The Runner-Ups: Channing Tatum in "Foxcatcher" (2014)

Channing Tatum in Foxcatcher

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 other 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.

Birthday Take: Steve Carell in "Foxcatcher" (2014)

Scene from Foxcatcher

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.

Theory Thursday: "Foxcatcher" is the Best Sports Film Since 2011

Scene from Foxcatcher

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. 

Review: "Foxcatcher" is a Dark Look at the American Dream, Greed and Family

Left to right: Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo

There have been few topics that have had as conflicting of a cinematic representation as that of American patriotism. For all of the freedoms that are given, there's those that abuse the power in favor of something more dastardly and disturbing. In director Bennett Miller's Foxcatcher, he doesn't so much destroy the myth surrounding patriotism as he explores its impact on our relationships, whether that be family or teammates. The story of Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) is a tragic one and the preceding text stating its factual history only makes it more bleak. As a whole, it is the perfect embodiment of a troubled culture and what happens when there isn't much to live for.

"Birdman" Surprises Everyone By Beating "Boyhood" for Best Picture at the Gotham Awards

Michael Keaton

There were more than a few surprises that came out of tonight's Gotham Awards. Hosted by Uma Thurman, the show gave out awards to the best of independent cinema. While many were expecting Boyhood to come away with all of the top prizes, the film didn't do so well. Instead, a lot of surprising moments came and Boyhood only came away with one win. Following the jump is a list of all of the nominations as well as a few thoughts on the overall winners.

Is the Success of "Foxcatcher" at Cannes Going to Help Its Oscar Chances?

Left to right: Channing Tatum and Steve Carell

It seems to be a running gag in Hollywood right now of highly anticipated films getting pushed back. Most recently, Andy and Lana Wachowski's Jupiter Ascending was moved back to 2015 within months of release. However, the real champion of the "Pushed Back Channing Tatum Films" list (and there has been a handful) appears to be Foxcatcher. After it was held back last year, my expectations were lowered significantly. While I enjoyed quoting the attached trailer (which has since been removed), there was little to grab me. However, after last month's Cannes Film Festival, things are looking up for the the latest film from director Bennett Miller. It actually may stand a chance as a serious Oscar contender.

The Release of "Foxcatcher" Gets Moved Back to 2014

Steve Carell

It has been quite a week for pushing back expectations on potential Oscar nominees. Earlier we wrote about how The Wolf of Wall Street, which remains the biggest blow. Not to be outdone, director Bennett Miller's latest film, Foxcatcher, has taken suit. In an ironic fashion, the news was delivered mere hours after the debut of the first trailer, which is a haunting look at one of my wildcard nominee selections.