Every Best Picture Nominee of the 2010's Ranked: #45-49

Scene from The Tree of Life

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.

A Ranking of the Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg Collaborations (Updated)

Left to right: Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks

Note: Updated with a ranking for The Post, originally published 10/19/15


There are few actor-director collaborations throughout history that spark enthusiasm and anticipation almost every time out. In the 1940's, the promise of James Stewart and Frank Capra meant a new Americana classic. In the 1970's, the promise of Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese meant a new gritty New York drama. Over the past 15 years, there have been few names as ubiquitous with this anticipation than Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg; the two giants of 80's and 90's cinema that surprisingly compliment each other by creating a blend of action and drama that is unsurpassed. With this past weekend's Bridge of Spies, they marked their fourth collaboration together, and it was pretty great. Have you seen them all? Here's a ranking of the four films from best to worst, including why they work.

A Look at The Top 10 Lowest Grossing Spielberg Films

Scene from The BFG

By now, it is likely well known news that director Steven Spielberg's The BFG is a bomb. True, most Roald Dahl adaptations are, but considering Spielberg's status as one of cinema's most influential and greatest talents, it is a little baffling that it isn't just a bomb that has barely scrapped together in two weeks $41 million on a budget that's almost $100 million more. While international markets can still keep this from being an outright disaster (though one can't be too sure), this looks to be the director's worst performing film in years. But, how badly is it doing? Do you even know what Spielberg's lowest grossing film is? The following is a look at the Top 10 lowest grossing of a director whose name is synonymous with success despite having a few blips and blops along the way.

10 Highlights from This Year's Academy Awards Ceremony

The four acting Oscar winners

With the ceremony behind us, it's time to remember everything that happened at this year's Academy Awards. For many, it marked one of the most exciting races in recent years. In fact, the year was not without some big surprises. For starters, the racially charged evening by host Chris Rock is likely to split many viewers. Even then, it's still great to know that this year wasn't the least bit dull. In the annual two part wrap-up, I will be recounting the highs and lows of the ceremony. In this article, I will be highlighting the positive, of which there's plenty to choose from.

Here is the Official List of Every 2016 Oscar Winner

The cast and crew of Spotlight winning Best Picture

There you have it, everyone. Another Academy Awards ceremony is in the books. With a competitive, unpredictable year, it was nice to know that the winners this were just as random as the moments leading up to it. But, who won all of the awards? Who won the most? Spotlight walked away with the Best Picture, but very little else, while Mad Max: Fury Road left with six. If you wish to know who won in every category, click the jump to see the results. Also, I will answer the proverbial question that comes with each post-ceremony recap: how did I do? To say the least, it wasn't my best year even if I'm not mad at who won.

My Official Oscar Predictions for 2015

Scene from Spotlight

This is it, everybody. Tomorrow is the big day when The Academy Awards reveal who is going to come away champion. It has been an exciting, unpredictable season that will hopefully produce some out of the box results. From some bizarre Oscar nominees (Mad Max: Fury Road specifically) to a tough three way battle for Best Picture, this is a year that will be hard to call, especially with the results changing every other week. While you have seen my extensive coverage of this year's season, the following is my personal picks for winners. I'm confident that unlike the past few years, I will not be doing nearly as well (I really don't want The Revenant to win big). So take my picks with a grain of salt, and feel free to place your bets in the comments section. Come back on Monday for full post-ceremony coverage.

A Ranking of the Best Picture Nominees of 2016

Ladies and gentlemen, I have officially seen every single Best Picture nominee for 2015. You know what that means? It's time to rank them all. As is the case with every year, it's intriguing to see what exactly makes these films far more noteworthy than the hundreds of other titles competing for the top prize. In all honesty, this may be one of the better years in recent times, solely because while there's still racial diversity problems, this year featured an impressive mixture of genre diversity, which is something that has always felt like a problem. Where 2013 had only one part of the year and 2014 had only one sex, this year reflects a solid variety of what the year in film had to show. The following is my personal ranking with additional thoughts. If you wish to share your own ranking, please feel free to share in the comments.

