Movie Review: "Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay" is Way Better Than "Suicide Squad" Live-Action Movie

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 25 of 2020 (No. 1738) by Leroy Douresseaux

Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay – video (2018)

Running time:  86 minutes (1 hour, 26 minutes)

MPAA – R for strong bloody violence throughout, sexual content, brief graphic nudity and some drug material

PRODUCER/DIRECTOR:  Sam Liu

WRITER:  Alan Burnett (based on characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics)

EDITOR:  Christopher D. Lozinsk

COMPOSER:  Robert J. Kral

ANIMATION STUDIO:  DR Movie

ANIMATION/SUPERHERO/ACTION/FANTASY

Starring:  (voices) Christian Slater, Vanessa Williams, Billy Brown, Liam McIntyre, Tara Strong, Kristin Bauer van Straten, Gideon Emery, C. Thomas Howell, Jim Pirri, Dania Ramirez, Dave Fennoy, Greg Grunberg, Cissy Jones, Julie Nathanson, and James Urbaniak

Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay is a 2018 straight-to-video animated superhero film from Warner Bros. Animation.  A part of the “DC Animated Movie Universe,” this film stars the DC Comics antihero super-team, the Suicide Squad.  Hell to Pay finds the squad on a mission to obtain a powerful mystical object that a lot of other powerful people also want.

Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay opens three years in the past.  Amanda Waller (Vanessa Williams) has dispatched Task Force X, her “Suicide Squad” of super-villains and disgraced superheroes, to retrieve stolen intelligence.  By the end of the mission, Floyd Lawton a.k.a. “Deadshot” (Christian Slater) proves his absolutely loyalty to Waller.

In the present, after learning that she is diagnosed with a terminal illness, Waller reassembles Task Force X with a new roster:  Harley Quinn (Tara Strong), Captain Boomerang (Liam McIntyre), Killer Frost (Kristin Bauer van Straten), Copperhead (Gideon Emery), and Bronze Tiger (Billy Brown), with Deadshot as their leader.  Their mission is to find a man whose current identity is that of “Steel Maxim” (Greg Grunberg), a male stripper/dancer.  By a chance of … fate, Maxim is in possession of a mystical black card with the words, “Get Out of Hell Free,” emblazoned across it.  The card is indeed a magical item that will allow a person who is damned, upon death, to get out of hell free.

Task Force X, however, is not the only party interested in obtaining Maxim's card.  Professor Eobard “Zoom” Thawne, also known as “Reverse Flash” (C. Thomas Howell), and his two cohorts, Silver Banshee (Julie Nathanson) and Blockbuster (Dave Fennoy), have been chasing the card for some time.  Plus, Scandal Savage (Dania Ramirez) and her brawny girlfriend, Knockout (Cissy Jones), have their own specific reasons for wanting the card.  But there is one who seeks the card who is so cunning and so powerful that it may take all the other seekers' powers to stop him from getting it.

I rented Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay from DVD.com (Netflix) because I thought I would enjoy it and because I really enjoyed the Suicide Squad's previous appearance in an animated film, 2014's direct-to-DVD film, Batman: Assault on Arkham.  Turns out that I really enjoyed Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay.

The story, focusing on the quest for the card, is a mere contrivance, but the action, especially the brutal fights and violent battles, makes this movie a joy to watch.  There are some dry patches in this film, but the superhero-fantasy violence and the impudent, rude, murderous, and entertaining characters make up for the times when the film slows down.

Tara Strong is … strong in her voice performance as Harley Quinn.  Billy Brown is all righteousness and pathos as the thoroughly likable Bronze Tiger, and Christian Slater is surprisingly slow and steady as Deadshot.  Slater is successful in making Deadshot the center of this 15-ring circus of crazy super-powered people looking for that magical card.  I hated that live-action Suicide Squad film from 2016, and I find the Suicide Squad comic books that DC Comics has published over the last decade to be a bore.  But I am down with animated Suicide Squad.  The best thing that I can say about Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay is that after it ended, I really wanted more.

8 of 10
A

Wednesday, November 18, 2020


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Review: "Mission: Impossible - Fallout" Goes All Out

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 13 (of 2020) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)
Running time: 147 minutes; MPAA – PG-13 for violence and intense sequences of action, and for brief strong language
DIRECTOR:  Christopher McQuarrie
WRITERS:  Christopher McQuarrie (based upon the television series created by Bruce Geller)
PRODUCERS: Tom Cruise, J.J. Abrams, Christopher McQuarrie, and Jake Myers
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Rob Hardy (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Eddie Hamilton
COMPOSER: Lorne Balfe
BAFTA nominee

ACTION/ADVENTURE/SPY/THRILLER

Starring: Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Sean Harris, Vanessa Kirby Michelle Monaghan, Wes Bentley, Angela Bassett, and Alec Baldwin

Mission: Impossible – Fallout is a 2018 action-thriller and espionage film directed by Christopher McQuarrie and starring Tom Cruise.  It is the sixth film in the Mission: Impossible (M:I) film franchise, which is based on the American television series, “Mission: Impossible” (CBS, 1966-73), that was created by Bruce Geller.

Mission: Impossible – Fallout is a direct sequel to 2015's Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation.  Fallout finds the members of the Impossible Mission Force (IMF) racing against time after a mission to obtain plutonium goes wrong.

Mission: Impossible – Fallout opens two years after the events depicted in Rogue Nation, which saw Agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team take down Solomon Lane (Sean Harris), the anarchist mastermind who was the leader of the international criminal consortium, the Syndicate.  Now, the remnants of the Syndicate have reformed into the terrorist organization known as “the Apostles.”

Hunt and his two longest serving IMF teammates, technical field agent, Benjamin “Benji” Dunn (Simon Pegg), and IMF agent Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames), are in Berlin, Germany to buy three plutonium cores from Eastern European gangsters before the Apostles do.  The mission goes awry, which forces Hunt to track the cores to whomever or whatever organization now has them.  The person who may know the cores' whereabouts or have them is the mysterious Alanna Mitsopolis a.k.a. “the White Widow” (Vanessa Kirby).

Erika Sloane (Angela Bassett), the new Director of the CIA, is furious at Hunt and current Secretary of the IMF, Al Hunley (Alec Baldwin), for failing to secure the plutonium.  Director Sloane insists that one of her agents, August Walker (Henry Cavill), an assassin working for the CIA's Special Activities Division, accompany and Hunt and his IMF team to Paris to meet the Widow.  What Hunt doesn't know is that a recent ally, former MI6 agent, Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), is also tracking Hunt, and her mission may or may not be a danger to Hunt's.

I divide the six Mission: Impossible movies into two trilogies.  Mission: Impossible (1996), Mission: Impossible II (2000), and Mission: Impossible III (2006) make up the first trilogy.  Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011),  Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015), and Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018) form the second trilogy.  Each film in the first trilogy has a different director and a different tone or sensibility.  The second trilogy only has two different directors, Brad Bird for Ghost Protocol and Christopher McQuarrie for Rogue Nation and Fallout.  However, beginning with Ghost Protocol, the films depict IMF as being a team of outsiders fighting both to save the world and to justify its existence, if only for a moment of goodwill immediately after a successful mission.  Afterwards, the security state apparatus of the United States is back to mistrusting the motives of IMF or to being downright hostile to it.  This intensifies the recent films' sense of drama and also sets them apart from earlier M:I films.

The recent film, Fallout, is the best of this second trilogy or second lot of films.  It certainly lives up to both the words “mission” and “impossible” in its name.  Every thing upon which Ethan Hunt embarks is a mission; these can't be adventures or mere chases because every move has a purpose.  The “impossible” comes in because the missions always involve these impossible set pieces, and Fallout sets a new standard in M:I insane set pieces.

