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.

Burt Reynolds Claims to Not Have Enjoyed Working on "Boogie Nights"

Center: Burt Reynolds in Boogie Nights

If you're a fan of The Oscar Buzz's content, you'll likely know how big of a deal director Paul Thomas Anderson is around here. Over the course of his career, he's released a handful of contemporary favorites; including There Will Be Blood, The Master, and Inherent Vice. While he's always been great, it's hard to imagine his career being what it is without his sophomoric effort Boogie Nights. It was an expansive epic about the adult film industry that featured a lot of great performances, including several Oscar-nominated roles. However, there's one person who isn't as keen on the film as everyone else seems to be. It's the legendary actor whose role in the film earned him his sole Oscar nomination. That's right, Burt Reynolds doesn't like Anderson or the film. While this seems obvious considering that they haven't worked together since, it's still saying something about his gratitude.

Check This Out: Band Releases Free Album That Set Paul Thomas Anderson Monologues to Music

As you likely know, I love director Paul Thomas Anderson's oeuvre. He has released a lot of the best cinema from over the past 20 years from Boogie Nights to last year's Inherent Vice. One of the perks is the iconic monologues that seem to crop up in every one of his films. It's impossible to think of There Will Be Blood without "I drink your milkshake." It's not the same without The Master arguing about its cult status. Well, if you've ever wondered what these craftily worded monologues sound like set to music, you can thank Colburn Sound Express, who have just released an eight track download that combines them to a varying genres of music.

Birthday Take: Paul Thomas Anderson in "Boogie Nights" (1997)

Heather Graham in Boogie Nights

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.

The Oscar Buzz Celebrates Its Second Anniversary!

Clint Eastwood

I am proud to announce that The Oscar Buzz has survived another year. It is quite an achievement that while the second wind wasn't nearly as strong as the first year, I continued to expand my audience and find new readers to interact with. I even ran The Directors Project, which for better or worse brought in new readers and helped the reader to better understand my interests as a whole. So, how do we celebrate the second anniversary? I have decided that in order to continue with the thematic elements that make these occasional lists so unique is to go with something that is not often thought of: the second films. While directorial debuts get a lot of clout, there's still some magic to be had with filmmakers on their second go. They need to prove themselves as more than just a lucky move. The following is a list of 15 films throughout history that I have enjoyed as the second go around for many fine filmmakers.

The Directors Project: #25 - Paul Thomas Anderson

Scene from Cinema Paradiso

With the many lists and essays written on the subject of film, there has been one thing that The Oscar Buzz has tried to understand: Who is my favorite of the film world? For 10 weeks this summer, I will be exploring this with a countdown of the Top 50 names based on a numerical ranking of ratings from various sources, the following is a list of directors who rank above everyone else. With occasional upsets, this is intended as both a discussion opener as well as a better understanding of me as a film critic and fan. Please enjoy and leave any comments you have regarding the entry's selection.

The Oscar Buzz Begins with "The Master"

Joaquin Phoenix

Sports fans have seasons when players fight each other for the championship. You can keep your baseball and football. I will take movies any day. Every year I get a thrill out of watching the best of the best compete for the top prize: the Oscars. At 84, the ceremony remains one of the most culturally revered American awards to be given to film on a yearly basis. While it isn't strictly given to movies released in the fall, I consider September to be the ultimate start of the Oscar Buzz. What better way to begin the competition than with revolutionary director Paul Thomas Anderson's latest The Master, starring Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Amy Adams: a big Oscar nominated pedigree coming off of the director's most praised film There Will Be Blood?