Review: Like it or Not, "The Bling Ring" is an Honest Look at Our Sad Future

Left to right: Katie Chang, Israel Broussard, and Claire Julien

As I stated a few weeks back, I believe that The Bling Ring has a lot to live up to. It was voted as my pick for most likely to sweep the Oscars. Of course, that is coming from someone who has campaigned hard for Spring Breakers, but the film had a pretty high pedigree that I felt gave it an odd. Director Sofia Coppola remains one of the few female directors who has held a Best Director nomination. While maybe not intentional to the story, it stars numerous performers who are related to older, more established names. This is a film that stood a chance to be The Social Network of the year. A tedious account of the modern era in an enticing new way. Does the director of Lost in Translation deliver on the chances?

Review: "Monsters University" is a Great Welcome Back to the Fun Side of Pixar

If forced to poll a random group of people what their favorite Pixar movie was, there would be little doubt that Monsters Inc. ranked near the top. Its whimsical look into a world of monsters who scare for a living has become one of the studio's most successful both with audiences as well as tonally. It made Billy Crystal a star to a whole new generation and created a universe of wonderment. It only seemed logical that 12 years later they would want to revisit the characters with a trip to Monsters University: a film that saw these characters meet and even bond over their love of scaring. With the voice talents who made the first successful, is it possible that they managed to create another hit?

Review: "The East" is a Bold and Ambitious Yet Distant Political Thriller

Left to right: Ellen Page and Alexander Skarsgard

As we enter the summer season, it is time to notice those films that could stand a chance at the Oscars. As I stated in a recent post, there are some that stand a chance (so far, Frances Ha has sadly been axed). The East being one of the more prominent ones, if solely because of its political activism narrative that draws back on former nominees like All the President's Men. However, upon watching the film, it may seem bolder to nominate The East simply because it isn't a typical political thriller. It has a lot of bizarre things going on at its core.

Review: "Frances Ha" Will Make You Believe in Modern Love

Left to right: Mickey Sumner and Greta Gerwig

*Note: This review originally appeared on the website CinemaBeach. Not covered is its Oscar chances, which don't feel too good. At most, it could get a Best Original Screenplay nomination, but it seems unlikely.

In 2005, director and writer Noah Baumbach released the highly successful The Squid and the Whale. Dealing with a family’s divorce, he managed to blend despair with comedy in an exciting new way. His stories deal with internal struggle that looks lethargic on screen. Despite this, his strong suit lies in his ability to slowly unravel facts and information through awkward character moments. With his latest film Frances Ha, he attempts to translate that to the life of a young woman whose life falls apart when her best friend moves away. Is he able to capture the magic again, or is it time for his movies to do something external?

"The Wolf of Wall Street" Trailer Promises the Greatest Wall Street Party Ever

Leonardo DiCaprio

Almost with an uproar and a dance to match, director Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street has hit the scene. This past week saw the launch of the trailer set to Kanye West's "Black Skinhead" and packing so much life and humor into a story that looks to be The Great Gatsby by way of Wall Street. Most of all, it set anticipation high. Is it possible that we just saw the first film to be taken seriously for an Oscar nomination this year?

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)

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?