R.I.P. Jerry Greenberg (1936-2017)

Jerry Greenberg

On December 22, 2017, editor Jerry Greenberg died at the age of 81 after suffering from a long illness. He is best known for his work in The French Connection, of which director William Friedkin calls him the saving grace of the film. His filmography is full of iconic work from Apocalypse Now to Kramer vs. Kramer and collaborations with filmmakers like Brian De Palma. He is considered to be one of the most influential film editors in history, having come to prominence during an important moment in film history. His work will continue to live on, especially as inspiration for those who want to know how to edit montages and action scenes. He is an incredible artist and one who will be greatly missed.

A Look at the 11 Youngest Oscar Nominees Throughout History

Haley Joel Osment in The Sixth Sense

The time is upon us. We are officially in the single digits of the Academy Awards countdown. Leading up to the big day, I will be sharing random goodies that will be meant to highlight various Oscar trends. Yesterday was a ranking of every nominated film with more than 10 wins. In honor of today marking only 9 days to go, I have decided to pay tribute to the little guy. By that, I mean the kids who have populated the Oscar circles with their own impressive performances. The following is a list of the 11 youngest performers, for whom cinema would be  greatly different without.

Nothing But the Best: "Kramer vs. Kramer" (1979)

Scene from Kramer vs. Kramer

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. George Coe (1929-2015)

George Coe

On July 18, actor George Coe passed away in Santa Monica, CA after a long battle with an illness. While he may not seem like a household name, he is someone that has been everywhere, even in his later years. Among his many credits, he has appeared in films such as Kramer vs. Kramer and TV series such as Archer. His impressive resume spans many decades and he leaves behind a catalog of great work, having collaborated with some of the finest minds in drama and comedy. Even if you don't know his name, it is likely that you have seen his face in more than one place.

My Top 10 Favorite Meryl Streep Performances

Meryl Streep

Today is actress Meryl Streep's birthday. As longtime readers will likely know, I have had a long and conflicting view when it has come to her work. While she is actually a good actress, I feel that it is worth debating how many of the 19 (to date) Oscar nominations or 3 wins was actually deserved. I have decided that on her birthday, instead of spreading more apathetic dismissals, that I would come forward with more evidence that I don't hate her. I have decided to count down my personal Top 10 favorite movies of which I have seen her in (not necessarily in the lead role). It will, in some respects, be shocking what actually makes the final cut, partially because there's a lot that I haven't seen. Nevertheless, let us get this list underway.

My Top 5 Favorite Dustin Hoffman Performances

Dustin Hoffman

Today is the 77th birthday of actor Dustin Hoffman. In terms of great American actors, I would consider him to be one of the greats. The only strange issue is that in the echelon of great performers, I feel like he gets overshadowed by Robert De Niro and Al Pacino despite being always on par with their craft. Maybe it was because his work was more nuanced and his character tics were often subtle. Nonetheless, he holds a rare feat of not only winning three Oscars, but also starring in THREE Best Picture winners as the lead (Midnight Cowboy, Kramer vs. Kramer, and Rain Man) in three different decades. That is a feat that very few performers have achieved. Say what you will, but I want to give recognition to him on his birthday for an impressive body of work and his continuing ability to make thought provoking films.

Is SXSW Winner "Short Term 12" Capable of a Best Picture Nomination

Left to right: Brie Larson and Ketih Stanfield

I will admit that when compiling my previous entry, I was going largely based off of personal speculation and familiarity with the events of the Sundance Film Festival. In a surprise twist, two films have come out as considerable Oscar contenders for different reasons. There is the great looking documentary Blackfish (trailer here) and director Destin Cretton's Short Term 12. Having premiered as SXSW, the latter film has gone on to receive accolades, including winning the Audience Award in the narrative feature category. It is quickly being considered as one of the year's best. With official Oscar Buzz finally starting to heat up, will this SXSW favorite make it all the way to the Best Picture race?