The Oscar Buzz: December 2015

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Review: "The Hateful Eight" is Like a Great Dinner Mystery Show, With Bloody Results

Scene from The Hateful Eight

It's easy to forget the impact that director Quentin Tarantino made back in 1992 with Reservoir Dogs. While Pulp Fiction would take most of the credit, the film introduced an American voice that mixed stylized violence, witty dialogue, and movie references into a blender and produced an impressive heist drama that featured none of the heist. It was a small ingenuity that made him the talk of the town, causing him to get even more high concept with each passing film. However, one cannot help but think of Reservoir Dogs when watching The Hateful Eight; being reminded of how powerful Tarantino could be with limited locations. Even if his latest structurally feels like it owes some debt to his debut, it's possibly his most ambitious attempt to make a real movie with real messages beyond the blood and guts.

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is the Quickest Film to a Billion Dollars at the Box Office

Scene from Star Wars: The Force Awakens

There is an old expression for very popular movies: Everyone and their mother has seen it. In the case of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, that may very well apply. Even if there are those out there who haven't seen it, the box office receipts point to an overwhelming sign of popularity. While many have long pitted the latest entry to be a success, it wasn't likely to be quite like this. Over the course of its first two weeks (12 days to be precise), the film has become the fastest film to cross a billion (yes, with a b) dollars worldwide. In America, its intake is only second to Jurassic World's cumulative gross. At this rate, it may very well be the highest grossing film from 2015 before it reaches the New Year.

David O. Russell

With this past weekend's release of Joy, director David O. Russell once again returns with a film that establishes his attempt to be a populous auteur. Ever since his comeback film The Fighter in 2010, the director has made it his goal to make films about the every man; the middle class who strive for a better existence. In a sense, he is doing it more successfully than anyone else. In a time where romantic acting pairs aren't a thing, he has continually made Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper work as a box office draw. To an extent, he is doing the impossible by making throwbacks to feel good films, often with an edge that makes his experiences wholly unique. The following is a ranking of every one of his films from his earlier and angrier days of Spanking the Monkey to the more recent happy side of Joy. Even if these two films are wildly different, it doesn't mean that they're any less interesting as a progression of behavior and craft from a director not known to always be pleasant.

Denzel Washington in Malcolm X

Welcome to The Birthday Take, a column dedicated to celebrating Oscar nominees and winners' birthdays by paying tribute to the work that got them noticed. This isn't meant to be an exhaustive retrospective, but more of a highlight of one nominated work that makes them noteworthy. The column will run whenever there is a birthday and will hopefully give a dense exploration of the finest performances and techniques applied to film. So please join me as we blow out the candles and dig into the delicious substance.

Leonardo DiCaprio

In 2006, Jackass Number Two was released and featured some of the most vulgar images of self-destruction imaginable. Leader of the pack Johnny Knoxville got mauled by bulls and yaks; had a side of a building fall on his head; rode a rocket that almost killed him; and was bitten by snakes in a ball pit. The performer sacrificed his body for the sake of entertainment and received mostly negative buzz from awards season (IMDb only lists a nomination from "The Stinkers Bad Movie Awards"). What does this have to do with director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's The Revenant? Subject-wise, not very much. However, our approach to digesting them as valued entertainment is itself problematic. The only difference between the two is that The Revenant has an actual story, lead by Leonardo DiCaprio's much-hyped performance that features health-risking stunts (you know, "for art")... and he is somehow supposed to earn an Oscar for it instead of going the route of Knoxville's comparatively humble, no awards approach where he ends up in the hospital countless times to a parade of laughter. The fact of the matter is that The Revenant is an ambitious film, but that's really all it is.

Nothing But the Best: "Chicago" (2002)

Scene from Chicago

Welcome to the series Nothing But the Best in which I chronicle all of the Academy Award Best Picture winners as they celebrate their anniversaries. Instead of going in chronological order, this series will be presented on each film's anniversary and will feature personal opinions as well as facts regarding its legacy and behind the scenes information. The goal is to create an in depth essay for each film while looking not only how the medium progressed, but how the film is integral to pop culture. In some cases, it will be easy. Others not so much. Without further ado, let's start the show.

