Tonight's the big night. The Academy Awards are mere hours away! But before we walk down our proverbial red carpet, there's one more set of hardware to hand out. Last night, the indies took center stage, with the 35th Annual Film Independent Spirit Awards. Full results plus a video of Aubrey Plaza's opening monologue are … Continue reading One More to Go – Independent Spirit Awards Results!
It's been a long Blitz, getting from there to here. There being the nominations and here being the annual official prediction blog! We're just over 48 hours away from handing out the hardware, and while I've spent the last 24 days giving my opinions on who should win, it's time to put my proverbial money in … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2020 – Who Will Win?
We come to it at last. Twenty-four days straight, no breaks, one category after another. And now, there's just one more to go, the big one, Best Picture. Now, because I cannot just let things be easy, I have a completely convoluted process for determining my rankings in this field. This is for two reasons. … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2020 – Best Picture
I'm gonna get on my soapbox for just a second and say that I am so sick and tired of complaints about Best Director being an all-male field. I don't know the current membership of the Academy's Directors Branch, but it goes without saying that it's a boys club. It has been for a long … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2020 – Best Director
We're six days away from the Academy Awards, and at this point, the prep work is just about complete. With the exception of the Independent Spirit Awards, which take place this Saturday and due to their nature can only have a mild effect on the outcome, Awards Season is essentially in the books. All that's … Continue reading Getting Ready for the Main Event – BAFTA and Guild Awards Results!
Strictly speaking, the award for Production Design is meant to be limited to the interior design of a film, namely the sets, props, and overall decoration. But in the case of our nominees this year, it has to be said that "interior" doesn't quite cover it. Each of the five films selected here have a … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2020 – Production Design
Every year I strive to see all nominees in all categories. This year, that lofty goal was long in doubt, due to the one category that does not require films to be screened locally at all, the newly renamed International Feature. Most films submitted to the Academy have a fairly standard keystone eligibility rule, and … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2020 – International Feature
This is the rare year in the Academy that Original Screenplay is the lesser of the two Writing categories. And it's not just in the quality of writing, but in the competition for the prize. Almost certainly the award will come down to Sam Mendes vs. Quentin Tarantino. One will win here, the other will … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2020 – Original Screenplay
Editing is more than just piecing all the various shots together. It's about incorporating video, sound, special effects, music, and color into one seamless whole. Whatever disparate elements go in to a production, it all comes together in the edit room. I know this first-hand, as I've done professional edit work since 2006, mostly in … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2020 – Film Editing
The moment has come at last. Over 300 films were submitted for this year's Oscars, and now the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has had their say. After weeks and months of anticipation, conjecture, campaigning, and outright nail-biting on my part, we finally have our list of contenders across 24 categories. Issa Rae … Continue reading Put on Your Blitzin’ Shoes! – 92nd Academy Awards Nominations Announced!
I Actually Paid To See This 