Oscar Predictions 2022

 

It’s that time of year again for my fearless Oscar predictions. While I’m pretty confident in my acting categories, I’m taking a big gamble on the Best Picture and thinking that Dune is going to get a bunch of stuff.  Just as a reminder, I’m not predicting who I want to win but who I think the Academy will vote for. From ‘smaller’ to ‘bigger’, here we go:

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
THE LONG GOODBYE
(Riz Ahmed is in it. Feel sad for him not getting an Oscar last year.)

ANIMATED SHORT FILM
ROBIN ROBIN
(It’s from Aardman. The Oscars love Aardman)

DOCUMENTARY SHORT
AUDIBLE
(About a deaf football player. Nervous of its chances if CODA wins.)

SOUND
DUNE
(I think Dune will get lots of technical categories starting with this one.)

ORIGINAL SCORE
DUNE
(Hans Zimmer tone music fits. Power of the Dog’s tone music does not.)

ORIGINAL SONG
DOS ORGUITAS [ENCANTO]
(Give it to Lin Manuel-Miranda instead of Billie Eilish.)

VISUAL EFFECTS
DUNE
(They have sandworms? Was toss-up between this and Spidey.)

MAKE-UP & HAIRSTYLING
THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE
(I mean it’s right in the title of the film.)

COSTUME DESIGN
CRUELLA
(There’s a lot of extreme fashion in this one apparently. Haven’t seen it.)

PRODUCTION DESIGN
DUNE
(I prefer Nightmare Alley but think Dune’s epicness will win out)

FILM EDITING
DUNE
(This often matches with sound. Though I liked Tick, Tick...Boom! better.)

CINEMATOGRAPHY
DUNE
(There are some epic shots here. Power of the Dog may grab it though)

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
SUMMER OF SOUL
(Go, Questlove, go!)

ANIMATED FEATURE
ENCANTO
(Its songs alone give it the edge. Everyone will talk about Bruno.)

INTERNATIONAL FILM
DRVIE MY CAR
(Considering it’s also up for Best Picture.)

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
CODA
(Both this & Power of the Dog use silence but CODA is far better.)

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
BELFAST
(This is the Oscar that Kenneth Branagh will finally achieve.)

BEST DIRECTOR
JANE CAMPION [THE POWER OF THE DOG]
(I think Spielberg should get it but Campion is the favourite.)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
ARIANA DE BOSE [WEST SIDE STORY]
(Time to make some more history. She was pretty awesome.)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
TROY KOTSUR [CODA]
(He was amazing in this film, full of passion and emotion.)

BEST ACTRESS
JESSICA CHASTAIN [THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE]
(As long as it’s not Kristen Stewart or Penelope Cruz.)

BEST ACTOR
WILL SMITH [KING RICHARD]
(His third nomination for playing a non-fictional person is the charm)

BEST PICTURE
CODA
(It’s more uplifting than Power of the Dog. The SAG win also helps.)

I only got 17 out of 23 last year. We’ll see what happens this Sunday. 

Film: The Power of the Dog

 

GENRE: Western
RATING: R for sexual content and nudity
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 6 minutes
PLATFORM: Netflix
STARRING: Benedict Cumberbatch (Imitation Game, Doctor Strange)
Kirsten Dunst (Spider-Man); Kodi Smit-McPhee (X-Men: Apocalypse)
DIRECTOR: Jane Campion (The Piano, Holy Smoke, Top of the Lake)
WRITER: Campion (The Piano, In the Cut, Bright Star)
PLOT: A rancher torments his new sister-in-law and her son.    

FULL DISCLOSURE: I hate westerns. This was just for the Oscars.

STORY STUFF: Not a fan of the western. Don’t like the slow pace and the dust and dirty lifestyle. This film has plenty of both. Interesting that it was divided into five parts. Watching someone torment others is not that captivating to me. There’s a bit of a twist at the end but if you’ve seen any high school television show, you’ll know what the bullies are hiding.

