Every year the goal in the leadup to the Oscar Blitz is to see as many films as possible shortlisted by the Academy in various fields. It's not always possible, but I still make the attempt. Of the 10 categories that get these semifinal treatments, I was able to complete four of them, which is … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – Coming Up Short(list)
One of the better joys of being a movie buff is when you come across that oh so rare miracle that is a "so-bad-it's-good" picture. Whether it's The Room, Sleepwalkers, or any number of others, there is an unbridled giddiness in seeing a flick that is god awful on every possible metric, but because it's … Continue reading It Stings! – The Beekeeper
We are in the 11th hour. By the time most of you read this, the Academy will have announced the nominees for the 96th Oscars. As I'm writing, we're but nine or so away, and while I obsess over this, I have no intention of getting up before dawn to see the live reveal. I … Continue reading DownStream – The Big Red N-velope, Part Four: The Main Event
So as I've mentioned more than a few times, I ponied up the dough to join Film Independent about a year ago. The membership fee was more than worth it, as it afforded me access to private screenings and discounts for a ton of indie and foreign films in the lead-up to this year's Oscar … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – The Spirit Stragglers, Part One
We're but a few more days away from this year's Oscar nominations, and as such, it's time to continue our marathon through Netflix's "For Your Consideration" campaign (click here for Part One and Part Two of this mini-series). I have to admit this marketing strategy doesn't make all that much sense to me, as the … Continue reading DownStream – The Big Red N-velope, Part Three: The Undercard
I admit that I can be a bit defensive about some classic movies. When something has been made truly spectacularly, to the point that one might call it "magic," it becomes pretty sacrosanct to me. Such is the case with the likes of Blazing Saddles or It's a Wonderful Life, both of which have had … Continue reading Oh Fudge! – Wonka
With less than a week until Oscar nominations are announced, it's time to continue the look back at the deluge of films that Netflix is promoting in hopes of Academy honors. Part One of this series dealt with two films that made it to the Documentary Feature shortlist. Tonight, we deal with Animated Feature. As … Continue reading DownStream – The Big Red N-velope, Part Two: Animation
It can be difficult business to give a real-life figure the cinematic treatment. Ideally you want a subject that's compelling on a human level as well as a dramatic one. It's a delicate balance to maintain. Some people who may be superficially interesting may not be worth rooting for, either as a hero or a … Continue reading Stalled Out – Ferrari
Every year I make it a personal mission to not just see all of the eventual Oscar nominees in each category, but wherever possible, to clear the entire shortlist of semifinalists. This began several years ago with my first attempt to view all 15 films vying for Documentary Feature, and the goal has remained ever … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – Witness to Truth, Part One
We're just over a week away from nominations for the 96th Academy Awards, and as usual, I've been going into overdrive to clear as many potential candidates as possible. As such, I have a huge backlog of reviews to get through between now and then, including the final two theatrical releases I saw in calendar … Continue reading DownStream – Early Blitz Hopefuls
I Actually Paid To See This 