The Independent Spirit Awards may take place right before the Oscars, but they’re no less exciting. And unlike this year’s Academy Awards, the Spirit Awards actually had a host — the head witch of dry comedy herself, Aubrey Plaza. And for her cold open, she enlisted the help of a seriously wicked group of actresses to join her in honoring the independent “spirits.”
Mira Sorvino, Christina Ricci, Marisa Tomei, Marcia Gay Harden, and Sharon Stone teamed up as the baddest coven in history, and Plaza led them in an incantation in a spooky cave. As they are reciting “Mondo Trasho” (the name of John Waters’ first film, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year), they are rudely interrupted by Brian Tyree Henry (Atlanta, If Beale Street Could Talk), who calls their ritual “some fucked up white girl shit.” Plaza sighs, and explains that they’re trying to “banish shitty sequels and lazy reboots.” Ricci demands that the virgin sacrifice take place, and Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard is escorted out to meet his doom, who would like us all to know that he is not a virgin.
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The cold open is worth watching in full, but we especially love how these women hilariously exemplify the best in independent cinema. Harden draws out the sacrificial dagger, which was “forged from the gold of [her] Oscar,” and uses it to bless “limited theatrical releases and modest success.” There are wonderful indie films that tell poignant stories with powerful acting performances, but they often go unnoticed by the mainstream. When we watch the Oscars, we’ll keep in mind some of the smaller movies that we love just as much. You can watch the cold open below.