Billy Madison (1995) Director: Tamra Davis Screenwriters: Adam Sandler, Tim Herlihy Starring: Adam Sandler, Bradley Whitford, Bridgette Wilson, Josh Mostel I loved Billy Madison as a kid. My friend and I quoted it constantly; the film felt like an endless source of schoolroom gags and childish triumphs. Lines like “I award you no points” and … Read more

92nd Academy Awards (Oscars 2020) — Winners and Highlights The 92nd Annual Academy Awards were held live at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, 9 February 2020. The ceremony celebrated the year’s standout films, with Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite and Sam Mendes’ 1917 claiming many of the evening’s top honors. Parasite was the … Read more

Each year the Oscars honor excellence in animated filmmaking, and the winner of the Animated Feature category often becomes a modern animated classic. In 2020, five exceptional films from the past year competed for that top prize, representing a diverse range of styles and studios. Longtime awards favorite Pixar appears again, bringing its experience and … Read more

Voiceover: “Live from the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, please welcome President of The Academy David Reuben.” David: “Good morning, and welcome to the brand new David Gethin Theatre at the Academy Museum. We’re here this morning to announce nominations for the 92nd Oscars. And now, I’m pleased to introduce this morning’s … Read more

Walk, Run, Cha-Cha (2019/2020) Director: Laura Nix “Before I learned dancing, I could only use my body to walk, to swim, to run. Today I can use my body to reach another level of freedom.” Walk, Run, Cha-Cha is a short documentary directed by Laura Nix that follows Millie and Paul Cao, a Vietnamese immigrant … Read more

After nominating eight of ten possible Best Picture contenders in 2019, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences returned this year to a nine-film Best Picture lineup, the same total as 2018. The 2020 nominees span auteur-driven dramas, taut thrillers, comic-book adaptations and sharp satires, producing a strong, diverse field that even includes an … Read more

In the Absence (2018/2020) Director: Yi Seung-Jun In the Absence (2018/2020), directed by South Korean filmmaker Yi Seung-Jun and nominated for the 2020 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short, is a compact yet powerful exploration of one of the most heartbreaking civilian tragedies of recent years. The film examines the 2014 sinking of the MV … Read more

Back in October 2020, Oscar-nominated actress Florence Pugh told Entertainment Weekly that she “went straight from the Midsommar set to do my hair and make-up tests for Little Women,” a remark that illustrates the relentless pace of a breakthrough year. Pugh’s rise in 2019 was driven by striking performances across a variety of films — … Read more

After receiving widespread awards attention, a big opening weekend, and significant Oscar consideration, 1917 emerged as one of the most talked-about films of its year. That acclaim did not shield it from criticism. Some commentators argued the film fails to interrogate the political and ideological roots of World War I and therefore risks promoting a … Read more

The Personal History of David Copperfield (2020) Director: Armando Ianucci Screenwriters: Simon Blackwell, Armando Ianucci Starring: Dev Patel, Hugh Laurie, Tilda Swinton, Peter Capaldi, Ben Whishaw, Ranveer Jaiswal, Daisy May Cooper, Darren Boyd, Gwendoline Christie There is a familiar, almost comic idea of the dead peering down at the living with bafflement — and if … Read more