God it's been a while since this category was truly competitive. I know Olivia Colman pulled the upset two years ago, but that's exactly what it was, an upset (though she was the truly deserving winner). Apart from her BAFTA win, which you could argue was home field advantage, Glenn Close won every Best Actress … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2021 – Best Actress
It's here. It's time. We've made it at last. After the most tumultuous year in cinema history, we finally arrive at Nomination Day. Twenty-three categories have been filled with hopefuls vying for the top prize in the film industry, and the annual Blitz is officially on! It's not lost on me that it's been exactly … Continue reading Time For the Delayed Blitz! – 93rd Academy Award Nominations!
Yesterday we got the Golden Globe nominations, and the list of snubs in favor of poppy bullshit is so large that my gag reflex is only just now recovering. The next stage of Awards Season concerns the major trade guilds and specialty fields. That stage began today with the announcement of the Screen Actors Guild … Continue reading Acting! Genius! – 27th Screen Actors Guild Nominations
For the purposes of legal protection, I will say upfront that I can't prove that the 90+ members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association are bribed for their votes at the Golden Globes. It is merely an opinion, mostly presented tongue-in-cheek, based on the history of truly baffling nominations and awards that repeatedly smack of … Continue reading Here’s Some Money, Please Validate Me! – 78th Golden Globe Nominees Announced
Damn, this has been a busy week so far, and it's only Thursday. Awards Season got itself into full swing basically overnight, and already I'm doing my best to keep up. For example, over the last 48 hours I've been trying to get a handle on foreign films in anticipation of the Academy's announcement of … Continue reading Spirit Fingers, Everyone! – 36th Independent Spirit Nominations
Let's just state the plain and honest truth. 2020 was the shittiest year any of us have experienced. Everything closed, Donald Trump tried to lead an insurrection, and 1 out of every 1,000 Americans died from a virus that could have been mitigated - if not contained - if we had a competent government response … Continue reading The Best (and Worst) of 2020, Way After the Fact
It's a rare thing when an actor gives a performance that truly feels otherworldly, as if they're so lost in a role that nothing could extricate them from the moment. It can reach deep within your own being as a viewer, even if you have no real-life connection to the character. It's transformative in a … Continue reading When Levee Breaks – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
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
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
I caught a little bit of flack earlier this year (and not just the playful kind from my girlfriend) over my insistence to NOT see Ocean's 8. I stand by my decision, and I still allow for the possibility of seeing it if I am given a compelling reason. Basically, my choice boiled down to three … Continue reading A Women’s Heist Film That Actually Deserves to Exist – Widows
