2020 Oscar Nominations Predictions
The 2020 Oscar nominations totally snuck up on me this year. That’s probably because I’m still behind on catching up with a bunch of likely 2020 Oscar nominees – not to mention the fact that I skipped the Golden Globes this year, but I’m happy to get these Oscar predictions in right under the wire. […]
FYC 2018: Magnolia Pictures
This post includes mini-reviews of some of Magnolia Pictures’ 2018 releases with an eye on films they’re targeting for the 2019 Oscars and other end-of-year awards (including the OFCS awards which I’ll be voting on). If a film also has a full-length review, a link will be included. This will be updated through the end […]
FYC 2018: Documentaries
This post includes mini-reviews of some of 2018’s documentaries with an eye on films various studios are targeting for the 2019 Oscars and other end-of-year awards (including the OFCS awards which I’ll be voting on). If a film also has a full-length review, a link will be included. This will be updated through the end […]
FYC 2018: Netflix
This post includes mini-reviews of some of Netflix’s 2018 releases with an eye on films they’re targeting for the 2019 Oscars and other end-of-year awards (including the OFCS awards which I’ll be voting on). If a film also has a full-length review, a link will be included. This will be updated through the end of […]
The 6 Most Competitive 2018 Oscar Races
I last checked in on the 2018 Oscar race just before the nominations were announced. You can hear some of my thoughts about the surprises and snubs on the latest episode of the It’s the Pictures podcast, but my “too long, didn’t listen” take is this: Phantom Thread, Get Out, Lady Bird good. Darkest Hour […]
2018 Oscar Predictions: The Year Without a Front-Runner
I haven’t been great about keeping tabs on this year’s Oscar race. Maybe that’s a good thing! But I’m very curious to see how things shake out with tomorrow’s nominations. This year has been almost shockingly without a front-runner, and while two films — The Shape of Water and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri — […]
2018 Oscar Predictions: So This Looks Like a Fun One, Yeah?
I’m always a little torn about when to start predicting Oscars in a given year. Ultimately, September is probably a little too early, but the fact is I did just get an FYC screener, and more pertinently, I’m about to leave for a vacation abroad and don’t have time to put together the post I […]
2017 Oscar Predictions: Nominations Roulette
It’s nearly nomination time. We should be looking at a fantastic group of films, performances, and achievements come Tuesday. Can’t wait to see how it all shakes out! BEST PICTURE Arrival Fences Hacksaw Ridge Hell or High Water Hidden Figures La La Land Lion Manchester by the Sea Moonlight BEST DIRECTOR Damien Chazelle, La La […]
2017 Oscar Predictions: The Calm Before the Storm
The recent announcement of the Indie Spirit nominations and various critics awards means the 2017 Oscar season is heating up. Only a few question marks on the 2016 movie calendar remain in the form of Morten Tyldum’s Passengers and Rogue One (assuming you’re into that sort of thing Oscar-wise), and you won’t see them reflected […]
2017 Oscar Predictions: It’s That Time
With the Toronto, Telluride, and Venice film festivals behind us, it’s fair to say the Oscar season has begun in earnest. As studios begin positioning their respective titles for maximum exposure and disingenuous feel-goodedness, prognosticators both professional and amateur will start guessing as to the impact of said positioning (and, I guess, said feel-goodedness). I’ve […]
2016 Cannes Awards Predictions
The 2016 Cannes Film Festival wraps up this weekend, and it will be one of the more exciting awards announcements in recent memory for the absence of an obvious Palme d’Or favorite like Winter Sleep, Blue Is the Warmest Color, Amour, and The Tree of Life. The festival started off with a bang in the […]
2016 Oscar Predictions: Will Win/Should Win
It’s time. The 88th annual Academy Awards are upon us. To be honest, I’ve been a little checked out of the race for the last few weeks. For one, I was traveling when the race finally seemed to crystallize around my least favorite Best Picture nominee in years. And I spent a lot of time […]
It’s the Pictures Podcast: Episode 1
After several enjoyable stints on the John Likes Movies podcast, Max Covill and I have formally teamed up for a new podcast venture: It’s the Pictures. Our inaugural episode is a deep dive on the 2016 Oscar ceremony including predictions for all the major categories. We also briefly discussed the recent Criterion Collection flash sale, […]
How to Fix Hollywood’s Diversity Problem
This week, I had the pleasure of publishing an article for the magazine The Week. In it, I discussed the #OscarsSoWhite controversy and prescribed potential fixes for movie studios, executives, the Academy, and the press that could lead to a truly inclusive Hollywood. It was an honor to write this piece, and I’m extremely grateful […]
2016 Oscar Predictions: Carol Comes on Strong
It’s been a month since I last visited by 2016 Oscar predictions page, but as I wait around to see the last of 2015’s major contenders in The Revenant and The Hateful Eight, as well as continue to cram in screeners to finish my best of 2015 list, I thought it was a good time […]
2016 Oscar Predictions: Round One
I published my first round of 2016 Oscar predictions today. We don’t know about everything yet, but I think we’re far enough along that it’s not terribly reductive to start looking at 2015’s films through awards-colored glasses. To sum things up succinctly, I’m high on The Hateful Eight. The lack of an obvious front-runner at […]
