tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39392074437110430672024-12-18T19:31:27.018-08:00Kevin T. Rodriguezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17132539401843874860noreply@blogger.comBlogger328125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3939207443711043067.post-58674073849480696642014-01-29T20:07:00.000-08:002014-01-29T20:07:39.699-08:00

Holy cow Batman: God has been disqualified from the Oscars! Alright, sorry for the outdated Batman pun, but can any of you honestly blame me for that?  Who would have thought such an unknown Christian film would be the most controversial Oscar nomination of the year?  First the song “Alone Yet Not Alone” (from the film of the same name) was nominated for the Academy Award for Best

Kevin T. Rodriguezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17132539401843874860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3939207443711043067.post-34042769612420144972013-02-25T18:40:00.001-08:002013-02-25T18:40:27.669-08:00

There’s got to be a morning after, and so ends the 85th Academy Awards.  The prizes have been given out; there was a lot of heartbreak, and now its time to gear up for the next show.  Last night the top Prize went to Ben Affleck’s “Argo,” which was the frontrunner going into the race because of all the predecessor awards it racked up.  The Producer’s Guild of America,

Kevin T. Rodriguezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17132539401843874860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3939207443711043067.post-62425125731681513142012-04-19T16:07:00.004-07:002012-04-19T16:07:28.864-07:00

My book for the 83rd Academy Awards is back in the Top 100 best sellers for movie review and reference guides.  This is the third time the book has jumped into the best sellers in the Kindle store.  When it went to number 1 early this year and stayed there are almost six weeks, I know it was likely because I launched it during the height of Oscar season.  Once the Oscars ended

Kevin T. Rodriguezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17132539401843874860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3939207443711043067.post-78895098705198024252012-03-15T02:40:00.002-07:002012-03-15T02:40:50.814-07:00

Thneedville Despite now being able to say that "The Muppets" finally bagged a Best Song Oscar for a Muppets film, last years pitiful Best Song nomination count was pathetic.  It's not like there weren't any good songs to nominate, the voters of that category just seemed out to lunch or something.  Provided they pull their act together, then chances are one of the catchy songs from "

Kevin T. Rodriguezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17132539401843874860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3939207443711043067.post-13921142567910640542012-03-09T13:35:00.000-08:002012-03-09T15:36:29.935-08:00

This scene was stunning in IMAX.  Too bad people seeing it for the first time on BluRay are going to be missing roughly 40% of the image. I’ve recently been in a little bit of a back-and-forth with director Brad Bird concerning the BluRay release of his film “Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol.”  For those who haven’t read my review, it can be found here.  For those who

Kevin T. Rodriguezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17132539401843874860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3939207443711043067.post-23840570572114414252012-03-01T01:19:00.001-08:002012-03-01T01:19:07.851-08:00

This is a few weeks late into the game, but in the February 24th issue of Entertainment Weekly, EW did their annual “let’s ask the voters what they’re thinking about voting for” feature (it’s actually called “How I’m Voting,” but you’ll understand my apathy towards this article in a minute).  Basically the idea behind the article is that they interview several (anonymous) Academy

Kevin T. Rodriguezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17132539401843874860noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3939207443711043067.post-44061588722533138662012-01-22T17:27:00.000-08:002012-01-22T17:27:06.723-08:00

Here are the songs I would love to see be nominated for Best Song.  Whether they do or don't, I guess we'll see. Albert Nobbs - "Lay Your Head Down" by Sinead O'Connor Captain America: The First Avenger - "Star Spangled Man" by Alan Menkin Gnomeo & Juliet - "Hello, Hello" by Elton John Happy Feet Two - "Bridge of Light" by Pink The Muppets - "Life's A

Kevin T. Rodriguezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17132539401843874860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3939207443711043067.post-78044582236094624902012-01-16T13:27:00.000-08:002012-01-16T13:27:53.851-08:00

The title says it all!  Enjoy the score samples: Ludovic Bource - "The Artist" Alexander Desplat - "The Tree of Life" Harry Escott - "Shame" John Williams - "War Horse" Alan Silvestri - "Captain America: The First Avenger"

Kevin T. Rodriguezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17132539401843874860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3939207443711043067.post-89428356633500834012012-01-15T17:53:00.000-08:002012-01-15T17:53:42.172-08:00

