Now available to own titles for the week of February 9, 2016 are SPECTRE, Crimson Peak, The Leftovers Season 2, Grandma, and more. Continue reading
Coming Soon to Blu-Ray and DVD for the week of January 30, 2016 includes Creed, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, 99 Homes, In the Heart of the Sea, and more Continue reading
After last week’s nominations were revealed for the 22nd Annual SAG Awards and 73rd Golden Globes, it feels like it could be anyone’s game at this point. This morning the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) and Broadcast Television Journalists Association (BTJA) announced their 21st Critics’ Choice Awards nominees with George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road leading the charge with 13 nods. Hosted by T.J. Miller, the winners will be revealed during a live broadcast from the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica on A&E, Lifetime, and LMN on Sunday, January 17, 2016 at 8:00 p.m. EST/5:00 p.m. PST.
Mad Max: Fury Road has undoubtedly become the underdog favorite of this awards season, as it has become one of the most revered features of the year by critics, myself included – my review. The big topic of conversation, aside from gaining Best Picture recognition, is Charlize Theron’s nods for both Best Actress and Best Actress In An Action Movie. Tom Hardy, of course, is nominated for Best Actor In An Action Movie, but it’s George Miller for Best Director that has really invested my interest into whether he could be a contender come Oscars. The film has also garnered nominations for Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Editing, Best Costume Design, Best Hair and Makeup, Best Visual Effects, Best Action Movie, and Best Sci-Fi/Horror Movie.
Trailing behind the whirlwind, critically acclaimed hit is Carol, The Martian, and The Revenant with nine nominations each. While this year’s big favorite, Spotlight, has earned itself eight nominations from critics, followed by The Big Short and The Hateful Eight with six each. Bridge of Spies, Brooklyn, The Danish Girl, Jurassic World, and Sicario each earned five nominations and Room obtained four. Charlize Theron isn’t the only actress up for multiple Best Actress categories, as Jennifer Lawrence is up for three for her work in Joy and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, while Rachel McAdams is up for two awards for Spotlight and True Detective.
And while the film categories are all up in the air, the television categories prove that the increasing output of excellent programming continued this year with FX, ABC, and HBO both gaining 14 nominations each; FOX is close on their heels with 12 nods. The big standout series this year, as determined by critics, is FX’s Fargo with eight nominations. The Leftovers (HBO) and Transparent (Amazon) are not far behind with five nominations each; Black-ish (ABC), Mr. Robot (USA), and Penny Dreadful (Showtime) each earned four.
So what can we takeaway from this year’s 21st Critics’ Choice Awards nominees? For starters, no other awards group has seen more movies this year than the critics, assumably. It’s their jobs to assess the year in film. Who better has a sound voice of reasoning than those who sit in dark rooms and watch movies multiple times per week? In the long run, sure, all awards are practically meaningless gold statues, and the varying award categories the BFCA and BTJA have set have little influence when it comes to the Oscars, but if these voices of reason can help sway voters to at least make an earnest decision at the polls we can be safe in knowing we won’t have another year where a Shakespeare in Love wins against a Saving Private Ryan.
BEST PICTURE
BEST ACTOR
BEST ACTRESS
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS
BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
BEST DIRECTOR
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
BEST EDITING
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
BEST HAIR & MAKEUP
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
BEST ACTION MOVIE
BEST ACTOR IN AN ACTION MOVIE
BEST ACTRESS IN AN ACTION MOVIE
BEST COMEDY
BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY
BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
BEST SCI-FI/HORROR MOVIE
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
BEST SONG
BEST SCORE
Following the unpredictable 22nd Annual SAG Awards nominees yesterday, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association has now revealed their nominees for the Golden Globes. HFPA president Lorenzo Soria was joined by actors America Ferrera, Angela Bassett, Chloe Grace Moretz, and Dennis Quaid this morning to announce the 73rd Golden Globes nominations for both film and television categories. The Golden Globes will be presented live on NBC with host Ricky Gervais on January 10, 2016.
