A Look at "Frozen" and the Best Original Song Category

I would like to apologize for my lack of consistency in the past few weeks. Hopefully with December proving to have a lot of goodies, I shall be more consistent.

This past Wednesday saw the release of the Disney film Frozen. Maybe it could be that this year hasn't been the best for animated films, but there is an inevitability of the film receiving a nomination. Along with highly positive reviews and lack of competition, it is looking to become part of the zeitgeist simply for being most people's only option to theatrical family entertainment. However, there is one interesting angle that gives the film even more potential. It is a musical with plenty of songs receiving a large amount of buzz, but can it sneak into the Best Original Song category?

A Look at the Recipients of This Year's Governors Awards

Left to right: Angelina Jolie, Angela Lansbury, and Steve Martin

This past Sunday, the Academy held their annual Governor's Awards to honor individuals who have done a great deal of work towards cinema. Over the many years, the list of recipients have ranged in overall quality and much like Steve Martin this year, some haven't even received a nomination in their career. While it is a shame that the honorary awards are not recognized at the Academy Awards ceremony like the other awards, it is nice to see them getting their moment to shine. Most of the highlights have been posted on the Oscars' Youtube page for your casual viewing. To honor the four recipients, I have compiled a look at each of the attendees history with the Academy Awards and share some personal thoughts as well.

A Look at the List of This Year's 76 Best Foreign Film Submissions

Waad Mohammed in Wadjda

In what is now unintentionally turning into a week looking at the Best Foreign Film category, we look at the list of eligible films for 2014's race. With a record 76 countries submitting nominees, the field may seem to be crowded, but there are definitely some standouts from the bunch. Even if majority of them aren't recognizable to the average viewer, these films will probably in discussion again at a later point. For a full listing of nominees as well as a few thoughts, please click below to read more.

Update: "Blue is the Warmest Color" Won't Be Eligible for the Best Foreign Film Oscar

Adele Exarchopolous

It is strange when a film of high acclaim such as that of Abdellatif Kechiche's Blue is the Warmest Color manages to win the Palme d'Or at Cannes, yet has failed to clear one hurdle. Thanks to ordinarywiseguy on Tumblr for bringing it to my attention, I have become aware that while I speculated the film's actual Oscar chances (and technically, there are still some), it turns out that due to one small loophole, the film has become ineligible for the Best Foreign Film nomination. It all has to do with a release date.

Review: "Blue is the Warmest Color" is an Ambitious Yet Familiar Love Story

Left to right: Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux

It is a film that shook the world. After director Abdellatif Kechiche's Blue is the Warmest Color won the Palme d'Or at Cannes and became embraced by Steven Spielberg, it has remained in discussion for its depiction of lesbian relationships. The three hour story that follows Emma (Lea Seydoux) and Adele (Adele Exarchopolous) is one that seems very much progressive and is one of the most talked about gay-themed films since Brokeback Mountain. Even if it doesn't stand to gross even half of that, its existence is complicated and one that reflects the discovery of love in almost too accurate of detail from its embarrassing beginnings to its somber end. The only issue is that it also features all of the bumps in between, which aren't always that flattering.

Is "The Book Thief" Able to Return World War II Movies Back Into the Best Picture Race?

Sophie Nelisse

Once in a great while, there is a movie that falls under the Oscar Buzz radar that didn't seem to stand a chance at any major nominations. Maybe it is because it was outside the realm of the Oscar bias and didn't have too many major stars. Maybe it lacked acclaim. In the past month, director Brian Percival's The Book Thief came to my attention and slowly it began to make me perplexed and interested. Before seeing a trailer in front of Captain Phillips, I had no idea that the film existed. However, the more interesting question going forth from here is whether or not it can manage to put World War II back into the race.