Haskell Wexler

On December 27, 2015, cinematographer Haskell Wexler died in his sleep at his home in Santa Monica, California at the age of 93. Over his long and storied career, he became one of the most influential cinematographers in American film, having revolutionized techniques that were featured in films such as Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolfe?, In the Heat of the Night, and even as director with Medium Cool. He was a gifted creator who claimed to make time stand still with striking images in films that are still revered to this day. His legacy lives on in his work, and the generation of film makers that he inspired as a result. There isn't likely to be another cinematographer like him, as he changed the world for the better.

Scene from The Poseidon Adventure

Welcome to Best Song, a new weekly column released on Sunday dedicated to chronicling the Best Original Song category over the course of its many decades. The goal is to listen to and critique every song that has ever been nominated in the category as well as find the Best Best Song and the Best Loser. By the end, we'll have a comprehensive list of this music category and will hopefully have a better understanding not only of the evolution, but what it takes to receive a nomination here. It may seem easy now, but wait until the bad years.

Review: "Joy" Gives Lawrence One of Her Career Bests

Jennifer Lawrence

There's something intriguing about director David O. Russell's work since The Fighter. Where his earlier career is mired in violent outbreaks and abrasive cinema, he has suddenly become one of the most wholesome/tolerable auteurs of populous cinema. It isn't that he plays it safe, but has found a formula and a cast that are willing to bring his stories of the underdog to life in the same ways that James Stewart did with Frank Capra (though more crass). While his work continues to remain wildly inconsistent, his latest Joy is the perfect encapsulation of what his career means in 2015. It isn't just his take on feminism and economics. It's a film that wants to look at the process of selling an implausible vision - such as Jennifer Lawrence selling retractable mops. With this film, he perfects his formula and makes one of his career bests with a story that's strong and a funny bone to match.

Nothing But the Best: "The Sting" (1973)

Scene from The King's Speech

Left to right: Al Pacino and Sofia Coppola in The Godfather Part III

"Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in."

It's a line uttered by Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) finding out that he's been wrangled back into the mafia lifestyle. However, it very well may be the motto for director Francis Ford Coppola and writer Mario Puzo, who decided to make The Godfather Part III following what can easily be seen as the franchise's main motivation: Coppola's other failing films. Following the box office failure of One From the Heart, he return to the beloved gangster franchise for a film that even he felt was unnecessary. It seems like almost everyone else feels the same way, as it has become considered a train wreck of a movie; a disgrace to the franchise. In the case of its 25th anniversary, it's time to consider one thing: it's actually good. Maybe not as good as its Best Picture-winning counterparts, but it's still not worthy of its problematic reputation.

Theory Thursday: "Inglourious Basterds" is Tarantino's Best Film

Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds

Welcome to a weekly column called Theory Thursdays, which will be released every Thursday and discuss my "controversial opinion" related to something relative to the week of release. Sometimes it will be birthdays while others is current events or a new film release. Whatever the case may be, this is a personal defense for why I disagree with the general opinion and hope to convince you of the same. While I don't expect you to be on my side, I do hope for a rational argument. After all, film is a subjective medium and this is merely just a theory that can be proven either way.

The First "Everybody Wants Some" Trailer is a Throwback to Linklater's Beginnings

Scene from Everybody Wants Some

Last year was a pretty big moment for director Richard Linklater. After decades of making great films about average Joes, he finally made a dent at the Oscars with Boyhood: a film that received acclaim for spanning 12 years and capturing the first decade of the 21st century better than almost anyone else. For most, the question of what he would do next has been a curious one, especially since he's been on a roll, including a career best in 2013 with Before Midnight. With the first trailer for the Boyhood follow-up, Everybody Wants Some, it looks like he's going back to his earlier days when his films were less prestigious and more lackadaisical. It's a trip to the 80's that is very reminiscent of Dazed and Confused, but does it have any merit when compared to his Matthew McConaughey-finding classic?

