In this long-running and popular feature, film buff Mike Walkey gives us his often-personal perspective on some of the day's biggest stories in film and television.
Jimmy Kimmel has been tapped to host this year's Academy Awards on February 26, 2017. La La Land has already positioned itself as the odds-on favourite to win Best Picture before the nominations have been announced.
Well, that was interesting...
One of the best things to happen to the Oscars this year was the #OscarsSoWhite backlash and negative press the Academy received for lack of diversity in its nominees.
How do you really know if a movie actually gets snubbed? Isn't art subjective? If so, then wouldn't the "snubs" the Academy is guilty of be just a matter of personal taste?
At the end of every year, critic groups from major North American cities like Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Toronto, and Boston name their Best Pictures.
Walkey Talk: It's Not Binary. Films Can Be Popular AND Ambitious
Posted by: Mike Walkey • January 3, 2016 @ 1:50pm
Part One: Ambition
I hate writing traditional movie reviews. I hate having to express myself within the confines of a structured checklist. Here's the plot summary. The acting was strong. The writing was confident. The sets were pretty. The music was loud.
Worst of all is having to rate films though some kind of metric: numbers, letters, stars, thumbs, tomatoes, etc.
Oscar Talk: The Curious Case of Creed for Best Picture
Posted by: Mike Walkey • December 28, 2015 @ 5:39pm
Is it really possible that Creed, the SEVENTH film in the Rocky franchise, could actually be that good? Seriously? For real?
I love the Rocky movies. I love every minute of each and every one, no matter how gloriously awful they've become.
When I was in school, a teacher would sometimes catch me doing something I wasn't supposed to be doing.
Whenever they'd ask, "Michael, what are you doing?"
"Just putting on the second coat now!" was always my favourite response.
One of my favorite moments during Dave Letterman's final few weeks was Norm Macdonald's tearful salute. As he was performing a standup routine during one of Dave's last shows, he told a story of seeing Letterman do stand up when he was a kid which made MacDonald want to go into comedy.
Walkey Talk: I'd Like To Buy The World A Series Finale
Posted by: Mike Walkey • May 25, 2015 @ 7:50pm
I was at a lounge last Saturday night. A well dressed man in his early twenties was sitting at a nearby table and I overheard him ordering an Old Fashioned because "That's what Don Draper drinks!" I wanted to call this guy a loser but I was doing exactly the same thing. Except I didn't admit it aloud.
Life lessons can occur anywhere. Epiphanies happen anytime. And in the most unusual places. Like riding on a bus for example...
"Why is Boyhood considered good? Nothing happens. It's about the boring mundane things that happen in a person's ordinary life. I go to the movies to escape my boring routine life. If I wanted reality, I'd look out the window.
It's been a two picture race since last fall between 12 Years a Slave and Gravity. 12 Years a Slave has always been seen as the front runner, but in recent weeks Gravity's popularity has been increasing. The movie with the most nominations, as Gravity has, wins the majority of the time.
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