ACTING STUFF: Cumberbatch plays a good asshole. I’m usually a fan of Jesse Plemons and Kirsten Dunst but neither of their performances grabbed me this time around (despite what the Oscars think), I preferred them in the second season of Fargo. Smit-McPhee does well as the delicate son.

ARTISTIC STUFF: I did enjoy Ari Wegner’s cinematography of the film. New Zealand is beautiful subbing in for Montana. I was not a fan of the music. I appreciate the fact that Johnny Greenwood (There Will Be Blood) didn’t go the twangy angle but the tonal score didn’t work for me. It did remind me of There Will Be Blood.

VERDICT: One and half stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You like slow westerns or want to prep for Oscars
UPCOMING REVIEW:  Oscar Predictions

Film: Turning Red

 

GENRE: Animated, Coming of Age
RATING: PG for thematic material and suggestive content
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 40 minutes
PLATFORM: Disney+
STARRING: Sandra Oh (Killing Eve, Grey’s Anatomy, The Chair)
Rosalie Chiang (newcomer); Ava Morse (Ron’s Gone Wrong)
DIRECTOR: Domee Shi (Bao – Pixar animated short)
WRITERS: Shi (Bao); Julia Cho (Fringe, Halt and Catch Fire)
PLOT: A 13-year-old girl turns into a giant red panda when emotional.    

FULL DISCLOSURE: I love Pixar so I gave this a chance.

STORY STUFF: It was a cute story but definitely not one of Pixar’s best. I guess I was unable to relate to a thirteen-year-old Asian girl. Pixar is usually able to give me a strong emotional response and maybe a tear or two but that didn’t happen at all in this film. I think Inside Out captured some of the overall themes better. I liked that it took place in 2002 so they could play off the boy band craze but I found it bizarre that they were buying tickets to the concert from the venue on the night of the performance. Have the creators never been to a concert before? Either the characters should be buying expensive scalped tickets or this band is incredibly unpopular to still have tickets available. I was also surprised that Meilin keeps calling people jerkface and other names, I wonder how parents feel about that.

ACTING STUFF: I enjoyed the voice work of the parents; Oh adds loads of humour, sternness and emotion into her motherly role. Orion Lee adds a sense of calm as the father. Chiang get a bit too extreme at times as Meilin but that fits the story somewhat. I was disappointed that some of her friends were so one-note. Morse as Miriam is the exception as she is the most dynamic of the group but chill Priya (Maitreya Ramakrishnan) and angrily hyper Abby (Hyein Park) got too repetitive. Of all the students I’ve taught over the years, I can’t think of anyone matching Abby’s persona (thank goodness).

ARTISTIC STUFF: I like the fact that Canada was featured heavily in this film (unfortunately it was Toronto). They had the Tim Horton’s, authentic Canadian currency, multi-cultural citizens and more. Because it’s Pixar, the animation is top notch. The boy band songs and concert intro was right on the money. You can tell that the creators had a lot of fun putting this all together.

VERDICT: Three stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You like Pixar and have Disney+ and a girl.
UPCOMING REVIEW:  Remaining Oscar contenders

Film: Nightmare Alley

 

GENRE: Drama, Crime
RATING: R for bloody violence and some nudity and language
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 30 minutes
PLATFORM: Download
STARRING: Bradley Cooper (Alias, A Star is Born, American Hustle)
Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth); Rooney Mara (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)
DIRECTOR: Guillermo del Toro (Shape of Water, Pan’s Labytinth)
WRITERS: del Toro (Hellboy, Hobbit 1-3); Kim Morgan (newcomer)
PLOT: A carny can ‘read minds’ but goes on his own and gets in over his head with the wealthy elite.    

FULL DISCLOSURE: Just watching this for the Oscars.

STORY STUFF: I have a hard time seeing this winning Best Picture as it was just okay. The opening carny stuff reminded me of HBO’s Carnivale which I enjoyed a lot better. I usually like a good con artist story but this one didn’t grab me. It wasn’t slick and the pacing dragged at times. The conclusion was sad with a chilling edge which was an interesting way to end the story.

