Here's the List of the 842 New Academy Voting Members for 2019

Lady Gaga in A Star is Born (2018)

While the summer season is just heating up (literally and figuratively), it's also that point where The Academy welcomes in their new class of new voters. Last year saw a record-breaking 928 new invitations to join. While this year's 842 falls just shy of that total, it is by no means a sign that things are slowing down. In fact, things are actually looking better based on the numbers. The laws put into place by former president Cheryl Boone Isaacs to have more diversity is starting to become a reality, with female representation etching closer to 50% and overall diversity becoming more reflective of modern audiences. Who made the cut? You'll have to read on to find out.

Failed Oscar Campaigns: "The LEGO Movie" (2014)

Scene from The LEGO Movie

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.

Theory Thursday: Phil Lord and Chris Miller are Overrated

Welcome to a weekly column called Theory Thursdays, which will be released every Thursday and discuss my "controversial opinion" related to something relative to the week of release. Sometimes it will be birthdays while others is current events or a new film release. Whatever the case may be, this is a personal defense for why I disagree with the general opinion and hope to convince you of the same. While I don't expect you to be on my side, I do hope for a rational argument. After all, film is a subjective medium and this is merely just a theory that can be proven either way. 

Theory Thursday: "The LEGO Movie" is Overrated

Scene from The LEGO Movie

Welcome to a weekly column called Theory Thursdays, which will be released every Thursday and discuss my "controversial opinion" related to something relative to the week of release. Sometimes it will be birthdays while others is current events or a new film release. Whatever the case may be, this is a personal defense for why I disagree with the general opinion and hope to convince you of the same. While I don't expect you to be on my side, I do hope for a rational argument. After all, film is a subjective medium and this is merely just a theory that can be proven either way. 

A Look at "The LEGO Movie" and Its Oscar Chances

They year 2013 was a rather haphazard year for animated films. Not a whole lot worth remembering came out and what did (The Wind Rises) was ignored. At very least, this year looks to be a slight improvement with a whole crop of promising films, including next week's How to Train Your Dragon 2. Even then, there has already been one strong possible contender for the race. One that came from the raptors singing "Everything is Awesome." Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller's The LEGO Movie has swept the world by storm as one of the year's early favorites. The only question now is if the Academy will go for it.