Scene from Avatar

There is a general reason why I don't report on Avatar 2 updates with a frequency. As it has been, director James Cameron has been supposedly planning to release the sequel in every year since 2014. With additional plans to build theme parks and dedicating his life to them, there's very little esteem that should be transferred onto this post. However, there is a certain enthusiasm that fans should be getting. There may be in fact a release date that is actually set in stone. During this past week, Cameron opened up about those planned sequels and what exactly he plans to do with them. The answers are pretty reassuring.

Should "The Force Awakens" Be Nominated for Best Picture?

Scene from Star Wars: The Force Awakens

It seemed inevitable, but director J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: The Force Awakens opened to predictably big business. If there was a box office record, it was likely beaten by now. The reviews are overwhelming, some even calling it the best of the franchise in over 30 years. In fact, it's tied on critics aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes with the original for highest rated. While many have likely seen it (a few times even) and have discussed it to death, there's one argument that does seem ripe for the taking: can the film get any Oscar traction? There have been hints of it, but nothing really seemed plausible until this past week when the hype matched the film. Now, it seems like anything is possible.

Nothing But the Best: "The Godfather Part II" (1974)

Robert De Niro in The Godfather Part II

Scene from Shaft

Failed Oscar Campaigns: "Inglourious Basterds" (2009)

Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds

As awards seasons pick up, so do the campaigns to make your film have the best chances at the Best Picture race. However, like a drunken stupor, sometimes these efforts come off as trying too hard and leave behind a trailer of ridiculous flamboyance. Join me on every other Saturday for a highlight of the failed campaigns that make this season as much about prestige as it does about train wrecks. Come for the Harvey Weinstein comments and stay for the history. It's going to be a fun time as I explore cinema's rich history of attempting to matter.

Scene from Titanic

Scene from Kramer vs. Kramer

Nothing But the Best: "Out of Africa" (1985)

Scene from Out of Africa

Scene from Brooklyn

The story of the immigrant is one that has long been muddled in typical dramatic flourishes. In films like The Godfather Part II, the story is only the set up for characters experiencing the American Dream. It's one that's fraught with tension of class struggles, racial division, identity issues, and economic problems. The story is itself the basis for a lot of great fiction. In the case of director John Crowley's Brooklyn, the immigrant story looks a little different through the eyes of the Irish lass named Ellis (Saoirse Ronan). There are struggles, but are something more emotional to character than society. It's a story about the quest for acceptance in 1950's New York, whose overrun streets and metropolitan environment causes even the smallest of things to feel overwhelming. While it's not a film with gravitas and thoroughly challenging plot beats, it's one that captures a sweet and sentimental side of the equation that will please those looking for something lighter during this Oscar season.

Harrison Ford in Raiders of the Lost Ark

Scene from Mustang

It seems like a ridiculously packed week for those wondering what is making the cut for this year's Oscars. In the past week alone, I have written articles regarding Best Picture, Best Hair and Make-Up, Best Original Song, and Best Original Score. It's an insanely packed field, but it's interesting to see what's making the final cut. Finishing off this week is a look at another category that many likely don't think of too often: Best Foreign Film. While I have tried to make effort to cover it more frequently, I still feel like it's one of the most wildly unpredictable categories that I talk about on The Oscar Buzz. Also, if you're not into sifting through long, long lists, then you may want to give this one a shot. It only has seven. The following is the shortlist contenders followed by the countries in parenthesis. Also, there will be general thoughts on the category as it stands.

Nothing But the Best: "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" (2003)

Elijah Wood in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Michael Fassbender in Steve Jobs

The short lists keep on coming. While yesterday saw me tackle a variety of categories, I am choosing to focus solely on one for the Best Original Score list. More than the other field, this category is probably too subjective and controversial for me on a year-to-year basis. While there's certain ones that give me problems (the definition of "original"), I do think that sometimes The Academy gets it right, as the music used to emphasize emotional or action sequences are important to the film. This year's shortlist features 112 scores, including the absence of one of this year's biggest contenders (The Revenant, by Ryuichi Sakamoto). The following is a list of every contender, followed by the composer in parenthesis. There will also be opinions following the list for the ones that stand out to me.

