Palme d'Or Winner "Winter Sleep" Releases it's First Cold and Beautiful Trailer

There is a lot of honor that comes with being given the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. As the premiere event for world cinema, it has long been held as the standard of excellence, even more-so than the Academy Awards or BAFTAS. This year saw the film from Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan called Winter Sleep take the top prize and immediately become a must-see for audiences. With its upcoming release, the first trailer has arrived to give American audiences a peek into what this film is going to be dealing with. To say the least, it is at least beautiful to look at with a lot of promising other elements tied in.

The Directors Project: The Bottom "50"

Scene from Cinema Paradiso

With the many lists and essays written on the subject of film, there has been one thing that The Oscar Buzz has tried to understand: Who is my favorite of the film world? For 10 weeks this summer, I will be exploring this with a countdown of the Top 50 names based on a numerical ranking of ratings from various sources, the following is a list of directors who rank above everyone else. With occasional upsets, this is intended as both a discussion opener as well as a better understanding of me as a film critic and fan. Please enjoy and leave any comments you have regarding the entry's selection.

The Directors Project: #1 - Woody Allen

Scene from Cinema Paradiso

With the many lists and essays written on the subject of film, there has been one thing that The Oscar Buzz has tried to understand: Who is my favorite of the film world? For 10 weeks this summer, I will be exploring this with a countdown of the Top 50 names based on a numerical ranking of ratings from various sources, the following is a list of directors who rank above everyone else. With occasional upsets, this is intended as both a discussion opener as well as a better understanding of me as a film critic and fan. Please enjoy and leave any comments you have regarding the entry's selection.

Miyazaki, O'Hara and Others to Receive Honorary Oscars

While Oscar season doesn't officially start until next week, the Academy has already announced the recipients of the annual Governor's Awards. The four that were selected reflect a wide array of talent within the world of cinema and have contributed to its overall growth. But who are these individuals that have won? What do we remember them from? Here is a quick rundown of their Oscar history and why they are deserving of this year's awards. 

(All biographies are credited to the Oscars Press Release)

The Directors Project: #2 - Joel and Ethan Coen

Scene from Cinema Paradiso

With the many lists and essays written on the subject of film, there has been one thing that The Oscar Buzz has tried to understand: Who is my favorite of the film world? For 10 weeks this summer, I will be exploring this with a countdown of the Top 50 names based on a numerical ranking of ratings from various sources, the following is a list of directors who rank above everyone else. With occasional upsets, this is intended as both a discussion opener as well as a better understanding of me as a film critic and fan. Please enjoy and leave any comments you have regarding the entry's selection.

The Directors Project: #3 - Martin Scorsese

Scene from Cinema Paradiso

With the many lists and essays written on the subject of film, there has been one thing that The Oscar Buzz has tried to understand: Who is my favorite of the film world? For 10 weeks this summer, I will be exploring this with a countdown of the Top 50 names based on a numerical ranking of ratings from various sources, the following is a list of directors who rank above everyone else. With occasional upsets, this is intended as both a discussion opener as well as a better understanding of me as a film critic and fan. Please enjoy and leave any comments you have regarding the entry's selection.

A Hypothetical Look at Potential Oscar Nominees in Films Already Out

It seems a little early to announce who the finalists are for next year's Oscars. However, there is only hope to be made that we have already seen some nominees release quality films. With Oscar season looming on the horizon, I have decided to do a hypothetical look at films that I have seen and feel stand some chance of getting into next year's Oscar race. Please don't consider this a complete compendium, as some categories are missing from this analysis. The follow is a list of already standout selections that I feel stand some chance in holding their own weight as we get further and further into the heart of my favorite time of year.

The Directors Project: #4 - Steven Spielberg

Scene from Cinema Paradiso

With the many lists and essays written on the subject of film, there has been one thing that The Oscar Buzz has tried to understand: Who is my favorite of the film world? For 10 weeks this summer, I will be exploring this with a countdown of the Top 50 names based on a numerical ranking of ratings from various sources, the following is a list of directors who rank above everyone else. With occasional upsets, this is intended as both a discussion opener as well as a better understanding of me as a film critic and fan. Please enjoy and leave any comments you have regarding the entry's selection.

The Directors Project: #5 - Kevin Smith

Scene from Cinema Paradiso

With the many lists and essays written on the subject of film, there has been one thing that The Oscar Buzz has tried to understand: Who is my favorite of the film world? For 10 weeks this summer, I will be exploring this with a countdown of the Top 50 names based on a numerical ranking of ratings from various sources, the following is a list of directors who rank above everyone else. With occasional upsets, this is intended as both a discussion opener as well as a better understanding of me as a film critic and fan. Please enjoy and leave any comments you have regarding the entry's selection.

