Hollywood is going into uncharted territory this awards season.  How you might ask?  It’s the first time the 5% rule will be implemented to determine how many best picture nominees will battle for Oscar’s biggest prize.  Brett Ratner  is officially co-producing the Academy Awards (it’s a bad dream right?) with Eddie “don’t call it another comeback” Murphy tapped to host for the first time.  And on a lighter note, the HFPA or Dick Clark Productions will attempt to put their legal case aside and survive a one-year agreement to co-produce the Golden Globes once again on NBC.  And that’s not even taking into account the drama in the crowded best actress race, yet another Scott Rudin vs. Harvey Weinstein best picture battle, Glenn Close’s last stand and Michael Fassbender’s out of the blue best actor candidacy.  That’s a lot for any awards pundit to cover or analyze and it’s just September.  So,  it’s with great pride that I announce our film and awards season coverage just received a major boost with the addition of In Contention to the HitFix family.

Many of you hardcore Oscar fans are well aware of Kris Tapley’s blog and the fantastic amount of year-round commentary, reviews and film news it provides.  Kris has spend the last six years fashioning In Contention into one of the most respected film blogs on the web.  Along with regular contributors Guy Lodge and Gerard Kennedy, In Contention has provided awards season and film coverage from across the globe standing by HitFix’s own efforts at Cannes, Comic-Con, Telluride and more.  

A fellow and longstanding member of MCN’s “Gurus of Gold,” Tapley is one of the smartest and level-headed awards season pundits on the scene.  He has a keen strategic eye for recognizing what the Academy will go for or not go for.  He also happens to have a great overall taste in movies (and not to mention a wry sense of humor fairly evident in his writing).   London-based Lodge is an impressive film critic and writer who brings a unique perspective from the other side of the pond.  Tapley and Lodge are the sort of engaging and conversation starting voices we’ve worked hard to recruit at HitFix.

The great thing about this new partnership is that Awards Campaign isn’t going away. The combined talents of both blogs will allow a unique and indepth perspective of awards season we believe you just can’t get anywhere else. If something is happening during awards season you’re going to hear about it on HitFix.  It’s that simple.

So, whether you’ve been a fan of myself or Drew McWeeny on the film side; Dan Fienberg, Alan Sepinwall or Liane Bonin Starr on the TV front or Melinda Newman or Katie Hasty on the music beat, we all hope you’ll give Tapley and his team a warm welcome when In Contention officially moves into its HitFix digs next week.

Kris has a tongue-in-cheek saying on In Contention. “No one needs awards season coverage this deep…”  Well ladies and gentlemen, it just got much deeper.