To a certain UCLA professor, Louis Armstrong’s sense of humor may have been as great as his musical genius. For the recording of his classic “What A Wonderful World,” Armstrong invited a live audience in to watch the musicians. Read more...

“The Reckoning” Directed by Paul McGuigan Paramount Classics Potential punch lines and clever witticisms aside, it seems almost too ironic that Paramount Classics decided to release “The Reckoning” just a week after the opening of “The Passion of the Christ.” Both films deal with the foundations of Christianity, but in almost exclusively opposite ways, and end up having equally opposite setbacks. Read more...

The creator of one of artdom’s hippest magazines doesn’t even have a office. In fact, he’s never had one. From his bedroom to cyberspace, Amir Fallah has always done it his way. Read more...

WILL Win: Bill Murray, “Lost in Translation” SHOULD Win: Johnny Depp, “Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl” This is a two-man race. Sean Penn’s fierce portrayal in “Mystic River” of a father grieving his daughter’s murder while being forced to face the sins of his past is considered the front runner. Read more...

WILL Win: Renee Zellweger, “Cold Mountain” SHOULD Win: Shohreh Aghdashloo, “House of Sand and Fog” Sure, you can’t pronounce her name and no one has heard of her, but who cares when she can upstage Ben Kingsley and Jennifer Connelly ““ both Academy Award-winners, mind you ““ in the same movie? Read more...

So it seems this year’s Oscar race is primed to become the Academy’s personal tribute to “The Lord of the Rings” ““ and deservedly so. Considering neither of the trilogy’s first two installments won Oscars for Best Picture or Best Director, “The Return of the King” should take both. Read more...

WILL Win: “Seabiscuit” SHOULD Win: “City of God” “Seabiscuit” and “City of God” are films riffing off of already existing templates ““ Gary Ross’ audience-favorite was a film of considerable sentimentality and traditional American-spirit pathos, while “City of God” was a cool, disturbing homage to the many gangster flicks of years past. Read more...