We're a few weeks away from the nominations for the Oscars, but I think that makes it a good time for me to round up what my ideal nominations list will look like.  Now keep in mind there are a few award favorite films out there that I haven't seen, but I've seen most of them, and this list is based on what I've seen.  Because it seems like a seven picture nomination year, that's

Kevin T. Rodriguezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17132539401843874860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3939207443711043067.post-75124887862857068052012-01-15T17:46:00.000-08:002012-01-15T17:46:52.599-08:00

My faithful readers: I have written the final review I needed to write for "The Complete Unofficial 83rd Annual Academy Awards Review Guide" yesterday!  That means all I need is for my editor Emily to wring it through a shredder, help me fix any sentence structure problems, and we'll begin formatting the book for Kindles, Nooks, and even have some hard copies available.  This is the

Kevin T. Rodriguezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17132539401843874860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3939207443711043067.post-15757779765770494132011-11-27T17:25:00.001-08:002011-11-27T17:38:12.957-08:00

This is a great time to go to the movies if you've got families.  "The Muppets" was released to great critical acclaim and has re-introduced the characters in a way that means they'll be coming back in a big way after the dust settles with this film.  "Arthur Christmas" was released to great critical acclaim and is poised to become a new holiday classic for many families.  And

Kevin T. Rodriguezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17132539401843874860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3939207443711043067.post-50945343021198584672011-11-18T23:53:00.001-08:002011-11-18T23:58:19.047-08:00

I saw "Happy Feet Two" tonight on IMAX 3D.  You can read my full review here, but to sum it up: "Happy Feet Two" will NOT be nominated for Best Animated Feature!  It's not as dull as "Cars 2" was, but it certainly failed to live up the quality of the original film.  That said, I DO believe that P!nk has got Best Song in the bag with her downright moving song "Bridge of Light."

Kevin T. Rodriguezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17132539401843874860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3939207443711043067.post-39423181510267187792011-11-10T22:56:00.001-08:002011-11-10T23:00:42.042-08:00

So, to recap: Brett Ratner makes homophobic slur. Academy and gay community get pissed off (rightfully so). Ratner quits. Eddie Murphy quits. Brian Grazer (who produced "Tower Heist") steps in. Billy Crystal comes back as host. Alright, got all that?  Good.  Now then, all that aside, now that Billy Crystal is back on board, I'm feeling pretty good about the Oscars again.  I

Kevin T. Rodriguezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17132539401843874860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3939207443711043067.post-19342755651901316962011-11-08T17:56:00.000-08:002011-11-08T17:56:14.125-08:00

Looks like Brett Ratner's thoughtless remark that rehersing was for "fags" finally caught up with him.  Despite a public letter apology, he resigned as producer today.  The Academy had this to say: “He did the right thing for the Academy and for himself,” Sherak said. “Words have meaning, and they have consequences. Brett is a good person, but his comments were unacceptable. We all

Kevin T. Rodriguezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17132539401843874860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3939207443711043067.post-37132851933292426362011-11-08T17:48:00.000-08:002011-11-08T17:48:17.226-08:00

Well folks, there are eighteen films up for Best Animated Feature, which means there will be five nominations.  Yay!  I always like five more than three, it's just a shame that five seems like a stretch this year.  For the record, here's what's up for consideration: “The Adventures of Tintin” “Alois Nebel” “Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked” “Arthur Christmas” “Cars 2″ “A

Kevin T. Rodriguezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17132539401843874860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3939207443711043067.post-83817973340925212502011-11-08T11:38:00.000-08:002011-11-08T11:38:53.067-08:00

This is sort of old news, but Steve McQueen's controversial and haunting film "Shame" was given an NC-17 by the MPAA about a month ago.  Fox Searchlight decided not to edit the film or appeal it for the less restrictive R.  "Shame" has been screened at several film festivals prior to getting the rating.  It was cited as an early Oscar contender for Best Picture, and Michael

Kevin T. Rodriguezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17132539401843874860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3939207443711043067.post-51899369609588029672011-10-09T21:15:00.000-07:002011-10-09T21:15:18.144-07:00

