Welcome to another episode of moviemanMDG’s Movie Talk, where I talk about everything film-related. The first week of 2018 has gotten off to a pretty good start, so let’s talk about awards season. 2017 had tons of movies that were either good or bad, but the ones that every critic and movie fanatic cares about the most are those who have “awards potential”. Films that have a chance to earn a golden statuette for their certain achievement, whether it’s for acting, directing, or even music. The first awards show that will be screened on television this year (and the first that I will be talking about) is the 75th Golden Globe Awards. The nominations for the Golden Globes were already announced last month, and there were a couple of movies that I believe got left out into the dust, like Detroit for Best Drama and Lego Batman for Best Animated Feature. But I’m not talking about the snubs, I’m talking about the ones that are competing against one another for the golden globe award. For this “award-worthy” episode of Movie Talk, I will be sharing my brief prediction list on who I think will win the award and who I think might have a chance to pull off an upset. This will be a “film-only” list because I am extremely bad at predicting television categories. Like last year, I didn’t get a chance to see all of the movies that are nominated (especially The Post and I, Tonya), so some of my predictions will be based on my gut and on my research. I highly doubt that I will get every prediction right, but I still find this list fun to create. Either way, here is my prediction list for the 75th Golden Globe Awards.
Best Motion Picture - Drama -Call Me by Your Name -Dunkirk -The Post -The Shape of Water -Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Will Win: The Shape of Water Might Win: The Post Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy -The Disaster Artist -Get Out -The Greatest Showman -I, Tonya -Lady Bird Will Win: The Disaster Artist Might Win: Get Out Best Performance in a Motion Picture - Drama (Actor) -Timothée Chalamet (Call Me by Your Name) -Daniel Day-Lewis (Phantom Thread) -Tom Hanks (The Post) -Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour) -Denzel Washington (Roman J. Israel, Esq.) Will Win: Gary Oldman Might Win: Tom Hanks Best Performance in a Motion Picture - Drama (Actress) -Jessica Chastain (Molly’s Game) -Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water) -Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) -Meryl Streep (The Post) -Michelle Williams (All the Money in the World) Will Win: Sally Hawkins Might Win: Jessica Chastain Best Performance in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy (Actor) -Steve Carell (Battle of the Sexes) -Ansel Elgort (Baby Driver) -James Franco (The Disaster Artist) -Hugh Jackman (The Greatest Showman) -Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out) Will Win: James Franco Might Win: Steve Carell Best Performance in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy (Actress) -Judi Dench (Victoria & Abdul) -Helen Mirren (The Leisure Seeker) -Margot Robbie (I, Tonya) -Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird) -Emma Stone (Battle of the Sexes) Will Win: Margot Robbie Might Win: Emma Stone Best Supporting Performance in a Motion Picture (Actor) -Willem Dafoe (The Florida Project) -Armie Hammer (Call Me by Your Name) -Richard Jenkins (The Shape of Water) -Christopher Plummer (All the Money in the World) -Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) Will Win: Richard Jenkins Might Win: Christopher Plummer Best Supporting Performance in a Motion Picture (Actress) -Mary J. Blige (Mudbound) -Hong Chau (Downsizing) -Allison Janney (I, Tonya) -Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird) -Octavia Spencer (The Shape of Water) Will Win: Octavia Spencer Might Win: Mary J. Blige Best Director -Guillermo del Toro (The Shape of Water) -Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) -Christopher Nolan (Dunkirk) -Ridley Scott (All the Money in the World) -Steven Spielberg (The Post) Will Win: Guillermo del Toro Might Win: Christopher Nolan Best Screenplay -The Shape of Water -Lady Bird -The Post -Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri -Molly’s Game Will Win: Molly’s Game Might Win: The Post Best Original Score -Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri -The Shape of Water -Phantom Thread -The Post -Dunkirk Will Win: The Shape of Water Might Win: Dunkirk Best Original Song -“Home” (Ferdinand) -“Mighty River” (Mudbound) -“Remember Me” (Coco) -“The Star” (The Star) -“This is Me” (The Greatest Showman) Will Win: Coco Might Win: The Greatest Showman Best Animated Feature Film -The Boss Baby -The Breadwinner -Coco -Ferdinand -Loving Vincent Will Win: Coco Might Win: The Breadwinner Best Foreign Language Film -A Fantastic Woman (Chile) -First They Killed My Father (Cambodia) -In the Fade (Germany/France) -Loveless (Russia) -The Square (Sweden/Germany/France) Will Win: First They Killed My Father Might Win: A Fantastic Woman As I said before, I doubt that every prediction I made will be accurate because awards shows can be unpredictable when it comes to the winners. Trust me, I already figured that out last year. The 75th annual Golden Globe Awards will air on NBC on January 7, with Seth Meyers as the host. Until then, I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed to make sure I get most of them correct.
