SAG & DGA Predix

They both announce on Wednesday. 

SAG

Male Actor in a Supporting Role:

Kieran Culkin - A Real Pain

Clarence Maclin - Sing Sing

Edward Norton - A Complete Unknown

Guy Pearce - The Brutalist

Denzel Washington - Gladiator II

alt: Yura Borisov - Anora

Or Jeremy Strong. 

Female Actor in a Supporting Role:

Ariana Grande - Wicked: Part 1

Felicity Jones - The Brutalist

Margaret Qualley - The Substance

Isabella Rossellini - Conclave

Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez

alt: Selena Gomez - Emilia Pérez

Or Danielle Deadwyler. I think this is probably the Oscar lineup, but SAG might leave out Jones.

Male Actor in a Leading Role:

Adrien Brody - The Brutalist

Timothée Chalamet - A Complete Unknown

Colman Domingo - Sing Sing

Ralph Fiennes - Conclave

Sebastian Stan - The Apprentice

alt: Daniel Craig - Queer

Queer's buzz has really died off, and this seems like an org that would not take to it. Not sure about Hugh Grant or Jesse Eisenberg spoiling. 

Female Actor in a Leading Role:

Cynthia Erivo - Wicked: Part 1

Karla Sofia Gascón - Emilia Pérez

Nicole Kidman - Babygirl

Mikey Madison - Anora

Demi Moore - The Substance

alt: Angelina Jolie - Maria

I'd say everyone but Kidman is in, and there's a small handful vying for that last slot. 

Ensemble: 

Anora - Conclave - Emilia Pérez - Sing Sing - Wicked: Part 1

alt: A Complete Unknown

Seems weird to leave out Brutalist given I have it getting 3 noms, but that has happened a few times. 

DGA:

Jacques Audiard - Emilia Pérez

Sean Baker - Anora

Edward Berger - Conclave

Brady Corbet - The Brutalist

Jon M. Chu - Wicked: Part 1

alt: Coralie Fargeat - The Substance

Ugh at Chu probably making it, since I'm not totally buying Coralie. Could be James Mangold or Denis Villeneuve. RaMell Ross feels like someone who misses here but then shows up at the Oscars, but that film's buzz seems to have not taken off. 

The 82nd GOLDEN GLOBES Winners!

BEST MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA: THE BRUTALIST

BEST MOTION PICTURE - COMEDY/MUSICAL: EMILIA PÉREZ

BEST DIRECTOR: BRADY CORBET - THE BRUTALIST

BEST SCREENPLAY: CONCLAVE

BEST ACTOR - DRAMA: ADRIEN BRODY - THE BRUTALIST

BEST ACTRESS - DRAMA: FERNANDA TORRES - I'M STILL HERE

BEST ACTOR - COMEDY/MUSICAL: SEBASTIAN STAN - A DIFFERENT MAN

BEST ACTRESS - COMEDY/MUSICAL: DEMI MOORE - THE SUBSTANCE

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: KEIRAN CULKIN - A REAL PAIN

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: ZOE SALDAÑA - EMILIA PÉREZ

BEST ANIMATED FILM: FLOW

BEST NON ENGLISH LANGUAGE FILM: EMILIA PÉREZ

BEST SCORE: CHALLENGERS

BEST SONG FROM A MOTION PICTURE: "EL MAL" - EMILIA PÉREZ

CINEMATIC AND BOX-OFFICE ACHIEVEMENT: WICKED: PART 1

BEST TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA: SHŌGUN

BEST TELEVISION SERIES - COMEDY: HACKS

BEST LIMITED SERIES, ANTHOLOGY, OR TV MOVIE: BABY REINDEER

BEST ACTOR IN A SERIES - DRAMA: HIROYUKI SANADA - SHŌGUN

BEST ACTRESS IN A SERIES - DRAMA: ANNA SAWAI - SHŌGUN

BEST ACTOR IN A SERIES - COMEDY: JEREMY ALLEN WHITE - THE BEAR

BEST ACTRESS IN A SERIES - COMEDY: JEAN SMART - HACKS

BEST ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES, ANTHOLOGY, OR TV MOVIE: COLIN FARRELL - THE PENGUIN

BEST ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES, ANTHOLOGY, OR TV MOVIE: JODIE FOSTER - TRUE DETECTIVE: NIGHT COUNTRY

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A SERIES: TADANOBU ASANO - SHŌGUN

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A SERIES: JESSICA GUNNING - BABY REINDEER

BEST PERFORMANCE IN STAND-UP COMEDY: ALI WONG - ALI WONG: SINGLE LADY

Film Score: 9/15 (+4 alts)

TV: 9/12 (+1 alt)

18/27 - 66.6% (fitting!)

Hey, that was actually a pretty good show. Nikki Glaser was terrific and hopefully comes back. I think most people seem to agree, which is rare. The Conclave "Pope-ular" bit, in particular, was amazing. And no jokes about films being too long or no one seeing them??? Finally!

Some of the presenter bits were good. Seth Rogen and Catherine O'Hara shouting out the Canadian film industry. Melissa McCarthy and Awkwafina were good, too. 

Having said that, I can't stand Kevin Frazier. I think he's completely obnoxious on Entertainment Tonight. Award shows don't need narrators. I don't need to know that Felicity Jones wants a drink. I want crazy, crowd reaction shots. That's what this show is known for. The little facts thing that popped up for the presenters was also pointless. I didn't like the geo-location (shout out to someone on Twitter for calling it that) thing that popped up during the nominees being named. Crowd seemed out of it. No standing ovations at all? 

Anora took a big hit tonight. Demi Moore probably the big winner. Great speech from her, too. The Wicked win...ugh..that category will always be a joke and I'm guessing it's not going anywhere. Especially when the big winners were Perez and Brutalist.

Me looking at the four potential Oscar acting winners: *in Issa Rae voice* Congrats to those leads.

Globe Predix!

The 82nd Golden Globes air Sunday night on CBS at 8PM Eastern. They will be hosted by Nikki Glaser. E! is doing red carpet beginning at 6PM. 

TV:

Stand-Up Special: Nikki Glaser: Someday You'll Die

(alt: Jamie Foxx: What Happened Was)

Supporting Actor: Tadanobu Asano - Shogun

(alt: Javier Bardem - Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story)

Supporting Actress: Jessica Gunning - Baby Reindeer

(alt: Hannah Einbinder - Hacks)

Actor - Limited Series/Movie: Richard Gadd - Baby Reindeer

(alt: Colin Farrell - The Penguin)

Actress - Limited Series/Movie: Jodie Foster - True Detective: Night Country

(alt: Cristin Milioti - The Penguin)

Actor - Comedy: Adam Brody - Nobody Wants This

(alt: Ted Danson - A Man on the Inside)

Actress - Comedy: Jean Smart - Hacks

(alt: Kristen Bell - Nobody Wants This)

Actor - Drama: Hiroyuki Sanada - Shogun

(alt: Gary Oldman - Slow Horses)

Actress - Drama: Anna Sawai - Shogun

(alt: Keira Knightley - Black Doves)

Limited Series/Movie: Baby Reindeer

(alt: The Penguin)

Comedy Series: Hacks

(alt: Nobody Wants This)

Drama Series: Shogun

(alt: Slow Horses)

FILM!

Cinematic and Box-Office Achievement: Wicked: Part 1

(alt: Deadpool & Wolverine)

Motion Picture - Non-English Language: Emilia Pérez

(alt: All We Imagine As Light)

Motion Picture - Animated: The Wild Robot

(alt: Flow)

Original Song: "El Mal" - Emilia Pérez

(alt: "Mi Camino" - Emilia Pérez)

Original Score: The Brutalist

(alt: Challengers)

Screenplay: Anora

(alt: A Real Pain)

Supporting Actor: Kieran Culkin - A Real Pain

(alt: Guy Pearce - The Brutalist)

Supporting Actress: Zoe Saldaña - Emilia Pérez

(alt: Ariana Grande - Wicked: Part 1)

Actor - Comedy: Sebastian Stan - A Different Man

(alt: Jesse Eisenberg - A Real Pain)

This is a tough one. Any of them could win except for Gabriel LaBelle. Good case for Glen Powell, and lots of people predicting Hugh Grant. I went with Stan because he's a double nominee.