Well, it's time for our annual tradition of sizing up the directors and which ones stand a chance of getting a Best Director nomination.  Though the Academy has kind of/sort of reduced the Best Picture nominees down to five again, it could STILL go as high as ten, which makes the Best Director race all the more complicated!  There are so far NINE directors who (thus far) have a good

Kevin T. Rodriguezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17132539401843874860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3939207443711043067.post-30350708541199596062011-10-09T20:33:00.000-07:002011-10-09T20:41:13.483-07:00

Never before in all the years I've been watching the Oscars have I seen anything like the potential number of double nominees this year. We have not one, not two, not three, but FOUR actors who are battling themselves in Oscar potential! George Clooney is the one who stands to get the most Oscar nominations next year. He's a strong contender to be nominated for Best Actor in “The

Kevin T. Rodriguezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17132539401843874860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3939207443711043067.post-17988561895804845652011-10-03T09:25:00.000-07:002011-10-03T09:25:44.158-07:00

So one of the movies that I'm going to cautiously be keeping an eye on during this Oscar race is "50/50."  I haven't written my review yet (it should come in at around three and a half stars for me), but spoil it a bit for you, this is a good movie.  It may not be the greatest film in the world, but its amazing how it takes a serious situation that is so bleak for everyone, and

Kevin T. Rodriguezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17132539401843874860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3939207443711043067.post-67359461408741636262011-09-28T23:00:00.000-07:002011-09-28T23:00:50.706-07:00

So faithful readers, I have an announcement to make: I'm writing a book.  An Oscar book to be more precise.  See, its like this... Alright, so the picture quality is not all that great (and I know I misspelled "presents," and I'm more ashamed of that than anything else I've done recently).  Just because because I understand film, doesn't mean I'm good at making it.  I

Kevin T. Rodriguezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17132539401843874860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3939207443711043067.post-83729825836780253312011-09-26T14:35:00.000-07:002011-09-26T14:35:38.940-07:00

I know I'm a little late to the party, but I want to take a moment to comment on the Academy's recent new rule that says once a film is nominated the studio can't throw any elaborate parties for Academy members.  Which means if the nominations aren't announced yet, you can throw a dinner party (or something to that effect) for Academy members to attend.  Once the films are nominated

Kevin T. Rodriguezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17132539401843874860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3939207443711043067.post-16124514144756745962011-09-25T00:21:00.000-07:002011-09-25T00:21:21.899-07:00

This is going to hurt me to say it, more than it will hurt you to read it, but it must be said: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part II" is NOT going to be one of the ten nominees for Best Picture!  I know its not a done deal until the nominations are actually announced, but its so close to a done deal its worth dealing with now rather than later.  We had a brief flirt with

Kevin T. Rodriguezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17132539401843874860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3939207443711043067.post-10439314316210333482011-09-24T22:40:00.000-07:002011-09-25T00:00:32.001-07:00

After a hard night as work (don't ask), I went home to my humble house and popped in a movie that I picked up Tuesday: "Bridesmaids."  I saw this movie earlier in the year and deemed it the surprise hit of the year.  I gave it four stars in my review, but considering how few great comedies we've gotten this year, maybe I should have added an extra half star to the grade.  The

Kevin T. Rodriguezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17132539401843874860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3939207443711043067.post-55805855867080787812011-09-20T00:28:00.000-07:002011-09-20T00:28:20.894-07:00

Today we get our first real look at Clint Eastwood's "J. Edgar."  While Eastwood has not had a film in serious competition since "Letters From Iwo Jima," never underestimate him.  That's how so many people lost money the year "The Aviator" was supposed to sweep the Oscars and give Marty his much coveted Oscar.  This film is an Eastwood film, and he's directed two Best Picture

Kevin T. Rodriguezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17132539401843874860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3939207443711043067.post-19290681075279365232011-09-19T15:22:00.000-07:002011-09-19T15:22:59.708-07:00

I've got more articles to write (one that Harry Potter fans might be upset with me once written), but for statistics sake, here's where my personal Oscar count would be fore my (current) five Best Picture nominees: Drive: 8 nominations Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part II: 11 nominations The Help: 4 nominations Midnight In Paris: 3 nominations The Tree of Life: 6 nominations Again,

Kevin T. Rodriguezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17132539401843874860noreply@blogger.com0