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Hey, Everyone!

It’s been too long since I posted here. But it’s time for my annual ranking of the Oscar Best Picture nominees! As I explain every year, I have no qualifications for this whatsoever. Paul and I have had a tradition of watching every Best Picture nominee for the last 30-ish years. I share my opinion for fun and nothing else.

Here they are, in order from worst to first!

SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN NOMINATED

10. “Bugonia”: Aspects of this movie were well done, particularly in making the conspiracy theorist a sympathetic character. The commentary on our society in that regard was interesting. The acting overall was solid; the production design and flow good. However, the ending did it in for me. After all the work to build the story, I was snapped into a bad Saturday Night Live skit. It fell flat and felt stupid – like I was being mocked for being dumb enough to watch the movie.

9. “Hamnet”: I have several friends who will read this ranking and have serious issues with me when next we speak. But by and large, I could not have been more bored with a movie. I almost fell asleep a few times. I thought it struggled to decide if it was going to be a tragedy, a romance, or a life story; and in floundering around there, it failed to convince me on any of them. I just don’t get the hype.

ENJOYABLE BUT NOT QUITE BEST PICTURE MATERIAL

8. “F1”: I dreaded having to watch this movie because I’m not a race car kind of girl. But I was pleasantly surprised. The behind the scenes look at what goes into F1, the character development, and the story arc made an interesting movie. Still, there was a little too much racing in circles racing in circles racing in circles for me. It seemed like a nomination squeezed in to appeal to more people, not a real contender worthy of the accolades.

7. “Marty Supreme”: Now I have more friends who are going to kill me for a ranking. The acting in this movie was superb. The pace was amazing. But I hated all the characters. There was no anchor to pull me in. These were humans you wanted in prison, not in your family room. The transformation of Marty at the end was completely unbelievable; instead of thinking he had reformed or come to a revelation, I assumed he was exhausted and delusional, but would snap back to being his awful self in the morning.

WORTHY BEST PICTURE NOMINEES

6. “The Secret Agent”: Given the moment in which we live, it stands to reason that dictatorship movies have a pull right now. But in the last couple years, Hollywood seems obsessed with the Brazilian dictatorship. Anyway, this is a movie about the plight of innocent people in such a regime, couched as a mystery and tense thriller. The twists and turns keep you on edge, the social commentary is well delivered without being preachy, and the atmosphere is very authentic. I would have ranked it higher, but the attempt to pull it to the present with an investigation into what had happened was at times confusing to me.

5. “Frankenstein”: I had fun watching this latest adaptation of Mary Shelley’s creation. The questions about humanity, ethics, and morality were front and center in a natural way. Greed, selfishness, and pride fought compassion, love, and character. The surreal settings added an aura of mystery and surprise. I liked the acting, especially Oscar Isaac. It wasn’t perfect and there were glitches, but not so annoying as to mention specifically or remove this from the top of my list. Side note: Jacob Elordi is so cute, his cuteness peeked through all that make up.

4. “Sentimental Value”: This rumination on family trauma and relationships was intense. Weaving through an emotionally abusive father’s actions but also showing what created him was well done. The sadness of life did not so overwhelm the picture that it lost the humor and love that often accompany such raw feelings. I loved the bond between the sisters, and the deep love that held them, and the movie, together. The use of place as a character was also crucial and marvelous in its execution.

3. “Sinners”: as a horror/speculative fiction writer, and especially as a huge fan of all things vampire, I suppose I am betraying myself by not ranking “Sinners” higher. I loved this movie. It was full of chills and action, yet did not forget the importance of us caring about characters and wanting them to survive. It played with vampire legends in a fun way. The surprises at the end were really well revealed. However, I didn’t think it was as innovative as some have suggested. It was good, but not over-the-top brilliant. Anything that comments on race in America this way, though, deserves respect. To deliver the message in a way that was also entertaining can be a tricky needle to thread, but it was done quite well here.

***. “History of Sound”: You can’t have three stars in a countdown list from 10 to 1; and this movie wasn’t nominated, so what the hell am I doing? Paul and I LOVED this movie. When we chatted about it afterward, we both said that we’d be watching Best Picture nominees this year that were much worse than this one, and we’d keep wondering why it wasn’t nominated. Well, you can see how much I cherished this love story/tragedy/period piece by virtue of my sticking it in my list despite it being snubbed. Gorgeous cinematography, love that could not be contained but had to be hidden, and the fight to find one’s true self were amazing. The reveal at the end rips your heart out.