Tom Cruise may be Hollywood's most consistent action movie star and its most ambitious.  As of the release of Fallout, the M:I film franchise was 22-years-old, with the seventh and eighth installments already preparing for release in 2021 and 2022 respectively (as of this writing).  One can call M:I III a bit of a box office misstep (but not by much), but as of Ghost Protocol, the franchise has been bigger, better (in some ways) and tastier with each new film.  Fallout, to date, is Tom Cruise's most extravagant, deliriously fun film, blending mind-bending action set pieces with brutal, physical, man-to-man fights that are sometimes to the death.  Cruise is so hungry to blow our minds ever more with each film that he actually was hurt performing a crazy and dangerous stunt himself.

In Christopher McQuarrie, Cruise seems to have found the perfect director for his aspirations for this franchise.  McQuarrie began his Hollywood career as a screenwriter and won an Oscar for writing The Usual Suspects.  In the last decade, however, he has proved to be a director of imaginative and inventive macho films that balance high octane action and conspiratorial intrigue.  McQuarrie gives us meat-and-potatoes action films, but the meat is of a high quality and the potatoes are sustainable and artisanal.  It is no coincidence that this already-good franchise has found a way to improve since McQuarrie began directing it and writing its screenplays.

The supporting cast is also excellent, with Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg finding places to shine next to Cruise's supernova.  Angela Bassett chews up two of her scenes; it is easy to take this magnificent actress for granted.  Of course, you will regret it.  I have to admit Henry Cavill impressed me in a way he has never before, and I have to say that I loved every moment of Rebecca Ferguson.  And it is always good to see Alec Baldwin.

At the end of my review of Rogue Nation, I wrote, “Seriously, Tom Cruise is as glorious as ever as Ethan Hunt.”  That remains true, and Mission: Impossible is also as glorious as ever.  I love it so much that I will say even to people who are not fans of the franchise: see Mission: Impossible – Fallout.  For a moment while I was watching this film, I thought to myself, “M:I has replaced James Bond.”  Yikes!

9 of 10
A+

2019 BAFTA Awards:  1 nomination: “Best Sound” (Gilbert Lake, James Mather, Chris Munro, and Mike Prestwood Smith)

Saturday, May 30, 2020


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Review: "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" a Fall Off From First Film

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 3 (of 2019) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
Running time: 128 minutes (2 hours, 8 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of science-fiction violence and peril 
DIRECTOR:  J.A. Bayona
WRITERS:  Colin Trevorrow and Derek Connolly (based on characters created by Michael Crichton)
PRODUCERS:  Belen Atienza, Patrick Crowley, and Frank Marshall
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Oscar Faura (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Bernat Vilaplana
COMPOSER:  Michael Giacchino

SCI-FI/ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLER

Starring:  Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rafe Spall, Justice Smith, Daniella Pineda, Ted Levin, Geraldine Chaplin, Isabella Sermon, James Cromwell, B.D. Wong, Toby Jones, and Jeff Goldblum

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is a 2018 science fiction-thriller and dinosaur film from director J.A. Bayona.  It is the direct sequel to Jurassic World, the 2015 film that was a restart of the Jurassic Park film franchise, of which this film is the fifth installment.  Fallen Kingdom returns to Isla Nublar where an active volcano forces a rescue mission of the island's remaining dinosaurs, a mission that is not quite what it is supposed to be.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom opens on Isla Nublar, the setting of the failed dinosaur theme parks, Jurassic Park and Jurassic World, where a secret mission takes place.  A once dormant volcano on the island has roared back to life and threatens to initiate an extinction-level event for the island's remaining dinosaurs.  Benjamin Lockwood (James Cromwell) is the former partner of John Hammond, the owner of Jurassic Park and the founder of InGen (the company that first cloned dinosaurs).  Lockwood and his aide, Eli Mills (Rafe Spall), have a plan to relocate the dinosaurs to a new island sanctuary.

Lockwood summons Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), former Jurassic World operations manager, to reactivate the park's dinosaur tracking system.  She convinces Owen Grady (Chris Pratt), who trained the park's Velociraptors (raptor) to accompany her.  Grady is interested in rescuing the sole remaining raptor from his trainees, the pack leader, Blue.  With a former park technician, Franklin Webb (Justice Smith), and a paleo-veterinarian, Zia Rodriguez (Daniella Pineda), in tow, Dearing and Grady join mercenary leader, Ken Wheatley (Ted Levine), on a rescue mission to Isla Nublar.  As the volcano destroys the island, however, Dearing and Grady soon discover that not everything about this rescue mission as it is supposed to be.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom may be described as a science fiction-adventure film, but that is what the original Jurassic Park trilogy of films were.  Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, like the first film, Jurassic World, is a science fiction-action film with elements of a techno-thriller.  Hanging over Fallen Kingdom are the threats of ecological disaster and environmental or biological apocalypse.  The original Jurassic Park films were about adventure, the chase, and the escape.  The Jurassic World films are about technology and conspiracy.

Beyond that, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is a serviceable scary movie.  Director J.A. Bayona offers a by-the-numbers directing style that makes the work of Jurassic World's director, Colin Trevorrow (who returns as this film's co-screenwriter), seem more imaginative than it actually is.  At least in Jurassic World, Trevorrow was able to make the characters and their conflicts, struggles, and dilemmas seem interesting.

In Fallen Kingdom, Claire Dearing and Owen Grady are mostly wooden, except for a few moments.  When he has to play Grady as the ass-kicking hero and rescuer of white maidens in distress, Pratt does not seem to really put his heart into his performance.  I think a child playing with action figures could make his toys more convincing as heroes than Pratt in in this film.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is pass-the-time entertainment that you watch because it is the most convenient or most available thing available, the way a one-dollar McDonald cheeseburger has to satisfy your hunger because that is all that is available to you.  Would I watch Fallen Kingdom again once it starts making the basic cable movie channel rotations?  Sure, if Jurassic World is not playing.

5 of 10
C+

Friday, March 15, 2019


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site or blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: "SPIDER-MAN: Into the Spider-Verse" is One of the Greatest Superhero Films

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 2 (of 2019) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Running time:  117 minutes (1 hour, 57 minutes)
MPAA – PG for frenetic sequences of animated action violence, thematic elements, and mild language
DIRECTORS:  Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman
WRITERS:  Phil Lord and Rodney Rothman; from a story by Phil Lord (based upon the Spider-Man character created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and the Mile Morales character created by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli)
PRODUCERS:  Avi Arad, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Amy Pascal, and Christina Steinberg
EDITOR:  Robert Fisher Jr.
COMPOSER:  Daniel Pemberton
Academy Award winner

ANIMATION/SUPERHERO/ACTION/ADVENTURE/COMEDY

Starring:  (voices) Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali, Bryan Tyree Hill, Lily Tomlin, Luna Lauren Velez, Zoe Kravitz, John Mulaney, Kumiko Glenn, Nicolas Cage, Kathryn Hahn, Liev Schreiber, Chris Pine, Natalie Morales, and Stan Lee

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is a 2018 computer-animated superhero film from Sony Pictures.  It was developed by the filmmaking duo of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the writer-directors of the animated films, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009) and The Lego Movie (2014), and the live-action films, 21 Jump Street (2012) and the sequel, 22 Jump Street (2014).

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse focuses on the Marvel Comics' character, Miles Morales, an Afro-Latino teenager.  Miles takes on the Spider-Man identity when he gains spider-like powers after being bitten by a genetically-altered spider, similar to the way the original Spider-Man, Peter Parker, gained his special abilities and powers.  The film follows Miles as he becomes the Spider-Man of his reality and joins versions of Spider-Man (Spider-People) from other dimensions in order to stop a threat to all reality, the multiverse that is know as the “Spider-Verse.”

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse introduces Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), a teenager who is a fan of Spider-Man.  As the story begins, Miles is dealing with the fact that he must attend an elite boarding school, Brooklyn Visions Academy.  Although he would prefer to remain in public school, Miles must accept the decision of his parents, his mother Rio Morales (Luna Lauren Velez), a nurse, and his father, Jefferson Davis (Bryan Tyree Hill), a police officer.

