13
Mar

My Dream Oscar Ballot 2026

BEST PICTURE
Blue Moon
Bugonia
Eddington
It Was Just an Accident
The Life of Chuck
Marty Supreme
No Other Choice
One Battle After Another
Sinners
The Testament of Ann Lee

BEST DIRECTING
Jafar Panahi, It Was Just an Accident
Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme
Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another
Ryan Coogler, Sinners
Mona Fastvold, The Testament of Ann Lee

BEST ACTOR
Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another
Ethan Hawke, Blue Moon
Jesse Plemons, Bugonia
Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent

BEST ACTRESS
Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Jennifer Lawrence, Die My Love
Renate Reinsve, Sentimental Value
Amanda Seyfried, The Testament of Ann Lee
Emma Stone, Bugonia

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12
Mar

Oscar Re-Do: 2015


BEST PICTURE
The Big Short
Bridge of Spies
Brooklyn
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Room
Spotlight

Should have won: Mad Max: Fury Road
Not even nominated: Inside Out

Along with 2017 and 2023’s batches, this is the strongest slate of the Academy’s expanded era, with not a dud in the bunch. While I certainly prefer some of these movies to others, this is a fantastic group that includes mega-blockbusters, tiny indies, and the kinds of adult dramas Hollywood shows no interest in making anymore. The latter ended up taking the top prize, and only one other Oscar, making it the winner with the fewest overall awards in modern times. And Spotlight is an exceptional film about the real journalists who help expose the network of abuse and corruption in the Catholic Church. But there are stronger choices here, and none of them are as awe-inspiring as Mad Max: Fury Road. It’s an absolutely insane action film that shouldn’t work, but provides non-stop thrills and themes that remain relevant.

But with two extra slots, I’m surprised Inside Out didn’t make it in when Up and Toy Story 3 had made it previously. It’s just as good as those Pixar films, if not better, dealing with complex emotions in ways kids can grasp but only adults can truly understand. It remains my favorite film of 2015.


BEST DIRECTING
Adam McKay, The Big Short
George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, The Revenant
Lenny Abrahamson, Room
Tom McCarthy, Spotlight

Should have won: George Miller
Not even nominated: László Nemes, Son of Saul

Giving this to Iñárritu one year after Birdman is crazy, even if The Revenant is a stronger feat of filmmaking. It’s especially baffling given that George Miller, an idiosyncratic Aussie whose films are one of a kind, was right there. The Revenant certainly has a grand scope worth of awards. But it doesn’t hold a candle to even a jaw-dropping frame of Fury Road.

And speaking of jaw-dropping, the Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the most harrowing things I’ve ever seen. That’s because Nemes – in his feature debut! – immerses us in the everyday horrors of Auschwitz and the ways its prisoners attempt to remain human even as they’re degraded and slaughtered.


BEST ACTOR
Bryan Cranston, Trumbo
Matt Damon, The Martian
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl

Should have won: Michael Fassbender
Not even nominated: Paul Dano and/or John Cusack, Love & Mercy

DiCaprio got his first, long-overdue award. But since I’ve already given him two, I’ll take his trophy and give it to Fassbender, who churned out several incredible performances in the eight years between this and his debut in 300. While he should have been nominated and probably won for both Hunger and Shame, he’s magnificent as the Apple founder despite looking nothing like him. Part of the film’s success is Aaron Sorkin’s terrific script (more on that later), but Fassbender makes him a distinctly brilliant asshole.

Love & Mercy is arguably the only post-Walk Hard music biopic that’s worth a damn. Splitting the duties between Paul Dano and John Cusack, the film is much more interested in exploring Brian Wilson’s mental illness and exploitation than in celebrating his genius. They’re both terrific – with Cusack locked in for the first time in years – and create a portrait of one of the greatest popular musicians that’s neither hagiography nor takedown.


