It's the middle of April, so why in God's name am I already doing batch reviews of animated films? Well, there are a few reasons. First is that I'm already super stoked for next year's Oscars. The Academy will be debuting its new category for Casting, and just to keep aficionados like me super hyped, … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – Animation Mythologization
Two thirds of the year is officially in the books, and with the changing of the seasons for the planet comes the changing of the seasons for the multiplex. The Summer Blockbuster period is over, and starting now, we're into Awards Season. Normally this would be kicked off with the Emmy Awards, but the various … Continue reading This Film is Not Yet Watchable – September 2023
Christopher Nolan has made his name as a filmmaker through two basic avenues. One is his Dark Knight trilogy of movies featuring Batman. The other is in complex narratives that play on the elasticity of cinema itself to tell high-concept stories out of sequence or in ways that mess with basic timeline structure (Memento, Inception, … Continue reading Theory and Praxis – Oppenheimer
My dear readers, we come to it at last. The big one. The mamma jamma. The reason any of us still pay attention to any of this - Best Picture. Ten films are up for the highest honor in cinema, but only one will walk away with the prize. That is, assuming the presenters don't … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2022 – Best Picture
We're down to just two remaining categories, and tonight might be the most important one to break down, as it's the only one of the so-called "major" categories that has any legitimate intrigue to it. Yet another reason why The Academy - and really Disney - are complete dicks for hacking a third of the … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2022 – Original Screenplay
With a week to go before the Academy Awards, it's time once again to go over all the other major ceremonies of Awards Season. This will give us our best indicators of how the big night might shake out. All the major guilds have had their say, as well as the BAFTAs and Independent Spirit … Continue reading News: Awards Season Round-Up
I had initially planned to do a YouTube video for this category as well as the four acting fields and Best Picture. After all, the director is the ultimate creative force behind a successful film. It's their vision for the material that's ultimately realized through their ability to frame shots, wring the best performances they … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2022 – Best Director
I didn't watch Kenneth Branagh's 2017 remake of Murder on the Orient Express, for two main reasons. One, the original 1974 adaptation by Sidney Lumet is, to me, one of the greatest mystery films ever made, and Albert Finney's performance as Hercule Poirot was absolutely flawless. Two, while I am a fan of Branagh's, the … Continue reading Come Slay Away – Death on the Nile
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're in the home stretch, folks. In five days, we will know where the Academy stands, and the Oscar nominations will be announced. Before that happens, however, we have one last entry into the Awards Season undercard, the most prestigious ceremony for our friends across the Pond, the BAFTAs. Now obviously, being more Anglo-centric than … Continue reading I Say, Good Show – 75th BAFTA Nominations
I Actually Paid To See This 