Actress - Comedy: Mikey Madison - Anora

(alt: Demi Moore - The Substance)

Best Actress might be sealed up with this winner. 

Actor - Drama: Adrien Brody - The Brutalist

(alt: Timothée Chalamet - A Complete Unknown)

Domingo and Fiennes are very much still in the race.

Actress - Drama: Nicole Kidman - Babygirl

(alt: Angelina Jolie - Maria)

Probably between these two, but Fernando Torres might be in play too.

Director: Brady Corbett - The Brutalist

(alt: Jacques Audiard - Emilia Pérez)

Motion Picture - Comedy: Anora

(alt: Emilia Pérez)

Motion Picture - Drama: The Brutalist

(alt: Conclave)

Recently Watched Movies (Jan 2025 - )

The Piano Lesson (Washington, 2024) - C+

The Substance (Fargeat, 2024) - B+

Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (Crossingham & Park, 2024) - B-

The Virgin Suicides (Coppola, 2000) - B+

A Different Man (Schimberg, 2024) - B+

The Fire Inside (Morrison, 2024) - C

A Complete Unknown (Mangold, 2024) - B-

Kneecap (Peppiatt, 2024) - B

Lee (Kuras, 2024) - C

A Love Song (Walker-Silverman, 2022) - B+

Last year I focused on a revisit of 1999. I think this year I'm gonna try as many from 1995 as I can. That's really the year that my movie watching took off.

Recently Watched Movies (July - Dec 2024)

441 films watched for the year. Don't think I'll beat that anytime soon.

53 films for my 1999 rewatch. I got everything in top 8 Oscar categories with the exception of Topsy Turvy. There were a few other titles from that year that I wanted to revisit, but couldn't track down or just didn't have time. Can a boutique label get on an edition of Cookie's Fortune?

24 from 1994, 21 from 1989. 

