Every Best Picture Nominee of the 2010's Ranked: #15-19

Scene from Boyhood (2014)

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: "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.

Composing Greatness: #5.The Freshman Class of the 2010's - "Gravity" (2013)

Scene from Gravity (2013)

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.

Ranking the Most Nominated Oscar Films of the Past 10 Years

Scene from The Shape of Water

With this week presenting the Oscar nominations, it only seems right to continually nitpick every category to determine just how good this year is (in my opinion, it's a very good one). However, there is one piece of trivia that's likely to go unnoticed: the films with the most nominations. While it's a big deal in any given year, does anyone remember what that film was even 10 years ago? It's what inspired me to rank the last 10 years of films that lead the year with the most nominations. Ironically, it's a bit uneven as there were many ties in a given year. However, it's also 13 films - the number of nominations that The Shape of Water received this year. It's interesting to look back at the films that dominated, even if they didn't win much. The following is my ranking of the past 10 years, which has produced a lot of interesting results.

Can Superhero Blockbusters Be Best Picture Nominees?

Scene from The Avengers: Age of Ultron

It is way too easy to lobby complaints at the Academy for being out of touch with popular audiences. In fact, the last major blockbuster film to warrant any major Oscar buzz was director James Cameron's Avatar in 2009. The technical spectacle captivated audiences, broke box office records and convinced the Academy to lavish it with nominations and wins. Yes, there have been other big budgeted films like the introspective Life of Pi or the debauchery-filled The Wolf of Wall Street that have been nominated, but let me ask you something: will we ever see a day when a real superhero blockbuster movie gets recognized with so much as a Best Picture nomination? 

Check This Out: "Gravity" to Get Silent Treatment with New Special Edition Release in 2015

It seems like strange timing, but now is a great time to hop on a rocket ship and go out into the depths of space. With Interstellar taking us to the far regions of the universe, it is easy to forget about the scrappy, simpler blockbuster from last year that won over audiences with nothing more than two actors floating around as space debris hit them. I'm of course talking about director Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity, which went on to sweep the Academy Awards with Best Director, Best Original Score (Steven Price) and a whole lot of technical wins. However, there's some big news coming for those that found the soundtrack to be too distracting. Coming in early 2015, you can officially see what the film would be like if you removed the Price score. It may seem like a very big gimmick, but one that should make for a fascinating alteration of the film.

A Few Thoughts on Long Takes and the Best Director Category

Left to right: Michael Keaton and Edward Norton

There is something magical about the long take in cinema. The longer that a moment is held, the more engaging it becomes. The more that it swerves around the room, the more relaxed it feels. The long take is an approach that has long been reduced to a shot here or there in cinema. However, in 2013, director Alfonso Cuaron received universal acclaim for his work on Gravity, which didn't so much use long takes, but seemed to have them floating through space in awe-inspiring ways. This Friday marks the release of director Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu's Birdman, which ups the ante. For those that found five or even 15 minute long takes fascinating, wait until you see this gimmick. According to reports, Birdman is shot so that its two hour run time looks like one uninterrupted take. If that doesn't impress you, nothing will.

The Directors Project: #39 - Alfonso Cuaron

Scene from Cinema Paradiso

With the many lists and essays written on the subject of film, there has been one thing that The Oscar Buzz has tried to understand: Who is my favorite of the film world? For 10 weeks this summer, I will be exploring this with a countdown of the Top 50 names based on a numerical ranking of ratings from various sources, the following is a list of directors who rank above everyone else. With occasional upsets, this is intended as both a discussion opener as well as a better understanding of me as a film critic and fan. Please enjoy and leave any comments you have regarding the entry's selection.

Why Can't Summer Blockbusters Make it Into the Best Picture Race?

If there is one thing to be said about the quality of films in 2014, it is that we are doing far greater in terms of general output. Whether it is the blockbusters Godzilla or animated films How to Train Your Dragon 2, there is an immediacy and sense of craft that has made the summer season worth investing in again. There may be some duds, but that comes with the territory. However, does all of this quality output stand any chance of making it into the Oscar race next year? It just has to because with Dawn of the Planet of the Apes coming out next week, there is a great chance that we will once again be banging on doors and calling for attention to these blockbusters.

A Few Thoughts on the 86th Academy Award Winners

*NOTE: This is not a recap or highlight of the ceremony. This is a discussion of the films that won isolated from the ceremony.

There is something to be said when the applicable films that won at Saturday's Independent Spirit Awards ended up being the big heroes at the Academy Awards. Unlike most years, there wasn't much of a race between anyone. Even from the moment that 12 Years a Slave hit the scene with its limited October release, there seemed to be an aura of predictability. At best, those who hoped that Gravity would be good would have a surprise by how openly acknowledged it became. Otherwise, as the race moved on, things became abundantly clear: it was the year of the front runners.

My Official Oscar Votes for 2014

With the Oscar ceremony this upcoming weekend, the time to see all of the Oscar nominees is dwindling down. For me, there are many notable categories where I unfortunately came up short. With that said, I also had the opportunity to see majority of the nominees in the major categories, which allowed me to have a more invested take. What follows is a reassessment of my initial votes, which have since changed. This will not be a rehashing of every nominee, but an abbreviated version of the list with any additional thoughts listed.

