The Brokeback Redemption, er, I Mean, Shawshank Mountain – Great Freedom

Well, everyone, mission accomplished. With the successful viewing of Austria's Oscar submission, Great Freedom, which opened in American cinemas this weekend, I have finally achieved a goal I've been trying to manage for several years. With this final entry in 2021's canon, I have watched the entirety of the Academy's 15-film shortlist for International Feature! … Continue reading The Brokeback Redemption, er, I Mean, Shawshank Mountain – Great Freedom →

Oscar Gold 2022 – Best Actress

While it's often thought of as the most glamorous award of the evening, Best Actress is often a category that gets underserved. This is mostly due to two main factors. One, as I've mentioned before, there's a marketing strategy that I refer to as the Best Actress Showcase, where a film is specifically made to … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2022 – Best Actress →

Oscar Gold 2022 – Documentary Feature

The purpose of any documentary film - regardless of subject matter - is the search for truth. It's the entire point of nonfiction storytelling, to deal in facts, to educate, to highlight elements of our world that deserve to be seen and appreciated, even if we don't agree with the overall point being made. That's … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2022 – Documentary Feature →

The Knight is Still Young – The Batman

If you were to tell me in a vacuum that Robert Pattinson, Colin Farrell, Jeffrey Wright, and Paul Dano would be starring in a new movie directed by Matt Reeves, I would imagine that you'd be describing a cerebral, artsy exploration of the human condition through a distinctly animalistic lens. After all, ever since he … Continue reading The Knight is Still Young – The Batman →

Back Row Thoughts – The Make-Up Makeup Blitz

No Oscars category breakdown today, but I still have several films to add to the official 2021 canon with reviews before the process is truly complete. In a previous installment of "Back Row Thoughts," we looked at three movies where their leads were nominated for Best Actress. So why not continue recapping highlighted films that … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – The Make-Up Makeup Blitz →

Oscar Gold 2022 – Live Action Short

I think if I ever got to be a part of the Academy, I'd probably end up in the Writers Branch, as that's my biggest forte, and you never know when you'll be lucky enough to sell a screenplay that actually gets an insane amount of recognition and praise. But if there was some sort … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2022 – Live Action Short →

Oscar Gold 2022 – Sound

We're three weeks from Oscar Night, and the ripple effect from the bullshit decision to essentially cancel eight categories continues. Screen Rant reported over the weekend something that I had pretty much already guessed, that the decision really came from the corporate overlords at ABC and Disney. What I didn't know is just how callous … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2022 – Sound →

Run Through the Forest, Run! – The Desperate Hour

The underlying conceit of a thriller can make or break the quality of the overall film. When you're trying to get an audience to buy into the level of suspense, it's crucial that the contrivances be kept to a respectable minimum so that we can suspend disbelief. Last fall, director Phillip Noyce, who's done everything … Continue reading Run Through the Forest, Run! – The Desperate Hour →

Back Row Thoughts – I’ve Got a Little List, Part 4

Man, it's been a while, hasn't it? I covered the vast majority of the Academy's shortlist for Documentary Feature nearly two months ago. And even after that, I watched two of the three remaining films within a couple of days. There was just one left, which OF COURSE also got nominated, and I couldn't watch … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – I’ve Got a Little List, Part 4 →

Oscar Gold 2022 – Best Actor

Since I made the decision to break down the major categories on my YouTube channel (I Actually Paid to See This, subscribe please!), I've been struggling to figure out how to give you all, my beloved readers, something unique to go along with the video content. I mean, you can just watch the clip to … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2022 – Best Actor →