Enys Men (Jenkin, 2023) - C

Paris, Texas (Wenders, 1984) - A

Nightbitch (Heller, 2024) - C+

Woman of the Hour (Kendrick, 2024) - C+

His Three Daughters (Jacobs, 2024) - B-

Birth (Glazer, 2004) - A-

The Cider House Rules (Hallström, 1999) - B

Memoir of a Snail (Elliot, 2024) - B+

Sea of Love (Becker, 1989) - B

Gone With the Wind (Fleming, 1939) - B+

Apocalypse Now (Coppola, 1979) - A

Babygirl (Reijn, 2024) - B+

My Fair Lady (Cukor, 1964) - B+

Silent Night (Griffin, 2021) - C

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Gondry, 2004) - A

Little Women (Armstrong, 1994) - B+

Eyes Wide Shut (Kubrick, 1999) - A-

Gremlins (Dante, 1984) - B+

Chinatown (Polanski, 1974) - A-

The Apprentice (Abbasi, 2024) - B+

Music of the Heart (Crave, 1999) - B

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (Branagh, 1994) - C

Boys Don't Cry (Peirce, 1999) - B+

American Beauty (Mendes, 1999) - B+

American Movie (Smith, 1999) - B+

Mufasa: The Lion King (Jenkins, 2024) - C

Kraven the Hunter (Chandor, 2024) - C-

Totally F***up Up (Araki, 1994) - B

Rebel Ridge (Saulnier, 2024) - B+

Maria (Larraín, 2024) - C+

Heavenly Creatures (Jackson, 1994) - A

The Last Seduction (Dahl, 1994) - A-

Jawbreaker (Stein, 1999) - B

Heathers (Lehmann, 1989) - A

Black Christmas (Clark, 1974) - B+

Kinds of Kindness (Lanthimos, 2024) - C

Werewolves (Miller, 2024) - C

Y2K (Mooney, 2024) - C

We Grown Now (Baig, 2024) - B

Emilia Pérez (Audiard, 2024) - B-

Under Paris (Genz, 2024) - C

The Deliverance (Lee, 2024) - C

Magnolia (Anderson, 1999) - A

Hit Man (Linklater, 2024) - B

Gladiator II (Scott, 2024) - C+

Wicked: Part 1 (Chu, 2024) - C+

Moana 2 (Derrick, Hand & Miller, 2024) - C

Sweet and Lowdown (Allen, 1999) - B

Ride With the Devil (Lee, 1999 - Director's Cut) - B

Exhuma (Jang, 2024) - B

Election (Payne, 1999) - A

The Sugarland Express (Spielberg, 1974) - B+

The Hurricane (Jewison, 1999) - B

The Madness of King George (Hytner, 1994) - B+

The Wizard of Oz (Fleming, 1939) - A-

Bonhoeffer (Komarnicki, 2024) - C

Dìdi (Wang, 2024) - B+

Manhattan (Allen, 1979) - A-

God's Country (Higgins, 2022) - B+

Thelma (Margolin, 2024) - B

Robot Dreams (Berger, 2023) - B

Late Night With the Devil (Cairnes & Cairnes, 2024) - C

Skincare (Peters, 2024) - B-

Kill (Bhat, 2024) - C

Heretic (Beck & Woods, 2024) - C+

A Real Pain (Eisenberg, 2024) - B+

Red One (Kasdan, 2024) - D+

Anora (Baker, 2024) - B

Conclave (Berger, 2024) - B

Double Indemnity (Wilder, 1944) - A

Vanya on 42nd Street (Malle, 1994) - B+

The Times of Harvey Milk (Epstein, 1984) - A

Exodus: Gods and Kings (Scott, 2014) - C-

Mean Creek (Estes, 2004) - A-

Field of Dreams (Robinson, 1989) - A-

Cruel Intentions (Kumble, 1999) - B

Blitz (McQueen, 2024) - B-

Here (Zemeckis, 2024) - C-

Muriel's Wedding (Hogan, 1994) - A-

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (Jenkins, 2024) - C

The Sea Inside (Amenábar, 2004) - B+

Blazing Saddles (Brooks, 1974) - B

Teaching Mrs. Tingle (Williamson, 1999) - B

Dead Poets Society (Weir, 1989) - B

Absolution (Moland, 2024) - C+

We Live In Time (Crowley, 2024) - B-

Hitpig! (Angelini & Feiss, 2024) - C-

Lost On a Mountain In Maine (Kightlinger, 2024) - C+

Venom: The Last Dance (Marcel, 2024) - C-

The Inspection (Bratton, 2022) - B

Batman (Burton, 1989) - B+

Mothers' Instinct (Delhomme, 2024) - B-

10 Things I Hate About You (Junger, 1999) - B

The End of the Affair (Jordan, 1999) - B-

Abigail (Bettinelli-Olpin & Gillett, 2024) - B+

Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Hooper, 1974) - A

Opera (Argento, 1987) - B+

Diabolique (Clouzot, 1955) - B+

I Saw the Devil (Kim, 2011) - B+

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Wiene, 1920) - B+

Two Evil Eyes (Argento & Romero) - C+

Sleepy Hollow (Burton, 1999) - B

Cuckoo (Singer, 2024) - B-

The Beast Within (Farrell, 2024) - C-

Wes Craven's New Nightmare (Craven, 1994) - B+

The Blair Witch Project (Myrick & Sánchez, 1999) - A-

A Nightmare on Elm Street (Craven, 1984) A-

Wishmaster (Kurtzman, 1997) - B-

Happy Birthday To Me (Thompson, 1981) - B-

The Dorm That Dripped Blood (Carpenter & Obrow, 1982) - C+

The Seventh Victim (Robson, 1943) - B

Bringing Out the Dead (Scorsese, 1999) - B

Summer of Sam (Lee, 1999) - C+

The Nightmare Before Christmas (Selick, 1993) - B+

Smile 2 (Finn, 2024) - B-

Body Double (De Palma, 1984) - B+

I Walked With a Zombie (Tourneur, 1943) - B+

Lake Placid (Miner, 1999) - B+

It: Chapter 2 (Muschietti, 2019) - C

Butcher Baker Nightmare Maker (Asher, 1981) - B

The Machinist (Anderson, 2004) - C+

It: Chapter 1 (Muschietti, 2017) - B+

Lovers Lane (Ward, 2000) - D+

Saturday Night (Reitman, 2024) - B-

Terrifier 3 (Leone, 2024) - C-

Blade: Trinity (Goyer, 2004) - C-

Young Frankenstein (Brooks, 1974) - B+

The Night of the Hunter (Laughton, 1955) - A

Blade 2 (Del Toro, 2002) - C

Wes Craven Presents: They (Harmon, 2002) - B-

Nightwatch (Bornedal, 1998) - C-

Ghostbusters 2 (Reitman, 1989) - C

Piece By Piece (Neville, 2024) - B-

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (Burton, 2024) - B-

My Old Ass (Park, 2024) - B

Joker: Folie à Deux (Phillips, 2024) - C-

Monster Summer (Henrie, 2024) - C

Thirst (Chan-wook, 2009) - B

Stopmotion (Morgan, 2024) - B

Ghostbusters (Reitman, 1984) - B

Beetlejuice (Burton, 1988) - B+

Castle of Blood (Corbucci & Margheriti, 1964) - B

Stigmata (Wainwright, 1999) - C

Interview With the Vampire (Jordan, 1994) - B-

Night of the Demons 3 (Kaufman, 1997) - D

Megalopolis (Coppola, 2024) - D

Bagman (McCarthy, 2024) - C-

The Wild Robot (Sanders, 2024) - B+

Notice To Quit (Hacker, 2024) - B-

Azrael (Katz, 2024) - C

Night of the Demons 2 (Ternchard-Smith, 1994) - C-

The Tingler (Castle, 1959) - C

Hotel Transylvania: Transformania (Drymon & Kluska, 2022) - C-

Deep Blue Sea (Harlin, 1999) - B

The Astronaut's Wife (Ravich, 1999) - D+

Speak No Evil (Watkins, 2024) - B

Never Let Go (Aja, 2024) - C-

Whiplash (Chazelle, 2014) - A-

Transformers One (Cooley, 2024) - B-

Mute Witness (Waller, 1995) - C+

Witch Story (Capone, 1989) - B-

Dawn of the Dead (Snyder, 2004) - B+

Dead Calm (Noyce, 1989) - B+

The Great Alligator (Martino, 1979) - C+

When a Stranger Calls (Walton, 1979) - B+

House on Haunted Hill (Malone, 1999) - C

The Toxic Avenger (Herz & Kaufman, 1986) - C

The Killer's Game (Perry, 2024) - C

Killer Klowns From Outer Space (Chiodo, 1988) - B-

House on Haunted Hill (Castle, 1959) - B+

Serial Mom (Waters, 1994) - B+

The Bone Collector (Noyce, 1999) - C

Wolf (Nichols, 1994) - B-

13 Ghosts (Castle, 1960) - B

The 13th Warrior (McTiernan, 1999) - C

Shaun of the Dead (Wright, 2004) - A-

The Front Room (Eggers & Eggers, 2024) - C+

The Forge (Kendrick, 2024) - C-

The Hills Have Eyes Part II (Craven, 1985) - C-

Speak No Evil (Tafdrup, 2022) - B

Stir of Echoes (Koepp, 1999) - B-

In Dreams (Jordan, 1999) - C

Bats (Morneau, 1999) - D+

The Haunting (de Bont, 1999) - C+

You Gotta Believe (Roberts, 2024) - C

AfrAId (Weitz, 2024) - C-

Slingshot (Håfström, 2024) - C+

1992 (Vromen, 2024) - C+

The 'Burbs (Dante, 1989) - C+

Possession (Żuławski, 1981) - A-

eXistenZ (Cronenberg, 1999) - B+

The Sixth Sense (Shyamalan, 1999) - A-

Cutting Class (Pallenberg, 1989) - C-

Tumbleweeds (O'Connor, 1999) - B+

Midnight Cowboy (Schlesinger, 1969) - A-

Mean Girls (Waters, 2004) - A-

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (Hill, 1969) - A

The Crow (Sanders, 2024) - C-

Trap (Shyamalan, 2024) - C

Blink Twice (Kravitz, 2024) - B+

Strange Darling (Mollner, 2024) - B

Between the Temples (Silver, 2024) - B

Being John Malkovich (Jonze, 1999) - A-

The Old Oak (Loach, 2024) - B

Easy Rider (Hopper, 1969) - A

The Lost King (Frears, 2023) - C

Alien: Romulus (Alvarez, 2024) - C

A Hard Day's Night (Lester, 1964) - B

Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (Herek, 1989) - B

Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (Cimino, 1974) - B

The Chronicles of Riddick (Twohy, 2004) - C-

Babes (Adlon, 2024) - B-

Borderlands (Roth, 2024) - C-

It Ends With Us (Baldoni, 2024) - C-

Being Julia (Szabó, 2004) - C+

Speed (de Bont, 1994) - A-

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (Elliot, 1994) - A-

The Lion King (Allers & Minkoff, 1994) - A-

The Taste of Things (Tran, 2023) - B+

The Rain People (Coppola, 1969) - B+

UHF (Levey, 1989) - C

Double Jeopardy (Beresford, 1999) - C-

Conan the Destroyer (Fleischer, 1984) - C

Starman (Carpenter, 1984) - B+

Purple Rain (Magnoli, 1984) - B-

Deadpool & Wolverine (Levy, 2024) - C-

Longlegs (Perkins, 2024) - B+

Perfect Days (Wenders, 2023) - B+

Blown Away (Hopkins, 1994) - C-

Arcadian (Brewer, 2024) - C

Origin (Duvernay, 2023) - B

Showing Up (Reichardt, 2023) - B

Twisters (Chung, 2024) - C

Suite Française (Dibb, 2014) - C

Cold In July (Mickle, 2014) - A-

The French Connection (Friedkin, 1971) - A-

Fly Me To the Moon (Berlanti, 2024) - B-

MaXXXine (West, 2024) - B-

Team America: World Police (Parker, 2004) - C+

Satanic Panic (Stardust, 2019) - C-

Anacondas: The Hunt For the Blood Orchid (Little, 2004) - C

Ghosts of War (Bress, 2020) - C-

All About My Mother (Almodóvar, 1999) - A-

The Roaring Twenties (Walsh, 1939) - A-

Sex, Lies, and Videotape (Soderbergh, 1989) - A-

The Warriors (Hill, 1979) - B+

Natural Born Killers (Stone, 1994) - C

South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut (Parker, 1999) - B

The Minus Man (Fancher, 1999) - C+

A Quiet Place: Day One (Sarnoski, 2024) - B

Despicable Me 4 (Delage & Renaud, 2024) - C

Born on the Fourth of July (Stone, 1989) - B+

An Education (Scherfig, 2009) - A-

Steel Magnolias (Ross, 1989) - B+

Some Like It Hot (Wilder, 1959) - A- 

186 watched during the first half, so I won't have any problem surpassing last year's 234. 

The 27th COSTUME DESIGNERS GUILD Nominations!

Excellence in Contemporary Film

"Challengers" - Jonathan Anderson

"Conclave" - Lisy Christl, CDG

"Emilia Pérez" - Virginie Montel

"The Fall Guy" - Sarah Evelyn, CDG

"The Substance" - Emmanuelle Youchnovski

Excellence in Period Film

"The Book of Clarence" - Antoinette Messam, CDG

"Gladiator II" - Janty Yates, CDG & Dave Crossman

"Maria" - Massimo Cantini Parrini

"Nosferatu" - Linda Muir

"Saturday Night" - Danny Glicker, CDG

Excellence in Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film

"Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" - Colleen Atwood, CDG

"Borderlands" - Daniel Orlandi, CDG

"Dune: Part 2" - Jacqueline West, CDG

"Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga" - Jenny Beavan, CDG

"Wicked: Part 1" - Paul Tazewell, CDG

The Brutalist is struggling a bit with the guilds so far. Congrats to Borderlands on the only non-Razzie nomination it will probably get. 

I'd love to see Beavan get another Oscar nom.

The ACE The Eddies - Nominations

They've announced after the Oscar noms the past two years.  

