The Oscar Buzz is Celebrating Its Sixth Anniversary!

Scene from Pygmalion (1938)

On this day six years ago, The Oscar Buzz launched as a place for me to discuss everything related to awards season. It was 2012 and it stemmed largely from an interest in discussing everything related to the Paul Thomas Anderson film The Master. Things have evolved since then and in 2018, the blog has covered a lot of ground both in Oscar history, as well as attempts to branch out into other subject matters ranging from the Tony Awards to chronicling the entire output of A24 studios. It's a daunting task that I love to put upon myself. But on these anniversary entries, I have one tough question: how do I open up? These entries are about discussing who I am as an individual more than just my opinions on film. It's easy some years, where variables can lead to cutesy lists (for instance, last year was about the year with the five Best Picture nominees that best represented me). But where do I go with six? It's difficult. However, I have decided to look at something that I don't discuss too often: the double-nominee. What film adaptation stands out as saying something integral about who I am? In this particular case, I am going back to the work of George Bernard Shaw and the adaptations Pygmalion and, in its musical form, My Fair Lady.

The Oscar Buzz is Celebrating its Fourth Anniversary!

Today marks the fourth anniversary of The Oscar Buzz's launch. Back in 2012, it started as a blog to discuss all things Oscars, but mostly as it related to director Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master. In 2016, it has evolved into its own impressive mixture of commentary on the award's history and its various awards. I hope that in that time you the reader have not only come to better understand the Oscars, but get a better understanding of me as a cinephile. So, how do you celebrate four years? It only seems right to go with the crowning achievement: The E.G.O.T.. For those who don't know, this is specifically for artists who have won awards in the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony fields: all of which are considered the heights of their fields. I am going to rank my 10 favorite winners, who for the sake of posterity I will only judge based on their Oscar wins and not their subsequent nominations. Thanks again for reading, and as they say in politics, here's to "Four more years! Four more years!"

R.I.P. Marni Nixon (1930-2016)

Marni Nixon

On January 24, 2016, singer and actress Marni Nixon died in Manhattan, New York at the age of 86 from breast cancer. It is likely that you don't know her face or name that well, but you'll likely recognize her voice. Dubbed by Time Magazine as "The Ghostess with the Mostest," she largely made her career in film working behind the scenes as a singer dubbing for actresses ranging from Deborah Kerr to Natalie Wood to Audrey Hepburn in films like The King and I, West Side Story, and My Fair Lady. She was also proficient on stage as a singer and sometimes toured with performers like Liberace and Victor Borge. She enjoyed a Hollywood career without the tassels of fame, serving as the underrated talent that made some of cinema's greatest musicals work so well. Her name may not be familiar, but her work will live on forever in Oscar history thanks to her tireless work to make lesser singers shine.

Birthday Take: Audrey Hepburn in "Roman Holiday" (1953)

Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday

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.

Nothing But the Best: "Ben-Hur" (1959)

Scene from Ben-Hur

Welcome to the series Nothing But the Best in which I chronicle all of the Academy Award Best Picture winners as they celebrate their anniversaries. Instead of going in chronological order, this series will be presented on each film's anniversary and will feature personal opinions as well as facts regarding its legacy and behind the scenes information. The goal is to create an in depth essay for each film while looking not only how the medium progressed, but how the film is integral to pop culture. In some cases, it will be easy. Others not so much. Without further ado, let's start the show.

Nothing But the Best: "My Fair Lady" (1964)

Scene from My Fair Lady

Welcome to the series Nothing But the Best in which I chronicle all of the Academy Award Best Picture winners as they celebrate their anniversaries. Instead of going in chronological order, this series will be presented on each film's anniversary and will feature personal opinions as well as facts regarding its legacy and behind the scenes information. The goal is to create an in depth essay for each film while looking not only how the medium progressed, but how the film is integral to pop culture. In some cases, it will be easy. Others not so much. Without further ado, let's start the show.

Check This Out: "My Fair Lady" to Return to the Big Screen Nationwide

Scene from My Fair Lady

There's a good chance that if you enjoy reading about Academy Awards news and history, you're just as interested in seeing the films on the big screen. Well, there's good news for those who are fans of the 1964 musical My Fair Lady, directed by George Cuckor and starring Audrey Hepburn as Eliza Doolittle and Rex Harrison as Henry Higgins. Starting next week and running into November, you can have the opportunity to see the film on the big screen in select theaters with a new, fully restored version.

Best Song: "Moon River" (1961)

Scene from Breakfast at Tiffany's

Welcome to Best Song, a new weekly column released on Sunday dedicated to chronicling the Best Original Song category over the course of its many decades. The goal is to listen to and critique every song that has ever been nominated in the category as well as find the Best Best Song and the Best Loser. By the end, we'll have a comprehensive list of this music category and will hopefully have a better understanding not only of the evolution, but what it takes to receive a nomination here. It may seem easy now, but wait until the bad years.

Birthday Take: Audrey Hepburn in "Sabrina" (1954)

Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina

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.