Film: tick, tick . . . BOOM!

 

GENRE: Musical, Drama, Biography
RATING: PG-13 for some strong language and drug references
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 55 minutes
PLATFORM: Netflix
STARRING: Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge, Amazing Spider-Man)
Robin de Jesus (Boys in the Band); Alexandra Shipp (Love, Simon)
DIRECTOR: Lin-Manuel Miranda (newcomer – but wrote Hamilton)
WRITER: Steven Levenson (Dear Evan Hansen, Fosse/Verdon)
PLOT: A promising, young theatre composer tries to get his first musical produced for Broadway.  

FULL DISCLOSURE: I’m actually not a fan of Rent. Sue me.

STORY STUFF: I often enjoy stories that explore the creative process. This one is no exception. I love seeing writers work through writer’s block; getting inspired by big and small things; navigating victories and failures; and learning more about themselves. This film has all of that as Miranda and Levenson adapt Rent composer Jonathan Larson’s one-man autobiographical performance. The story is well-paced as it jumps from short performance pieces to longer vignettes of Larson’s life as he writes a musical called Superbia. If you like musicals, you’ll probably like this.

ACTING STUFF: Garfield does a stellar job as Jonathan Larson. I didn’t know he could sing that well. There a few times he’s too whiny and there are moments where he sounds a bit like Miranda, but overall, awesome work. While the rest of the cast brings their A game, the highlight for me is a scene that takes place in the famous Moondance Diner (Monica and Mary Jane worked there) where there is a fantasy sequence that includes a large number of famous Broadway stars. I didn’t know all of them but I could pick out 2/3rds. Must have been a fun day of shooting.

ARTISTIC STUFF: If you are looking for songs from Miranda, there aren’t any. All songs are from Larson. There is a relationship song that reminded me of “We Both Reached for the Gun” from Chicago. I wonder who influenced whom? Miranda does a fantastic job of moving the camera around and creating dynamic fantasy sequences. Along with the diner scene, I particularly liked the scene at the swimming pool. I’m sure there were a number of Rent Easter eggs in this film, but they didn’t stick out to me except maybe Vanessa Hudgens lending a hand.    

VERDICT: Four and half stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You love musicals and the creative process.
UPCOMING REVIEW: Being the Ricardos, West Side Story

Film: Ghostbusters Afterlife

 

GENRE: Adventure, Comedy
RATING: PG-13 for supernatural action
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 4 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Paul Rudd (Ant-Man, Perks of Being a Wallflower )
Mckenna Grace (Gifted; I, Tonya); Finn Wolfhard (It, Stranger Things)
DIRECTOR: Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking, Juno, Up in the Air)
WRITERS: Jason Reitman (Up in the Air) & Gil Kenan (newcomer)
PLOT: A single mom and her two kids find out that they have a significant connection to the original Ghostbusters.  

FULL DISCLOSURE: I’m very nostalgic for the original Ghostbusters.

STORY STUFF: Wow! That was fantastic! I may have been a bit skeptical, especially after the disappointing female version, but this reboot/continuation was awesome. I cared about each and every character, there were lots of laughs and some great emotional hooks, there is plenty of respect for the past while foraging some new ground. I will say that before seeing this, you should really watch or rewatch the original 1984 Ghostbusters to truly appreciate this film. (No need to watch the sequel or the female reboot.) I was impressed with great pacing, the Easter eggs, and the respectful way they incorporated Egon. This was a treat to watch. The two post-credit sequences seemed odd but whatever.

ACTING STUFF: Rudd brings the charm but it’s the kids that really blow me away in this film. Wolfhard has some great teenager lines and is a bit less awkward than in past performances. Grace does a fantastic job bringing us along on her journey. She also has great comic timing. But it’s newcomer Logan Kim who steals the show as the hilarious kid, self-named Podcast. Every line out of his mouth made me laugh and smile. Kudos to the casting folks who found this kid. He is freaking awesome.    