BEST EDITED FEATURE FILM (Drama, Theatrical)
“Civil War” – Jake Roberts, ACE
“Conclave” – Nick Emerson
“Dune: Part 2” – Joe Walker, ACE
“Emilia Perez” – Juliette Welfling
“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” – Eliot Knapman, Margaret Sixel, ACE

BEST EDITED FEATURE FILM (Comedy, Theatrical)
“Anora” – Sean Baker
“Challengers” – Marco Costa
“A Real Pain” – Robert Nassau
“The Substance” – Coralie Fargeat, Jérôme Eltabet, Valentin Féron
“Wicked” – Myron Kerstein, ACE

BEST EDITED ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
“Flow” – Gints Zilbalodis
“Inside Out 2” – Maurissa Horwitz
“Moana 2” – Jeremy Milton, ACE, Michael Louis Hill
“Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” – Dan Hembery
“The Wild Robot” – Mary Blee

BEST EDITED DOCUMENTARY FEATURE:

"Beatles ’64" - Mariah Rehmet, ACE

"Her Name was Moviola"- Howard Berry

"Jim Henson Idea Man" - Sierra Neal, Paul Crowder, ACE

"Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story" - Otto Burnham

"Will & Harper" - Monique Zavistovski, ACE

Woohoo at more Furiosa love. Maybe the Guilds will revive it enough for an Oscar nom or two or ten. 

Trailer: 28 Years Later

I haven't posted a trailer in years, but I'm excited for this one. Love this trailer, and no that is not Cillian as a zombie. This will be the first of a new trilogy, which doesn't seem like a great idea. Are they gonna bring back Naomie, too? Boo if not. I remember when I saw the original in theaters, it felt like something genuinely new. This looks pretty stunning, but I do slightly miss the look of the original. 

Also, this is coming out 6 years too soon.

Globes Reax!

These were probably the most predictable batch in ages. 

I'll have to look up past figures, but I think this is probably the best I ever did. (It was.)

Drama: 5/6

Comedy/Musical: 6/6

Director: 4/6 (+alt)

Actress - Drama: 4/6 (+alt)

Actor - Drama: 6/6

Actress - Comedy: 6/6

Actor - Comedy: 5/6

Supp. Actress: 5/6 (+alt)

Supp. Actor: 4/6

Screenplay: 5/6 (+alt)

Foreign: 6/6

Animated: 6/6

Score: 6/6

Song: 5/6

73/84 = 86.9%

6 categories completely accurate. wut. 

Previous record was 84.3% I believe, so yeah, this was my best score. 

All that said, the Globes once again find themselves in controversy due to the POC snubs. Deadwyler, Maclin, Jean-Baptiste left out.

Emilia Pérez now one of the most nominated films ever from this organization. Brutalist, Anora, and Substance maxed out. And Wild Robot.

Also, that Cinematic and Box-Office whatever nonsense makes no sense. Dune: Part 2 left out, but Gladiator II and Alien: Romulus in? Ugh, lose that category. (ETA: Dune: Part 2 was not submitted for the category. LOL. When a studio doesn't even want this nomination...)

Some other news: it looks like the Cecil B. DeMille Award and Carol Burnett Award are getting their own ceremony instead of being included on the broadcast. Ugh. Sorry, Viola and Ted.

The 82nd GOLDEN GLOBES Nominations!

MOTION PICTURE CATEGORIES:

BEST MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA

THE BRUTALIST

A COMPLETE UNKNOWN

CONCLAVE

DUNE: PART 2

NICKEL BOYS

SEPTEMBER 5

BEST MOTION PICTURE - MUSICAL OR COMEDY

ANORA

CHALLENGERS

EMILIA PÉREZ

A REAL PAIN

THE SUBSTANCE

WICKED: PART 1

BEST DIRECTOR

JACQUES AUDIARD - EMILIA PÉREZ

SEAN BAKER - ANORA

EDWARD BERGER - CONCLAVE

BRADY CORBET - THE BRUTALIST

CORALIE FARGEAT - THE SUBSTANCE

PAYAL KAPADIA - ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT

BEST ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA

ADRIEN BRODY - THE BRUTALIST

TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET - A COMPLETE UNKNOWN

DANIEL CRAIG - QUEER

COLMAN DOMINGO - SING SING

RALPH FIENNES - CONCLAVE

SEBASTIAN STAN - THE APPRENTICE

BEST ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA

PAMELA ANDERSON - THE LAST SHOWGIRL

ANGELINA JOLIE - MARIA

NICOLE KIDMAN - BABYGIRL

TILDA SWINTON - THE ROOM NEXT DOOR

FERNANDA TORRES - I'M STILL HERE

KATE WINSLET - LEE

BEST ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE - COMEDY/MUSICAL

JESSE EISENBERG - A REAL PAIN

HUGH GRANT - HERETIC

GABRIEL LABELLE - SATURDAY NIGHT

JESSE PLEMONS - KINDS OF KINDNESS

GLEN POWELL - HIT MAN

SEBASTIAN STAN - A DIFFERENT MAN

BEST ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE - COMEDY/MUSICAL

AMY ADAMS - NIGHTBITCH

CYNTHIA ERIVO - WICKED: PART 1

KARLA SOFÍA GASCÓN - EMILIA PÉREZ

MIKEY MADISON - ANORA

DEMI MOORE - THE SUBSTANCE

ZENDAYA - CHALLENGERS

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE

YURA BORISOV - ANORA

KIERAN CULKIN - A REAL PAIN

EDWARD NORTON - A COMPLETE UNKNOWN

GUY PEARCE - THE BRUTALIST

JEREMY STRONG - THE APPRENTICE

DENZEL WASHINGTON - GLADIATOR II

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE

SELENA GOMEZ - EMILIA PÉREZ

ARIANA GRANDE - WICKED: PART 1

FELICITY JONES - THE BRUTALIST

MARGARET QUALLEY - THE SUBSTANCE

ISABELLA ROSSELLINI - CONCLAVE

ZOE SALDAÑA - EMILIA PÉREZ

BEST SCREENPLAY

ANORA

THE BRUTALIST

CONCLAVE

EMILIA PÉREZ

A REAL PAIN

THE SUBSTANCE

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

THE BRUTALIST

CHALLENGERS

CONCLAVE

DUNE: PART 2

EMILIA PÉREZ

THE WILD ROBOT

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

"FORBIDDEN ROAD" - BETTER MAN

"COMPRESS/REPRESS" - CHALLENGERS

"EL MAL" - EMILIA PÉREZ

"MI CAMINO" - EMILIA PÉREZ

"BEAUTIFUL THAT WAY" - THE LAST SHOWGIRL

"KISS THE SKY" - THE WILD ROBOT

BEST MOTION PICTURE - ANIMATED

FLOW

INSIDE OUT 2

MEMOIR OF A SNAIL

MOANA 2

WALLACE AND GROMIT: VENGEANCE MOST FOWL

THE WILD ROBOT

BEST MOTION PICTURE - NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGE

ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT

EMILIA PÉREZ

THE GIRL WITH THE NEEDLE

I'M STILL HERE

THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG

VERMIGLIO

CINEMATIC AND BOX-OFFICE ACHIEVEMENT

ALIEN: ROMULUS

BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE

GLADIATOR II

INSIDE OUT 2

TWISTERS

WICKED: PART 1

THE WILD ROBOT

TELEVISION: 

BEST SERIES – DRAMA

THE DAY OF THE JACKAL

THE DIPLOMAT

MR. & MRS. SMITH

SHŌGUN

SLOW HORSES

SQUID GAME

BEST SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY

ABBOTT ELEMENTARY

THE BEAR

THE GENTLEMEN

HACKS

NOBODY WANTS THIS

ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING

BEST LIMITED SERIES, ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

BABY REINDEER

DISCLAIMER

MONSTERS: THE LYLE AND ERIK MENENDEZ STORY

THE PENGUIN

RIPLEY

TRUE DETECTIVE: NIGHT COUNTRY

BEST ACTRESS IN A SERIES – DRAMA

KATHY BATES - MATLOCK

EMMA D’ARCY - HOUSE OF THE DRAGON

MAYA ERSKINE - MR. & MRS. SMITH

KEIRA KNIGHTLEY - BLACK DOVES

KERI RUSSELL - THE DIPLOMAT

ANNA SAWAI - SHŌGUN

BEST ACTOR IN A SERIES – DRAMA

DONALD GLOVER - MR. & MRS. SMITH

JAKE GYLLENHAAL - PRESUMED INNOCENT

GARY OLDMAN - SLOW HORSES

EDDIE REDMAYNE - THE DAY OF THE JACKAL

HIROYUKI SANADA - SHŌGUN

BILLY BOB THORNTON - LANDMAN

BEST ACTESS IN A SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY

KRISTEN BELL - NOBODY WANTS THIS

QUINTA BRUNSON ABBOTT ELEMENTARY

AYO EDEBIRI - THE BEAR

SELENA GOMEZ - ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING

KATHRYN HAHN - AGATHA ALL ALONG

JEAN SMART - HACKS

BEST ACTOR IN A SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY

ADAM BRODY - NOBODY WANTS THIS

TED DANSON - A MAN ON THE INSIDE

STEVE MARTIN - ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING

JASON SEGEL - SHRINKING

MARTIN SHORT - ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING

JEREMY ALLEN WHITE - THE BEAR

BEST ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES, ANTHOLOGY SERIES, OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

