Links to the Ford On Film Awards 2018
Hello all,
The Ford On Film Awards 2018 have come to an end. If you’d like to read any articles you missed or find any article in one convenient location, here they all are:
Best Supporting Actress – Rachel McAdams, Game Night
Best Supporting Actor – Alun Armstrong, Possum
Best Actress – Toni Colette, Hereditary
Best Actor – Bradley Cooper, A Star is Born
Best Director – Lynne Ramsay, You Were Never Really Here
Best Scene – The accident, Hereditary
Best TV Show – Bojack Horseman
Best TV Episode – Inside No. 9 – ‘Bernie Clifton’s Dressing Room’
Best Album – Neko Case – Hell-On
Best Single – IDLES – ‘Danny Nedelko’
Odds and Ends, including Goriest Film and Most Badass Moment
By Harry J. Ford
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The Ford On Film Awards 2018: Odds and Ends
We made it! Two weeks into 2019 and we are finally coming to the end of the Ford on Film Awards 2018. It’s been emotional, hasn’t it? No? Just me? Okay, moving on…
To bring the awards to an end, I thought I’d give out a few little awards to the films, actors, and moments I didn’t get to herald in any previous awards. From amusing documentaries to underseen gems, here are some odds and ends as a reward for joining me on this long journey throughout the best films, television and music of 2018.
Best Mockumentary That Was Actually a Documentary:
Bros: After the Screaming Stops
A cult hit when it broadcast on the BBC over Christmas, Bros: After the Screaming Stops is a hilarious and occasionally-heartfelt documentary about the reunion of Matt and Luke Goss A.K.A 90s pop band Bros. Incapable of sharing a room together without starting an argument, the Goss brothers are sort of sweet in a flouncing, stroppy sort of way. From Matt stressing that “the letters H-O-M-E are important to me because they signify home” to Luke’s memories of his childhood in which all they had to play with was a dart, Bros: After the Screaming Stops is frequently laugh out loud funny, yet I’d be lying if I said their reunion concert didn’t look like a bloody good night out.
The Ford On Film Awards 2018: Best Single
We’re into the final stages of the Ford On Film Awards 2018! Two weeks into 2019 and I’ve just about finished rounding up the best of last year. Tomorrow, I’ll be handing out a few odds and ends to the films and TV shows that didn’t quite fit into any other category, but today, I’m finishing off my look at music with the award for Best Single.
Last year, Kendrick Lamar took home the top prize for his instant classic ‘HUMBLE.’ This year, we’ve got more rap masterpieces, punk rock fury, belting pop choruses, and plenty of sad lyrics as I count down my top ten tracks of the year and give the award for Best Single of 2018.
10.
Kacey Musgraves – ‘Slow Burn’
Mainstream country music has taken a turn for the worse in recent years, so it’s nice to hear a talent like Musgraves keeping things simple with a sweet, sad little song about love in small town Americana.
The Ford On Film Awards 2018: Best Album
Rarely do I get to talk about music, so I’m ecstatic to show you my picks for Best Album of the year. While last year’s winner, Phoebe Bridgers’ Stranger in the Alps, was an absolute stunner, I have to confess that 2017 was not my favourite album for music. I only heard a handful of albums that really gripped me, whilst a few major releases disappointed me.
2018, on the other hand, was incredible. I haven’t been this enthused about music in a long time, from homegrown cult bands to major chart toppers. I could have easily gone on with this list, but I had to limit it to ten. I will give a brief mention to Superchunk’s What a Time to Be Alive, The Breeders‘ All Nerve, and Camp Cope’s How to Socialise and Make Friends, all of which narrowly missed a top ten spot. Those mentioned, let’s get to the top ten!
10.
Skeletonwitch – Devouring Radiant Light
The heaviest album I heard all year, black metal band Skeletonwitch’s Devouring Radiant Light is epic in scope yet there’s hardly an ounce of fat throughout the record. The title track’s slow build up to pure thrashing carnage is glorious.
The Ford On Film Awards 2018: Best TV Episode
Hello, and welcome once again to the Ford On Film Awards 2018. Yesterday, Bojack Horseman took Best TV Show, succeeding 2017 winner The Leftovers. Today, we’re focusing on the best episodes of the year. Master of None’s rousing ‘New York I Love You’ won the prize last year for its positive, lovely depiction of New York’s lesser seen characters.
This year, we’ve got comedy actors doing drama, serious actors doing comedy, and Donald Glover in whiteface. It was a closely fought contest, but there can only be winner. Here are my picks for Best TV Episode.
10.
Killing Eve – ‘Don’t I Know You?’
Every episode of Killing Eve was worthy of mention, but I decided to single out ‘Don’t I Know You?’ for its stylish chase through the streets of Berlin and shocking, nightclub-set finale.
The Ford On Film Awards 2018: Best TV Show
Despite the name of this blog, I do occasionally venture to the small screen. I must admit, I’ve been pretty poor for keeping up with most TV series this year. The Americans came to its conclusion and swept awards ceremonies, yet I’ve never seen a single episode. The Haunting of Hill House terrified Netflix viewers all over, yet I only saw a few episodes. In the UK, The Bodyguard was the most watched BBC drama of the year, so of course I failed to see it. What I’m saying is, I’ve watched a lot of films and that should be good enough for you.
That said, I did see at least ten great shows this year, which I’ve managed to compile into a satisfying top ten. We have returning series, debuting series, homegrown series, big budget American series, tiny sitcoms and award-winning dramas – it’s been a great year. Let’s get to it!
