I like to keep things simple. It's not that I can't do complicated stuff, it's just that I choose not to, at least in my free time. My actual work is detailed and heavily complex at times, and thankfully I love it, because it makes it so I barely notice just how hard it can … Continue reading Oscar Blitz 2025 – Makeup and Hairstyling (VIDEO)
I hadn't intended to use the preamble for these category breakdowns as a pretense for personal anecdotes, but sometimes it just works out that way. The annual Oscar Blitz always has a lot of ground to cover, and as I go on, I find myself getting into certain grooves where I'm just able to type … Continue reading Oscar Blitz 2025 – Adapted Screenplay
For years now the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has been attempting to find ways to improve their annual awards ceremony to draw in more viewers. They've tried adding pandering categories, removing categories from the telecast, emphasizing musical numbers (even for songs that aren't nominated), expanding the Best Picture field to 10 films, … Continue reading Oscar Blitz 2025 – International Feature
I am not a stylish man. Never have been, never will be. For my entire life, my wardrobe choices have been about comfort first and foremost, with adulthood allowing for a mix of fandom and snark through my t-shirt collection (which I recently halved by donating a bunch to Goodwill that I don't wear anymore). … Continue reading Oscar Blitz 2025 – Costume Design
I may have mentioned this before, but when I worked as an editor, especially my time at ESPN, there were a few areas where I was, shall we say, less than expert. One was color correction, adjusting various hues and lights in a shot to make them look as natural as possible. It was a … Continue reading Oscar Blitz 2025 – Sound
It's an unfortunate regularity in American life that whenever something goes wrong with kids in school, the first instinct is to find someone to blame. I'm not talking about serious and severe disasters like shootings, but more mundane things like fights or bad grades. Is it the parents' fault for not raising their child properly? … Continue reading Will Boys Be Boys? – Armand
A few weeks ago, I began my crash course through this year's Documentary Feature shortlist. I make it my mission every year to see all 15 semifinalists, preferably before Oscar nominations are announced. For the past few years, I've succeeded more times than not, and that includes the class of 2024. This is far from … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – The True Killers
For as long as I can remember, I've always loved a good story. Whether it was a bedtime story my mom made up, a book, or even a piece of well-written news copy, I am enchanted by a tale told well. I didn't really know how to express myself when I was younger, as I … Continue reading Oscar Blitz 2025 – Original Screenplay (VIDEO)
Usually, the Best Director contest is an easy one to parse and predict. Essentially, all we're asking is who had the best cinematic eye, who did the best job getting great performances out of their cast, and most importantly, who best executed the creative vision of the overall film? I normally get a bit of … Continue reading Oscar Blitz 2025 – Best Director
One of the most common rebuttals to film criticism is for the people being critiqued to haughtily write off those giving their opinion by saying they should just do it themselves. This has gone on for years, but it's resurfaced in recent days thanks to the blowback against Emilia Pérez, particularly its regressive and stereotypical … Continue reading Oscar Blitz 2025 – Cinematography
I Actually Paid To See This 