ARTISTIC STUFF: The special effects stuff has call-backs to the original but is clearly better animated for today’s audience. Having watched the original a couple days ago it was uncanny with some of the similarities. The set design, the costumes, the VHS choices, the mini Stay Puft Marshmallow guy, they all work so well. I do find it funny that the score has hints of The A-Team but so did the original, so I can’t fault them for that. This film is well worth your time.  

VERDICT: Five stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You enjoyed the original Ghostbusters and want the same fun.
UPCOMING REVIEW: Being the Ricardos, West Side Story

Film: Red Notice

 

GENRE: Action, Comedy
RATING: PG-13 for violence and some strong language
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 58 minutes
PLATFORM: Netflix
STARRING: Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool, Free Guy, Van Wilder)
Dwayne Johnson (Jungle Cruise); Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman)
DIRECTOR: Rawson Marshall Thurber (Dodgeball, Skyscraper)
WRITER: Thurber (Dodgeball, Central Intelligence, Skyscraper)
PLOT: An Interpol agent works with an art thief to catch another thief.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Just wanted a fun film to watch.

STORY STUFF: It’s a breezy action film with some fun hijinks and somewhat predictable plot twists. There’s a kind of Indiana Jones meets buddy caper mix going on which can be quite entertaining. The pace is pretty good and it’s pretty easy to follow along. Learning that the director also did the hilarious Dodgeball and the silly Skyscraper Die Hard knockoff makes a lot of sense when watching this film.

ACTING STUFF: Reynolds is always a treat to watch. He has fun one-liners throughout the film and steals the show (pun intended). The Rock has to play second fiddle and is okay but has better chemistry with Jason Statham. Gadot has some great moves and some very fun moments but didn’t add as much to the film as I wanted. I wouldn’t say that any of the three leads are stretching themselves in these roles. They’ve played them before, just not together. In that way, the film seems a little cookie cutter when there was more potential. There is a fun music artist cameo near the end that was pretty priceless.   

ARTISTIC STUFF: I actually enjoyed a lot of the action cinematography. The camera movements had a nice tempo and sweeping nature. It wasn’t the in-your-face headache inducing Red Bull cinematography of Michael Bay. Unfortunately, there are a bunch of CG stuff that is quite sad, especially the bull scene. Also, the music seemed like it wanted to go all Marvel Avengers-like for some reason.

VERDICT: Three and half stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You enjoy Reynold’s comedy and don’t want to think much
UPCOMING REVIEW: Ghostbusters: Afterlife

Film: Eternals

 

GENRE: Action, Drama
RATING: PG-13 for violence, some language and brief sexuality
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 37 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Gemma Chan (Transformers: The Last Knight)
Richard Madden (Game of Thrones); Kumail Nanjiani (The Big Sick)
DIRECTOR: Chloe Zhao (Nomadland)
WRITERS: Zhao (Nomadland); Patrick Burleigh (Peter Rabbit 2);
Ryan & Kaz Firpo (newcomers)
PLOT: A team of powerful heroes try to save the world when one of them is taken out.

FULL DISCLOSURE: My expectations were pretty low for a Marvel film.

STORY STUFF: My first question is why? Why do we need to be introduced to a whole new group of superheroes? While there were a couple fun characters, I’m not itching to see most of them interact with the rest of the MCU. A quick side note - I’m sure Eternals were first but Ikaris just reminded me of Homelander from The Boys. The story has some good action moments but gets bogged down with long emotional stares and too many flashbacks. I blame Zhao for the slow pace. I also saw a couple twists coming from a mile away. And because I don’t read the comic books, I had to do a bunch of research to figure out why I should care about the two post-credit sequences. My worry is the MCU is going to get too big where I find myself numb and not caring like I used to. I hope I’m wrong.

ACTING STUFF: Thank goodness for Nanjiani; he saved the film for me. His quick humour and keen moments of insight was a breath of fresh air. He can join the Avengers at any time. I also enjoyed the work of Chan and Brian Tyree Henry (Atlanta). Was not a fan of Barry Keoghan as Druig or Madden – they just rubbed me the wrong way. It was nice to see a lighter side of Kit Harrington (Game of Thrones) though. I did not understand why Angelina Jolie was in this film. She didn’t add much and made things slower.

