Category: Special Features

Opinion Pieces that aren’t necessarily reviews or ‘Marvelous Monday,’ ‘Dagobah Day,’ or Awards posts.

Nomination Predictions for the 92nd Academy Awards – Special Features #58

Edited image originally from ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019),’ Sony Pictures

It is finally that time of the year again, folks! The nominations for the Academy Awards will be released on Monday (January 13th, 2020). Just in time, I am ready with my final predictions for this awards season’s Oscars nominations. Below I have tried to predict every category except for the short film categories, as I simply haven’t seen enough short films from 2019. So, without further ado, let’s get to it! Continue reading “Nomination Predictions for the 92nd Academy Awards – Special Features #58” →

BAFTA Nominations Disappoint – Special Features #57

This morning, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) announced their nominations for the 73rd British Academy Film Awards. For a complete list of the nominations, click here. Normally, I have some love for the BAFTA awards. I’m not British, but I think they function as a nice alternative to the Oscars every year. They also tend to zig when the Oscars zag, which is to say that often they don’t agree on the nominations and winners. I look forward to the BAFTAs every year because they sometimes make some really inspired choices, like when they showed a lot of love for Blade Runner 2049. But this year’s nominations list is very disappointing. Continue reading “BAFTA Nominations Disappoint – Special Features #57” →

77th Golden Globes: Predictions – Special Features #56

It’s time to get ready for the first major awards show of 2020 — The Golden Globe Awards. Though not at all as prestigious as the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes ceremony is known all around the globe as the major American precursor to the Oscars. Today, I’ll give out my own predictions for the ceremony which is being held in a couple of hours. Continue reading “77th Golden Globes: Predictions – Special Features #56” →

Top Ten TV-Shows of 2019

The New Golden Age of Television continued in 2019 with yet another great year of television. This must be reiterated year after year — yes, even in a year with a disappointing conclusion to Game of Thrones — 2019 continued that age, or trend, in which television is as effective as, or even more so than, cinema. For some, television of 2019 is undoubtedly best defined by the conclusion to shows like Game of Thrones or Fleabag, and, for others, it is best defined by limited series that shocked you to your core. Continue reading “Top Ten TV-Shows of 2019” →

Martin Scorsese Thinks Superhero Films Are Like Theme Parks – Special Features #55

Stick with me here, as I’m going to be repeating myself a little bit. A little over a year ago, I wrote an article about Ethan Hawke’s opinion that James Mangold’s Logan is a ‘fine superhero film’ but not a great film. I disagreed with one of my favorite actors, and, in that article, I explained why.

I concluded that: “Even though I have expressed how I disagree with his comments, Hawke shouldn’t be criticized too much for having made them. It is just one man’s opinion. Hawke certainly didn’t ‘attack’ the genre and his comments, therefore, shouldn’t be read as one.” Continue reading “Martin Scorsese Thinks Superhero Films Are Like Theme Parks – Special Features #55” →

Feige Announces MCU Phase Four at San Diego Comic-Con – Special Features #54

Some people in the industry may have been questioning the future viability of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe after the incredible infinity saga came to an end recently. If Spider-Man: Far From Home didn’t convince the naysayers, then what Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios announced last night certainly did. Today, let’s talk about the Marvel Studios announcements at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con. Continue reading “Feige Announces MCU Phase Four at San Diego Comic-Con – Special Features #54” →

Exploring an Auteur’s Short Films: Ari Aster – Special Features #53

I don’t normally write about short films unless it’s a special occasion. This is a special occasion. I recently watched and reviewed Ari Aster’s follow-up to Hereditary, the daytime horror fairy tale Midsommar. I have become a great admirer of Aster after having seen those two films, both of which I believe to be amazing works of cinema.

Since I saw Midsommar, I haven’t been able to get it off my mind. So, on Friday, I spent the entire day watching Ari Aster’s short films. Today, I want to talk about his flawed short films, some of which didn’t speak to me at all. In five separate sections, I want to describe the experience of watching Aster’s short films, as well as make some general observations as to what it is like to watch the raw material of a future auteur. Continue reading “Exploring an Auteur’s Short Films: Ari Aster – Special Features #53” →

Halfway Through the Year: 2019 – Special Features #52

We are already halfway through the year. 2019 isn’t coming to an end just yet, but we’ve already seen plenty of shows, episodes, or movies that we’ll remember the year for. In today’s article, you’ll find bite-sized notes and comments on the best films, shows, or performances from the first half of the year. Sure, my official awards winners and top tens won’t be published until the end of the year, but this is a great milestone or halfway-mark to look back upon some day in the future. Please follow the links below to read individual reviews of each film or series. Continue reading “Halfway Through the Year: 2019 – Special Features #52” →

Best Callbacks, Hints, and References in Avengers: Endgame – Special Features #51

This post is filled with spoilers for Avengers: Endgame. Do not, I repeat, do not read this list until you’ve seen Avengers: Endgame. Full spoilers below.

Okay, so we’ve all seen the movie right? I think right about now is a good time to actually talk about the little nods or references that were particularly fun or strong in Endgame. However, if you’ve not yet seen the film, then don’t worry at all, the article will be ready when you are. Anyhoo, the following is an unranked list of easter eggs, callbacks, and references that stood out to me. Let’s get to it.

Continue reading “Best Callbacks, Hints, and References in Avengers: Endgame – Special Features #51” →