Miles also has a shady uncle, his father's brother, Aaron Davis (Mahershala Ali), whom Miles visits for advice a curious girl he meets at his new school.  Aaron encourages Miles' passion for graffiti and takes him to an abandoned subway station where he can paint and draw.  It is there that a genetically-altered spider bites Miles, causing him to develop powers similar to his hero, Spider-Man.  Miles meets his hero and learns that Spider-Man is trying to stop Wilson Fisk a.k.a. “The Kingpin” (Liev Schreiber) from using a device that will give him access to parallel universes.  Now, Miles must join Spider-Man types from across the Spider-Verse to stop The Kingpin's activities from destroying all of reality.

I could talk all day about how great Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is, but I want to be more self-aware than The Kingpin is.  I will focus on two stand-out elements in this film.  First is Shameik Moore, who is great in his voice role, bringing to life a Miles Morales that is lovable and is as ground-breaking as he was in the comic books.  Moore's performance personifies the dominate theme of this film, that the novice hero grows into the role of being a mature hero, which is especially true in the case of Spider-Man.  Moore's performance also captures the one thing that has made Spider-Man popular worldwide, practically since he debut.  Because of the kind of superhero costume Spider-Man wears, anyone can be behind the mask, including an Afro-Latino teen and even a teen girl.  Moore and the filmmakers perfectly encapsulate the truth that Spider-Man is an every-man hero.

The second thing about this film I want to highlight is its fantastic animation, eye-popping visuals, and breath-taking graphic design.  The film combines the in-house computer animation of Sony Pictures Imageworks with traditional hand-drawn comic book techniques, much of it inspired by the work of Miles Morales's co-creator, artist Sara Pichelli (who created the character with writer Brian Michael Bendis) and artist Robbi Rodriguez, co-creator of Spider-Gwen/Spider-Woman.  Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse blends 3D computer animation with the 2D sensibilities of comic book graphics, graffiti, collage, mixed media, and street art to create the visual look for the film that is thoroughly modern, but also reflects the visuals and graphics of 1960s Marvel Comics titles, especially the quintessential Spider-comic, The Amazing Spider-Man.

Apparently, 2D artists took the renderings of 3D computer-animators and drew on top of those renderings various comic book drawing techniques, including line work, dots, and painting.  The combination of 2D and 3D makes much of the film look like a series of comic book panels, so there are times that Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is like a comic book-in-motion.  It becomes a living, breathing comic book, pulsating with static-electric life.

Isn't it obvious that I love me some Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse?  It is the best Spider-Man film to date, and the second best comic book movie of the year, behind Black Panther.  I hope that adult audiences that generally avoid animated films don't avoid Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.  It is much better than the vast majority of comic book and action films that they have seen over the last decade.  Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is a triumph, and it could be a game-changer.

A+
9 out of 10

Sunday, December 16, 2018; Edited:  Monday, February 25, 2019

NOTES:
2019 Academy Awards, USA:  1 win: “Best Animated Feature Film” (Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman, Phil Lord, and Christopher Miller)

2019 Golden Globes, USA:  1 win: “Best Motion Picture – Animated”

2019 BAFTA Awards:  1 win: “Best Animated Featured Film” (Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman, and Phil Lord)


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Negromancer Watches 2018-2019 Movie Award Season - Update #33

Support Leroy on Patreon.

So welcome to the heat of the 2018-2019 movie award season that will culminate on Sunday, February 24, 2019 with the 91st Academy Awards ceremony, which will be broadcast on the ABC Television Network.  The nominations for the 91st Academy Awards will be announced Tuesday, January 22, 2019.

On this page, I will include links to the announcement of 2018-19 award nominations and winners from various film critics groups, film societies, trade unions and guilds, and media organizations, that name their best of the year film lists annually, some having done so for decades.

ACADEMY AWARDS:
From Oscars:  The winners of the 2019 / 91st Academy Awards have been announced.  "Green Book" was named the "Best Pictures of the Year" (2018).

African-American Film Critics Association:
From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 African-American Film Critics Association Awards announced.  "Black Panther" was named "Best Film of 2018."

Black Film Critics Circle:
From AwardsWatch:  2018 BFCC Awards were announced.  "Black Panther" named "Best Picture of 2018."

Black Reel Awards:
From AwardsWatch:  The nominations for the 19th annual Black Reel Awards have been announced.  Winners will be announced Thursday, Feb. 7th, 2019.

From Wikipedia:  The winners for the 19th annual Black Reel Awards have been announced.  "Black Panther" named "Best Film of 2018,"

----------------------------
AARP:
From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2019 / 18th Annual AARP Movies for Grownups Awards have been announced.   Winners will be announced on February 15, 2019 during a ceremony to air on PBS.

From AARP:  The winners of the 2019 / 18th Annual AARP Movies for Grownups Awards have been announced.  "Green Book" named "Best Movie for Grownups 2018."

Alliance of Women Film Journalists:
From AwardsWatch:  The AWFJ announces the nominees for its 2018 EDA Awards.

From AwardsWatch:  The AWFJ announces the winners of the 2018 EDA Awards.  "Roma" is named "Best Film of 2018."

Annie Awards:
From Variety:  46th annual Annie Awards nominations - for achievements in animation in film, television, video games, VR productions, and on the web.  Winners announced Saturday, Feb. 2nd, 2019 by ASIFA-Hollywood.

From CartoonBrew:  46th annual Annie Awards winners have been announced.  "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" named "Best Animated Feature of 2018."

Atlanta Film Critics Circle:
From AwardsWatch:  2019 Atlanta Film Critics Circle Awards winners announced.  "The Favourite" named best film of 2018.

Austin Film Critics Association:
From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 AACA Awards nominations were announced.  The winners will be announced on Monday, January 7, 2019.

From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 AACA Award winners have been announced.  "If Beale Street Could Talk" named "Best Picture of 2018.

BAFTAs:
From BAFTA:  The EE British Academy Film Awards have announced the nominations for their 2019 / 72nd annual awards.

From BAFTA:  2019 / 72nd The British Academy Film Awards were announced.  "Roma" was named "Best Film of 2018."

Boston Online Film Critics Association:
From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 BOFCA Awards were announced.  "You Were Never Really Here" was named "Best Picture" of 2018.

Boston Society of Film Critics:
From AwardsWatch:   The winners of the 2018 BSFC Awards were announced.  "If Beale Street Could Talk" was named "Best Film" of 2018.

British Independent Film Awards:
From BIFA:  2018 British Film Awards nominations announced.  Winners announced Sunday, December 2, 2018.

From BIFA:  2018 BIFA Award winners announced Sunday, December 2, 2018.  "The Favorite" named "Best British Independent Film."

Chicago Film Critics Association:
From AwardsWatch:  2018 CFCA Awards nominations announced.  Winners will be announced Saturday night, December 8th.

From AwardsWatch:  2018 CFCA Awards winners announced.  "Roma" was named "Best Picture of 2018."

Cinema Eye Awards:
From AwardsWatch:  2019 Cinema Eye Awards nominations announced for achievement in nonfiction film.  Winners announced Jan. 10th, 2019.

Columbus Film Critics Association:
From AwardsWatch:  The CFCA Awards were announced.  "If Beale Street Could Talk" was named "Best Film of 2018."

Critics' Choice Awards:
From THR:  2019 Critics' Choice Awards (from the Broadcast Film Critics Association) nominations were announced.  Winners will be announced Sunday, January 13, 2019.

From Variety:  2019/ 24th Critics Choice Awards winner have been announced.  "Roma" named "Best Picture of 2018."

Dallas-Ft. Worth Film Critics Association:
From AwardsWatch:  2018 Dallas-Ft. Worth Film Critics Association Awards were announced.  "A Star is Born" was named "Best Picture" of 2018.

Denver Film Critics Society:
From AwardsWatch:  The Denver Film Critics Society has named the nominees for its 2019 awards.  The winners will be announced Monday, January 14, 2019.