ARTISTIC STUFF: There are some great special effects throughout the film but I expect that of Marvel. The sinewy Deviants were well constructed and menacing. The forest scene, however, was lit way too dark for a Marvel film – it reminded me of DC schlock.

VERDICT: Two and half stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You want to prepare yourself for future Marvel films
UPCOMING REVIEW: Ghostbusters: Afterlife

Film: The French Dispatch

GENRE: Comedy, Drama
RATING: R for graphic nudity, sexual references and language
                (for some reason Cineplex rates it  PG)
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 48 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Benicio Del Toro (Traffic, Sicario, The Usual Suspects)
Timothy Chalamet (Dune); Jeffrey Wright (No Time to Die, Westworld)
DIRECTOR: Wes Anderson (Grand Budapest, Moonrise Kingdom)
WRITER: Anderson (Rushmore, Royal Tennenbaums, Isle of Dogs)
PLOT: A collection of stories set in a fictional French city.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I love all things Wes Anderson.

STORY STUFF: While The Royal Tennenbaums tell their stories in chapters, The French Dispatch tell their stories in ‘standalone’ articles. There are whimsical stories of art & incarceration, love & protest, kidnapping & cuisine. Those three stories take up most of the film and they are very entertaining and well-written. My favourites though would be the initial introduction of the magazine by Angelica Huston and the description of the city of Ennui from Owen Wilson’s biking reporter.

ACTING STUFF: Anderson employs his roster of favourites including Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Frances McDormand, Adrien Brody, Edward Norton and more. Chalamet reminded me of Jason Schwartzman’s Max from Rushmore; great company to be in. Del Toro is mostly silent but fantastic as a tortured artist. I wish Christoph Waltz had more to do. The cast is great and you can tell that everyone is having a great time being in this production.

ARTISTIC STUFF: This is the most Wes Anderson-y of Wes Anderson films. It has everything you expect to find in his film: narration, whimsy, symmetry, narrator’s head in the bottom left of the screen, French music, ennui, dollhouse-style sets, object shots, stage plays, slow tracking shots, shots of letters and documents, awesome names but less family issues and robbery. This time, Anderson includes 2-D animation, fun live tableaux, and black & white cinematography (mixed with some colourful moments). The one thing I didn’t like about his stylistic stuff this time around was the intentional blurriness during some of the black and white sequences – it took me out of the story. Other than that, full of Wes Anderson goodness that I love.

VERDICT: Five stars out of five (I’m pretty biased though)
SEE IT IF: You like Wes Anderson and a quirky filming style
UPCOMING REVIEW: Eternals

Film: Dune

 

GENRE: Drama, Adventure
RATING: PG-13 for violence and some suggestive material
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 35 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Timothy Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name, Little Women)
Rebecca Ferguson (Mission: Impossible 5&6); Jason Momoa (Aquaman)
DIRECTOR: Denis Villeneuve (Arrival, Sicaro, Blade Runner 2049)
WRITERS: Jon Spaihts (Prometheus), Denis Villeneuve (newcomer)
Eric Roth (Forrest Gump, Munich, Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
PLOT: The son of a noble family is entrusted with one of the most vital elements in the galaxy.  

FULL DISCLOSURE: I haven’t read the book.

STORY STUFF: This was way better than the 1984 version. It was less confusing than I thought it would be. There are still some motivations that aren’t clear to me but I think I got most of the plot. The pacing is okay but keep in mind this is only Part One. I think one of the things that keep a film like this out of the Star Wars realm is its lack of humour. They take themselves way too seriously. Sure, the film deals with attempted genocide but I still wish there were some more lighter moments. Give me a breather.   

ACTING STUFF: Lots of serious acting. The cast brings it. I particularly enjoyed the repartee between Chalamet’s Paul and Momoa’s Duncan but that’s also shown in the trailer. I wish there was more. Zendaya (Greatest Showman, Spider-man) doesn’t have much to do in this part. I’m assuming she has more in Part Two.   