Unlike the SAG Awards where Trumbo gained the most nods, the HFPA favored Carol, a top contender among the chatter I’ve been in tune with. Carol has earned itself five nods, including Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Actress for Cate Blanchett, Best Actress for Rooney Mara, Best Director for Todd Haynes, and Best Score. The Revenant, Steve Jobs, and The Big Short lead behind Carol with four nods each. The Danish Girl, The Hateful Eight, The Martian, Room, and Spotlight each have three.
Regardless, this year’s Golden Globes nominees seem to be more in line with what has been predicted. There are typically a few oddball choices every year with the Golden Globes – The Tourist for Best Picture – Comedy or Musical, anyone? – but I honestly don’t see any I would strongly disagree with. The Martian, The Big Short, and Joy aren’t really comedies or musicals, but they do have some great humor in them.
What really stands out to me, and what fills me with hope for this awards season, is that Mad Max: Fury Road has earned two nods, including Best Picture – Drama and Best Director for George Miller. These nominations alone are a win in my mind and also well deserved – read my review of Mad Max: Fury Road. Also sticking out to me is the fact that Alicia Vikander, who came out of nowhere this year and starred in five big movies, is nominated in two separate categories: Best Actress in a Drama for The Danish Girl and Best Supporting Actress for Ex Machina. Everyone is saying Brie Larson is the new “It’ girl while Vikander seems to be skating by undetected. This woman is an incredible actress and deserves every bit of attention she is earning for her roles.
As far as television categories go, Netflix is the top dog among networks and streaming platforms with eight nominations – the exact same outcome as yesterday’s SAG Awards nominees announcement. American Crime, Fargo, Mr. Robot, Outlander, Transparent, and Wolf Hall all tied with three nominations each. Like Alicia Vikander, Lily Tomlin also scored two nominations herself, but in two separate mediums: one for Best Actress – Musical/Comedy for Grandma and Best Actress – Comedy for Grace and Frankie.
What scares me the most about this year’s Golden Globe Awards is the fact that I agree with a lot of their choices. Even more so in the television comedy categories. Specifically because The Big Bang Theory and Modern Family were not recognized as Best Series – Comedy and Jim Parsons was not nominated for Best Actor. It’s a Christmas miracle!
Without further ado, here are your nominees:
Best Motion Picture – Drama
Best Performance By an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Best Performance By an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Best Performance By an Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
Best Performance By an Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
Best Animated Feature Film
Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language
Best Performance By an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Best Performance By an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Best Director – Motion Picture
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Best Original Song – Motion Picture
The 22nd Annual SAG Awards nominees were revealed this morning at the Pacific Design Center’s Silver Screen Theater in West Hollywood. Anna Faris (CBS’s Mom; Scary Movie) and Anthony Mackie (Pain & Gain; Captain America: The Winter Soldier) were joined by SAG-AFTRA Executive Vice President Gabrielle Carteris to announce this year’s nominations, which will be awarded Live on TNT, TBS, truTV, sagawards.tntdrama.com, and truTV.com on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016 at 8:00 p.m. (ET) / 5:00 p.m. (PT).
Actors make up a fairly large chunk of Academy voters, so it’s no surprise that the SAG Awards are a fairly good indicator as to how the Oscars may shape up. I didn’t think my eyebrows could be raised any higher when I saw the list of nominees this morning. Peculiar is one word to put it. Maybe even jarring. If this is how the awards season is going to be, I don’t know if I want any part of it.
First of all, Trumbo leads the film categories with three nods – ensemble, Bryan Cranston for Best Male Actor, and Helen Mirren for Best Supporting Female Actor. The other nominees are spread thin, with two nods each, including Beasts of No Nation, The Big Short, Carol, The Danish Girl, Room, Spotlight, and Steve Jobs. Second, there were a handful of names that have completely come out of left field, including Sarah Silverman (I Smile Back) and Helen Mirren (Woman in Gold) for Best Actress; and Christian Bale (The Big Short) for Best Supporting Actor. And third, I’m surprised Beasts of No Nation and bested the likes of The Martian and The Hateful Eight for Best Ensemble.
There were also a good handful of snubs that include Jennifer Lawrence for Joy, anyone from Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight, Matt Damon for The Martian, and Will Smith for Concussion. Of course they all can’t be chosen, and today’s nominees have certainly made the playing field rather interesting.