Review: "The Immigrant" is the Best Looking Film of 2014 So Far

Left to right: Marion Cotillard and Joaquin Phoenix

Before this review goes any further. Before a critique of the acting, story, pacing, or deeper themes, there is one thing that needs to be expressed: This is the greatest looking film of 2014.  Cinematographer Darius Khondji's work excels at turning the 1920's New York into something that feels fully authentic and rich with melancholic beauty. Along with a solid wardrobe from Patricia Norris, there is so much to admire about this film's design. Even the framing of shots excellently convey multiple concepts at once, leaving a poetic aura around the film and causing meditation and nostalgia to seep into this tale of an American Dream that goes a little awry. The film's look remains unsurpassed and deserves any and all acclaim that it is eligible for. With that said, The Immigrant has a lot of other admirable features to its credit, too.

The Directors Project: #6 - Christopher Nolan

Scene from Cinema Paradiso

With the many lists and essays written on the subject of film, there has been one thing that The Oscar Buzz has tried to understand: Who is my favorite of the film world? For 10 weeks this summer, I will be exploring this with a countdown of the Top 50 names based on a numerical ranking of ratings from various sources, the following is a list of directors who rank above everyone else. With occasional upsets, this is intended as both a discussion opener as well as a better understanding of me as a film critic and fan. Please enjoy and leave any comments you have regarding the entry's selection.

The Directors Project: #7 - Wes Anderson

Scene from Cinema Paradiso

With the many lists and essays written on the subject of film, there has been one thing that The Oscar Buzz has tried to understand: Who is my favorite of the film world? For 10 weeks this summer, I will be exploring this with a countdown of the Top 50 names based on a numerical ranking of ratings from various sources, the following is a list of directors who rank above everyone else. With occasional upsets, this is intended as both a discussion opener as well as a better understanding of me as a film critic and fan. Please enjoy and leave any comments you have regarding the entry's selection.

The Trailer for "Two Days, One Night" Shows Cotillard in Top Form

Left to right: Fabrizio Rongione and Marion Cotillard

During this past Cannes Film Festival, one of the films that received a lot of acclaim, including a nomination for the Palme d'Or was director Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne's Two Days, One Night. With critical acclaim, it quickly received recognition for its impressive commentary and a performance by Marion Cotillard as Sandra in a tight position that may cost her her job. With the first trailer released, it is time to consider if Cotillard has what it takes to make it back into the Oscar race and if the film stands any chance at going from Cannes to the Academy Awards in any logical way.

The Directors Project: #8 - Quentin Tarantino

Scene from Cinema Paradiso

With the many lists and essays written on the subject of film, there has been one thing that The Oscar Buzz has tried to understand: Who is my favorite of the film world? For 10 weeks this summer, I will be exploring this with a countdown of the Top 50 names based on a numerical ranking of ratings from various sources, the following is a list of directors who rank above everyone else. With occasional upsets, this is intended as both a discussion opener as well as a better understanding of me as a film critic and fan. Please enjoy and leave any comments you have regarding the entry's selection.

Reitman Returns to Thought Provoking Drama with the First Trailer for "Men, Women & Children"

Left to right: Ansel Egort and Kaitlyn Dever

One of the great things about the end of summer is that it marks the beginning of Oscar season. While films like Inherent Vice, Interstellar, and Foxcatcher have their positions planned out, there is still the actual race. Despite what prognosticators will say, there are very few instances where predictions in July will be the same in January. There's way too much that comes out that takes surprising turns. For instance, did anyone see Gravity as a Best Director winner from the first trailer? Alfonso Cuaron fans maybe did, but all of the attention was on 12 Years a Slave. With the first trailer for director Jason Reitman's Men, Women & Children, he looks to be back and ready to surprise the world not only with a film about technology and how it isolates as well as potentially surprising performances. Is this going to be Adam Sandler's foray into the Oscar race? Knowing Reitman's abilities, it just might.

The Directors Project: #9 - Tim Burton

Scene from Cinema Paradiso

With the many lists and essays written on the subject of film, there has been one thing that The Oscar Buzz has tried to understand: Who is my favorite of the film world? For 10 weeks this summer, I will be exploring this with a countdown of the Top 50 names based on a numerical ranking of ratings from various sources, the following is a list of directors who rank above everyone else. With occasional upsets, this is intended as both a discussion opener as well as a better understanding of me as a film critic and fan. Please enjoy and leave any comments you have regarding the entry's selection.

The Directors Project: #10 - David Fincher

Scene from Cinema Paradiso

With the many lists and essays written on the subject of film, there has been one thing that The Oscar Buzz has tried to understand: Who is my favorite of the film world? For 10 weeks this summer, I will be exploring this with a countdown of the Top 50 names based on a numerical ranking of ratings from various sources, the following is a list of directors who rank above everyone else. With occasional upsets, this is intended as both a discussion opener as well as a better understanding of me as a film critic and fan. Please enjoy and leave any comments you have regarding the entry's selection.

