u/dremolus

Well this was an incredibly close round for a long time. The Darjeeling Limited, Across the Universe, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. But in a last minute surge, u/spider-man2401's suggestion for Zodiac actually won (Production Design by Donald Graham Burt, Set Decoration by Victor J. Zolfo).

Of all the films to win this game, this might be the most lowkey. There's no giant setpieces, it doesn't have an over-the-top, exaggerated style, even compared to other period pieces - there's no extravagant mansions or big sets to marvel at. But like with films like The Secret Agent, it perfectly captures the 1970s and the subtle mania driven by the Zodiac Killer. From the old files, typwriters and film technology, to the cars, to the clothing, to the police and news headquarters (I wouldn't be surprised if All the President's Men provided some inspiration for the set decor and lighting), it does create a vivid atmosphere. And like another Fincher project Mindhunter, it's the detail and realism of the film as a period piece that makes it an engaging and immersive watch even almost two decades later.

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Now we have to decide what the biggest snub is for 2008. The nominees this year were:

• Dreamgirls
• The Good Shepherd
• Pan's Labyrinth
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
• The Prestige

Another interesting round with the dark fantasy of Hellboy II, the equally epic fantasy in The Fall, and even the consumerist dystopia of WALL-E all getting a healthy amount of votes. But it's u/Present_Comedian_919's nomination for Synecdoche, New York that won out in the end (Production Design by Mark Friedberg, Set Decoration by Lydia Marks).

Unsurprising that a film about a giant, ambitious theater production that overtakes the lives of the director and his crew, wins this round. But especially for a writer as eccentric and unorthodox as Charlie Kaufman, creating a film that can live-up to his enigmatic and often obtuse storytelling can match his level is difficult. But Mark Friedberg managed it and as with the writing, there's a lot you can discuss and interpret with the symbolism of this film - both the foreground and background. You can probably have a podcast just breaking down what all of this means and that's gonna frustrate people no doubt. But cinema should be bold and visions as creative as this should be rewarded.

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Now we have to decide what the biggest snub is for 2008. The nominees this year were:

• American Gangster
• Atonement
• The Golden Compass
• Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
• There Will Be Blood

Ooh boy was the an exciting round simply because of how many options there were: the revised history in Inglourious Basterds, the modernized vision of Star Trek, the alternate 1970s world of Watchmen, the South Africa-coded dump site in District 9, and of course the quirky Wes Anderson-isms of Fantastic Mr. Fox. But it was my option for - the film that put the studio LAIKA on the map - Henry Selick's adaptation of Coraline (Art Direction by Phil Brotherton and Dawn Swiderski, Set Decoration by Don Lundell and Katy Clarke).

In my opinion, not just one of the best animated films of the 2000s but one of the best horror movies of the decade as well, you could literally go frame by frame examining the amount of work put into not only design of the world but the movements of everything. The amount of atmosphere created in both the dysmal real world and the eerie door world is masterful, as is the gradual transformation for both. More than 15 years later, I'm still in awe of things such as the floor becoming a spider-web or the world being formed out of the white. Even the way the ghosts are animated. But I shouldn't really expound too much, this is a case where the film can speak for itself.

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Now we have to decide what the biggest snub is for 2008. The nominees this year were:

• Changeling
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• The Dark Knight
• The Duchess
• Revolutionary Road

Well this was a wash, with the only other films getting any support were The Social Network u/Dmitr_Jango's nomination for TRON: Legacy (Production Design by Darren Gilford, Set Decoration by Lin MacDonald)

A rather divisive film this is. At the time it was considered a critical disappointment and commercially underwhelming (if only they'd seen how TRON Ares would do). And even now even there being more defenders, it's not regarded as a sci-fi action classic. But whether you defend this film or still find it dull narrative wise, one thing even detractors agree is that the aesthetic is gorgeous. In fact, the artstyle of this film may easily outlive it.

The white and orange color scheme, the darkness of the cyberworld illuminated by light, the glassy look of the lightcycles, even a more smokey, nocturnal atmosphere to it all. It's not just the old TRON design but updated with better graphics, it functions as both an evolution and a distinct art style - no other film looked like and any films that came afterwards that looked similar paled in comparison. Coupled with a Daft Punk soundtrack that absolutely should've been nominated, this may just be a pretty film to look at but what a picture it is.

Now we have to decide what the biggest snub is for 2009. The nominees this year were:

• Avatar
• The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
• Nine
• Sherlock Holmes
• The Young Victoria

Pretty sparse line-up of choices with the only other suggestions getting votes were the bleak, nihilistic apocalypse of Melancholia and the...also bleak, mysterious, and cryptic Sweden as depicted in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. But it's u/Dmitr_Jango's nomination for another European mystery that won - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Production Design by Maria Djurkovic, Set Decoration by Pilar Foy and Mark Raggett)

It takes talent to transform what could easily be a mundane political espionage thriller into something that looks quite unique. Like with TGWTDT, while this is shot in (mostly in) London (a few scenes were shot in Budapest and Istanbul), it's almost like an alternate world - an urban labyrinth if you will. From the muted colors, the shadowy rooms and halls, and the cold atmosphere - I've been seeing this film be shouted out more and more as one of the best of the 2010s and perhaps it's legacy will continue to grow.