BEST ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, Carol
Brie Larson, Room
Jennifer Lawrence, Joy
Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years
Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn

Should have won: No complaints here
Not even nominated: Nina Hoss, Phoenix

It’s pretty baffling why Larson, a terrific actress and (at least seemingly) a very nice person has gotten so much online hate over the years. Sure, y’know, misogyny, but she’s been a very specific target for some of the most vile shit you’ll ever read. This is another case where a performer should have won for a movie that went completely overlooked (Short Term 12), but she’s just as good here as the imprisoned mom who has trouble readjusting to life on the outside.

And while I am a huge J-Law fan, we can forget Joy ever happened and replace her with Nina Hoss, whose multi-layered performance in Phoenix left me spellbound.

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23
Feb

The List: Top 10 ‘Scrubs’ Episodes

We’re a few months early for the 25th(!) anniversary of Scrubs, but ABC has resurrected the show once again, with a new season premiering on February 25. The show quickly became one of my favorite sitcoms with its outlandish visual gags, flawed but winning characters, sharp writing, and excellent needle drops. It’s no surprise creator Bill Lawrence went on to create similarly charming shows like Ted Lasso and Shrinking. We all probably got a little too much Zach Braff exposure between this and Garden State, but it’s fascinating he never got bigger than he was in the mid-2000s.

So without further ado, my 10 favorite episodes of the show.


10. “My Way Home” (Season 5, Episode 7)
Possibly the silliest episode of the show – and that includes a musical and a “multi-cam” diversion – but one that successfully pulled off its Wizard of Oz homage, even with the metaphor stretching about as far as it will go. Carla needs courage, Elliot needs more brains, Turk literally needs a comatose patient’s heart, and J.D. just wants to go home. This half-hour packs in more visual humor than usual, as well as renditions of the classic film’s songs by the Worthless Peons.


9. “My Porcelain God” (Season 3, Episode 13)
This “supersized” episode makes the most of its guest spot from Michael J. Fox, making his first on-screen TV appearance since leaving Lawrence’s Spin City. When the visiting doctor has an “epiphany toilet” installed on the roof, it leads to revelations from all the medical staff, including Elliot, who suddenly has a case of the yips. It’s one of the warmest episodes of a show that never was afraid to wear its heart on its sleeve.


8. “My Old Lady” (Season 1, Episode 4)
The show’s first great episode, featuring the always dependable Kathryn Joosten. While Turk and Elliot are dealing with their own dying patients, J.D. is stuck with Babs, who decides against future life-saving measures. When she announces that she’s “ready to die,” the show delivers its greatest visual gag: a delivery of an actual ton of bricks to fall on our protagonist. This may be the perfect episode to introduce someone who’s never seen the show, as it’s the perfect blend of silly humor and earnest sweetness.


7. “My Cake” (Season 4, Episode 6)
John Ritter’s sudden death didn’t just affect his show 8 Simple Rules. It also forced Scrubs to address his passing head-on. Having played J.D.’s dad in the previous season, his brother Dan (Tom Cavanagh) shows up to deliver the bad news with cake to offset the sadness. J.D. and Dan both try to avoid the elephant in the room, but it’s surprisingly Dr. Cox who helps pull them out of their depression. While it’s a perfect balance of crushing and uplifting, this episode is also responsible for a line from Turk that’s rattled around my brain for more than two decades: “Your dad dying has stolen my diabetes thunder.”


6. “My Hero” (Season 1, Episode 23)
A standout episode for guest star Brendan Fraser as Ben – who will pop up later – but maybe the single best episode for Neil Flynn as the Janitor (“My Best Laid Plans” comes close). While undergoing treatment for leukemia, Ben finds his brother-in-law Dr. Cox strangely distant. At the other end of the spectrum, J.D. is freaked out by just how much the janitor knows about him. It’s a great encapsulation of their rivalry and Flynn’s perfectly deadpan performance.

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31
Jan

The Best Film Performances of 2025

In many of these categories, there were performances I liked more. But all of those were nominated for Oscars, and I’d rather shine a spotlight on the less-heralded turns this year.


ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY
Eephus
One advantage to make an amateur sports movie as opposed to a pro sports movie is the actors don’t have to be that good at the game itself. That frees up the casting director to pick interesting faces and big personalities. Spending an afternoon (and chilly evening) on the baseball diamond with these guys felt like hanging out with your buddies, a lost art in film.


ACTOR & SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson, The Naked Gun
That they’re both great at comedy shouldn’t have surprised anyone, given how game they’ve been to poke fun at their own images. But they really are a comedic dream team, whether cooking, scat-singing, or having a threesome with a magical snowman.


ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Chase Infiniti, One Battle After Another
A performance so good you’ll be thinking “How was this her first movie?!” for the rest of time. Going toe-to-toe with both Leonardo DiCaprio (as her stoner dad) and Sean Penn (as her malevolent sire), this massive film shifts onto her shoulders in the last half-hour and she carries it without breaking a sweat.


SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Kevin O’Leary, Marty Supreme
I am well aware of how much this unscrupulous businessman sucks in real life. But he is absolutely perfect as, well, an unscrupulous businessman in this film. He’s not any less a hustler than Marty Mauser, but he has the wealth and leverage to humiliate him over and over. When he makes a bold, bizarre claim near the end of the movie, he might actually be telling the truth.

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30
Jan

The Best Movies of 2025


10. The Secret Agent (dir. Kleber Mendonça Filho)
The title is something of a misnomer. Wagner Moura’s Armando doesn’t really do much espionage. But as someone who refused to roll over to corruption in the authoritarian government of Brazil, a clandestine life becomes necessary. It would be an oversimplification to say the point of the film is that fascists suck and movie theaters are awesome, but apparently we need reminders of both these days.


9. No Other Choice (dir. Park Chan-wook)
A pitch-black comedy from a master director, No Other Choice will surely be relevant to anyone who’s been laid off and/or had to sift through hundreds of job postings on LinkedIn. After an American conglomerate buys the paper company Man-su (Lee Byung-hun) has devoted his life to, he’s distraught and can’t find work. Months after his worst-case scenario has come to pass, he gets a novel idea: eliminate his competition. It’s nasty, thought-provoking and often hilarious, as most of Park’s work is.


8. It Was Just an Accident (dir. Jafar Panahi)
I’ve not seen any of exiled Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi’s earlier work, and apparently this one is atypical for him. A relatively straightforward thriller with knotty emotions and morality, It Was Just an Accident explores what happens when revenge meets reality, and whether our oppressors deserve the mercy they never showed their targets.


7. Bugonia (dir. Yorgos Lanthimos)
Emma Stone continues her fruitful run with Yorgos Lanthimos, delivering another performance for the ages. As the She-EO Michelle, her icy and off-putting demeanor has her employees on edge. When two ill-prepared doofuses kidnap her, she assumes they want a ransom. But no, they’re convinced she’s an alien and they want to travel onto her mothership. What follows is a tense and devastating battle of wills that keeps you guessing until the very end.


6. Sinners (dir. Ryan Coogler)
To anyone who’s going to complain this isn’t higher… it’s my list! Make your own!

Anyway, Coogler’s wildly ambitious musical horror film has higher highs – including the audacious number pictured above – than just about anything this year. It overflows with ideas about race, identity, music, religion, assimilation, community, and more. They don’t all get fully explored, but what a great problem to have! At a time when so many big budget movies don’t have two brain cells to rub together (looking at you, Jurassic World Rebirth), this truly original work gives me hope. It’s no surprise audiences responded so favorably.

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28
Jan

The Best TV Performances of 2025


ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY SERIES
English Teacher
This was already a tight ensemble, but promoting Carmen Christopher to series regular took their rhythm to another level. At any moment, one of them could say the most absurd, outlandish thing you’ve ever heard. At the next, they’re giving genuine advice and occasionally showing real affection for their co-workers. Gonna miss these crazy kids.


ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Nathan Fielder, The Rehearsal
As brilliant as the show is, it doesn’t work if Fielder isn’t equally committed as a performer. While “Pilot’s Code” features an insane recreation of Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger’s life from birth to heroic landing, it’s Fielder’s “regular” persona that keeps the show compelling every episode. He walks an extremely fine line between playing a role and just being himself, and it’s often hard to tell which is which.


ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Rose Byrne, Platonic
Byrne is finally an Oscar nominee, and she’s almost as good week-to-week on AppleTV’s unheralded Platonic. She plays another put-upon mom dealing with life mostly on her own – though here her husband is home a lot more, which is not exactly helpful – but her indefatigability and “up for anything” nature make her one of the more compelling characters on television.

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27
Jan

The Best TV Shows of 2025, Part 2

Best Comedy Special


Robby Hoffman: Wake Up (Netflix)
Since Curb Your Enthusiasm ended last year, I’d been wondering who would step up to become the next Larry David. Having only seen Hoffman on this season of Hacks, I had no idea it would be her. But this rowdy special covers her petty grievances and take-no-prisoners POV in a way that’s utterly relatable, even as it seems extreme. Her delivery is second-to-none.

Honorable Mentions


Abbott Elementary – “Birthday”
The funniest and saddest episode the hit comedy aired in 2025. While Jacob worked on a Sufjan Stevens-inspired Christmas pageant for the kids – a subplot that felt squarely aimed at me – Janine dealt with her mother’s latest attempt to swoop in, hog the limelight, and passive-aggressively criticize her only daughter. Realizing she’d rather spend more time with her chosen family than her blood relations is an all-too-familiar feeling.


The Bear – “Bears”
A bit messier than an uneven Season 3, but still often quite wonderful. And few things warmed my heart on TV like this wedding episode. It was long, nearly plotless, and seemed to ignore the laws of physics. But there really was nothing quite as magical as everyone under the table, talking about their fears.


English Teacher – “COVID in America”
Probably my No. 11 show of the year, this sadly canceled workplace comedy got even sharper in Season 2. I could have picked almost any episode, but I went with the sheer cringe comedy of the premiere, which saw the students putting on their own musical about growing up during the pandemic instead of the “boring” Angels in America.


Hacks – “A Slippery Slope”
This fourth season had some of the realest, rawest emotions on display. But it often felt disjointed. But not in this Emmy-nominated penultimate episode, which saw everything go wrong on Deborah’s show, leading to arguably the first selfless decision the comedy legend had ever made. It made for great “real” TV.


The Handmaid’s Tale – “Execution”
I had basically given up on this show, planning to skip its final season entirely. But multiple folks said it had recaptured what made it great, and they were right. This last season sees the handmaids in open revolt, with a much higher body count. This might have been the single most intense episode the show ever produced, with something resembling a victory. But one with a huge cost for all the freedom fighters.

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26
Jan

The Best TV Shows of 2025, Part 1

The problem I had last year didn’t show up in 2025. In fact, there were way too many good shows. I even had to cut down my honorable mentions (coming soon). But before we get to that, here are my top 10 shows of the year:


10. King of the Hill (Hulu)
Aging up Hank, Peggy, and especially Bobby could have gone wrong in so many ways. But the writing staff, which included younger people who grew up on the show, found the perfect balance for making the Hills face modern issues – like cultural appropriation, open relationships, and toxic masculinity – without betraying any of the characters’ personalities.
Standout episodes: “Chore Money, Chore Problems,” “Kahn-scious Uncoupling,” “No Hank Left Behind”


9. The Chair Company (HBO)
Some shows take a while to get used to their storytelling rhythms or performance styles. And then there’s The Chair Company, which never gives its audience any sense of direction. Every time the show seems to be heading for an obvious or mundane explanation, it takes one crazy-ass detour after another. Did the mystery resolve in any way? Not really. Will I still be watching Tim Robinson continue after everything has told him to stop? Absolutely.
Standout episodes: “Life goes by too fucking fast, it really does.” “@BrownDerbyHistoricVids Little bit of Hollywood? Okayyy.” “Minnie Mouse coming back wasn’t on my bingo card.”


