The Oscar Buzz Celebrates Its Eighth Anniversary!

 

Scene from Hard Eight

Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to announce that the odometer has rolled over. We're entering my eighth year of running things here at The Oscar Buzz. Boy has life been sweet as I've continued to expand my area of interest here annually, finding new and exciting topics to explore as I wait for each season to start. As I do every year, I try to use numerology to figure out something interesting to explore about myself. This is a moment where I get personal and expand upon what I love about film. With the number "8," I've had a variety of topics to choose from, such as BUtterfield 8 or The Hateful Eight. However, those feel small, not allowing for me to really open up in significant ways that go back more than a few years.

Much like how I chose The Seven Year Itch for 2019 to explore my love for Marilyn Monroe, I have decided to use Hard Eight as an entry point into Paul Thomas Anderson. As long-time readers will know, I started this whole website because of The Master. It all started because I wanted to see Joaquin Phoenix get that Oscar win (seven years late, but we got there!). However, I have reserved criticism of that 2012 masterpiece to a certain upcoming anniversary (guess). For now, I am using Anderson's debut film to better explore the question: why do I love PTA so much? I'm sure everyone from my generation has an answer and those who know me personally likely already will find these key notes predictable. For everyone else, welcome to my anniversary piece, the one where I finally get to the heart of a very specific kind of movie love.

Every Best Picture Nominee of the 2010's Ranked: #6-10

Scene from Parasite (2019)

As 2019 reached its end, another decade of cinema had passed. It's amazing to think about how things have evolved since 2010 when the biggest controversies were about recognizing genre movies. Things look different now, especially as genre films like The Shape of Water and Parasite are winning Best Picture and the voting body looks incredibly different with each passing year. With this period in the books, it feels like a good time to celebrate their accomplishments by ranking all 88 titles nominated for Best Picture from worst to best with the goal of seeing which films are more likely to stand the test of time. Join me every Saturday and Sunday as I count them down, five at a time. It's going to be a fun summer looking back on what was, especially as we prepare for the decade ahead and an even more interesting diversity that we haven't even begun to think of.

How Joaquin Phoenix Encouraged Me To Start The Oscar Buzz

Joaquin Phoenix

Among the many winners at last night's Academy Awards was Best Actor winner Joaquin Phoenix (Joker). For months following the release of the divisive film, he's been the category front-runner and in the process has excelled at giving some of the most memorable speeches. For as much as Brad Pitt made his run seem polished and charismatic, Phoenix chose to make his feel from the heart, addressing whatever issues came to mind. Who could forget his speeches detailing Australian forest fires, or the more recent backlash at The Academy where he called out their lack of diverse nominations? There is so much to take from Phoenix that it kind of makes up for the fact that I wasn't that impressed with his Oscar-winning performance. To me, Joker was mediocre and lacked any real substance that it was vying for. However, his win had a lot more power than simply recognizing a movie or an actor. Phoenix's win sort of brought a certain narrative regarding The Oscar Buzz to a close.

Composing Greatness: #14. The Freshman Class of the 2010's - "Phantom Thread" (2017)

Scene from Phantom Thread

Welcome to Composing Greatness: a column dedicated to exploring the work of film composers. This will specifically focus on the films that earned them Oscar nominations while exploring what makes it so special. This will be broken down into a look at the overall style, interesting moments within the composition, and what made the score worth nominating in the first place. This will also include various subcategories where I will rank the themes of each film along with any time that the composer actually wins. This is a column meant to explore a side of film that doesn't get enough credit while hopefully introducing audiences to an enriched view of more prolific composers' work. This will only cover scores/songs that are compiled in an easily accessible format (so no extended scores will be considered). Join me every Sunday as I cover these talents that if you don't know by name, you recognize by sound.

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.

Composing Greatness: #3. Oscars 2018 Edition - "Phantom Thread"

Scene from Phantom Thread

Welcome to a very special edition of Composing Greatness. In this limited series, I will be looking at the five scores nominated for this year's Best Original Score category. To avoid favoritism, the list will be done in alphabetical order of composers and feature the same guidelines as the original series. This is meant to explore the music behind the great films of 2017, and provide insight into what makes each of them special and whether or not they deserved to be nominated at all. Join me all week as I listen to the  music, leave some thoughts, and hopefully sway you to check out these wonderful, wonderful scores.

Review: "Phantom Thread" Speaks Volumes in Anderson's Most Restrained Movie

Scene from Phantom Thread

Director Paul Thomas Anderson's latest Phantom Thread marks his first collaboration in a decade with acclaimed actor Daniel Day-Lewis. When they were last together, they produced an Oscar-winning performance with one of the actor's most iconic roles. He was manic, unpredictable, and created one of 21st century cinema's greatest antagonists. Time has passed, and the duo reunite for a film of a different beast. Instead of seeing Lewis play a man mad with power, he ends his career with one succumbed to co-dependence. It's a film restrained even by Anderson's lofty ambitions, and it creates one of the most compelling romances of the year. While there's no scene in which Lewis throws a bowling pin, the emotional scars feel richer and more compelling. It's a great film, and a touching way for Lewis to end his career on a very high note.