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Now we have to decide what the biggest snub is for 2010. The nominees this year were:

• Alice in Wonderland
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1
• Inception
• The King's Speech
• True Grit

Personally think the weekend will be closer between Michael and Devil Wears Prada 2, also think Obsession could make it as high as $15M, and the the dual Top Gun release will be higher ($3.3M seems like a lowball)

This is one of my most anticipated films this year, a film that's just been getting insane buzz since it's premiere at festivals last fall. And not only are critics loving it, but early audience reviews are coming in and they're just as glowing. There's a big chance this is the horror sleeper hit of the year. And before people get hasty and write this off as a dream of getting any nomination, I just wanna say that I asked about a film 2 years ago. You might've heard about little movie called The Substance

And yes there are major difference - Substance played at Cannes and other festivals, it won major prizes, it was released closer to Awards Season in September, and it had a legacy actor in Demi Moore as the lead. But similarly, when I initially asked what were the prospects of this getting nominated, people were very doubtful it would get any nomination - so many were confident that this was far too bloody, it would only get make-up at best. Fast forward a few months, it not only get Best Actress for Moore, but Best Original Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Picture!

Right now it is early in into the season and Cannes isn't even over. But for now, I'm gonna leave some room for this potentially in Actress and Original Screenplay.

Well it was a closer round than expected between the action set-pieces and modern worldbuilding of Skyfall, the alien and rather ancientcosmic horror of Prometheus, the revisionist Western world of Django Unchained, and the ambitious scope of Cloud Atlas. But unsurprisingly, the Wes Anderson film won aggain with the delightful and charming Moonrise Kingdom. (Production Design by Adam Stockhausen, Set Decoration by Kris Moran and Shadya H. Ballug)

I won't be too snarky with this, especially as this is my favorite Wes Anderson film and I suspect we may still have a few more to add. Only that this feels like the biggest and best Roald Dahl story he never made and so it makes perfect sense the man who had just brought us Fantastic Mr. Fox would direct it.

Now we have to decide what the biggest snub is for 2011. The nominees this year were:

• The Artist
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2
• Hugo
• Midnight in Paris
• War Horse

Pretty direct round. While the intentionally goofy and childish mecha fighting of Pacific Rim and the aimless nature of the 1960s New York folk scene of Inside Llewyn Davis were shown, the martial arts epic of The Grandmaster ultimately won out in the end.

To date, this is the last Wong Kar-wai film released and save for a miniseries in China he released in 2023, the man has not released anything else in the last 15 years. Though bittersweet, at the very least his last film finally meant he has an Oscar nominated film in his catalog, with this receiving surprise nominations in Cinematography and Costume Design (also the last film in the Chinese language to be nominated for anything).

And what a film to go out on with this this being the only action film in Wong Kar-wai's discography. It is still a WKW film which means the pacing is much more deliberate and tempered than any other martial arts film. But on the other hand, how many kung fu films look this good, have this much of an epic, historical weight to them? Even if Wong Kar-wai never puts out another film, this is one heck of a film to go out on.

Now we have to decide what the biggest snub for 2012 is. The nominees this year were:

• Anna Karenina
• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
• Life of Pi
• Lincoln
• Les Miserables

Some interesting films getting support this round. The mundane, modern tableaus in A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence, Aleksei German bringing to life Strugatsky's Hard to Be a God, Inherent Vice recreating 1970s Los Angeles via Thomas Pynchon, and Guardians of the Galaxy bringing in the cosmic side of the Marvel comics to the big screen for the first time ever, all were good choices. But for once, it was my suggestion that one out: Bong Joon-ho's anti-capitalist action flick - Snowpiercer.

Simultaneously both an epic sci-fi film and small-scale thanks to its train setting, both the production of the sets with the intricate detail particularly as they move up to the richer carts, and how they shot and coordinated all the extras, particularly the scenes of rebellion, is astounding. It was such a breath of fresh air compared to how other action films were at the time and dystopian films (this did come out right around the YA-dystopia boom) but even now 13 years later, it still holds up as both a kick ass film with a unique identity and a great film about the struggle of revolution.

Now we have to decide what the biggest snub for 2013 is. The nominees this year were:

• 12 Years a Slave
• American Hustle
• Gravity
• The Great Gatsby
• Her

We had a bunch of interesting answers: Carol's melancholic 1950s New York, the room-turned-prison in Room, Zhenyuan-era China as seen in The Assassin, the unique stopmotion design and animation in Anomalisa, and even the new planets and recreations of places like the Millennium Falcon and Jakku in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. But it seems like people were on a gothic kick as Guillermo del Toro's pseudo-precursor to Frankenstein - Crimson Peak - won, as nominated by u/Dragonstone-Citizen (Production Design by Thomas E. Sanders, Set Decoration by Michael Madden and Russell Moore).