8. The Studio (AppleTV)
This show was seemingly made for me in a lab, yet it’s only No. 8 on this list. That’s how much good TV there was this year. Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg’s relentless Hollywood satire didn’t pull any punches and had style to spare. Even the celebrity cameos had their own flavor, a key difference from a lot of streaming sitcoms of recent years.
Standout episodes: “The Oner,” “The Missing Reel,” “The War”


7. Severance (AppleTV)
An occasionally messy season still had higher highs than a lot shows, thanks to outstanding direction and cinematography, and of course the incredibly locked-in performances of its cast. Even though it frustratingly takes three years between seasons, every penny of its massive budget is apparent onscreen, creating a show that looks like nothing else on TV.
Standout episodes: “Woe’s Hollow,” “Chikhai Bardo,” “Cold Harbor”


6. The Lowdown (Hulu)
As someone who loved all three seasons of Sterlin Harjo’s previous show (Reservation Dogs) and loves just about everything about Ethan Hawke, I was immediately in the tank for this show. They delivered an outstanding pilot, then kept delivering on all its potential, exploring the white supremacist history of Tulsa and how that reverberates to this day. That the show managed to be this thrilling, thoughtful, and funny week-to-week made me believe there’s still at least some space in the modern TV landscape for people who love film noir and paperback crime novels.
Standout episodes: “Short on Cowboys,” “This Land?,” “Old Indian Trick”

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17
Jan

Final Oscar Picks 2026


BEST PICTURE
F1
Frankenstein
Hamnet
It Was Just an Accident
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Train Dreams

Dark Horse: Bugonia
Long Shot: Avatar: Fire and Ash
Total Shock: Weapons

The skinny: After all the festivals, all the precursors (except WGA), we’re back where we started. Despite some legitimate criticism and a lot of idiotic pearl-clutching, One Battle After Another remains the front-runner. It’s the movie of the moment and I would be truly shocked if anything has a chance at unseating it, even on a preferential ballot.

Eight of these films are about as close to sure things as you can get, but those last two slots are tricky. There will be only room for one jaw-dropping blockbuster, and right now I’m leaning F1 over Avatar: Fire and Ash, given the former’s nod at the PGAs. The 10th slot will go to Train Dreams or Bugonia. The latter has a guaranteed acting nod, but doesn’t have as much broad support as past Yorgos Lanthimos films. People who love Train Dreams really love it. And while the months-long campaign for Amy Madigan will pay off, I don’t see Weapons gaining much traction outside the Supporting Actress category.


BEST DIRECTOR
Chloé Zhao, Hamnet
Jafar Panahi, It Was Just an Accident
Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme
Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another
Ryan Coogler, Sinners

Dark Horse: Guillermo Del Toro, Frankenstein
Long Shot: Kleber Mendonça Filho, The Secret Agent
Total Shock: Park Chan-wook, No Other Choice

The skinny: Our big change here is one of the Safdie brothers, who made it into the DGA five. That means all the other internationally acclaimed filmmakers besides Jafar Panahi are on the outside looking in. That includes previous winner Guillermo Del Toro, as well as Joachim Trier, Kleber Mendonça Filho, and Park Chan-wook. If it were up to me, the latter would get in over Zhao.


BEST ACTOR
Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another
Ethan Hawke, Blue Moon
Michael B. Jordan, Sinners
Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent

Dark Horse: Jesse Plemons, Bugonia
Long Shot: Joel Edgerton, Train Dreams
Total Shock: Hugh Jackman, Song Sung Blue

The skinny: Oh, my beloved Ethan Hawke. We’ve been here before. You should have been nominated (and won) for First Reformed, but the Oscars were more enamored with Rami Malek lip-syncing Freddie Mercury. This feels more likely for you, given Sony Pictures Classics track record with (especially older) Academy voters. But Jesse Plemons is hot on your heels, long overdue for his first nod. It will be one of you, not both of you, sadly.