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Welcome to another episode of moviemanMDG’s Movie Talk, where I talk about everything film-related. Now that I got through with my top ten favorite films of 2017 list, it’s time for me to focus on my top ten least favorite films of 2017. This list contains the films that had potential to be good, but wound up being majorly flawed and disappointing projects. So while other people are accusing films like Transformers: The Last Knight and The Emoji Movie as the worst of the year, I found the films that are far more unsatisfying than giant transforming robots and anthropomorphic emojis. If you happen to enjoy some of the films that are on my list, that’s completely fine. Everyone should be allowed to like a certain film that’s been getting a bad reputation from critics. So without further ado, let’s count down the stinkers. #10 Coming in at the bottom of the list is the second chapter in the much-hated, sex-obsessed trilogy that’s made for adults. “Fifty Shades Darker” continues the pleasurable relationship between Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey, and yes, it’s as sexy as Fifty Shades of Grey. Coming from a guy who has not read the Fifty Shades books, the film did well in impressing some fans of the book series, but it also did very little to give the non-fans the same amount of pleasure. Its weak execution and its desire to provide sexual wet dreams over substance are what made this romance sequel a step down from its predecessor. #9 A sequel to a Madea film that, unsurprisingly, nobody wanted. “Boo 2!” took the formula that worked in the other Madea films and threw it out into the ocean. As a result, the film wound up being the most disappointing and unnecessary film in Tyler Perry’s library. #8 Jonathan Levine has made some pretty solid comedies throughout his career, which makes it hard for me to believe that his latest comedy, “Snatched”, was actually his weakest effort in his filmography. Despite its tolerable chemistry between Amy Schumer and Goldie Hawn, the film suffers from its forced jokes and Levine’s troublesome direction. A vacation that’s not worth taking again. #7 From the guy who gave us a terrible Mortal Kombat sequel and a horror film that involves a possessed doll comes the next film in my least favorite list, “Wish Upon”. Despite a passable performance by Joey King, this is a PG-13 rated ripoff of Final Destination that’s not as scary nor as convincing as the title wants you to believe. It makes me wish that it could’ve been portrayed a lot better. #6 “CHiPs” is the latest film adaptation of a television show that tries to go for the R-rated comedy approach like 21 Jump Street, but fails miserably in the process. Its formulaic story, weak characters and stale humor are the reasons why this film is another comedy disappointment. #5 2017 has its share of grand finales that end their franchises with a bang. “Resident Evil: The Final Chapter” isn’t one of them. Filled with forgettable characters, an underwhelming story, and a lot of editing issues, this latest installment in the video game-based film series is better off as a zombie infection that needs to be caged up. #4 Director Eli Craig’s latest feature, “Little Evil”, had a good cast and a hilarious concept, but wound up being a soulless disappointment instead. Good thing they released it on Netflix instead of in the theater, am I right? #3 Another film that had a good cast and a humorous concept, but wound up being a disappointment. The only difference is that “Just Getting Started” has a story that is twice as dull as the story in “Little Evil”. #2 Aside from Katherine Heigl’s engaging performance, “Unforgettable” is just…well, forgettable. The story has that “been there, done that” scenario that made me ask myself, “Why can’t these people just move on with their lives?”, and the thriller aspect did not help that much at all. It is a definitive sign that the obsession-thriller genre has officially run its course. Dishonorable Mentions#1 Yep. The film that I think is worse than Transformers and The Emoji Movie is a cliched and mediocre horror film that adds nothing new to the story and has an ending that renders the message completely pointless. Nothing in “Friend Request” works for me, and I’m pretty sure that it won’t work for anybody else, either. All I can say is that you’re better off watching Unfriended rather than this. That’s it for my top ten worst list, which may or may not be completely different compared to the other ones. As always, if you want to read my full reviews for the films I listed above, you can find them in the “2017 Reviews” page. This year has a lot of ups and downs just like last year and the year before that, but once again, all that matters to me and the other movie fanatics is talking about film. Here’s to another year filled with movies.