ACTING STUFF: Cooper is charming and plays the con well but I wasn’t riveted. Blanchett was too over the top for me. The film has a good cast including Willem Dafoe, Toni Colette, Richard Jenkins, Mary Steenbugen, & David Strathairn but they have all done much better work in other films.

ARTISTIC STUFF: The production design was awesome. It was my favourite part of the film. I loved the depth and furniture of the psychiatrist’s office among other things. I would be good with the film getting the Oscar for this element.

VERDICT: Two stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You appreciate interior design.
UPCOMING REVIEW:  Remaining Oscar contenders

Film: The Batman

 

GENRE: Action, Mystery
RATING: PG-13 for violent and disturbing content and strong language RUNTIME: 2 hours and 55 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Robert Pattinson (Twilight, Tenet, The Lighthouse)
Zoe Kravitz (Divergent); Jeffrey Wright (Hunger Games; Shaft)
DIRECTOR: Matt Reeves (Cloverfield, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes)
WRITERS: Reeves (Let Me In, War for the Planet of the Apes)
Peter Craig (Hunger Games Mockingjay, The Town, Bad Boys for Life)
PLOT: Batman and Jim Gordon investigate a series of political murders orchestrated by the sadistic Riddler.    

FULL DISCLOSURE: I do not like Robert Pattinson.

STORY STUFF: Okay, that was a lot better than I thought it would be, but it wasn’t amazing like the critics said. I’m a big fan of the film noir mysteriousness of the movie. The problem is that it goes on way too long. Batman solves a few riddles quickly then takes about an hour to solve another one. This movie is just way too long. They even take the James Bond route of adding another action set piece at the end of the film just because they can. Cut down the riddles a bit and remove the disaster to get to the two-hour mark and you would have an amazing film. It also doesn’t help that everyone walks really slowly through rooms. I also found it odd that people rarely call him Batman. Also, Gotham News doesn’t seem to have any problem showing highly disturbing and inappropriate content as long as they provide a warning first.

ACTING STUFF: I begrudging admit that Pattinson is really good as Batman. His demeanor and vocal tone works well; he may be the best one. I hated his Bruce Wayne though. That was terrible with his stupid hair in his face. I liked Bale’s Bruce better, then Keaton. I loved Paul Dano (Little Miss Sunshine) as The Riddler; he’s creepy then completely insane. Colin Farrell gets some fun lines as Penguin and even sounds like Danny DeVito at times.  I like Wright as Gordon but felt Oldman did it better. Kravitz is compelling as Catwoman. I was not a fan of Andy Serkis (LOTR) as Alfred. I think I dozed off during his heart to heart with Bruce.

ARTISTIC STUFF: The cinematography is top notch. There are some fantastic camera moves that looked really cool. The lighting is a bit too dark but is used effectively. The production design works well but a little too rainy for my liking. Batman’s costume is sleek and I kind of like the darkened eyes so Bruce can see easily through the cowl. Riddler’s Saw-style serial killer was a little too covered up for my liking. Also, I was not a fan of Farrell’s make-up as Penguin. He just looks scarred and bloated – a missed opportunity. I did not like the music in the film. Too much use of “Ava Maria” and some of Batman’s approach music sounded too much like Darth Vader’s Imperial March. Michael Giacchino has done far better work in the past (look at his imdb credits).     

VERDICT: Four stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You like Batman and have three hours to kill.
UPCOMING REVIEW:  Remaining Oscar contenders

Film: CODA

 

GENRE: Drama, Comedy
RATING: PG-13 for language and sexual content
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 51 minutes
PLATFORM: Apple TV+
STARRING: Emilia Jones (Locke & Key); Troy Kotsur (The Number 23)
Marlee Matlin (Children of a Lesser God, West Wing, Quantico)
DIRECTOR: Sian Heder (newcomer)
WRITER: Heder (Orange is the New Black)
PLOT: A child of deaf adults needs to help her family’s fishing business while trying to pursue her love of music.   

FULL DISCLOSURE: Watched this without the subtitles.

