Tag Archives: 12 Years a Slave

Oscars 2014: Three Big Winners and Not Enough Pizza to Go Around

March 3, 2014 By in Movies/Films/Flicks, TV/DVD Tags: , , , , , , , , , 5 Comments

Oscars host Ellen DeGeneres

“Possibility : 12 Years a Slave wins Best Picture. Possibility #2: you’re all racists.”

Thus did host Ellen DeGeneres conclude her ten-minute opening monologue for the 86th Academy Awards — possibly not as safe and innocuous as the producers might’ve hoped, but not likely to inspire internet firestorms on Monday morning, either. Of all the nominees, three films walked away with the most awards, most of them unsurprising to anyone who kept up with the discussions to any degree. I’d guess Best Original Screenplay probably ruined the most Oscar pools this time around.

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“12 Years a Slave”: No, It’s Not “Roots”-Meets-“Saw”

February 15, 2014 By in Movies/Films/Flicks Tags: , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave

I love that the phrase “Academy Award Nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor” is now a reality. Whether in his first U.S. film role as the Serenity crew’s most formidable villain, or even as the heroic scientist who delivers the requisite do-the-right-thing speech in Roland Emmerich’s 2012, Ejiofor has been one of those electrifying talents who improves every script he’s handed. I had hoped he would move on to bigger and better things in the years ahead. With 12 Years a Slave my wish was granted.

Why I didn’t see it till now…