A Look at Oscar 2016 Superlatives and Records

With The Oscars now officially on the books, it's easy to look at who is the biggest film of the year (The Revenant with 12 nominations) and what the biggest surprises are. However, what's harder to notice is the various records and superlatives that were achieved with the Class of 2015. The following is a rundown of the various achievements that could be found in this year's nominees, including potential records if certain films and artists win. So check out the line-up and enjoy witnessing Oscar history in the making. 

How Did I Do?: A Look Back at My August Oscar Predictions

Scene from Carol

Back in August, I wrote my premature, pre-Oscar season predictions for the main categories for this year's nominees. To say the least, it's an interesting list that manages to miss the point, ignoring films like Room, Brooklyn, and The Big Short all together. But, did I really do as bad as I have made it out to be? The following is a rundown of the list that will feature my original picks first followed by the actual results. If there's any embarrassing or profound comment to accompany this, I will also share them. So, step into the time capsule and recognize just how surprising 2015's Academy class ended up being and how rapidly things could change between August and January.

Here's the List of This Year's Oscar Nominees

Ladies and gentlemen, this is one of the biggest days in our average awards season. It is the day that The Academy Awards announce this year's nominees. With the familiar fervor, one can easily point out the lack of diversity and the various films that were snubbed. However, it is still a pretty solid year for the films, with surprise nomination leaders The Revenant and Mad Max: Fury Road racking up a lot of recognition with 12 and 10 nominations respectively. So, what made the cut in all of the categories? Click to read all of the nominees plus additional commentary on the highs and lows that are now part of Oscar history.

My Predictions for This Year's Top 6 Oscar Category Nominations

This is it, everyone Tomorrow is the day when we finally discover who all of this year's Oscar nominees are. What has made 2015 a very interesting season is that while we've had a front runner (Spotlight), we haven't had as clear of a road map for every other category. With that said, this could either become yet another conventional year, mirroring last year's "Oscars So White" backlash; or we can be seeing a random year where Mad Max: Fury Road and other blockbusters manage to compete for Oscar gold. The following is my predictions for the six big categories: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress. It's a difficult year to predict, and I am likely to be wrong in some ways (as I usually am). However, join in the fun and share the picks that you feel are deserving of nominations, and return to The Oscar Buzz tomorrow morning for in depth reporting and commentary on every high and every low.

My Top 10 Picks for Oscar Nomination Long Shots

Chris Rock

Ladies and gentlemen, we are only a few days away from learning who will be on this year's Oscar nominations list. It's an exciting time, notably because the season has been very unpredictable this year. With major upsets shown in the past, Spotlight isn't as safe of a front runner as one would've initially expected. While I do intend to share my overall predictions for the major categories, I present you today with my long shots. The following is 10 nominations that I really want to happen, but will likely not for whatever reason. It's my own hypothetical hope for The Oscars, and more my desire to see the better film make the cut. Check them out, and leave your own long shots below. Then come back in a few days and see just how unlikely these options were.

Here's a Look at This Year's BAFTAS Nominations

Scene from The Revenant 

Today marked the announcement of this year's BAFTAS nominations. With The Oscars giving this year's line-up next week, Britain gets in on the game with their own prestigious awards show. While 2015 has proven to one of the most sporadic and unpredictable years on record (there's not a lot of front runners yet), there have been a few nominations lately that have given us some clue as to what to expect. With Carol leading the pack, this year's line-up has its own share of eyebrow raisers, including a few noticeable absences. The following is a rundown of every nomination as well as brief commentary on each category.

Check Out the 112 Finalists on the Best Original Score Shortlist

Michael Fassbender in Steve Jobs

The short lists keep on coming. While yesterday saw me tackle a variety of categories, I am choosing to focus solely on one for the Best Original Score list. More than the other field, this category is probably too subjective and controversial for me on a year-to-year basis. While there's certain ones that give me problems (the definition of "original"), I do think that sometimes The Academy gets it right, as the music used to emphasize emotional or action sequences are important to the film. This year's shortlist features 112 scores, including the absence of one of this year's biggest contenders (The Revenant, by Ryuichi Sakamoto). The following is a list of every contender, followed by the composer in parenthesis. There will also be opinions following the list for the ones that stand out to me.

