Every Best Picture Nominee of the 2010's Ranked: #65-69

Scene from American Sniper

As 2019 reached its end, another decade of cinema had passed. It's amazing to think about how things have evolved since 2010 when the biggest controversies were about recognizing genre movies. Things look different now, especially as genre films like The Shape of Water and Parasite are winning Best Picture and the voting body looks incredibly different with each passing year. With this period in the books, it feels like a good time to celebrate their accomplishments by ranking all 88 titles nominated for Best Picture from worst to best with the goal of seeing which films are more likely to stand the test of time. Join me every Saturday and Sunday as I count them down, five at a time. It's going to be a fun summer looking back on what was, especially as we prepare for the decade ahead and an even more interesting diversity that we haven't even begun to think of.

Failed Oscar Campaigns: "American Sniper" (2014)

Scene from American Sniper

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.

A Rundown of This Year's Oscar Winners

It is sad to say, but this year's Academy Awards are officially behind us. Before we get started on predicting next year's big happenings, it's time to start on recapping the show in its entirety, including the highs and lows of the event. But before we get to the great stuff, how about we take some time briefly to recognize the winners. How well did you do? When all is said and done, I did very well considering all of my think pieces and various theories that pondered why Birdman was going to walk away the winner. The following is a rundown of my votes in each category paired side-by-side with the actual winner. Please feel free to share your results in the comments.

My Final Predictions for This Year's Academy Awards

Ladies and gentlemen, the moment is upon us. The Oscars is only a day away and it is time to place the final bets. While I have kept busy prognosticating and keeping track of who is likely to win, the races are a little more complicated than initially meets the eye. The Best Picture race couldn't be more complicated as it battles between Boyhood and Birdman. Still, it is great to see two very personal passion projects duking it out for top honor. While I will leave you to determine your own voting from the nominations, the following is a list of who I will be voting for in my final Oscar predictions for the year. Feel free to share yours in the comment section.

A Few Thoughts on that "Brutally Honest" Oscar Voter

In an article published today on The Hollywood Reporter, an anonymous Oscar voter came forward to share their opinions. With the headlines promising a "brutally honest" take on the awards, it has caused a necessary amount of hoopla. Since ballot submission was closed off yesterday, there's plenty of speculation on what is going to happen in the remaining days before the awards are handed out. While this is unprecedented, what is more baffling is the simple dismissal of almost every film. While this could be indicative on who is likely to win, it also is more indicative of a stubborn fool who wants attention without getting blacklisted by the community.

"American Sniper" is Now the Highest Domestic Grossing War Movie of All Time

Bradley Cooper

It is the film that is sweeping the nation. Causing all sorts of controversy, director Clint Eastwood's latest American Sniper has garnered a lot of attention for its depiction of the military. With a few Oscar nominations including Best Picture and Best Actor for Bradley Cooper, it is a quality film with plenty to say. However, among its many achievements, it has somehow become a box office juggernaut and has broken a lot of records. Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to the highest domestic grossing war movie of all time.

A Ranking of This Year's Best Picture Winners

Scene from The Theory of Everything

I have done it! I have finally seen all of the Best Picture nominees for this year's Academy Awards. To say the least, it was an interesting year full of a nice if predictable variety of films. While we don't get nearly the garden variety that made 2013 such an exceptional year, we do get films that reflect the best of their genres and even features a wide variety of indie films standing a strong chance of winning the big awards. Cinema is inevitably changing in new and exciting ways that make this year particularly interesting. If for no other reason, its ambitions are massive and unpredictable in small ways. However, what did I personally think of all eight nominees? The following is a personal ranking of the Best Picture films from most favorite to least. Feel free to share yours in the comments.

Review: "American Sniper" is a Quintessential Tale of War's Everlasting Effects

Bradley Cooper

One of the most taboo subjects in mainstream film is also one that has shaped the past decade of American culture: the September 11 Attacks. It has created an uncertainty that still resides in the culture and placed a lot of question around identity and patriotism in the modern era. While war films are nothing new, there seems to be a timid cry for modern film makers to approach contemporary affairs on film. With director Clint Eastwood's controversial American Sniper, he doesn't so much make a film about war, but reminds us what's so appealing and tragic about the cinematic interpretation. With a gut wrenching performance by Bradley Cooper, he has not only created one of his strongest movies, but a quintessential film about the trauma of war the likes of which haven't been seen and popularly dissected since The Deer Hunter in 1978.

A Look at this Year's Surprising Academy Award Nominations

Scene from Boyhood

After months of prognostication and other awards shows, the Academy Awards have finally announced all of their contenders for this year's ceremony. For the first time ever, there were two installments in which all 24 categories were presented to the press. In traditional fashion, there were plenty of surprises that made my hopes seem greatly miscalculated. Without further ado, here's the nominees as well as personal thoughts on each major category.

My Final Predictions for the Academy Award Nominations

Ladies and gentlemen, the day is upon us. Tomorrow morning at 5:30 AM, the Academy Awards will be announced. Who will make the final cut? It has been a very interesting year in regards to front runners with a mixed variety of results. In fact, it was very painstaking to try and whittle these down to a respectable few. I don't claim to be right, but I do hope that there's some surprises (and then some) in this year's race. The following is rundown of my final picks in 10 categories including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Predictions for the Oscars' Potential Best Picture Category

Scene from Boyhood

With the Oscar nominations only one week away, now seems like a good time to take into account the various categories and share personal thoughts on what stands a chance and what will likely not make the cut. The following is a rundown of the performers who I feel will most likely make it to the final five in the Best Picture race and who may be considered a potential threat for the category. Let me state that this isn't a prediction of who will win, simply who will get the nomination.

Predictions for the Oscars' Potential Best Director Category

Left to right: Ellar Coltrane and Richard Linklater

With the Oscar nominations only one week away, now seems like a good time to take into account the various categories and share personal thoughts on what stands a chance and what will likely not make the cut. The following is a rundown of the performers who I feel will most likely make it to the final five in the Best Director race and who may be considered a potential threat for the category. Let me state that this isn't a prediction of who will win, simply who will get the nomination.

A Look at the Potential Oscar Nominees Opening on Christmas Day

Anna Kendrick in Into the Woods

Christmas is only a few days away. It is also a great time to remember all of the last minute Oscar films that will be opening on that day, whether it be in limited release or nationwide. It is also the four week countdown to the Oscars nominations release. How exactly do you keep track of the titles worth looking at, especially with several promising titles vying for your attention? Here is a quick rundown of the films opening and what their Oscar chances are likely to be. This isn't a prediction of who will win, but simply a speculation as to what will be worth keeping an eye out for.

The First "American Sniper" Trailer Proudly Declares the Return of Gritty Eastwood

Left to right: Kyle Gallner and Bradley Cooper

It has been an interesting year for Clint Eastwood. This summer, he released the much maligned Jersey Boys, which was an adequate adaptation of the Broadway sensation. However, there's also a sense that the veteran director who has won two Best Picture Oscars (Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby) was going soft. It isn't that he needs to prove anything with one of the most impressive careers in film in front of and behind the camera. However, after some delay, Eastwood returns with a film that seems like a more serious Oscar contender and likely his strongest candidate since Invictus. In the first trailer for American Sniper, it looks like he has brought Bradley Cooper along for an intense, thrilling example of why when Eastwood does gritty, he does it better than anyone else.