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.

10 Best Picture Nominees That Bombed at the Box Office

Michael Fassbender in Steve Jobs

It is likely that by this point you are aware that director Danny Boyle's Steve Jobs bombed at the box office. It is even possible that people are already calling an end times scenario for the prestige picture that features some of the best acting and writing of the year (I think so, anyways). However, if you're wanting to go that route, I want to warn you that this isn't the first film, nor is it likely the last, to be a great film that bombs. In fact, there's been several films that have "bombed" through out The Academy Awards history. The following is a look at 10 different films that made it to Best Picture despite not turning a profit. A lot of them are likely to be more surprising than you'd think.

Will Disney's Remakes Ever Be Serious Oscar Contenders?

Scene from The Jungle Book

In 1939, Walt Disney won an Honorary Oscar for his work on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. With an astounding 22 wins within his lifetime (and 4 within a single evening), it was the perfect sign that Disney Studios was here to stay. Over the years, they have cornered the market on box office and acclaim simultaneously, creating some of the most iconic works in animated film history. Even if it took until 1991 for them to receive a Best Picture nomination with Beauty and the Beast, the studio has maintained an enviable consistency. With today's release of the first trailer for director Jon Favreau's The Jungle Book, it feels like a good time to argue one thing: will their recent adaptations of old classics hold any prestige in the years to follow? 

Failed Oscar Campaigns: "Cleopatra" (1963)

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.