2. “One Battle After Another”: This is a somewhat rare case of Hollywood and me aligning. It’s getting a ton of buzz, which I think is well deserved. I loved it because, well: it was a thriller, action movie, comedy, social commentary about race and authoritarianism, human interest piece, and family drama all wrapped into one eventful story. Sean Penn was terrifying because we see real people in our government act just like he did in the movie, as well as the shadow creepy people and organizations. DiCaprio was marvelous. I fidgeted, jumped, had tears in my eyes, and loved this movie from start to finish. I had a hard time not ranking it as my best picture, but, well . . .

1. “Train Dreams”: but, well . . . “Train Dreams” has haunted me since we watched it. I was enraptured by a story about an interesting moment in history, but not an overly profound time, such as a war. The main character is just a guy; just a logger, going about his life. But his humanity shines through and is so entrancing because he could be any one of us. He’s haunted by witnessing a hateful event. He works hard for his family and loves them, then suffers unthinkable tragedy. The friendship between him and a local store owner was so moving – its authenticity came from how his friend checked on him, helped him, but they never talked about the issue. He was just present at times when his friend needed him. Help from other individuals and animals was so charming and real. This is a beautiful movie about what it means to be human.

Alright – we’ll be watching “The Oscars” with friends, to comment and be caddy and have fun. Pop the champagne and let’s enjoy the evening!

Hey, Everyone!

I hope you pick up a copy of one of my books to help you celebrate Halloween this year! Link to My Books!

And I hope you have a super gay Halloween in 2025!!

Hey, Everyone,

It’s been a while since I added a blog post. I apologize for that! Sitting down to crank one out brought to mind a FAQ I have received of late, from friends, family, and readers alike.

As readers of my newsletter know, I started as the full-time Department Chair of History and Political Science at Saint Xavier University this summer. This, as you can imagine, has kept me busy. Which is the primary reason it’s been too long since I posted a blog. And it prompted the FAQ: will you continue to write your fiction given the realities of a full-time academic position?

The answer is easy: Yes!!! I have to be more creative with my time and write “after hours” again. But I am not slowing down. In fact, I am editing and preparing a new manuscript to begin submission soon. And my next novel, Aidan and the Alien Invasion, comes out early next year. Speaking of which, I am busy writing the sequel to it as well!

Nothing could stop the stories in me from coming out!

If you subscribe to my newsletter, you can skip this post because you already know . . .

If not – watch in August for a major announcement about my writing! It’s exclusive to my newsletter subscribers until then. 🙂 But I’ll be excited to release it soon to the rest of the world!!

I hope aliens don’t invade earth before then to spoil the surprise.

If you follow any of my social media feeds, you know Paul and I recently returned from vacation. My blog today is a glimpse into how visiting a site leads to scenes in my novels.

For today, I chose a lesser-known historic location in Paris: Chapel Expiatore. It was built to honor the site where Louis XVI was buried after his execution, at a time when the monarchy was resurgent in France. They wanted to make a point about what had happened to Louis and honor him.

When I am visiting, I concentrate on the history, soak in the atmosphere, and learn. I also try to feel a place. At times, without effort on my part, vibes creep into my mind. A flash of vampires assembling there hits me. The sense of a witch using the dark history of a former cemetery for a spell appeals to me. I don’t commit a particular vision to absolutely come to fruition. But I do commit the experience – the visual, the emotion, the aura – to memory.

I don’t know the exact way this monument will work its way into a novel. But the stirrings are there from my visit and will remain until unleashed at a later time!

I wanted to write a bit more than what I posted on social media about an event I attended last weekend. The Final Girl bar in Kenosha, WI hosted a fundraiser for the Lake County, IL LGBTQIA Center. The theme for “Slay the Lake” was a celebration of queer horror.

I’ve attended a multitude of events in my life, from panels, to book sale, to comicons, to well, you name it. I’ve had good days for sales, awful days, and everything between. I’ve been well received and had people look side-eye at me for being gay.

I wish I could better explain the exhilaration of being in a space dedicated to and celebrating LGBTQIA+ horror. When I was coming out, I never dreamt so many authors would focus on queer horror! Not even in my wildest imagination did I envision a place for queer horror readers to gather and find a multitude of books to read!

We laughed. We supported one another. Authors and readers chatted all day. I had a couple delightful drinks and some food!

The world often feels like a huge toilet right now. I’ve mentioned before the importance of staying together and lifting each other up. To fight the current darkness, we have to bond together. Slay the Lake isn’t going to topple authoritarianism. But a day of escape reminded us of the good we find in each other. Championing the arts, no matter the genre, makes a difference.

QUEER HORROR KICKS ASS!!!!