Welcome to another episode of moviemanMDG’s Movie Talk, where I talk about everything film-related. It’s that time of year again, ladies and gentlemen. 2017 is drawing to a close and 2018 is upon us. With that in mind, it’s time for me to share my personal highlights of the good and the not-so-good in filmmaking. Starting things off on a positive note, here are my top ten 2017 films that earned my gold seal of approval. There were a lot of movies this year that I thought were good, but these are the films that I believe are the best of the bunch and should get recognized for their incredible achievements. With that said, let’s see which movies are lucky enough to be included in my list. #10 Aside from its abrupt ending, “Three Billboards” is one of the most entertaining and well-acted films of the year. Lead by an impressive performance from Frances McDormand, the film provided a mixture of hilarity and brutality with remarkable results. #9 A late addition to my top ten list, “Darkest Hour” is an invigorating portrayal of Winston Churchill’s early days as Prime Minister. Gary Oldman delivered one of the best performances in his career and the dialogue was smartly written. A well-executed history film from director Joe Wright. #8 One of the rare sequels that improve on the original. “Blade Runner 2049” not only provided a much more interesting storyline, but it also had some of the best technical achievements that any sci-fi film could ask for. Another visual delight from acclaimed director Denis Villeneuve. #7 Yes, this is another Spider-Man reboot, and yes, it’s a great Spider-Man reboot. “Spider-Man: Homecoming” is a fresh and action-packed interpretation of the famous webhead due to its cast (most notably Tom Holland), Jon Watts’ direction, and its storytelling that flawlessly balances the high school aspect and the superhero aspect. #6 A wonder to behold! “Wonder” is an inspiring and extremely well-acted family film that’s also surprisingly emotional. Thanks to its strong cast, relatable messages, and smart storytelling, the film was able to portray its concept that both kids and adults can appreciate. #5 Kathryn Bigelow has delivered another hard-hitting masterpiece in the form of “Detroit”. It’s pretty frustrating that it didn’t receive any awards recognition this year because this is a darn good film. While deeply disturbing, it provided some strong performances and direction to compensate. Hopefully, the Academy doesn’t overlook it. #4 The Planet of the Apes reboot trilogy is considered by everyone as one of the best film trilogies in cinematic history, and this film proves that it still is. “War for the Planet of the Apes” is a final chapter done right. Director Matt Reeves gave me a brilliant conclusion that was unexpected, yet totally satisfying. #3 Yet another big-screen finale that met all of my expectations. “Logan” is an incredible farewell to Hugh Jackman’s most popular role in film history. Thanks to its strong performances, James Mangold’s direction, and its R-rated violence, this adult-only Marvel masterpiece is a superhero movie without the “superhero” part. #2 “Coco” has a story that we’re familiar with, but it’s a story that’s done right thanks to the power of Pixar. This latest feature from the animation powerhouse provided some beautiful animation, fun characters, affective storytelling, and its perfect portrayal of the Mexican culture to enchant me all the way through. Honorable Mentions#1 Well, what do you know? A film about the making of the worst movie ever is my number one film of the year. James Franco was fantastic as Tommy Wiseau and the story about friendship is not only hilarious from start to finish, but also heartwarming. It made me appreciate the challenges of filmmaking as well as the unexpected friendships that can come from anywhere. A must-watch for those who are into filmmaking and for those who are familiar with The Room. That concludes this year’s top ten favorite films list. I know that I missed out on a couple of films like The Post and I, Tonya, but I will get to those soon. Probably not today, probably not tomorrow, but soon. If you want to read my full reviews on the films that I listed above, you can find them in my “2017 Reviews” page. Stay tuned for the next episode of Movie Talk where I talk about my top ten stinkers of the year.