The First "Phantom Thread" Trailer Starts an Elegant Swan Song for Daniel Day-Lewis

Daniel Day Lewis in Phantom Thread

It's the partnership that cinephiles have been clamoring for over the past 10 years. In 2007, director Paul Thomas Anderson teamed with acclaimed actor Daniel Day-Lewis for arguably one of the 21st century's greatest achievements: There Will Be Blood. In the time since, Lewis has become the first actor to receive three Best Actor statues, and has announced his next pairing with Anderson would be his swan song. Phantom Thread would be the most anticipated movie of 2017 even without the departure of a cinematic icon. With the first trailer, everyone looks to be in top form with Anderson doing a largely more refined movie than he has in the past, though not without its idiosyncrasies. It looks like an elegant period drama that won't just get Lewis a potential and largely unbeatable fourth Oscar, but may finally get Anderson back into the Best Picture race for the first time in a decade. If the trailer has anything to say about it, the chances are very good.

After 10 Years, "There Will Be Blood" Continues to Inspire Hope for Cinematic Greatness

Scene from There Will Be Blood

It was a decade ago on September 27 that a revolution in cinema was born. With people lining up at Fantastic Fest to see the latest from director Paul Thomas Anderson, they had no idea that they were about to see a movie that would be to the decade what Citizen Kane was to the 1940's; The Godfather to the 1970's; or Pulp Fiction to the 1990's. There Will Be Blood was a neo-western about an oil tycoon named Daniel Plainview, played by the never better Daniel Day-Lewis. While it would be a few more months before its theatrical release and competition with fellow 2007 neo-western masterpiece No Country for Old Men for Oscar glory, it was the birth of a modern gem, and one that hasn't left the public conversation since. It would be a film that defined both Anderson and Lewis' careers to the point that their next collaboration Phantom Thread is one of this year's most anticipated movies. It's a rare gem that shows the potential for modern cinema, and few have come close to making anything as prescient since.

Three-Time Oscar Winner Daniel Day-Lewis to Retire From Acting

Daniel Day-Lewis in Gangs of New York

There are few actors quite like Daniel Day-Lewis. For starters, he often goes so long in between movie projects that it's easy to believe that each movie is his last. Before his latest film with director Paul Thomas Anderson (due this Fall), he starred in Lincoln, which won him his third Best Actor statue. That was five years ago. So, what is up next on his agenda? Unlike almost every other time, there is news of what that will be. Following the release of the Anderson film, he will be retiring from acting. The news is as shocking as it is predictable for an actor known for his reclusive personality and his fickle way of picking projects. Still, he leaves behind an impressive body of work that few could possibly match.

A Katherine Waterston Appreciation Piece

Scene from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

This weekend marks the release of the latest movie from J.K. Rowling’s magical world: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Featuring the talents of returning director David Yates, the series serves as a prequel to the story we all know. With Eddie Redmayne as protagonist Newt Scamander, the journey looks to introduce a whole heap of new magical characters and lingo that will make fans happy. However, I would like to dedicate this entry not to the wonderful world of Rowling, but to the co-star that has had a phenomenal run over the past few years: Katherine Waterston.

Ranking Amy Adams' 5 Oscar Nominated Roles

Amy Adams in Arrival

Today marks actress Amy Adams' 42nd birthday. Over the course of an impressive career, she has played everything from Disney princess to the wife of a cult leader. To say the least, her range is endless, and she continues to produce quality work on an almost annual basis. With the potential for a sixth nomination this fall with director Denis Villeneuve's alien invasion movie Arrival, there's no better time to be an Adams fan. While we wait for her next film to win us over, the following is a ranking of her current five Oscar nominations, of which shows off her charisma as well as argues the case as to why she doesn't have an Oscar yet. She more than deserves one.

The Runner-Ups: Jonny Greenwood in "There Will Be Blood" (2007)

Daniel Day-Lewis

Every Oscar season, there are a handful of actors who get tagged with the "snubbed" moniker. While it is always unfortunate to see our favorites not honored with at very least a nomination, there's another trend that goes largely unnoticed: those who never even got that far. The Runner-Ups is a column meant to honor the greats in cinema who put in phenomenal work without getting the credit that they deserved from The Academy. Join me every Saturday as I honor those who never received any love. This list will hopefully come to cover both the acting community, and the many crew members who put the production together.

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.

Birthday Take: Joaquin Phoenix in "The Master" (2012)

Joaquin Phoenix in The Master

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.

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.

Check This Out: Watch Paul Thomas Anderson's Latest Right Now

A few months ago, it was mentioned that director Paul Thomas Anderson was working on a documentary that followed the journey of his frequent collaborator and composer Jonny Greenwood can Junun. It has been making the rounds at various film festivals, which doesn't help since most people cannot attend. However, there's some good news for those who have been waiting for the director's follow-up to last year's Inherent Vice. You can now watch it online. All it requires is signing up for a website (it's legit, I swear).

Paul Thomas Anderson to Debut Jonny Greenwood Documentary at NYFF

Jonny Greenwood

It's no secret that I love Paul Thomas Anderson as a director. His work has been some of the high points of every Oscar season, even as films like The Master and Inherent Vice fail to get the momentum they deserve. However, another key reason that Anderson is particularly great is because of his collaborators, specifically composer Jonny Greenwood. Over his past three films, the two have created some of the most intense and immersive soundtracks to grace the film world. That is why it makes plenty of sense that Anderson will be releasing a new documentary about his collaborator this Fall with premieres at upcoming festivals. 

Birthday Take: Tom Cruise in "Magnolia" (1999)

Tom Cruise in Magnolia

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.

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.