Four years ago, Gianfranco Rosi's documentary, Fire at Sea, was submitted by Italy to compete for what is now called International Feature at the Academy Awards. It didn't get nominated in that category, but it did get a nod for Documentary Feature. History seems to be possibly repeating itself now with his follow-up feature, Notturno … Continue reading Nearly Silent Night – Notturno
Damn, this has been a busy week so far, and it's only Thursday. Awards Season got itself into full swing basically overnight, and already I'm doing my best to keep up. For example, over the last 48 hours I've been trying to get a handle on foreign films in anticipation of the Academy's announcement of … Continue reading Spirit Fingers, Everyone! – 36th Independent Spirit Nominations
I was starting to get a little antsy waiting for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to start announcing the submissions for this year's Oscars. I know everything got pushed back by two months, but we're less than two weeks from the shortlist announcements, and thus far we haven't seen a whit of … Continue reading I Love it When You Submit – 93rd Oscars Specialty Feature Submissions!
The idea of a film detailing the misadventures of men going through a midlife crisis is nothing new. In American cinema alone, it's had a wide range of success and quality, from the Hangover trilogy to basically everything Adam Sandler and David Spade have done since they left Saturday Night Live. But just because the … Continue reading Life Has a Two Drink Minimum – Another Round
As I mentioned yesterday in my 2020 recap, the upcoming Oscar Blitz will likely be the most difficult I've ever attempted, mostly because the pandemic has introduced a host of variables about accessibility of nominees, particularly in the specialty categories. The deadline for submitting was on December 1, and as of yet there's been no … Continue reading Overtaking Parasite – 93rd Oscars International Feature Submissions
Let's just state the plain and honest truth. 2020 was the shittiest year any of us have experienced. Everything closed, Donald Trump tried to lead an insurrection, and 1 out of every 1,000 Americans died from a virus that could have been mitigated - if not contained - if we had a competent government response … Continue reading The Best (and Worst) of 2020, Way After the Fact
Here's a bit of breaking news. I can be a cynical asshole at times. I can hear your shocked gasps through the internet itself at this stunning revelation. But it's true, especially as we get closer to Awards Season. With the Academy's timetable shifted back by two months, we're just now getting to the point … Continue reading Silence Like a Cancer Grows – Sound of Metal
Before I delve into the steaming pile of "meh" that is The Midnight Sky, let me first preface by saying that I am a huge fan of George Clooney. I've followed his career for most of my life. He's the only reason I saw any episodes of ER (just not a fan of medical dramas … Continue reading Clooney Goes 0-for-4 in Space – The Midnight Sky
One of the most profound films I've ever seen is 1998's After Life, a Japanese film (original title Wonderful Life) directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, the auteur behind 2018 Palme d'Or winner and Oscar nominee Shoplifters. In this glorious exercise in self-reflexive cinema and existentialism, a group of social workers operates a way-station between life and … Continue reading Life After Death After Death – Dick Johnson is Dead
When I first heard there was going to be a sequel to The Croods coming out in 2020, I admit I was a bit surprised. I remember liking the original well enough, but I figured that the fact there wasn't an instant follow-up, like so many animation studios do, meant that the property didn't get … Continue reading Unevolved, But Inoffensive – The Croods: A New Age
I Actually Paid To See This 