R.I.P. Kirk Douglas (1916-2020)

Kirk Douglas

On February 5, 2020, actor Kirk Douglas passed away at the age of 103 in Beverly Hills, California. He is best known for his career of playing tough men in films like Spartacus and Ace in the Hole, earning acclaim as one of the best actors of his generation. He is considered to be one of the last surviving members from the Golden Age of Hollywood and lives his life with a tough work aesthetic that he carried over from his youth. With a prolific career that includes breaking up the blacklist, he leaves behind an impressive body of work and one that shows the defiant power of his generation in its purest form. His work will continue to live on unwilling to die just like the man himself.

R.I.P. Milos Forman (1932-2018)

Milos Forman

On April 13, 2018, director Milos Forman died at the age of 86 in Danbury, Connecticut. Over the course of his career, he is best remembered for two Best Picture-winning films: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Amadeus. Beyond that, his career encapsulated stories about people trying to understand what freedom truly mean, which he understood as a Czechoslovakian immigrant. His films tended to feature naturalist approaches to stories, capturing a documentary-like look to stories no matter how fictional. He was also great with actors, managing to earn major awards for actors ranging from Jack Nicholson to Woody Harrelson and Jim Carrey. His legacy can be found in his provocative cinema whose messages still feel immediate. He will be greatly missed, even if his influence isn't likely to go away any time soon.

A Look at the Brilliance of the Ballgame Scene in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"

Scene from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

For an actor like Jack Nicholson, there's an embarrassment of riches to be found in his filmography for "best performance." Who could argue with The Last Detail, Chinatown, The Shining, or even later in The Departed? It's tough to narrow it down. However, to understand what made him an essential icon, one doesn't have to look further than "The World Series scene" of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest to understand what has kept him an indelible part of pop culture. It's by no means a scene that forwards the story, yet reflect the dovetailing effect of the late Milos Forman's ability to direct a scene with nothing more than a hand raise. It's one of Nicholson's finest scenes, and evidence of the magic that came from a director who took a psych ward and turned it into a grander metaphor for society. When Nicholson's scream breaks the sound barrier, it unleashes the purest joy of cinema, and it's all so simple.

Ranking the Performances from the "Big Five" Oscar Winners

Scene from The Silence of the Lambs

With Oscar Sunday mere days away, it feels like as good of a time as any to do a commemorative countdown. In this case, we are five days away from finding out if The Revenant can beat Spotlight for Best Picture or Brie Larson can beat Saoirse Ronan for Best Actress. So, how do you commemorate five days left? Why, by honoring "The Big Five": an honor held by only three films that have won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay (and strangely enough, nothing else). It's rarer than you think. For the sake of an expansive list, I have decided to rank the six performances in order of quality to highlight not only what makes a great performance, but what can enhance a great film.

R.I.P. Haskell Wexler (1922-2015)

Haskell Wexler

On December 27, 2015, cinematographer Haskell Wexler died in his sleep at his home in Santa Monica, California at the age of 93. Over his long and storied career, he became one of the most influential cinematographers in American film, having revolutionized techniques that were featured in films such as Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolfe?, In the Heat of the Night, and even as director with Medium Cool. He was a gifted creator who claimed to make time stand still with striking images in films that are still revered to this day. His legacy lives on in his work, and the generation of film makers that he inspired as a result. There isn't likely to be another cinematographer like him, as he changed the world for the better.

Nothing But the Best: "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975)

Scene from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

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.

Check This Out: The Oscars Celebrate America's Bicentennial

On today, July 4, The United States of America celebrates Independence Day. It is a wondrous day when citizens nationwide celebrate the anniversary of this great land. With The Academy Award being one of the most prestigious awards in American (and world) film, how do they celebrate - especially since the average ceremony takes place between February and March? Well, in 1976, The Academy ended their 48th Academy Awards ceremony with a tribute to cap the bicentennial. Click the link to watch the video in which Elizabeth Taylor and a marching band leads the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in singing America's National Anthem. 

Birthday Take: Jack Nicholson in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975)

Jack Nicholson

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.

My Top 20 Favorite Post-1970's Academy Award Best Picture Winners

As someone who enjoys writing about the Oscars for fun, I have also tried to make a decision to watch all of the Best Picture winners. At very least, this would help me to understand the cultural impact more and notice trends. I have gone through some highs and lows, and in the end, I come away with expectations that were either met or disappointed. In the past week, I have reached a new milestone with my goal and have seen every film that has won after 1970. The following is a compilation of my top 20 favorite as well as some honorable mentions and the five that I felt were least deserving (hint: I found some I liked less than Crash)