What Does Oscar Campaigning Look Like During the Strikes?

By Ben Miller

The fall film festival season is upon us, but with a notable exception.  The usual lineup of Hollywood A-listers are (mostly) absent due to studio greed and the continuing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes.  But so far, the date of the 96th Oscars haven't moved.  Unless the strikes are resolved more quickly than anyone believes they will be, the best films and performances will have to go toe-to-toe without the benefit of a robust campaign.

But what does an Oscar campaign look like if you aren't allowed to campaign?  

Click to read more ...

Review: “Air” Taps into Nostalgic 80s Charm

by Eurocheese

'Air Jordan'
I dunno... Maybe it'll grow on me?

Throwbacks in film can be difficult to manage, especially to time periods we remember well. Air, which recounts the story of Nike's pursuit to sign future global superstar Michael Jordan, kicks off with a montage of 1984 pop culture references,  depicting the positive and sometimes corny images that we associate with life at the time. One of this movie’s greatest accomplishments is finding the heightened, breezy sheen that pervaded movies in that era and allowing itself to rest there. We all understand where this film is going, so we can relax and enjoy the ride along the way, soaking in all the fun details (remember green screen computers?). We can also watch the negotiations and lean in with the knowledge that Michael Jordan did, in fact, become the superstar marketing executive Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) believed he would...

Click to read more ...