ARTISTIC STUFF: The set design and cinematography is phenomenal. They’ll definitely be getting a bunch of Oscar nominations. The impressively large sets juxtaposed with the actors is awesome as well as the great use of light in a tight corridor. Villeneuve knows how to set a scene. It definitely deserves the big screen treatment. I enjoyed the style of the protective shields but found them quite ineffectual at times. I also really liked the design of the dragonfly ships, not sure if they were practical though. 

VERDICT: Three stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You like sand and serious acting and action
UPCOMING REVIEW: The French Dispatch

Film: No Time To Die

 

GENRE: Action, Adventure
RATING: PG-13 for violence and suggestive stuff
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 43 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Daniel Craig (Skyfall, Spectre, Casino Royale, Knives Out)
Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody); Lea Seydoux (Spectre, The Lobster)
DIRECTOR: Cari Fukunaga (True Detective, Beasts of No Nation)
WRITERS: Fukunaga (It), Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag)
Neal Purvis & Robert Wade (last six Bond films, Johnny English)
PLOT: Bond is roped into service again, this time to track down a villain with a dangerous new poison.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Been anticipating this Bond for a while.

STORY STUFF: The story is good but not great. While it’s nice to see Bond grow as a person and be willing to settle down, I really come to watch awesome action sequences with neat gadgets, sexy villainesses, and cheesy one-liners. Bond’s first action sequence is well done but most of it is also in the trailer. There’s a good line here and there. There are not too many gadgets to play with this time around. I did enjoy the Q at home scene though. I also enjoyed Ana de Armas (Knives Out) as she kicked butt in a Cuban fight scene. I wish there was more of that.

ACTING STUFF: Craig brings it as usual. While I still like Connery the best, Craig is inches from number one. The cast brings their ‘A’ game. Malek makes an okay villain. He has the tone of voice but I wish he had a little more excitement and unpredictability.  

ARTISTIC STUFF: The locations are beautiful. Love Bond’s retirement locale and the Italian town (wish they would pick a lane when driving though). The action pieces are well done. Armas’ dress is nice. Not much else to say. I didn’t find the cinematography that mesmerizing this time which is odd considering the stellar camera work in Fukunaga’s True Detective. Oh well.   

VERDICT: Three stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You like Craig’s Bond (and saw Spectre)
UPCOMING REVIEW: Dune, The French Dispatch

Film: The Many Saints of Newark

 

GENRE: Drama
RATING: R for strong language, violence and some nudity
RUNTIME: 2 hours
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Alessandro Nivola (American Hustle, Face/Off)
Ray Liotta (Goodfellas); Vera Farmiga (The Departed, Bates Motel)
DIRECTOR: Alan Taylor (Terminator Genisys, The Sopranos)
WRITERS: David Chase (The Sopranos, Rockford Files)
Lawrence Konner (Planet of the Apes (2001), Mona Lisa Smile)
PLOT: A backstory about young Tony Soprano and the uncle he idolizes, Dickie Moltisanti (Christopher’s dad).

FULL DISCLOSURE: Loved Sopranos but went in with low expectations

STORY STUFF: This film only works if you’ve seen The Sopranos; it’s not for newbies. It was neat seeing some of the backstory as to why the characters are the way they are. There were also some fun references to the TV show. Overall though, the story was just okay. It was like an extended episode with more budget. Despite some good moments, it doesn’t hold a candle to such Sopranos classics like ‘Pine Barrens’ or ‘Long Term Parking’. I wish the story went into how Tony became a boss and Paulie and Silvio worked for him. Also, Big Pussy is not given much to do. Maybe they’ll make another one.

ACTING STUFF: The casting is incredible. The characters are the reason to watch this film. Nivola is engaging as Dickie. Farmiga channels Tony’s mom beautifully. There’s a scene between her and teenage Tony in the kitchen that was perfectly done. I could picture this same conversation with their older counterparts. Corey Stoll (Billions) nails Uncle Junior in cadence and tone. Billy Magnussen (Games Night) does Paulie Walnuts proud with his attention to nails and suits. John Magaro (The Big Short) has the perfect Silvio look and mannerism. I think the head tilt goes a little far though and borders on caricature. Ray Liotta chews up the scenery as Hollywood Dick then gives a steady performance. Michael Gandolfini (Ocean’s 8) is most like his dad in the kitchen scene and after getting hung up on the telephone. I loved the casting of William Ludwig (newcomer) as younger Tony as he looked just like AJ. Kudos to casting by Douglas Aibel and the performances from these awesome actors.

