Previously, in 2023...

 2023: A Look Back

2023 is next up in our Oscar Viewing Project, and is our 25th season of this series.  It's also a year that none of you really have an excuse to not be caught up on, as it concluded just three weeks ago.  We've never done a turnaround this fast, and part of me is a little worried that people won't be as engaged since we just finished this year, but I have a gigantic to do list this month (not just on the blog, though that's definitely populating part of it), and I don't need to add in the concurrent pressure of completing all of my My Ballot screenings alongside it, so we will do 2023 this month since I'm one screening short of done with my My Ballot that year, and then in May we'll go back in time a bit (we'll do our first contest from the 1990's next).  But that's enough housekeeping-after 25 seasons, you know the drill, and I'm sure you've got at least a couple of lingering comments (or perhaps even an Oscar viewing or two you skipped) from 2023.

So now, let's go back.  Back to a time of Ron DeSantis stealing Nancy Sinatra's boots, everyone selling their souls to get Eras Tour tickets, and people stampeding to buy Stanley mugs.  And of course, let's remember the movies...

Box Office

This is what the Top 10 at the (Domestic) Box Office looked like:

1. Barbie

2. The Super Mario Bros. Movie

3. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

4. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

5. Oppenheimer

6. The Little Mermaid

7. Wonka

8. Ant-Man and the Wasp; Quantumania

9. John Wick: Chapter 4

10. Sound of Freedom

The year of Barbenheimer, occasionally makes you forget that there were other movies last year that made money at the box office.  For a second consecutive year, we saw two Best Picture nominees in this lineup, and in a truly grand change, both were originals!  We actually have one more original, but Sound of Freedom kind of cheated to get this box office crown, so I want to point out that Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour in 11th place is the more impressive feat, and probably should get that slot since I can guarantee people actually used those tickets.  I have seen the Top 8 here; I have no intention of seeing Sound of Freedom, but I have added John Wick to my to watch list on Letterboxd as I do feel like this is a pop culture gap for me at this point even though I'm not super enchanted by yet another stylish action series at the moment (they feel too numerous)?  Not sure if I'll get to all four before we finish this season, but it's now "on the list."

The Films I Missed

While I've seen all of the Oscar nominees, I haven't seen every film in 2023.  Looking at the precursor awards, some of the bigger titles I'm missing are Suzume, Beau is Afraid, Dream Scenario, and Rye Lane, though unless someone in the comments thinks I'd particularly like one of these four, it's probable that I just skip them, as this is a recent enough year, if I wanted to see them, I would.  The one movie I am going to make a point of watching before this is done, though, is The Peasants, as I desperately wanted to see that when it originally ran, and it's finally available on streaming.  With that said, we'll kick off with Best Makeup & Hairstyling later this week!