It's been a hell of a ride, folks. Between wildfires, delayed nominations, the myriad controversies surrounding the leading candidate, and the recent tragic passing of Gene Hackman that won't make the In Memoriam montage because there's not enough time to recut the whole thing, this has been one of the most tumultuous run-ups to the … Continue reading Oscar Blitz 2025 – Best Picture (VIDEO)
The Supporting categories have been in an odd sort of flux for the past few years, mostly because we seem to be unclear on what "supporting" actually means. In theory and literal title, this is an award for a performance in a supporting role. They supplement the leading characters and complement the story without taking … Continue reading Oscar Blitz 2025 – Supporting Actress
I miss acting. Like many people, I once harbored dreams of being a movie star, but I also knew that I'd never be a leading man. That was the realm of beautiful people like Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, and for some reason in the 70s and 80s, Gary Busey. That was never going to be … Continue reading Oscar Blitz 2025 – Best Actor
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
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
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
There are some years where the Academy Awards are just downright boring when it comes to the so-called "major" categories. Best Picture, Best Director, the two Screenplay fields, and all four Acting contests are susceptible to this disappointment. During the very low era during and immediately following the COVID pandemic, we saw this far too … Continue reading Oscar Blitz 2025 – Supporting Actor (VIDEO)
The time has come, ladies and germs! At the ass crack of dawn this morning, and with significant portions of Los Angeles County still on fire, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences brought out Bowen Yang and Rachel Sennot to announce this year's Oscar nominees. I myself did NOT watch the proceedings live, … Continue reading No Huddle BLITZ! – 97th Academy Awards Nominations
If there's one thing about my upbringing for which I'll be forever grateful, it's that my mother raised me on great music. I grew up in the 80s and 90s, and while I certainly found my favorites in those sets (my first "jams" were Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again" and Guns 'n Roses' "Paradise City," … Continue reading You Got Nothing to Lose – A Complete Unknown
I Actually Paid To See This 