Tag: Screenwriting

  • Oscars 2020 — Who Should Win? (Part One)

    Oscars 2020 — Who Should Win? (Part One)

    Here we go again. The Oscar nominations were announced on January 13 and everything felt familiar. Most of the nominees were deserving, but some of them weren’t. A handful of notable snubs caused Film Twitter to explode, specifically Adam Sandler for Uncut Gems, Greta Gerwig for Little Women, and Awkwafina for The Farewell. Awkwafina’s snub…

  • Booksmart

    Booksmart

    Booksmart has been on our radar since its release in May. With a 97% Rotten Tomatoes score, it’s one of the best-reviewed films of the year. But now, it’s our turn. Does the movie live up to the hype? Booksmart is the directorial debut of actress Olivia Wilde. Whatever faults Wilde brings to her first…

  • Oscars 2019 – Who Should Win? (Part One)

    Oscars 2019 – Who Should Win? (Part One)

    The Oscars can’t get it right every year. The truth is, we’ve been spoiled. While the right films rarely win, they usually at least get nominated. Not this time. For the last four years in a row, the best movie of the year has been up for Best Picture. This year, the crowning achievement of…

  • If Beale Street Could Talk

    If Beale Street Could Talk

    Barry Jenkins and Damien Chazelle both directed Oscar-nominated movies this year. The last time that happened was in 2017 when Chazelle’s La La Land was mistakenly announced as the Best Picture winner only to be supplanted by the true Best Picture winner — Jenkins’ Moonlight. The debacle was a distraction from what should have been…

  • First Man / Free Solo

    First Man / Free Solo

    Our audio equipment failed us in October, but we’re back and better than ever. Welcome to our first double feature podcast! That’s right, this month you get two movies for the price of one. Starting things off is First Man. After launching two masterpieces into the universe with Whiplash and La La Land, director Damien…

  • First Reformed

    First Reformed

    Paul Schrader is better known for his writing than directing. Though he’s directed over 20 films, it’s his screenwriting collaborations with Martin Scorsese that have stood the test of time. Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and Bringing Out the Dead highlight Schrader’s proclivities as a writer. All three feature a tortured protagonist walking against the current…

  • Oscars 2018 – Who Should Win? (Part One)

    Oscars 2018 – Who Should Win? (Part One)

    The 2017 Oscars will be a hard year to top. Not only did the two best movies of the year duke it out for Best Picture, but they were both handed the award in an unprecedented envelope mix-up. Unfortunately for La La Land, Moonlight was the true winner of the evening. But for those of…

  • Oscars 2017 – Who Should Win? (Part One)

    Oscars 2017 – Who Should Win? (Part One)

    The calendar may say we’re in a new year, but 2016 is alive and well for movie lovers. Our calendar runs March to March, because the year in film doesn’t end until Oscar night. The Oscars are our Super Bowl. Everything leads to the one night where movie fans across the world gather together to…