripter Award (USC), Utah Film Critics Association (UT), Vancouver Critics Circle (VAN), Visual Effects Society Awards (VES), Women Film Critics Circle (WC), Writers Guild of America (WGA)

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tarisilmarwen · 8 years ago

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I am full to bursting with rambles about the romances in my own stories so congrats Tumblr, you are now my writing dump box.

I will babble a lot.

Adventures of the Sea Siren: High fantasy, sea-faring adventures.

Fen/Maeve-- Main couple. Captain Farrell “Fen” Armant is a newly reformed ne’er-do-well pirate. Lady Maeve Endeleva, noblewoman of the Tarshaani court, was the one to convince the Calif to pardon him, moved by some strange pity. He does not make that decision easy for her early in the story, being kind of a pain in the ass and slipping back into old habits. They clash a lot initially but eventually come to have a friendship that blossoms slowly into love. Married at end of the series.

Fisrock/Tabitha-- I think they were supposed to be my already together stable happy married couple, lol.

Evander/Cappy-- Junior member of the crew and apprentice mage Lady Maeve picks up later on their adventures. They crush on each other. It is cute.

Allemant/Rura-- Teased. Ship’s scientist/inventor guy and a Mysterious Waif they found frozen in ice. I suppose the appeal would mostly be Allemant’s utter science nerdy glee in figuring out how she worked (she’s not exactly human).

Relligon/Aisha and Relligon/Nashiko-- Teased. Loyal bodyguard of Lady Maeve’s with either another member of the crew or a local girl they picked up with Rura. Don’t think I had anything major planned with them, maybe just little teases here and there for both of them.

Venderick/Rowena-- Villain couple. Hella unhealthy in the end but they seem genuinely enamored of each other at first. It does not end well.

Artelia: Queen of Eevalond: High fantasy, kickass single mom queen rules a country and fights evil ‘n stuff.

Haegan/Artelia-- Loyal soldier/guard and the queen herself. Artelia did genuinely love her husband and misses him terribly but has been rather lonely since he passed. Haegan is always there and caring and supportive and has been nursing an affection for her for a while now. The UST is real.

The DM Can’t Roll For This: Comedy. Local D&D-type chapter finds their real life problems seeping into their campaign.

Kenji/Helena-- Main girl and dorky sword nerd newbie. Helena awkwards all around him and he’s mostly either oblivious or hilaritized.

Bruce/Rika-- Married couple that games together. They play as two tanks with Belligerent Sexual Tension. IRL they are adorably smoopy.

J.C./Casey-- Perpetually shy Shrinking Violet and oversensitive drama queen. She eventually develops the spine needed to ask him out.

Eternal Skies: Sci-Fi/Steampunk, advanced city is isolated out in the middle of a seemingly endless ocean.

Levi/Aya-- Loyal bodyguard and the Empress of the city. The idea for the story first came out of a dream but frustrations with the outrageous injustice that was Aldnoah.Zero’s Slaine/Asseylum not being a thing reignited my deep and burning thirst for Bodyguard Crush ships so I revisited this idea and that kind of relationship dynamic fit right in with them, lol. Levi’s family tried to leave the city once, caught themselves in a storm, they drowned, the then-princess Ayalin saved him. He is hopelessly devoted to her and constantly worries about her safety. As well he should, given that Aya is sometimes reckless and prone to battling bouts of crippling depression. He doesn’t know it, but she’s loved him nearly as long as he’s loved her because he, in her own words, was “the first person who made me want to live”.

Jobei/Hiriko-- Teased. Jobei lucks into the airship guard via a chance meeting with Aya, and Hiriko sort of becomes his trainer. She’s intense and scary and very intimidating sometimes but he kinda likes her. She comes to be kind of fond of him too, though she’d never admit it. I still don’t know if I wanna make it canon or leave it up in the air yet.

Four Seasons Warriors: Magical Girl type series, themed around the four seasons. (Duh.)

Sean/Soldad-- Stable couple that gets together early on. Sean is in theater. For some reason I always read his dialogue in a British accent, I should do something with that. Soldad is bubbly cheerleader type. They are full of playful banter and when she eventually confesses to the Masquerade he takes it rather well.

