Thirty years ago, one of the greatest effects-driven films ever made was released upon an adoring public, and that was Jurassic Park. The expert combination of animatronics and relatively new digital CGI executed by the late, great Stan Winston ushered in an entirely new era of movie magic, where special effects could almost become the … Continue reading Oscar Blitz 2023 – Visual Effects
Today's the semi-big day! We've reached the last major milestone before the nominations for the 95th Academy Awards are revealed. With one month to go, the official shortlists have been released for 10 specialty categories. For all intents and purposes, the pre-Blitz has begun, and it's time to plan viewing strategies for the next few … Continue reading A Little Short – 95th Academy Awards Shortlists Announced!
We've reached the final stage of the pre-Blitz with today's announcement of 10 shortlists for specialty categories for next year's Oscars. And as always, there are some truly baffling decisions made by the individual branches to go along with the more logical ones. From here on out it's nothing but hunting and viewing as I … Continue reading Your Dis is on My List – 94th Academy Award Shortlists!
I mentioned this briefly last year when discussing this category - specifically the abomination that was the Lion King remake. I think the eligibility rules for Visual Effects need to be updated. Currently, the Academy's rules simply state that the criteria for the category are quote, "consideration of the contribution the visual effects make to … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2021 – Visual Effects
A year ago today, Parasite shocked the world by winning the Academy Award for Best Picture. For a lot of film lovers out there, that was the last pleasant memory before the world went to Hell. Today, in the slimmest sign of a return to normalcy, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced … Continue reading The First Cuts – 93rd Oscars Shortlists Announced!
I mentioned this earlier in the Blitz, but I would absolutely love to attend a "Bake-Off" presentation for the Academy, mostly because I just want to get inside the heads of both the Academy voters (in any number of branches), and the marketing teams of the various films and studios making their cases for nomination. … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2020 – Visual Effects
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!
Today is another important day in the calendar, and not just because it's my sister's birthday. December 4 marks the deadlines for submissions to the Golden Globe Awards, as well as many of the industry guild awards ceremonies. But most importantly for our purposes, we have yet another list of contenders for one of the … Continue reading Where Do We Go From the Moon? – Visual Effects Contenders Announced!
By its very nature, the Visual Effects category is the most fluid of the entire ceremony. Not only do the artists and editors constantly put in some insane hours trying to one-up each other, but as technology evolves, so does the collective taste of the audience and the Academy voters. It's amazing to look back … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2019 – Visual Effects
For the first time ever, the Academy has revealed the shortlists for nine different categories all at the same time. Typically, this process is doled out over a few weeks to give each category a moment in the spotlight, but for our purposes, it's way more convenient. As ever, I will link to whatever reviews … Continue reading Short and Sweet: 91st Academy Awards Shortlists Announced!
I Actually Paid To See This 