The short film categories at the Academy Awards can be some of the hardest to predict. Given that so few people see them prior to the ceremony, it is hard to gauge front-runner status. Even when there is a leader of the pack, these categories can be prone to upsets.
Continue reading 2018 Academy Awards Predictions – Best Live Action Short Film
Watu Wote from director Katja Benrath is one of five films nominated for the 2018 Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film
Watu Wote is a beautifully-captured film. Shot mostly at night with low-light lighting schemes, the short nevertheless captures the streets of Kenya wonderfully.
Much of the action of the short, however, takes place inside Continue reading Watu Wote (All of Us) (2017) Short Film Review
The Cloverfield franchise continued its adept surprise-marketing technique during Super Bowl LII. With a brief teaser trailer dropping for The Cloverfield Paradox (once entitled God Particle), the Netflix-acquired film from Bad Robot announced that the film would be coming very soon. Opening up the Netflix app revealed further that the film would be available to stream immediately following the big game.
This essentially unprecedented marketing move is sure to pay big dividends for Netflix, at least in the film’s first Continue reading The Cloverfield Paradox (2018) Movie Review
The biggest conversation in the Best Foreign Language Film category this year is what is not nominated. With the unexpected Golden Globe winner In the Fade out of the race, it shakes up the Oscar conversation.
Continue reading 2018 Academy Awards Predictions – Best Foreign Language Film
Sarah Winchester (Helen Mirren), owner of the Winchester repeating rifle company, lives in an elaborate, labyrinthine mansion of an estate. “There are almost 100 rooms in the house,” Sarah Snook’s character says early in the film. “It is easy to get lost.”
She says this to doctor Eric Price (Jason Clarke), who is called on to judge the state of Sarah Winchester’s mental health. This is due to concern that other Winchester stock holders have over Sarah’s obsession with the idea that her house is haunted by Continue reading Winchester (2018) Movie Review
Ah, the short film categories. Categories that I tend to predict before seeing the majority of the nominees, then I forget to come back and re-write the articles once I’ve seen them all. This year will be no different, no doubt, so keep that in mind.
That said, the animated short category is never all that hard to parse.
Continue reading 2018 Academy Awards Predictions – Best Animated Short Film
In 2018, the five nominees for Best Production Design are exceedingly diverse. None of these films have sets that look like the rest. Kinda makes my job a little harder, huh?
Oh well, no one asked me to do this in the first place.
Continue reading 2018 Academy Awards Predictions – Best Production Design
Editing. It is a fundamental component to the film form. Without it…oh man, I’m getting sick of writing the preambles in these articles. Best Editing is an Oscar category. We all know this. Let’s get into it.
Continue reading 2018 Academy Awards Predictions – Best Editing
Best Visual Effects is a fun Oscar category. Historically speaking, at least. I googled this award for like two minutes and was delighted at what I found. Just the growth of the award as technical capabilities have excelled. It’s fascinating. Just a little over a decade ago, the category only held three nominees. In some years, the category wasn’t even a competition; they just gave it to a film.
More about this in a bit. For now, let’s look at the nominees.
Continue reading 2018 Academy Awards Predictions – Best Visual Effects
Now, the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise has never been the stuff of legends, not like its antagonist-turned-protagonist-turned-antagonist-etcetera, Leatherface. (Well, maybe not protagonist, but it seems like every other sequel wants to make us sympathize with the chainsaw-wielding serial killer). None of the sequels have received positive reception (although I hear the Viggo Mortensen-starring third film is underrated).
Why, then, should we bother with the 2017 prequel, Leatherface? It is directed by Continue reading Leatherface (2017) Movie Review