CATE BLANCHETT - DISCLAIMER

JODIE FOSTER - TRUE DETECTIVE: NIGHT COUNTRY

CRISTIN MILIOTI - THE PENGUIN

SOFÍA VERGARA - GRISELDA

NAOMI WATTS  - FEUD: CAPOTE VS. THE SWANS

KATE WINSLET - THE REGIME

BEST ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES, ANTHOLOGY SERIES, OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

COLIN FARRELL - THE PENGUIN

RICHARD GADD - BABY REINDEER

KEVIN KLINE - DISCLAIMER

COOPER KOCH - MONSTERS: THE LYLE AND ERIK MENENDEZ STORY

EWAN MCGREGOR - A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW

ANDREW SCOTT - RIPLEY

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE ON TELEVISION

LIZA COLÓN-ZAYAS - THE BEAR

HANNAH EINBINDER - HACKS

DAKOTA FANNING - RIPLEY

JESSICA GUNNING - BABY REINDEER

ALLISON JANNEY - THE DIPLOMAT

KALI REIS - TRUE DETECTIVE: NIGHT COUNTRY

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE ON TELEVISION

TADANOBU ASANO - SHŌGUN

JAVIER BARDEM - MONSTERS: THE LYLE AND ERIK MENENDEZ STORY

HARRISON FORD - SHRINKING

JACK LOWDEN - SLOW HORSES

DIEGO LUNA - LA MÁQUINA

EBON MOSS-BACHRACH - THE BEAR

BEST PERFORMANCE IN STAND-UP COMEDY ON TELEVISION

JAMIE FOXX - JAMIE FOXX: WHAT HAD HAPPENED WAS

NIKKI GLASER - NIKKI GLASER: SOMEDAY YOU’LL DIE

SETH MEYERS - SETH MEYERS: DAD MAN WALKING

ADAM SANDLER - ADAM SANDLER: LOVE YOU

ALI WONG - ALI WONG: SINGLE LADY

RAMY YOUSSEF - RAMY YOUSSEF: MORE FEELINGS

82nd Globe Dix

Announcing Monday morning on CBS by Morris Chestnut and Mindy Kaling.

Not doing TV again. Too much of a headache.

The press release says they are announcing 27 categories, which I guess means the Box Office Achievement bullshit and Standup Special nonsense are back. Bleh. 

Original Song:

"Forbidden Road" - Better Man

"El Mal" - Emilia Pérez

"Mi Camino" - Emilia Pérez

"Beautiful That Way" - The Last Showgirl

"I Always Wanted a Brother" - Mufasa: The Lion King

"Kiss the Sky" - The Wild Robot

alt: "The Journey" - The Six Triple Eight

Original Score:

The Brutalist - Challengers - Conclave - Dune: Part 2 - Emilia Pérez - The Wild Robot

alt: The Room Next Door

Animated Film:

Flow - Inside Out 2 - Memoir of a Snail - Moana 2 - Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl - The Wild Robot

alt: Piece By Piece

Foreign Language Film:

All We Imagine As Light - Emilia Pérez - The Girl With a Needle - I'm Still Here - The Seed of the Sacred Fig - Vermiglio

alt: Kneecap

Screenplay:

Anora - The Brutalist - Conclave - Emilia Pérez - A Real Pain - Sing Sing

alt: The Substance

Supporting Actor:

Yura Borisov - Anora

Kieran Culkin - A Real Pain

Clarence Maclin - Sing Sing

Guy Pearce - The Brutalist

Stanley Tucci - Conclave

Denzel Washington - Gladiator II

alt: Jonathan Bailey - Wicked: Part 1

Or Jeremy Strong. 

Supporting Actress:

Danielle Deadwyler - The Piano Lesson

Selena Gomez - Emilia Pérez

Ariana Grande-Butera - Wicked: Part 1

Felicity Jones - The Brutalist

Margaret Qualley - The Substance

Zoe Saldaña - Emilia Pérez

alt: Isabella Rossellini - Conclave

There's also Saoirse Ronan or Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor. 

Lead Actor - Comedy/Musical:

Jesse Eisenberg - A Real Pain

Hugh Grant - Heretic

Jesse Plemons - Kinds of Kindness

Glen Powell - Hit Man

Ryan Reynolds - Deadpool & Wolverine

Sebastian Stan - A Different Man

alt: Michael Keaton - Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

I have no idea when Grant was confirmed for this category, but everyone is predicting him. There's also Gosling for Fall Guy and Gabriel LaBelle for Saturday Night.

Lead Actress - Comedy/Musical:

Amy Adams - Nightbitch

Cynthia Erivo - Wicked: Part 1

Karla Sofía Gascón - Emilia Pérez

Mikey Madison - Anora

Demi Moore - The Substance

Zendaya - Challengers

alt: June Squibb - Thelma

Lead Actor - Drama:

Adrien Brody - The Brutalist

Timothée Chalamet - A Complete Unknown

Daniel Craig - Queer

Colman Domingo - Sing Sing

Ralph Fiennes - Conclave

Sebastian Stan - The Apprentice

alt: Kingsley Ben-Adir - Bob Marley: One Love

Lead Actress - Drama:

Pamela Anderson - The Last Showgirl

Marianne Jean-Baptiste - Hard Truths

Angelina Jolie - Maria

Nicole Kidman - Babygirl

Saoirse Ronan - The Outrun

Kate Winslet - Lee

alt: Fernanda Torres - I'm Still Here

Or Tilda Swinton. Or Lily-Rose Depp. Torres might benefit from the new wave of voters, but Anderson has been hustling like crazy. 

Director:

Jacques Audiard - Emilia Pérez

Sean Baker - Anora

Edward Berger - Conclave

Brady Corbett - The Brutalist

John M. Chu - Wicked: Part 1

RaMell Ross - Nickel Boys

alt: Coralie Fargeat - The Substance

Could be the most interesting category of the day. It'll give us a good clue to the state of the overall race.

Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical:

Anora 

Challengers

Emilia Pérez

A Real Pain

The Substance

Wicked: Part 1

alt: Better Man

So many have Saturday Night as the alt, but Better Man seems very old school HFPA.

Motion Picture - Drama:

The Brutalist

A Complete Unknown

Conclave

Dune: Part 2

Nickel Boys

Sing Sing

alt: Hard Truths

The 2024 AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE Honorees!

AFI MOTION PICTURES OF THE YEAR

“Anora” (Neon)

“The Brutalist” (A24)

“A Complete Unknown” (Searchlight Pictures)

“Conclave” (Focus Features)

“Dune: Part Two” (Warner Bros.)

“Emilia Pérez” (Netflix)

“Nickel Boys” (Amazon MGM Studios)

“A Real Pain” (Searchlight Pictures)

“Sing Sing” (A24)

“Wicked: Part 1” (Universal Pictures)

AFI TELEVISION PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR

“Abbott Elementary” (ABC)

“The Bear” (FX)

“Hacks” (HBO/Max)

“A Man on the Inside” (Netflix)

“Mr. and Mrs. Smith” (Prime Video)

“Nobody Wants This” (Netflix)

“The Penguin” (HBO/Max)

“Shōgun” (FX)

“Shrinking” (Apple TV+)

“True Detective: Night Country” (HBO/Max)

AFI Special Award: “Baby Reindeer” (Netflix)

The 2024 NATIONAL BOARD OF REVIEW Winners!

Sadly, this might be the only recognition Furiosa gets for the year. Even though this organization is biased toward WB, still nice to see it get two mentions. I literally got out of seeing Wicked and saw these wins and may have almost choked on my laugh. I believe this is Nicole's first win from this group. 