ARTISTIC STUFF: The look is very Sopranos like. The music matches what I would expect from an episode. There’s not much to say here.

VERDICT: Three stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You’ve seen The Sopranos and are curious for more.=
UPCOMING REVIEW: No Time to Die

Film: Dear Evan Hansen

 

GENRE: Musical, Drama
RATING: PG-13 for brief language and thematic material
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 17 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Ben Platt (Pitch Perfect; The Politician)
Kaitlyn Dever (Booksmart); Amy Adams (Enchanted)
DIRECTOR: Stephen Chbosky (Perks of Being a Wallflower, Wonder)
WRITER: Steven Levenson (Masters of Sex, Fosse/Verson)
PLOT: A high school student finds himself involved with a family whose son has committed suicide.

FULL DISCLOSURE: This is one of my favourite Broadway musicals.

STORY STUFF: I think this film adaptation was pretty good. I disagree with the Rotten Tomatoes critics who were bent on trashing this musical for its melodrama. It’s like they haven’t seen a staged musical before. The story is pretty faithful. They did remove a few parent songs including ‘Anybody Have a Map’, ‘To Break in a Glove’ and ‘Good for You’. While a couple of those are good songs they didn’t seem necessary as the focus was more on the kids. I did miss the song ‘Disappear’ which includes more involvement from Connor. I guess the main reason was to give Alana more story as the architect of the Connor Project. I did enjoy her new song ‘Anonymous’ and the new final song which is way more fitting. In fact, I thought the ending was a lot more clear and clean in this film version. There were tears throughout the movie; I’m not at all ashamed to admit it. Bring tissues.

ACTING STUFF: After the initial trailer I was worried that Platt looked too old to be playing a Grade 12 student. In a matter of minutes, he sold me with his performance. He plays the anxiousness and depression perfectly with his vocal stutters and making himself as small as possible. He is a gifted performer who gives his heart to every song and line. I was also a fan of Dever who plays Zoe beautifully. Amandla Stenberg give more depth to Alana thanks to her increased lines and song. Amy Adams and Julianne Moore are wonderfully maternal and I’m glad they both get a chance to sing.

ARTISTIC STUFF: When it comes to the choreography for the musical numbers, it is pretty minimal as the focus is on the emotional impact instead of spectacle. Of course, ‘Sincerely Me’ is the standout for production value. If you haven’t heard the musical numbers before, they are written by the duo behind La La Land and Greatest Showman, so expect awesome stuff. One thing I found weird was how big the kid’s rooms were. They were like the size of my apartment’s living room. I wish I had that much floor space when I was a teen. My librarian wife often looks at books on shelves in the background. She hilariously pointed out that the school library had a Danielle Steele novel on their shelf. Steamy.  

VERDICT: Four and half stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You like Broadway musicals and don’t mind crying
UPCOMING REVIEW: Many Saints of Newark

2021 Emmy Awards WrapUp

 

I enjoyed the lower-key Emmys this year. I preferred the tables and smaller space rather than a giant auditorium. I did okay with 17 out of 24 categories (I count predicted and wanted as wins). I was not a fan of Cedric the Entertainer as host; he had a couple good jokes but most the comedy bits were cringingly bad. I was also not a fan of Reggie Watts as the DJ. I understand that he’s part of the package with CBS but give me Questlove any day. When it came to the nominees, I enjoyed the clip packages that didn’t shortchange the lead categories like they sometimes do. I was happy with almost all the winners, though I feel I should watch Hacks and I May Destroy You now. I was impressed that The Crown folks were still rockin’ it at 4am in London when they received their best drama series award. I also love the theme for Ted Lasso so it was great to hear it so many times tonight. Some of the speeches were well done, I especially enjoyed Evan Peters, Kate Winslet and Hannah Waddingham. I also felt bad for Jason Sudeikis who referenced Lorne Michaels as a mentor but he was ‘taking a dump’ instead. The worst speech was the director of Queen’s Gambit who went on way too long. You don’t have time to read an entire sheet of paper and wax poetic about your entire cast. Write them some personal emails and get off the stage. Though Conan lost tonight, he still made a spectacle of himself throughout the night – sometimes it was funny, other times, desperate. I was impressed with the images they use for the In Memorium segment – it looks great and tells me more about the people we lost. Speaking of losing, networks shows are hurting. Only two network shows won tonight: SNL and Colbert. Both of them for live shows. There is no way for network shows to compete with cable and streaming. I think something should be done about that. Anyway, here are the winners of the night:

THE WINNERS:

Drama Series: The Crown (Predicted & Wanted)

Comedy Series: Ted Lasso (Predicted & Wanted)

Limited Series: The Queen’s Gambit (Predicted)

Variety Talk Series: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (Wanted)

Variety Sketch Series: SNL (Predicted & Wanted)

Lead Actor [Drama]: Josh O’Connor (The Crown) (Wanted)

Lead Actress [Drama]: Olivia Coleman (The Crown)

Lead Actor [Comedy]: Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso) (Predicted & Wanted)

Lead Actress [Comedy]: Jean Smart (Hacks) (Predicted & Wanted)

Lead Actor [Limited]: Ewan McGregor (Halston)

Lead Actress [Limited]: Kate Winslet (Mare of Easttown) (Predicted & Wanted)

Supp. Actor [Drama]: Tobias Menzies (The Crown)

Supp. Actress [Drama]: Gillian Anderson (The Crown) (Predicted & Wanted)

Supp. Actor [Comedy]: Brett Goldstein (Ted Lasso) (Wanted)

Supp. Actress [Comedy]: Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso) (Wanted)

Supp. Actor [Limited]: Evan Peters (Mare of Easttown) (Predicted & Wanted)

Supp. Actress [Limited]: Julianne Nicholson (Mare of Easttown)

Directing [Drama]: The Crown – War

Directing [Comedy]: Hacks – Pilot

Directing [Limited]: Queen’s Gambit (Predicted)  

Writing [Drama]: The Crown – War (Wanted)

Writing [Comedy]: Hacks – Pilot

Writing [Limited]: I May Destroy You (Predicted)  

Writing [Variety]: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (Predicted & Wanted)

2021 Emmy Awards Predictions

 

The Emmys are this Sunday. I’m betting heavily on Ted Lasso and The Crown. The biggest fight will be between Mare of Easttown and The Queen’s Gambit. Good thing I like all of these shows. I do think it's wrong that Hamilton is running as a TV-Movie when it was running as a film for The Golden Globes. They have their Tonys and Grammys, stop trying to give them more. For the Primetime Emmys predictions, it’s same as past years: I play to win but am happy if the one I want to win takes the statue. Here now are the predictions:

Outstanding Drama Series
The Boys | Bridgerton | The Crown | The Handmaid’s Tale | Lovecraft Country | The Mandalorian | Pose | This Is Us
WILL WIN: The Crown (A strong season featuring Diana and Thatcher)
WANT TO WIN: The Crown (It ticks all the boxes)

Outstanding Comedy Series
Black-ish | Cobra Kai | Emily in Paris | The Flight Attendant | Hacks | The Kominsky Method | Pen15 | Ted Lasso
WILL WIN: Ted Lasso (Glad Schitt’s Creek is finished)
WANT TO WIN: Ted Lasso (The choice pretty obvious. It’s awesome.)