As for the television categories, they’ve all wound up pretty much how you would expect. The only kicker here is that Netflix leads the pack with eight nominations, which also has two in film categories as well. Game of Thrones, Homeland, and House of Cards are all tied at the top with three nods each. My biggest concern about the TV categories is that the industry continues to recognize Jim Parsons and The Big Bang Theory. It needs to stop.
Despite this year’s SAG Awards nominees not turning out exactly how some may have predicted, many fresh faces were recognized, which is always a good thing. Brie Larson, Rami Malek, Rooney Mara, Christina Ricci, Mark Rylance, Sarah Silverman, Jacob Tremblay, and Alicia Vikander have each earned their first individual Actor nomination with this upcoming SAG Awards.
Everything seems to be quite up in the air after the SAG Awards have shown that it could be anyone’s game. We will be keeping a close eye on the road to the Oscars with the Golden Globes nominations being announced tomorrow. Until then, your nominees are:
Outstanding Performance By A Male Actor In A Leading Role
Outstanding Performance By A Female Actor In A Leading Role
Outstanding Performance By A Male Actor In A Supporting Role
Outstanding Performance By A Female Actor In A Supporting Role
Outstanding Performance By A Cast In A Motion Picture
Outstanding Performance By A Male Actor In A Television Movie Or Miniseries
Outstanding Performance By A Female Actor In A Television Movie Or Miniseries
Outstanding Performance By A Male Actor In A Drama Series
Outstanding Performance By A Female Actor In A Drama Series
Outstanding Performance By A Male Actor In A Comedy Series
Outstanding Performance By A Female Actor In A Comedy Series
Outstanding Performance By An Ensemble In A Drama Series
Outstanding Performance By An Ensemble In A Comedy Series
Outstanding Action Performance By A Stunt Ensemble In A Motion Picture
Outstanding Action Performance By A Stunt Ensemble In A Comedy Or Drama Series
52nd Annual Sag Life Achievement Award
Source: Screen Actors Guild
Every week, movie studios select candidates to enter the glorious battlefield for your hard-earned dollars. The weekend warriors of September 25, 2015 includes The Intern, Hotel Transylvania 2, and The Green Inferno, as well as a handful of limited releases. Box Office Battlefield is here to help you decide which movie(s) will take priority over the others and determine who will be victorious. Should you see ’em, skip ’em, or rent ’em? Find out below!
Last weekend, The Maze Runner sequel scorched the box office with $30.3 million in domestic ticket sales. Johny Depp fared well with Black Mass owning up to $22 million. But with three new wide releases set to divide audiences, will the young adult adaptation have what it takes to fend off its competitors? Ooga-Chaka Ooga-Ooga! This is the Box Office Battlefield:
The Intern (Nancy Meyers) Rated PG-13 [121 min] – 70-year-old widower Ben Whittaker has discovered that retirement isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Seizing an opportunity to get back in the game, he becomes a senior intern at an online fashion site, founded and run by Jules Ostin. Starring Robert De Niro, Anne Hathaway, Rene Russo, Adam DeVine, and Anders Holm
Rotten Tomatoes Score: Critics – 55% • Audience – 79%
My review:
The Intern has all the right intentions. It has a progressive edge in its plot and characters, there’s solid chemistry between De Niro and Hathaway, and it speaks to this generation. Nancy Meyers movies definitely skew toward women, but The Intern has a voice that can be understood and enjoyed by all. Unfortunately, the further down the rabbit hole you go the uglier it becomes, and there’s nothing the actors could have done to salvage its remains.
Mad Max: Fury Road single-handedly demonstrates how you can take an bonkers male property and infuse it with feminist ideals without compromising plot or character for the sake of its agenda. The Intern doesn’t bother with this kind of subtlety. Nancy Meyers shoves her ideas down your throat to ensure you fully grasp what it means to be a woman in a successful company. Representing a woman at the top of her game at the head of a large company is a grand idea that’s rarely seen – The Devil Wears Prada (2006) comes to mind – but Meyers doesn’t allow The Intern to tell this story organically enough to feel completely honest with itself. Her direction and awkward comedic shifts derail the more heartfelt moments that are sprinkled within. Which is a shame because there is a lot to like about The Intern. RENT IT!