Best Film: Wicked

Best Director: Jon M. Chu - Wicked
Best Actor: Daniel Craig - Queer
Best Actress: Nicole Kidman - Babygirl
Best Supporting Actor: Kieran Culkin - A Real Pain
Best Supporting Actress: Elle Fanning - A Complete Unknown
Best Original Screenplay: Mike Leigh - Hard Truths
Best Adapted Screenplay: Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar - Sing Sing
Best Animated Feature: Flow
Best Documentary: Sugarcane
Best International Film: The Seed of the Sacred Fig
Best Ensemble: Conclave
Best Directorial Debut: India Donaldson, Good One
Breakthrough Performance: Mikey Madison - Anora
NBR Freedom of Expression: No Other Land
NBR Spotlight Award: Creative Collaboration of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande
Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography: Jarin Blaschke - Nosferatu
Outstanding Achievement in Stunt Artistry: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Top 10 Films (in alphabetical order):
Anora
Babygirl
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Gladiator II
Juror #2
Queer
A Real Pain
Sing Sing

Top 5 International Films (in alphabetical order):
All We Imagine as Light
The Girl with the Needle
I’m Still Here
Santosh
Universal Language

Top 5 Documentaries (in alphabetical order):
Black Box Diaries
Dahomey
Look into my Eyes
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Will & Harper

Top 10 Independent Films (in alphabetical order):
Bird
A Different Man
Dìdi
Ghostlight
Good One
Hard Truths
His Three Daughters
Love Lies Bleeding
My Old Ass
Thelma

The 40th INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS Nominations!

Happy to see love for Ghostlight! Still one of my favorites from this seriously lacking year. It was a shock to realize this is Amy Adams first nom since she won 19 years ago for Junebug. And ecstatic to see another nom for Carol Kane, who won the NYFCC yesterday. She's a lead, but category fraud is out of control this year. TV noms are available here. I don't care a single bit about those. 

Best Feature
ANORA (producers: Sean Baker, Alex Coco, Samantha Quan)

I SAW THE TV GLOW (producers: Ali Herting, Sam Intili, Dave McCary, Emma Stone, Sarah Winshall)
NICKEL BOYS (producers: Joslyn Barnes, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, David Levine)
SING SING (producers: Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Monique Walton)
THE SUBSTANCE (producers: Tim Bevan, Coralie Fargeat, Eric Fellner)

Best Director
Ali Abbasi - The Apprentice
Sean Baker - Anora
Brady Corbet - The Brutalist
Alonso Ruizpalacios - La Cocina
Jane Schoenbrun - I Saw the TV Glow

Best Lead Performance
Amy Adams - Nightbitch
Ryan Destiny - The Fire Inside
Colman Domingo - Sing Sing
Keith Kupferer - Ghostlight
Mikey Madison - Anora
Demi Moore - The Substance
Hunter Schafer - Cuckoo
Justice Smith - I Saw the TV Glow
June Squibb - Thelma
Sebastian Stan - The Apprentice

Best Supporting Performance
Yura Borisov - Anora
Joan Chen - Dìdi
Kieran Culkin - A Real Pain
Danielle Deadwyler - The Piano Lesson
Carol Kane - Between the Temples
Karren Karagulian - Anora
Kani Kusruti - Girls Will Be Girls
Brigette Lundy-Paine - I Saw the TV Glow
Clarence Maclin - Sing Sing
Adam Pearson - A Different Man

Best Screenplay
Aaron Schimberg - A Different Man
Scott Beck and Bryan Woods - Heretic
Jane Schoenbrun - I Saw the TV Glow
Megan Park - My Old Ass
Jesse Eisenberg - A Real Pain

Best Documentary
Gaucho Gaucho
Hummingbirds 
No Other Land 
Patrice: The Movie
Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat

Best International Film
All We Imagine as Light 
Black Dog
Flow
Green Border
Hard Truths

Best First Feature
Dìdi 
In the Summers 

Janet Planet
The Piano Lesson
Problemista

Best Breakthrough Performance
Isaac Krasner - Big Boys
Katy O’Brian - Love Lies Bleeding
Mason Alexander Park - National Anthem
René Pérez Joglar - In the Summers
Maisy Stella - My Old Ass

Best First Screenplay
Sean Wang - Dìdi
Joanna Arnow - The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed
India Donaldson - Good One
Annie Baker - Janet Planet
Julio Torres - Problemista

Best Cinematography
Rina Yang - The Fire Inside
Dinh Duy Hung - Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell
Maria von Hausswolff - Janet Planet
Juan Pablo Ramírez - La cocina
Jomo Fray - Nickel Boys

Best Editing
Olivier Bugge Coutté and Olivia Neergaard-Holm - The Apprentice
Arielle Zakowski - Dìdi
Laura Colwell and Vanara Taing - Jazzy
Anne McCabe - Nightbitch
Hansjörg Weissbrich - September 5

Altman Award: His Three Daughters
Director: Azazel Jacobs
Casting Director: Nicole Arbusto
Ensemble Cast: Jovan Adepo, Jasmine Bracey, Carrie Coon, Jose Febus, Rudy Galvan, Natasha Lyonne, Elizabeth Olsen, Randy Ramos Jr., Jay O. Sanders

John Cassavetes Award
Big Boys
Ghostlight 
Girls Will Be Girls

Jazzy 
The People’s Joker

Producers Award
Alex Coco
Sarah Winshall
Zoë Worth
 
Someone to Watch Award
Nicholas Colia - Griffin in Summer
Sarah Friedland - Familiar Touch
Pham Thien An - Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell

Truer Than Fiction Award
Julian Brave NoiseCat & Emily Kassie - Sugarcane
Carla Gutiérrez - Frida
Rachel Elizabeth Seed - A Photographic Memory

HF: Happy Halloween!

I watched almost everything I wanted to watch this year. The only major miss that I wanted to revisit was 1994's Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. As for my 1999 retrospective, I added 17 more titles through HF. I couldn't get The Rage: Carrie 2 or End of Days. I wasn't going to re-watch Virus, and I watched Idle Hands and Ravenous in previous years. I will be watching Jawbreaker again before the end of the year. Can now safely say I've seen all the horrors of 1999. There were also five 2024 titles I had wanted to include: Late Night With the Devil, In a Violent Nature, Oddity, Exhuma, and The Substance. I'll get around to them. Saving anniversary watches of Black Christmas and Gremlins for the holidays.

ABIGAIL

(Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett, 2024)

This was my Halloween night viewing. I saw this back in April and enjoyed it, and figured it would be a good film for Halloween night. Funnily enough, despite my horror obsession, I don't typically watch a movie on Halloween night. Usually only if the holiday falls on the weekend. A group of strangers is hired to kidnap the ballerina daughter of a high profile criminal and hold her hostage in a desolate manor. Unbeknownst to them, the girl has some secrets of her own. Fun, bloody, with a terrific ensemble playing well of each other, it's closer in tone to the directors' Ready or Not than their Scream films. The final act does run a little long, but there is a perfectly cast cameo at the end. With Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton, and Alisha Weir. GRADE: B+

THE BEAST WITHIN

(Alexander J. Farrell, 2024)

A young girl finds the reason her family lives in an isolated area in the middle of the English wilds has to do with her father and his monstrous transformation that occurs at night. Uninvolving yawn of a take on the werewolf lore, hopefully the upcoming Wolf Man is a fresher spin because this had very little new to offer. Kit Harrington was almost naked, so there's at least that. Very little else. GRADE: C-

THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI

(Robert Wiene, 1920)

This replaces Metropolis as the earliest movie I've ever seen. From a design perspective, this has more inventive production design than most modern movies. It feels like its own world, but you can see the influence among a handful of modern filmmakers. A man tells the story of how he encountered a doctor and his somnambulist which led to the murder of his friend. (I did not know what a somnambulist prior to this.) Twists abound, but I was a bit taken aback by the score. I watched the version with a 2014 score, and it sounded a little too jazzy. I expected something a bit more ominous and foreboding. That threw me off a little, but I definitely want to check out more German Expressionist cinema. GRADE: B+

CUCKOO

(Tillman Singer, 2024)

