We come now to a category that is probably my favorite because there are three amazing performances in it. I think this category could pretty much go to any of the three ladies nominated, but there seem to be two overwhelming frontrunners, both of which are mediocre at best. THE NOMINEES:Sally Hawkins as Ginger in…
Gravity (2013)
Not many films completely take me by surprise and seriously hit me in the face with how amazing they are. Gravity was one such film. It stands as one of the most marvellous achievements in technical filmmaking and was absolutely spectacular from start to finish. One must realize that this film may appear boring –…
The State of the Oscars: Best Actress (The Winners)
Why I am even doing a piece about Best Actress confuses me – this award is so clearly going to Cate Blanchett, and no one else comes close. But I will try and justify a win for the others, just because on the slight chance there is a shocking upset. THE NOMINEES: Amy Adams as…
Santa Sangre (1989)
I have always embraced weirdness, especially in films. To me, Klaus Kinski was far more interesting than Jimmy Stewart, and Johnny Depp is superior to Tom Cruise – but only in terms of keeping one interested and always guessing as to what is next. This interest I have in “weirder” people naturally led me to…
The State of the Oscars: Best Actor (The Winners)
The Oscars are in 10 days, so that means I am going to roll out my list of Oscar predictions. I wait until the last minute because I am not content to judge until all the major precursors have gone by. Golden Globes, SAG, BFCA and BAFTA usually can tell me a lot about who…
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead (2007)
Sidney Lumet was a master of cinema. His contributions to cinema are forever cemented in the films he directed – from Network, one of the greatest films of all time, to Dog Day Afternoon, a star-making turn for Al Pacino (which really says something considering he starred in two Godfather movies before this) and everything from play…
An Appreciation of…Christopher Guest (1948 – )
I want to pay tribute this week to one of the greatest artists in cinema history who I feel is painfully underrated and doesn’t receive the popular acclaim he does. That is why this week, I am Appreciating the great Christopher Guest… In recent years, our most popular comedy shows have all been mockumentaries –…
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)
As long as I’ve been alive, I’ve been hearing stories about different people becoming attached and detached to an adaptation of the classic short story The Secret Life of Walter Mitty which was turned into a 1947 Danny Kaye comedy. Since then, the likes of Jim Carrey, Owen Wilson, Sacha Baron Cohen and Mike Myers were…
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
When cinephiles of the future look fondly to the past, there will be certain filmmakers who have made such an indelible impression, they have changed cinema and the extent to where we can push it. Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, Howard Hawks. The one person who would be right on top of that list is Martin…
An Appreciation of…Philip Seymour Hoffman (1967 – 2014)
The cinema world mourns the death of one of the greatest actors in history Philip Seymour Hoffman’s death was cut short due to the misuse and abuse of drugs. This proves how dangerous drugs are in destroying an artist’s potential. It is not right to blame him for his death, because the demons this man…
The Postmodern Pelican 