From AwardsCircuit:  2019 Denver Film Critics Society Awards were announced.  "Roma" named "Best Picture of 2018."

Detroit Film Critics Society:
From AwardsWatch:  2018 Detroit Film Critics Society Awards nominations announced.

From AwardsWatch:  2018 Detroit Film Critics Society Awards winners announced, Monday, December 3rd, 2018.  "Eighth Grade" named "Best Film."

Directors Guild of America:
From Deadline:  The 2019 / 71st annual Director Guild Awards nominations in feature film director and first-time feature film director  were announced.  The winners will be announced February 2, 2019.

From Deadline:  The 2019 / 71st annual Directors Guild Awards nominations in the TV, documentary, and commercial categories were announced.  The winners will be announced February 2, 2019.

From DGA:  The winners of the 2019 / 71st Annual Directors Guild Awards winners have been announced.  Alfonso Cuaron wins the top award for his film, "Roma."

Dorian Awards:
From AwardsWatch:  The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics has announced the nominees for the 10th annual Dorian Awards.  The winners will be announced Saturday, January 12, 2019.

From AwardsWatch:  The 10 annual Dorian Awards winners were announced.  "The Favourite" named "Film of the Year" (2018).

European Film Awards:
From AwardsWatch:  31st European Film Award nominations announced. Winners announced Saturday, December 15th, 2018.

From TheWrap:  The winners at the 31st European Film Awards have been announced.  Pawel Pawlikowski's "Cold War" has won "Best European Film of 2018."

Film Independent Spirit Awards:
From AwardsWatch:  34th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards nominations announced - formerly known as the "Independent Spirit Awards"  Winners will be announced Saturday, February 23, 2019.

From FilmIndependent:  The winners of the 2019 / 34th Annual Film Independent Spirit Awards were announces.  "If Beale Street Could Talk" was named "Best Feature of 2018."

Florida Film Critics Circle:
From AwardsWatch:  2018 FFCC Awards nominations were announced.  Winners to be announced Friday, December 21, 2018.

From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 FFCC Awards announced.  "The Favourite" wins "Best Picture of 2018."

Georgia Film Critics Association:
From AwardsWatch:  The nominations for the 2019 GFCA Awards were announced.  The winners will be announced Friday, January 11, 2019.

From AwardsWatch:  The 2019 GFCA Awards winners were announced.  "A Star is Born" was named "Best Picture of 2018."

GOLDEN GLOBES:
From Variety:  The winners at the 2019 / 76th Golden Globes awards were announced.  "Bohemian Rhapsody" was named "Best Motion Picture-Drama of 2018" and "Green Book" won "Best Motion Picture-Comedy or Musical of 2018."

Gotham Awards:
From IFP:  Nominations announced for the 28th Annual IFP Gotham Awards on October 19, 2018.

From IFP:  Winners announced for the 28th annual "IFP Gotham Awards" on November 26, 2018.  "The Rider" named "Best Feature of 2018."

Hollywood Music in Media Awards:
From Variety:  9th annual Hollywood Music in Media Awards winners announced November 14, 2018.  The HMMAs honor internationally produced music in film, TV, video games, commercials and trailers released between Oct. 1 of the prior year and Dec. 31 of the current year.

Houston Film Critics Society:
From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 HFCS Awards nominations were announced.  Winners will be announced, Thursday, January 3, 2018.

From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 HFCS Awards were announced.  "The Favourite" was named "Best Picture of 2018."

Indiana Film Journalists Association:
From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 IFJA Awards were announced.  "The Hate U Give" was named "Best Film" of 2018.

International Documentary Association:
From AwardsWatch:  2018 IDA Awards announced.  "Minding the Gap" named "Best Feature" winner.

Iowa Film Critics Association:
From AwardsWatch:  2018 IFCA Awards announced.  "The Favourite" was named "Best Film of 2018."

Kansas City Film Critics Circle:
From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 KCFCC Awards were announced.  "Roma" and "The Favorite" tied for "Best Picture" of 2018.

Las Vegas Film Critics Society:
From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 LVFCS Awards have been announced.  "Roma" was named "Best Picture of 2018."

London Critics Circle:
From THR:  The nominations for the 2019 London Critics Circle Film Awards have been announced.  The winners will be announced January 20, 2019.

From CriticsCircle:  The winners of the 2019 / 39th London Critics Circle Film Awards have been announced.  "Roma" was named "Film of the Year" (2018).

Los Angeles Film Critics Association:
From LAFCA:  The winners of the 2018 LAFCA Awards have been announced.  "Roma" was named Picture of 2018."

Los Angeles Online Film Critics Society:
From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 LAOFCS Awards were announced.  "The Hate U Give" was named "Best Picture of 2018."

National Board of Review:
From NBR:  National Board of Review 2018 award winners announced.  "Green Book" named "Best Film."

National Society of Film Critics:
From TheWrap:  The NSFC has named its 53rd annual film awards.  The group named "The Rider" the "Best Picture of 2018."

Nevada Film Critics Society:
From AwardsWatch:  The NFCS Awards have been announced.  "Green Book" named "Best Film of 2018."

New York Film Critics Circle:
From THR:  The New York Film Critics Circle Awards for the year 2018 have been announced.  "Roma" named "Best Picture of 2018."

New York Film Critics Online:
From Deadline:  The New York Film Critics Online have announced their 2018 awards. "Roma" named "Best Picture" of 2018.

North Carolina Film Critics Association:
From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 NCFCA Awards nominations were announced.  Winners will be announced Wednesday, January 2, 2019.

From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 NCFCA awards were announced.  "Roma" was named "Best Narrative Film"

North Texas Film Critics Association:
From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 NTFCA Awards were announced.  "Green Book" was named "Best Picture" of 2018.

Oklahoma Film Critics Circle:
From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 OFCC Awards winners were announced.  "Roma" was named "Best Film of 2018."

Online Film Critics Society:
From AwardsWatch:  The 22nd OFCS Awards nominations were announced.  Winners will be announced Wednesday, January 2, 2019.

From FilmPulse:  The 22nd OFCS Awards winners were announced.  "Roma" was named "Best Picture of 2018."

Philadelphia Film Critics Circle:
From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 Philadelphia Film Critics Circle Awards were announced.  "Roma" was named "Best Movie of 2018."

Phoenix Critics Circle:
From AwardsWatch:  2018 PCC Awards nominations have been announced.  The winners will be announced Saturday, December 15, 2018.

From AwardsWatch:  2018 PCC Awards winners were announced.  "The Favourite" was named "Big Picture" of 2018.

Phoenix Film Critics Society:
From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 PFCS Awards were announced.  "Green Book" named "Best Picture" of 2018.

Producers Guild of America:
From Deadline:  The Producers Guild announced the nominations for its 30th annual PGA Awards, listing nominees for the year’s best-produced works in motion pictures, television and short-form categories. The awards will be presented January 19, 2019 at the Beverly Hilton.

From AwardsWatch:  The Producers Guild of America (PGA) has announced seven finalists for the PGA award for "Documentary Feature."  2019 Producers Guild Awards winners announced January 19, 2019.

From PGA:  The winners of the 2019 / 30th Annual Producers Guild Awards.  "Green Book" named "The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures."

St. Louis Film Critics Association:
From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 SLFCA Awards nominations have been announced.  Winners will be named December 17, 2018.

From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 SLFCA Awards winners were announced.  "A Star is Born" named "Best Film" of 2018.

San Diego Film Critics Society:
From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 San Diego Film Critics Society Awards were announced.

From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 San Diego Film Critics Society Awards were announced.  "Leave No Trace" named "Best Picture of 2018."

San Francisco Film Critics Circle:
From AwardsWatch:  2019 San Francisco Film Critics Circle Awards nominations announced.  Winners announced Sunday, Dec. 9th.

From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 SFFCC Awards were announced.  "Roma" named "Best Picture of 2018."

