Many journalists are saying that the BAFTA Awards- the British version of the Academy Awards- do not matter as much, because Oscar voting ended yesterday, but last year they showed certain trends, and there were also things they missed. There is no perfect barometer for predicting the Oscar nominations since the timeline of rubber-stamping has […]
There are a few obvious trends in the stories that dominated (and continue to dominate as the awards roll in) the 2014 cinematic season. Sociopaths had a big year (Gone Girl, Nightcrawler), as did women who walked really far (Tracks, Wild) and people who found healing through music (Rudderless, Begin Again, Frank). There was also a […]
This was a strange year at the movies, full of psychopaths and scientists, musicians and war heroes (I swear there was a week when I saw 3 WWII films in a row). The year was peppered with the bittersweet final films made by late legends but it also marked the arrival of several bold, new […]
It’s officially 2015. Instead of panicking because that means we’re closer to 2030 than 2000 and you’re just not ready for that, let’s celebrate all the great things that made last year’s pretty tough 365 days so much better. This is home base for our entire 2014 Awards Season. First there were the […]
Now that most of the critics groups have had their say, through awards and top ten lists, and the Screen Actor’s Guild (SAG), and Golden Globe Nominations have been announced, its time to get in some updated Oscar predictions before the end of the year. I’m working off a moderately outdated list, because the last […]
It’s unbelievable that The Angriest Man in Brooklyn exists- that it was made when it was made by the people who made it. It’s unbelievable that this was one of the last artistic experiences of Robin Williams’ life, portraying Henry, a man plagued by anger who learns to live again as he prepares to die. […]
The straightforward documentary Showrunners: The Art of Running a TV Show isn’t great because of its execution (the structure is too formulaic and some of the main shows discussed just aren’t that good) but it’s really great because of its subjects. Showrunners (meaning the Executive Producers in charge of “running” a TV show; usually the […]
A cast of some of TV’s most wonderful people populates About Alex, the debut feature from Parenthood writer Jesse Zwick. A dramedy about college friends reunited by tragic, awkward circumstances, this ensemble dramedy dives into everything- listlessness, love (requited, unrequited, unspoken, overwrought), depression, anxiety, jealousy, pretension, ambition- only rarely losing its honesty and light touch. […]