The First "Inherent Vice" Trailer Finally Arrives with a Smoking 70's Cool

Joaquin Phoenix

Ladies and gentlemen, it is a glorious day here at The Oscar Buzz. As a massive fan of The Master, the prospects of a new Paul Thomas Anderson film is always met with arms wide open. The news of his latest, Inherent Vice, has been slowly trickling out over the past few months with news of the Thomas Pynchon adaptation being a more comical take from the director who has given us some of the more somber, meditative films of the young century. He is an artist of the truest form and while he isn't prolific, he is always interesting when he shows up. Well, my friends, the day has finally come and the first trailer for Inherent Vice is upon us. It looks like all of the joyous retro goofiness that those set photos have been promising. Yes, it's a glorious day, indeed.

Review: "The Boxtrolls" is a Great Family Film with Innovative Style

The invaluable gift of animation is the ability to create limitless worlds and breathe life into weirdly shaped characters. It is escapism at its finest and with great stories in tow, the medium has the ability to provoke and create a lasting cultural impact. Laika Studios feels like a revolutionary force because in a world full of CGI landscapes, few are choosing to do anything interesting. The painstaking dedication to stop motion not only means that they will stand out, but that they have to pack a punch on each outing to compensate for long intervals between films. With their latest film, The Boxtrolls, they continue to expand on the potential of animation with one of their most fluid and ambitious films yet. While not entirely as pleasing as their previous output, it reflects a continuing need for animation to be as exciting as it once was.

Check This Out: "Gone With the Wind" to Be Shown in Theaters Nationwide This Weekend

In the pantheon of classic cinema, there are few films as notable as director Victor Fleming's Gone with the Wind. Upon its storied premiere in 1939 in Atlanta, Georgia, the film has gone on to have quite a reputation. Who could blame it. Based on the highly successful novel by one-and-done author Margaret Mitchell, the film is the equivalent to the Harry Potter franchise today. It was the most anticipated adaptation with an impressively complicated production history. It's a surprise that the film managed to be as successful as it was with a then-record breaking 8 Oscar wins and the highest grossing box office when adjusted for inflation. However, at 75 years old, the four hour romantic epic feels like it is unappreciated. Hopefully with this weekend's Fathom Event that plans to show the entire film on theaters nationwide in America, maybe it will give people a new reason to appreciate the film.

"Interstellar" is Set to Be Nolan's Longest Movie Yet

After the warm-up from September, next week marks the official launch of Oscar season with Gone Girl. It is an exciting time to be preparing for an intense movie season in which the big shots come out to play (but don't forget about The Boxtrolls tomorrow). Among them is a familiar name of a director who has had quite a career that in many ways makes many consider him a potential Steven Spielberg or Stanley Kubrick of this generation (I'm not as high on hyperbole about him). I am talking about director Christopher Nolan's Interstellar, which is probably his most ambitious film to date. With gorgeous trailers that look straight out of the TV series Cosmos, one can only hope that this film delivers. However, there is one thing for sure. Regardless on quality, this will be his longest film to date.

"The Tale of Princess Kaguya" Trailer Debuts with a Simpler Form of Beauty

It has been awhile since there has been any real discussion on the Best Animated Film category. Along with The Boxtrolls opening up this Friday, it seems like an excellent time to get an update. While How to Train Your Dragon 2 and The Lego Movie lead the pack, there's a lack of strong competitors out there to make this an exceptional year. However, while Studio Ghibli head Hayao Miyazaki has retired, his company still continues to flourish, at least for a little while long. With director Isao Takahata's The Tale of Princess Kaguya, there is a change of pace for animation: hand draw animation with water colors. With a successful debut at Toronto International Film Festival and the first trailer recently released, it is time to start considering the international cinema that may be applicable in this category.

Failed Oscar Campaigns: The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby:: Them (2014)

Left to right: James McAvoy and Jessica Chastain

As awards seasons pick up, so do the campaigns to make your film have the best chances at the Best Picture race. However, like a drunken stupor, sometimes these efforts come off as trying too hard and leave behind a trailer of ridiculous flamboyance. Join me on every other Saturday for a highlight of the failed campaigns that make this season as much about prestige as it does about train wrecks. Come for the Harvey Weinstein comments and stay for the history. It's going to be a fun time as I explore cinema's rich history of attempting to matter.

