Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Dune (2021) Review









Dune


Release Date: 2nd December 2021 - Australia


Production Companies
Warner Bros. Pictures (present)
Legendary Entertainment (present)
Villeneuve Films

Distribution
Universal Pictures Australia


Genre: Sci-Fi

Rating: M

Runtime: 156 minutes


Budget: $165,000,000

Box Office Gross: $433,796,625 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
In the far-off future, an intelligent and gifted young man named Paul Atreides has a great destiny ahead of him by travelling to the scorching desert planet Dune to secure
the fate of his family and
his people. As evil forces
collide over the planet's
exclusive supply of the
most precious resource known to existence, only those who can overcome their fear will survive.


Cast
Timothée Chalamet - Paul Atreides
Rebecca Ferguson - Lady Jessica Atreides
Oscar Issac - Duke Leto Atreides
Jason Momoa - Duncan
Idaho
Stellan Skarsgård - Baron
Vladimir Harkonnen
Stephen McKinley Henderson -
Thufir Hawat
Josh Brolin - Gurney Halleck
Javier Bardem - Stilgar
Sharon Duncan-Brewster - Dr. Liet Kynes
Chang Chen - Dr. Wellington Yueh
Dave Bautista - Beast Rabban Harkonnen
David Dastmalchian - Piter de Vries
Zendaya - Chani
Charlotte Rampling - Reverend
Mother Mohiam
Babs Olusanmokun - Jamis
Benjamin Clémentine - Herald
of the Charge
Souad Faress - Bene Gesserit Sister
Golda Rosheuvel - Shadout Mapes
Roger Yuan - Lieutenant Lanville
Seun Shote - Arrakeen Residency Gardener
Neil Bell - Sardaukar Bashar
Oliver Ryan - Hawat Specialist
Stephen Collins - Harkonnen Trooper
Charlie Rawes - Harkonnen Trooper
Richard Carter - Harkonnen
Trooper
Ben Dilloway - Sardaukar
Assassin
Elmi Rashid Elmi - Shamir
Tachia Newall - Tanat
Gloria Obianyo - Female Fremen
Fehinti Balogun - Male Fremen
Dora Kápolnai-Schvab - Baron Servant
Joelle - Baron Servant (Cameo)
Jimmy Walker - Atreides Lieutenant
Paul Bullion - Sardaukar Soldier
Milena Sidorova - Human Spider Proxy
János Timkó - Harkonnen Guard
Jean Gilpin - Bene Gesserit
Ancestors (Voice)
Marianne Faithfull - Bene 
Gesserit Ancestors (Voice)
Ellen Dubin - Bene Gesserit
Ancestors (Voice)