Satellite Awards:
From AwardsWatch:  23rd Annual Satellite Awards (presented by International Press Academy) were announced.

Screen Actors Guild:
From THR:  The winners at the 2019 / 25th Screen Actors Guild Awards were announced.  This link also lists the nominees.  "Black Panther" won the top award, "Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.

Seattle Film Critics Society:
From AwardsWatch:  2018 Seattle Film Critics Society Awards nominations announced.  Winners to be announced Monday, December 17, 2018.

From AwardsWatch:  2018 SFCS Awards were announced.  "Roma" was named "Best Picture of the Year" for 2018.

Southeastern Film Critics Association:
From AwardsWatch:  2018 SEFCA Awards were announced.  "Roma" named "Best Film" of 2018.

Toronto Film Critics Association:
From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 TFCA Awards were announced.  "Roma" named "Best Picture of 2018."

USC Scripter Awards:
From Negromancer:  USC Libraries announced the nominees for the 2019 / 31st Annual USC Libraries Scripter Awards.  The winners will be announced Saturday, February 9, 2019.

Utah Film Critics:
From AwardsWatch:  The Utah Film Critics announced their 2018 film awards.  "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" was named "Best Picture" of 2018.

Vancouver Film Critics Circle:
From AwardsWatch:  Nominations for the 2018 VFCC Awards were announced.  Winners will be announced Monday, December 17, 2018.

From THR:  2018 Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards announced.  "Roma" is named "Best Picture of 2018."

Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association:
From AwardsDaily:  2019 Washington D.C. Area Films Critics Association Awards nominees announced.

From AwardsWatch:  2019 WDCAFCA Awards winner announced.  "Roma" named best film of 2018.

Women Film Critics Circle:
From AwardsWatch:   2018 Women Film Critics Circle Awards nominations have been announced.

From ShockYa:  2018 Women Film Critics Circle Award winners announced. "The Favourite" was named "Best Movie About Women."

Writers Guild of America:
From TheWrap:  The Writers Guild of America (WGA) announces the nominees for its 2019 Writers Guild Awards in the film, documentary, and video game categories.  The Writers Guild Awards ceremony will be held February 17, 2019.

From AwardsWatch:  Nominations for the 2019 WGA Awards for achievement in television have been announced.  Nominees for film will be announced January 7, 2019.


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Best Picture of 2018 win count:

Black Panther - 4 wins (African-American Film Critics Association; Black Film Critics Circle; Black Reel Awards, Screen Actors Guild)

Bohemian Rhapsody - 1 win (Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture-Drama)

Cold War - 1 win (European Film Awards)

Eighth Grade - 1 win (Detroit Film Critics Society)

The Favourite - 9 wins (Atlanta Film Critics Circle; British Independent Film Awards; Florida Film Critics Society; Houston Film Critics Society; Iowa Film Critics Association; Kansas City Film Critics Circle(tie); Phoenix Critics Circle; The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics; Women Film Critics Circle)

Green Book - 8 wins (Academy Awards; AARP; Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture-Comedy or Musical; National Board of Review; Nevada Film Critics Society; North Texas Film Critics Association; Phoenix Film Critics Society; Producers Guild)

The Hate U Give - 2 wins (Indiana Film Journalists Association; Los Angeles Online Film Critics Society)

If Beale Street Could Talk - 4 wins (Austin Film Critics Association; Boston Society of Film Critics; Columbus Film Critics Association; Film Independent Spirit Awards)

Leave No Trace - 1 win (San Diego Film Critics Society)

The Rider - 2 wins (Gotham Awards; National Society of Film Critics)

ROMA - 21 wins (Alliance of Women Film Journalists; Austin Film Critics Circle; British Academy Film Awards-BAFTAs; Chicago Film Critics Association; Critics Choice Awards; Denver Film Critics Society; Kansas City Film Critics Circle (tie); London Critics Circle; Las Vegas Film Critics Circle; Los Angeles Film Critics Association; New York Film Critics Circle; New York Film Critics Online; North Carolina Film Critics Association; Online Film Critics Society; Philadelphia Film Critics Circle; San Francisco Film Critics Circle; Southeastern Film Critics Association; Seattle Film Critics Society; Toronto Film Critics Association; Vancouver Film Critics Circle; Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association)

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - 2 wins (Annie Awards; Utah Film Critics)

A Star is Born - 3 wins (Dallas-Ft. Worth Film Critics Association; Georgia Film Critics Associaiton; St. Louis Film Critics Association)

You Were Never Really Here - 1 win (Boston Online Film Critics Association)

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From TheNewYorker:  Critic Richard Brody's "best films of 2018" list.


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91st Academy Awards Announced; Complete Winners List

The Academy Awards is an American film accolade.  It is best known as the “Oscars,” and is an annual awards ceremony honoring cinematic achievements primarily in the American film industry. The various category winners are awarded a copy of a statuette that is officially called the “Academy Award of Merit,” but has become commonly known by its nickname, the “Oscar.”   The awards were first presented in 1929 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.  The Academy Awards are overseen by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).

91st Oscars for outstanding film achievements of 2018 were presented on Sunday, February 24, 2019, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and was televised live on the ABC Television Network at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.  The Oscars ceremony was also televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

2019 / 91st Academy Award winners (for film achievements in 2018):

Best motion picture of the year
“Green Book” Jim Burke, Charles B. Wessler, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly and Nick Vallelonga, Producers

Achievement in directing
“Roma” Alfonso Cuarón

Performance by an actor in a leading role:
Rami Malek in “Bohemian Rhapsody”

Performance by an actress in a leading role:
Olivia Colman in “The Favourite”

Performance by an actor in a supporting role:
Mahershala Ali in “Green Book”

Performance by an actress in a supporting role:
Regina King in “If Beale Street Could Talk”

Best animated feature film of the year:
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller

Achievement in cinematography:
“Roma” Alfonso Cuarón

Achievement in costume design:
“Black Panther” Ruth Carter

Best documentary feature:
“Free Solo” Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Evan Hayes and Shannon Dill

Best documentary short subject:
“Period. End of Sentence.” Rayka Zehtabchi and Melissa Berton

Achievement in film editing
“Bohemian Rhapsody” John Ottman

Best foreign language film of the year:
“Roma” Mexico

Achievement in makeup and hairstyling:
“Vice” Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe and Patricia DeHaney

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score):
“Black Panther” Ludwig Goransson

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song):
“Shallow” from “A Star Is Born”
Music and Lyric by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt

Achievement in production design:
“Black Panther” Production Design: Hannah Beachler; Set Decoration: Jay Hart

Best animated short film:
“Bao” Domee Shi and Becky Neiman-Cobb

Best live action short film:
“Skin” Guy Nattiv and Jaime Ray Newman

Achievement in sound editing:
“Bohemian Rhapsody” John Warhurst and Nina Hartstone

Achievement in sound mixing:
“Bohemian Rhapsody” Paul Massey, Tim Cavagin and John Casali

Achievement in visual effects:
“First Man” Paul Lambert, Ian Hunter, Tristan Myles and J.D. Schwalm

Adapted screenplay:
“BlacKkKlansman” Written by Charlie Wachtel & David Rabinowitz and Kevin Willmott & Spike Lee

Original screenplay:
“Green Book” Written by Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly

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Academy Announces Third Round of Presenters for 91st Oscars

ROUND 3: A DOZEN MORE STARS TAKE OSCARS STAGE

Elsie Fisher, Danai Gurira, Brian Tyree Henry, Michael B. Jordan, Michael Keaton, Helen Mirren, John Mulaney, Tyler Perry, Pharrell Williams, Krysten Ritter, Paul Rudd and Michelle Yeoh

Stars continue to line up to present on the Oscars® - the year’s most-watched, live entertainment event - on Sunday, February 24, 2019, announced show producer Donna Gigliotti and co-producer and director Glenn Weiss. The Oscars air live on the ABC Television Network, and is broadcast in more than 225 countries and territories.