Chase/Autumn-- My Slap Slap Kiss couple. Chase likes to flirt with her and she gets so confused and offended and “What is this thing called human flirtation my files contain no such data.” and acts prickly to him sometimes but then sometimes is like, “Two can play at this game, Mister.” and banters back. For the most part he’ll shrug and back off when she’s in NOPE mode but when she teases back he’s like, “OKAY WAIT I’M SO CONFUSED.” and they basically bumble around accidentally being good supportive friends to each other in their low moments until they finally have to have the dreaded, “Okay what is this relationship exactly?” Which starts as an argument but ends with kisses. I mostly have it to add lulz. :)

Mitsuki/Lina-- Mitsuki is a shy nerdy geek type and Lina is the cool stoic big sister of the group. So a big Geek Boy/Stoic Girl dynamic here. They have a Meet Cute early on and Mitsuki is hopelessly crushing on her for much of the story. Lina is oblivious to most of it but tolerates his hanging around, as it keeps the bullies off him. She gets a temporary love interest (Sedaris) that is the polar opposite of Mitsuki--tall, charming, good with words, classically handsome, basically fangirl bait--and falls for him pretty quickly but PSYCH! turns out he’s evil and just wants to kill her. Mitsuki is a really supportive shoulder to cry on and she warms up to him soon after that. They get together about three-quarters through.

Adam/Elsie-- Elsie is cripplingly shy and timid and has had a crush on him forever. He’s oblivious. He remains oblivious until Trickster, a flirtatious villain with a thing for Elsie, involves him in a hostage situation. They get together. His (almost) death triggers her super-powered form.

Trickster/Elsie-- One-sided on Trickster’s side. He likes to flirt with all the girls and annoy them but Elsie he particularly takes a shine too. Hypnotizes her into serving him once. It doesn’t stick. Continues to try and get under her skin whenever he can.

Trickster/Brittney-- Brittney is actually a clingy jealous ex of Chase’s. Through some odd events she falls in with Trickster, and they hit it off... remarkably well. To the girls’ chagrin and disgust.

The Geek In Glass Slippers: Basically Cinderella at Comic-Con.

Chris (Leonid)/Cindy-- Like a lot of modern Cinderella retellings, I had the prince and the Cinderella equivalent meet before the ‘ball’. They were actually friends in high school. Then he went off and got rich and famous. :D They’re just your basic nerd couple really. She fights his fangirl army in the climax. It is awesome and hilarious.

Gutter Glamour: Steampunk/Historical Romance, three brothers gotta get married before their grandpa kicks it in order to secure their fortunes. Family drama and fiendish plots ensue.

Evander/Rita-- Main couple. Rita was a homeless urchin Evander encountered in the streets and treated to lunch. Having no luck finding a wife elsewhere, he returns to her the next day and proposes marriage. They are awkward dorks together. It is precious.

Sebastian/Vivian-- Evander’s more responsible older brother and his spacey artist girlfriend. They just recently got engaged at the start of the story so his search for a bride is over fairly quickly, lol. They have a baby partway through the story.

Destan/Lilian-- Lilian, a prim and proper seamstress, doesn’t think all that much of wild, trouble-making Destan when he comes to call and begs her parents for her hand at first. But she can’t deny she’d be marrying well so she doesn’t put up much protest. They become rather... comfortable with each other over the story.

Aidelaird/Evaline-- Happily married couple. They are so sickeningly in love it is almost revolting.

John/Penny-- Past relationship. Penny passed on before the beginning of the story. She and John had a nice little Sunshiney Optimist/Grumpy Grouch thing going on.

Farraday/Tamara-- ‘nother happily married couple, mostly got a Savvy Guy/Energetic Girl dynamic. And hella kids. Tamara wears the pants in the relationship, and Farraday is most just constantly amused by her antics.

Donovan/Cherise-- Yet another married couple although much less happy, lol. Both schemers and plotters, Donovan is still hung up on Evaline, who rejected him in favor of his older brother way back when, and Cherise is a crafty seductress whose womanly wiles play a big role in her manipulations. She initially snared Donovan in an attempt to get away from her family, only to have Donovan wind up working for her family’s company out of resentment at his own family. So their relationship is a bit, uh... frigid. And complicated.

Devin/Tia-- Hella unhealthy. Devin only married Tia to fulfill the requirements for Grandpa John’s will, and thus inherit the family’s fortune. Tia tries her best to be a good wife but Devin isn’t interested in being loving or kind. Protagonists break them up and pointedly keep her in the family and ostracize Devin.

