It’s a big year – for the tenth time, I’m rolling out my annual awards for the Year in Movies gone by. On the one hand, I would like to pause and celebrate, not just the 35 films mentioned herein, but, self-indulgently, the EMOs themselves. Ten years of movies, ten years of jokes, ten years of hastily and poorly-chosen awards – Ethan’s Makeshift Oscars are a pleasure to put together and present every time, whether in the form of Facebook Note, formalwear party, dialogue between the darkest parts of my own id, Google Hangout, what have you. They started as a way to correct, in my mind, some of the wrongs done by major awards bodies – not enough love for the demi-god Michael Shannon, for instance – but a perusal over the history of the EMOs reveals that my own quirky, spur-of-the-moment choices are not necessarily more guaranteed to stand the test of time (that Best Supporting Actress for Chloe Möretz in Hugo stings). I’m glad for everyone who has indulged this nonsense with me, anyway.
But I’d also like to just get a move on, because I am as eager as everyone else to put the year 2016 firmly in the rearview mirror. In past years I’ve gone further with the EMOs in terms of offering “bonus” commentary, and framed things in terms of nominees. As I’m handing them out purely via this blog post this year, we’re going to cut to the chase in every category, with the winner immediately revealed, followed by others “receiving votes”; that is, other films or performances that I’d still like to mention that I considered. If I’ve called it out, it’s worth your time, is my general attitude. And as always, in Part II of the EMOs, every movie is a winner. At some point I might do a compendium of my favorite EMO awards from the first ten years of its existence, but it is not this day.
And, of course, a reminder that to qualify for the EMOs a film must’ve been theatrically released in the U.S. in 2016 AND I had to see it in 2016 (with the exception of the poster and trailer categories, of course). I’ll be back with a more robust Top 10 list after I’ve had some time to catch up with the end-of-year glut in January and February. And do watch for the second annual ERPs (Ethan’s Repertory Picks), also coming soon! Enjoy!
Best Action Film: Green Room
Receiving Votes:
Captain America: Civil War
Deadpool
Funniest Film: Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
Receiving Votes:
Deadpool
Hunt for the Wilderpeople
The Nice Guys
Manchester by the Sea (no, really)
Zootopia
Hail, Caesar!
Most Fucked-Up Protagonist: sad white rich people, Nocturnal Animals
Receiving votes:
Michéle, Elle
Lee Chandler, Manchester By the Sea
Wade, Deadpool
Most Inexplicable Multi-Scene Pop Star Appearance: Shakira, Zootopia
Receiving votes:
Janelle Monáe, Moonlight
Seal, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
Most Deserving to Have Everyone Involved in Production Die a Horribly Painful Death Just For Making Me Watch the Trailer: Same Kind of Different As Me
Receiving votes:
Yoga Hosers
Gods of Egypt
The Wild Life
Maximum Ride
Best Cameo: Will Arnett/Chelsea Peretti/Eric Andre/Mike Birbiglia as the “CMZ” reporters, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
Receiving votes:
Jena Malone, Nocturnal Animals
Justin Timberlake, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
Frances McDormand, Hail, Caesar!
Taika Waititi, Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Christina Hendricks, The Neon Demon
Michael Shannon, Loving
Breakthrough Actor/Actress of the Year: Anya Taylor-Joy, The Witch
Receiving votes:
Jaeden Lieberher, Midnight Special
Lily Gladstone, Certain Women
Ashton Sanders, Moonlight
Lucas Hedges, Manchester By the Sea
Markees Christmas, Morris from America
Wyatt Russell, Everybody Wants Some!!
Sasha Lane, American Honey
Julian Dennison, Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Best Poster:
Moonlight
Receiving votes:
The Handmaiden
Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World
Men Go to Battle
De Palma
The Birth of a Nation
La La Land
Green Room
The Neon Demon
American Honey
Best Trailer: Moonlight
Receiving votes:
The Witch
Logan
La La Land
The Handmaiden
Jackie
High-Rise
Rogue One
Get Out
American Honey
Best Scene: mansion detour, American Honey
Receiving votes:
diner, Moonlight
“Would that it were so simple”, Hail, Caesar!
