The Oscar nominations were announced today, and I'm chomping at the bit for my annual blitz. But strangely, one set of nominees has been missing from this year's awards cycle, that of the Golden Raspberries, or Razzies, "celebrating" the year's worst achievements in film with a spray-painted statue worth just under $5. Normally, the Razzie … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts: I Bought a Razzie Vote!
Oscar nominations are just over a day away, and when they come down on Monday morning, five filmmakers are going to get the thrill of a lifetime, as their movie will be up for the Documentary Feature prize. Late last month, the Academy narrowed over 190 submissions down to a lucky 15, which were then … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – The 2019 Doc Feature Shortlist
At last we come to the end of our animated adventure. In this column I'll break down four more entries for next year's Oscar for Best Animated Feature. A grand total of 32 films were submitted, and I tracked down as many as I could, to the point that I've now seen 20 of the … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts: Toontown, Part 3
Good news, everyone! I was planning on this column being the conclusion of my pre-nomination coverage of the Animated Feature category. I did four movies last time, and the plan was for five tonight. However, we ain't done yet! Thanks to a surprise release and rentals on YouTube, I'll be able to do a third … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts: Toontown, Part 2
Ever since the submissions for the Oscar for Animated Feature were announced last month, the scramble has been on to see as many of these films as possible. The more commercial fare is easy, but there are a good deal of independent and foreign films in the mix as well, very few of which will … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts: Toontown, Part 1
This has been the quickest Oscar Blitz in the short history of me trying to pull this off. I'll almost certainly never complete the entire ceremony before nominations come out, but this year was about as close as you can get. Apart from the three short film categories, which were released as bloc screenings on … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts: The Good and the Bad in the Blitzing
Well folks, I finally did it. As of Monday I have completed the Documentary Feature shortlist. No matter which five films are nominated next Tuesday, I will have seen and processed them. It turns out that the reason I could see them all was through an Academy program called "Oscars Spotlight: Documentaries." It's a new … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – Achievement Unlocked!
There are 15 films that have been shortlisted for the Documentary Feature Oscar. When the list was announced, I had seen a grand total of three. I have endeavored each of the last two years to see all 15 potential nominees before they're announced at the end of January, as it tends to be a … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – The To-Doc List
As Awards Season kicks itself into high gear, there's an overwhelming glut of movies to watch, especially now, in the age of streaming services. Filmmakers and content creators from all over the world have more outlets than ever to get their work to the masses, and into consideration for the industry's highest honors. It's in … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts: Chillin’ with Netflix
My apologies for not updating over the last couple of weeks. I'm in the middle of a new assignment which has required long hours, so not only do I have limited time to write, but there's less and less time to actually see new movies. There are two new reviews coming this week, but in … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts: More Docs in the Stream
I Actually Paid To See This 