I begin my 2025 Oscar Best Picture rankings with my traditional disclaimer: I have no expertise regarding the Oscars whatsoever. Paul and I started watching every Best Picture nominee sometime in the mid-1990s. I am therefore an amateur enthusiast. My venturing into this territory is as a hobby! Here then, in my non-expert opinion that I inflict upon you anyway, is my official ranking from 10 to 1 of this year’s Best Picture nominees for the Academy Awards!

Category 1: This Should Never Have Been Made

10 – “The Substance”: This was the first time I can remember that I almost stopped watching a Best Picture nominee. I had to fight to watch the entire thing. Not only did this land easily at #10, it was one of the worst movies I have ever seen in my life, and not just among Best Picture nominees. Listen, I like horror, obviously! This movie was too putrid to even give it more space in my blog. The horror is in the fact someone wrote and made this thing.

Category 2: Valiant Effort

9 – “Nickel Boys”: I wanted to love this movie. The novel is exceptional. However, the attempt to do an artsy innovation with camera POV fell flat for me; it was confusing, at times dizzying, and a miss. Telling the story more traditionally would have honored the novel and the impactful statement of the narrative. The movie tried too hard, unfortunately.

Category 3: Very Good Movies

The movies in this category were worth viewing. They are solid productions! However, they fall just below the top category for me. Despite their accomplishments, they are a stitch below what I consider a worthy Best Picture nominee.

8 – “A Complete Unknown”: Does every movie created about a famous singer, in which an actor morphs into said singer for the role, need to be nominated for an Oscar? The Academy clearly shouts, yes! I say, meh. This was a typical biopic in that regard for me. The acting was very, very solid and the story well told. I went into this movie unenthusiastically. I’m not a Bob Dylan fan, and he can be an ass. In fact, the movie only confirmed those feelings for me. However, I was pleasantly surprised with the pace and overall value of the movie. There are relatable characters and charming moments. The movie was well done.

7 – “Dune: Part Two”: I am loving the “Dune” series and super excited for the last installment to come out! And the second movie was entertaining. I very much enjoyed it. However, it also felt very much like a bridge movie. The tale in Part One is powerful, and I think Part Three will be a thrill! Part Two is carrying us through a major transition in the story. It’s good but not quite a Best Picture nominee.

6 – “The Brutalist”: Full disclosure, before I get started: I am generally not a fan of super long-ass movies. I always feel like they could be easily cutdown to a normal length. This one was no exception to that rule. We watched at home, thankfully, so we could have a few breaks, but no story is so incredible you need an intermission. Stop. It’s called editing. That being said, this is a stark telling of a tale with a number of powerful elements. I am impressed with its being able to comment on art, artists, the Holocaust, prejudice, greed, wealth disparity, hate, addiction, loss, love, and being human in one well-crafted story. The acting from top to bottom was absolutely top notch.

Category 4: Worthy Best Picture Nominees

This was an unusual year for me. I don’t often come away thinking this many of the movies actually deserved a nomination. Also, I had a hard time coming up with my final ranking of these films. In fact, I’d be happy and understand if any one of these won. I’d appreciate if my #5 won, as much as I’ll be happy if my #1 wins. Still, I promised a ranking from 1o to 1, so here goes!

5 – “Conclave”: A thriller without a ton of action is hard to accomplish, but here we are with a relatively dialogue-heavy story that keeps you on the edge of your seat and guessing. The acting is superb! There are important messages woven into the story about power, ethics, morality, and personal identity. In particular, you see the good, bad, and ugly of the power of the Catholic Church. Men in dresses trying to be macho often lose their minds. I hadn’t read the novel, so the twist was a surprise I did not know was coming.

4 – “Wicked”: One of my inner-voices is screaming at me for placing “Wicked” here and not higher. Note: I love the novel, and very much appreciate the musical. Of course, the novel is more powerful in its darkness and commentary on society. They cleaned up and cheered up the story for the musical, but I do very much like it, too. Yet I meandered off to the movie with a lot of skepticism. I wondered if they REALLY had to split the musical into two movies (I’m still not convinced – we’ll see); I worried they would muck up the story even more to make a compelling movie; and too often musicals turned into movies don’t do it for me – I love musicals and I love movies, but the combination often leaves me unable to suspend reality and have fun. Whatever – that’s a strange personal quirk. I was surprised, then, that this movie blew me away. I loved the adaptation, the singing was marvelous, and the additions from the musical to the movie were brilliant! I especially liked how they they got Kristin and Idina into it. The universe creating was also very well done. This is a “pop” movie well deserving of the nod.