Scene from Star Wars

Nothing But the Best: "Rain Man" (1988)

Left to right: Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise in Rain Man

Will Smith in Concussion

With The Academy starting to get their final ballots ready, it seems like a great time to see what has made the final cut on its various lists. So far, there has been exploration into the Best Foreign films and Best Documentary. Today, there's an exploration of three major lists: Best Hair and Make-Up; Best Original Song, as well as Best Picture. The following is a look at both of the categories including some additional commentary. While Best Hair and Make-Up has been whittled down to a very interesting seven titles, Best Picture looks to be more lofty with a lengthy 305 titles (even then, a decline in overall total from last year's 325). Check out more after the jump.

Scene from Spotlight

What is the job of the journalist? In 2015, this is a loaded question largely thanks to the digital era. With the advent of Twitter and Buzzfeed, news has become more about the immediacy than the truth - choosing to react viscerally to the moment than to understand what happened. As a result, the value of the journalist feels different because of how easily they're washed out by uneducated competitors. In director Thomas McCarthy's Spotlight, the story looks shockingly different for the turn-of-the-millennium look at The Boston Globe's Spotlight team as they tackle a controversial problem with the Catholic Church. Beyond its taboo subject, the film is a love letter to the process and how, only back in 2001, the value of information was different (arguably more important) than it is today. Even if Spotlight can be seen as just another procedural drama, it's one that reflects a changing tide of relevancy to the newspaper industry and the public's admiration for investigative journalism as a means of change.

For those who love movies, there's a good chance that you're already making plans to see director Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight (if you're lucky, you can see it in 70 mm next week). With the typical great reviews already pouring in, it feels like things are going the directors way, right? Well, not everything exactly. This past morning, Tarantino appeared on The Howard Stern show to discuss why his plan for a great release has been foiled by Disney because of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. It isn't just because the latest in the franchise will likely trump its box office. It's also because it's taken away something very personal and important to Tarantino's release plan: The Cinerama Dome.

Scene from The Hateful Eight

If you're one of those film nerds, you're likely gearing up to see director Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight. You're likely even excited about the "roadshow" version, which is slightly longer and features more trinkets. With the "roadshow" version planned for next week, you're likely wondering where you can check it out. Well, there's good news for some of you. With the film planned to be released in 100 locations, it will be a small but worthwhile venture for those who live near the cities. The following is a list of the 100 locations of which you can check it out. For those interested, get psyched for Christmas with one of the bloodiest films of the season.

Nothing But the Best: "Million Dollar Baby" (2004)

Scene from Million Dollar Baby

Scene from Schindler's List

Nothing But the Best: "The Bridge on the River Kwai" (1957)

Alec Guinness in The Bridge on the River Kwai

Best Song: "For All We Know" (1970)

Scene from Lovers and Other Strangers

Left to right: Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman in Driving Miss Daisy

Nothing But the Best: "A Man for All Seasons" (1966)

Scene from A Man for All Seasons

Birthday Take: Mo'Nique in "Precious" (2009)

Mo'Nique in Precious

Jamie Foxx in Django Unchained

With the release of director Quentin Tarantino's latest film The Hateful Eight only weeks away, it feels like a great time to pull up old retrospectives about his career. With a great ear for dialogue and some of the best stylized violence in mainstream cinema, the director has slowly built his way into being one of the most definitive voices of his generation. Among his more controversial films is 2012's Django Unchained, which starred Jamie Foxx as a freed slave who seeks revenge on his white captors in a bloody, anachronistic fashion. While these two films share relations to the western genre, there's something else that they have in common. Django almost appeared in The Hateful Eight.

Scene from Kubo and The Two Strings

There are few trailers for animated films that are as exciting as Laika Studios. The company that has revolutionized stop motion animation with digital effects and innovative story telling have done wonders by crafting family films that mix beautiful imagery with challenging stories. While the studio's output is small, three major films to date, each entry has shown at least some growth that proves why you should be taking them seriously. In the case of their latest, 2016's Kubo and The Two Strings, they come back to the game with one of their best teasers yet. From the team that brought you ParaNorman and The Boxtrolls comes their latest film, which looks to be just as innovative and challenging as everything they've done before. And that's a good thing.

