The First Trailer for "At Eternity's Gate" Draws Willem Dafoe Back into the Oscar Race

Willem Dafoe in At Eternity's Gate

Following last week's Telluride and Venice Film Festivals, there's a lot to already look forward to in regards to awards season. With many already staking their claim, it's interesting to see what changes are likely to still come. Among those is a film from director Julian Schnabel (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) starring Willem Dafoe as iconic artist Vincent Van Gogh. With many at the festivals already hailing it as a career-best performance, it looks like it will be what is needed to finally earn the legendary actor an Oscar. If nothing else, the trailer looks to capture the artistry of a man who redefined how we look at art with a performance that is just as staggering to look at as the gorgeous scenery. 

A24 A-to-Z: #47. "The Blackcoat's Daughter" (2017)

Scene from The Blackcoat's Daughter

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.

Here's My Pre-Season Oscars Predictions

Scene from Roma

With the start of September, it only feels right to enjoy the final naive days of Oscar season by playing the game every prognosticator loves to do: predict. Speaking as many films haven't so much as appeared on the radar yet, these columns are always ridiculous and antiquated, mostly going based off of what's popular in September. With that said, why not take chances and try to make bold predictions, of which might come true? The following is my attempt to predict the six top categories, including all four of the acting fields. What will make the final cut? Come back in a few months when I'll compare these to whatever makes the cut. I assure you that it may end up being a worthwhile laugh after a busy, hard fought season of more unpredictable achievements. 

Composing Greatness: #1. Thomas Newman - "Little Women" (1994)

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.