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?
One of the guiding principles of the Academy process for movie music is a bit of a double-edged sword. For both Original Score and Original Song, the Music Branch never actually has to watch the movies for which the music has been submitted. Strictly speaking, they only have to hear snippets of the score and … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2020 – Original Song
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!
Last year the total was 111 new movies. This year it's 134. Part of the tally is because I basically didn't work for the first seven months of 2019, and even when I did start working, I didn't get full time hours on any job until November. Quite frankly, I nearly went bankrupt. But oddly … Continue reading The Best (and Worst) of 2019
The Academy Award nominations are just under a week away, and as the final preview, we now have the list of contenders for the major Hollywood labor unions and the British Film Academy! There's a lot to sift through, and as the results trickle in over the next few weeks, we'll get a lot of … Continue reading Unions, Jack! – BAFTA and Guild Nominations Announced!
I'm on record as very much NOT being a fan of the Golden Globes. The nomination process is a sham that borders on bribery, the entire ceremony is a glorified cocktail party so less than 100 journalists can rub elbows with celebrities and pretend they're part of the creative process, and the whole affair is … Continue reading Hey Netflix, Your Check Bounced – 77th Golden Globe Winners Revealed!
The next phase of Awards Season is on! This afternoon, the Academy announced its shortlists for nine categories, repeating the efficient method they started last year, rather than staggering out the lists like they had before. Not only do we get to see how far the fields have narrowed for International Feature, Documentary Feature, and … Continue reading Shorties Watching Shorties! – 92nd Academy Awards Shortlists Announced!
I am not a fan of the Golden Globes, apart from Ricky Gervais' biting jokes and monologues. Thankfully, he's hosting again next year, so at least I'll have a reason to fast forward through my roommate's DVR record. But apart from that, the Globes, and the organization that runs it - The Hollywood Foreign Press … Continue reading Congratulations, Your Checks Have Cleared – 77th Golden Globe Nominations Announced!
The Year of Our Ford 2019 is halfway complete, and so far the tally for me is 48 movies, one off the pace I had set by this point last year. Unlike last year, however, 2019 has been a decided step back in terms of cinema quality. There aren't too many great films, and most … Continue reading The 2nd Annual Oscs – Celebrating the Best (and Worst) of 2019 so far!
Growing up, there were two musicians who had the biggest initial influence in my development. Those were Billy Joel and Elton John. My early love of their piano skills and voices was the first spark that lit the fire of a lifelong love of rock music. From them I moved on to The Beatles, Aerosmith, … Continue reading I’m Still Standing and Applauding – Rocketman
I Actually Paid To See This 