Sunday night’s Oscars brought a few surprises, and some films expected to get awards lost to others, surprising a few folks as award shows leading up to the big night seemed to tell a different story. We thought Richard Linklater’s BOYHOOD would surely take home either Best Director or Best Picture, just for the cinematic achievement the film represents – let’s face it, there will likely never be another movie like it. But one thing we called early on was Patricia Arquette winning Best Supporting Actress, and she did just that. While not exactly an exciting story, we still feel BOYHOOD is easily one of the best films of 2014, and it received strong praise from the Sundance Film Festival and South by Southwest. The film skips from year to year, and we see actor Ellar Coltrane growing from a fresh-faced 5-year-old into an 18-year-old… I’m telling ya, it’s quite remarkable. I had a chance to sit down with both Ellar Coltrane and Patricia Arquette (who I met 10 years ago and hung out with on multiple occasions, but hadn’t seen since 2008). We talked about their experience on the project, working with Linklater, and how their personal lives fed into their character portrayals. It’s a fun and revealing interview, and an honor for me considering the uniqueness of the subject matter. If you can, make every effort to see BOYHOOD, as it’s a film that deserves all the attention it’s getting and then some.
Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff. 