Haegar/Ianna-- Antagonist couple. A more stable and cooperative version of Donovan/Cherise. Their machinations and schemes work more harmoniously with them as a cohesive team.

Nolan/Ingrid-- Semi-sleezy politician and snobby upper-class lady. Despite said character flaws they’re rather happy together.

The Protectoress: High Fantasy/Gateway Fantasy. Every hundred years an asteroid fragment carrying an ancient evil immortal despot comes to terrorize and destroy a magical realm. The power to stop him reincarnates into a partner team of a Chosen One from that realm, and a Protectoress from ours. Story is about the last partner team.

Ren/Lori-- The Chosen One and the titular Protectoress. Mostly inspired by MeruPuri and also just because I have a thing for relationships where the older member is sortofkindofbutreallynotreally a surrogate parent/guardian to the younger member. So Ren starts getting hot as he gets older and Lori has this moment of, “Well look at YOU!” They have a simmering kind of slow-burn chemistry, Lori naturally feels very protective of him (and not just because her inherited magical powers make her feel that way) and comes to care about him a whole lot, but holds herself back from pushing anything until Ren is older and actively starting to pursue his own feelings for her.

Sakura Squad: Sci-Fi war drama IN SPAAAAAACE. Protagonists become a mini propaganda shoujo heroine squad to inspire hope in the masses.

Keiji/Aiko-- Aiko is smitten at first sight and has a lot of trouble making herself coherent around him. He mostly just thinks she’s cute at first, and brings a good vibe to the team, but unconsciously starts taking steps to protect her in combat. His freakout when he learns about her secret Sakura Squad doings are partly motivated by his fear of her dying. Through some close calls they quickly warm up to each other and get together towards the end.

Ryuuki/Masayo-- Ryuuki is the fangirl-bait ladies’ man who is always flirting with the girls on the team, but finds himself inexplicably flustered and awkward around shy mousy timid Wrench Wench Masayo. She’s oblivious to his affections and her own feelings for most of the story.

Tarou/Kiyomi-- They have a supportive, friendly, playful banter kind of friendship. Always kind of low-key flirting with each other. Kiyomi fervently denies that they’re anything but friends but they’re caught later making out in a closet. It is hilarious.

Shiki/Kaname-- Happy stable married couple. Kaname wears the pants hard. Sunk at the end when Kaname dies in battle.

Starship 227: Sci-Fi. Elite investigative team for the galactic government fly around in their spaceship and have adventures and stuff.

Arden/Kina-- Ship captain and cute resident nurse. Arden also has a female first mate that you’d think he might get together with in a Slap Slap Kiss fashion but nope, they just don’t like each other and are also half-siblings oops. Arden is constantly hitting on Kina or looking for excuses to see her and she’s somewhat oblivious at first but soon grows to have feelings for him as well.

Squadron 15/Haven Academy: Your basic superhero high school.

Redbird/Firelily (Aiden/”Lily” Keliannar)-- Main couple. Very Brooding Boy Gentle Girl. Redbird is awkward as hell around her and she makes him go all blushy but he can be real sweet and protective and caring and she just warms up to him more and more over the story and becomes protective over him too and there’s a lot of mutual caring and concern for each other. They get together later.

Shard/Vapor (Cliff/Shawna)-- Shawna’s dated around and actually has a boyfriend at the start of the story, whom she breaks up with because he’s a ~dramawhore~. Shard lowkey has a bit of a crush on her the whole story and she doesn’t exactly discourage him and jokes about how she should totally date him all the time. Eventually he realizes he really likes her and plucks up the nerve to ask her out. He is huge and she is tiny and it is cute.

Quickster/Silkworm (Miguel/Kimiko)-- Just cute kids who like each other being cute together and going on fun dates.

Captain/Illusion (James/Janet)-- Team Dad and Team Mom. They have a playful, comfortable sort of relationship and just like to spend time around each other away from the craziness of their “kids”.

Captain/Sketcher (James/Ellie)-- Teased. Not emphasized much but hinted on occasion that Sketcher has a crush on him. It never develops into much and she forgets about it quietly as the story goes on.

Crimson Ray/Silver Shield (Leonid/Alisa)-- Sweet good-natured nice boy and sweet good-natured Ill Girl. They are lowkey and quiet and very heartwarming. Also endlessly tragic when the ship is sunk with Alisa’s Heroic Sacrifice to save the city. I milk the angst for all it’s worth. It is almost mean.