Crew
Screenplay/Director - Denis Villeneuve
Based on the Novel - Frank Herbert
Screenplay/Executive
Producer - Jon Spaihts
Screenplay - Eric Roth
Script Supervisor - Jessica Clothier
Special Consultant - Kevin J.
Anderson
Executive Producers -
Joshua Grode, John Harrison,
Herbert W. Gains, Brian & Kim
Herbert, Tanya Lapointe, Bryon
Merritt, Richard P. Rubinstein
and Thomas Tull
Producers - Cale Boyter and
Mary Parent
Producer/Unit Production
Manager - Joseph M. Carraciolo Jr.
Co-Producer/First Assistant Director - Chris Carreras
Co-Producer/Production Supervisor - Jessica Derhammer
Casting Directors - Jina Jay and Francine Maisler
Production Designer - Patrice Vermette
Concept Designer/Storyboard
Artist - Sam Hudecki
Props Concept Artist - Ed Natividad
Concept Artists - Kamen Anev, Joseph Cross, Jeremy Hanna, George Hull, Eric Hamel, Carlos Haunte, Yanick Dusseault, Peter Popken and Colie Wertz
Concept Artist/Visual Effects
Art Director: Rodeo FX -
Deak Ferrand
Supervising Art Director - Tom
Brown
Set Decorators - Richard
Roberts and Zsuzsanna Sipos
Property Master - Doug Harlocker
Costume Designers - Bob
Morgan and Jacqueline West
Makeup Department Head/Makeup and Hair Designer - Donald Mowat
Prosthetic Designer: Baron Harkonnen - Love Larson
Director of Photography - Greig Fraser
Directors of Photography:
Additional Photography -
Pierre Gill and Adam Arkapaw
Unit Production Manager - James Grant
Location Manager: California - Leann Emmert
First Assistant Director:
Additional Photography -
Cliff Lanning
Second Unit Director/Stunt
Coordinator - Tom Struthers
Stunt Coordinator - Dave Judge
Fight Coordinator - Roger Yuan
Aerial Coordinator - Cliff Fleming
Special Effects Supervisor - Gerd Nefzer
Visual Effects Supervisor - Paul Lambert
Visual Effects Supervisors: DNEG - Brian Connor
and Tristan Myles
Visual Effects Producers - Maricel Pagulayan
and Brice Parker
Visual Effects Producers: DNEG -
Jennifer Fairweather and Jose Maria de la Puente
Visual Effects Producer: Rodeo FX - Wassila Lmouaci
Senior Animation Supervisor: DNEG -
Robyn Luckham
Animation Supervisors: DNEG - Nick Symons
and Eric Bates
Visualisation Supervisor: The Third Floor -
Nicholas Markel
Visualisation Supervisor: Digital Domain -
Scott Meadows
Film Editor - Joe Walker
Sound Designers/Supervising Sound Editors -
Mark A. Mangini and Theo Green
Sound Designer - Dave Whitehead
Re-Recording Mixers - Ron Bartlett
and Doug Hemphill
Music/Synth Programming - Hans Zimmer
Composers: Additional Music - David Fleming,
Steve Mazzaro, Steven Doar and Andrew Kawczynski
Music Supervisors - Peter Afterman
and Alison Litton
Score Mixer - Alan Meyerson


Awards

2022 Academy Awards
Best Sound - Mac Ruth, Mark A. Mangini,
Theo Green, Doug Hemphill and Ron Bartlett (Won)
Best Achievement in Visual Effects -
Paul Lambert, Tristan Myles, Brian Connor
and Gerd Nefzer (Won)
Best Achievement in Production Design -
Patricia Vermette and Zsuzsanna Sipos (Won)
Best Achievement in Music Written for
Motion Picture (Original Score) - Hans Zimmer (Won)
Best Achievement in Film Editing - Joe Walker (Won)
Best Achievement in Cinematography -
Greig Fraser (Won)
------------------------
Best Motion Picture of the Year - Mary Parent,
Denis Villeneuve and Cale Boyter (Nominated)
Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling -
Donald Mowat, Love Larson and Eva Von Bahr
(Nominated)
Best Achievement in Costume Design -
Jacqueline West and Bob Morgan (Nominated)
Best Adapted Screenplay - Jon Spaihts,
Denis Villeneuve and Eric Roth (Nominated)


Review
Before 2021, DUNE was considered one of the unfilmable science fiction novels by many people who read it and its fans. There have been numerous failed attempts to bring DUNE to the big screen, one of which was from Alejandro Jodorowsky, which never got off the ground. Even Ridley Scott came dangerously close to adapting the original sci-fi story but backed out when he opted for Blade Runner instead. However, David Lynch created the first film adaptation (click here) in 1984, which remained true to its weird nature but failed at the box office and wasn't well-received by critics. It grew to be a cult classic in later years. Even the 2000 miniseries version suffered from poor casting and cheap CGI while being faithful to the original novel. It finally succeeded when Denis Villeneuve, the man behind Arrival and Blade Runner 2049, followed his lifelong ambition of directing a massive sci-fi epic.

While a remarkable adaptation, this film differs from the original book but covers the first half, leaving the story incomplete and ending abruptly. The slow pacing is also a detriment to the movie. A few characters from the book are missing in this film, as these will appear in the second part. Villeneuve has lived up to the vision and scope that Frank Herbert has conceived for DUNE, but wasn't trying to be like David Lean, Stanley Kubrick or Steven Spielberg. Instead, he was doing his own thing and proved he was the best man to bring DUNE to life like no other director could handle the responsibility of helming it. There are epic and memorable moments that make DUNE an exciting film.