STORY STUFF: I didn’t think this film would affect me the way it did. It kind of snuck up on me. The story is at times heartbreaking and at other times inspirational and other times really funny. I often found myself empathizing with Jones’ Ruby, imagining what I would do if I was in the same situation. I admit there was a welling of the eyes a few times. There are some moments in the film, where things could be resolved a lot faster if people would just say what was actually going on in their lives. Speaking of miscommunicating, I watched a downloaded version of the film instead of taking the time to set up my Apple TV+ of which I am a subscriber. My version didn’t have subtitles. That could have been helpful. However, I’m amazed at how much I got anyway and still loved the film.

ACTING STUFF: Kotsur is fantastic and deservedly won the SAG award for Supporting Actor. He better get the Oscar. His expressiveness and emotion is pitch perfect even if I didn’t understand everything he signed. It was that powerful. Jones plays the teenager torn between two worlds incredibly well. She also has a great singing voice.

ARTISTIC STUFF: Which school choir sings “Let’s Get It On”? That seems incredibly inappropriate. Reminds of Glee where the teacher is singing explicitly sexual songs with his students. What I did appreciate was the use of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now” which seemed forever connected to Love Actually. I liked it better here. I also liked the cinematography and use of rack focus.     

VERDICT: Four and half stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You want to be moved by a heartwarming story.
UPCOMING REVIEW: The Batman 

February TV Checklist

 

Half of February was dominated by The Winter Olympics, so there’s not that much to share. Here’s what I was watching this past month.

THE OLYMPICS (CBC)
It’s not as fun to watch with the drastic time zone difference. We ended up fast forwarding a lot of stuff. That’s a lot of rocks for curling, let’s just forward to the final three or four. I loved watching snowboard cross; that was fun. I don’t understand the four-man bobsled when the difference between first and seventh is literally a fraction of a second, oh, and the Germans seems to have magical sleds. I also wonder who thought two-man luge was a good idea. Anyway, I’m Olympic-ed out.

SEVERENCE (APPLETV+)
The pacing is pretty slow but I’m intrigued. It definitely has an extended Black Mirror vibe. I do enjoy the characters with exception of Patricia Arquette’s role; she’s not pulling me in. Only three eps in but I’ll stick it out to see where it goes.

THE AFTERPARTY (APPLETV+)
This show is great. It’s a well plotted murder mystery with lots of fun elements. Each episode is from a different suspect’s point of view and done with a different genre as well: one is animated, one is more action-packed, one is a romantic comedy. My favourite is Ben Schwartz and his musical version. Schwartz plays the high-energy role he always plays (Parks & Rec, House of Lies, Space Force) but darn it if it isn’t entertaining. Looking forward to the big conclusion this week.

SPACE FORCE (NETFLIX)
I love the cast of the show and the premise has potential but the writing is just not there. While Steve Carrell get a couple of goofy moments, he often has to play the straight man. Really liked Jimmy O Yang (Silicon Valley) this season. I wonder if it will get picked up for more?

PAM & TOMMY (HULU/DISNEY+)
This was pure morbid curiosity. I remember when their sex tape was in the news. Lily James & Sebastian Stan embody Pam and Tommy well. And boy do we see a lot of their bodies, a little too much at times. Seth Rogen awkwardness as the contractor who stole the tape was pretty entertaining. Why this is eight episodes instead of a two-part TV-movie is beyond me.

PEACEMAKER (HBO)
That was so much fun. I was thoroughly entertained. I loved the plot and the characters had great chemistry. James Gunn is amazing. And I still love that opening title sequence.

BILLIONS (SHOWTIME)
I like the Olympic bid storyline they have going on. Get rid of Wendy and Taylor though; they’ve overstayed their welcome.

AMAZING RACE (CBS)
The all-male team has a little too much testosterone at times; calm down. I didn’t realize how beautiful Corsica is; might have to visit it sometime.

JEOPARDY (SYNDICATION)
Watching this and the double-header college tournament is too much Jeopardy in one night. My brain is full.

