"Captain America: Brave New World" Or, When Will Marvel Turn Things Around?

by Nathaniel R

Benjamin Franklin famously quipped "in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." We might add "...and new installments of the Marvel Cinematic Universe" to that shortlist. Especially since Captain America Brave New World arrives for digital rental/purchase on tax day itself, Tuesday April 15th next week. Unfortunately the new film is taxing and not to die for. On Valentine's Weekend when the film opened, I was in Pittsburgh (long story). I never regret seeing movies but I most definitely regretted splurging for an uber to get to a suburban multiplex because it happened to be opening weekend. For this, really? What was the rush? 

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Are you ready for "Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale"?

by Nathaniel R

"What are you doing here?"

When I first heard the news that there would be a third Downton Abbey film I thought,' that's crazy, you've killed off the most quotable character in the previous film!' As you'll recall the Dowager Countess played by the late great Dame Maggie Smith passed away in the last film Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022). But then I reconsidered my incredulity about another film because the franchise has so many good characters...

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Paul Newman @ 100: "The Hustler"

by Nathaniel R

Paul Newman's second Oscar nomination came for THE HUSTLER (1961). All screenshots sourced from FilmGrab.

A smiling illustration on salad dressing bottles, a serious visage on movie posters, a guest on television talk shows? I can't recall when I first became aware of Paul Newman. He was always there, an unmoving fixture of popular culture. When I was a kid he'd already been in the movie business for 30 years. For most stars, two back-to-back lead Oscar nominations in your late 50s (Absence of Malice and The Verdict) would be a winding down or a swan song but Paul Newman was the definition of "enduring". When I started hitting movie theaters on the regular he was just 30 years into a career but there was still tank in the gas. He'd be back to the Oscars as a nominee thrice more, four if you count the Honorary statue.

For today's celebration, we're travelling way back to his second Oscar nomination to meet "Fast Eddie" Felson in The Hustler (1961)...

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Will any of the PGA Nominees miss the Best Picture list at the Oscars?

by Nathaniel R

A REAL PAIN scores a coveted PGA nod. Can it beat SING SING to the Oscars?

After the BAFTAs the season is coalescing leaving little room for surprise when the delayed Oscar nominations arrive this coming Friday (January 23). The Producers Guild have also announced their nominations. While the PGA leans more 'mainstream' than Oscar, this looks very much like what we can expect on Oscar nom morning. Still history suggests one (or two) nominee(s) could fall to the wayside. But which...

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10 Questions about the Oscar race

by Nathaniel R

Every Oscar chart has been updated. Late October is always a strange time in the awards race. It's a time when most of the major players have surfaced (at festivals or screenings) but nobody has yet seen everything and no awards groups (beyond festival juries) have sorted and sifted through the abundance. Which means anything is still possible until the critics groups and awards org begin to narrow the focus of Academy voters in ways that tend to be both interesting and disheartening. They'll boost a couple of unexpected but worthy contenders into the conversation but at the same time their hive mind choices will pour abundant love on too few titles and starve other beauties of sunlight and water.

So as you peruse the charts, answer these ten questions in the comments...

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