A24 A-to-Z: #79. "Gloria Bell" (2019)

Scene from Gloria Bell

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: "Roma" (2018)

Scene from Roma (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.

A Look at The Oscars' New Rules

It has been a while since the fallout of the 91st Academy Awards. With many still mulling over the winners (notably the controversial Best Picture winner Green Book), it's important to look forward to what the future provides. In this case, Academy President John Bailey has released an annual change to the many voting rules for the 92nd Academy Awards. In almost every case, the rule changes are actually fairly exciting and look promising to the bigger picture. Whether it's changing the name of Best Foreign Film to Best International Film, or adding more nominees to Best Hair and Make-Up, the changes at least put the upcoming year on a more optimistic track and will hopefully embody a smoother year for all involved.

R.I.P. Milos Forman (1932-2018)

Milos Forman

On April 13, 2018, director Milos Forman died at the age of 86 in Danbury, Connecticut. Over the course of his career, he is best remembered for two Best Picture-winning films: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Amadeus. Beyond that, his career encapsulated stories about people trying to understand what freedom truly mean, which he understood as a Czechoslovakian immigrant. His films tended to feature naturalist approaches to stories, capturing a documentary-like look to stories no matter how fictional. He was also great with actors, managing to earn major awards for actors ranging from Jack Nicholson to Woody Harrelson and Jim Carrey. His legacy can be found in his provocative cinema whose messages still feel immediate. He will be greatly missed, even if his influence isn't likely to go away any time soon.

Natalie Portman, Best Documentary Short Nominees Are Not Attending the Oscars

Natalie Portman in Jackie

Even if there's plenty to look forward to on Oscar Sunday, there will be a few missing faces at the ceremony. A few weeks back, The Salesman's Asghar Farhadi and Taraneh Alidoosti announced that they wouldn't go due to the Muslim Ban. Now there's more names added to the list. While there's plenty related to the the Muslim Ban, there's one particular absence that is brought about for different reasons. Best Actress nominee Natalie Portman (Jackie) has already missed the Spirit Awards and is looking to be staying home tomorrow night as well. Read on to discover which stars won't be on the R.S.V.P. list.

Jack Nicholson Will Return to Acting with "Toni Erdmann" Remake

Jack Nicholson

Among the many world cinema movies making the rounds this awards season is director Maren Ade's Toni Erdmann. It's a story that follows a father trying to befriend his hard working daughter. It's a film so beloved that it not only made many critics Best of 2016 lists, but will be competing for the Best Foreign Film Oscar. Even then, there's been talk beyond this of the film getting a much maligned Americanized remake. While this news still feels premature, there is one piece of good news to come from this story. After seven years off of the scene, three-time Oscar winner Jack Nicholson will officially be returning to acting for the film. It's the type of news that should be met with overwhelming excitement, and will hopefully show why Nicholson is one of the all time greats.

"The Salesman" Director Won't Attend Oscars Ceremony Due to Muslim Ban

Asghar Farhadi

It seems like there will be quite a few empty seats at this year's Academy Awards. Late last week, actress Taraneh Alidoosti claimed that she would be protesting the Oscars in light of President Trump's recent Muslim Ban. It didn't take long for the harsh realities to hit Asghar Farhadi's R.S.V.P. card as well. While The Salesman director (up for Best Foreign Film this year) claimed to have wanted to attend, the Muslim Ban is preventing him from even stepping into the country. Considering that this came on the same day as the notorious Muslim Ban that left many hostages at the John F. Kennedy Airport, it makes sense why he won't be able to show up. However, it's also a sign of what's likely to be a very political Oscars ceremony.

"The Salesman" Star to Protest the Oscars

Taraneh Alidoosti in The Salesman

As many would expect, this year's Oscars are very political. Not only was there a need to overcome last year's Oscars So White controversy, but many in the industry are personally opposed to the election of America's president. While many such as Meryl Streep have already made their opinion known, it is interesting to note that the ceremony will have one less face present at the ceremony: Taraneh Alidoosti, who starred in the Best Foreign Film nominee The Salesman directed by Asghar Farhadi (A Separation). It isn't due to the politics of the ceremony itself, but because of the president whom she feels is doing awful things to Muslims.

The Runner-Ups: Jean-Luc Godard in "Breathless" (1960)

Scene from Breathless

Every Oscar season, there are a handful of actors who get tagged with the "snubbed" moniker. While it is always unfortunate to see our favorites not honored with at very least a nomination, there's another trend that goes largely unnoticed: those who never even got that far. The Runner-Ups is a column meant to honor the greats in cinema who put in phenomenal work without getting the credit that they deserved from The Academy. Join me every Saturday as I honor those who never received any love. This list will hopefully come to cover both the acting community, and the many crew members who put the production together.

Check Out the 7 Candidates on the Shortlist for Best Foreign Film

Scene from Mustang

It seems like a ridiculously packed week for those wondering what is making the cut for this year's Oscars. In the past week alone, I have written articles regarding Best Picture, Best Hair and Make-Up, Best Original Song, and Best Original Score. It's an insanely packed field, but it's interesting to see what's making the final cut. Finishing off this week is a look at another category that many likely don't think of too often: Best Foreign Film. While I have tried to make effort to cover it more frequently, I still feel like it's one of the most wildly unpredictable categories that I talk about on The Oscar Buzz. Also, if you're not into sifting through long, long lists, then you may want to give this one a shot. It only has seven. The following is the shortlist contenders followed by the countries in parenthesis. Also, there will be general thoughts on the category as it stands.