THE GILDED AGE (HBO)
Couldn’t give it a few episodes; I didn’t care what was going on. The main character is boring and the servants don’t hold a candle to the Downton Abbey downstairs crew. Christine Baranski gets some fun lines but not enough to keep me interested. 

Film: Licorice Pizza

 

GENRE: Drama, Comedy, Romance
RATING: R for language and sexual material
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 13 minutes
PLATFORM: Download
STARRING: Alana Haim (newcomer; Haim music videos)
Cooper Hoffman (newcomer; son of Philip Seymour Hoffman)
DIRECTOR: Paul Thomas Anderson (Magnolia, The Master)
WRITER: P.T. Anderson (Punch-Drunk Love, Boogie Nights)
PLOT: 25-year-old Alana strikes up a friendship with 15-year-old Gary who wants to be more than friends.   

FULL DISCLOSURE: Just watching this for Oscars.

STORY STUFF: It’s a coming of age story in the San Fernando Valley in 1973. There are lots of back and forth dialogue that prides itself on its repetitiveness. There are a few quirky characters and moments but that’s to be expected from PT Anderson. Maybe I missed something but I’m not sure how the teenager was able to run a couple of businesses. Was he just a smooth talker? In any case, the story didn’t grab me. Maybe if I was a teenage in the seventies I would feel nostalgic about it. Oh well.

ACTING STUFF: Hoffman does well for his first foray in film. He is outgoing and interesting. Haim plays the conflicted young adult trying to find her way well. I like that she had her actual family play her family in the film. The Sean Penn and Tom Waits cameos didn’t do much for me. I enjoyed Bradley Cooper’s mini-part; he’s so sleazy.

ARTISTIC STUFF: The seventies are well represented in this film. The film colouring and music play a big part as does the fashion. Anderson knows how to set a mood and time period.    

VERDICT: Two stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You want to watch all the Oscar best picture nominees.       
UPCOMING REVIEW: The Batman 

Film: Uncharted

 

GENRE: Adventure
RATING: PG-13 for some violence and language
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 56 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Tom Holland (Spider-Man trilogy; Onward; Current War)
Mark Wahlberg (The Departed, 2 Guns); Sophia Ali (Grey’s Anatomy)
DIRECTOR: Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland; Venom)
WRITERS: Art Marcum & Matt Holloway (Iron Man; MiB: International),
Rafe Judkins (Chuck)
PLOT: Nathan Drake teams up with a treasure hunter to find lots of gold and learn more about his missing brother.  

FULL DISCLOSURE: Low expectations; just wanted some fun.

STORY STUFF: Of course, people will compare this adventure to Indiana Jones or at least Jungle Cruise. I’d say it falls in between but closer to the latter. While there are some fun action pieces and eureka problem solving, there are many ridiculous plot holes and conveniences throughout. I often found myself thinking, “So, you’re telling me in all this time, no one . . .“  But, it’s a fun ride regardless of poor choices and defiance of physics. It’s a video game movie. What more can you really expect? At least they didn’t totally blow it like Assassin’s Creed.

ACTING STUFF: Holland is his charismatic self. He plays well with Wahlberg who’s seems to just have fun being along for the ride. Ali plays it hot and cold so I didn’t really find myself rooting for her at all. The bad people played by Antonio Banderas and Tati Gabrielle (who has terrible peripheral vision) are nothing to write home about. Just watch this for Holland and Wahlberg.

ARTISTIC STUFF: The production design is well done. While I’m sure there were visual effects that slipped by me, the plane cargo in the air chase scene was pretty heavy handed. Tom Cruise would have insisted on doing it himself if this was Mission: Impossible.   

VERDICT: Three and half stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You like to see Tom Holland do action stuff.      
UPCOMING REVIEW: The Batman 

Superbowl Commercials 2022

 

Still annoyed that I have to scour the internet for Superbowl commercials because Canada refuses to let us watch the American feed. This year, it seemed like a lot of ads wanted to bring back some old favourites. We had Meadow driving the Sopranos route to meet up with AJ in her Chevy. Jim Carrey returned as the cable guy confounded by Verizon’s wireless contraption. And Scrubs faves, Zach and Donald sang about Verizon deals. You can find those on your own, here are ten I thought I’d share in alphabetical order.

