New, Less Outlandish 'Elvis' Trailer Shows Off Austin Butler's Performance

This new trailer for Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis tries a little harder to hide the Baz-ness of it all (though you can still see it in here) and does indeed appear to be a quite impressive central performance from newcomer Austin Butler (who I heard is singing in this but the songs in this trailer sure sound like Elvis to me- maybe he only sings some of the time). My guess is whatever this movie is like, Tom Hanks is going to be way too ridiculously distracting as the Colonel to notice much else.

Ethan Hunt and Co. Return in 'Mission: Impossible- Dead Recking Part One' Trailer

A really early trailer for the next Mission: Impossible movie (not coming out until July of next year) nonetheless amps up the excitement and hype for more of Tom Cruise’s death defying stunts that he’s genuinely pulling off. The series has only improved since writer-director Christopher McQuarrie took the reins, and I can’t wait to see more of whatever he’s got in store here.

James Cameron's 'Avatar' Sequel is Finally Coming Out in December

Well, here it is. It’s real and it’s coming out at Christmas. But does anyone actually want this? Thirteen years after the original Avatar became the biggest movie of all time, its cultural impact didn’t last a third of the length Titanic’s did. When was the last time anyone talked about how much they love Avatar? Do people even watch it anymore? And yet James Cameron thinks we want four sequels to it, let alone one? Who knows, maybe I’m wrong and people really are clamoring for a return to the blue people planet, but…I’m not one of them. Their weird Disney eyes creep me out.

Disney Drops Final Trailer for 'Lightyear'

Unlike Pixar’s other movies from the last two years, Lightyear is part of the already existing Toy Story property and therefore worthy of being released in actual theaters. Says a whole lot for how Disney views most of Pixar’s content. Original stuff like Luca and Turning Red is unworthy of theatrical release and gets dumped on Disney +, but bring on the sequels and spinoffs. Sigh.

Natalie Portman Returns in 'Thor: Love and Thunder'

I liked Thor: Ragnarok and Taika Waititi is someone whose style and humor actually works to give the Marvel machine more flair and help his entry to feel more like its own movie. So I’m kinda, maybe looking forward to this? On the other hand, I do not like seeing the Guardians of the Galaxy in here and I’m sad that Loki isn’t in it. Also I never liked Natalie Portman’s character anyway and it’s hard to believe even Taika can spruce up that dud Jane.

Top Ten Films of 2021

At long last, my top ten films of 2021, as per usual, being released the weekend of the Oscars. Enjoy!

1. THE POWER OF THE DOG

A mesmerizing, challenging and provocative anti western that refuses to hold your hand through its labyrinthine climactic reveal and subtle exploration of toxic masculinity.

2. SUMMER OF SOUL

An electric documentary that rediscovers an event that’s been shamefully buried in our modern history- exciting and rejuvenating, as well as culturally and historically illuminating.

3. THE LAST DUEL

The far better Ridley Scott movie of the year, a historical epic that feels like a throwback to a time when big screen movies spanned different genres, with a sterling and fierce performance from Jodie Comer at its center.

4. I’M YOUR MAN

An eccentric, cerebral sci-fi romance of sorts that asks what the real world impact would be of artificial life forms molded by algorithm to be the “perfect” partner.

5. LICORICE PIZZA

Paul Thomas Anderson’s dreamscape view of the early 1970’s that romanticizes an era and makes an enthralling discovery in the magnetic film debut of Alana Haim, a singular screen personality if ever there was one.

6. THE GREEN KNIGHT

A strange and hypnotic medieval fantasy that takes us on a lavish journey through an Arthurian legend that mixes magic and sorcery with haunting, unforgettable imagery.

7. BELFAST

Kenneth Branagh’s autobiographical look at growing up in Ireland in the late 60’s, with a child’s eye view of the troubles amid a supportive, idealized family unit.

8. THE LOST DAUGHTER

An impressive debut from Maggie Gyllenhaal that imbues a psychological drama with the feel of a thriller, as Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley paint a portrait of an anti-heroine with dark, contrarian thoughts about motherhood.

