Check Out This Year's Best Original Song Shortlist

Scene from Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping

One of the best parts of awards season is seeing what makes the short lists for each category. There's probably none as usually more interesting than the Best Original Song field. It is where even the mediocre films get to shine - that is if they have a good song or two. This year looks to be no exception. With a list that includes 91 titles, it's time to start thinking about how the category is going to look and which five will make it to the finals. Sure, Moana and La La Land seem like obvious bets, but what other music is worth remembering? Check out the list for yourself and feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.

Check Out an Excerpt From My New Essay on Tim Burton

This past Tuesday, I released a long gestating project called "From Pee-wee to Peregrine: Why Tim Burton Still Matters." This essay was created as a personal challenge for me to create a full length analysis of one filmmaker. Considering that his most recent film Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is currently playing in theaters, I felt that it would be appropriate to look at the eclectic work of Tim Burton, who I maintain is one of the most visually singular directors of the late 20th century. It is currently available on Amazon and Smashwords for $1.99. For those still curious, I have provided an excerpt from the essay called "What is Burton-esque?" Please check it out and feel free to check out the essay's other chapters on his cultural impact and why he continues to resonate. 

After 65 Years, "Alice in Wonderland" Remains Disney's Best Animated Film

On this date in 1951, Disney released one of its most fantastical, whimsical films: Alice in Wonderland. At the time, it was deemed a failure due to low box office and some frankly "psychedelic" visuals. Yet it's impossible to not note the power that it holds as the definitive adaptation of Lewis Carroll's seminal works about a young girl named Alice as she traveled down the rabbit hole. It was far from the first adaptation by decades, yet there's a lot that has solidified it as the quintessential take. It is in part the music that launched the "unbirthday" trend, and classic characters like the Cheshire Cat, whom remain some of Disney's key iconography. Still, the one opinion that isn't often held - but should be - is that Alice in Wonderland is something more. In the first century of Disney's existence, it is without a doubt the best animated film that they've released.

The Runner-Ups: Mia Wasikowska in "Stoker" (2013)

Scene from Stoker

Every Oscar season, there are a handful of actors who get tagged with the "snubbed" moniker. While it is always unfortunate to see our favorites not honored with at very least a nomination, there's another trend that goes largely unnoticed: those who never even got that far. The Runner-Ups is a column meant to honor the greats in cinema who put in phenomenal work without getting the credit that they deserved from The Academy. Join me every Saturday as I honor those who never received any love. This list will hopefully come to cover both the acting community, and the many crew members who put the production together.

Will Disney's Remakes Ever Be Serious Oscar Contenders?

Scene from The Jungle Book

In 1939, Walt Disney won an Honorary Oscar for his work on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. With an astounding 22 wins within his lifetime (and 4 within a single evening), it was the perfect sign that Disney Studios was here to stay. Over the years, they have cornered the market on box office and acclaim simultaneously, creating some of the most iconic works in animated film history. Even if it took until 1991 for them to receive a Best Picture nomination with Beauty and the Beast, the studio has maintained an enviable consistency. With today's release of the first trailer for director Jon Favreau's The Jungle Book, it feels like a good time to argue one thing: will their recent adaptations of old classics hold any prestige in the years to follow?