AMAZON
It’s a cute ad mostly because I think Colin and Scarlet look cute together.

COINBASE
Apparently this ad crashed their app. Will it make it to the corner?

CUTWATER SPIRITS
Love the parody of Apple’s iconic ad with a tribute to the lazy ones.

DORITOS
I love sloths.

E-TRADE
The baby’s retirement reminded me of Dexter’s original finale. Such a bizarre choice. But then again, it’s a bizarre concept to begin with.

FTX
I like Larry David’s skepticism. I’m in the same boat with crypto-currency.

GM
Dr. Evil and his cronies are back. Love his interactions with Scott.

JEEP
Brilliant concept of Bill Murray loving his repeated Groundhog Day so he can enjoy all his adventures with his Jeep. This was one was my favourite.

LAY’S
Love Seth and Paul’s flashbacks and the reveal of the bride.

ROCKET MORTGAGE
I thought the concept was clever. However, there is a lot of annoying aspects to this commercial. Don’t know how to rate this one.

There you go.

January TV Checklist

 

So, I thought I’d try something a little different especially as there is not much stuff to watch in the theatre right now. I’m a big fan of television but I don’t focus on it as much on this blog. Instead of waiting for my year end top choices, I thought I should give a monthly update on the shows I’m watching. (I’ll forgo the re-watch stuff though.) As these shows are all in different parts of their seasons/series, it seems unfair to rank them or even give a letter grade at this point. I thought it would be enough to share some of my thoughts on each show. Let me know what you think in the comments below or write something on Facebook. Would like to know if it’s worth doing. Enjoy.

THIS IS US (NBC)
With only 18 episodes in this final season, why are we focusing on periphery characters like Nick or Jack’s mother who we barely know? Let’s wrap things up properly with the main cast and have a good cry.

AMAZING RACE (CBS)
Love that this show is back on the air. I loved the premiere as I have been at some of the locations. The pandemic nineteen-month pause was a major twist. Why contestants who can’t run or drive stick or jump off high things apply for this show makes me shake my head every time.

PEACEMAKER (HBO)
The opening title sequence is enough of a reason to watch this show. It is awesome and one of the best TV opening titles of all time. The show is also really well done. James Gunn is writing all the episodes and it shows. It’s full of intriguing mystery/drama, big budget action and bizarre but hysterical humour. It’s also extreme so it’s not for everyone.

OZARK (NETFLIX)
I found this first half of the final season much better than the last. Wendy’s brother got really annoying. This season I’m loving Jonah and there are some pretty tense episodes. Gotta wait for the second half now.

AFTER LIFE (NETFLIX)
Ricky Gervais strikes a fascinating tone for this show. There are some really funny parts and really melancholy moments. It’s hard to know how to react at times. The seasons are short like British shows often are but at least Gervais went for a third season for the first time. Wish there was less focus on the side characters and more on Tony’s relationships.

MACGRUBER (SHOWTIME)
I thought the trio mini-sketches on SNL were funny. I was surprised that the movie had a bunch of laughs as they stretched the character further. A full series is not working for me though. There’s a chuckle here and there but not enough to make me care to tune in each week. Apparently, ninety minutes is my limit on Will Forte’s MacGyver parody.

BOOK OF BOBA FETT (DISNEY+)
Snoresville. I hope this book is only one volume. The Mandalorian is so much better. Boba hanging with quiet Sand People is not that adventurous. Their best episode so far was the one that almost exclusively featured The Mandalorian. Go figure.

JEOPARDY (SYNDICATION)
There is something about watching a contestant on a long winning streak that keeps me on the edge of my seat. Ken Jennings also came off well during these past few weeks hosting, no offense to Mayim Bialik.

ORDINARY JOE (NBC)
I gave up. I liked the premise at first and I like to support shows that try something different. Lord knows we have enough medical dramas and shows about the FBI. At the start, I just didn’t like the mopey nurse Joe. Now, all three are insufferable. Plots are getting predictable and outright ridiculous. I tried hard to like it but I just couldn’t do it any longer.