The First "Son of Saul" Trailer is Not for Those Easily Distressed

Scene from Son of Saul

A little while ago, I talked about the shortlist for the Best Foreign Film candidates for 2015. Among the ones that I highlighted was director Laszlo Nemes' Son of Saul, which has been considered a dark and challenging look into the Holocaust through the eyes of a prisoner stuck in a compromised position. With the first trailer for the film released today, it definitely is one that is going to be a tough watch, but almost helps to solidify its chances of an Oscar nomination. Full of bleak imagery, it is likely to be an unforgettable experience for whomever decides to sit down and check it out. Even if the trailer is vague, I suggest holding off if unpleasant images are going to bother you right now.

Here's a Look at This Year's Best Foreign Film Short List

Scene from Son of Saul

It's an exciting time of the year again. Yesterday, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) released its shortlist for all 82 of this year's Best Foreign Film contenders from around the world. While I have been meaning to do more coverage of international cinema and have ignored writing up pieces about the various country's submissions, I do think that there's something exciting about seeing what films each country thinks is going to stand a chance. Even if it's likely that the average viewer hasn't heard of most of these, it paints a nice picture of what's to come. The following is a rundown of every entry as well as personal thoughts on the various titles.

A Look at the 9 Finalists for the Best Foreign Film Oscar

Scene from Force Majeure

A few months ago, the Academy released the finalist for the Best Foreign Film Oscars. The list featured a lot of the familiar favorites from fans of international cinema. As the race closes in on the big day, things are starting to look a lot clearer. For starters, the category has dwindled down even further to nine selections. While many will celebrate the surprises that are in store, there's also a sense of confusion of what was omitted. The following is a look at the films that made the cut as well as a few thoughts about how things can go from here.

A Look at the 83 Eligible Candidates for 2015's Best Foreign Film Oscar

Scene from Ida

The Academy recently announced their candidates for next year's Best Foreign Film category this week. Among the highlights is the fact that this year's selection has surpassed last year's record breaking 76 entries with this year's 83, including films from four first time countries (Kosovo, Malta, Mauritania, and Panama). It is always exciting to have the definitive lock on what each country has, even if you are not entirely familiar with their work. It gives audiences a peek into how the process works and possibly to even pick out their own personal favorites from the list. The following is all 83 eligible films as well as a few thoughts regarding the race.

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.

A Look at the List of This Year's 76 Best Foreign Film Submissions

Waad Mohammed in Wadjda

In what is now unintentionally turning into a week looking at the Best Foreign Film category, we look at the list of eligible films for 2014's race. With a record 76 countries submitting nominees, the field may seem to be crowded, but there are definitely some standouts from the bunch. Even if majority of them aren't recognizable to the average viewer, these films will probably in discussion again at a later point. For a full listing of nominees as well as a few thoughts, please click below to read more.

Update: "Blue is the Warmest Color" Won't Be Eligible for the Best Foreign Film Oscar

Adele Exarchopolous

It is strange when a film of high acclaim such as that of Abdellatif Kechiche's Blue is the Warmest Color manages to win the Palme d'Or at Cannes, yet has failed to clear one hurdle. Thanks to ordinarywiseguy on Tumblr for bringing it to my attention, I have become aware that while I speculated the film's actual Oscar chances (and technically, there are still some), it turns out that due to one small loophole, the film has become ineligible for the Best Foreign Film nomination. It all has to do with a release date.

Review: "Blue is the Warmest Color" is an Ambitious Yet Familiar Love Story

Left to right: Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux

It is a film that shook the world. After director Abdellatif Kechiche's Blue is the Warmest Color won the Palme d'Or at Cannes and became embraced by Steven Spielberg, it has remained in discussion for its depiction of lesbian relationships. The three hour story that follows Emma (Lea Seydoux) and Adele (Adele Exarchopolous) is one that seems very much progressive and is one of the most talked about gay-themed films since Brokeback Mountain. Even if it doesn't stand to gross even half of that, its existence is complicated and one that reflects the discovery of love in almost too accurate of detail from its embarrassing beginnings to its somber end. The only issue is that it also features all of the bumps in between, which aren't always that flattering.

The "Blue is the Warmest Color" Trailer Shows the Palme d'Or Winner in All it's Beauty

Lea Seydoux

Earlier this year, director Abdellatif Kechiche's Blue is the Warmest Color won the Palme d'Or at Cannes. This honor alone made this French lesbian drama into one of the hottest, most anticipated movies of the year for cinephiles all over the world. Based off of "Blue Angel" by Julie Maroh, the three hour drama that follows two lovers has been getting a lot of praise as well as some backlash for its depiction of homosexual couples. With the film mostly receiving acclaim and the American release date only a month away, the film has the capability of becoming one of the most talked about foreign films of the fall.