“We are excited to welcome these amazing artists and filmmakers to the show,” said Gigliotti and Weiss. “They bring excitement, momentum, and elements of surprise to this year’s Oscars.”

Previously announced presenters include: Awkwafina, Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Tina Fey, Allison Janney, Brie Larson, Jennifer Lopez, Frances McDormand, Gary Oldman, Amy Poehler, Sam Rockwell, Maya Rudolph, Amandla Stenberg, Charlize Theron, Tessa Thompson and Constance Wu.

Javier Bardem, Angela Bassett, Chadwick Boseman, Emilia Clarke, Laura Dern, Samuel L. Jackson, Stephan James, Keegan-Michael Key, KiKi Layne, James McAvoy, Melissa McCarthy, Jason Momoa and Sarah Paulson.

The 91st Oscars will be held at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

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Academy Announces Second Round of Presenters for 91st Oscars

ROUND TWO: STARS LINE UP TO TAKE THE OSCAR STAGE

Javier Bardem, Angela Bassett, Chadwick Boseman, Emilia Clarke, Laura Dern, Samuel L. Jackson, Stephan James, Keegan-Michael Key, KiKi Layne, James McAvoy, Melissa McCarthy, Jason Momoa and Sarah Paulson

A second wave of stars is headed for the Oscars® stage on Sunday, February 24, 2019. Academy Awards® producer Donna Gigliotti and co-producer and director Glenn Weiss announced thirteen more Hollywood luminaries to celebrate the year in movies. The Oscars airs live on the ABC Television Network, and will be broadcast in more than 225 countries and territories.

“The array of talent anchoring the show this year has brought some of the most indelible moments in recent cinematic memory to audiences around the world,” said Gigliotti and Weiss. “They join together to reconnect us with the nominees, their tremendous movies, and outstanding performances.”

Previously announced Oscars presenters include:

Awkwafina, Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Tina Fey, Allison Janney, Brie Larson, Jennifer Lopez, Frances McDormand, Gary Oldman, Amy Poehler, Sam Rockwell, Maya Rudolph, Amandla Stenberg, Charlize Theron, Tessa Thompson and Constance Wu.

The 91st Oscars® will be held at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center®  in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 8:00 p.m. EST/5:00 p.m. PT.

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Academy Announces First Round of Presenters for 91st Oscars

ROUND ONE: STARS LINE UP FOR THE OSCARS

Awkwafina, Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Tina Fey, Whoopi Goldberg, Brie Larson, Jennifer Lopez, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Amandla Stenberg, Charlize Theron, Tessa Thompson, Constance Wu

Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic to Perform During the “In Memoriam” Segment

Oscar® producer Donna Gigliotti, and co-producer and director Glenn Weiss, announced the first round of presenters for the 91st Academy Awards®. The show will honor the incredible slate of nominees – from blockbusters to independent films – and embrace the diversity of the global movie-going audience. The Oscars® airs live on the ABC Television Network, February 24, 2019 and will be broadcast in more than 225 countries and territories.

“The Oscar nominees have generated tremendous worldwide attention through their captivating stories, achievements and performances,” said Gigliotti and Weiss. “We want to give the public an opportunity to once again experience the moments that have moved us all. It is a celebration of our universal love of movies.”

The producers will continue to announce talent joining the show in the coming weeks, and, as previously announced, the show will feature musical performances of the five Original Song nominees.

“From blockbuster hits to intimate tales of the human spirit, the movies we celebrate at the Oscars connect us in a way that is both moving and powerful,” said Karey Burke, President, ABC Entertainment. “Donna and Glenn will deliver a tribute worthy of the talent that will present and receive Oscar gold, and I’m so proud that ABC is home to this monumental night.”

“The Oscars is the most-watched live entertainment event of the year,” said Academy president John Bailey. “The show connects us with the power and history of the movies as it reconnects home audiences with their favorite films and stars.”

“This is an important moment in Oscar history,” said Academy CEO Dawn Hudson. “This year’s show maintains Oscar traditions, and is also evolving to reflect our global audience.”

The 91st Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 24, 2019, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 8:00 p.m. EST/5:00 p.m. PST.

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Review: "The Meg" is Enjoyably Cheesy

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 1 (of 2019) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

The Meg (2018)
Running time:  113 minutes (1 hour, 53 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for action/peril, bloody images and some language
DIRECTOR:  Jon Turteltaub
WRITERS:  Dean Georgaris and Jon Hoeber & Erich Hoeber (based on the novel, Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror, by Steve Alten)
PRODUCERS:  Belle Avery (p.g.a.), Lorenzo di Bonaventura (produced by) (p.g.a.) and Colin Wilson
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Tom Stern (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Steven Kemper and Kelly Matsumoto
COMPOSER:  Harry Gregson-Williams

SCI-FI/HORROR/ACTION

Starring:  Jason Statham, Bingbing Li, Rainn Wilson, Cliff Curtis, Winston Chao, Sophia Cai, Ruby Rose, Page Kennedy, Robert Taylor, Olafur Darri, Olafsson, Jessica McNamee, and Masi Osa

The Meg is a 2018 science fiction, horror, and action film from director Jon Turteltaub and stars Jason Statham.  This movie is loosely based on Steve Alten's 1997 novel, Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror.  A Chinese-American co-production, The Meg film focuses on a man who must save a group of people trapped in a sunken submersible vessel damaged by a prehistoric creature that no one but he believes still exists.

The Meg opens in the Phillippine Trench where there is a “deep sea rescue mission.”  Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham) leads the mission to save the sailors aboard the damaged nuclear submarine, the “SSBN Rogue.”  Something attacks the Rogue, and Taylor is forced to leave some of his own men behind where they die when the submarine explodes.

Five years later, the story moves to the underwater research facility, “Mana One,” where its billionaire founder, Jack Morris (Rainn Wilson), has just arrived to meet the facility's lead researcher, Dr. Zhang (Winston Chao).  Morris hopes to witness a mission supervised by Zhang's daughter, Suyin (Bingbing Li), an oceanographer, in which a submersible will explore a previously unknown part of the Mariana trench.  Not long into the mission, a very large creature attacks and damages the submersible, forcing it down into a place from which it will be hard to rescue.

Zhang and one of his top crew members, Mac (Cliff Curtis), head to Samut Prakan, Thailand, to convince Jonas Taylor, retired since the SSBN Rogue incident, to help them rescue the Mana One's submersible.  Although Taylor initially refuses, he accepts the mission when he learns that someone close to him is trapped in the submersible and that its crew is being menaced by a prehistoric creature that Taylor believes to still exist today, the giant shark creature, the Megalodon.

The Meg is an entertaining, but not particularly good B-movie.  The Meg manages to be more than mediocre because of some highly-entertaining and thoroughly thrilling action sequences.  It seems to me that the director, Jon Turtletaub, was reluctant to really go wild with what is essentially a monster movie.  If what paleontologists say is true, the Megalodon was the terror of the seas, yet this cinematic “Meg” only commits a fraction of the terror that it could.  Maybe, it is the screenwriters' fault that this screenplay does not seem particularly imaginative.

The characters are not imaginative, either.  The only characters presented with any depth or personality are Jason Statham's Jonas Taylor and Bingbing Li's Suyin, and even they are little more than puffed up stock characters.  Taylor is the white savior slash rescue-mission-guy damaged by a recent “mistake” who will find redemption in getting this new opportunity to save some people.  Suyin is a by-the-book smart-Asian-cookie, but at least the filmmakers let her get in some girl-hero action time.

There is a cute kid, Meiying (Sophia Cai), that steals her scenes, and there is also the stereotypical Black guy, DJ (Page Kennedy), who is constantly letting everyone know that he did not sign up for fighting or being eaten by a prehistoric monster shark.  The Meg is a B-movie, a $130 million dollar-budgeted B-movie, but a B-movie, still.  And if you enjoy movies about sharks terrorizing humans, especially humans too stupid to avoid them (and, dear readers, I do enjoy such movies), then, The Meg is must-see shark-scare entertainment.