THE WONDER YEARS (ABC)
Still enjoying this show but mostly for Dule Hill as the dad. Its low ratings make me thinks this show will be one and done.

YOUNG SHELDON (CBS)
The Sheldon and Mother storylines are only so-so. Missy is awesome and I’m loving Georgie’s style when it comes to comedy. But the real kicker is watching the emotional moments and struggles of Sheldon’s dad. He’s pretty much the heart of the show right now.

BILLIONS (SHOWTIME)
I miss Damian Lewis but am enjoying Corey Stoll. Still loving Wags and Chuck has been getting so much better. Wendy and Taylor have overstayed their welcome. Let’s see how this final season plays out.

THE GILDED AGE (HBO)
Only saw the pilot episode so far. It has some of the good qualities of Downton Abbey but I’m not drawn to the servants as much. I’ll give it a few more episodes to see how things play out.

THE CHASE (ABC)
Love the trivia. Hate the long explanations of rules and lighting changes. Have to keep my finger on the remote to fast forward those. It seems like a lot of mental work only to get picked off by the chasers and get nothing.

THE SIMPSONS (FOX)
Only episode this January was a football themed one. It was fittingly dedicated to the late John Madden but the episode was not as funny as it could have been.

 Until next month . . . 

Film: Scream (2022)

GENRE: Horror
RATING: R for bloody violence and strong language
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 54 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Melissa Barrera (In the Heights, Spanish TV shows)
Jenna Ortega (upcoming Wednesday, You); Jack Quaid (Hunger Games)
DIRECTORS: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett (Ready or Not)
WRITERS: James Vanderbilt (Zodiac) & Guy Busick (Ready or Not)
PLOT: Another Ghostface terrorizes Woodsboro and those linked to the original film.

FULL DISCLOSURE: The only horror franchise I watch.

STORY STUFF: What I appreciate about the Scream franchise is that it fills its horror flicks with lots of meta (self-referential) dialogue and moments. This one brings a whole new level to meta. The verbal dissection of scenes and previous installments is quite funny. They even address the fact that this Scream film doesn’t bother putting a ‘5’ after it. Along with the characters being too clever for their own good, there is a decent murder mystery to solve. I mean, I pretty much had it figured out early on but it was fun to see it played out. There is one scene that is utterly ridiculous though - Woodsboro Hospital apparently has only one patient and no nurses or doctors during one of their shifts. Where did everyone go? If Ghostface got to them, I would like to see the storage closet that is stacked with gutted hospital staff. Maybe they all refused to get vaccinated and were sent home. In any case, it was some lazy writing. I was also surprised at lack of neighborhood traffic when people are getting killed on their front lawn in broad daylight. For a town that is home to multiple mass murders and plenty of copycats, you would think that Woodsboro would heighten security around the anniversary of the famous stabbings. Oh well, I’ll suspend my disbelief and enjoy the mayhem and fun dialogue.

ACTING STUFF: Lots of overdramatic screams and accusations abound from this cast of characters. The legacy characters of Sydney, Gale and Dewey bring their wisdom and tiredness. The new kids are pretty typical for a horror film. The stand out for me was Jack Quaid (Dennis & Meg’s kid) who plays the main character’s boyfriend who hasn’t seen the Stab films and wants to survive. His ending of a party and refrain of “I’m saving your life” was a highlight.  

ARTISTIC STUFF: This Scream installment seemed more bloody than previous ones. Lots of multiple stabs instead of a couple well-placed thrusts. The film does a great job of setting up the jump-scare at times. There’s a fun scene where Dylan Minnette (13 Reasons Why) is setting a table and keeps opening doors. Love the playfulness. It was also nice to welcome back Nick Cave’s “Red Right Hand” which was featured in each Scream film except 4.  