the ending of The Lobster
“Do you think we could get lunch sometime?”, Manchester By the Sea
Churchill, Love & Friendship
the runway, The Neon Demon
“Once, I was a fucking jet engine”, Sing Street
offering a ride, Certain Women
Best Use of an Existing Song: “We Found Love,” Rihanna + Calvin Harris, American Honey
Receiving votes:
“American Honey”, Lady Antebellum, American Honey
“Nazi Punks Fuck Off”, The Dead Kennedys, Green Room
“God’s Whisper”, Raury, American Honey
Best Original Song: “I’m So Humble”, perf. The Lonely Island w/ Adam Levine, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
Receiving votes:
“Drive It Like You Stole It”, perf. Sing Street, Sing Street
“Incredible Thoughts”, perf. The Lonely Island w/ Michael Bolton, Justin Timberlake, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
“Brown Shoes”, perf. Sing Street, Sing Street
“Up”, perf. Sing Street, Sing Street
“Try Everything”, perf. Shakira, Zootopia
“Milestone 2 (Skux Life)”, perf. Moniker, Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Best Original Score: Nicholas Britell, Moonlight
Receiving votes:
David Wingo, Midnight Special
Jóhann Jóhannson, Arrival
Mark Korven, The Witch
Dario Marianelli, Kubo and the Two Strings
Cliff Martinez, The Neon Demon
Nick Cage and Warren Ellis, Hell or High Water
Clint Mansell, High-Rise
https://open.spotify.com/user/egates12/playlist/7xdVKEbVkRp6Cm0vZMTy8C
Best Cinematography: Robbie Ryan, American Honey
Receiving votes:
James Laxton, Moonlight
Chung Chung-hoon, The Handmaiden
Bradford Young, Arrival
Jarin Blaschke, The Witch
Christopher Blauvelt, Certain Women
Stéphane Fontaine, Elle
Giles Nuttgins, Hell or High Water
Seamus McGarvey, Nocturnal Animals
Nathasha Braier, The Neon Demon
Laurie Rose, High-Rise
Anthony Dod Mantle, Our Kind of Traitor
Best Adapted Screenplay: Whit Stillman, Love & Friendship
Receiving votes:
Chung Seo-kyung, Park Chan-wook, The Handmaiden
David Birke, Elle
Taika Waititi, Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Franck Ekinci, Benjamin Legrand, April and the Extraordinary World
Best Original Screenplay: Yorgos Lanthimos, Efthymis Filippou, The Lobster
Receiving votes:
Barry Jenkins, Tarell Alvin McCraney, Moonlight
Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester By the Sea
Taylor Sheridan, Hell or High Water
Jeremy Saulnier, Green Room
Robert Eggers, The Witch
Jeff Nichols, Midnight Special
Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, Hail, Caesar!
Best Supporting Actor: Alden Ehrenreich, Hail, Caesar!
Receiving Votes:
Mahershala Ali, Moonlight
Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water
Laurent Lafitte, Elle
Michael Shannon, Nocturnal Animals
Tom Bennett, Love & Friendship
Gil Birmingham, Hell or High Water
Craig Robinson, Morris from America
Joel Edgerton, Midnight Special
Jack Reynor, Sing Street
Damian Lewis, Our Kind of Traitor
Patrick Stewart, Green Room
Best Supporting Actress: Jena Malone, The Neon Demon
Receiving votes:
Lily Gladstone, Certain Women
Kristen Stewart, Certain Women
Laura Dern, Certain Women
Léa Seydoux, The Lobster
Naomie Harris, Moonlight
Rooney Mara, Kubo and the Two Strings
Kate Dickie, The Witch
Best Actor: (tie) Ben Foster and Chris Pine, Hell or High Water
Receiving votes:
(tie) Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders and Trevonte Rhodes, Moonlight
Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea
Michael Shannon, Midnight Special
Colin Farrell, The Lobster
Josh Brolin, Hail, Caesar!