Flint/Solar (Andrew/Doris)-- Happy married couple. They kind of needle and poke each other playfully and make each other flustered. It’s cute.

Nighteagle/Cosmar (Douglas/Zoe)-- Stoic introverted Angsty McAngsterson and the bubbliest, sunniest, most energetic ball of energy ever. Cosmar has a massive, not-so-secret crush on him and it confuses and baffles the hell of out Nighteagle.

White Eyestones: High fantasy war drama.

Indin/Elarin-- Happy married couple. They have their rough patches but they smooth them out quickly. Sunk when Indin dies halfway through the story.

Elsiron/Thelnaela-- This one was almost kind of an accident? Lol IDK I just really liked writing Thelnaela being all teasing and playful around him and their banter almost wrote itself and I was like, “Ah yes. This should be a thing.”

Winds of Ikilia: Fantasy quest in an asian-inspired world. To try and win a war against an evil empire a crown prince kidnaps a young tribesgirl with mysterious powers. Her friends come after her to rescue her. They have adventures.

Kai/Nadi-- Main couple. Hella cute. Been friends since childhood, get matched by the matchmaker early on in the story. Have a very deliberate Older Girl/Younger Boy thing going on. They spend a lot of time being worried about each other and having playful banter and saying heartwarming things to each other that make my character Tiri groan and roll her eyes. Decide to start officially referring to each other as betrothed and fiance partway through the story. Married in the epilogue.

Ainusan/Ta Lian-- Oh gosh this is... *giggles* This is actually kind of a running gag. See my protagonist Nadi once disguises herself as a noblewoman while she’s looking for her friend and Prince Ainusan comes in and basically confuses her for Princess Ta Lian and is rather impressed by her spunk, being that he thought she was more of a ditz. Ta Lian herself hears about his poor first impression of her later, from Nadi, and is so OFFENDED and ANNOYED and “That jerk I liked him!” and from then on I basically just make cracks about how they should totally get together. And then the payoff comes in the epilogue where I reveal that they totally did. I did it because it was funny.

Ainusan/Kiria-- Teased. Little bitty hints here and there that Kiria has a tiny crush on him. Nothing major.

San/Tiri-- Teased. Tiri likes to flirt at him and he sometimes banters back. Doesn’t go anywhere but provides much lulz

San/Kiria-- Also another case where little hints are dropped that Kiria has a crush on him. What can I say, she likes dem older boys.

Korda/Keyla-- Married couple. Nadi’s parent’s. No big.

Wings: Magical girlfriend story. Fairy family gets stuck living with normal human family for a while. Their kids fall in love. Drama ensues.

Hideki/Elaina-- Main couple. It’s pretty much love at first sight for Hideki, and he immediately wants to ask her out. She’s thrilled at his attention and forwardness and caring and becomes super protective of him and they are basically adorable at each other. They get married partway through, in a magic ritual that will serve to protect him from fairy machinations.

Kubo/Haruna-- Married couple. Hideki’s parents. Not much else to be said about them. They’re stable and healthy and long-suffering together.

Oberon/Titania-- Their marital problems are the driving background noise behind literally every single problem the two families ever have. They seriously need counseling.

Ronan/Amara-- Married couple. Elaina’s parents. Amara had a lot of bitterness in her heart from a previous first love (a human, ordered killed by Oberon when he found out because he’s hissy about fairy/human relationships because Titania’s a cheating skank with them) but Ronan managed to soften her and help her find a measure of healing and happiness.

Tallas/Elaina-- One-sided. Tallas is a fairy noble who has a creepy interest in Elaine and has on one occasion tried to ask her father for her hand. Ronan sensed he was bad news and vetoed that right away. Amara was later approached with the same offer and told Tallas where to shove it. He persists in trying to woo her himself but she’s not flattered or interested and he basically slips more and more into an adolescent hissy fit of If I Can’t Have You, outright brainwashing and threatening Hideki in one case. Roundly thwarted in the end.

#romance writing woes #ships #shipping #story ideas #nanowrimo

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preciousmetals0 · 5 years ago

Text

Trump Touts Containment; Investors Ain’t Having It

Trump Touts Containment; Investors Ain’t Having It:

Going to California

There was an attempt last night to assuage growing coronavirus fears in the U.S. But that attempt went over like a lead balloon.

