Failed Oscar Campaigns: "Dunkirk" (2017)

Scene from Dunkirk (2017)

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.

A24 A-to-Z: 8. "Locke" (2014)

Scene from Locke

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 ears to come.

Review: "Dunkirk" is the Greatest War Movie Since "Saving Private Ryan"

Tom Hardy

Director Christopher Nolan's latest Dunkirk opens on a bit of an intimate shot. As a group of English soldiers run towards safety, fliers fall from the sky. It's a threat from the Nazis that is made more difficult by the reality that they're on an island and an air strike would likely kill the 400,000 men like sitting ducks. There's desperation and uncertainty in the air as they finally approach that safety: a beach where the rest of the film will take place. The Nazis have made escape nigh impossible without a torpedo to the side of a ship. Much like Nolan's other films, there is a mystery at play. How do these men survive against an unseen enemy? By finally tackling a nonfiction story, Nolan has managed to centralize his tendencies as a director and delivered one of the most breathtaking, horrifying, and gorgeous cinematic experiences of the decade. It's a film that molds the war genre to Nolan's whim, and in the process makes something both reverential of classic cinema and a sign of a new horizon ahead. 

Tom Hardy to Get a Tattoo of Leonardo DiCaprio After "The Revenant" Bet

Tom Hardy

Last year was a massive moment for Tom Hardy's career. In the first half of the year, he starred in the critically acclaimed and box office hit Mad Max: Fury Road. Then in the Fall, he starred alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in the wilderness epic The Revenant. The film also was met with great reviews and an impressive box office haul that landed Hardy a Best Supporting Actor nomination. This may sound like a good thing, but there is one catch. Because of that win, Hardy has to get an embarrassing tattoo of his costar. If nothing else, this may be one of the strangest side effects of being an Oscar nominated talent. If nothing else, it's very amusing.

Failed Oscar Campaigns: "The Revenant" (2015)

Scene from The Revenant

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 First "Dunkirk" Trailer Sees Nolan Going Into a Mysterious War

Scene from Dunkirk

Whether or not Christopher Nolan's track record reflects it, he is one of those directors whose every film is worthy of Oscar buzz. Considering that he's only gotten one Best Picture nomination (Inception) in his lengthy career, this notion may not be entirely sound, but becomes clear when you understand what he's doing on a blockbuster level. He's often heady and creates cinema that is challenging while also being awe-inspiring and timeless. Not all of his films necessarily succeed at this, but even the problematic Interstellar has more than its fair share of moments. With his follow-up to the out of this world epic, he decides to go to war with Dunkirk. Today the first trailer dropped for the film, and it has everything that makes a Nolan teaser one of the best things to ever happen to trailers. 

Miller Promises a Black and White Version of "Mad Max: Fury Road" Soon

Scene from Mad Max: Fury Road

It is likely that you've seen director George Miller's Mad Max: Fury Road. Almost everyone seems to agree, it's great. Even The Academy have gotten their adrenaline on by giving the film a whopping 10 Oscar nominations. However, what if I were to tell you that the colorful version that ended up making it into theaters is not the way that it was intended to be released? Well, for those who enjoy watching every film in an altered fashion (I know I do), prepare for Furiosa and the gang to come back in glorious black and white - just as Miller had always intended it to be.

Check This Out: Behind the Scenes Making Of Videos for "The Revenant"

Scene from The Revenant

With The Academy Awards nominations out, many Oscar fans are catching up with every film in order to give their own guesses as to what will win. Leading the pack is director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's The Revenant with 12 nominations. While also topping the box office, it's interesting to look at the film's massive scope and wonder how this film was made. Thanks to 20th Century Fox, there are now featurettes available online for you to see various behind the scenes aspects regarding production design, acting, and writing. While it doesn't entirely do justice to the film, it's enough to keep you tied over until the DVD release comes later this year.

Guess What? Miller Will Be Making Those "Mad Max" Sequels After All

Scene from Mad Max: Fury Road

Today's a big day for director George Miller. For starters, his film Mad Max: Fury Road has the second most Oscar nominations. Considering how little it has in the way of prestigious fare like Spotlight or Brooklyn, it's a miracle and a surprise that his action film has managed to outdo them. Of course, this film has been doing surprisingly well against both critics and audiences, and even puts the future of Miller's crazy car franchise up for question. Will we be seeing more of Max and the gang in future films? Well, the answer looked to be a resounding no a few days ago. But today, in light of his second wave of success, the 70-year-old director clears things up. Turns out that he may be coming back after all.

"Mad Max" Director Won't Be Working on Any Sequels

Scene from Mad Max: Fury Road

For many, one of the highlights of 2015 was director George Miller's return to the world of Mad Max with the Golden Globe-nominated sequel Fury Road. Following the previous entry from 1985, it became the unlikely success story and fueled a new generation of fans to cheer on the godfather of car movies. With the series arguably at its peak since 1981's The Road Warrior, one could only expect Miller to produce more sequels, right? Well, there's some bad news that was announced recently. Whether or not Max lives on, Miller will not be there to direct them.

Failed Oscar Campaigns: "The Dark Knight Rises" (2012)

Christian Bale in The Dark Knight Rises

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.