The First "Big Eyes" Trailer Doesn't Look Like a Tim Burton Film in the Best Way Possible

Amy Adams

For some strange reason, the words "Oscars" and "Tim Burton" are almost verboten from being within a three sentence radius. Yes, there is plenty evidence to suggest that the director's recent work from the past 10 years is arguably inferior to his more creative heyday. However, there seems to have been an exception with buzz around his latest film Big Eyes, which hasn't played any festival nor has it received any other acclaim than that it may be Amy Adams' shot at the Oscar (a move that I am all for). This is a strange concept for a Burton movie as of late. However, what's even more strange is that after the first trailer, it may be his most normal-looking movie since Ed Wood with a lot of his signature surreal visuals missing. From the looks of things, this is a great thing.

"The Theory of Everything" Joins the Oscar Race After Successful Debut at TIFF

Left to right: Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones

Here's the truth. When I initially saw a trailer for director James Marsh's The Theory of Everything, I wasn't impressed. It looked like a cheap biopic of Stephen Hawking that wasn't really called for. In fact, the trailer was kind of cliche and boring. Even if Eddie Redmayne was solid in Les Miserables, he wasn't my favorite part. Yet I have been mistaken and this has become quickly a film to watch out for. After premiering at Toronto International Film Festival, the Oscar Buzz is sparking again with a surprise, out of nowhere candidate.

Update: "Serena" Gets Moved to 2015

Jennifer Lawrence

Awhile back, I wrote about director Susanne Bier's Serena starring Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper. For the most part, I was enthusiastic about the trailer and was interested to see when the film would be released. In a rather unfortunate note, a film with high caliber of a cast will not be making the awards circuit, thus making it the first time since 2011 that a Cooper/Lawrence vehicle didn't open in time for Oscar consideration. In today's age, this is baffling, considering that these two are almost always guaranteed draws around awards season and are batting two-for-two nominations with their collaborations. So why move the film back to 2015? It isn't for reshoots or anything that could enhance the film. It apparently is just lackluster.

The Oscar Buzz Celebrates Its Second Anniversary!

Clint Eastwood

I am proud to announce that The Oscar Buzz has survived another year. It is quite an achievement that while the second wind wasn't nearly as strong as the first year, I continued to expand my audience and find new readers to interact with. I even ran The Directors Project, which for better or worse brought in new readers and helped the reader to better understand my interests as a whole. So, how do we celebrate the second anniversary? I have decided that in order to continue with the thematic elements that make these occasional lists so unique is to go with something that is not often thought of: the second films. While directorial debuts get a lot of clout, there's still some magic to be had with filmmakers on their second go. They need to prove themselves as more than just a lucky move. The following is a list of 15 films throughout history that I have enjoyed as the second go around for many fine filmmakers.

My Top 10 Movie Scores to Look Out for in Fall 2014

Jonny Greenwood

Of every major category at the Oscars, one of the most difficult ones to predict months, possibly even weeks in advance is the Best Original Score. For starters, there are some that will become surprise favorites from rookies with an ear for melody. Others will be from composers who enter relatively late in the game. Other times it is simply because the schedules get moves around so much that it is impossible to know when any one film comes out. However, there is nothing quite like predicting what is going to be the best music of the fall. In this case, I have decided to highlight 10 scores that I am looking forward to based solely on the anticipation of the film and the clout of the composer. To say the least, we're entering a strong period.

The First "Serena" Trailer Has Cooper and Lawrence Back In Fancy Get-Ups and Melodramatic Tension

Left to right Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence

Let's face it. For the third year in a row, there will be yet another prestige drama starring Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper. After two back-to-back collaborations with director David O. Russell that earned each two Oscar nominations, it looks like they have packed up camp and moved onto somebody else. In this case, it is in the hands of director Susanne Bier's new film Serena, which has been delayed in post-production for quite some time. With the star studded leads, is it possible that these two performers can strike the same luck with a different director? According to the first trailer, it may be a toss-up.

A Guide to Films Worth Checking Out During the Oscar Season

Joaquin Phoenix in Inherent Vice

As September begins, it is once again the glorious time in which The Oscar Season starts up. While the year has already produced a lot of top notch films (The Grand Budapest Hotel, How to Train Your Dragon 2), it appears that there will be plenty more where that came from. It is the exciting time where the prestige films are released and suddenly the conversation will change on a week-to-week basis. What will take Best Picture? Where last year saw 12 Years a Slave take the honors immediately, this year doesn't have a distinguished lead. The excitement is about to start.

In order to give you a better look at what films to keep an eye out for, here is a list of titles that may be entering the conversation quite soon.