C+
5 out of 10

Monday, December 31, 2018


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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91st Academy Award® Nominations Announced Tues, Jan. 22nd

91ST OSCARS® NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED

LOS ANGELES, CA – Actor-comedian and Oscar®–nominated writer Kumail Nanjiani and actress–producer–director Tracee Ellis Ross announced the 91st Oscars® nominations Tuesday, January 22, 2019, live from the Academy’s headquarters in Beverly Hills via a global live stream on Oscar.com, Oscars.org, the Academy’s digital platforms, a satellite feed and broadcast media.

Nanjiani and Ross announced the nominees in 9 categories at 5:20 a.m. PT, and the remaining 15 categories at 5:30 a.m. PT. For a complete list of nominees, visit the official Oscars website, www.oscar.com.

Academy members from each of the 17 branches vote to determine the nominees in their respective categories – actors nominate actors, film editors nominate film editors, etc. In the Animated Feature Film and Foreign Language Film categories, nominees are selected by a vote of multi-branch screening committees. All voting members are eligible to select the Best Picture nominees.

Active members of the Academy are eligible to vote for the winners in all 24 categories beginning Tuesday, February 12, 2019 through Tuesday, February 19, 2019.

The 91st Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 24, 2019, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards:

 Best motion picture of the year

• “Black Panther” Kevin Feige, Producer
• “BlacKkKlansman” Sean McKittrick, Jason Blum, Raymond Mansfield, Jordan Peele and Spike Lee, Producers
• “Bohemian Rhapsody” Graham King, Producer
• “The Favourite” Ceci Dempsey, Ed Guiney, Lee Magiday and Yorgos Lanthimos, Producers
• “Green Book” Jim Burke, Charles B. Wessler, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly and Nick Vallelonga, Producers
• “Roma” Gabriela Rodríguez and Alfonso Cuarón, Producers
• “A Star Is Born” Bill Gerber, Bradley Cooper and Lynette Howell Taylor, Producers
• “Vice” Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Adam McKay and Kevin Messick, Producers

Performance by an actor in a leading role

Christian Bale in “Vice”
Bradley Cooper in “A Star Is Born”
Willem Dafoe in “At Eternity's Gate”
Rami Malek in “Bohemian Rhapsody”
Viggo Mortensen in “Green Book”

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

Mahershala Ali in “Green Book”
Adam Driver in “BlacKkKlansman”
Sam Elliott in “A Star Is Born”
Richard E. Grant in “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”
Sam Rockwell in “Vice”

Performance by an actress in a leading role

Yalitza Aparicio in “Roma”
Glenn Close in “The Wife”
Olivia Colman in “The Favourite”
Lady Gaga in “A Star Is Born”
Melissa McCarthy in “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

Amy Adams in “Vice”
Marina de Tavira in “Roma”
Regina King in “If Beale Street Could Talk”
Emma Stone in “The Favourite”
Rachel Weisz in “The Favourite”

Best animated feature film of the year

“Incredibles 2” Brad Bird, John Walker and Nicole Paradis Grindle
“Isle of Dogs” Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales and Jeremy Dawson
“Mirai” Mamoru Hosoda and Yuichiro Saito
“Ralph Breaks the Internet” Rich Moore, Phil Johnston and Clark Spencer
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller

Achievement in cinematography

“Cold War” Łukasz Żal
“The Favourite” Robbie Ryan
“Never Look Away” Caleb Deschanel
“Roma” Alfonso Cuarón
“A Star Is Born” Matthew Libatique

Achievement in costume design

“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” Mary Zophres
“Black Panther” Ruth Carter
“The Favourite” Sandy Powell
“Mary Poppins Returns” Sandy Powell
“Mary Queen of Scots” Alexandra Byrne

Achievement in directing

“BlacKkKlansman” Spike Lee
“Cold War” Paweł Pawlikowski
“The Favourite” Yorgos Lanthimos
“Roma” Alfonso Cuarón
“Vice” Adam McKay

Best documentary feature

“Free Solo” Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Evan Hayes and Shannon Dill
“Hale County This Morning, This Evening” RaMell Ross, Joslyn Barnes and Su Kim
“Minding the Gap” Bing Liu and Diane Quon
“Of Fathers and Sons” Talal Derki, Ansgar Frerich, Eva Kemme and Tobias N. Siebert
“RBG” Betsy West and Julie Cohen

Best documentary short subject

“Black Sheep” Ed Perkins and Jonathan Chinn
“End Game” Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman
“Lifeboat” Skye Fitzgerald and Bryn Mooser
“A Night at The Garden” Marshall Curry
“Period. End of Sentence.” Rayka Zehtabchi and Melissa Berton

Achievement in film editing

“BlacKkKlansman” Barry Alexander Brown
“Bohemian Rhapsody” John Ottman
“The Favourite” Yorgos Mavropsaridis
“Green Book” Patrick J. Don Vito
“Vice” Hank Corwin

Best foreign language film of the year

“Capernaum” Lebanon
“Cold War” Poland
“Never Look Away” Germany
“Roma” Mexico
“Shoplifters” Japan

Achievement in makeup and hairstyling

“Border” Göran Lundström and Pamela Goldammer
“Mary Queen of Scots” Jenny Shircore, Marc Pilcher and Jessica Brooks
“Vice” Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe and Patricia DeHaney

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

“Black Panther” Ludwig Goransson
“BlacKkKlansman” Terence Blanchard
“If Beale Street Could Talk” Nicholas Britell
“Isle of Dogs” Alexandre Desplat
“Mary Poppins Returns” Marc Shaiman

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

--“All The Stars” from “Black Panther”Music by Mark Spears, Kendrick Lamar Duckworth and Anthony Tiffith; Lyric by Kendrick Lamar Duckworth, Anthony Tiffith and Solana Rowe

--“I'll Fight” from “RBG”
Music and Lyric by Diane Warren

--“The Place Where Lost Things Go” from “Mary Poppins Returns”
Music by Marc Shaiman; Lyric by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman

--“Shallow” from “A Star Is Born”
Music and Lyric by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt

--“When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings” from “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”
Music and Lyric by David Rawlings and Gillian Welch

Achievement in production design

“Black Panther” Production Design: Hannah Beachler; Set Decoration: Jay Hart
“The Favourite” Production Design: Fiona Crombie; Set Decoration: Alice Felton
“First Man” Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Kathy Lucas
“Mary Poppins Returns” Production Design: John Myhre; Set Decoration: Gordon Sim
“Roma” Production Design: Eugenio Caballero; Set Decoration: Bárbara Enríquez

Best animated short film

“Animal Behaviour” Alison Snowden and David Fine
“Bao” Domee Shi and Becky Neiman-Cobb
“Late Afternoon” Louise Bagnall and Nuria González Blanco
“One Small Step” Andrew Chesworth and Bobby Pontillas
“Weekends” Trevor Jimenez

Best live action short film

“Detainment” Vincent Lambe and Darren Mahon
“Fauve” Jeremy Comte and Maria Gracia Turgeon
“Marguerite” Marianne Farley and Marie-Hélène Panisset
“Mother” Rodrigo Sorogoyen and María del Puy Alvarado
“Skin” Guy Nattiv and Jaime Ray Newman

Achievement in sound editing

“Black Panther” Benjamin A. Burtt and Steve Boeddeker
“Bohemian Rhapsody” John Warhurst and Nina Hartstone
“First Man” Ai-Ling Lee and Mildred Iatrou Morgan
“A Quiet Place” Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl
“Roma” Sergio Díaz and Skip Lievsay

Achievement in sound mixing

“Black Panther” Steve Boeddeker, Brandon Proctor and Peter Devlin
“Bohemian Rhapsody” Paul Massey, Tim Cavagin and John Casali
“First Man” Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño, Ai-Ling Lee and Mary H. Ellis
“Roma” Skip Lievsay, Craig Henighan and José Antonio García
“A Star Is Born” Tom Ozanich, Dean Zupancic, Jason Ruder and Steve Morrow

