Ah, my favorite of the major categories, Original Screenplay. The world's best writers vie for supremacy with these weird things called original thoughts, stories, and dialogue. Or, at least, that's what it should be. These days it's more of a consolation prize for a Best Picture nominee that doesn't really have a chance to win … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2019 – Original Screenplay
Most of the time when I do these breakdowns it's with the intent of being as objective as possible without truly prognosticating on the result. But this year, the Original Song category is one where I just can't pretend. We all know what's going to happen. "Shallow," fromĀ A Star is Born, is almost certainly going … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2019 – Original Song
For some reason, this is still the only category that defaults to three nominees instead of five. I honestly don't get it. There are plenty of talented artists throughout the film industry who do incredible makeup work on a daily basis. I'd understand if once in a while there were only a few worthy films … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2019 – Makeup & Hairstyling
With the Screen Actors Guild Awards taking place last weekend, three of the four acting categories begin to take greater shape, including Supporting Actor. This year's field isn't as strong as it's been in previous years, and as such I think it's very possible that we've already got this one sewn up. Be that as … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2019 – Best Supporting Actor
Just like the Documentary branch of the Academy seems to have a seething vendetta against films that engage with mass audiences, so to do the Foreign Language voters seem to have an innate bias against one particular country. South Korea has been submitting off and on in this category since 1962, with 30 films put … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2019 – Foreign Language
As a writer who aspires one day to hear his name called by the Academy, I take special interest in the Screenplay categories. I prefer Original to Adapted, because if there's one thing Hollywood needs more than ever these days, it's original ideas. But the adaptation process is also fascinating in its own way, because … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2019 – Adapted Screenplay
The Academy tends to favor period pieces with this award, and there's no shortage of options this year. Two films fall under the traditional "European Royalty" subgenre that has seen many a winner, as well as a Western anthology with several different creative outfits. There's also a motif from 75 years ago, and a fantasy … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2019 – Costume Design
This year marks a return to form in the Sound categories. Almost every year there ends up being four films nominated in both fields, along with one outlier. Sometimes you get a 3/2 split, but that's a bit of a rarity. Last year had it's own bit of uncommon happenstance with the two categories having … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2019 – Sound Editing
It's time! It's finally time! Time to debate and debase the thinking of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, because the nominees for the 91st Oscars have arrived! Will I have to scramble to see multiple films I missed over the course of 2018? Will it just be a casual trip to the … Continue reading 3, 2, 1, BLITZ! – 91st Academy Award Nominees Announced!
Now that the Golden Globes are out of the way, and Awards Season is in full swing, it's time for the rest of the minor ceremonies to announce their nominees. We've already had the Independent Spirit and SAG nods for a while, but in the last few days we've also accumulated announcements from the Writers … Continue reading Let the Undercard Bouts Begin! – Guild and BAFTA Nominees Announced
I Actually Paid To See This 