Welcome to another episode of moviemanMDG’s Movie Talk, where I talk about everything film-related. In today’s episode, I’m going to do something a little bit different than usual. Something that has nothing to do with film. That’s right, I’m going to be talking about a television show that resides in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The MCU has been riding on huge success with their movies, with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Spider-Man: Homecoming raking in some big money at the box office. Their attempt on television is a different story. Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD marked as a starting point in the MCU team’s strategy to expand the superhero universe for the smaller screen, with the show already set for a fifth season later this year. The successful ratings of SHIELD lead them to develop other Marvel shows, such as Agent Carter for ABC and the latest take of Daredevil for Netflix subscribers. While most of their shows have shared the same success as their big-budget superhero blockbusters, they ran into some problems that may or may not put their television strategy into question. One of these problems is that despite a strong critical reception, Agent Carter was cancelled after two seasons due to a decrease in viewership. On the Netflix side, its string of critically-received Marvel shows, starting with Daredevil, was broken with the release of Marvel’s Iron Fist, which gained a lot of poor reviews upon its release. But it didn’t stop there. On September 1, ABC’s latest show, Marvel’s Inhumans, debuted its first two episodes exclusively in IMAX ahead of its series premiere on September 29 and just like Iron Fist, it suffered from plenty of unpleasant reviews. As of this writing, Marvel’s Inhumans has scored a 7% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which is worse than the 18% rating that Iron Fist received. Keep in mind that Inhumans only debuted its first two episodes compared to Iron Fist releasing the entire first season at once. A few days ago, I decided to take a small break from reviewing the new releases and attend the IMAX experience myself. For this episode of Movie Talk, I will be sharing my initial experience on the first two episodes of Marvel’s Inhumans while also answering the question: Is it really that bad?
Titled “The First Chapter”, the show focuses on the main members of the Inhuman Royal Family, consisting of Black Bolt (Anson Mount), Medusa (Serinda Swan), Karnak (Ken Leung), Gorgon (Eme Ikwuakor), Crystal (Isabelle Cornish), and Lockjaw, Crystal’s teleporting canine. When they discover a plot lead by Black Bolt’s brother, Maximus (Iwan Rheon), the Royal Family escapes to Hawaii and wind up being separated from one another. With the new Head of the Royal Guards on their trail and Maximus now king of the secret Inhuman city known as Attilan, the Royal Family members must travel through Earthly territory in order to find each other and figure out a way to return to Attilan and foil Maximus’ plan for good. Looking into these episodes as a whole, it’s like a mixture of Thor and X-Men because of how these types of people are treated by everybody else. Problem is, these two Marvel films handled the plot elements a lot better than the elements that are shown in Inhumans. Does that make it a bad show? Well, not exactly. The introduction to the Inhuman species during the second season of Agents of SHIELD was interesting enough to see what direction they’re going to take. Introducing the species again as a television show, however, that’s where things got a little tough. The first two episodes of Inhumans were filmed with IMAX cameras, which is why they’re premiering it in IMAX theaters before its official television premiere at the end of the month. The way it was showcased on an IMAX screen looks and sounds impressive, creating a pretty unusual way of watching television on the biggest screen possible. It’s like watching a huge HD TV with a bunch of strangers sitting next to you…with the price of up to 12 dollars. Unfortunately, the quality is still the same as any other television show, which can lead to its inability to enhance the amount of depth within the characters and the production design. I thought the cast did fine with their respective roles, especially Mount as Black Bolt and