The Trailer for Spielberg's "The BFG" Promises a Welcome Return to Kids Movies

Scene from The BFG

With the constant barrage of awards being announced in the weeks to come, it is likely that everyone is still thinking about director Steven Spielberg's impressive Cold War film Bridge of Spies. Among other things, it's an entertaining look into the attitudes of the era as well as the importance of understanding and humanity. However, the legendary director looks to remain busy with another film coming next year. It's the much touted adaptation of the Roald Dahl story "The BFG," which also features a script from the late E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial screenwriter Melissa Mathison; and is the director's first non-historical drama since 2011's The Adventures of Tintin. With the first trailer upon us, it's time to be expecting the friendlier Spielberg again. From the looks of it, it may very well be worth the wait.

A Look at the 20 Titles On the Best Special Effects Shortlist

Scene from Mad Max: Fury Road

In today's cinema, there's a lot of reliance on special effects to compliment the story. It's something that is both accepted and controversial to purists. The best examples of special effects are those that don't draw attention to themselves and end up making it look like practical effects. The Academy has released its 20 nominees on the shortlist vying for this year's Best Special Effects Oscar nominations. While there are a few familiar big budget blockbusters, there's also a few that are likely to make you a little confused. The following is the list of films on the list followed by any additional thoughts.

A Ranking of the Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg Collaborations

Left to right: Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks

There are few actor-director collaborations throughout history that spark enthusiasm and anticipation almost every time out. In the 1940's, the promise of James Stewart and Frank Capra meant a new Americana classic. In the 1970's, the promise of Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese meant a new gritty New York drama. Over the past 15 years, there have been few names as ubiquitous with this anticipation than Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg; the two giants of 80's and 90's cinema that surprisingly compliment each other by creating a blend of action and drama that is unsurpassed. With this past weekend's Bridge of Spies, they marked their fourth collaboration together, and it was pretty great. Have you seen them all? Here's a ranking of the four films from best to worst, including why they work.

Review: "Bridge of Spies" is Spielberg's Global Love Letter to Humanity in the Time of War

Tom Hanks

Over the course of 40 years, director Steven Spielberg has made a career out of chronicling the American way. From the government offices of Lincoln to the beaches of Jaws, he has found new ways to explore patriotism within the country's rich history - often in relation to big, awe-inspiring set pieces. In his latest film Bridge of Spies, he turns in a film that combines his sense for adventure with his maturing sense for drama in what can be described as Mr. Smith Goes to Berlin; a Cold War film in which James Donovan (Tom Hanks) fights for what's right, even as his patriotism turns him into a notorious figure among his fellow citizens. The film is a tale of humanity for the 21st century, turning Communism not into an evil; but a complicated web in which harmless individuals get stuck. Is it bad? Maybe a little. However, this film chooses to ask us why we shouldn't give them the justice they deserve.

Happy 600th Article! Here's My Predictions For the Upcoming Oscar Season

Scene from Suffragette

Ladies and gentlemen, I have reached another mini-milestone. I have reached my 600th article for The Oscar Buzz. Okay, maybe there's not a lot of honor as there is for the 1,000th article or even an anniversary entry. However, it feels like a special correlation has just happened where I can celebrate this achievement by talking about something that I do best here: The Oscars. Not just any Oscars, but the upcoming season that will be dominating conversation and filling our time endlessly with speculation (and the return of Failed Oscar Campaigns!). So, I figured that there wouldn't be any better way to celebrate this honor than predict what the line-up will be for the five main categories. 

It's the Return of the Great Spielberg-Hanks Team in First "Bridge of Spies" Trailer

Tom Hanks

Believe it or not, but the last time that director Steven Spielberg worked with Tom Hanks, it was The Terminal in 2004. For a team that brought us some of the best modern cinema with Saving Private Ryan and Catch Me If You Can, it seems like wasted potential, even if both have done pretty well for themselves in the 11 years between projects. However, it looks like they're back with a Cold War thriller called Bridge of Spies that has both of them ready to play hard ball with history and present another intense war film. If the first trailer is any indication of what's to come, it may easily rank among the director and the actor's best work.