There are fleeting moments of brilliance in Sam Mendes' latest film, Empire of Light, in particular those that allow its chief actors, Olivia Colman and Michael Ward, to show off their talents. The combination of wistfulness in Colman and aspiration in Ward is particularly strong, as both characters represent the same desires and insecurities we … Continue reading Focus. FOCUS! – Empire of Light
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!
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
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!
It's amazing how something plain and simple can expand into something beyond belief or control. It happens every day. A rumor spreads fast and loose, ballooning into an outright scandal. A traffic accident at the wrong time and place can escalate into a humongous multi-car pileup. A moment of levity from a mother and a … Continue reading The March of War! – 1917
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!
I Actually Paid To See This 