The Green Inferno (Eli Roth) Rated R [100 min] – A group of student activists travels to the Amazon to save the rain forest and soon discover that they are not alone, and that no good deed goes unpunished. Starring Lorenza Izzo, Ariel Levy, Aaron Burns, and Kirby Bliss Blanton
Rotten Tomatoes Score: Critics – 38% • Audience – 46%
Their reviews:
“A fun and interesting twist on the travelogue sub-genre of horror … far better than many horror movies with twice the budget.” – Edward Douglas (ShockTillYouDrop)
“Eli Roth’s faux-smart, long-shelved, and exploitative-as-hell cannibal tale “The Green Inferno” is a remarkably perfect example of horror’s unexamined white privilege.” – Inkoo Kang (The Wrap)
My take:
Unfortunately there were no opportunities for me to see The Green Inferno on Thursday night due to conflicting screen times, so I decided to see Sicario instead. I’m sure I made a far better decision, but I really do eventually want to see The Green Inferno. Eli Roth may not be the greatest actor or have a keen sense of good movies to produce, but he has a decent eye for directing horror. I’ve enjoyed both Hostel films and Cabin Fever, so The Green Inferno tickles my fancy. Other critics who have seen the movie are wildly mixed, leaning more toward the negative end, but I will chalk it up to most critics not liking horror movies in general. I don’t think The Green Inferno warrants a trip to the theater, unless you want to hear other people’s gut reactions to the disgusting visuals. RENT IT!
Hotel Transylvania 2 (Genndy Tartakovsky) Rated PG [89 min] – Dracula and his friends try to bring out the monster in his half human, half vampire grandson in order to keep Mavis from leaving the hotel.Director: Stars: Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, and Kevin James
Rotten Tomatoes Score: Critics – 45% • Audience – 86%
Their reviews:
“Hotel Transylvania 2 offers cute but brainless escapism for young moviegoers – as well as parents looking to distract their children for a few hours.” – Ben Kendrick (ScreenRant)
“The whole thing is amiable and colorful and surprisingly low on body-function gags. It may not kill you to take your kids.” – Glenn Kenny (New York Times)
My take:
Hotel Transylvania 2 wasn’t an option for Thursday night because it wasn’t being screened. Plus I’ve never seen the original, but I can easily guess what happens based on the trailer. This sequel looks like it’s much of the same shtick. Although critics are saying it’s good for the kids, I’m not sure it would be worth the time or money to see it in theaters. Who would want to subject their children to mindless entertainment? WAIT FOR IT ON NETFLIX!
Mississippi Grind (Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck) [Limited] Rated R [108 min] – Down on his luck and facing financial hardship, Gerry teams up with younger charismatic poker player, Curtis, in an attempt to change his luck. The two set off on a road trip through the South with visions of winning back what’s been lost. Starring Ben Mendelsohn, Ryan Reynolds, Yvonne Landry, and Anthony Howard
Rotten Tomatoes Score: Critics – 90% • Audience – 60%
Their reviews:
“Mendelsohn plays Gerry as a stringy, sweaty hunk of pure desperation, while Reynolds, as the ostensibly more stable partner, demonstrates yet again that he’s much more than a ridiculously pretty face.” – Mike D’Angelo (AV Club)
“Mississippi Grind captures the ecstasy of a good role of the dice and the desperation of a bad turn of the cards — and provides a sense of why some keep going even when it becomes clear they’ve lost their shot at a happy ending.” – Keith Phipps (Uproxx)
My take:
There was a lot of buzz for Mississippi Grind coming out of Sundance earlier this year. Ben Mendelsohn (Slow West) and Ryan Reynolds are on the up and up with these little indie features they’ve been appearing in this year. The trailer sets up an intriguing premise, one that gains my attention but doesn’t giveaway all its cards. Based on its praise, I’d be hard pressed not to wonder what’s so special about it. MATINEE IT!