Outstanding Limited Series
I May Destroy You | Mare of Easttown | The Queen’s Gambit | The Underground Railroad | WandaVision
WILL WIN: The Queen’s Gambit (A quicker faster paced series)
WANT TO WIN: Mare of Easttown (I love myself a good mystery)

Outstanding Variety Talk Series
Conan | Daily Show with Trevor Noah | Jimmy Kimmel Live | Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | The Late Show with Stephen Colbert  
WILL WIN: Conan (A parting gift for this talk show host)
WANT TO WIN: Last Week Tonight (Blank room Oliver is just as funny)

Outstanding Variety Sketch Series
A Black Lady Sketch Show | SNL
WILL WIN: SNL (I’ll admit I haven’t seen the other one)
WANT TO WIN: SNL (Hands down)

Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Bridgerton: Rege-Jean Page | The Crown: Josh O’Connor | Lovecraft Country: Jonathan Majors | Perry Mason: Matthew Rhys | Pose: Billy Porter | This Is Us: Sterling K Brown
WILL WIN: Billy Porter (The Emmys will want to give Pose a parting gift)
WANT TO WIN: Josh O’Connor (Liked his Charles work this season)

Lead Actress in a Drama Series
The Crown: Olivia Coleman | The Crown: Emma Corrin | The Handmaid’s Tale: Elisabeth Moss | In Treatment: Uzo Aduba | Lovecraft Country:  Jurnee Smollett | Pose: Mj Rodriguez
WILL WIN: Emma Corrin (She did a fantastic job as Princess Diana.)
WANT TO WIN: Emma Corrin (Though I did enjoy Olivia Colman as well)

Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Black-ish: Anthony Anderson | Kenan: Kenan Thompson | The Kominsky Method: Michael Douglas | Shameless: William H. Macy | Ted Lasso: Jason Sudeikis
WILL WIN: Jason Sudeikis (He’s on a roll.)
WANT TO WIN: Jason Sudeikis (Love his optimistic coach. Fantastic.)

Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Black-ish: Tracee Ellis Ross | The Flight Attendant: Kaley Cuoco | Hacks: Jean Smart | Mom: Allison Janney | Shrill: Aidy Bryant
WILL WIN: Jean Smart (The Academy loves her)
WANT TO WIN: Jean Smart (She’s a hard working actress)

Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Halston: Ewan McGergor | Hamilton: Lin-Manuel Miranda | Hamilton: Leslie Odom J | The Undoing: Hugh Grant | WandaVision: Paul Bettany
WILL WIN: Hugh Grant (He plays a good scoundrel)
WANT TO WIN: Paul Bettany (I surprisingly liked his role as Vision)

Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Genius: Aretha: Cynthia Erivo | I May Destroy You: Michaela Coel | Mare of Easttown: Kate Winslet | The Queen’s Gambit: Anya Taylor-Joy | WandaVision: Elisabeth Olsen
WILL WIN: Kate Winslet (Her ‘frumpiness’ trumps chess prodigy)
WANT TO WIN: Kate Winslet (She made this series a must-see)

Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
The Crown: Tobias Menzies | The Handmaid’s Tale: O-T Fagbenle | The Handmaid’s Tale: Max Minghella | The Handmaid’s Tale: Bradley Whitford | Lovecraft Country: Michael K Williams | The Mandalorian: Giancarlo Esposito | Perry Mason: John Lithgow | This Is Us: Chris Sullivan
WILL WIN: Michael K Williams (His death only increases his odds)
WANT TO WIN: Chris Sullivan (He’s one of the best parts of This Is Us.)

Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
The Crown: Gillian Anderson | The Crown: Helena Bonham Carter | The Crown: Helena Emerald Fennell | The Handmaid’s Tale: Madeline Brewer | The Handmaid’s Tale: Ann Dowd | The Handmaid’s Tale: Yvonne Strahovski | The Handmaid’s Tale: Samira Wiley | Lovecraft Country: Aunjanue Ellis
WILL WIN: Gillian Anderson (Emmy is going to give The Crown a bunch.)
WANT TO WIN: Gillian Anderson (I enjoyed her Margaret Thatcher)

Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Hacks: Carl Clemons-Hopkins | The Kominsky Method: Paul Reiser | SNL: Kenan Thompson | SNL: Bowen Yang | Ted Lasso: Brett Goldstein | Ted Lasso: Brendan Hunt | Ted Lasso: Nick Mohammed | Ted Lasso: Jeremy Swift
WILL WIN: Brett Goldstein (Though he should win for Season 2 instead.)
WANT TO WIN: Kenan Thompson (C’mon, give the guy an acting Emmy)

Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
The Flight Attendant: Rosie Perez | Hacks: Hannah Einbinder | SNL: Aidy Bryant | SNL: Kate McKinnon | SNL: Cecily Strong | Ted Lasso: Juno Temple | Ted Lasso: Hannah Waddingham
WILL WIN: Hannah Waddingham (I think they love her karaoke singing.)
WANT TO WIN: Cecily Strong (Her Judge Pirro was fun to watch)

Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Hamilton: Daveed Diggs | Hamilton: Jonathan Groff | Hamilton: Anthony Ramos  | I May Destroy You: Paapa Essiedu | Mare of Easttown: Evan Peters | The Queen’s Gambit: Thomas Brodie-Sangster
WILL WIN: Evan Peters (I hope they don’t give to anyone in Hamilton)
WANT TO WIN: Evan Peters (Love what he brought despite his crush)

Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Hamilton: Renee Elise Goldsberry | Hamilton: Phillipa Soo | Mare of Easttown: Julianne Nicholson | Mare of Easttown: Jean Smart | The Queen’s Gambit: Moses Ingram | WandaVision: Kathryn Hahn
WILL WIN: Kathryn Hahn (She’s finally getting her due)
WANT TO WIN: Kathryn Hahn (Though I also liked Nicholson in Mare)

Directing for a Drama Series
Bridgerton • Diamond of the First Water | The Crown • Fairytale | The Crown • War | The Handmaid’s Tale • The Wilderness | The Mandalorian • The Marshal | Pose • Series Finale
WILL WIN: The Crown-Fairytale (Princess Diana’s big episode will win it)
WANT TO WIN: The Mandalorian-The Marshall (Fun Sarlaac scenes)

Directing for a Comedy Series
B Positive • Bad Choice Road | The Flight Attendant • In Case of Emergency | Hacks • Pilot | Mom • Scooby-Doo Checks and Salisbury Steak | Ted Lasso • Biscuits | Ted Lasso • The Hope That Kills You | Ted Lasso • Make Rebecca Great Again
WILL WIN: Ted Lasso-Biscuits (A great episode directed by Zach Braff)
WANT TO WIN: Ted Lasso-Biscuits (See above)

Directing for a Limited Series, Anthology or Movie
Hamilton | I May Destroy You • Ego Death | I May Destroy You • Eyes Eyes Eyes Eyes | Mare of Easttown | The Queen’s Gambit | The Underground Railroad | WandaVision
WILL WIN: The Queen’s Gambit (Great character journey)
WANT TO WIN: WandaVision (Loved the variety of classic sitcoms)

Writing for a Drama Series
The Boys • What I Know | The Crown • War | The Handmaid’s Tale • Yahlin Chang | Lovecraft Country • Sundown | The Mandalorian • The Jedi | The Mandalorian • The Rescue | Pose • Series Finale
WILL WIN: Pose-Series Finale (Emmy will want to give more to Pose)
WANT TO WIN: The Crown-War (A good showing for the three women)

Writing for a Comedy Series
The Flight Attendant • In Case of Emergency | Girls5eva • Pilot | Hacks • Pilot | Pen15 • Play | Ted Lasso • Make Rebecca Great Again | Ted Lasso • Pilot
WILL WIN: Ted Lasso-Pilot (Hopefully they don’t pick Hacks instead)
WANT TO WIN: Ted Lasso-Pilot (A great start to a great series)

Writing for a Limited Series, Movie or Special
I May Destroy You | Mare of Easttown | The Queen’s Gambit | WandaVision • All-New Halloween Spooktacular | WandaVision • Filmed Before a Live Studio Audience | WandaVision • Previously On
WILL WIN: I May Destroy You (I’ll take the one I haven’t seen)
WANT TO WIN: Mare of Easttown (Again, love myself a good mystery)

Writing for a Variety Series
The Amber Ruffin Show | A Black Lady Sketch Show | Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | The Late Show with Stephen Colbert  | SNL
WILL WIN: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (Emmys love his work)
WANT TO WIN: Last Week Tonight (Though I love Amber Ruffin)

Let’s see how I do. I’ll post after the Emmys with the results and commentary.