A Final Goodbye From The Oscar Buzz

Scene from Modern Times

Back in February, I made the comment that I was going on an extended hiatus. For the first time since 2011, I was not going to be reporting on an Oscar Season, citing burnout and mental health reasons. I promised to return in August to give an update on how I was feeling. I was hoping in all that time that the story would play out differently but, every few weeks, I would return to the same prompt “Do I want to relaunch The Oscar Buzz?” and every single time, without fail, I was not motivated to say anything resembling a yes. 

For as much as I’ve gotten better, where I’ve had happier days and been in better headspaces than I was back then, I find myself unable to work up the motivation. The website that began as a passion project in 2012 has become a bit of a burden, and even the fun columns like Failed Oscar Campaigns and Nothing But the Best have lost their muster. Do I still like what I did? Of course. I love the way it’s introduced me to a great online community. The issue is that for as much as I want to talk to them still, I just don’t feel like I have anything of merit to share on here anymore – at least for the foreseeable future. There is a chance that things COULD change, but as of today, The Oscar Buzz is closing its doors.

The Oscar Buzz is Officially Going on Hiatus

Scene from Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood

It is with some sadness that I report something important. Despite The Oscar Buzz being home to a celebration of film history, especially during awards season, I am going on immediate hiatus. This doesn't come without some serious thinking, doing everything to try and make things work out. However, I think that those who have inhabited this website in recent months will notice my inability to keep up, failing to review every potential contender and speculate about recent Golden Globes coverage. Even reliable columns like Nothing But the Best, Failed Oscar Campaigns, and A24 A-to-Z have been dormant more often than not. I have personally tried to keep this website operating, but it is a difficult period for me personally. That is why, as of today, I will be shutting the website down for six months, returning in August to provide an assessment of where everything is. For more information, please read on.

Failed Oscar Campaigns: "Vice" (2018)

Scene from Vice (2018)

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.

Review: "Soul" Comes Together For a Mesmerizing Experience

Scene from Soul (2020)

What has always made the realm of animation at times superior is the endless possibilities. There are no commitments to the familiar, and yet sometimes it's often more real. Few directors have understood this as well as Pete Docter, who has used the abstract to understand everything from our fears (Monsters Inc.) to cognitive function (Inside Out). With his latest, he has continued to outdo himself in the realm of fantasy, finding a wondrous way to explore the most abstract thing that's fundamental to the human condition. What drives our soul to continue pursuing passions, to live a life that isn't, ahem, "soulless." Using the vibrant background of a jazz musician, the story unfolds into the surreal, introducing high concepts in accessible ways. What makes this all a miracle is how easily everything goes down, finding equal parts entertainment and inspiration in every scene. Whatever Docter is doing continues to work, even if it's a bit raggedy and confusing at times. 

Review: "The Prom" Does Enough Right to Be a Good Time

Scene from The Prom (2020)

If there are any issues to be found with director Ryan Murphy's version of The Prom, they're mostly found in the show it was adapted from. At its core, it's one of the most good-intentioned musicals of the modern age, spinning the familiar coming of age story about proms into this one of queer acceptance. When the film is in this mode, there's rarely anything more euphoric, finding protagonist Emma (Jo Ellen Pellman) expressing herself with this passionate outsider narrative. It's her against an Indiana school that finds her lesbianism offensive. The struggle makes for compelling drama, especially when dealing with her still closeted girlfriend Alyssa (Ariana DeBose). 

Those moments of tenderness are the heart of the film, which unfortunately are sidelined by something more egregious. The Prom is as much about acceptance as it is the power of theater as a form of self-expression, and that means a whole supporting cast of eccentric Broadway types. What they bring to the show is essential, but the approach creates a gross misunderstanding of what makes The Prom a delightful addition to the movie musical. It isn't about watching adults ham it up, sharing these stories of coming out and doing vivid dance numbers. This was, as its title suggests, should've been about the prom. Had the story been presented predominantly from Emma's perspective, it may even be a masterpiece. Instead, it's a decent if familiar story only elevated by a sugar-rush of a soundtrack that is sure to get stuck in your head. It's a good time, but it could've been better.