Leung as Karnak, who has a really cool Inhuman ability in my opinion. He has the ability to plan out his strategies mentally, searching for the best way possible before he fully acts. The story so far has been pretty mediocre in terms of its execution. Even though it had some interesting moments here and there, it also had some familiar plot elements that weren’t anything special due to Scott Buck’s screenplay. Even Rhein’s character, Maximus, made himself a bit too obvious in terms of his intentions. The visual effects, by television standards, weren’t too bad, although I would say that the CGI design for Lockjaw could’ve used a bit more work. Aside from that, they’re pretty decent as a whole. In conclusion, my experience with Marvel’s Inhumans in IMAX was respectably impressive. As for the show itself, it’s not entirely bad, but in terms of its execution, it’s a pretty rocky start, in my opinion. My best strategy is to hold off my final impressions of the show until after I’ve seen the rest of the episodes because I always give certain shows a chance, just like I give certain movies a chance. If I don’t like what I see, I’ll just stop watching and move on. That’s how I always roll. Do I think that other television studios should try out this strategy in the near future? Well, to be honest, I would like to see something like that again, but it will have to depend on the show’s concept. Marvel’s Inhumans will make its debut on ABC on September 29, so if you’re interested in seeing it for yourself, I would say watch it with low expectations. With that said, this has been moviemanMDG’s Movie Talk, or in this case, Television Talk. See you next time. Welcome to another episode of moviemanMDG’s Movie Talk, where I talk about everything film-related. It’s that time of year once again, ladies and gentlemen. That’s right, we are just a few days away until the 89th Academy Awards starts invading our television screens everywhere. The Oscars will be different this year, mostly because we don’t have to worry about that whole “Oscars So White” thing. More importantly, there will be a lot of tough nominees going head-to-head with one another to get the gold statue, including the musical drama, La La Land, which received a record-tying 14 Academy Award nominations, and my number one film of 2016, Moonlight, which is nominated for eight Academy Awards. As I do every year, I put out my predictions as to who will and who might win an Oscar in each category. For this episode of Movie Talk, I will be showcasing my list of predictions for the 89th Academy Awards. As always, my predictions are based on what I saw at the Critics’ Choice Awards and the Golden Globes, and more personally, my gut. I didn’t see every film that is nominated for an Oscar, so it would be interesting to see how my predictions fare this year.
Best Picture: -Arrival -Fences -Hacksaw Ridge -Hell or High Water -Hidden Figures -La La Land -Lion -Manchester by the Sea -Moonlight Will Win: Moonlight Might Win: La La Land Best Director: -Denis Villeneuve (Arrival) -Mel Gibson (Hacksaw Ridge) -Damien Chazelle (La La Land) -Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea) -Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) Will Win: Damien Chazelle Might Win: Kenneth Lonergan Best Actor: -Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea) -Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge) -Ryan Gosling (La La Land) -Viggo Mortensen (Captain Fantastic) -Denzel Washington (Fences) Will Win: Casey Affleck Might Win: Denzel Washington Best Actress: -Isabelle Huppert (Elle) -Ruth Negga (Loving) -Natalie Portman (Jackie) -Emma Stone (La La Land) -Meryl Streep (Florence Foster Jenkins) Will Win: Emma Stone Might Win: Meryl Streep Best Supporting Actor: -Mahershala Ali (Moonlight) -Jeff Bridges (Hell or High Water) -Lucas Hedges (Manchester by the Sea) -Dev Patel (Lion) -Michael Shannon (Nocturnal Animals) Will Win: Mahershala Ali Might Win: Dev Patel Best Supporting Actress: -Viola Davis (Fences) -Naomie Harris (Moonlight) -Nicole Kidman (Lion) -Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures) -Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea) Will Win: Viola Davis Might Win: Michelle Williams Best Original Screenplay: -Hell or High Water -La La Land -The Lobster -Manchester by the Sea -20th Century Women