9. FREE GUY

The second Jodie Comer movie on this list, a delightfully enjoyable action comedy about online gaming that even with familiar elements, is an original premise that works in a fun, satisfying (and not too long!) manner. It even throws in a romantic twist.

10. WEST SIDE STORY

Despite the problems with some functions of West Side Story as a property, Steven Spielberg revitalizes the movie musical completely as he puts onscreen an energetic, vibrant and and pulsating movie that feels like an old school, big screen extravaganza that could only have been made by an absolute pro who knows movies inside and out. Even if you don’t love Tony and Maria as characters, there’s nothing but joie de vivre in every frame of this film that speaks to a love of movies and I wish Spielberg would do nothing but musicals from now on.

2022 Oscar Predictions, Part 5: Picture and Director

Ok, here we go. The big finale, with Best Picture and Director.

BEST DIRECTOR

  • Kenneth Branagh, Belfast

  • Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Drive My Car

  • Paul Thomas Anderson, Licorice Pizza

  • Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog

  • Steven Spielberg, West Side Story

It’s silly to go against the DGA winner in this category (even though it did happen just a couple years ago with Bong Joon-ho and Parasite), so I’m sticking with Jane Campion because the director of Power of the Dog’s main rival in Best Picture, CODA, isn’t even nominated here. I don’t see who the alternative would be and Campion has won every precursor, so people seem to agree that she should finally win this, nearly thirty years after she became only the second woman to ever be nominated for directing with The Piano. And now the first woman ever to be nominated twice (a sad, shameful stat if ever there was one). But there is some possibility for an upset, given Power of the Dog’s relative weakness, as the guilds have revealed, in spite of its nomination haul. 

Winner: Jane Campion 

Alternate: Steven Spielberg (why not, right? the 1993 rivalry between Schindler’s List and The Piano lives on)

Dark Horse: Ryusuke Hamaguchi


BEST PICTURE

This kind of unprecedented win should signal the end of the preferential ballot

  • Belfast

  • CODA

  • Don’t Look Up

  • Drive My Car

  • Dune

  • King Richard

  • Licorice Pizza

  • Nightmare Alley

  • The Power of the Dog

  • West Side Story

Okay, here’s the thing. The Oscar stats girl in me really does not want to predict a tiny, barely nominated movie like CODA going three for three and tossing 100 years of Oscar statistics out the window. On the other hand, there are only two movies that can win here- and the PGA just showed us that CODA is the movie that can win on a preferential ballot. It’s got the SAG, the WGA and the PGA under its belt- the first movie to get that trifecta since Argo. It’s in a great position to pull this off. 

But. How could it be that a movie that got zero below the line nominations and is not supported by any of the crafts branches of the industry, would actually get the votes to pull off Best Picture? On paper, this just makes no sense. But the momentum says otherwise, and people’s reactions to these two films- Power of the Dog (right) and CODA, are at opposite ends of the spectrum. POTD is a cerebral, challenging film while CODA is the equivalent of a by the numbers TV movie that makes you cry in the end. One of these, in my opinion, would be a very embarrassing Best Picture winner but it speaks to how little people want to be challenged, especially perhaps in times like these. CODA makes you feel good, and maybe that’s it. That’s enough. 

It may be that POTD, despite its 12 nominations, simply turns too many people off and they really were looking for that alternative to it this entire time. Belfast (left) never performed like a #2, so it may be that CODA, despite premiering at Sundance of 2021 (that’s 15 months ago, people), really was fairly under seen until this last month, and if the nominations were coming out now it may well receive the 5 or 6 that indicate broad industry support for a movie that’s in contention to win the grand prize. And it may well be time for another Grand Hotel, a movie that was nominated for one and only one Oscar (Best Picture) and won it back in 1933, during the last decade the Academy used this godforsaken preferential ballot with ten nominees. 