Review: "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" Hits the Sweetest High Notes

Scene from Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

To sing the blues is to pour your heart out to the world. With every aching note, the struggles of the individual reflect a community eager to be heard. It's something that lives inside the Black community, serving as a survival tool throughout years of oppression and reminding everyone what it means to be human. But given how diverse the voices within this group are, one has to ask the question: what is the blues? Who gets to control the direction that it goes? Throughout director George C. Wolfe's fantastic adaptation of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, he explores this question in great detail over a sweltering summer day in 1927. What follows is a phenomenal showcase of talent, finding Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis butting heads with electric performances and even more energetic music. It's one of the year's most vibrant stories and one that never lets up for the entire ride.

An Open Letter from The Oscar Buzz

Scene from Grand Hotel (1932)

Lo and behold, here we are at the end of another year. 2020 has been such a wild year with its endless ups and downs. For fans of the Oscar season, it's been one of the most interesting, unprecedented years on record. This is the first (and possibly only) time that The Academy will accept streaming movies in all significant categories. The ceremony has been pushed back months. What exactly is there to make of this season? There's been plenty to talk about in light of this, and I can't wait to see what happens next. But, before 2021 kicks off I thought that I'd open up for why I've been rather dormant on here over the past three months. I need to apologize for myself. The Oscar Buzz will continue, though there will be some minor changes going forward.

Review: "Mank" is a Distracting Messy Homage

Scene from Mank

No matter who you are, there's a good chance somebody at least once has told you that Citizen Kane is one of the greatest movies ever made. The mythology surrounding it has only ballooned in the near 80 years since its release, finding director Orson Welles being considered a filmmaking pioneer who took down Hearst with this swift commentary of greed and corruption. While history has been favorable, there are those like director David Fincher who want to posit that Welles wasn't the mastermind behind this story. There was one man in particular named Herman J. Mankiewicz - a studio savant who navigated the studio system in the 1930s before making this screenplay that changed the world. 

It's a juicy enough hook for Fincher to apply his familiar hostile view of humanity to. After all, who doesn't love an underdog story, where history can be rewritten to immortalize the real heroes? The issue with Mank isn't so much what it intends to achieve, but that it does so in a bit of a clumsy way. Based on a screenplay written by his father Jack Fincher, it's a story that glamorizes early Hollywood with endless references and pastiches that help to explore the "movie magic" concept. However, there's little else going on here that feels essential. For a story about writing a universally acclaimed hit, it sure lacks the payoff that could make this into a modern masterpiece. It's a bit of a misfire, finding Fincher giving too much into sentimentalism that clouds his technique, keeping the story from ever meeting its full potential.

Failed Oscar Campaigns: "Black Panther" (2018)

Scene from Black Panther (2018)

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.

Review: Even in Darkness, "Sound of Metal" Finds Compassion for a Brighter Future

Scene from Sound of Metal

When one lives their life as a musician, nothing feels as crucial as having an ear for melody. Without it, how does one hope to take on the rigorous challenge of playing for crowds every night, touring across the country, and having the world sing along? For Sound of Metal, it exists in a moment that may be a career drummer's worst nightmare: hearing loss. Even from the beginning as Reuben (Riz Ahmed) drums away in a darkened room, he tries hard to hear the lead singer. The audience can't hear her clearly either, though one has to ask if it's because of a bad sound system, or if the audience is experiencing the final moments, where Reuben can still hear the world around him. Once it disappears, the room's darkness will become more insufferable, reflective of his own internal life.

He can see the world, but this begins the challenges of trying to communicate. Through notebook papers, he finds the early days difficult. He'll do anything to overcome this problem, and yet there's the reality. It's hopeless. He's a drummer without an ear. All he will do is wear out his new options, and that's the pain. Sound of Metal is a story of self-acceptance when given a disability, reflecting a difficulty that many live with while being treated as an "other." It's one of the year's most harrowing journeys, but it ultimately ends with such a powerful conclusion that it's worth it. The struggle to recognize life after this condition is an important story. Through art, this story hopes to make the world not necessarily sympathize with the deaf, but to empathize and understand the most important part of them: they're still human and capable of love.

Review: "Ammonite" is an Enjoyably Quaint Love Story

Scene from Ammonite (2020)

For most of her life, Mary Anning (Kate Winslet) has lived a quiet life, focused on her work. As a paleontologist, she spends her life focused on the way that the world was, admiring the skeletal structures of animals imprinted onto rocks. It's a lonely world and one that not too many understand. Through Winslet's subdued performance, she captures the struggles of self-expression, unable to truly be happy around anyone. That is until she is forced to take care of Charlotte Murchinson (Saoirse Ronan) and finds passion starting to form. For the first time in her life, somebody cares about her, bonding over science and discovering deeply personal secrets that allow her to become more transparent.