Nothing But the Best: "Lawrence of Arabia" (1962)

Scene from Lawrence of Arabia

Scene from Mad Max: Fury Road

Check Out the Nominees for This Year's Golden Globe Awards

Rooney Mara in Carol

Today, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) released the nominees for this year's Golden Globe Awards. Honoring the best in film and TV, the award has often been considered a strong indicator as to what The Oscars will look like. While this isn't entirely true, the one advantage that the ceremony has is that it honors films in both comedy and drama departments, thus allowing less prestigious titles to pick up traction. This year shows no exception, especially with the presence of a few surprising picks, including Mad Max: Fury Road, Concussion, and Trumbo. The following is a look at the movie categories, followed by personal thoughts on each of the categories.

Nothing But the Best: "Terms of Endearment" (1983)

Scene from Terms of Endearment

Left to right: Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain

Over the past 10 years, there have been few films as important as Brokeback Mountain. You can argue that director Ang Lee made better films, whether it's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, or Life of Pi, but none of them have held the same impact that the film, labeled by the public at the time as "the gay cowboy movie," had on society. It wasn't just its subject matter, but how society spoke of the film in the years following. It was a film that transcended just being one of the most successful LGBT movies in history. Its history was a time capsule not only of how we viewed gay culture then, but how society has evolved in the short time since. Still, even as gay characters have started to become more representative in media, there's no denying the impact that Brokeback Mountain had in paving the trail for them. It may not have been the first mainstream film of its kind, but it definitely was the lightning rod that propelled the conversation forward.

Francis Ford Coppola

Depending on your personal stance, director Francis Ford Coppola created some of the best cinema arguably ever. Among his many achievements includes the indomitable classics such as The Godfather, The Godfather Part II, The Conversation, and Apocalypse Now. His achievements not only impacted cinema, but changed the way that many saw the medium. In a recent interview as part of the Marrakech International Film Festival, he gave some big news regarding his career and the work of one of his former collaborators George Lucas. What he said may not be life changing, but definitely will come as a surprise for long term fans of the director.

Scene from The BFG

With the constant barrage of awards being announced in the weeks to come, it is likely that everyone is still thinking about director Steven Spielberg's impressive Cold War film Bridge of Spies. Among other things, it's an entertaining look into the attitudes of the era as well as the importance of understanding and humanity. However, the legendary director looks to remain busy with another film coming next year. It's the much touted adaptation of the Roald Dahl story "The BFG," which also features a script from the late E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial screenwriter Melissa Mathison; and is the director's first non-historical drama since 2011's The Adventures of Tintin. With the first trailer upon us, it's time to be expecting the friendlier Spielberg again. From the looks of it, it may very well be worth the wait.

"The Good Dinosaur" Looks to Be Pixar's First Flop

As people are already starting to compile their "Best of 2015" lists, it seems like one name is cropping up more often than not: Inside Out. Earlier this year, Pixar released one of their strongest films in quite some time - both critically and financially. However, it doesn't seem like the love is sticking around for another particular oddball: The Good Dinosaur. It's the first time in the company's history that they have released a second movie in one year. What should've been a gimme during the Thanksgiving weekend (as well as correlating with the 20th anniversary of Toy Story) ended up as a different rarity for the studio. The Good Dinosaur "bombed." Well, not bombed necessarily. It opened with one of the lowest debuts in their history. It's only a few weeks later, and it very well may become their lowest grossing film ever, as subsequent sales haven't been so hot.

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Monday, December 28, 2015

Sunday, December 27, 2015

Saturday, December 26, 2015

Friday, December 25, 2015

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Monday, December 21, 2015

Sunday, December 20, 2015

Saturday, December 19, 2015

Friday, December 18, 2015

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Monday, December 14, 2015

Sunday, December 13, 2015

Saturday, December 12, 2015

Friday, December 11, 2015

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Tuesday, December 8, 2015