Every Best Picture Nominee of the 2010's Ranked: #80-88

Scene from Bohemian Rhapsody

As 2019 reached its end, another decade of cinema had passed. It's amazing to think about how things have evolved since 2010 when the biggest controversies were about recognizing genre movies. Things look different now, especially as genre films like The Shape of Water and Parasite are winning Best Picture and the voting body looks incredibly different with each passing year. With this period in the books, it feels like a good time to celebrate their accomplishments by ranking all 88 titles nominated for Best Picture from worst to best with the goal of seeing which films are more likely to stand the test of time. Join me every Saturday and Sunday as I count them down, five at a time. It's going to be a fun summer looking back on what was, especially as we prepare for the decade ahead and an even more interesting diversity that we haven't even begun to think of.

Failed Oscar Campaigns: "Bohemian Rhapsody" (2018)

Scene from Bohemian Rhapsody (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: "Rocketman" is One of the Best Music Biopics in Years

Scene from Rocketman

If there was a better metaphor for a director Dexter Fletcher's career, it would be the opening scene of the Elton John biopic Rocketman. While his previous film Bohemian Rhapsody won four Oscars, it also received massive criticism for its depiction of Freddie Mercury. With many considering it one of the worst Best Picture nominees this decade and placed original director Bryan Singer in a heat of notoriety. Fletcher needed Rocketman more as a chance to prove himself as a filmmaker capable of doing a biopic right. It's why as John (Taron Egerton) sat down in the rehab chair, looking for a second chance at happiness, it feels like Fletcher sitting there in apology. Luckily it doesn't take long not only for him to repent, but prove himself to be a far more capable director than what was let on. Rocketman isn't just a vast improvement over Bohemian Rhapsody, it's one of the best biopics of the decade.

Here's the Official List of This Year's Academy Award Winners!

The cast and crew of Green Book

Well, the moment has come and gone. The 91st Academy Awards ceremony brought with it many highs and lows, but most importantly were the winners. With Green Book taking the top prize, it was a year full of diverse nominees that were fascinating and reflective of the growing body of voters. Before Oscar recap coverage begins, it only feels right to get to the heart of this Oscar season and answer the question: who won? The following is a rundown of every winner in the 24 categories. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments and look forward to more coverage coming in the day and week to come.

Here's My Final Predictions for This Year's Academy Awards!

Scene from Black Panther

This is it! Tomorrow marks the day that everyone has been waiting for. After months of speculation, it's time for The Academy Awards ceremony to present to us the winners. It's an exciting time, and one has to wonder who is going to take home the gold. As is tradition, it's time to end the pre-Oscar coverage with my own predictions. I'll admit that 2018's line-up is a bit difficult to call, as it has been a wildly unpredictable year. While I feel less certain than normal about my picks winning, I can only hope that this year is a lot more exciting than it has gotten credit for. So, what are my picks? Read on and feel free to share your picks in the comments.

Failed Oscar Campaigns: "Walk Hard:: The Dewey Cox Story" (2007)

Scene from Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

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 Rundown of Who's Performing on The Academy Awards this Sunday

Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper

Things are getting exciting. With approximately 48 hours left until this year's Oscars ceremony, it's time lo look forward to the ceremony. Knowing that there isn't any host, what is there to look forward to? Well, there's good news (and some bad) in regards to this year's music performers. As of this moment, four of the five songs will be performed at the ceremony. While some would think this is a side effect of the infamous cuts that the show temporarily had, it's merely a side effect from scheduling. To find out who is still on the show, please feel free to read on and prepare for what is shaping up to be one of the oddest ceremonies in the modern era.

An Optimistic Viewpoint of This Oscar Season

Scene from The Favourite

Ladies and gentlemen, we are less than a week away from the beloved Oscar Sunday. For many, it's one of the greatest nights to celebrate all things film. With that said, the past few months have been mired in controversy for reasons ranging from "Why is Bohemian Rhapsody so popular?" to "Present All 24." It's been a rough year for those who like the tried and true formula. However, in an attempt to make the final days of prognostication fun, I thought that I would try and open this week by looking at the positive. For as much as this year feels like a series of unfortunate events, it has produced one of the most exciting Oscar races in years. Even days out, there's so much that's left unclear, and that will make everything all the more exciting.

The Academy to Not Broadcast Four Categories for First Time Ever

Scene from Cold War

The Academy Awards is officially less than two weeks away. However, it's still a year where every week brings some big news. Where most years would be content to just let audiences prognosticate who will win, it seems like The Academy has made it a challenge to slowly present controversial new rulings that fill the cinephiles more with dread than anticipation. So, what is in store this time around? Those predicting that categories would forgo being presented during the broadcast have finally been proven right to be skeptical as the Academy's increasingly incompetent president John Bailey has listed four categories that will appear in the broadcast, though not when you think they will. Yes, things are starting to evolve and change in ways more concrete, and none of it is particularly welcomed.

Ranking the Best Picture Nominees of 2018

Love it or hate it, there's a certain honor that comes with being nominated for the Best Picture Oscar. In any given year, only a fraction of the hundreds of films released over the course of 52 weeks makes it to the big night. While most years have produced very interesting results, this year has been defined by divisive picks that range from hit-and-miss (BlacKkKlansman) to downright frustrating (Bohemian Rhapsody). Of the many films released in 2018, these are the eight that have been deemed worthy of continuing for the award. The following is my ranking of these films as well as how I feel about their place in the rankings. This isn't a prediction so much of what will win, but maybe what would've won had I decided. Join in and feel free to leave your own rankings in the comments.

Review: "Bohemian Rhapsody" Turns Beautiful Art into Crass Commercialism

Scene from Bohemian Rhapsody

In the language of film, the Live Aid performance that ends the Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody should be a moment of triumph. Having built up through the struggles of a career blocked by underestimating record executives, the idea of performing before a crowd of billions and having it be considered one of the greatest stadium performances in history should feel like the greatest culmination of any music biopic in history. However, there's something absent. For as brilliant as the direction is during this 20 minute reenactment, for as entertaining as Rami Malek's version of Mercury is as a performer, it's shallow. The build-up is not there. The songs have no deeper meaning when Mercury sings "I thank you all" during "We Are the Champions." It's a film in love with the idea of Mercury more than the human, and the film suffers greatly for it. While it reaffirms the idea that Queen is one of rock's boldest bands, it does little to add new text to the conversation in any meaningful way.

Here's the List for the 2019 Academy Award Nominations!

Scene from Roma

This morning is the moment that a lot of people have been waiting for. After months of trying to guess what will make the cut, The Academy has officially shared their picks for this years Oscar nominees. It's been a heated year where crowd favorites (Black Panther) have fought with prestige (The Favourite) in hopes of being taken seriously. Still, it was a great year for film and the results are, like every year, a curious bunch. The following is a rundown of every Oscar nominee for this year's ceremony. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section and tell me what you're happiest and most annoyed by from this year's line-up.