In the midst of all the movies I've been watching, reviews I've been writing, and actual paid work I've been doing, my mind has been stewing for the last several months about what to do next on my YouTube channel. I came up with this idea about three months ago, and ever since it's been … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts: Review Roulette
I've been thinking about doing this for a while, and over the holiday weekend, I got my chance to devote the necessary uninterrupted hours and see it through. After a year of incorporating YouTube videos into the blog via TFINYW (not to mention my annual coverage of the Oscar Original Song category), as well as … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – I Did a Thing
The task is complete. After a few more days and three more viewings, I have finished all the feature length films that have gotten at least one Oscar nomination this year. All that remains are the Shorts, which will be released theatrically and online this coming Friday, April 2. Each of our final three films … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – Blitz Catch-Up, Part 3
The official Blitz starts tomorrow with a breakdown of the Documentary Feature category. However, we still have a few more movies to watch to actually be able to complete coverage. A couple days ago I posted Part 1 of this nine film mini-marathon, and now it's time for Part 2. Three more films to take … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – Blitz Catch-Up, Part 2
Now that the Oscar nominations are out, the annual Blitz is on in full effect. From the moment they were announced, I already had 13 of the 23 categories sewn up, enough for me to plan out my coverage on a tentative basis. I'll go over all that tomorrow, but suffice to say, when all … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – Blitz Catch-up, Part 1
One year. Literally, exactly, one year. On March 15, 2020, after the mayor of Los Angeles announced the city was shutting down due to the COVID outbreak, my then-girlfriend and I went out one last time to the movies together. We saw First Cow. There were two other couples in the theatre with us, for … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts: I’m Going Home
Time for a story! It's been almost a year to the day since the last time I was able to physically go to the movies. I know that inconvenience pales so much in comparison with the rest of the COVID tragedies that it might as well be albino, but that doesn't stop it from stinging. … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts: At the Drive-In
Miss me? Okay, you can put your hands down and stop kissing my ass, I know you weren't that badly. Also, hi mom! Anyway, the last few months have brought the film industry to a grinding halt, but thankfully, I have been able to do a little bit of viewing in the midst of the world … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – Festivals for the Intervals
Hey, you know what you've never seen before? An unqualified guy opining about the coronavirus! Totally original! I've tried to just take the whole thing in stride, but as the entire goddamn universe collapses around us, I feel compelled to at least say something, especially in regards to how it affects this blog and my coverage … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – Going Viral
I see as many movies as I can over the course of a calendar year, but it's an all but impossible task to see everything that might be considered for the Academy Awards. This was especially true for 2019, as I had to track down two International Feature nominees that hadn't been released stateside by … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – Digging for Oscar Gold
I Actually Paid To See This 