No Oscars category breakdown today, but I still have several films to add to the official 2021 canon with reviews before the process is truly complete. In a previous installment of "Back Row Thoughts," we looked at three movies where their leads were nominated for Best Actress. So why not continue recapping highlighted films that … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – The Make-Up Makeup Blitz
I think if I ever got to be a part of the Academy, I'd probably end up in the Writers Branch, as that's my biggest forte, and you never know when you'll be lucky enough to sell a screenplay that actually gets an insane amount of recognition and praise. But if there was some sort … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2022 – Live Action Short
We're three weeks from Oscar Night, and the ripple effect from the bullshit decision to essentially cancel eight categories continues. Screen Rant reported over the weekend something that I had pretty much already guessed, that the decision really came from the corporate overlords at ABC and Disney. What I didn't know is just how callous … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2022 – Sound
The underlying conceit of a thriller can make or break the quality of the overall film. When you're trying to get an audience to buy into the level of suspense, it's crucial that the contrivances be kept to a respectable minimum so that we can suspend disbelief. Last fall, director Phillip Noyce, who's done everything … Continue reading Run Through the Forest, Run! – The Desperate Hour
Man, it's been a while, hasn't it? I covered the vast majority of the Academy's shortlist for Documentary Feature nearly two months ago. And even after that, I watched two of the three remaining films within a couple of days. There was just one left, which OF COURSE also got nominated, and I couldn't watch … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – I’ve Got a Little List, Part 4
Since I made the decision to break down the major categories on my YouTube channel (I Actually Paid to See This, subscribe please!), I've been struggling to figure out how to give you all, my beloved readers, something unique to go along with the video content. I mean, you can just watch the clip to … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2022 – Best Actor
I've said it before, I'll say it again. The Shorts are my absolute favorite part of the Oscar Blitz. There's just something so fun about sitting in a theatre and watching five films in a row, all with different themes, styles, and stories, and then figuring out a way to compare apples to oranges with … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2022 – Animated Short
I'm knee deep in the annual Oscar Blitz, one that has been marred by the Academy's flabbergasting decision to relegate over a third of the categories to a pre-taped ceremony. So what better time than now to highlight the absolute crap coming in the month of March that the ruling corporate powers would rather pay … Continue reading This Film is Not Yet Watchable – March 2022
I've been an editor in one form or another since I was 16 years old, literally more than half my life. Whether it was a school project, my nascent YouTube channel, or over 10 years of professional experience in sports and live television, it's a skill set that has been a part of me ever … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2022 – Film Editing
I Actually Paid To See This 