The Directors Project: #11 - Charles Chaplin

Scene from Cinema Paradiso

With the many lists and essays written on the subject of film, there has been one thing that The Oscar Buzz has tried to understand: Who is my favorite of the film world? For 10 weeks this summer, I will be exploring this with a countdown of the Top 50 names based on a numerical ranking of ratings from various sources, the following is a list of directors who rank above everyone else. With occasional upsets, this is intended as both a discussion opener as well as a better understanding of me as a film critic and fan. Please enjoy and leave any comments you have regarding the entry's selection.

The Directors Project: #12 - Stanley Kubrick

Scene from Cinema Paradiso

With the many lists and essays written on the subject of film, there has been one thing that The Oscar Buzz has tried to understand: Who is my favorite of the film world? For 10 weeks this summer, I will be exploring this with a countdown of the Top 50 names based on a numerical ranking of ratings from various sources, the following is a list of directors who rank above everyone else. With occasional upsets, this is intended as both a discussion opener as well as a better understanding of me as a film critic and fan. Please enjoy and leave any comments you have regarding the entry's selection.

The Directors Project: #13 - Francis Ford Coppola

Scene from Cinema Paradiso

With the many lists and essays written on the subject of film, there has been one thing that The Oscar Buzz has tried to understand: Who is my favorite of the film world? For 10 weeks this summer, I will be exploring this with a countdown of the Top 50 names based on a numerical ranking of ratings from various sources, the following is a list of directors who rank above everyone else. With occasional upsets, this is intended as both a discussion opener as well as a better understanding of me as a film critic and fan. Please enjoy and leave any comments you have regarding the entry's selection.

The Directors Project: #14 - Hayao Miyazaki

Scene from Cinema Paradiso

With the many lists and essays written on the subject of film, there has been one thing that The Oscar Buzz has tried to understand: Who is my favorite of the film world? For 10 weeks this summer, I will be exploring this with a countdown of the Top 50 names based on a numerical ranking of ratings from various sources, the following is a list of directors who rank above everyone else. With occasional upsets, this is intended as both a discussion opener as well as a better understanding of me as a film critic and fan. Please enjoy and leave any comments you have regarding the entry's selection.

A Look at "Nebraska" (in Color) and Why Black and White Matters

Left to right: Bruce Dern and Will Forte

Like a strong portion of film critics, I loved director Alexander Payne's Nebraska. From its story to the wondrous scenery, there was plenty of charm in it that eventually lead to six Academy Award nominations. When it was decided that it would be airing on Epix in color, I was immediately torn between admiration for Payne's intended cut and the original format that was created for countries that preferred colorized editions. It either feels like an exclusive or the biggest attention-grabbing scheme in Epix's short history. Nonetheless, I watched it with enthusiasm and I am here to report on the film's quality and if it changes (note: this is not a review of the film but a comparison to the alternative versions. Read my original review here).

The Directors Project: #15 - Peter Jackson

Scene from Cinema Paradiso

With the many lists and essays written on the subject of film, there has been one thing that The Oscar Buzz has tried to understand: Who is my favorite of the film world? For 10 weeks this summer, I will be exploring this with a countdown of the Top 50 names based on a numerical ranking of ratings from various sources, the following is a list of directors who rank above everyone else. With occasional upsets, this is intended as both a discussion opener as well as a better understanding of me as a film critic and fan. Please enjoy and leave any comments you have regarding the entry's selection.

Review: "Magic in the Moonlight" is a Delightfully Familiar Film from Woody Allen

Left to right: Emma Stone and Colin Firth

Over the decades, director Woody Allen has made an impressive career out of mixing philosophy with jazz and bites of small, intellectual humor. His plots may often be pointless or not even thought out, but his consistency in overall quality is something to be amazed about. He is one of the most reliable directors out there, provided that you love what he dishes out. Following last year's phenomenal Blue Jasmine is more of the same in Magic in the Moonlight in which a magician debunking a psychic attempts to become a commentary on religion. The plot isn't all that amazing, but thanks to Allen's penchant gift for screenwriting, it doesn't matter. It is whimsical and funny in all of the predictable ways.

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.

The First "Camp X-Ray" Trailer Premieres with Intrigue and Romance

Kristen Stewart

One of the biggest astigmatisms to face any actor is overcoming the recognition of your most popular role. For Daniel Radcliffe, he will likely forever be Harry Potter. For Kristen Stewart, she will always be considered the Twilight girl. It is a tough break in a lot of sense, as it rarely allows for a performer to break free from these premonitions and do something different. As someone who openly defends Stewart's acting, I can only be met with skepticism. To be vague, nobody turns in their best role in a franchise film. It just too taxing. For Stewart, you need to see Adventureland, The Runaways, or The Cake Eaters to know what people see in her. Thankfully, the upcoming film from director Peter Sattler called Camp X-Ray will hopefully help to tear away the notion that she is just some lip-biting teen and that there is some depth underneath.

