Failed Oscar Campaigns: "Doctor Dolittle" (1967)

Scene from Doctor Dolittle (1968)

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.

The Oscar Buzz is Celebrating Its Sixth Anniversary!

Scene from Pygmalion (1938)

On this day six years ago, The Oscar Buzz launched as a place for me to discuss everything related to awards season. It was 2012 and it stemmed largely from an interest in discussing everything related to the Paul Thomas Anderson film The Master. Things have evolved since then and in 2018, the blog has covered a lot of ground both in Oscar history, as well as attempts to branch out into other subject matters ranging from the Tony Awards to chronicling the entire output of A24 studios. It's a daunting task that I love to put upon myself. But on these anniversary entries, I have one tough question: how do I open up? These entries are about discussing who I am as an individual more than just my opinions on film. It's easy some years, where variables can lead to cutesy lists (for instance, last year was about the year with the five Best Picture nominees that best represented me). But where do I go with six? It's difficult. However, I have decided to look at something that I don't discuss too often: the double-nominee. What film adaptation stands out as saying something integral about who I am? In this particular case, I am going back to the work of George Bernard Shaw and the adaptations Pygmalion and, in its musical form, My Fair Lady.

Ranking the 9 Best Picture Musical Winners

Scene from La La Land

This Sunday marks the event that everyone has been waiting for: Oscar Sunday. While everyone makes their last minute predictions (I will be sharing mine tomorrow), there is one agreed consensus: this is La La Land's year for Best Picture. The musical has received unanimous acclaim for its spectacular craft. Provided nothing changes and it wins, it will join a small list of musicals that have achieved an honor that only 88 movies have achieved so far. What's more surprising is that there's been only nine musicals to have won the category despite being one of Hollywood's most iconic genres. Which is the best of the bunch? Click on to find out, and come back on Monday, provided that it wins, to find out where La La Land falls on the list of the best Oscar-winning Best Picture musicals.

R.I.P. Marni Nixon (1930-2016)

Marni Nixon

On January 24, 2016, singer and actress Marni Nixon died in Manhattan, New York at the age of 86 from breast cancer. It is likely that you don't know her face or name that well, but you'll likely recognize her voice. Dubbed by Time Magazine as "The Ghostess with the Mostest," she largely made her career in film working behind the scenes as a singer dubbing for actresses ranging from Deborah Kerr to Natalie Wood to Audrey Hepburn in films like The King and I, West Side Story, and My Fair Lady. She was also proficient on stage as a singer and sometimes toured with performers like Liberace and Victor Borge. She enjoyed a Hollywood career without the tassels of fame, serving as the underrated talent that made some of cinema's greatest musicals work so well. Her name may not be familiar, but her work will live on forever in Oscar history thanks to her tireless work to make lesser singers shine.

Nothing But the Best: "My Fair Lady" (1964)

Scene from My Fair Lady

Welcome to the series Nothing But the Best in which I chronicle all of the Academy Award Best Picture winners as they celebrate their anniversaries. Instead of going in chronological order, this series will be presented on each film's anniversary and will feature personal opinions as well as facts regarding its legacy and behind the scenes information. The goal is to create an in depth essay for each film while looking not only how the medium progressed, but how the film is integral to pop culture. In some cases, it will be easy. Others not so much. Without further ado, let's start the show.

R.I.P. Gene Allen (1918-2015)

Gene Allen

On October 7, 2015, art director Gene Allen passed away at the age of 97 in Newport Beach, California from natural causes. Among his many achievements, he won Best Art Direction-Set Direction for his work on the 1964 Best Picture winner My Fair Lady, of whom the director George Cuckor was a frequent collaborator of his. He spent 27 years leading the Art Director Guild from 1970-1997 and was president of The President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) for three years from 1983-1985. His massive amount of work continues to be loved for film lovers everywhere for his vibrant style and attention to detail. He leaves behind an impressive catalog that is likely to stimulate your mind.

R.I.P. Theodore Bikel (1924-2015)

Theodore Bikel in The Defiant Ones

On Tuesday, July 21, actor and activist Theodore Bikle died at the age of 91 from natural causes. While he may not be a household name, he has had a consistent career both as an actor and a folk singer, releasing albums such as "A Folksinger's Choice." Beyond acting, he was a man whose activism allowed him to play at various important rallies and made him a delegate at the 1968 Democratic Convention. His work on film was also full of memorable roles, including an Oscar nomination for The Defiant Ones. He was claimed to have been able to play diverse cultures. He leaves behind an impressive body of work that you likely will recognize him in, even if you don't know the name.

A Look Back at My Oscar Best Picture Challenge (1960-2013)

While it is fun to report on the future of The Oscars, I also have set up a challenge to myself to see every previous Best Picture winner. Through this method, I am hoping to get an overall understanding of themes and hopefully to understand the psychology that goes with the voting. With 2013 coming to a close, I have finished another leg of my goal by having seen everything that won after 1960. This feels like as good of a time as any to look back and see what made the running goal worthwhile and if it continues to be an enjoyable experience.