The second year of the Oscar Blitz on this blog has been a wild ride, and I thank each and every one of my readers for taking it with me. Tomorrow's the big night, and after five weeks of in-depth analysis and general shit-talk, it's time to put my non-existent money where my loud mouth … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2019 – Who Will Win?
With a name like "Production Design," it would sound like this would be a catch-all category for all the technical elements of a film production. But really, that's what Best Picture is supposed to be for. The producers get that award for the best overall production, ostensibly. Production Design, on the other hand, is a … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2019 – Production Design
The Original Song category carries the suggested caveat that the nominated numbers be considered within the contexts of their respective films. The Original Score category, however, outright requires it. Because, you know, that's the point. One of the cool bits about this category is the way it's evolved over the years. It actually currently sits … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2019 – Original Score
Most of the time when I do these breakdowns it's with the intent of being as objective as possible without truly prognosticating on the result. But this year, the Original Song category is one where I just can't pretend. We all know what's going to happen. "Shallow," fromĀ A Star is Born, is almost certainly going … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2019 – Original Song
The Academy tends to favor period pieces with this award, and there's no shortage of options this year. Two films fall under the traditional "European Royalty" subgenre that has seen many a winner, as well as a Western anthology with several different creative outfits. There's also a motif from 75 years ago, and a fantasy … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2019 – Costume Design
It's time! It's finally time! Time to debate and debase the thinking of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, because the nominees for the 91st Oscars have arrived! Will I have to scramble to see multiple films I missed over the course of 2018? Will it just be a casual trip to the … Continue reading 3, 2, 1, BLITZ! – 91st Academy Award Nominees Announced!
Now that the Golden Globes are out of the way, and Awards Season is in full swing, it's time for the rest of the minor ceremonies to announce their nominees. We've already had the Independent Spirit and SAG nods for a while, but in the last few days we've also accumulated announcements from the Writers … Continue reading Let the Undercard Bouts Begin! – Guild and BAFTA Nominees Announced
As I've made abundantly clear on this blog, I am not a fan of the Golden Globe Awards or the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, due to the methods they use, substituting bribery for critical thought, and acting as a marketing tool for films no one gets to see before the nominees are announced. That said, … Continue reading Let’s All Get Drunk and Clap – 76th Golden Globe Awards Results
I saw 111 new films in 2018 between the theatre and streaming services. Eleventy-one movies, eleventy-one reviews, either stand-alone or in groups. Eleventy-one chances to thrill, to laugh, to cry, and to outright despise. It's been a hell of a run this first year, and we're still not done. There are still plenty of movies … Continue reading The Best (and Worst) of 2018
Let's get the main point out of the way first. By rights, this movie shouldn't even exist. As much as we all loved the originalĀ Mary Poppins film from 1964, as much as it informed our youths, the author of the books, P.L. Travers utterly hated the adaptation of her source material, to the point that … Continue reading Shit Shittery, Shit Shittery, Shit Shit Shitty – Mary Poppins Returns
I Actually Paid To See This 