10.
American Vandal
Sadly cancelled by Netflix after just two seasons, the hilarious mockumentary series American Vandal pushed the boundaries this year with a prolonged masterpiece of gross out humour and ridiculously-believable crime doc spoofing. Never before have poop jokes been this funny or inventive.
The Ford On Film Awards 2018: Best Scene
We’re nearly at an end with the film section of my end of year awards, and what better way to cap off a cracking 2018 than to look at Best Scenes. Last year, I gave the award to a film I didn’t particularly like, Baby Driver, because its opening scene was stunning in a way the rest of the film couldn’t live up to.
As per usual, there have been too many contenders to whittle down and leave off the final ranking. To name just a handful of moments that nearly made it into the top ten, I loved the central ‘floating’ sequence of First Reformed, was horrified by the ‘drill’ scene in Gareth Evans’ underseen Apostle, and was thoroughly grossed by almost all of Coralie Fargeat’s Revenge (particularly the wince-inducing foot chase through the mountains). All great moments in films that otherwise haven’t been featured much in this year’s awards, but sadly, they couldn’t make the cut. Instead, here is my official top ten Best Scenes of 2018.
10.
The opening – A Quiet Place
One of the year’s biggest-grossing horrors, A Quiet Place’s ingenious concept was put to good use in its opening scene, in which we discover the brutal consequences of making a sound.
The Ford On Film Awards 2018: Best Director
We’re nearing the end of the film section of my end of year awards, and I’m journeying behind the camera to highlight the best directors of 2018. Last year, I gave the award to Christopher Nolan for his masterful, bombastic work on Dunkirk. This year, there hasn’t been quite as much in the way of explosive direction – nearly all my nominees directed quiet, artful dramas – but there has been plenty of explosive drama. From arthouse royalty to bold newcomers, 2018 has seen a diverse range of filmmakers crafting everything from disturbing horror to bruising thrillers and quiet, gentle character studies. As always, there can only be one winner, but let’s take a look at the full list of my Ten Best Directors of 2018.
10.
Steve McQueen – Widows
Though his previous three films were grim arthouse dramas, Steve McQueen proves himself as a terrific genre director with his intelligent, muscular heist thriller Widows. His work with actors has always been great, and he has perhaps the best ensemble of the year to play with: Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, Colin Farrell, Daniel Kaluuya, Brian Tyree Henry, Robert Duvall… You won’t be surprised to know there isn’t a bad performance among them, but it is more surprising that McQueen is just as strong when pulling off car chases and tense gun play.
The Ford On Film Awards 2018: Best Actor
It’s day five of the Ford On Film Awards 2018, and it’s time to look at the Best Actors. Last year, Robert Pattinson capped off a terrific year by winning the prize for his dynamic turn in Good Time. This year, the nominees include previous winners, Oscar regulars, and a first time appearance for a popular TV star.
As usual, there were a few great performances I had to leave out. Newcomers Charlie Plummer and Brady Jandreau carried Lean On Pete and The Rider respectively, while old legend Robert Redford retired gracefully in The Old Man & the Gun, and John David Washington proved to be a chip off the old block in BlacKkKlansman. All brilliant performances, but none made the top five. Here are the contenders, including the winner of Best Actor:
5.
Evan Peters – Warren Lipka, American Animals
Sometimes, an otherwise-unremarkable actor blindsides you with a performance of such casual skill and power that you question how you dismissed them in the first place. Evan Peters’ hilarious motormouth performance as real-life art thief Warren Lipka in Bart Layton’s fascinating docudrama American Animals is one such performance. Peters has never been better, starting off as a laidback burnout before slowly unveiling hidden bitterness and anger. Despite knowing his crimes were despicable, you can’t help but like him just a tiny bit.
The Ford On Film Awards 2018: Best Actress
Hello again, and welcome back to the Ford On Film Awards 2018. Yesterday, I gave out the Best Supporting Actor award to one of the year’s great underseen performances, Alun Armstrong’s grotty turn in Possum. Today, I’m looking at the first of the two big acting awards: Best Actress.
Last year, I gave the award to Jennifer Lawrence for her spectacular performance in Darren Aronofsky’s criminally-underrated and unappreciated mother! It’s been a phenomenal year for leading actresses. So great, in fact, that I’ve had to leave off a whole heap of performances that would normally be in with a chance of winning. Lady Gaga’s sensational starring role in A Star is Born (my favourite film of the year, don’t forget) and Yalitza Aparicio’s astonishing debut in Roma haven’t made the top five. Neither has Joanna Kulig’s moody work in Cold War, Viola Davis’ sturdy lead role in Widows, or Olivia Cooke and Anya Taylor-Joy for their terrific chemistry in Thoroughbreds. The year has just been that incredible.
Instead, my top five features, among other things, an unforgettable scream queen, a hilarious comedy role, and two young actresses making stunning breakthroughs into the world of film. What a year, and what a list of Best Actresses. Here we go then…
5.
Charlize Theron – Marlo, Tully
Though Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody’s second collaboration Tully ultimately disappointed, relying on a painfully-predictable narrative, it almost worked due to the fantastic central performance from Charlize Theron. Hilariously painful and poignant as an overworked mother juggling too many kids and too many responsibilities, Theron’s performance is sharply funny whilst offering a true-to-life, sympathetic look at the difficulties of motherhood. Despite the dodgy plotting, I recommend Tully on the strength of Theron alone.
