R.I.P. Sean Connery (1930-2020)

Sean Connery

On October 31, 2020, actor Sean Connery passed away at the age of 90. Over a storied career that saw him move from bodybuilding to sports and later acting, he proved to be one of the most successful Scottish actors in history. Among his most noteworthy accomplishments was originating the role of James Bond, launching one of the most successful film franchises in history. He also starred in films like The Man Who Would Be King as well as won an Oscar for his role in The Untouchable. It was a career of continual highs that always brought out the most charismatic turns, and his work more than speaks for itself. He will be missed for everything he has gave the world, and it's better off for having him if just for a short time.

Review: "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" Gives Its Audience a Nice, Warm Hug

Scene from A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Over the past few years, it has been argued that public access TV icon Fred Rogers was a radical. Despite being a homely man known for his kindness and sweaters, he presented complex ideas to a young audience that others may consider too mature or even inappropriate. These themes included war, death, and divorce among others and presented a discourse that helped to prove that what the world needed wasn't to shield children from problems but help them understand and accept their emotions in healthy ways. It was the stem of an idea that inspired director Marielle Heller to tackle the power of Rogers' words in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, cast impeccably with the nicest man in Hollywood himself, Tom Hanks, playing a man perceived to have no reason to despise. The results get to the heart of why audiences love Mr. Rogers, but it's nothing revelatory. It's a decent film that shows the power of understanding with warmth, but it lacks anything regarding any further depth of character that could make it a satisfying character piece.

Why I Think "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood" Will Win Best Picture

Scene from Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood

Last Monday, the Oscar nominations were announced and cut the competition in half for all of the major categories. Now it's down to the wire with only a few weeks until The Academy Awards answer all of the questions that movie fans have been clamoring for: what will win Best Picture, Best Actor, etc. It's the territory that comes with every year, and this one is no slouch, presenting a variety of front-runners that are undeniable charmers. If one was to follow conventional awards rules, 1917 would be the front-runner, followed closely by Parasite (one of few films to win the Screen Actors Guild Award's prize for Best Ensemble without another acting nomination). However, there is one that's lingering just under the surface, and one that makes a lot of sense if one was to apply Oscar trends on it.

Director Quentin Tarantino's proposed penultimate film Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood is a film that has become forgotten in recent weeks of awards season. With exception to Brad Pitt winning Best Supporting Actor, it hasn't exactly had any consistency since winning Best Comedy or Musical at the Golden Globes. Even then, one has to merely look at the campaign to see how brilliant their approach to a Best Picture win is. It wasn't just the decision to release the film in the dumping grounds of August, almost 50 years to the date of Sharon Tate's untimely death. It was everything around it, which has only proven it to have a longevity that half of the nominees have yet to prove (save for maybe Parasite, now in its fourth month of theatrical release). Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood isn't just one of Tarantino's most accessible films, it's arguably the one that appeals to Academy biases the most. In a time where the old clash with the new class of voters, few films feel as connecting (both in appeal and themes) quite like Tarantino's film. 

R.I.P. Robert Forster (1941-2019)

Robert Forster

On October 11, 2019, actor Robert Forster passed away at the age of 78 in Los Angeles, CA. Over the course of a storied career, he's brought to life hundreds of memorable performances, giving his all to bring them to life. Among his most noteworthy roles was in the film Jackie Brown, for which he earned an Oscar nomination. His work expanded to TV as well, recently starring in shows like Last Man Standing, Breaking Bad, and Twin Peaks: The Return. As one of the most revered character actors of his generation, he helped to make cinema a more exciting place with tough, no-nonsense characters that, immediately stuck with the viewer. He will be missed though his incredible work will continue to live on.

A24 A-to-Z: #56. "The Florida Project" (2017)

Scene from The Florida Project

In case you didn't know, A24 is one of the great purveyors of modern cinema. Since 2013, the studio has found a way to innovate independent cinema by turning each release into an event. As a result, A24 A-to-Z will be an ongoing series that looks at every release from the studio by analyzing its production history, release, criticisms, and any awards attention that it might've received. Join me on a quest to explore the modern heroes of cinema by exploring every hit and miss that comes with that magnificent logo. They may not all be great, but they more than make A24 what it is and what it will hopefully continue to be for ears to come.

Failed Oscar Campaigns: "The Lovely Bones" (2009)

Saoirse Ronan in The Lovely Bones

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.

R.I.P. Burt Reynolds (1936-2018)

Burt Reynolds

On September 6, 2018, actor and director Burt Reynolds passed away at the age of 82 in Jupiter, Florida. Over a storied career going back to the 50's, he has celebrated a career as one of the most successful actors of his generation. Among his noteworthy works were action movies like Smokey and the Bandit and Cannonball Run as well as dramas like Deliverance, The Longest Yard, and Boogie Nights. Even if he didn't always get the respect he deserved, he was known for being able to enjoy his career, often poking fun at his own failures and enjoying comedic bits whenever he appeared in various interviews. He leaves behind an impressive body of work that is most of all known for featuring a fun and charismatic performance that could be counted on to entertain audiences. He was one of a kind, and he will be missed.