A Closer Look at the Best Actress Nominees

Continuing our look at all of the top category nominees is a race that is probably the least certain of all of them: the Best Actress category. Despite an eclectic group that ranges from sci-fi thrillers (Sandra Bullock - Gravity) to mental illness (Cate Blanchett - Blue Jasmine) to romantic conning (Amy Adams - American Hustle), the race seemed to have been locked since August and unlike 12 Years a Slave, the conversation hasn't shifted all that much. There are a few potential upsets for sure, but as a whole, this is just a matter of counting down the hours until the top name is rattled off and the acceptance speech is given.

A Closer Look at the Best Director Nominees

*Note: While I had previously publicized that I was covering all of the categories in a look at the Best Picture race, I have decided to dedicate posts to each of the main categories (Best Picture, Best Director, Acting, and Writing fields). I will be critiquing each nominee as well as ranking them in order of preference.

One of the more exciting things about this year's Oscar nominations is that there is uncertainty in the front runner. While speculation has it that American Hustle may be a potential upset, there is still Gravity and 12 Years a Slave proving to be roadblocks. Even The Wolf of Wall Street, despite controversy, is capable of thriving on its notoriety into some unforeseen glory. A lot of that has to do with the directors behind the camera. This year's selection is an impressive mix of fast-paced adrenaline to meditative slowness to stylistic nostalgia. Each of the five Best Director nominees have something unique to offer, and that may be the most exciting of all.

A Closer Look at the Best Picture Nominees

Much like every other Academy Award enthusiast out there, there is great pride in reaching the point when the nominees go from being names to actual discussion pieces. For me, that includes watching every Best Picture nominee before the big day and being able to dissect my overall thoughts on the categories. What films were fueled more by bias than actual quality? There were a few this year. However, upon reflection, I noticed that I have ran into a strange issue this year: I don't consider too many to be "overrated" when it comes to this category. In fact compared to last year, which I still believe was far more interesting, this line-up is rather excellent and diverse. I still loathe the nine nominees of the 5-10 sliding scale, but with that aside, this is another excellent year for the category.

Calculating the Golden Globe 2014 Winners

Left to right: Tina Fey and Amy Poehler

Last night saw the Golden Globes ceremony take place hosted once again by Amy Poehler and Tina Fey. The show itself had plenty of memorable moments and with the hosts managing to do what Ricky Gervais couldn't (not outstay their welcome), it was a night that managed to pack a lot of surprises, notably for those rooting on 12 Years a Slave to dominate in every available category. In fact, there wasn't a single film that really "dominated," though it has raised questions on how the Oscar race could change (read my nominee predictions here). As it stands, things look less concrete going forward.

My Final Predictions on the 2014 Oscar Nominees

We are officially less than a week away from hearing the Oscar nominations for this year's ceremony. With Chris Hemsworth scheduled to announce them on Thursday, January 16 with Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) Cheryl Boone Isaacs, it is as good of a time as any to predict who will make the final cut. As mentioned earlier this week, the race looks quite different than it did at the start, and that is quite exciting. The follow is my predictions for each category, save for Best Animated Short and Best Live Action Short. Check them out and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section. 

Reevaluating My Pre-Oscar Season Predictions

Chiwetel Ejiofor in 12 Years a Slave

It is an exciting time for Oscar fans. On Thursday, January 16, the nominations come out and we will know for sure what films made the cut. It has been a strange, rocky road that has revealed some favorites and some upsets. For those familiar with The Oscar Buzz, I published my initial predictions before the Oscar season went underway. With a little over a week before the final votes come in, I decided to revisit my predictions and see what ended up making the cut and what turned out to be surprises. The following is a re-editing of my predictions to match the conversations and my overall understanding of how I think that the race will go.

The 2014 Golden Globe Nominations Are In and They Look Better Than You Think!

It is strange to admit, but it looks like this year's Golden Globes will not be nearly as much of an embarrassment as they have been in the past. After a brief glimpse, the year of movies has produced one of the strongest, least embarrassing line-ups with no confusion in the Best Comedy or Musical category. While there are some egregious omissions and some surprises, it looks to be a decent start to awards season. On the down side, my favorite whipping boy won't have too many complaints this year, which may be the biggest tragedy of all. So here are my thoughts on the awards as well as predicting the winners in each of the categories. There will also be links where applicable to posts I have written regarding the nominees.

Note: If you wish to see my thoughts on the TV portion, stay tuned to my Optigrab blog later this evening for a full post on it.

Review: "Gravity" is a Beautiful, Intense and Meditative Ride Through Space

Sandra Bullock

There are few films that get released in any given year that manage to feel like more than another great movie. There's a specific class that reaches above the echelon and joins the class of iconic, groundbreaking films that shape the way that cinema is perceived. Nowadays, it is easy to take it for granted with films like Life of Pi pushing the boundaries of what narrative storytelling and CGI can do when properly blended together. Even harder is to find a film on a large scale with minimalist interaction in wide open spaces that manage to feel simultaneously claustrophobic as well as gut wrenching, full of suspense... and that's just the story. For director Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity, he takes sci-fi to someplace new, and all just right outside the cusp of Earth's atmosphere.

A Look at 10 Trailers for Films with Oscar Potential

Tom Hanks

It is impossible to run this blog and look at current films without looking a little bit ahead. As we get further into Oscar season (which launched recently with Fruitvale Station), it is important to not forget that marketing has already started. Some of the big shots already have a trailer or a poster lined up that is getting people talking. While I have covered some more personally anticipated films (The Wolf of Wall Street and 12 Years a Slave notably), there are many that would go overlooked if I didn't do a quick compilation post to share early buzz, and possible spread speculation on other titles. The following is a look at 10 trailers that stand out as potential Oscar buzz contenders that will hopefully be around in the months to come.