Sam Neill, Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Logan Marshall-Green, The Invitation
Ralph Ineson, The Witch
Ryan Gosling, The Nice Guys
Joel Edgerton, Loving
Best Actress: Isabelle Huppert, Elle
Receiving votes:
Kim Tae-Ri, The Handmaiden
Kim Min-hee, The Handmaiden
Amy Adams, Arrival
Anya Taylor-Joy, The Witch
Kate Beckinsale, Love & Friendship
Ruth Negga, Loving
Imogen Poots, Green Room
Rachel Weisz, The Lobster
Sasha Lane, American Honey
Best Acting Ensemble: Moonlight
Receiving votes:
Certain Women
Manchester By the Sea
Love & Friendship
The Lobster
Midnight Special
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
Best Director: Barry Jenkins, Moonlight
Receiving votes:
Kirsten Johnson, Cameraperson
Park Chan-wook, The Handmaiden
Paul Verhoeven, Elle
Andrea Arnold, American Honey
Robert Eggers, The Witch
Yorgos Lanthimos, The Lobster
Ava DuVernay, 13th
David Mackenzie, Hell or High Water
Kelly Reichardt, Certain Women
Best Movie: Moonlight
Receiving Votes:
Cameraperson
The Handmaiden
Elle
The Witch
American Honey
The Lobster
Manchester by the Sea
13th
Hell or High Water
Certain Women
Love & Friendship
Green Room
Arrival
2016 Special Achievement (given to a film or film-adjacent contributor for a stellar year across multiple works or media that I consumed in 2016, potentially including movies, TV, theater, the internet, etc.):
Bill Camp (for Ivo Van Hove’s Broadway revival of “The Crucible”, HBO miniseries “The Night Of”, and stellar work in brief parts of both Midnight Special and Loving, though we won’t mention him in Jason Bourne)
Receiving votes:
Michael Shannon (for never having a dull moment in Midnight Special, Nocturnal Animals or even two minutes of Loving, and for generally being Michael Shannon)
Mahershala Ali (for breaking out of the “House of Cards” doldrums in dramatic style with Moonlight and “Luke Cage”)
Jena Malone (for proving in The Neon Demon and Nocturnal Animals that she desperately needs some talented director(s) to give her a Kristen Stewart-style career makeover)
The Putin the Platypus Memorial Award for Misogyny: The Neon Demon
Fan Service – The Movie! : Deadpool
Most Hot Button Political Issues Stepped Into: Zootopia
Most Hot Button Political Issues Not Stepped Into: Jason Bourne
Happiest Affront to Every John le Carré Book I’ve Ever Read: Our Kind of Traitor
Most Under-Marketed Naked Tom Hiddleston: High-Rise
Cubby Broccoli Memorial Award for Keeping a Franchise Relatively Fresh Thirteen Installments In Even Though Oh My God I Still Don’t Give a Shit About Bucky: Captain America: Civil War
Call Your Mother More: No Home Movie
Most Beautiful Mannequins That Also Happen to Be Famous Actors: Nocturnal Animals
Worst Critical Praise to Bechdel Test Ratio: Everybody Wants Some!!
Most Tilda Swintons: Hail, Caesar!
Least Work Done to Overcome the Stereotype That All Germans Are EDM DJs: Morris from America
Most Terrifying Validation of Every Single One of My Social Anxieties: The Invitation
Best Half-Hearted Impression of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang That Mostly Just Makes You Want to Watch Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Again: The Nice Guys
Most Inarticulate Civil Rights Heroes: Loving
Best Opening Line, And That’s Not Even a Joke, Guys: Kubo and the Two Strings
The Nigel Tufnel Award For Going to 11: Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
Most Inauthentically Terrific High School Band: Sing Street
Most Inventive Piece of Alternate Reality That Isn’t As Depressing As “The Man In the High Castle”: April and the Extraordinary World
Blandest Conception of Hyper-Real Extra-Dimensional Space Gods: Midnight Special
Silliest Sam Neill: Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Most Plot Holes That Have Nothing to Do with Time Science in a Time Science Movie: Arrival
Most Comfortingly Isolated Nazi Punks: Green Room
Best Redemption of a Dismissed Celebrity and No It’s Not Ryan Reynolds As Deadpool, Dammit: Kate Beckinsale, Love & Friendship
The Robert Altman Memorial Award for Resurrecting Rene Auberjonois: Certain Women
The Jeff Bridges Award for Being Jeff Bridges: Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water
Most Tightly Paced Application of White Guilt: 13th
Most Authentically Terrible High School Band: Manchester by the Sea
Closest Resemblance to What Wes Anderson’s Personal Upside Down Probably Looks Like: The Lobster
Most Disturbing Rat Tail: Shia LaBeouf, American Honey
Happiest Ending: The Witch
Best Example, Possibly Ever, That the Savviest Direction Can Be Good Casting: Elle
Best Performance of Jingle Bells: The Handmaiden
Most Surprisingly Genial Time Spent in Awful, Awful Places: Cameraperson
Darkest Direction to Take Miss Moneypenny: Moonlight
The Best Films of Our Lives 