As we get closer to nominations and the full Oscar Blitz, the quest to clear out as many potential contenders as possible continues unabated. If you look on Netflix's FYC page (you can google it, I'm not giving them extra traffic), you'll notice five animated features that they've put their marketing weight behind. One of … Continue reading DownStream – TUDUM! Part Two: Some Animation
A large part of what made Denis Villeneuve's 2021 Dune remake so special was its sense of scale. Through its amazing use of cinematography, editing, and inspired visual effects (done for about half the budget of your average Marvel movie), the film truly gave viewers a sense of what the world of Arrakis could be … Continue reading Welcome to the World – Dune: Part Two
I'm not gonna lie, folks. I had almost no motivation to do the column this month. My mom's passing hit a lot harder than I thought it would, even though I knew the moment was coming for the last three years. I thought that extra time to prepare might dull the impact, but it didn't. … Continue reading This Film is Not Yet Watchable – May 2023
When I randomly saw Clifford the Big Red Dog last year, I remarked that the film was incredibly flawed, especially in the CGI design of the titular giant cuddle pup, but that none of it really mattered because the little children in the audience were enraptured the entire way. The movie didn't offer anything beyond … Continue reading Musical Scales – Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile
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
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
While the Oscars are the main event of Awards Season, there's still a good deal of information to gather along the way for those trying to win their office pools. Just about every major production branch has its own union that votes on internal awards, but the big four in this regard are the unions … Continue reading Acting! Genius! – 28th Annual Screen Actors Guild Nominees
When I reviewed The Trial of the Chicago 7 last year, I made note of a lot of the creative hallmarks of Aaron Sorkin's career, both positive and negative. But there was one element I left out of the equation, mostly because it wasn't relevant to that particular film. He has a somewhat elitist penchant … Continue reading WAAAAHHHH! – Being the Ricardos
Through a combination of luck, increased distribution, and me just being an obsessive, I've been able to get an amazing head start on the International Feature category for next year's Oscars. Often the hardest category to finish, thanks to Academy rules that do not mandate domestic screening, this year I've been able to track down … Continue reading DownStream – Around the World, Part 1
As I mentioned in October's edition of "This Film is Not Yet Watchable," the new version of Dune is that ultra-rare film that not only clears the bar to pass my personal "Remake Rule," it offered multiple reasons to outright endorse the effort, at least from what I could see in the trailer. You have … Continue reading Grand Scale, Small Voices – Dune
I Actually Paid To See This 