Achievement in visual effects

“Avengers: Infinity War” Dan DeLeeuw, Kelly Port, Russell Earl and Dan Sudick
“Christopher Robin” Christopher Lawrence, Michael Eames, Theo Jones and Chris Corbould
“First Man” Paul Lambert, Ian Hunter, Tristan Myles and J.D. Schwalm
“Ready Player One” Roger Guyett, Grady Cofer, Matthew E. Butler and David Shirk
“Solo: A Star Wars Story” Rob Bredow, Patrick Tubach, Neal Scanlan and Dominic Tuohy

Adapted screenplay

“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
“BlacKkKlansman” Written by Charlie Wachtel & David Rabinowitz and Kevin Willmott & Spike Lee
“Can You Ever Forgive Me?” Screenplay by Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty
“If Beale Street Could Talk” Written for the screen by Barry Jenkins
“A Star Is Born” Screenplay by Eric Roth and Bradley Cooper & Will Fetters

Original screenplay

“The Favourite” Written by Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara
“First Reformed” Written by Paul Schrader
“Green Book” Written by Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly
“Roma” Written by Alfonso Cuarón
“Vice” Written by Adam McKay

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"2019 GRAMMY Nominees" Album Track Listing Revealed

Recording Academy™ and Republic Records Reveal 2019 GRAMMY® Nominees Album Track Listing

Latest Installment of the Best-Selling Series Features 22 Hits from the World's Biggest Superstars and Emerging Artists

2019 GRAMMY® Nominees Album Hits Stores and Digital Retailers Jan. 25, 2019

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Recording Academy™'s GRAMMY Recordings® and Republic Records have revealed the track listing for the 2019 GRAMMY® Nominees album. Set for release on Jan. 25, 2019 in stores and via digital retailers, the latest installment of the best-selling series—now in its 25th year—features a collection of top-charting hits from many of this year's illustrious GRAMMY-nominated artists. A portion of album proceeds will benefit the year-round work of the GRAMMY Museum® and MusiCares®—two charitable organizations founded by the Recording Academy that focus on music education programs and critical assistance for music people in need.

    “The artists highlighted on this year's album represent the overall diversity of the artists being recognized as 2019 GRAMMY nominees”

The 2019 GRAMMY Nominees album features 22 hits from the world's top recording artists and emerging talent, including Record Of The Year nominees Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin; Brandi Carlile; Childish Gambino; Drake; Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper; Kendrick Lamar & SZA; Post Malone featuring 21 Savage; and Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey.

"The artists highlighted on this year's album represent the overall diversity of the artists being recognized as 2019 GRAMMY nominees," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of the Recording Academy. "We are very grateful to partner with Republic Records to release this impressive collection of songs, and to raise funds and awareness for the GRAMMY Museum and MusiCares—the two philanthropic organizations of the Recording Academy dedicated to supporting our musical culture and music creators."

"This year's 2019 GRAMMY Nominees album is a testament to an incredible year in music," said Monte Lipman, founder and CEO of Republic Records. "It’s an honor to work alongside the Recording Academy and support these two important charities in the artist community."

Music fans can log on to 2019 GRAMMY.com to pre-order the album and enter for a chance to win a trip for two to the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards® on Sunday, Feb. 10, 2019, at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.

The 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards telecast will be broadcast live on the CBS Television Network at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

*No purchase necessary to enter or win. Visit 2019 GRAMMY.com for details and eligibility requirements.

2019 GRAMMY Nominees Album Track List:

    JANELLE MONÁE
    "Make Me Feel"
    Album Of The Year

    CARDI B, BAD BUNNY & J BALVIN
    "I Like It"
    Record Of The Year
    Album Of The Year

    KENDRICK LAMAR & SZA
    "All The Stars"
    Record Of The Year
    Album Of The Year

    DRAKE
    "God's Plan"
    Record Of The Year
    Album Of The Year

    ZEDD, MAREN MORRIS & GREY
    "The Middle"
    Record Of The Year
    Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

    KACEY MUSGRAVES
    "Slow Burn"
    Album Of The Year

    POST MALONE FEAT. 21 SAVAGE
    "rockstar"
    Record Of The Year
    Album Of The Year

    H.E.R. FEAT. DANIEL CAESAR
    "Best Part"
    Album Of The Year

    CHILDISH GAMBINO
    "This Is America"
    Record Of The Year

    BRANDI CARLILE
    "The Joke"
    Record Of The Year
    Album Of The Year

    LADY GAGA & BRADLEY COOPER
    "Shallow"
    Record Of The Year
    Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

    ARIANA GRANDE
    "God Is A Woman"
    Best Pop Vocal Album

    CAMILA CABELLO FEAT. YOUNG THUG
    "Havana"
    Best Pop Vocal Album

    TAYLOR SWIFT
    "Look What You Made Me Do"
    Best Pop Vocal Album

    SHAWN MENDES
    "In My Blood"
    Best Pop Vocal Album

    KELLY CLARKSON
    "I Don't Think About You"
    Best Pop Vocal Album

    PINK
    "Beautiful Trauma"
    Best Pop Vocal Album

    JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE FEAT. CHRIS STAPLETON
    "Say Something"
    Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

    MAROON 5 FEAT. CARDI B
    "Girls Like You"
    Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

    CHRISTINA AGUILERA FEAT. DEMI LOVATO
    "Fall In Line"
    Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

    BACKSTREET BOYS
    "Don't Go Breaking My Heart"
    Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

    TONY BENNETT & DIANA KRALL
    "'S Wonderful"
    Best Pop Duo/Group Performance


ABOUT THE RECORDING ACADEMY
The Recording Academy represents the voices of performers, songwriters, producers, engineers, and all music professionals. Dedicated to ensuring the recording arts remain a thriving part of our shared cultural heritage, the Academy honors music's history while investing in its future through the GRAMMY Museum, advocates on behalf of music creators, supports music people in times of need through MusiCares, and celebrates artistic excellence through the GRAMMY Awards—music's only peer-recognized accolade and highest achievement. As the world's leading society of music professionals, we work year-round to foster a more inspiring world for creators.

For more information about the Academy, please visit www.grammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @RecordingAcad on Twitter, "like" Recording Academy on Facebook, and join the Recording Academy's social communities on Instagram, Tumblr, and YouTube.

ABOUT REPUBLIC RECORDS
A division of Universal Music Group, the world's leading music company, Republic Records is home to an all-star roster of multi-platinum, award-winning legends and superstar artists such as Ariana Grande, Black Sabbath, Florence + the Machine, Hailee Steinfeld, James Blake, James Bay, John Mellencamp, Julia Michaels, Kid Cudi, Liam Payne, Of Monsters and Men, Post Malone, Seth MacFarlane, Stevie Wonder, Taylor Swift and more. Founded by brothers and chief executives Monte and Avery Lipman, it is also comprised of innovative business ventures, including American Recordings (The Avett Brothers), Boominati Worldwide (Metro Boomin), Brushfire (Jack Johnson), Casablanca Records (Tïesto), Cash Money (Drake, Jacquees, Nicki Minaj), Hollywood Records (Sofia Carson, Zendaya), Lava Records (Greta Van Fleet, Jessie J, Lorde), Monkeywrench (Pearl Jam), XO (The Weeknd, Belly, NAV), Young Money (Drake, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj), Roc Nation (Jaden Smith, Justine Skye, The Dream), among others. Republic also maintains a long-standing strategic alliance with country powerhouse Big Machine Records, and Universal Music Latin Entertainment. In addition, Republic has expanded to release high-profile soundtracks for Universal Pictures (Fifty Shades of Grey, SING), Fox TV (Lee Daniels' STAR, The Four), and NBC TV (The Voice), as well as other notable film and television franchises.

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