Every Best Picture Nominee of the 2010's Ranked: #30-34

Scene from Arrival (2016)

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.

A24 A-to-Z: #75. "Mid90s" (2018)

Scene from Mid90s

In case you didn't know, A24 is one of the great purveyors of modern cinema. Since 2013, the studio has found a way to innovate independent cinema by turning each release into an event. As a result, A24 A-to-Z will be an ongoing series that looks at every release from the studio by analyzing its production history, release, criticisms, and any awards attention that it might've received. Join me on a quest to explore the modern heroes of cinema by exploring every hit and miss that comes with that magnificent logo. They may not all be great, but they more than make A24 what it is and what it will hopefully continue to be for years to come.

Composing Greatness: #6.The Freshman Class of the 2010's - "Her" (2013)

Scene from Her (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.

The Directors Project: #32 - Spike Jonze

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.

A Few Thoughts on the Academy Awards Ceremony: The Bad

Ellen Degeneres

If there was one issue of this year's Academy Awards, it was its desire to try and be hip. While it resulted in the ceremony's highest ratings in over a decade, it also lost focus of what the Academy Awards is: an awards show. This isn't a moment for spectacle, but to highlight a year of film with the prestigious award. This was most evident in the host, whose lack of spectacle was replaced be a series of happenstance moments literally ate up a lot of time, making her one of the dullest hosts in the show's recent history. Even if she was tame and appealed to the audience with off kilter remarks, Ellen Degeneres essentially lost the plot. While she isn't the only one to blame for this year's ceremony being one of the worst in recent memory, she does at least earn credit for ruining the fun nature.

A Closer Look at the Best Original Screenplay Nominees

Now that we have covered the acting fields, it is time to look at the constructs of what makes those performances pop. First up is the Best Original Screenplay category that mixes modernist sci-fi (Her) with the AIDS epidemic (Dallas Buyers Club) and classy cons (American Hustle). It may even arguably be more interesting than the Best Adapted Screenplay category, as almost every selection on here provides an alternative view of American culture and chooses to explore the bigger themes of our lives. This is where the race becomes less solidified and the nominees are equally up for debate. Even then, this category is rather impressive and reflects what made 2013 a solid year for films.

Review: "Her" is a Complicated and Poignant Analysis of Love

Joaquin Phoenix

Originally publishes here

Director Spike Jonze has made a career out of pushing visual aesthetics into visceral new levels of pleasure. His mind-bending tales challenge social commentary in some of the most profound ways possible with simple tweaks to familiar formulas. In fact, it is hard to even consider him a science fiction director simply because his tales feel real. He is working on levels above the average filmmaker, and that is one of the many reasons that his latest Her feels like the most honest depiction of a computer-to-human relationship. By humanizing the circuits, he unlocks the mysteries of love and codependency while also exploring why technology may better our lives, but it will also isolate us in delusional bliss.

Update: "The Wolf of Wall Street" Will Be Released in Time for Christmas

Leonardo DiCaprio

For those worried that this season's most anticipated movies were being moved to next year, there is one silver lining. It was announced today by Paramount Studios that director Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street will be coming out in 2013. Despite initial conflicts in which it would be opening against other Paramount film Jack Ryan, the studio decided to push director Kenneth Branagh's thriller back and have the Wall Street story qualify for this year's Oscars. While films like Foxcatcher and Grace of Monaco are still on for 2014, it is a relief to know that one of the most anticipated movies of the year is still happening and while delayed, doesn't keep the tradition going of Leonardo DiCaprio's many, many pushed back films. 

The Release of "The Wolf of Wall Street" is Delayed Due to Scheduling Conflicts

Leonardo DiCaprio

Like majority of people who have been following my Oscar Buzz posts in the past few months, I have been greatly anticipating the upcoming release of director Martin Scorsese's latest film The Wolf of Wall Street. The fun, vivacious trailer remains one of the greatest pieces of marketing this year, bar none. However, in case those waiting for the film weren't worried enough, news was recently announced that in fact, we'll have to wait a little longer for the film to come out. Not by a few weeks, but at least until next year.

The Trailer for Spike Jonze's "Her" Suggests the Year's Strangest Romantic Couple

Joaquin Phoenix

It will be tough for me to disassociate anything Joaquin Phoenix does from The Master, if only for the fact that it was the inspiration for launching The Oscar Buzz. With that established, I will admit that maybe my frenzy was a little too enthusiastic during the past season and while yes, Daniel Day Lewis didn't deserve it, I still stand by my belief that Phoenix is if not one of the best, one of the most ambitious performers currently working. Just check out how he sabotaged his career for satire in the discriminating underrated I'm Still Here. Even his poise at this year's Oscars ceremony suggests someone thinking outside the box. That is why, more than anything, it is exciting news to see that he has a new film, and it is with director Spike Jonze called Her.

"The Wolf of Wall Street" Trailer Promises the Greatest Wall Street Party Ever

Leonardo DiCaprio

Almost with an uproar and a dance to match, director Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street has hit the scene. This past week saw the launch of the trailer set to Kanye West's "Black Skinhead" and packing so much life and humor into a story that looks to be The Great Gatsby by way of Wall Street. Most of all, it set anticipation high. Is it possible that we just saw the first film to be taken seriously for an Oscar nomination this year?