Film: Promising Young Woman

GENRE: Drama
RATING: R for strong violence & sexual material, drugs & language
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 53 minutes
PLATFORM: Online rental
STARRING: Carey Mulligan (An Education, The Dig, Great Gatsby)
Bo Burnham (The Big Sick), Laverne Cox (Orange is the New Black)
DIRECTOR: Emerald Fennell (newcomer)
WRITER: Fennell (Killing Eve)
PLOT: A young woman seeks vengeance against those who traumatized a friend of hers.   

FULL DISCLOSURE: Watching for the Oscars.

STORY STUFF: Well that was sure dark. Fennell tells a compelling story but it is hard to watch at times. I both wanted to know and didn’t want to know how this would conclude. I did find it interesting that they never utter the word ‘rape’ or ‘sexual assault’ but we clearly know what they are talking about. I liked the romantic portion of the movie but knew I couldn’t get too comfortable. This film has important things to say. I’ll just leave at that.  

ACTING STUFF: Mulligan is intriguing. She is one of the reasons it’s hard to watch this film; she is so unpredictable and on edge, but in a good way, kinda. At times I’m rooting for her but other times find her too crazy. I liked the dorkiness of Burnham as the love interest. The casting that didn’t sit well with me was Max Greenfield who was acting too much like Schmidt from New Girl. A moment of shock turns sitcom-y in his hands. Not sure if this is what Fennell intended but I thought it was handled poorly – completely took me out of the moment.    

ARTISTIC STUFF: There’s some nice cinematography here and there. I like the framing of angel wings on Mulligan from time to time. The music was a times off-putting and other times interesting (like an eerie strings version of Britney Spears’ ‘Toxic’). The set design was weird at times. There’s a scene in a Pharmacy where there’s too much neon which looked random to me. Nothing is clear cut in this film which is probably the point.  

VERDICT: Three and half stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You’re not squeamish about dark sexual situations.
UPCOMING REVIEW: More Oscar films

Film: Judas and the Black Messiah

GENRE: Drama
RATING: R for violence and language
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 6 minutes
PLATFORM: HBO Max
STARRING: Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out, Black Panther, Queen & Slim)
LaKeith Stanfield (Atlanta), Jesse Plemons (Breaking Bad, FNL)
DIRECTOR: Shaka King (Newlyweeds, People of Earth – TV series)
WRITER: King (Newlyweeds) & Will Berson (newcomer)
PLOT: Bill O’Neal infiltrates the Black Panther Party for the FBI as Fred Hampton gains power.  

FULL DISCLOSURE: Heard good things but mostly watching for Oscars.

STORY STUFF: When I was watching this, I kept thinking back to the infiltration film, BlackKklansman, which I found to be far better. I don’t know much about the Black Panther party but also feel I didn’t learn too much about them either. I was more interested in O’Neal’s infiltration. The love story was okay. There were a handful of scenes I enjoyed like the opening scene in the pool hall and in the car at gunpoint but I wasn’t pulled in like I thought I would.

ACTING STUFF: Kaluuya and Stanfield give some great performances; I can see why they got nominated for Oscars. I think Stanfield was better though, he had more stuff to do. He should be up for Lead Actor but I guess he feels he has more of a shot as supporting – like Kevin Spacey in The Usual Suspects. I also liked Dominique Fishback (The Hate U Give) as Deborah Johnson. Plemons is actually tiresome as he seems to be playing the same dick-ish roles lately. Martin Sheen (West Wing) creeped me out as J Edgar Hoover with his menacing demeanor and awful hair.  

ARTISTIC STUFF: The cinematography was pretty good. Again, I liked the camera movement in the opening scene. The music annoyed me. It would blast after quiet dialogue making me have to change the volume constantly. I can’t imagine how that would be in a movie theatre.

VERDICT: Two and half stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You’re watching all the Oscar nominees.
UPCOMING REVIEW: More Oscar films

Film: Mank

GENRE: Drama
RATING: R for some language
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 11 minutes
PLATFORM: Netflix
STARRING: Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour, Tinker,Tailor,Soldier,Spy)
Amanda Seyfried (Mean Girls, Les Mis), Lily Collins (Mirror, Mirror)
DIRECTOR: David Fincher (Social Network, Seven, Gone Girl)
WRITER: Jack Fincher (newcomer)
PLOT: Herman Mankiewicz races to finish the screenplay of Citizen Kane while having flashbacks to his drunken 1930’s Hollywood days.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Second time watching & found more that I liked.

