Here's a Look at the 774 New Members of The Academy

Gal Gadot in Wonder Woman

There's no denying that the one thing that probably made last year's Academy Awards very interesting was the diverse new membership. 2016 saw a record breaking 683 new members. This was in large part to combat diversity issues both in terms of race and in gender. If nothing else, it made for one of the less predictable Best Picture years in recent history where Moonlight upset La La Land for top prize. Still, those who thought that there was no way to top last year's impressive haul clearly didn't wait around for the following year's inductees. The record is once again broken and there are now 774 new people being invited to join The Academy, including Gal Gadot, Kristen Stewart, Elle Fanning, Dwayne Johnson, and even Betty White. It's an impressive list, and one that looks to say good things about the future of The Academy going forward.

Birthday Take: Krzysztof Kieslowki in "Red" (1994)

Scene from Red

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.

Composing Greatness: #8. John Williams - "Tom Sawyer" (1973)

Scene from Tom Sawyer

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.

A24 A-to-Z: #3. "Spring Breakers" (2013)

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.