After 10 Years, "The Dark Knight" Continues to Be a Milestone in Superhero Cinema

Scene from The Dark Knight

It's sort of a cliche, but it's hard to describe the impact of director Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight without stating the obvious: it started with a bang. The camera entered the world of Gotham by zooming in on a window shattering, on the other side is a group of men in clown masks running through the plan, which is essentially a game of last man standing. With each piece of the puzzle unlocked, another person dies. Nobody knows who the mastermind is, nor will they really until it's too late. It's a world that superhero cinema wasn't used to, as even Nolan's previous D.C. movie Batman Begins didn't think to go this dark, finding a world where order was finally meeting chaos, as portrayed by a 28-year-old actor who unfortunately had died earlier in 2008 only to deliver (to date) the only superhero performance that was so revered that it got a posthumous Oscar win. The Dark Knight was a behemoth in 2008 and set the template for a new era of "dark and gritty" cinema that followed. It was unafraid to take risks, and in the process solidified the mythos of Nolan's godlike hold on the blockbuster. It changed cinema, plain and simple.

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: Michael Shannon in "Nocturnal Animals" (2016)

Scene from Nocturnal Animals

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.

R.I.P. Sam Shepard (1943-2017)

On July 27, 2017, actor and playwright Sam Shepard died at the age of 73 in Midway, Kentucky from complications involving amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. He was a person best known for his impressive craft as a writer, winning a Pulitzer Prize for Drama and being hailed in 2009 by New York Magazine as "the greatest American playwright of his generation." His career onstage has surpassed his career on film, which included memorable turns in films like Days of Heaven, and The Right Stuff: the latter of which earned him an Oscar nomination. With a career spanning over half a century, Shepard leaves behind an impressive body of work, and one that inspires actors and writers on stage and screen to give their all for their craft and make art that really matters.

R.I.P. Martin Landau (1928-2017)

Martin Landau

On July 15, 2017, actor Martin Landau died at the age of 89 in Los Angeles, California. He is an actor whose career spanned 60 years and featured great work both in film and TV. On the small screen, he received a Golden Globe for his performance in Mission: Impossible as Rollin Hand. On the big screen, his career was even more expansive and featured roles that varied from a supporting role in North by Northwest and Cleopatra to Oscar nominations for Crimes and Misdemeanors and Ed Wood (the latter of which he won for). No matter where he went, he brought a charisma that reflected his graceful acting style, of which he also taught in the Actors Studio (of which he was the head of the Hollywood branch until his passing). He left behind an impressive body of work, and one that is unmatched by anyone.

Theory Thursday: Javier Bardem is the Best Villain Actor Working Today

Scene from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

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 Runner-Ups: Fred Melamed in "A Serious Man" (2009)

Scene from A Serious Man

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.

Review: "Lion" is a Powerful Film About Finding Faith in Loneliness

Dev Patel

Many films capture the feeling of loneliness with poetic and often abstract imagery, but few show it as anything but a means to an end. Yes, the feeling of abandonment is a frustrating circumstance, and one that creates complex emotional responses. In director Garth Davis' Lion, he sets out to tell one story of persistence causing loneliness to end on a happy note. The story may play the conventional fields, but predictability isn't the point. Lion is a story of hope that asks us, even without saying, to have faith in the impossible - for it is where the greatest challenges lie. With a phenomenal performance by Dev Patel, this is a film that not only captures the heartbreaking loneliness in lengthy detail, but also the ability to cope and live a normal life within the situation. It may not be the most groundbreaking film, but it may be among the year's most heartwarming, innovative experiences. 

Looking at Oscar Predictions: How Did I Do?

Scene from Hell or High Water

Well, the moment has come. The Oscars have been announced and La La Land leads the pack with 14 nominations. While we predict what's to come, why not take this opportunity to look at how things went before. I am talking specifically about my own predictions that I made yesterday regarding who was going to make the cut. As you'll see, I didn't do terribly, though betting on horses like 20th Century Women didn't exactly pan out either. The following is a rundown of the main categories as well as what I picked. 

Here's the Predictions for the 2017 Oscar Nominations

Scene from Moonlight

The big day is almost here. With Oscar Sunday approaching slowly but surely, it's time to see what the big nominations will be. Who will be in Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress? Ahead of tomorrow's nominations at 5:18 AM (check your local listings for more information), I will be doing the annual tradition of trying to predict these major fields (I'm not ambitious enough to do the entire slate). You can read my predictions after the jump, and prepare for regular coverage following the announcement. It's guaranteed to be a fun day full of highlights and snub talk. See you then.

Theory Thursday: John Goodman Deserves an Oscar Nomination for "10 Cloverfield Lane"

John Goodman in 10 Cloverfield Lane

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. 

R.I.P. Robert Vaughn (1931-2016)

Robert Vaughn

On November 11, 2016, actor Robert Vaughn died in Ridgefield, Connecticut of leukemia at the age of 83. His work was prolific and over his career he guest starred in over 200 episodes of TV. Among his biggest achievements was playing the lead character in the espionage series The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and co-starring in the western The Magnificent Seven. His work garnered him an Oscar nomination for The Young Philadelphians as well as many other iconic roles. What he leaves behind is an impressive body of work that reflected his strengths as an actor capable of leading and supporting major movie stars from over the past 60 years. His work will continue to be admired and appreciated for his ability to bring depth and charisma to each and every role that he played.

Super Delegates: John Quincy Adams in "Amistad" (1997)

Anthony Hopkins in Amistad

Welcome to Super Delegates, a bi-monthly column released on Tuesdays and are done in part to recognize politics on film, specifically in regards to Oscar-nominated works. With this being an election year in the United States, it feels like a good time to revisit film history's vast relationship with politicians of any era and determine what makes them interesting while potentially connecting them to the modern era. The series plans to run until the end of this 2016 election cycle, so stay tuned for every installment and feel free to share your thoughts on films worthy of discussion in the comments section.