The countdown to the 97th Academy Awards is officially underway, and in 48 hours, I'll begin the Oscar Blitz in earnest with the first category breakdown. However, there's still one major block of movies that I haven't really discussed yet, the shortlist for International Feature. Of the 15 films, I've already seen 14, and the … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – Jet-Setting, Part One
It's that time again, folks. The pre-Blitz is on! This morning, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed their shortlists in 10 of the 23 categories for next year's Oscars. As always, I'll provide links to any relevant reviews I've done on these semifinalist selections, as well as any top line reactions I … Continue reading One Long and 10 Shorts of It – 97th Academy Awards Shortlists Announced
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 time! It's here! It's... (cue Monty Python's Flying Circus theme) THE OSCAR BLITZ! Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, and everyone in between, this is the moment we've all been waiting for. This morning, Zazie Beetz and Jack Quaid announced the nominees for the 96th Academy Awards. As the action unfolded, phones across the … Continue reading Atomic BLITZ! – 96th Academy Award Nominations Revealed!
The first major mile marker for next year's Oscars has finally been crossed. Today, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released their shortlists in 10 of the 23 categories. Participating branches and members have been viewing submissions, attending bake-offs, and voting for the past few weeks, and now the semifinalists have been revealed. … Continue reading Moving On to the Pre-Blitz – 96th Academy Awards Shortlists
We come to it at long last. Tomorrow the Academy will announce the shortlists in multiple categories, including International Feature. I've done my best to be as comprehensive as possible in watching and analyzing everything I could find, but I didn't accomplish all I wanted to. There were several private screenings that I got invites … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – The Gamblers
For the first time ever, I accomplished my goal of seeing the entire shortlist for International Feature. And trust me, it's quite the task, as this is the one category where even the most stalwart Oscar fanatic could be deprived of any chance to see a nominated film, or even a submitted one. According to … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2022 – International Feature
The moment has come at last. After a truncated year of eligibility, way too much hype for remakes, and for some reason a "documentary" about Billie Eilish, it is time to finally announce this year's nominees for the Academy Awards. I was up early (but not bright) at 5am Pacific Time to watch and react … Continue reading WAKE UP! IT’S TIME TO BLITZ! – 94th Academy Award Nominations
We've reached the final stage of the pre-Blitz with today's announcement of 10 shortlists for specialty categories for next year's Oscars. And as always, there are some truly baffling decisions made by the individual branches to go along with the more logical ones. From here on out it's nothing but hunting and viewing as I … Continue reading Your Dis is on My List – 94th Academy Award Shortlists!
Italy has been the most successful nation when it comes to the Oscar for International Feature in all its forms. The country has 14 wins from 31 nominations. Only France has more nods (40), but they have two fewer wins (12), so the Italians have the upper hand. Their last win came eight years ago … Continue reading Dramtis Personae – The Hand of God
I Actually Paid To See This 