Following the fifth consecutive drop in U.S. markets, President Donald Trump expressed a whole lotta love for the nation. Trump assured everyone: “Because of all we’ve done the risk to the American people remains very low.”

“We have quarantined those infected and those at risk,” he said. “We are rapidly developing a vaccine. The vaccine is coming along well.”

Unfortunately for Trump, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that not quite everyone was quarantined in the U.S. The CDC revealed the discovery of a patient with no direct ties to the coronavirus’s immigrant song outbreak.

In other words, this particular infection didn’t come from over the hills and far away … it was home-grown near San Francisco, California.

News of the unrelated outbreak hit Wall Street hard today, sparking another sharp sell-off. Investors are particularly concerned that, when the levee breaks on the coronavirus in the U.S., the economy could face a recession … one that even central bankers will be unable to fix.

But President Trump is no fool in the rain. He provided no quarter for the outlook on the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S.

“There’s a chance it could get worse; there’s a chance it could get fairly substantially worse, but nothing’s inevitable,” the president said.

The Takeaway:

Nothing’s inevitable? Death and taxes would like to have a word with you, President Trump.

I won’t ramble on about the coronavirus like I have in the past. With more than 10 years gone, the bull market is sick again. Very sick.

The Dow has plunged more than 9% in the past four days, setting Wall Street’s favorite barometer back to levels last seen in October 2019. The Dow’s next line in the sand appears to be the 25,750 to 26,000 region.

This area is home to the Dow’s October 2019 lows and could provide short-term support for stocks.

So, if you’re looking for a short-term positive for the broader market, that’d be it. A move below 25,750 would be a heartbreaker for the market and a potential sign that things will get much worse.

Right now, you might be dazed and confused, wondering: “Hey … hey, what can I do?”

If you’re a regular Great Stuff reader, you already know what to do. Continue moving out of riskier, aggressive investments — like that winger you took on Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc. (NYSE: SPCE) — and get yourself into more conservative investments … such as gold or bonds.

If you’re not sure what is and what should never be when it comes to investing in gold and bonds, the iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (Nasdaq: TLT) and the SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE: GLD) exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are great places to start.

But, if you’re feeling particularly trampled underfoot with the market sell-off, there’s no reason to visit the gallows pole. The experts at Banyan Hill are here to guide you through Wall Street’s communication breakdown!

For instance, it doesn’t matter if the market experiences good times, bad times … you know we’ve all had our share … mega tech trends such as 5G and electric vehicles aren’t down for the count. No sirree, Bob!

If you invest in the right mega tech trend stocks, your time is gonna come, and Ian King’s Automatic Fortunes can help get you there.

You can find out more about Ian’s tech trend research here.

But… (And there’s always a but, isn’t there?)

If this virus shebang has you fighting the battle of evermore, you don’t want to miss out on what may turn into a prime time to buy. In that case, Jeff Yastine’s research is just what the plague doctor ordered.

Jeff knows how to spot standout companies trading for pennies on the dollar — and there are a lot of those out there right now.

You can find out more about Jeff’s research by clicking right here.

Going: Penney for Your Thoughts

If you had told me yesterday that J.C. Penney Co. Inc. (NYSE: JCP) would be one of today’s hottest stocks … I’d have probably called you crazy. And yet, here we are … watching JCP shares rally amid another Wall Street bloodbath.

The department store hasn’t had the best track record in the earnings confessional in the past year, but Santa Claus apparently took pity on Penney. The company reported a surprise fourth-quarter profit of $0.13 per share, blowing away consensus expectations for a loss of $0.06 per share.

Revenue was also better than expected, falling 7.9% to $3.49 billion, but it still arrived ahead of Wall Street’s $3.38 billion target. Same-store sales dropped 7% on the quarter but were better than the expected 7.3% decline.

Finally, Penney indicated that the worst may have finally passed in its turnaround efforts. The retailer forecast same-store sales to fall a mild 3.5% to 4.5% for 2020, halving the consensus target for a 7.7% decline.

Clearly, J.C. Penney isn’t out of the woods just yet, but it’s finally making some headway. If the company can continue to progress with turnaround plans amid the coronavirus outbreak, it may finally be time to take Penney seriously again.

Going: Be Best

Strong prior-quarter results are no longer enough to cut it in this coronavirus world. Just ask Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE: BBY).

