Oscar: The Morning After

South Korea's Parasite made history last night at the 92nd Academy Awards, becoming the first foreign-language film ever to win Best Picture.

The Korean-language dark comedy also won Best Director for Bong Joon Ho, Best International Feature and Best Original Screenplay, capping a whirlwind year that began back in May when the film won the prestigious Palme D'Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.

Things had been preceding pretty much as expected last night until the Best Director category late in the show.1917's Sam Mendes was the favorite, having already won the Golden Globe, BAFTA and DGA Award, so when Joon Ho's name was called instead there was a considerable gasp in the audience, one that pretty much translated to "all bets are off" and that Parasite might just have a chance at the top prize.

Granted, should a film competing in the Best International Feature category be allowed to jockey for Best Picture as well? My personal belief is that it should be one or the other. If your film is lucky enough to become one of the ten Best Picture nominees, foreign-language or not, it shouldn't be allowed to also compete in another best feature category. Spread the wealth a bit, give other worthy films a chance to shine and find a broader audience.

That said, Parasite deserves all of its accolades last night. It was my favorite film of last year and should have a place in Oscar's hallowed halls.

Congratulations to first-time acting winners Brad Pitt, Laura Dern and Joaquin Phoenix. I've been watching all three for over 30 years and it's nice to see them get some long-overdue recognition.

And while I enjoyed Eminem's live performance of "Lose Yourself," not sure why we needed to add to an already-too-long broadcast with a song from 2002. Was Lionel Richie not available for "Say You, Say Me?"

Maybe next year they can wheel out host Billy Crystal from 1992.

Oscar Predictions: Can Parasite Overpower 1917?

Below are my picks is the major categories for Sunday's 92nd Academy Awards.

Sam Mendes' WWI epic 1917 and Bong Joon Ho's Korean-language thriller Parasite seem destined to battle it out over Best Picture, with 10 and six nominations respectively.

While favorites Renée Zellweger, Laura Dern, Joaquin Phoenix, Brad Pitt and Sam Mendes seem assured to complete their award-season sweep and take home Oscar gold in their respective acting and directing categories. We shall see. Enjoy the show.

Picture: 1917
Director: Sam Mendes, 1917
Actor: Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
Actress: Renée Zellweger, Judy
Supporting Actor: Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Supporting Actress: Laura Dern, Marriage Story
International Feature: Parasite
Animated Feature: Toy Story 4
Original Screenplay: Bong Joon Ho and Han Jin Won, Parasite
Adapted Screenplay: Taika Waititi, JoJo Rabbit

Remembering Kirk Douglas

Kirk Douglas, one of the most charismatic and effortlessly talented actors to ever grace the silver screen, the last surviving star of Hollywood's Golden Age, has passed away at the remarkable age of 103.

Appearing in nearly 100 films across seven decades, Douglas was a pure force of nature, an acting whirlwind, someone who could put a film on his shoulders and carry it for 120 minutes or more as if he were the only person on the screen.

An Oscar nominee for Best Actor within three years of his first screen credit, Douglas absolutely commanded such classics as Billy Wilder's Ace in the Hole, Vincente Minnelli's Lust for Life and Stanley Kubrick's Paths of Glory and Spartacus.

Seriously, I have watched and studied film for over 40 years on this planet and I have rarely seen a more engaging actor than Kirk Douglas. Even when he played a villain or the performances got a little campier in later years, he was always watchable, likeable.

Others favorites of mine included 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Vikings, The Final Countdown and Greedy.

A true Hollywood icon. One to be remembered and studied for generations to come.

Top 10 Films of the Decade

In lieu of a traditional best-of list this year, I thought it more appropriate to showcase my favorites of the closing decade.

Some titles were the best of their given years, others have risen in standing. All are films I've revisited or would watch again down the road.

If you haven't seen or heard of any of the these, seek them out, I think you'll be glad you did.


1. 12 Years A Slave (Director: Steve McQueen; 2013)
2. The Artist (Dir: Michel Hazanavicius; 2011)
3. The Lobster (Dir:Yorgos Lanthimos; 2016)
4. Moonrise Kingdom (Dir: Wes Anderson; 2012)
5. Moneyball (Dir: Bennett Miller; 2011)
6. True Grit (Dir: Joel & Ethan Coen; 2010)
7. Lady Bird (Dir: Greta Gerwig; 2017)
8. Mad Max: Fury Road (Dir: George Miller; 2015)
9. Drive (Dir: Nicolas Winding Refn; 2011)
10. Life Itself (Dir: Steve James; 2014)

Honorable Mentions:

Brooklyn (2015)
Chef (2014)
De Palma (2015)
The Descendants (2011)
Django Unchained (2012)
The Fighter (2010)
Ford v Ferrari (2019)
Get Out (2017)
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
The Hateful Eight (2015)
Hugo (2011)
La La Land (2016)
The Martian (2015)
Moonlight (2016)
A Quiet Place (2018)
The Shape of Water (2017)
Super 8 (2011)
Win Win (2011)
Warrior (2011)
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

On to the '20s. Happy New Year!

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker A Satisfying Conclusion to a Saga 42 Years in the Making

Walking out of 1983's Return of the Jedi as a twelve-year-old I was pretty sure I'd seen the last of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Han Solo.

