Every Best Picture Nominee of the 2010's Ranked: #40-44

Scene from The King's Speech (2010)

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.

R.I.P. Robert Evans (1930-2019)

Robert Evans

On October 26, 2019, movie producer Robert Evans died at the age of 89 in Beverly Hills, California. For a certain generation, he is one of the most essential voices in filmmaking, helping to turn Paramount Studios around from a failing studio into a trendsetting enterprise. Among his most renowned work is producing influential films like Rosemary's Baby, Love Story, The Godfather and Part II, and Chinatown. While his personal and eccentric life fought for attention in the press, his work spoke for itself and helped to define a certain aesthetic in the New Hollywood movement. Without him, a lot of masterpieces likely wouldn't have been made, or look very different. He leaves behind an enviable body of masterpieces, and he will be missed. 

R.I.P. Glen Campbell (1936-2017)

Glen Campbell

On August 8, 2017, singer Glen Campbell died at the age of 81 in Nashville, Tennessee from complications regarding Alzheimer's Disease. He was best known for writing country music, specifically the chart topping hits like "Wichita Lineman," "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," and his most popular hit "Rhinestone Cowboy." Over the course of a career spanning over 50 years, he hosted several variety shows that helped to raise awareness of up and coming stars in the country music field. He also received two Oscar nominations for his music, including the theme song for True Grit and his final recording "I'm Not Gonna Miss You" from his documentary Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me. He leaves behind an impressive body of work that'll get you toe-tapping and singing along in no time. He was a true artist with an even more impressive career that included 70 albums, selling 45 million copies, and 80 different songs on a Billboard Chart.

Best Song: "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" (1969)

Scene from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Welcome to Best Song, a new weekly column released on Sunday dedicated to chronicling the Best Original Song category over the course of its many decades. The goal is to listen to and critique every song that has ever been nominated in the category as well as find the Best Best Song and the Best Loser. By the end, we'll have a comprehensive list of this music category and will hopefully have a better understanding not only of the evolution, but what it takes to receive a nomination here. It may seem easy now, but wait until the bad years.

Birthday Take: John Wayne in "True Grit" (1969)

John Wayne in True Grit

Welcome to The Birthday Take, a column dedicated to celebrating Oscar nominees and winners' birthdays by paying tribute to the work that got them noticed. This isn't meant to be an exhaustive retrospective, but more of a highlight of one nominated work that makes them noteworthy. The column will run whenever there is a birthday and will hopefully give a dense exploration of the finest performances and techniques applied to film. So please join me as we blow out the candles and dig into the delicious substance.