A teenager (Hunter Schafer) takes a job at a resort in the German Alps where here father and stepfamily are staying. At night, she becomes entangled in the sinister goings-on in the isolated area. The reveals of the film's second half go to deranged places though I felt some of it didn't entirely work. The scene with Gretchen riding her bike at night was intense, so Singer does know how to stage some thrilling sequences. Did we need a shootout, though? Schafer and the supporting cast - including Dan Stevens, Jessica Henwick, and Marton Csokas - are good. GRADE: B-

DIABOLIQUE

(Henri-Georges Clouzot, 1955)

French shocker about the wife and mistress of a boarding school headmaster who team up to kill him. A detective shows up to figure out what happened putting the wife's fragile heart in jeopardy. I saw the remake of this back in '96 and was surprised how much I remembered of it. That was almost a beat by beat remake up until the ending. Simone Signoret and Véra Clouzot play well off of each other, the former being stylishly iconic and oozing sex appeal. Kinda eerie the latter died of a heart attack five years after this came out. With Paul Meurisse. GRADE: B+

I SAW THE DEVIL

(Kim Jee-woon, 2011)

After the murder of his wife, a secret agent plays a bloody game of cat and mouse with a sadistic serial killer. Their violent confrontations grow increasingly out of control. A very different take on the hunt-for-the-killer movie in which the good guy gets the bad guy but then deliberately lets him go to wear him down. Stylish directing and great cinematography, it'll please fans of both standard serial killer thrillers and the hardcore gorehounds. Ultimately, it does run a little too long, but watching Lee Byung-hun (so hot!) and Choi Min-sik spar is a sick, twisted pleasure. GRADE: B+

OPERA

(Dario Argento, 1987)

After the leading lady is hit by a car, a young woman becomes the new, acclaimed lead of a production of Verdi's "MacBeth" just as a killer goes on a rampage. I figured this would involve a more supernatural storyline, but it was a fairly straight forward slasher. Plus, ravens! The film's needles-keeping-the-eyes-open bit the killer does was pretty cool. I don't think any other film has ever replicated that. It seems like something another film would've copied. The kills are good, and the production design was top notch. Was I the only one thinking about Sound of Music during the last scene? That had to be intentional, right? With Cristina Marsillach and Ian Charleson. GRADE: B+

TWO EVIL EYES

(Dario Argento & George Romero, 1991)

Horror legends teamed up for this duology that pays tribute to several short stories by Edgar Allen Poe. Romero directed the first story; Adrienne Barbeau plays a former flight attendant attempting to bilk an old rich man out of his estate before his death with the help of a swarthy lawyer (Ramy Zada, so hot!). Argento does the second story where Harvey Keitel plays a seedy photographer who has an unhealthy hatred of his girlfriend's black cat. I preferred the first story, but neither fully works. Good performances, but the stories are just a little too slight even each only running about an hour. I did enjoy the various references to Poe. GRADE: C+

WISHMASTER

(Robert Kurtzman, 1997)

Another "Wes Craven presents...", but in this one he's actually credited as an executive producer. Saw this when it came to VHS in the late 90's and haven't seen it since. I think it the sequels are on PlutoTV. I had intended to watch the franchise this year, but didn't get around to the sequels. Enjoyed this when I first saw it, but figured it would be another "well, this actually sucked". Turns out I still kinda like it. It's not good, exactly, but it is fun with some good makeup effects and lots of cameos by horror icons. A djinn is unleashed in Los Angeles and it's up to a gemologist to stop him. Straight forward "Be careful what you wish for!" horror/fantasy with creative kills, though I wish Andrew Divoff as the titular genie gave a bit of a stronger performance. It's crazy how much he looks like the Creeper from Jeepers Creepers. With Tammy Lauren and Robert Englund. Jenny O'Hara is an absolute hoot as a folklore professor. GRADE: B-

Some anniversary re-watches...

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET

(Wes Craven, 1984)

Happy 40th! I don't actually recall when I first saw this, in fact I think I may have seen New Nightmare before it. The film that saved New Line and gave horror audiences one of its most beloved icons, it still works four decades later. Heather Langenkamp plays Nancy, a high school student who begins having nightmares about a burnt maniac named Fred. When Fred kills you in your sleep, he kills you for real. I was born the year before this came out, and it's hard to tell young audiences just how massive Freddy was back in the day. Sequels, parodies, pop culture references, Will Smith songs, and a perennial costume for youngsters, Freddy owned the mid-late 80's/early 90's. The original holds up thanks to Craven's skill, a relatable final girl, Johnny Depp looking like a dream, the memorable kills, and of course Robert Englund's performance. Worth noting that the film is situated firmly in Craven's oeuvre between the themes of dissolution of the American family and the line between reality and fantasy blurring. GRADE: A-

WES CRAVEN'S NEW NIGHTMARE

(Wes Craven, 1994)

Craven never blurred the line between reality and fantasy as much as he did with his meta-reimagining of the franchise he started. Heather Langenkamp plays herself, an actress facing earthquakes, a stalker, and a child who is battling nightmares. When a new Nightmare on Elm Street is put in development at New Line, she's forced to face Freddy Krueger in the real world. I'm not sure this was the first meta horror film, but even after 30 years it's still the most. People involved in the production of the original film - both in front of the camera and behind it - appear as themselves. The film probably runs about 10 minutes too long, but it delivers some splendid sequences. Can we also just acknowledge that Heather was an absolute smokeshow in this? GRADE: B+

The last of the 1999 stuff...

THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT

(Daniel Myrick & Eduardo Sánchez)

The other seminal horror film released in the summer of '99, Blair wasn't the first found footage horror movie but it was the one that helped reinvent the genre. It was the also the first film to really use the internet as a way to market a film. Three film students go missing in 1994 in the deep woods of Maryland while investigating a local legend involving a witch. A year later, their footage is discovered. 

We watch as three stereotypical Gen X-ers smoke, swear, argue, get lost, start to lose their sanity, and ultimately vanish with only the footage as the trace of what happened. It's probably the most divisive film in horror - or even non-horror - history, but I was always on its side. I grew up going camping, and staying in cabins deeeep in the wilderness and know how unsettling those environs can be particularly at night. I also love how much it utilizes folklore - even completely made up - to tell its story. With Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, and Michael C. Williams. GRADE: A-

SLEEPY HOLLOW

(Tim Burton)

Johnny Depp stars as Ichabod Crane, who in 1799 is sent to the small town of Sleepy Hollow to investigate the beheadings of several people rumored to be caused by the ghostly legend The Headless Horseman. This is a jaw dropper of a gorgeous film. It might be one of the ultimate Fall Vibes movies. The cinematography, costumes, and production design (all Oscar-nominated, the art direction won) are some of the best of the era. The script, however, needed some work. I think it should also be acknowledged the industry never really took proper advantage of the talents of Miranda Richardson, even with two Oscar nominations earlier in the decade. With Christina Ricci, Christopher Walken, and Casper Van Dien. GRADE: B

And a Happy 50th to...

THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE

(Tobe Hooper, 1974)

What a journey this film has had. It started as independent movie sensation, was banned in certain countries, became a Video Nasty, found new life as a teenage rite of passage in the VHS era, and ultimately over the last several decades became the respected horror masterpiece it always deserved to be. Variety just named it the best horror film of all time. I remember in elementary school hearing the title and imagining the most gruesome movie possible. As is always pointed out, it's not really that violent. But the heat of the Texas sun bears down on us, the grimy smells of the slaughterhouse surround us, and that atmosphere of raw horror consumes us. That cinematography, that sound! A young woman and her friends on a road trip through Texas to check on the gravestone of her grandfather come face to face with a clan of redneck cannibals. I just realized watching this that both this and Night of the Living Dead start with a trip to the graveyard and end up in a farmhouse. I would say that film and this one are easily the two best horror films ever, two of the best independent films, two startlingly vicious portrait of America of the Vietnam era, and two of my all-time favorites. With Marilyn Burns and Gunnar Hansen. GRADE: A 

HF: Frankie Goes to Horrorwood

BODY DOUBLE

(Brian De Palma, 1984)

A struggling actor housesitting for a friend becomes enamored with a woman in a nearby apartment. After she's murdered, he uses the help of a porn star to find out who did it. Deliciously salacious thriller from De Palma who knows exactly how to do this type of film. I miss erotic thrillers. Can we bring those back? The twists may be obvious and the director rips off Hitchcock, for sure, but it's also a fascinating snapshot of Los Angeles and the porn industry of the mid 80's. That use of "Relax", though! With Craig Wasson, Melanie Griffith, and Gregg Henry. GRADE: B+

