Theory Thursday: Adam West is the Best Live Action Batman

Adam West

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. 

Super Delegates Bonus: Jimmy Carter on "Argo" (2012)

Welcome to Super Delegates Bonus. As a subsidiary of Super Delegates, the sporadic additional column is meant to explore depictions of politicians on film outside of the conventional methods of the column. This ranges from everything such as political candidates in TV movies and miniseries to real life candidates providing feedback on their pop culture representation. While not as frequent or conventional, the goal is to help provide a vaster look at politics on film as it relates to the modern election year. Join in and have some fun. One can only imagine what will be covered here.

Super Delegates Bonus: George W. Bush in "Fahrenheit 9/11" (2004)

George W. Bush in Fahrenheit 9/11

Welcome to Super Delegates Bonus. As a subsidiary of Super Delegates, the sporadic additional column is meant to explore depictions of politicians on film outside of the conventional methods of the column. This ranges from everything such as political candidates in TV movies and miniseries to real life candidates providing feedback on their pop culture representation. While not as frequent or conventional, the goal is to help provide a vaster look at politics on film as it relates to the modern election year. Join in and have some fun. One can only imagine what will be covered here.

Nothing But the Best: "Shakespeare in Love" (1998)

Scene from Shakespeare in Love

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.

Nothing But the Best: "Argo" (2012)

Scene from Argo

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.

A Look at Why "Gone Girl" Might Not Be a Best Picture Contender

Director David Fincher's latest film Gone Girl has been garnering a lot of attention both for its actual quality and for the performance of Rosamund Pike as "Amazing Amy" Dunne. It is a film that manages to explore some very pressing matters involving media, morality and marriage. In fact, it is one of the year's best films and is one of the best subversive hat tricks in cinema of 2014 with the second act twists creating an unpredictable role reversal for the movie. However, despite its great execution and rather solid work overall, I have a theory that things aren't meant for Gone Girl in the Best Picture race. As blasphemous as it sounds, it is actually very keeping in both Fincher's and the Academy's reputation towards his films.

Review: "Gone Girl" is Fincher's Excellently Twisted Take on Morality and Media

Director David Fincher may be the greatest filmmaker of the contemporary American mainstream crime drama. From Se7en to Zodiac and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, he has added a violent joy to tragedy. It is voyeuristic and, as he progressed, more artistic. He is a filmmaker of uncompromising talent by turning crime scenes into allegorical theories on human existence. In the case of Gone Girl, he explores the sick fascination with mental illness and essentially lying to the camera. It is a film that seems straightforward at first, but by the closing credits, the unnerving sense of happiness only makes things creepier. What Fincher has done was created probably his most twisted, unexpected, pulpy film to date, and it works more often than not.

Fincher Returns to Oscar Prospects with the Compelling "Gone Girl" Trailer

Ben Affleck

It may only be April, but that doesn't mean that we can't look forward to what the Fall season will provide. With an exceptional time in films right now with Noah, Joe and Under the Skin currently giving plenty to talk about, it would seem like the Oscar race has some early threats. However, for those that take last year's marginal selection as a sign of fate, then we haven't even begun. With all of this said, director David Fincher manages to hit the scene early with the first official trailer for his latest film Gone Girl, which opens in October. The results are immediately striking in true Fincher form and poses the question of what's really going to happen next.

Review: "To the Wonder" Lacks the Malick Charm

Left to right: Ben Affleck and Olga Kurylenko

One of the biggest disappointments that most film fans have had in 2013 is from one of the oddest film making decisions in years. The notoriously reclusive director Terrence Malick, whose 2012 output alone features three films, has broken his streak of productivity. Once known for waiting 20 years between projects, he attempts to make up for lost time, starting with the film To the Wonder, which stars Ben Affleck and Olga Kurylenko as a married couple going through a rough period. What is it about this particular story that saw Malick, coming off of his highly acclaimed The Tree of Life, turn in one of the more underwhelming films of the year?

Will Malick Get a Best Picture Nomination for "To the Wonder"?

Left to right: Ben Affleck and Rachel McAdams

In 2011, one of the surprise hits of the year was director Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life, which was an epic poem about beauty and life. When it received three Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, it only made the film more prevalent in the culture. Since, he is on a role with three films set to release in 2013 alone. His first venture is To the Wonder, which stars Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, and Javier Bardem. Will this recent spurt of output help to put Malick back into the race, or is The Tree of Life one of those odd exceptions?

The Simple Way That "Argo" and "Lincoln" Can Both Get Top Honors

Left to right: Daniel Day Lewis in Lincoln and Ben Affleck in Argo

We are a little over 10 days until the big ceremony happens. While many speculate that director Ben Affleck's Argo will win despite a director nomination, director Steven Spielberg's Lincoln is giving a healthy dose of competition. Lincoln also has distinct honor of having 12 nominations, one of which almost seems guaranteed: Daniel Day Lewis for Best Supporting Actor. However, along with a few BAFTA trophies, Argo is looking more and more to be a definitive lock for Best Picture.  Still, it is anyone's game. While it seems like a crass concept, there is a way for both parties to be happy. And yes, in the case of Spielberg, it has happened before.

Predictions: Who Should Get a Best Picture Nomination in 2013?

2012's Best Picture Winner, cast and crew for The Artist

We are in an exciting time for Oscar enthusiasts. We are officially one week away from the announcement of this year's nominees. In order to contribute some thoughts, I will be going down the major categories (Acting, Directing, and Best Picture) and predicting who will be the most likely to get nominated, as well as a few tidbits on why I agree with these decisions. Be warned that every story that I am going to write in relation to predictions will not actually feature any bias towards who should win. However, I will be detailing why I think each should be nominated. Also stay tuned for post-coverage in which I will actually be sharing my thoughts on the nominations and solidify who I believe should win in each category.

Predictions: Who Should Get a Best Director Nomination in 2013?

2012's Best Director winner Michael Hazanavicius (The Artist)

We are in an exciting time for Oscar enthusiasts. We are officially one week away from the announcement of this year's nominees. In order to contribute some thoughts, I will be going down the major categories (Acting, Directing, and Best Picture) and predicting who will be the most likely to get nominated, as well as a few tidbits on why I agree with these decisions. Be warned that every story that I am going to write in relation to predictions will not actually feature any bias towards who should win. However, I will be detailing why I think each should be nominated. Also stay tuned for post-coverage in which I will actually be sharing my thoughts on the nominations and solidify who I believe should win in each category.

Review: "Argo" is an intense history lesson

Ben Affleck

The following review was originally published at CinemaBeach this past Thursday. Please feel free to visit the website and check out my other work, including reviews on former topics of The Oscar Buzz, including ParaNorman, Looper, and upcoming topic: Beasts of the Southern Wild. The website takes pride in giving you coverage of movies with an independent mindset as well as bigger films from authentic voices. Feel free to check out the other work and coverage of the movies as well as awards season in general. As for Argo's Oscar chances? I am almost sure that it will get Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay nominations. I would like for Best Director, but we'll have to see the competition.

Can "Argo" Become a Timely Oscar Winner?

Update: I have posted a review for Argo here.

As I have stated previously, I believe that the Oscar Buzz season started with director Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master, which managed to make a strong case for several major category nominations. However, it has been a few mild weeks since waiting for another nominee to get a wide release instead of just being the movie that critics rave about. This Friday sees the release of the highly acclaimed Argo, Ben Affleck's third directorial effort. With a stellar ensemble and the tagline "Based on a Declassified True Story," is Argo capable of giving Anderson some healthy competition for Best Picture?