STORY STUFF: I like a good behind-the-scenes Hollywood origin story (like Chaplin). I’m a big fan of Citizen Kane and having researched and listened to a number of commentaries, I was always impressed with how this “greatest film of all time” got made. David Fincher, working off a script from his late father, gives us another behind-the-scenes perspective. I love seeing these moments in Mank’s relationships with the Hollywood elite that make their way into Kane’s script. The dialogue is extremely clever. I even watched it with subtitles so I could fully appreciate the precise word choices. I found the politics angle a little long and wished there was more about movie production but I still found it to be a compelling story.     

ACTING STUFF: Oldman plays a fantastic drunk. He commands every scene he is in with his staggered walk and clever mouth. Seyfried also shines as Marion Davies. I’m glad she also got nominated but wish there were more scenes with her. The supporting class is very sharp. I love the pomposity of Arliss Howard as Louis B Mayer; his speech about the rules of MGM is a definite highlight. I also enjoyed the characterizations of Joe Mankiewicz (Tom Pelphrey), Irving Thalberg (Ferdinand Kingsley) and Orson Welles (Tom Burke).

ARTISTIC STUFF: Fincher made some awesome stylistic choices in this film. This is definitely an homage to Citizen Kane. The black and white is sharp and really sets the stage. There are number of angles that have that Kane vibe – the dropping of the alcohol bottle nicely matches the dropping of the snowglobe without going too far. Fincher’s go to musicians, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, also imitate some of the music cues from Bernard Hermann’s original score. The choice that bothered me for this film was the tinny sound of the dialogue. Fincher ADR’d the dialogue at a sound stage which gives off an auditorium sort of feel. It sounds okay indoors, especially Hearst’s mansion, but outdoors sounds awkward and fake. It’s a gimmicky idea that doesn’t work for me.

VERDICT: Four and half stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You like old Hollywood and/or Citizen Kane
UPCOMING REVIEW: More Oscar films

Film: Nomadland

GENRE: Drama
RATING: R for some nudity
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 47 minutes
PLATFORM: Hulu
STARRING: Frances McDormand (Fargo, Three Billboards . . .)
David Strathairn (Good Night and Good Luck, The Firm)
DIRECTOR: Chloe Zhao (The Rider, upcoming Eternals)
WRITER: Zhao (Songs My Brothers Taught Me, The Rider)
PLOT: A woman lives a van-dwelling life travelling west.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Only watched this for Oscar reasons.    

STORY STUFF: I was pretty bored. It’s an interesting lifestyle but not one I would even attempt to try. Just felt bad for everyone living out of their vans; they seem fine with it but I didn’t. The story is just a slice of life, not much of a climax or significant character growth. Maybe there was but I didn’t see it.  

ACTING STUFF: McDormand is an amazing actress. Despite the slow moving plot, I found her compelling to watch as she interacts with others, takes odd jobs, and works on her van. I also like the calming presence of Strahairn. Apparently, most of the other actors were just van people playing themselves; they seemed authentic enough. I guess that’s a credit to Zhao for getting good stuff out of them. She’ll probably win the Oscar for directing this.     

ARTISTIC STUFF: There are some beautiful shots of the dusty roads and endless skies. This film did seem more like a documentary though. I guess that adds to the realism of it. The music was pretty good at times too but there was nothing here to write home about.

VERDICT: Two stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You want to watch all the Oscar best picture noms
UPCOMING REVIEW: More Oscar films

Film: Zack Snyder's Justice League

GENRE: Action
RATING: R for language and violence
RUNTIME: 4 hours and 2 minutes (yes, you read that right)
PLATFORM: HBO Max
STARRING: Ben Affleck (Daredevil, Good Will Hunting, Argo)
Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman); Ray Fisher (True Detective)
DIRECTOR: Zack Snyder (Watchmen, 300, Man of Steel)
WRITER: Chris Terrio (Argo, Batman v Superman)
PLOT: Bruce Wayne tries to recruit a team of heroes to take on an approaching threat.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Love Marvel over DC at this point.    

STORY STUFF: I’m a big fan of Joss Whedon’s work (his recent accusations of on-set behaviour notwithstanding) and it seems almost sacrilege to say but I preferred Snyder’s cut better. I do think the four hour running time is preposterous and unnecessary but the story makes a lot more sense. The villain’s endgame is a lot clearer this time around although he still comes across as a Thanos wannabe with his big chin. Snyder also thankfully takes out the random family that needed to be rescued from the ‘abandoned’ site of the final battle. The Whedon –penned quips are deleted making for a much more somber pic. But at least this looked a lot less messy than the DC 2017 hack job. Oh, and I think the thirty-minute epilogue was testing my patience despite having Joker in it.