BUTCHER BAKER NIGHTMARE MAKER

(William Asher, 1981)

That has to be in the upper echelon of great movie titles. Super campy thriller about a woman (Susan Tyrrell) raising her nephew after his parents are killed in a car accident when he's just an infant. Now a teen, his aunt develops a murderous obsession with him after he wants to go away to college on a basketball scholarship. There's a significant part of the storyline involving a gay character that was shockingly progressive for the era. Occasionally feels like a TV movie with some lascivious content, but Tyrrell is gloriously unhinged. With Jimmy McNichol and Julia Duffy. GRADE: B

DEATH DORM / THE DORM THAT DRIPPED BLOOD / PRANKS

(Stephen Carpenter & Jeffrey Obrow, 1982)

The title card said the first title, the DVD said the second title. Scream 2 referenced this by the second title, so I think that gets the final say on what this should be called. The DVD features a trailer with the third title. Oof. A group of college students helps clear out a condemned dormitory over the holidays, but a killer has bloody plans for them. Average slasher fare, this was a very low budget film that was shot (in 16mm!) by a bunch of UCLA students. Amateur, sure, but I dug the eerie ending. Featuring a young Daphne Zuniga among many other brown-haired people. GRADE: C+

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME

(J. Lee Thompson, 1981)

Canadian slasher about a young woman (Little House on the Prairie's Melissa Sue Anderson) who may be the prime suspect in the murder of some of her classmates. She survived a car accident a few years prior and has been suffering from blackouts since. I spent most of this confused about whether this was a high school or college. They kept referring to it as an Academy, but the students gathered at a local pub to drink beer at night. Is that legal in Canada? The ending is a big 'huh?' and it turns out the film was rewritten during production. It takes some batshit crazy turns, but it's never boring and the kills are pretty good. With Matt Craven and Glenn Ford. GRADE: B-

I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE

(Jacques Tourneur, 1943)

The nice thing about these old horror movies is they are usually very short. This runs just under 70 minutes. The bad thing about that is they sometimes feel like they are only scratching the surface of their story and could use a little more development. This one gets by mostly on atmosphere, which it has in abundance. A nurse is hired for a job in the Caribbean taking care of a plantation owner's wife. There, she encounters voodoo and zombies. Eerie with a palpable sense of dread, I'm digging these Val Lewton movies. With Frances Dee and Tom Conway. GRADE: B+

IT: CHAPTER ONE

(Andy Muschietti, 2017)

I rewatched this because I hadn't seen Part 2. My HF review is in this post. My thoughts are pretty much the same now as then. 

IT: CHAPTER TWO

(Andy Muschietti, 2019)

This might be my most embarrassing blindspot of the past decade or so. How did it take me so long to see this? For its 5 year anniversary, I had to sit down and finally watch, ahem, it. This has most of the same problems too many modern films have: too long, subplots that could've been cut, climax goes on too long, dim photography, cartoonish effects, etc. It's basically the horror equivalent of a Marvel movie. The Losers return 27 years later to battle Pennywise hopefully for good. I'm not sure what the feeling of the novel is, but I remember most agreed the TV movie's first half was better than the second. I figured this would be the case for the film adaptations, but this is still a considerable drop off from the first. The cast is capable and they have solid chemistry. There is a good, tight movie somewhere in the 169 minute runtime. With Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, and Bill Hader. GRADE: C 

LOVERS LANE

(Jon Steven Ward, 2000)

A few months before her breakout in Scary Movie, Anna Faris appeared as a cheerleader in this Pacific Northwest-set slasher. A killer with a hook for a hand goes on a Valentine's Day rampage slicing up the teenage children of the victims of a massacre that happened thirteen years earlier. Mostly dull with routine killings, this skipped theatrical release and debuted as an exclusive at Blockbuster. The hooked killer stalking horny people in a makeout spot was probably better done, well, any other time it was done. With Sarah Lancaster and Matt Riedy. GRADE: D+

THE MACHINIST

(Brad Anderson, 2004)

The most memorable bit of this film is trivia of how much weight Christian Bale lost to play the titular role. (He would bulk up for Batman right after.) It may have been mostly in vain as the film itself isn't that memorable and has seemingly been forgotten. A factory machine operator suffering from insomnia causes an accident that rips off the arm of a coworker. He starts having visions of a coworker only he can see, and continues a psychological freefall that alienates him from the world. Very much your typical Dark Thriller from the era, but the explanation for why everything was happening was at least decent. It probably played a little better at the time it was released, but seems a tad archaic now. With Jennifer Jason Leigh and Michael Ironside. GRADE: C+

THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

(Henry Selick, 1993)

Here is my review from last year for the film's 30th anniversary. I got the chance to see this on the big screen in 3D. It was the first time I got to see it in theaters. I actually found the 3D to be lacking? 

THE SEVENTH VICTIM

(Mark Robson, 1943)

Another Val Lewton production, this one follows a young woman (Kim Hunter) who goes to New York City to figure out what happened to her missing sister (Jean Brooks). There, she discovers her sister with severe bangs may have ties to a sinister cult. There's a whole lot of subtext going on here, and I'll probably revisit it again in the future. I felt a little cloudy watching it which may have hindered things, but I did get what happened at the end. Definitely some themes going on that must have been pretty damn shocking 80 years ago. With Tom Conway (again!). GRADE: B

SMILE 2

(Parker Finn, 2024)

A pop star (Naomi Scott) attempts a comeback after a tragic accident partially caused by her addiction problems. That would be enough, but she's also being stalked by a supernatural presence that causes her to hallucinate and see people creepily smiling at her in this sequel to 2022's sleeper hit. The pop approach is probably the film's best and does a good job disguising that this is mostly just a retread, though the setup for the next sequel might yield a better angle for the series. Scott is the real deal and I hope she gets more work from this since she hasn't worked much since her breakthrough 2019. Always nice to see Rosemarie DeWitt. GRADE: B- 

And continuing 1999...

BRINGING OUT THE DEAD

(Martin Scorsese)

It's obviously a stretch to include this in something called Horrorfest because it's a straight drama, but it does feature visions of a dead person and a man haunted by his past. And it has Dead in the title. I REST MY CASE. Anyways, Nicolas Cage plays a New York City paramedic who over the course of three nights begins to emotionally collapse. During an attempt to rescue a man who had a heart attack, he falls for the man's troubled daughter (Patricia Arquette) and she might be his path to redemption. Robert Richardson's cinematography is phenomenal, and this is also one of Cage's best performances. Lots of wonderful actors pop up throughout, but I was surprised how good Tom Sizemore was as Cage's third night co-worker. The first half is better, though, and once it goes more into it's drug fueled second half it loses a bit of its way. GRADE: B

LAKE PLACID

(Steve Miner)

I rewatched this five years ago, but either I didn't log it for HF or it was at another time of the year. I saw it when it came to VHS after opening, and have seen bits and pieces on cable over the years. It's a fun, breezy watch. In Maine, scientists team with local law enforcement to investigate a giant animal tooth in a man's body found in the lake. Could it be a giant croc in freshwater far from any warm climate? Scripted by David E. Kelley, the film has memorable characters, great one-liners, and lots of bloody croc action. It's also only 80 minutes, and probably would've benefitted from another 5-10 minutes. With Bridget Fonda, Bill Pullman, Brendan Gleeson, Oliver Platt, a brief appearance by 

Mariska Hargitay, and of course Betty White. GRADE: B+

SUMMER OF SAM

(Spike Lee)

Ensemble drama about the denizens of a predominantly Italian-American Bronx neighborhood in 1977 when the Son of Sam killer had the city on edge. I discovered while reading up on the film that Lee had changed the screenplay after the families of some of the victims didn't want a film about the serial killer. Also, he changed the focus of the film from Adrien Brody's punk character to John Leguizamo's womanizer. The latter was definitely a mistake, but all the lead characters just didn't hold my interest. The smaller characters (played by a variety of TV and stage veterans) are much more fascinating. Some terrific cinematography and a memorable soundtrack give the film a vivid sense of place, but the film just ends in a big whimper. With Mira Sorvino, Jennifer Esposito, and Ben Gazzara. GRADE: C+