Things got really murky in my world with trying to pick 3 to 1 . . .

3 – “Anora”: This is brilliantly done! A comedy wrapped in a tragedy as a story about people. The acting here is maybe the best of the movies – at least on par with “Conclave” and “The Brutalist.” The statement on greed and wealth is palpable. Madison is so convincing with her character, playing the ups and downs and insanity of this narrative, yet pulling you in to care about where she lands in the end. Borisov is stunning – he conveys ten million emotions and evolves through the movie in a profound way, without speaking very much at all. The movie transports you into an insane world without losing your grip on reality. It’s a powerful statement and, yeah, makes you laugh along the way. Much like life itself.

The next movie requires a prefatory note: I know about the myriad of controversies haunting this movie. However, I approach my rankings the same way I approach grading my college students’ exams. I grade on the merit of the essay, as blind as possible. If you are a nice, sweet student, I can’t give you an A if you don’t earn it. Or, if you’re a complete shithead, I can’t flunk you even though I’d love to – if you earned an A. This ranking is not a commentary on where I stand with the turmoils – the many, many, of them. That will remain private – and in my mind quite complicated. I’m just telling you about my movie watching experience.

2 – “Emilia Perez”: This movie represents a triumph of innovation and daring in storytelling. I wondered how such a dark storyline could be a musical without it being weird, and yet they pulled it off with remarkable success. The songs become an inner dialogue – they convey emotion that might otherwise be lost. The acting is very good, the pace of the movie is excellent, and weaving you into a world of a lot of violence and hatred is done without making people totally evil. The way the world turns gray is a true testament to reality. The characters grapple with this truth about their place in the world and their actions. A lot of years, this would have been my best picture overall. Except . . .

1 – “I’m Still Here”: in a year with a lot of great acting, especially in the Best Actress category, Torres blew me away. She carries this movie from start to finish. This movie could be hard to watch, as I sit in a country also spiraling into authoritarianism. You get a window into everyday people in the grip of terror, clinging to their lives and loves despite the turmoil around them. Paiva’s will to protect her family and survive, while struggling to improve the world around her, is amazing. She is flawed yet endearing; lost but finding a way. The true-story plays like a suspense, keeping you wondering and in tense fear throughout. This movie is my Best Picture for this year’s Oscars. It was a close call, but I kept coming back to the stunning tale, well told, brilliantly acted. It will rip out your heart and then help you find the means to heal and push onward.

I particpate in a local organization in my community, Equality Downers Grove (EQDG). One of my favorite events of the year is its One Book, One Town (OBOT) celebration. The community is encouraged to read a book, then come together to discuss, learn, and to support one another. This year, the event organizers chose Laurie Frankel’s This Is How It Always Is.

I’m honored to participate as a discussion leader on the evening we gather for a community chat about the novel. Below are two links; one to an article about OBOT, and the other a page where you can find all of the OBOT events and sign up to attend them! Sign up is required but super easy.

Events Link: EQDG Website for OBOT.

Article Link: One Book, One Town to Turn Fresh Page in Downers Grove.

I occasionally update my current works in progress. I am super excited to plug away on them – and hope to one day share them with all of you!

The Easter Bunny Is a Werewolf – this sequel to Santa Is a Vampire is pretty much done. I’m in the phase of seeking a publisher, so please cross your fingers!

The Day Aliens Invaded Earth – first, this is a tentative title. I’m not thrilled with the title, but it’s all my mind has right now. I am thrilled about this YA suspense/thriller/romance/sci fi horror tale! This manuscript is done and polished, ready to start its journey toward finding a publisher. It’s Young Adult, so I am researching where to send it, since I only have one other YA book. I need to gather more information.

Untited – I am rewriting a Fairytale as a YA novel. But that’s all I can tell you at the moment!

The Day Aliens Invaded Earth II – yeah, I know. I don’t even have the first one signed with a publisher yet. In anticipation I will receive good news one day, and because I had envisioned it as at least a two book series from the beginning, I am starting on this one already.

The Sorcerer – this is actually where I am spending a majority of my time. I set this story in the future, after the earth is destroyed, most of humanity is killed off, and magic emerges among certain sorcerers. It’s dystopian, to match my current mood, and about the Sorcerer’s struggle to come to terms with human awfulness and to find his place in the world.

Thanks for checking out what I am doing right now!!

I had an amazing chat on Living the Next Chapter Podcast, about life as an author, my books, and especially the journey toward publishing Witch In the Wind! Check it out here!

Link to the Podcast: Damian Serbu Chat!

Youtube Version: Damian Serbu Chat!