ACTING STUFF: The chemistry of the heroes is just okay this time around. I liked the quippy banter last time, though the hitting on Wonder Woman stuff is thankfully gone. Gadot is awesome. Affleck’s okay. Miller is still fun. I know a lot has been said about Whedon side-lining Ray Fisher’s Cyborg story for a variety of reasons. While his storyline made the plot make more sense, I didn’t find Fisher to be that great of an actor. He was pretty blah. Maybe, just maybe, Whedon saw this too and left some of his scenes on the cutting room floor because he just wasn’t as good an actor as the rest of the cast. Just a theory.   

ARTISTIC STUFF: A bunch of the four hours consists of overly-long establishing shots. The cinematography is nice and all but trim it down. I liked a bunch of the action sequences and again it made more sense this time around. I liked the rockin’ soundtrack of the last film, this one has been recut with an all new orchestral score. It was just okay.  

VERDICT: Three and half stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You have a lot of time to kill and want to compare films
UPCOMING REVIEW: Oscar films

Film: The Last Blockbuster

 

GENRE: Documentary
RATING: Not Rated
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 26 minutes
PLATFORM: Netflix
STARRING: Sandi Harding (newcomer); Kevin Smith (Clerks)
Jamie Kennedy (Scream); Doug Benson (Lego Batman Movie)
DIRECTOR: Taylor Morden (Pick It Up! – Ska in the ‘90s)
WRITER: Zeke Kamm (The Weird Al Show, Dexter’s Laboratory)
PLOT: There’s only one Blockbuster video store left in Bend, Oregon. Will they survive?

FULL DISCLOSURE: I used to work at Blockbuster.   

STORY STUFF: As stated in my disclosure, I used to work at Blockbuster. Other than teaching, it was my favourite job. I loved recommending films, stocking shelves and even rewinding tapes (hated calling about late fees though). I was actually named Employee of the Month a few months into my tenure. This documentary is just full of nostalgia. There’s a bunch of interviews with lower-than-Dancing-with-the-Stars-level celebrities who reminisce on their previous employment with the once popular franchise. Luckily, the doc also gives a few answers, especially what happened and is it Netflix’s fault?

ACTING STUFF: It’s interviews so not much to say here. Kevin Smith is a little puffed up as usual. Doug Benson gets annoying at times.

ARTISTIC STUFF: There are some fun graphics here and there. I really enjoyed the packaging of their film in a beat up Blockbuster case. It is the same reason I bought the Blockbuster movie game that is similarly packaged. I’m a sucker for clever presentation.

VERDICT: Four stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You remember making it a Blockbuster night.  
UPCOMING REVIEW: Zack Snyder’s Justice League

Film: Coming 2 America

 

GENRE: Comedy
RATING: PG-13 for sexual content, language and drug content
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 50 minutes
PLATFORM: Amazon Prime
STARRING: Eddie Murphy (Nutty Professor, Shrek, Beverly Hills Cop)
Arsenio Hall (Coming to America); Jermaine Fowler (Sorry to Bother You)
DIRECTOR: Craig Brewer (Dolemite Is My Name, Hustle & Flow)
WRITERS: Barry Blaustein & David Sheffield (Coming to America),
Kenya Barris (Black-ish)
PLOT: Prince Akeem finds out he has a son in New York that he must bring home to become the heir to the throne.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I love the original; it’s my favourite Murphy film.   

STORY STUFF: I surprisingly found myself enjoying the plot of this sequel. Sure, there are a number of odd things that are shoe-horned in for nostalgic reasons but I was okay with that. I loved revisiting some of the great characters from the original. The plot could use some trimming as the son storyline takes a little long. I want more of Murphy, less of Fowler. Overall, I would say the story was pretty decent. Definitely not as funny as the original though.

ACTING STUFF: I love that the whole cast came back for this. Murphy and Hall age well. I still get a kick out of their barber characters, even Murphy in white face. All the supporting characters also get a chance to relive their glory years. For new characters, I loved Colin Jost’s casting. Fowler is pretty good as the heir apparent. I was disappointed with SNL alums Leslie Jones and Tracey Morgan. I wanted to like them more but found their roles too over the top. However, speaking of over the top, Wesley Snipes (Blade, Demolition Man) kills it as General Izzi. The dance in his step as he makes his entrances are fantastic. You can tell he was having a lot of fun. In fact, you could tell that the entire cast enjoyed putting this film together. It’s nice to see (especially when hearing about toxic sets lately).   

