R.I.P. Branko Lustig (1932-2019)

Brank Lustig

On November 14, 2019, film producer Branko Lustig passed away at the age of 87 in Zagreb, Croatia. He is currently the only person in history from the territory of present-day Croatia to have won two Oscars. Over the course of his career, he produced meaningful dramas that reflected his personal connections to the Holocaust and general oppression. He won Best Picture twice for the films Schindler's List and Gladiator. From then he continued to use his influence to good, making Hollywood a more empathetic place while making great art. He will be missed. 

Check This Out: "Schindler's List" to Receive Theatrical Re-release Starting Dec. 7

Scene from Schindler's List

While December is usually a busy time for those wanting to catch up on every potential Oscar-nominee, there's another reason to go the movies. Starting this Friday, director Steven Spielberg's Holocaust drama Schindler's List will be released in theaters to commemorate the 25th anniversary of its release. For those who haven't seen it or are looking for a reason to see it on the big screen, now is your chance. The film is set to have a limited engagement in theaters nationwide, and it's sure to bring quite a turnout. The film won seven Oscars in 1994, including one for Best Picture and marked Spielberg's first as director. It's a harrowing drama that redefined what a Holocaust drama could look and feel like, finding empathy where it often wasn't found. It's a powerful film and well worth checking out. Check your local listings for showtimes. 

Composing Greatness: #29. John Williams - "Schindler's List" (1993)

Schindler's List

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.

Nothing But the Best: "Schindler's List" (1993)

Scene from Schindler's List

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.

"Schindler's List" Producer Donates Oscar to Holocaust Museum

Branko Lustig

In 1993, director Steven Spielberg released one of the most powerful films about World War II called Schindler's List. Following the events of the Holocaust from the perspective of the imprisoned Jews and a few key Nazis, it is a film that over 20 years later still manages to resonate. It is a powerful story of doing the right thing and being as helpful as you can. It expectantly won Best Picture along with a series of other awards. Yesterday, its legacy got its own public display when producer Branko Lustig decided to donate his award to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum. 

The Directors Project: #4 - Steven Spielberg

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.

My Top 20 Favorite Post-1970's Academy Award Best Picture Winners

As someone who enjoys writing about the Oscars for fun, I have also tried to make a decision to watch all of the Best Picture winners. At very least, this would help me to understand the cultural impact more and notice trends. I have gone through some highs and lows, and in the end, I come away with expectations that were either met or disappointed. In the past week, I have reached a new milestone with my goal and have seen every film that has won after 1970. The following is a compilation of my top 20 favorite as well as some honorable mentions and the five that I felt were least deserving (hint: I found some I liked less than Crash)