Category: Oscar Preview

We had one film release this past weekend with the potential for Oscar nominations. The Spectacular Now The writing team behind (500) Days of Summer, the brilliant Marc Webb film starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel, has received incredibly strong reviews from critics. The film stars rising star Miles Teller (Rabbit Hole) and almost-Oscar nominee…

We had one film release this past weekend with the potential for Oscar nominations. Blue Jasmine Woody Allen is the most inconsistent filmmaker working today. There’s little doubt he’s well respected, but his output over the last two decades has ranged from brilliant to bizarre and critics have praised him one year and then turned…

We had three films release this past weekend with the potential for Oscar nominations. Turbo There’s something to be said for being a box office success with the Oscars. Oftentimes films that aren’t particularly big box office hits struggle to find a place at the Oscars if they were originally intended to be hits. A…

We had four films release this past weekend with the potential for Oscar nominations. Pacific Rim The well reviewed robot/monster movie isn’t receiving the kind of acclaim that launches it into a Best Picture campaign, but the positive reviews put it in a strong position for a few below-the-line categories, specifically Best Visual Effects, Best…

We had three films release this past weekend with the potential for Oscar nominations. Despicable Me 2 It’s stellar performance at the box office along with passable reviews puts this one ahead of many of the year’s other animated films in terms of competition. Of course, that would be presuming that the Academy sees past…

We had three films release this past weekend with the potential for Oscar nominations. White House Down Roland Emmerich has had an uneven history with the Academy. His first film to court the Oscars was Independence Day which took home an Oscar for Best Visual Effects and a nomination for Best Sound Mixing. Two films…

We had four films release this past weekend with the potential for Oscar nominations. Monsters University The Pixar Brand still commands a hefty take at the box office, and its influence with the Academy hasn’t completely waned, but it’s clear times are changing. Monsters University has earned a solid, if unspectacular 77% on Rotten Tomatoes…

We had seven films release this past weekend with the potential for Oscar nominations. Man of Steel Seven years ago, the maligned first attempt to refresh the Superman franchise earned an Oscar nomination for Best Visual Effects. The film’s strong opening should give it enough boost to be considered for a nomination in the same…

We had one film release this past weekend with the potential for Oscar nominations. Much Ado about Nothing Reviews are good, but not great. Joss Whedon’s success as director of The Avengers has earned him the ability to do more intimate projects. While I think the modest reaction from critics will ultimately keep the film…

We had no films release this past weekend with the potential for Oscar nominations. After Earth Before it’s bomb-like box office opening, the prospects of an M. Night Shyamalan earning an Oscar nomination were remote. Still, the visual effects were impressive in the trailer and the sound mixing and sound editing were likely inventive. Now…

We had three films release this past weekend with the potential for Oscar nominations. Before Midnight One of the few franchises of the indie cinema world, Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke have collectively created one of the most celebrated trilogies in history. Most likely, if you’re a fan of The Avengers, you’ve never…

We had three films release this past weekend with the potential for Oscar nominations. Star Trek: Into Darkness The first Star Trek film to win an Oscar was Into Darkness‘ predecessor Star Trek. Its win in the Best Makeup category wasn’t a complete surprise, but Il Divo and The Younger Victoria were more in line…

We had two films release this past weekend with the potential for Oscar nominations. The Great Gatsby With its stellar opening at the box office, skeptical Oscar voters might be more inclined to give it a chance. The critics haven’t been very supportive, but box office can sometimes trump critics. That being said, Baz Luhrmann’s…

We had three films release this past weekend with the potential for Oscar nominations. Iron Man 3 Let’s start off with the elephant in the room. With a $175 million opening, Iron Man will be one of the year’s biggest box office hits. That doesn’t mean a lot of Oscar, but after having seen the…

We had one film release this past weekend with the potential for Oscar nominations. Mud Matthew McConaughey, the handsome actor whose early film career was largely characterized by bad performances in good movies. Studios didn’t hire him to act. They hired him to look pretty and bring in female audiences. That tactic worked quite well,…