ARTISTIC STUFF: The make-up and costumes are incredible. Costumes are designed by Ruth E Carter who also did Black Panther. Another phenomenal job. Murphy and Hall’s make-up as multiple characters continues to shine as well. The sets and choreography are also top notch. Great production value all around.

VERDICT: Four stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You enjoyed the original. Otherwise, it won’t be as fun.  
UPCOMING REVIEW: The Last Blockbuster

Golden Globes 2021 Wrap Up

 

Was not a fan of this year’s Golden Globes even though I didn’t do too bad with 19 out of 25 correct. I rocked the television categories though I was saddened that Ted Lasso didn’t win best comedy. Schitt’s Creek has won enough awards. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler did what they could but it was just so-so. I was annoyed that they didn’t show any clips of the performers acting in their shows/movies. Also, they should really put names under the people on screen. Might be good to know that the producer is talking or that Jack Fincher is dead and that’s David Fincher, his son. I liked the Norman Lear tribute. Apparently, Jason Sudeikis does not believe in suiting up for these things. What was with that hoodie? Anyway, here are the winners:

Best Motion Picture – Drama
Nomadland (predicted)

Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Andra Day (The United States vs Billie Holiday)

Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) (predicted)

Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (predicted)

Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
Rosamund Pike (I Care a Lot)

Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm) (predicted)

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Jodie Foster (The Mauritanian)

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Daniel Kaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah)

Best Animated Feature Film
Soul (predicted & wanted)

Best Foreign Language Film
Minari (USA) (predicted & wanted)

Best Director – Motion Picture
Chloe Zhao (Nomadland) (predicted)

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Aaron Sorkin (The Trial of the Chicago 7) (predicted & wanted)

Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Trent Reznor et al. (Soul) (predicted)

Best Original Song – Motion Picture
“IoSi (Seen)” (The Life Ahead)

Best Television Series – Drama
The Crown (predicted)

Best Actress in A Television Series – Drama
Emma Corrin (The Crown) (predicted & wanted)

Best Actor in A Television Series – Drama
Josh O’Connor (The Crown) (predicted)

Best Television Series – Comedy
Schitt’s Creek

Best Actress in A Television Series – Comedy
Catherine O’Hara (Schitt’s Creek) (predicted)

Best Actor in A Television Series – Comedy
Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso) (predicted & wanted)

Best Limited Series or TV Movie
The Queen’s Gambit (predicted & wanted)

Best Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie
Anya Taylor-Joy (The Queen’s Gambit) (predicted & wanted)

Best Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie
Mark Ruffalo (I Know This Much is True) (predicted)

Best Supporting Actress in a Series or TV Movie
Gillian Anderson (The Crown) (predicted & wanted)

Best Supporting Actor in a Series or TV Movie
John Boyega (Small Axe) (predicted)

Golden Globe Predictions 2021

The Golden Globes are on this Sunday so it’s time for the Golden Globes guessing game. With less than 100 members voting, it’s pretty much a crapshoot. Hopefully, the virtual format will be interesting. At least Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are funny hosts.  Here are my predictions.

BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
The Father | Mank | Nomadland | Promising Young Woman | The Trial of the Chicago 7
Will Win: Nomadland
Want to Win: The Trial of the Chicago 7

BEST ACTOR – DRAMA
Riz Ahmed [Sound of Metal] | Chadwick Boseman [Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom] | Anthony Hopkins [The Father] | Gary Oldman [Mank] | Tahar Rahim [The Mauritanian]
Will Win: Chadwick Boseman [Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom]
Want to Win: Riz Ahmed [Sound of Metal]

BEST ACTRESS – DRAMA
Viola Davis [Ma Rainey’s Black Botom] | Andra Day [The United States vs Billie Holiday] | Vanessa Kirby [Pieces of a Woman] | Frances McDormand [Nomadland] | Carey Mulligan [Promising Young Woman]
Will Win: Carey Mulligan [Promising Young Woman]
Want to Win: Frances McDormand [Nomadland]

BEST MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm | Hamilton | Music | Palm Springs | The Prom
Will Win: Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Want to Win: Palm Springs

