I probably should have put up my actual Oscar predictions a week ago, but let’s be honest: nobody is using what I say to place any bets in office betting pools. There are certainly a lot better qualified people to use as a basis for gambling, say Nate Silver, for example (whose predictions I still haven’t looked at beyond bookmarking the page). Hell, I still haven’t even seen all... 

It’s that time of year again: time to see which movies the Academy of Arts and Sciences has selected as nominees for this year’s Oscar awards. I like to think of it as the time of year to see how many movies of substance you actually saw last year. Of course, there are those who critique the Academy for being a bit snobbish and this year should be no different, with high honors being paid to Spielberg’s... 

Between the aromas of Thanksgiving turkey and Rise of the Guardians in theaters, the holidays are definitely upon us. Don’t worry though – as we talk about several times throughout this episode, “It gets better.” Join us for reviews of Guardians and Life of Pi, our take on Chevy Chase leaving Community, a brief memorial of Larry Hagman, and the usual behind-the-scenes mayhem,... 

Although not one of the “founding fathers,” Abraham Lincoln was always promoted as one of the icons of American history in my early years, right alongside George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Ben Franklin. In retrospect, it’s not hard to see why: Lincoln epitomizes the American Dream. Coming from humble beginnings, Lincoln took responsibility for his own education and eventually... 

We’re back with reviews of Lincoln, Skyfall, Wreck-It Ralph, and Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 2. Yet, no matter what we talk about, everything seems to come back to Joss Whedon. What have we been watching lately? Joss Whedon. What do we think about Disney buying Star Wars? Joss Whedon is the support for our stance. What are our thoughts on the Kevin Clash scandal? Okay, maybe that... 

This Memorial Day marks the return of the blockbuster Men in Black franchise after a ten-year absence from theaters. Of course, when a new entry in a series comes along, it’s only natural to revisit the older ones. So, warning folks, potential spoilers below. If you haven’t seen the first movie, go watch it! If you haven’t seen the second one… good for you. Men in Black is a film that manages... 

I love Oscar nomination day. Usually I’ll take off time from work and watch as the announcements are made live – the feeling of wonder, amazement, and sycophantic glee is almost tangible as the names are listed off. Then, it’s quick to the website to post the nominations along with (not-so)witty commentary as to where the nominations are good and bad. Unfortunately, this year, I am way too far... 

For the first time in all of my years of doing this, I’m not incredibly thrilled with my end of the year list. As usual, there are movies appearing on other people’s lists that I haven’t gotten to see, and unfortunate timing means I won’t be seeing them for another couple of weeks at the best. Rather than hold out on my “Best of” list for 2011 until the point that... 

Old school Hollywood filmmaking gets a lovingly crafted homage with Stephen Spielberg’s War Horse. The film is about a horse – surprise – named Joey that influences each owner it encounters in a series of vignettes linked together by the horse’s adventures during World War I Europe. Structured in a manner reminiscent of a Quentin Taratino film (Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill and Inglorious... 

As the story goes, Steven Spielberg discovered a love for Tintin, the Belgian comic book character, after he released Raiders of the Lost Ark and fans drew connections between the high adventure feel of the first Indiana Jones movie and Tintin’s comic book series, which follows a young reporter on unlikely adventures. It’s taken thirty years, but now Spielberg brings an animated version of Tintin’s...