Like most love stories, Ammonite has its fair share of goofiness that's hard to understand from the outside world. As someone who has been repressed, Mary reflects love as it blossoms, evolving from an idea into an emotion,  becoming this sweet story of love. Ronan has rarely been more vulnerable as an actress, managing to convey a strong emotional range that shows how these two complement each other. Their journey may be quaint and the endless minutes of watching them study paleontology may seem strange, but it's ultimately endearing. The story may be much too quaint at times to be a masterpiece, but it's got enough going for it that the audience buys into every smile, every sacrifice they make for each other. It's love as something formative, and the joy in these moments is the infectious heart of the film, where loneliness stops being the unbearable reality and Mary (and the audience) find something greater waiting ahead.

Composing Greatness: #10. The Musical or Comedy Scores - "The Preacher's Wife" (1996)

Scene from The Preacher's Wife

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.

Failed Oscar Campaigns: "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood" (2019)

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.

Review: "Hillbilly Elegy" is the Worst Kind of Oscar Bait

Scene from Hillbilly Elegy

There's a certain sadness that comes with reporting the news that Hillbilly Elegy is a giant misfire, embodying the familiar lower-class struggles as mindless melodrama. Even in the hands of someone as capable as director Ron Howard, there's no understanding of what lies underneath the surface. In a time where Middle America has a crisis worth sharing, Howard has decided to stop at the problem, too scared to have compassion for his characters. The themes of socioeconomics, drug addiction, and the passive aggressiveness it produces are details that are worth sharing, but there's no bigger point here. The ending likes to think there is, but Howard fails to make it matter. It's doubtful that he's even met a hillbilly. If he did, he would've known that their story deserves something more than nonstop shouting matches. 

A24 A-to-Z: #86 - "The Farewell" (2019)

Scene from The Farewell

In case you didn't know, A24 is one of the great purveyors of modern cinema. Since 2013, the studio has found a way to innovate independent cinema by turning each release into an event. As a result, A24 A-to-Z will be an ongoing series that looks at every release from the studio by analyzing its production history, release, criticisms, and any awards attention that it might've received. Join me on a quest to explore the modern heroes of cinema by exploring every hit and miss that comes with that magnificent logo. They may not all be great, but they more than make A24 what it is and what it will hopefully continue to be for years to come. 

Failed Oscar Campaigns: "Joker" (2019)

Scene from Joker (2019)

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.

R.I.P. Sean Connery (1930-2020)

Sean Connery

On October 31, 2020, actor Sean Connery passed away at the age of 90. Over a storied career that saw him move from bodybuilding to sports and later acting, he proved to be one of the most successful Scottish actors in history. Among his most noteworthy accomplishments was originating the role of James Bond, launching one of the most successful film franchises in history. He also starred in films like The Man Who Would Be King as well as won an Oscar for his role in The Untouchable. It was a career of continual highs that always brought out the most charismatic turns, and his work more than speaks for itself. He will be missed for everything he has gave the world, and it's better off for having him if just for a short time.

Composing Greatness: #9. The Musical or Comedy Scores - "James and the Giant Peach" (1996)

Scene from James and the Giant Peach

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.

Failed Oscar Campaigns: "The Front Runner" (2018)

 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.

Review: "On the Rocks" Finds the Humor Amid a Midlife Crisis

Scene from On the Rocks (2020) 

One of the hardest things to be in life is cool. It's something that we all thrive to be, though the older we get, the further out of touch we're likely to be. The esteem to resonate in ways that you did as a teenager, following trends, and having all the energy in the world slowly starts to fade, and there's some sadness in this revelation. Like DEVO in 1981, director Sofia Coppola is through being cool. She doesn't have it in her anymore. With her latest personal exercise (her most vulnerable since Somewhere), she finds ways to explore that transition period when the world begins to feel more jaded, unable to connect in these significant ways. What it lacks in immediacy it more than makes up for in terms of fun comic chemistry between Bill Murray and Rashida Jones. Everything may meander, but it all builds to self-acceptance that we all face as we continue through time, finding ways to accept whatever lies beyond being cool. It may not be trendy, but it's inevitable.