More than any other category in the Academy Awards, this is the one I always feel least qualified to analyze. This is because I know fuck all about the practicalities of the craft. I have had makeup put on me before, including by professional HMU artists. But I am so basic my pH level is … Continue reading Oscar Blitz 2024 – Makeup & Hairstyling
As previously mentioned, in two years' time the Oscars will be back up to 24 categories, as the Academy will introduce an award for Best Casting. I very much look forward to this new aspect of my annual obsession. But I have to admit, it's felt odd for the last few years to only have … Continue reading Oscar Blitz 2024 – Sound
As we come ever so much nearer to closing the book on 2023 cinema, it is time to return to the realm of documentaries. I've already covered the Documentary Feature category on the Oscar Blitz, including my admission of defeat in my annual quest to clear the shortlist, having come up one short. I did … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – Witness to Truth, Part Two
As I write this, there are less than 48 hours until the voting deadline for the Independent Spirit Awards, and I have... seven more films to watch so that I can make as informed a choice as possible. Nothing like waiting until the last minute, eh? I feel like I'm back in high school writing … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – The Spirit Stragglers, Part Two
We're at the end of our first full week of Blitz coverage, and I have earned myself a nap and a night off. As such, the plan goes that every week I will include a video breakdown of one of the categories. You can see the draw of those special fields in the Hub post … Continue reading Oscar Blitz 2024 – Adapted Screenplay (VIDEO)
Before we get to tonight's breakdown, we actually have some fresh Oscars news to report. The Academy surprised the press today by announcing a new category! Starting two years from now, with the 98th annual ceremony, we will have an award for Casting! This is very intriguing, as there's been an official Casting Directors Branch … Continue reading Oscar Blitz 2024 – Documentary Feature
Last year, the Best Actor category was one of the most exciting for the Oscars. You had a legitimate three-way race between Colin Farrell, Austin Butler, and eventual winner Brendan Fraser. You also got a bit of a reprieve from the coronation ceremony for Everything Everywhere All at Once - assuming you wanted one - … Continue reading Oscar Blitz 2024 – Best Actor
Ten years ago, a monumental film came out that took the world by storm, racking up a ton of Oscar wins, and while it appropriately lost to Spotlight for Best Picture, it remains one of the greatest movies of the 21st Century. I'm speaking of course, about Mad Max: Fury Road, a seminal achievement in … Continue reading Oscar Blitz 2024 – Costume Design
If you've followed this process for any decent length of time, you know two things about me. One is that I go out of my way to see as many submissions for International Feature as I possibly can. The second is that I get extremely annoyed when any category at the Academy Awards is taken … Continue reading Oscar Blitz 2024 – International Feature
It's been said time and time again that great writers simply write what they know. If we extend the old adage to screenwriter Jason Fuchs, who penned Matthew Vaughn's latest, Argylle, then we're left to assume that all he knows is spy movie clichés. At minimum the basic ideas of "plot" and "character" may be … Continue reading Kitty Litter – Argylle
I Actually Paid To See This 