Review: "The Revenant" is Masochism Disguised as Art

Leonardo DiCaprio

In 2006, Jackass Number Two was released and featured some of the most vulgar images of self-destruction imaginable. Leader of the pack Johnny Knoxville got mauled by bulls and yaks; had a side of a building fall on his head; rode a rocket that almost killed him; and was bitten by snakes in a ball pit. The performer sacrificed his body for the sake of entertainment and received mostly negative buzz from awards season (IMDb only lists a nomination from "The Stinkers Bad Movie Awards"). What does this have to do with director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's The Revenant? Subject-wise, not very much. However, our approach to digesting them as valued entertainment is itself problematic. The only difference between the two is that The Revenant has an actual story, lead by Leonardo DiCaprio's much-hyped performance that features health-risking stunts (you know, "for art")... and he is somehow supposed to earn an Oscar for it instead of going the route of Knoxville's comparatively humble, no awards approach where he ends up in the hospital countless times to a parade of laughter. The fact of the matter is that The Revenant is an ambitious film, but that's really all it is.

Theory Thursday: Coma the Doof Warrior is the Worst Character in "Mad Max: Fury Road"

Scene from Mad Max: Fury Road

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. 

Why I'm Sick of "The Revenant," Even If It's Not Out Yet

Leonardo DiCaprio and the non-rapist bear in The Revenant

Listen, I am looking forward to December's onslaught of movies as much as the next person. I acknowledge that we've seen a lot of great stuff so far. With December 25 being yet another day with an embarrassing amount to offer, it seems like director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's The Revenant is taking up a lot of attention. It does make sense, as initial reports started drizzling in last week with many giving mixed-to-negative reviews of the director's follow-up to Best Picture winner Birdman. To be honest, I did want to see The Revenant. I've gone on record before of thinking that Leonardo DiCaprio is one of those last great movie stars. However, I have to confess, I am SICK of hearing about this damn movie. The recent allegations about a bear raping scene just pushed it over the edge for me.

Why I Don't Have Faith in "The Revenant" Winning Big at the Oscars

Leonardo DiCaprio in The Revenant

Today marks the first wave of reviews for director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's The Revenant. The reviews are about what you'd expect for a film whose trailer has been constantly praised for its intensity. It's an epic that critics either found surreal or soulless, which is in keeping with what they thought of Inarritu's other dramas. However, the conversation has whittled down to the familiar old rant: "Leonardo DiCaprio WILL win an Oscar." Of course, there's a popular meme going around where The Academy purposely never rewards him of his talent. As much as I want to believe that this will be an amazing performance, I'm not without skepticism that it's all for naught. While I haven't seen the film, I do honestly believe that maybe we're setting our sights a little too high.

Why I Don't Believe That "Mad Max: Fury Road" Will Get a Best Picture Nomination

Scene from Mad Max: Fury Road

There's no denying the unpredictable impact that director George Miller's Mad Max: Fury Road has had on the zeitgeist. It's become its own cultural phenomenon with people adopting the lingo and calling Charlize Theron's Furiosa one of the greatest female characters of the year. It's a film made by a mad man and one that is just as entertaining as the notion. However, there's one thing that I could never quite get on board with. For everyone calling this the Best Movie of 2015, I don't think that it transcends to The Academy. While they have added Tom Hardy to their members list, their latest push to make it a Best Picture contender feels a little... off. It's fun, but I have trouble embracing this campaign as anything but wishful thinking.

Why I Think "Mad Max: Fury Road" is a Western

Scene from Mad Max: Fury Road

There is little doubt that by now, you have seen director George Miller's Mad Maxy: Fury Road, possibly even a few times. You have been overwhelmed by the beauty of each choreographed moment of anarchy. You remain on the edge of your seat as characters lunge from cars into uncertain safety. It's a spectacle made by a mad man. It definitely earns its place among the best films of 2015 and remains a controversial black sheep for the Best Picture race. However, there is one thing that I would like to plead with you that may not be abundantly clear: this film is largely a western. If that sounds a little baffling to you, allow me to explain.

A Look at the Disastrous Behind the Scenes of "The Revenant"

One of last year's most renowned movies was director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's Birdman. It was a film that was technically impressive, choosing to mix editing together to create the vision of a singular take. It was a story that created a stream of consciousness flow to it and ended up winning him Best Director and Best Picture. With his ambitious next effort The Revenant, he plans to do more audacious things in the filmed medium that he promises will wow the audiences. While it has a Christmas Day release planned, it is proving to have its share of problems. The biggest one? It isn't anywhere close to finishing its shooting.

The First Trailer for "The Revenant" Has Inarritu Fighting Another Oscar Season

Leonardo DiCaprio

It was only a few months ago that director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu walked away with the Best Picture for his latest film Birdman. With its jabs at superhero culture and the actor's ego, it was a film that left audiences divided as they either found it enjoyable or pretentious. It isn't taking the stylized director long to get back into the Oscar season. Today marks the release of the first trailer for his film The Revenant, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy. From what I gather in this trailer, it isn't anything like Birdman, for better or worse, and that may be why it is one of the most exciting Oscar season trailers to come out so far.

Check Out the List of The Academy's 322 New Members

Tom Hardy in Mad Max: Fury Road

Following the recent announcement of new rules for this year's Academy Awards, The Academy has announced who their new members are. Among the list of 322 names is a mixture of actors, directors, musicians, and behind the scenes workers. As with every year, there's a lot of surprising and welcomed entries. This year sees a list that includes people as diverse as David Oyelowo (Selma) to Kelly Reichardt (Meek's Cutoff) to Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead). If for no other reason, it is an interesting list. The following is the list of names divided into categories as well as various credits that you'll likely recognize them from.