The big-box electronics retailer reported strong fourth-quarter results. Earnings rose 7% to $2.90 per share, while revenue sallied 3% higher to $15.2 billion. Both figures easily topped analyst expectations.

Best Buy’s earnings and revenue beats are even more impressive when you consider the company’s 2019 struggles with Chinese tariffs and the trade war. Best Buy has an extensive supply chain in China.

But it’s out of the fire and into the frying pan, with the coronavirus sweeping across China like a Mongol horde. “As we enter fiscal 2021, we are closely monitoring the developments related to the coronavirus outbreak,” said Chief Financial Officer Matt Bilunas.

Best Buy expects 2020 earnings of $6.20 per share on sales of $43.8 billion. “Our guidance ranges for both Q1 and the full year reflect our best estimates of the [coronavirus] impacts at this time,” noted Bilunas.

Both figures were well below Wall Street’s expectations — which seems odd, considering that analysts know Best Buy’s China situation. Personally, I see this as more proof that Wall Street hasn’t completely accepted the full potential impact of the virus.

Keep an eye on Best Buy. The company is strong and well-run, meaning you could find a diamond in the rough if you jump on BBY shares at the right time.

Gone: Shut the Windows

And the list continues to grow…

Last week, I told you about how Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) was the canary in the coal mine regarding coronavirus warnings. Today, Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) joined the party.

“Although we see strong Windows demand in line with our expectations, the supply chain is returning to normal operations at a slower pace than anticipated at the time of our Q2 earnings call,” the company said in a statement. That second-quarter earnings call was just last month. My, how quickly things can change.

So, what’s the impact? The company says that its personal computing, Windows and Surface sales will not be up to snuff due to the virus outbreak. Microsoft’s personal computing unit accounted for 36% of total revenue last quarter, meaning that a slowdown here could materially hamper current-quarter results.

MSFT shares were punished hard for the warning, but ol’ Softy will be back — you can bet on that. Remember, Microsoft is the company that outlived the dot-com bust … and several other market disasters along the way.

That’s right, Great Stuff readers … this sell-off in MSFT is a buying opportunity. Maybe not right now. The market has a pretty nasty cold. But if you hold MSFT, there’s no reason to sell. In fact, look for opportunities to buy … just be careful about when.

Rabble, rabble, rabble. It’s time for Great Stuff readers to babble!

Welcome to your weekly Reader Feedback!

This week, we asked you for your thoughts on Warren Buffett, the market and the coronavirus. So, let’s get things kickin’, shall we?

China’s West Province

Howz it goin’!

– Don’t follow Buffett, he makes most of his money selling puts, or he just buys the companies, or he waits for the leeches to come to him and rips them off … lol.

– If Trump is still president, S&P 500 will be up.

– If you mean corona viral market, I have my own gauge. When hundreds of infections start showing up here in China’s west province … British Columbia, Canada … lol (sad but true ), then I’ll start worrying ’cause there has to be a few full 747s coming in daily.

– Like your newsletter, read it every night.

Keep up the good work.

Cheers!

Tony D.

Here’s a guy who followed this week’s assignment to the letter. You get an A+, Tony.

I, too, will start to really worry when hundreds of infections start showing up in North America. With today’s news of a spreading infection near San Francisco, I’m thinking you might get pinched from below … instead of air-dropped from Chinese 747s.

Stay safe, brother, and thanks for reading Great Stuff!

Plug Into Options

Hi, I really enjoy Great Stuff, and Profits Unlimited has made me some money. Would Joseph like any comments on Tesla from an options trader?

Gary F.

’Sup, Gary! So, you want to trade Tesla Inc. (Nasdaq: TSLA) options … hmmm. You know, you haven’t picked the best market time to consider this option, right? Volatility is through the roof right now. That means that Tesla options (heck, all options) are a bit expensive.

Thirty-day volatility on TSLA right now is higher than 90% of all readings taken in the past year. In layman’s terms, that’s pretty high, and TSLA options are expensive.

Remember, Gary, options trading is not for the faint of heart. And your strategy depends on what you want to get out of the trade. Are you looking to own Tesla stock at a lower price? Or, are you looking to profit from TSLA’s decline or rally?