VERDICT: Three and half stars out of five
SEE IT IF: If you’ve seen the previous Scream films.     
UPCOMING REVIEW: The Tragedy of Macbeth 

2022 Film Preview

 

Here are the films that look interesting for the new year. Again, I am basing a lot of my picks on the people involved, familiarity, or an interesting plot description. My opinions may change closer to the release dates. Here they are:

Jan.14 Scream
Only horror franchise I watch. Worried there's no Wes Craven though.
Feb.11 Death on the Nile
I like a good Agatha Christie. Hope Branagh improves over the last one.
Feb.18 Uncharted
Tom Holland is on a winning streak and the trailer looks like fun.
Mar.04 The Batman
Not a fan of Robert Pattinson but I like the superhero so I will give it a try.
Mar.25 The Lost City
Silly premise but Sandra Bullock & Channing Tatum seem funny together.
Apr.08 Bullet Train
A bunch of assassins on the same train. Brad Pitt is part of the fun cast.
Apr.22 The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
A broke Nicholas Cage plays himself who’s recruited for a mission. Bizarre.
May.06 Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
I’ve been enjoying Benedict Cumberbatch’s role in the MCU.
May.27 Top Gun: Maverick
Not a huge fan of the planes but I’ll watch Tom Cruise in most things.
Jun.10 Jurassic World Domination
I’ve watched the other ones so I might as well see Chris Pratt finish it.
Jun.17 Lightyear
Not a fan of the trailer, but it’s Pixar so I’ll have to keep optimistic.
Jun.24 Elvis
Baz Luhrmann directs. Tom Hanks is Col. Parker. I’m there.
Jul.01 Minions: The Rise of Gru
Love the little yellow guys. It’s been a while since their last outing.
Jul.08 Thor: Love and Thunder
I like MCU films. I like Natalie Portman. Hope it’s more like Ragnarok.
Sep.30 Mission: Impossible 7
I love this franchise. I’m eagerly awaiting for more of Ethan Hunt & crew.
Oct.07 Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One)
The first animated film was awesome. Looks likes it’s getting bigger.
Oct.21 Ticket to Paradise
Premise looks dumb but it has George Clooney & Julia Roberts. Sure.
Nov.11 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Not sure how it will proceed without Boseman but it’s MCU so I’m game.
Nov.23 Creed III
I have enjoyed Michael B Jordan in this Rocky continuation.
Nov.23 The Fabelmans
Spielberg drama based on Spielberg’s own childhood. Don’t like the title.
Dec.16 Avatar 2
Will it actually come out this year? I wouldn’t put money on it.

2022 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.
(Green = New Series, Grey=New Season, Blue=Continuing Season from Fall)

The Simpsons (Jan.2)
Ordinary Joe (Jan.3)
This Is Us: Season 6 begins (Jan.4)
The Amazing Race: Season 33 begins (Jan.5)
The Chase: Season 3 begins (Jan.5)
The Wonder Years (Jan.5)
Young Sheldon (Jan.6)
MacGruber premieres Sun. Jan.9 on Showcase
Will Forte’s mini-sketches begat a movie which begat this series.
Peacemaker premieres Thu. Jan.13 on HBO Max
Spin-off of Suicide Squad with James Gunn writing every episode. Sold.
Ozark: Season 4 begins (Jan.21)
Billions: Season 6 begins (Jan.23)
The Gilded Age premieres Mon. Jan.24 on HBO
From the creator of Downton Abbey a look at the 1880’s in America.
The Afterparty premieres Fri.Jan.28 on Apple TV+
Comedy murder-mystery with each ep from a different perspective.
The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window premieres Fri.Jan.28 on Netflix
Kristen Bell in an eight-episode spoof of psychological thriller genre films
Severance premieres Fri.Feb.18 on Apple TV+
A procedure that divides work and personal memories, what could go wrong?
Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber premieres Sun.Feb.27 on Showtime
Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Travis Kalanick trying to get Uber started.
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Season 9 (Feb TBA)
Mr. Mayor: Season 2 begins (Mar.15)
Atlanta: Season 3 begins (Mar.24)
Saturday Night Live (Jan TBA)
The Good Doctor (TBA)
Barry: Season 3 (TBA)
Better Call Saul: Season 6 (TBA)