Will Win: La La Land Might Win: Manchester by the Sea Best Adapted Screenplay: -Arrival -Fences -Hidden Figures -Lion -Moonlight Will Win: Moonlight Might Win: Fences Best Animated Feature Film: -Kubo and the Two Strings -Moana -My Life as a Zucchini -The Red Turtle -Zootopia Will Win: Zootopia Might Win: Kubo and the Two Strings Best Foreign Language Film: -Land of Mine (Denmark) -A Man Called Ove (Sweden) -The Salesman (Iran) -Tanna (Australia) -Toni Erdmann (Germany) Will Win: Toni Erdmann Might Win: The Salesman Best Documentary - Feature: -Fire at Sea -I Am Not Your Negro -Life, Animated -O.J.: Made in America -13th Will Win: 13th Might Win: I Am Not Your Negro Best Documentary - Short Subject: -Extremis -4.1 Miles -Joe’s Violin -Watani: My Homeland -The White Helmets Will Win: The White Helmets Might Win: Extremis Best Live Action Short Film: -Ennemis intérieurs -La Femme et le TGV -Silent Nights -Sing -Timecode Will Win: Sing Might Win: Silent Nights Best Animated Short Film: -Blind Vaysha -Borrowed Time -Pear Cider and Cigarettes -Pearl -Piper Will Win: Piper Might Win: Borrowed Time Best Original Score: -Jackie -La La Land -Lion -Moonlight -Passengers Will Win: La La Land Might Win: Moonlight Best Original Song: -“Audition (The Fools Who Dream)” (La La Land) -“Can’t Stop the Feeling!” (Trolls) -“City of Stars” (La La Land) -“The Empty Chair” (Jim: The James Foley Story) -“How Far I’ll Go” (Moana) Will Win: “City of Stars” Might Win: “How Far I’ll Go” Best Sound Editing: -Arrival -Deepwater Horizon -Hacksaw Ridge -La La Land -Sully Will Win: Hacksaw Ridge Might Win: Deepwater Horizon Best Sound Mixing: -Arrival -Hacksaw Ridge -La La Land -Rogue One: A Star Wars Story -13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi Will Win: Hacksaw Ridge Might Win: La La Land Best Production Design: -Arrival -Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them -Hail, Caesar! -La La Land -Passengers Will Win: La La Land Might Win: Arrival Best Cinematography: -Arrival -La La Land -Lion -Moonlight -Silence Will Win: La La Land Might Win: Arrival Best Makeup and Hairstyling: -A Man Called Ove -Star Trek Beyond -Suicide Squad Will Win: Suicide Squad Might Win: Star Trek Beyond Best Costume Design: -Allied -Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them -Florence Foster Jenkins -Jackie -La La Land Will Win: La La Land Might Win: Jackie Best Film Editing: -Arrival -Hacksaw Ridge -Hell or High Water -La La Land -Moonlight Will Win: La La Land Might Win: Moonlight Best Visual Effects: -Deepwater Horizon -Doctor Strange -The Jungle Book -Kubo and the Two Strings -Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Will Win: The Jungle Book Might Win: Doctor Strange I think La La Land might have a good chance at winning most of the small awards except the ones for sound editing and sound mixing. Those two awards should go to Mel Gibson’s Hacksaw Ridge for making the audience actually feel like they’re in the war themselves. The Best Animated Feature Oscar has to go to Zootopia for combining its relatable themes about discrimination and race with a fun, family-friendly story that has creative animation and great characters. As for Best Picture, most people believe that La La Land will take home the top prize, but to be honest, I believe that the Best Picture Oscar should go to a film that properly displays cinematic realism, which is Moonlight. Sure, La La Land is marvelous due to its music, the love story, and its sense of wonder, but watching Moonlight made me feel like I was watching real people going through some problems in life. Same goes to Manchester by the Sea, which is also nominated for Best Picture. While La La Land used its technical qualities, such as the cinematography and the production design, to amaze its audience, Moonlight used them to tell an interesting story about the life of a homosexual boy. That’s pretty much my reason why I think Moonlight should win Best Picture instead of La La Land. So, there you have it, those are my predictions for this year’s Oscars. Some of them may be different than everyone else’s, but as always, everyone has their different tastes in film. The 89th Academy Awards will air on Sunday February 26th on ABC, and it will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel. |
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