If there’s one thing I know, it’s that this movie could never win on the old 5 nominee, majority vote system, when for decades Director and Picture matched more often than not and sweeps could sometimes happen when the consensus rallied around one strong film. I think it’s time to admit this experimental ballot has failed and go back to five. Let’s give it up and let CODA be the one to bury it.

Winner: CODA

Alternate: The Power of the Dog

2022 Oscar Predictions, Part 4: Acting

Okay, we’re on to the acting awards, which appear to be almost locked 4/4 this year.

BEST ACTRESS

  • Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye

  • Olivia Colman, The Lost Daughter

  • Penelope Cruz, Parallel Mothers

  • Nicole Kidman, Being the Ricardos

  • Kristen Stewart, Spencer

The weird thing about Best Actress this year is that none of them are in a Best Picture nominee. That means the voters didn’t like any of these movies that much and it makes it harder to figure out who they’re leaning towards. Actors like big, transformative (re: hammy) makeup acting, as I said earlier and I think that’s why Jessica Chastain won SAG, so…I guess I’m going to stick with her. We have no real precursors to go by other than SAG, so there’s not much reason to pick anyone other than her. Nicole Kidman won the Golden Globe but that didn’t get aired on TV. The BAFTA went to someone else altogether because none of these women were nominated there. The Lost Daughter has a screenplay nomination and a supporting nom for Jessie Buckley, but Being the Ricardos got three acting nominations, so do those cancel each other out? The other thing in Chastain’s favor is this is her third nomination and she hasn’t won yet, while Cruz, Kidman and Colman already have Oscars (forget Stewart. No one likes Spencer). Someone could easily upset with a really fractured vote, but given Tammy Faye’s likely win in makeup too, I’m just gonna go with her. There have definitely been worse movies to win this category, unfortunately.

Winner: Jessica Chastain

Alternate: Penelope Cruz (I’m thinking this could happen because her role stands apart from the others as a non-biopic in an accessible film, and more people may have seen Parallel Mothers than we know of, because Spain didn’t submit it for the International Feature category- had it done so it would have likely been nominated and then this would feel like a different conversation. Still, the Academy’s ever growing bloc of international voters may come through here).


BEST ACTOR

  • Javier Bardem, Being the Ricardos

  • Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog

  • Andrew Garfield, Tick, Tick…Boom!

  • Will Smith, King Richard

  • Denzel Washington, The Tragedy of Macbeth

Will Smith appears to be the unstoppable frontrunner, as he’s won every precursor, even BAFTA. I once thought Cumberbatch would (and should) be competitive here, but again, Power of the Dog has totally cratered in recent weeks, everywhere, and the Academy did like King Richard a lot There’s no reason to think Smith won’t be crowned for his third nomination after a long, successful career (though I think he was a lot better in The Pursuit of Happiness).

Winner: Will Smith

Alternate: Benedict Cumberbatch


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

  • Jessie Buckley, The Lost Daughter

  • Ariana DeBose, West Side Story

  • Judi Dench, Belfast

  • Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog

  • Aunjanue Ellis, King Richard

It seemed to be decided around the time of the Globes that DeBose was going to be the place to give West Side Story an award, and for the same role that won Rita Moreno an Oscar 50 years ago. DeBose has won every precursor as well and doesn’t seem now to have any real competition here for her first screen role. She’s got this.

Winner: Ariana DeBose

Alternate: none


BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

  • Ciaran Hinds, Belfast

  • Troy Kotsur, CODA

  • Jesse Plemons, The Power of the Dog

  • J.K. Simmons, Being the Ricardos

  • Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog

Kodi Smit-McPhee was the critical frontrunner for months, winning most of the critics awards, but as soon as SAG came around, the CODA surge began with Troy Kotsur and now he seems insurmountable, after taking BAFTA and BFCA as well. He was good in the movie and it will be a history making award, but I’d say there may still be a tiny chance for someone else. Unlikely though.

Winner: Troy Kotsur

Alternate: Kodi Smit-McPhee

Dark Horse: Ciaran Hinds