It had been an incredible six-year, three-movie run, defining my childhood like bookends, but Darth Vader and his emperor were now dead, the second Death Star and pretty much the entire Imperial fleet had been destroyed during the Battle of Endor. Our heroes had won and restored peace to the galaxy.

George Lucas had talked of another trilogy but that would tell the story of young Anakin Skywalker, the fall of the Jedi and rise of the Empire. No, I was pretty sure if I wanted to know the further story of Luke, Leia and Han, I'd have to make it up myself. And I was fine with that.

Flash forward 32 years later to 2015 and Star Wars: The Force Awakens hits theaters. It's a direct sequel to Return of the Jedi, the beginning of a new trilogy featuring different, younger characters, but also Luke, Leia and Han in supporting roles. I'm skeptical at first, but by time the closing credits role, I'm on board with this next generation of freedom fighters and excited for the revelations to come.

But then 2017's The Last Jedi is released and quickly erodes all the excitement and hope I had felt with its dysfunctional, polarizing storyline, not to mention killing off its two most interesting characters (Luke and Snoke). Leaving the theater, I seriously had lost all interest in the new trilogy going further.

So, even with the promised inclusion of original trilogy stalwarts Lando Calrissian and Emperor Palpatine, it was with great hesitation and obvious trepidation that I returned for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

I purposely stayed away from spoilers, didn't read any reviews. As I walked into my favorite theater last Saturday afternoon and plopped my self down in my regular seat, I admit I looked forward to what awaited me for the next two hours. But to be honest, I didn't expect much.

And to my great surprise, I actually enjoyed the film for the most part. It wasn't perfect, but it was a hell of a lot better than The Last Jedi. I actually cared about the new characters again. Even the wife cried at the end. 

Overall, a satisfying conclusion to a saga that's been a part of my life for 42 years. 

Quick Blu Review: Iceman (1984)

Fred Schepisi's little-seen, long-forgotten 1984 adventure-drama Iceman has always been a nice little reminder of growing up in the '80s.

I was just 13 when I saw it at a local six-plex as a Saturday matinee and the prospect of discovering and then reviving a 40,000-year-old man from an ice cube the size of a Buick seemed pretty cool (no pun intended) back in the day. Still does, come to think of it.

Iceman unfolds at an Artic research base where young anthropologist Stanley Shephard (Timothy Hutton) has been summoned to provide some type of cultural background on whatever lies suspended in a huge icy block recently excavated from the nearby frozen depths.

Shephard and a team of scientists quickly discern they've discovered a prehistoric man, a Neanderthal, perfectly preserved. And if that weren't incredible enough, they re-establish a heartbeat and actually resuscitate the groggy caveman.

Seems our newly thawed friend has something in his blood that can preserve life and that makes him very valuable to the company footing the bill for the research center. But of course Shephard only sees the cultural benefits, the opportunity to learn from our past and convinces the head suit to give him two weeks with the man now called "Charlie."

Soon the two are interacting in a huge indoor vivarium-like habitat, getting to know one another's customs and becoming friends. But it becomes clear "Charlie" is a hunter, a wild soul at heart and not meant to be caged.

Iceman was a vehicle for 23-year-old star Hutton, a hot property at the time after an Oscar win for 1980's Ordinary People. The supporting cast includes Lindsay Crouse, David Strathairn, Danny Glover and John Lone as "Charlie."

While the premise and cast provide all the makings for a worthwhile tale, the film ultimately suffers from lack of character development and a compelling narrative to drive the story. It's always felt like a good portion ended up on the cutting room floor to achieve its svelte 100-minute running time.

Newly released on Blu-ray by specialty label Kino Lorber, Iceman is finally presented in its native 2.35:1 aspect ratio. No new 2 or 4k scan here, but the image is crisp and decidedly more cinematic than the old pan-and-scan DVD from 2004.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track sounds great and both dialog and Bruce Smeaton's memorable score are clear at minimum levels.

Overall a nice presentation for a film that's worth a look if your a student of anthropology, a fan of Timothy Hutton or, like me, just feel like a trip back to 1984 every once in a while.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Criterion To Finally Release John Sayes' Matewan This October

So every four or five weeks the Criterion Collection unveils a handful of new titles we film fans can look forward to arriving on DVD and Blu-ray in the coming months.

And every month for at least 10 years I've looked and hoped for one title, and every month I've been disappointed. Until yesterday.

Yes, after years of pleading with specialty labels, both on this site and across social media, Criterion announced Thursday it would finally release indie maverick John Sayles' oft-requested 1987 historical coal-mining drama Matewan October 29th.

I've been a fan of Sayles' work since high school and Matewan remains one of his best films, featuring Oscar-nominated cinematography by the great Haskell Wexler and stellar performances by Chris Cooper (in his screen debut), David Strathairn, Mary McDonnell and James Earl Jones.

Criterion's forthcoming Blu-ray will feature a new 4K digital restoration, audio commentary with Sayles and Wexler and a new making-of documentary.

Since the only digital release was a 1999 pan-and-scan DVD, it's really going be like seeing the film for the first time since its Reagan-era theatrical release. Can't wait.