R.I.P. D.A. Pennebaker (1925-2019)

D.A. Pennebaker

On August 1, 2019, documentarian D.A. Pennebaker passed away at the age of 94 in Sag Harbor, New York. Over the course of 60 years, he helped to document many of the major events in politics and pop culture, most notably the rise of Bob Dylan, the Monterey Pop music festival, and the presidential campaign of Bill Clinton. His work is some of the most influential in the documentary field, helping to create the modern sense of the medium by choosing to shoot reality instead of relying on interviews. His work has been praised for its authenticity and his ability to capture the world as it was. With several noteworthy works, he leaves behind a time capsule of history that is unlike any other and helps to better understand the artists who made the world into what it is. There have been few with as much inspiration as him.

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.

The Directors Project: #48 - Jean-Luc Godard

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.