Basic options strategies like buying calls or puts are going to be rough in a high-volatility environment. You’ll pay a lot and miss out on returns because of it. But, if I were forced to trade TSLA options, I would probably look at short-term puts … maybe in April or May, just to give myself some breathing room.

But that’s only if I were forced to trade TSLA options. I’m not forced, so I won’t.

By the way, Gary, I see you have Profits Unlimited … did you know that Paul Mampilly also has an options trading research service? If you’re interested in TSLA options, you should really check out Rebound Profit Trader.

You can find out more by clicking here.

All right, Gary wore me out. I’m sorry if I didn’t get to your question today. I’ll try to hit you up next week, so keep writing in!

And if you haven’t written in yet … what’s stopping you? Drop me a line at [email protected], and let me know how you’re doing out there in this crazy market.

That’s a wrap for today. But if you’re still craving more Great Stuff, you can check us out on social media: Facebook and Twitter.

Until next time, good trading!

Regards,

Joseph Hargett

Editor, Great Stuff

0 notes

goldira01 · 5 years ago

Link

Going to California

There was an attempt last night to assuage growing coronavirus fears in the U.S. But that attempt went over like a lead balloon.

“We have quarantined those infected and those at risk,” he said. “We are rapidly developing a vaccine. The vaccine is coming along well.”

In other words, this particular infection didn’t come from over the hills and far away … it was home-grown near San Francisco, California.

But President Trump is no fool in the rain. He provided no quarter for the outlook on the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S.

“There’s a chance it could get worse; there’s a chance it could get fairly substantially worse, but nothing’s inevitable,” the president said.

The Takeaway:

Nothing’s inevitable? Death and taxes would like to have a word with you, President Trump.

I won’t ramble on about the coronavirus like I have in the past. With more than 10 years gone, the bull market is sick again. Very sick.

This area is home to the Dow’s October 2019 lows and could provide short-term support for stocks.

Right now, you might be dazed and confused, wondering: “Hey … hey, what can I do?”

If you invest in the right mega tech trend stocks, your time is gonna come, and Ian King’s Automatic Fortunes can help get you there.

You can find out more about Ian’s tech trend research here.

But… (And there’s always a but, isn’t there?)

Jeff knows how to spot standout companies trading for pennies on the dollar — and there are a lot of those out there right now.

You can find out more about Jeff’s research by clicking right here.

Going: Penney for Your Thoughts

Going: Be Best

Strong prior-quarter results are no longer enough to cut it in this coronavirus world. Just ask Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE: BBY).

Keep an eye on Best Buy. The company is strong and well-run, meaning you could find a diamond in the rough if you jump on BBY shares at the right time.

Gone: Shut the Windows

And the list continues to grow…

Last week, I told you about how Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) was the canary in the coal mine regarding coronavirus warnings. Today, Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) joined the party.

Rabble, rabble, rabble. It’s time for Great Stuff readers to babble!

Welcome to your weekly Reader Feedback!

This week, we asked you for your thoughts on Warren Buffett, the market and the coronavirus. So, let’s get things kickin’, shall we?

China’s West Province

Howz it goin’!

– Don’t follow Buffett, he makes most of his money selling puts, or he just buys the companies, or he waits for the leeches to come to him and rips them off … lol.

– If Trump is still president, S&P 500 will be up.

– Like your newsletter, read it every night.

Keep up the good work.

Cheers!

Tony D.

Here’s a guy who followed this week’s assignment to the letter. You get an A+, Tony.

Stay safe, brother, and thanks for reading Great Stuff!

Plug Into Options

Hi, I really enjoy Great Stuff, and Profits Unlimited has made me some money. Would Joseph like any comments on Tesla from an options trader?

Gary F.

Thirty-day volatility on TSLA right now is higher than 90% of all readings taken in the past year. In layman’s terms, that’s pretty high, and TSLA options are expensive.

But that’s only if I were forced to trade TSLA options. I’m not forced, so I won’t.

You can find out more by clicking here.

All right, Gary wore me out. I’m sorry if I didn’t get to your question today. I’ll try to hit you up next week, so keep writing in!

And if you haven’t written in yet … what’s stopping you? Drop me a line at [email protected], and let me know how you’re doing out there in this crazy market.

That’s a wrap for today. But if you’re still craving more Great Stuff, you can check us out on social media: Facebook and Twitter.

Until next time, good trading!

Regards,

Joseph Hargett

Editor, Great Stuff

#Timor Invest

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