The Directors Project: #16 - Terry Gilliam

Scene from Cinema Paradiso

With the many lists and essays written on the subject of film, there has been one thing that The Oscar Buzz has tried to understand: Who is my favorite of the film world? For 10 weeks this summer, I will be exploring this with a countdown of the Top 50 names based on a numerical ranking of ratings from various sources, the following is a list of directors who rank above everyone else. With occasional upsets, this is intended as both a discussion opener as well as a better understanding of me as a film critic and fan. Please enjoy and leave any comments you have regarding the entry's selection.

The Directors Project: #17- Sam Raimi

Scene from Cinema Paradiso

With the many lists and essays written on the subject of film, there has been one thing that The Oscar Buzz has tried to understand: Who is my favorite of the film world? For 10 weeks this summer, I will be exploring this with a countdown of the Top 50 names based on a numerical ranking of ratings from various sources, the following is a list of directors who rank above everyone else. With occasional upsets, this is intended as both a discussion opener as well as a better understanding of me as a film critic and fan. Please enjoy and leave any comments you have regarding the entry's selection.

The Directors Project: #18 - Robert Rodriguez

Scene from Cinema Paradiso

With the many lists and essays written on the subject of film, there has been one thing that The Oscar Buzz has tried to understand: Who is my favorite of the film world? For 10 weeks this summer, I will be exploring this with a countdown of the Top 50 names based on a numerical ranking of ratings from various sources, the following is a list of directors who rank above everyone else. With occasional upsets, this is intended as both a discussion opener as well as a better understanding of me as a film critic and fan. Please enjoy and leave any comments you have regarding the entry's selection.

Payne's "Nebraska" to Debut in Color on Epix This Sunday

Left to right: Bruce Dern and Will Forte

One of my favorite films of 2013 as well as a nominee for six Oscars at this year's ceremony, director Alexander Payne's Nebraska, is having a strange new resurgence this upcoming weekend as it makes its debut on TV. While it has happened before, it seems increasingly unprecedented that films would be shown in two formats. Not HD and standard definition. I am talking about something more blatant that may help to shape the way that we literally view the film. For those interested, the Epix movie channel is having a "limited" run of the film in a never-before-seen form of color. This is done without Payne's permission, but does it necessarily mean that it won't be worth a gander? To me, it is worth checking out solely to understand how color and black and white formats can impact a film tonally.

The Directors Project: #19 - Richard Linklater

Scene from Cinema Paradiso

With the many lists and essays written on the subject of film, there has been one thing that The Oscar Buzz has tried to understand: Who is my favorite of the film world? For 10 weeks this summer, I will be exploring this with a countdown of the Top 50 names based on a numerical ranking of ratings from various sources, the following is a list of directors who rank above everyone else. With occasional upsets, this is intended as both a discussion opener as well as a better understanding of me as a film critic and fan. Please enjoy and leave any comments you have regarding the entry's selection.

Review: "Get on Up" Does James Brown Justice and Nobody Else

Chadwick Boseman

There are few figures in music history that are as pompous, exciting, and wild as James Brown was at the height of his career. He could dance, sing, and almost seemed to control the world with music that may have seemed lyrically banal, but was invigorating with passion and funk. It only makes sense that he would eventually join Ray Charles and Johnny Cash and get the biopic treatment. Director Tate Taylor manages to make a nice flashy package in which we get a sense of who Brown (Chadwick Boseman) was, but what does it all equal up to besides a scrapbook of memories? Get on Up, for better or worse, is a film that benefits from an interesting subject that is more interesting than he should be during the dull parts.

The Directors Project: #20 - Darren Aronofsky

Scene from Cinema Paradiso

With the many lists and essays written on the subject of film, there has been one thing that The Oscar Buzz has tried to understand: Who is my favorite of the film world? For 10 weeks this summer, I will be exploring this with a countdown of the Top 50 names based on a numerical ranking of ratings from various sources, the following is a list of directors who rank above everyone else. With occasional upsets, this is intended as both a discussion opener as well as a better understanding of me as a film critic and fan. Please enjoy and leave any comments you have regarding the entry's selection.

The Directors Project: #21 - Alfred Hitchcock

Scene from Cinema Paradiso

With the many lists and essays written on the subject of film, there has been one thing that The Oscar Buzz has tried to understand: Who is my favorite of the film world? For 10 weeks this summer, I will be exploring this with a countdown of the Top 50 names based on a numerical ranking of ratings from various sources, the following is a list of directors who rank above everyone else. With occasional upsets, this is intended as both a discussion opener as well as a better understanding of me as a film critic and fan. Please enjoy and leave any comments you have regarding the entry's selection.