That’s right, people, it’s a tradition now. Last year, I wrote an article about the lessons that cineastes and the industry were taught by 2017. So, now, for the second year in a row, I’m ready to present you with a thorough list of the most interesting lessons that we were all taught by cinema, the film industry, or the studio system this year. Continue reading “18 Lessons 2018 Taught Cinephiles and the Film Industry – Special Features #40”
In this, the second and final part of my 2019 film preview, I will discuss and present you with the most interesting 2019 non-tentpole films, as well as the films that may be talked about during awards season 2019. Now, just to get this out of the way, I will only mention adaptations if, and only if, I think they have Oscar potential, as the wise men and women call it. Continue reading “2019 Film Preview, Pt. 2: Original and Awards Films – Special Features #39”
Does the Academy have a plan B? I’m not sure. After the Kevin Hart fiasco, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences now find themselves without the host that they had originally selected. Some are suggesting that they should have no host this year, but I don’t like that idea — there has to be a host at the Oscars. So, let’s help the Academy out. Here are my top ten Oscar host suggestions. Continue reading “Next Oscar Host – Special Features #37”
A long time ago, on a movie-related podcast, a question was posited to the hosts: When is the last time your favorite movie of the year won Best Picture at the Oscars? As I was listening to the podcast, it took me a little while to figure my first answer out, but whenever I thought of a film, I realized that I only agreed with the selected winner of the nominated films — but it wasn’t really my favorite film of the year. So, today, I want to do my own four-pronged test, for the purpose of finding out just how much I agree with the Academy. Continue reading “Best Picture Alignment Test – Special Features #34”
This year, Bradley Cooper is giving us his highly anticipated directorial debut with his version of A Star is Born. Notice how I said ‘his version?’ Good, well, the fact of the matter is that Cooper’s A Star is Born is the third remake released of the 1937 William Wellman romance drama. So, what does that mean for its Oscar chances? Can a remake be nominated for, or even win, the biggest categories at the Oscars? Well, let’s see. Continue reading “Remakes at the Oscars – Special Features #31”
The Oscar season is about to kick into a higher gear with the major end of the year festivals coming our way very soon. So, before we get to hear what major film critics think about Damien Chazelle, Barry Jenkins, and Alfonso Cuarón’s new films, I here provide you with the current update of my Oscar predictions. Continue reading “91st Academy Awards Predictions: August Update – Special Features #30”
Last year — in one of the first Special Features-articles — I wrote about Wonder Woman‘s chances at the Oscars, and it was probably that article that made me confident that I could write these types of articles about pretty much any blockbuster film. So, today, I want to continue that trend by writing about another hugely popular superhero film that has broken many box office records and won the hearts of critics and audiences — Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther. Continue reading “Black Panther’s Chances at the Oscars – Special Features #28”
I imagine that AMPAS President John Bailey is currently doing his best Gob Bluth impression in his living room and saying “I’ve made a huge mistake.” Cut to black, roll credits, and play Simon & Garfunkel’s The Sound of Silence, because the fact of the matter is that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences just made a lot of people mad. Continue reading “Did The Academy Just Ruin the Oscars Ceremony? – Special Features #27”
I have reviewed many Netflix films, and I really enjoy doing that. These are films that are, in most cases, released at the same time for everyone everywhere. That is genuinely a good consumer-friendly distributing system. Sure, some of these films are godawful, but sometimes among the ‘Netflix films of the week’ something truly special appears on the streaming service. Continue reading “Should Netflix Films Be Eligible for the Oscars? – Special Features #21”
It has all been said and done. The winners have won, the songs have been sung, and the tweets have been tweeted. But let’s now go through the predictions, the winners, the losers, and the surprises (if there were any). We have to start with who won the coveted Jet Ski, though.
Continue reading “Reaction to the 90th Academy Awards – Special Features #19”
I'm Jeffrey Rex 