Ashby (Tony McNamara) [Limited] Rated R [100 min] – High-school student Ed Wallis enters into a friendship with his neighbor, Ashby, a retired CIA assassin who only has a few months left to live. Starring Mickey Rourke, Nat Wolff, Emma Roberts, Sarah Silverman
Rotten Tomatoes Score: Critics – 46% • Audience – 56%
Their reviews:
“Folks buying a ticket to Ashby hoping to see a film about the late-great director of Being There and Harold and Maude are about to be sorely disappointed. So is everyone else.” – Chris Nashawaty (Entertainment Weekly)
“The film displays little ability to utilize Ashby’s violent actions for means other than high-concept fodder and out-of-place bloodshed.” – Clayton Dillard (Slant Magazine)
My take:
Last year we had an old man bestowing wisdom to a young lad in St. Vincent with Bill Murray. This year it’s Mickey Rourke’s turn to bring Nat Wolff into adulthood. I’m not sure when there’s going to be a specific genre category named for these old mentor/socially awkward youngster films (Bad Santa; Bad Teacher; Bad Words), but there’s a clear formula they all follow. The performances all look dialed-in and the trailer shows me nothing that hasn’t already been done before. I don’t see much of a reason to waste any money on it. WAIT FOR IT ON NETFLIX!
99 Homes (Ramin Bahrani) [Limited] Rated R [112 min] – A father struggles to get back the home that his family was evicted from by working for the greedy real estate broker who’s the source of his frustration. Starring Andrew Garfield, Michael Shannon, Laura Dern, and Clancy Brown
Rotten Tomatoes Score: Critics – 90% • Audience – 84%
Their reviews:
“Bahrani’s dismantling of the American dream — a dream deferred — has finally reached its finest conclusion with the director’s finely wrought (and seriously fraught) 99 Homes.” – Kate Erbland (Film School Rejects)
“99 Homes is by no means a perfect film, but it can achieve something more precious, and rarer than glossy perfection: it can take you by the shoulders and shake the apathy and complacency away.” – Jessica Kiang (The Playlist)
My take:
Andrew Garfield has to fill his time with something more fruitful now that he’s off Spider-Man, so why not a little indie crime drama? The plot behind 99 Homes comes across very intimate and fresh. And based on the reviews and the scope of the film it feels like one of those indie movies that many will praise but unfortunately few will see. It’s not grand enough to gain awards season attention, but it definitely has enough clout to be worth your time. MATINEE IT!
The Keeping Room (Daniel Barber) [Limited] Rated R [95 min] – Left without men in the dying days of the American Civil War, three Southern women – two sisters and one African-American slave – must fight to defend their home and themselves from two rogue soldiers who have broken off from the fast-approaching Union Army. Starring Brit Marling, Hailee Steinfeld, Sam Worthington, and Muna Otaru
Rotten Tomatoes Score: Critics – 65% • Audience – 56%
Their reviews:
“An intriguing premise never finds a dramatic pulse in “The Keeping Room,” a self-consciously artsy depiction of female grit during the final days of the Civil War.” – Sheri Linden (Los Angeles Times)
“Riveting from start to finish and profoundly crowd-pleasing in its later stretches, The Keeping Room is a spare but unsparing film that empowers its women by allowing them to find a power of their own.” – David Ehrlich (Little White Lies)
My take:
I don’t know what it is that turns me off about it, maybe it’s the loony Sam Worthington or the ugly period piece setting, but The Keeping Room looks like a colossal waste of time. WAIT FOR IT ON NETFLIX!
As De Niro has grown older his films have lost touch with the younger male demographic. He’s still a good show, but the stories he inhibits these days shy away from his more known roles. Nancy Meyers and Anne Hathaway are a good draw for moviegoers, but The Intern isn’t strong enough to create positive buzz traffic. The Green Inferno is alienating itself by its premise alone. Folks love horror movies, but not something this far away from mainstream horror. Adam Sandler may be toxic but the last Hotel Transylvania did OK in theaters and there hasn’t been a good kids movie since Inside Out released in June. And I’m sure parents have been waiting for the prime opportunity to get their kids out of the house and into theaters to annoy people. But if I were you I would go see Sicario. So as it stands, I believe the victor for this weekend will be:
What will you be watching this weekend? What did you think of the current releases? Tell us in the comment section below.
Movie synopses courtesy of IMDb.com and Tomatometer Scores from Rotten Tomatoes