Guillermo del Toro's love for gothic horror is very well and it figures that for his first proper gothic horror film, Thomas E. Sanders - who was nominated for another gothic horror film with Bram Stoker's Dracula - would help del Toro create that vision. Del Toro for better or for worse is not a subtle director and the influence of Dracula and other haunted mansion stories for this film is undeniable. While story remains a weak point, you can't deny the imagination and creativity he always puts into his vision, even if it is somewhat familiar. The fabric for drapes and carpets, the candlelights, the webbing and blood used, it's a love letter to a bygone era of horror - emphasis on love

Now we have to decide what the biggest snub of 2014 is. The nominees this year were:

• The Grand Budapest Hotel
• The Imitation Game
• Interstellar
• Into the Woods
• Mr. Turner

Ftr, I am the person calling HR

A pretty interesting round with Silence's recreation of 16th Century Edo, Japan and The Love Witch's throwback to 60s technicolor being possible winners. But it was u/sinecdockey239's nomination for The Handmaiden that won in the end.

My personal favorite Park Chan-wook film, if you're looking at the stills of this film but for some reason have still not seen it I honestly have no idea what you're waiting for. I almost don't even want to discuss some of the sets and production used for fear of giving light spoilers, this really is a film you should come in knowing next to nothing as I did.

What I can say is the recreation of post-war Korea is not only intricately detailed and from all accounts period-accurate, but gorgeous to look at. Yet like the film, how it evolves as the film progresses is different from any Asian period drama film I've ever seen. Again, can't get into spoilers but just know if you're expecting a traditional period drama, well...get ready is all I can say.

Now we have to decide what the biggest snub of 2015 is. The nominees this year were:

• Bridge of Spies
• The Danish Girl
• Mad Max: Fury Road
• The Martian
• The Revenant

We had another blowout

While there were votes for our first Indian blockbuster with Baahubali 2, the gothic horror of The Beguiled, and the rather ingenious suggestion of Paddington, nothing was beating Phantom Thread as nominated by u/Crazy-Treacle-3536 (Production Design by Mark Tildesley, Set Decoration by Mark Bridges and Veronique Melery).

Looking back, it's a bit odd to think that - given how acclaimed it was and how much of a critical darling PTA is - Phantom Thread was surprisingly weak that award season.

While Daniel Day-Lewis got into every major precursor, the film blanks at PGAs, it doesn't get Best Picture or Best Director at the BAFTAs, Golden Globes, and Critics' Choice, and Lesley Manville only got a BAFTA nom prior to her Oscar nomination. In a different timeline, it's possible this would've only gotten Oscar nominations for Costume, Score and Lead Actor.

For once, it was the Oscars that was more generous towards this film but there are still areas it should've been nominated. Aside for a Lead Actress for Vicky Krieps, Original Screenplay, and Cinematography (this also won as the Biggest Snub for Cinematography in 2017), this absolutely should've gotten Production Design. As the only period piece PTA has done so far not set in America, it's perhaps his most impressive film production-wise not named There Will Be Blood.

From the mansion Reynolds lives in and all the flooring, furniture, and wallpaper to the recreation of 1950s London - down to even procuring lighting that help better resemble post-war London - it's the type of detail befitting of an auteur like PTA. We've seen films before about extravagent, rich people living in gilded cages before (Sofia Coppola and Pablo Larrain have made it their MO), but this is nothing to scoff.

Now we have to decide what the biggest snub of 2016 is and oh boy is this going to be an interesting round, especially when the (curious) nominees this year were:

• Arrival
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
• Hail, Caesar!
• La La Land
• Passengers

Another clear winner this time. The cosmic horror of Annihilation, the wuxia epic of Shadow, the neon cities of Long Day's Journey Into Night, and the abstract German bleakness of Suspiria, all of these got support. But we have our first animated film winner with Isle of Dogs, once again nominated by u/PTAGoatofalltime (Production Design by Adam Stockhausen and Paul Harrod, Set Decoration by Cristina Acuña)

As stated before, animation is eligible for production design, and as with cinematography, it's often overlooked in favor of live-action. And it's a shame that not even one stop-motion film has never been nominated considering how much time and effort goes into stop-motion.

Wes Anderson has been one of the few directors to regularly use the technique in his films, both animated and live-action. It's an understatement to say it's perfect for his style but beyond aesthetic, I'd argue this film mirrors his storytelling the best. Conceptually and even at a glance, it's a cute, innocent-looking film. But as with all Wes Anderson films delve deeper and you'll notice it's rather ugly, and melancholic. If nothing else, only Wes Anderson could make an absurd fascist Japan and a bunch of stray dogs roaming around an island of trash beautiful, while keeping rough and ugly elements. And what's more Wes Anderson that than?

Now we have to decide what the biggest snub of 2018 is. The nominees this year were:

• Beauty and the Beast
• Blade Runner 2049
• Darkest Hour
• Dunkirk
• The Shape of Water