R.I.P. Glen Campbell (1936-2017)

Glen Campbell

On August 8, 2017, singer Glen Campbell died at the age of 81 in Nashville, Tennessee from complications regarding Alzheimer's Disease. He was best known for writing country music, specifically the chart topping hits like "Wichita Lineman," "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," and his most popular hit "Rhinestone Cowboy." Over the course of a career spanning over 50 years, he hosted several variety shows that helped to raise awareness of up and coming stars in the country music field. He also received two Oscar nominations for his music, including the theme song for True Grit and his final recording "I'm Not Gonna Miss You" from his documentary Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me. He leaves behind an impressive body of work that'll get you toe-tapping and singing along in no time. He was a true artist with an even more impressive career that included 70 albums, selling 45 million copies, and 80 different songs on a Billboard Chart.

Nothing But the Best: "All the King's Men" (1949)

Scene from All the King's Men

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.

R.I.P. Maureen O'Hara (1920-2015)

Left to right: Maureen O'Hara and Walter Pidgeon in How Green Was My Valley

On October 24, 2014, actress Maureen O'Hara passed away at the age of 95 from natural causes while in her sleep. The actress was best known for being a fierce and confident redhead who worked alongside such great directors as John Ford and Alfred Hitchcock. Over the years, she starred in films ranging from westerns to holiday movies such as the iconic Miracle on 34th Street. While she doesn't have the most prolific legacy in her later years, she is nonetheless one of the most iconic actresses of the Golden Era of Hollywood - serving as one of the finest performers of her time as well as one of the best Irish actresses in film history.

Birthday Take: John Wayne in "True Grit" (1969)

John Wayne in True Grit

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.

Failed Oscar Campaigns: "The Alamo" (1960)

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.