Solo score disqualified from Oscars because someone missed the deadline

The Star Wars movies may not all be tremendous works of art, but one thing is for sure: the music by composer John Williams (and even Michael Giacchino for ROGUE ONE) is always top of the line. This even applies to SOLO, a movie that wasn’t perfect but had a terrific score by John Powell, and one that could even take a run at Best Original Score at Oscars (though its chances were nil). Now those chances are dashed like dust in the wind of a space vortex, and all because someone made an oopsie and missed the deadline. Mickey Mouse is currently whipping an intern for their insolence.

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Variety reports that the 300 members of the music branch of the Academy have about 150 scores to go over for the first-round of Oscar voting, and four scores have already been disqualified from the running. Unlike previous years, and as with other categories like Visual Effects, the Academy did not reveal a list of what scores have made the cut, but we do know which scores are certainly not getting awards attention: SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY, the Nicolas Cage movie MANDY, Oscar hopeful GREEN BOOK and the lost Orson Welles flick THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND.

The scores were all disqualified for violating certain Oscar guidelines, but the one for SOLO is the most unfortunate…and dumb. Simply put, someone forgot to turn in their homework on time. The deadline for the submissions was November 15, and word is the score was turned in past due. Perhaps those in charge of submission thought it was turned in along with other submissions (make-up, VFX, sound, etc.), and was simply mistaken and realized too late. Or, maybe, there was just confusion over whose job it was to handle this particular section. See, this is why you never give the top jobs to Jerry.

As for the other disqualified scores, there are some pretty understandable reasons as to why they won’t be getting that coveted Oscar love. In the case of GREEN BOOK, it was because much of the film’s score by Kris Bowers takes influence from a previous source material, in this case, the piano trio pieces from the movie’s subject and real-life musician Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali). In a thoughtful move, the compositions were transcribed and incorporated into the score by Bowers, but this move cost him an Oscar nomination. Though the movie is possibly a lock for Best Picture, here’s one Oscar we can count out of the mix.

Then there’s the hypnotic score for the psychedelic, acid-trip flick MANDY from composer Johann Johannsson, who passed away earlier this year. Though the score didn’t violate any source material rules, the Academy disqualified the score because the movie itself was released on VOD before getting an Oscar-qualifying theatrical run. Rules state the movie must be released in theaters prior to digital, so word is this score wasn’t even considered for a nomination. Shame, the music is quite good in this insane, mind-boggling little movie.

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Finally, there’s THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND, the once-lost final movie of famed director Orson Welles that Netflix released this year. The score from Oscar winner Michel Legrand was disqualified for reasons similar to GREEN BOOK, in that too much of the movie’s music is from unoriginal source material. But in this case it was all the music from then-modern hitmakers, a lot heard during a party scene that takes place during the movie. Word is Legrand composed two hours-worth of music for the movie, but only 40 minutes is used, compared to 60 minutes of licensed music.