There is an outside possibility that Train Dreams‘ status as a Best Picture nominee pushes Edgerton to the forefront, but that seems unlikely. Yes, even more unlikely than Hugh Jackman getting nominated again for a musical.


BEST ACTRESS
Jessie Buckley, Hamnet
Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Chase Infiniti, One Battle After Another
Renate Reinsve, Sentimental Value
Emma Stone, Bugonia

Dark Horse: Amanda Seyfried, The Testament of Ann Lee
Long Shot: Kate Hudson, Song Sung Blue
Total Shock: Jennifer Lawrence, Die My Love

The skinny: Ingenue Chase Infiniti now seems like a lock for a nomination, which puts One Battle After Another at five acting nods, something that hasn’t happened in decades. But that also means none of the ladies playing moms struggling with depression and mental illness can make it in. While some of this is a case of too many great nominees for five slots, part of this is definitely on Searchlight absolutely botching their campaign for The Testament of Ann Lee.

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26
Dec

The Anniversary Albums Project: Best of 2025

New music has lost a lot of hold on me over the last few years. And seven years ago I decided that instead of trying to keep up with it all, I’d look back at music history and listen to the albums celebrating milestones. Some of these I’d heard before, but many I had not. This made it much more enjoyable to discover and rediscover classics instead of just whatever was being dumped onto Spotify every Friday.

So below are my top 10s from each year I covered, along with some honorable mentions.


1975
1. Bruce Springsteen – Born to Run
2. Bob Dylan – Blood on the Tracks
3. Fleetwood Mac – Fleetwood Mac
4. Bob Dylan and the Band – The Basement Tapes
5. Tom Waits – Nighthawks at the Diner
6. NEU! – NEU! ’75
7. Patti Smith – Horses
8. Toots and the Maytals – Funky Kingston
9. Parliament – Mothership Connection
10. Keith Jarrett – The Köln Concert

HONORABLE MENTIONS
• Gato Barbieri – Chapter Four: Alive in New York
• David Bowie – Young Americans
• Burning Spear – Marcus Garvey
• Clifton Chenier – Bogalusa Boogie
• J.D. Crowe & the New South – J.D. Crowe & the New South
• Brian Eno – Another Green World | Discreet Music
• Fania All Stars – Live at Yankee Stadium
• Al Green – Greatest Hits
• Thelma Houston & Pressure Cooker – I’ve Got the Music in Me
• Elton John – Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy
• KISS – Alive!
• Fela Kuti – Expensive Shit
• Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti
• Joni Mitchell – The Hissing of Summer Lawns
• Willie Nelson – Red Headed Stranger
• Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here
• Queen – A Night at the Opera
• Roxy Music – Siren
• Paul Simon – Still Crazy After All These Years
• Neil Young – Tonight’s the Night
• Various Artists – Nashville: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
• Various Artists – Rocky Horror Picture Show


1985
1. The Replacements – Tim
2. Sam Cooke – Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963
3. Kate Bush – Hounds of Love
4. The Pogues – Rum Sodomy & the Lash
5. Tom Waits – Rain Dogs
6. Wynton Marsalis – Black Codes (From the Underground)
7. Various Artists – The Indestructible Beat of Soweto
8. Barbra Streisand – The Broadway Album
9. Hüsker Dü – New Day Rising | Flip Your Wig
10. Prince – Around the World in a Day

HONORABLE MENTIONS
• The Cars – Greatest Hits
• Elvis Costello – The Best of Elvis Costello and the Attractions
• The Cure – The Head on the Door
• Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms
• The Jesus and Mary Chain – Psychocandy
• LL Cool J – Radio
• Mekons – Fear and Whiskey
• New Order – Low-Life
• Oingo Boingo – Dead Man’s Party
• Prefab Sprout – Steve McQueen
• R.E.M. – Fables of the Reconstruction
• Rites of Spring – Rites of Spring
• Sade – Promise
• Wham! – Make It Big

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