BEST ACTOR – COMEDY
Sacha Baron Cohen [Borat Subsequent Moviefilm] | James Corden [The Prom] | Lin-Manuel Miranda [Hamilton] | Dev Patel [David Copperfield] | Andy Samberg [Palm Springs]
Will Win: Sacha Baron Cohen [Borat Subsequent Moviefilm]
Want to Win: Andy Samberg [Palm Springs]

BEST ACTRESS – COMEDY
Maria Bakalova [Borat Subsequent Moviefilm] | Kate Hudson [Music] | Michelle Pfeiffer [French Exit] | Rosamund Pike [I Care a Lot] | Anya Taylor-Joy [Emma.]
Will Win: Maria Bakalova [Borat Subsequent Moviefilm]
Want to Win: Maria Bakalova [Borat Subsequent Moviefilm]

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - FILM
Sacha Baron Cohen [The Trial of the Chicago 7] | Daniel Kaluuya [Judas and the Black Messiah] | Jared Leto [The Little Things] | Bill Murray [On the Rocks] | Leslie Odom Jr. [One Night in Miami…]
Will Win: Leslie Odom Jr. [One Night in Miami…]
Want to Win: Sacha Baron Cohen [The Trial of the Chicago 7]

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - FILM
Glenn Close [Hillbilly Elegy] | Olivia Colman [The Father] | Jodie Foster [The Mauritanian] | Amanda Seyfried [Mank] | Helena Zengel [News of the World]
Will Win: Amanda Seyfried [Mank]
Want to Win: Amanda Seyfried [Mank]

BEST DIRECTOR
Emerald Fennell [Promising Young Woman] | David Fincher [Mank] | Regina King [One Night in Miami…] | Aaron Sorkin [The Trial of the Chicago 7] | Chloe Zhao [Nomadland]
Will Win: Chloe Zhao [Nomadland]
Want to Win: Aaron Sorkin [The Trial of the Chicago 7]

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
The Croods: A New Age | Onward | Over the Moon | Soul | Wolfwalkers

Will Win: Soul
Want to Win: Soul

BEST FOREGIN LANGUAGE FILM
Another Round [Denmark] | La Llorona [France] | The Life Ahead [Italy] | Minari [USA] | Two of Us [France/USA]
Will Win: Minari [USA]
Want to Win: Minari [USA]

BEST SCREENPLAY
Emerald Fennell [Promising Young Woman] | Jack Fincher [Mank] | Aaron Sorkin [The Trial of the Chicago 7] | Christopher Hampton & Florian Zeller [The Father] | Chloe Zhao [Nomadland]
Will Win: Aaron Sorkin [The Trial of the Chicago 7]
Want to Win: Aaron Sorkin [The Trial of the Chicago 7]

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Alexandre Desplat [The Midnight Sky] | Ludwig Goransson [Tenet] | James Newton Howard [News of the World] | Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross [Mank] | Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross & Jon Batiste [Soul]
Will Win: Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross & Jon Batiste [Soul]
Want to Win: Alexandre Desplat [The Midnight Sky]

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“Fight for You” [Judas and the Black Messiah] | “Hear My Voice” [The Trial of the Chicago 7] | “IoSi (Seen)” [The Life Ahead] | “Speak Now” [One Night in Miama…] | “Tigress & Tweed” [The United States vs Billie Holiday]

Will Win: “Speak Now” [One Night in Miami…]
Want to Win: “Speak Now” [One Night in Miami…]

BEST TV SERIES – DRAMA
The Crown | Lovecraft Country | The Mandalorian | Ozark | Ratched
Will Win: The Crown
Want to Win: The Mandalorian

BEST ACTOR – DRAMA
Jason Bateman [Ozark] | Josh O’Connor [The Crown] | Bob Odenkirk [Better Call Saul] | Al Pacino [Hunters] | Matthew Rhys [Perry Mason]
Will Win: Josh O’Connor [The Crown]
Want to Win: Bob Odenkirk [Better Call Saul]

BEST ACTRESS – DRAMA
Olivia Colman [The Crown] | Jodie Comer [Killing Eve] | Emma Corrin [The Crown] | Laura Linney [Ozark] | Sarah Paulson [Ratched]
Will Win: Emma Corrin [The Crown]
Want to Win: Emma Corrin [The Crown]

BEST TV SERIES – COMEDY
Emily in Paris | The Flight Attendant | The Great | Schitt’s Creek | Ted Lasso
Will Win: Ted Lasso
Want to Win: Ted Lasso

BEST ACTOR – COMEDY
Don Cheadle [Black Monday] | Nicholas Hoult [The Great] | Eugene Levy [Schitt’s Creek] | Jason Sudeikis [Ted Lasso] | Ramy Youssef [Ramy]
Will Win: Jason Sudeikis [Ted Lasso]
Want to Win: Jason Sudeikis [Ted Lasso]

BEST ACTRESS – COMEDY
Lily Collins [Emily in Paris] | Kaley Cuoco [The Flight Attendant] | Elle Fanning [The Great] | Jane Levy [Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist] | Catherine O’Hara [Schitt’s Creek]
Will Win: Catherine O’Hara [Schitt’s Creek]
Want to Win: Kaley Cuoco [The Flight Attendant]

BEST LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE
Normal People | The Queen’s Gambit | Small Axe | The Undoing | Unorthodox
Will Win: The Queen’s Gambit
Want to Win: The Queen’s Gambit

BEST ACTOR – LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE
Bryan Cranston [Your Honor] | Jeff Daniels [The Comey Rule] | Hugh Grant [The Undoing] | Ethan Hawke [The Good Lord Bird] | Mark Ruffalo [I Know This Much is True]
Will Win: Mark Ruffalo [I Know This Much is True]
Want to Win: Hugh Grant [The Undoing]

BEST ACTRESS – LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE
Cate Blanchett [Mrs. America] | Daisy Edgar-Jones [Normal People] | Shira Haas [Unorthodox] | Nicole Kidman [The Undoing] | Anya Taylor-Joy [The Queen’s Gambit]
Will Win: Anya Taylor-Joy [The Queen’s Gambit]
Want to Win: Anya Taylor-Joy [The Queen’s Gambit]

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - TELEVISION
John Boyega [Small Axe] | Brendan Gleeson [The Comey Rule] | Daniel Levy [Schitt’s Creek] | Jim Parsons [Hollywood] | Donald Sutherland [The Undoing]
Will Win: John Boyega [Small Axe]
Want to Win: Brendan Gleeson [The Comey Rule]

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – TELEVISION
Gillian Anderson [The Crown] | Helena Bonham Carter [The Crown] | Julia Garner [Ozark] | Annie Murphy [Schitt’s Creek] | Cynthia Nixon [Ratched]
Will Win: Gillian Anderson [The Crown]
Want to Win: Gillian Anderson [The Crown]

Let’s see how I do this year.

2021 Television Preview

 

Wondering when your shows are returning? Here’s when my shows are returning, as well as a few new shows to check out this winter. I will try and keep this post updated as new dates roll in. There’s a lot of TBA as the pandemic is slowing everything down. We’ll have to wait and see.
(Green = New Series, Grey=New Season, Blue=Continuing Season from Fall)

The Simpsons (Jan.3)
This Is Us (Jan.5)
History of Swear Words premieres Tue. Jan.5 on Netflix
Nicholas Cage hosts a six-part documentary on the origins of curse words.
Young Sheldon (Jan.7)
The Chase premieres Thu. Jan.7 on ABC
A game show where Jeopardy champs take on teams of contestants
Mr. Mayor premieres Thu. Jan.7 on NBC
From the makers of 30 Rock, Ted Danson plays a rich guy elected mayor
The Good Doctor (Jan.11)
Wandavision premieres Fri.Jan.15 on Disney+
Scarlet Witch and Vision travel through decades of TV shows
Saturday Night Live (Jan 30)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Season 8 (Feb 14)
The Flash: Season 7 begins (Feb.23)
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premieres Fri.Mar.19 on Disney+
The two heroes protect others in a post Captain America world

Loki premieres May TBA on Disney+
A heist genre starring the favourite villain from the Thor movies
Schmigadoon premieres TBA on Apple TV+
Cecily Strong & Keegan-Michael Key in a fantasy town that’s all musical
Stranger Things: Season 4 (Aug.21)
American Crime Story: Season 3 (TBA)
Atlanta: Season 3 (TBA)
Barry: Season 3 (TBA)
Better Call Saul: Season 6 (TBA)
Billions: Season 6 (TBA)
Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Season 8 (TBA)
Dexter: Season 9 (TBA)
The Handmaid’s Tale: Season 4 (TBA)
The Morning Show: Season 2 (TBA)
Ozark: Season 4 (TBA)
Sex Education: Season 3 (TBA)
Succession: Season 3 (TBA)
Ted Lasso: Season 2 (TBA)
The Mandalorian: Season 3 (Dec TBA)