It maintains a sizable cast with a pedigree of actors who have all done well in their terrific performances, particularly Timothée Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson, whom the two actors did such a fine job in their roles. Stellan Skarsgård appears to have gained weight (due to the makeup and fat suit) to play the sinister Baron Harkonnen. His performance is better than Kenneth McMillan's in the original film by being less over-the-top. Zendaya could have had more scenes for the character Chani. She has less screen time than any of the other actors.

The costume design is impressive, and the visual effects are stunning. Even the cinematography by Greig Fraser is awe-inspiring in the breathtaking imagery it uses to capture the scale of this movie. Hans Zimmer retains his crown as one of the greatest movie composers by delivering a powerful, booming score. It helps that he was a fan of the book and has read it ever since to infuse the rich texture in his cinematic score.

This mind-blowing experience has left fans wanting more, but they will have to watch the second part after watching its predecessor. I can't say I loved DUNE, but it's different from the other versions I grew up watching. Overall, it is a great movie. This interpretation came highly recommended to those who previously experienced the original versions in either Lynch's or the miniseries.

Star rating: (8/10) Very Good Movie

Monday, March 11, 2024

Winners of the 96th Academy Awards









Now, here are the winners of the 96th Academy Awards. Not as few as I predicted, Oppenheimer won not just four Oscars but seven in its categories, including Best Picture. As for Barbie, it only won Best Original Song, "What Was I Made For?, not Best Costume and Production Design as I hoped, and Godzilla Minus One won for Best Visual Effects. Surprisingly, Hayao Miyazaki won Best Animated Feature for The Boy and the Heron, marking his second consecutive Oscar for a 2D animated film (anime).

There are two moments of this ceremony, including when wrestler John Cena was naked while presenting the award for Best Costume Design and Emma Stone had a wardrobe malfunction as she was on her way to collect her second Best Actress Oscar for Poor Things.


Best Visual Effects

Godzilla Minus One - Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya, Masako Takahashi and Tatsuji Nojima


Best Film Editing

Oppenheimer - Jennifer Lame


Best Costume Design

Poor Things - Holly Waddington


Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Poor Things - Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier and Josh Weston


Best Cinematography

Oppenheimer - Hoyte van Hoytema


Best Production Design

Poor Things - Production Design: James Price and Shona Heath; Set Decoration: Zsuzsa Mihalek


Best Sound

The Zone of Interest - Johnnie Burn and Tarn Willers


Best Original Song

"What Was I Made For?" from Barbie - Music and Lyrics by Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell


Best Original Score

Oppenheimer - Ludwig Göransson


Best Animated Short Film

War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko - Dave Mullins and Brad Booker


Best Live-Action Short Film

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar - Wes Anderson and Steven Rales


Best Documentary Short Film

The Last Repair Shop - Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers


Best Documentary Feature Film

20 Days in Mariupol - Mstyslav Chernov, Michelle Mizner and Raney Aronson-Rath


Best International Feature Film

The Zone of Interest (United Kingdom) - Directed by Jonathan Glazer


Best Animated Feature Film

The Boy and the Heron - Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki


Best Adapted Screenplay

American Fiction - Cord Jefferson; based on the novel Erasure by Percival Everett


Best Original Screenplay

Anatomy of a Fall - Justine Triet and Arthur Harari


Best Supporting Actress

Da'Vine Joy Randolph - The Holdovers as Mary Lamb


Best Supporting Actor

Robert Downey Jr. - Oppenheimer as Lewis Strauss


Best Actress

Emma Stone - Poor Things as Bella Baxter


Best Actor

Cillian Murphy - Oppenheimer as J. Robert Oppenheimer


Best Director

Christopher Nolan - Oppenheimer


Best Picture

Oppenheimer - Emma Thomas, Charles Roven and Christopher Nolan, producers


Honorary Awards

Angela Bassett
Mel Brooks
Carol Littleton


Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award

Michelle Satter


Stay tuned for my critique of Dune: Part One.





Friday, February 23, 2024

Wonka Review














Wonka


Release Date: 14th December 2023 - Australia


Production Companies
Warner Bros. Pictures (presents)
Village Roadshow Pictures (in association with)
Domain Entertainment (in association with)
The Roald Dahl Story Company
Heyday Films

Distribution
Universal Pictures Australia


Genre: Fantasy/Musical/
Family

Rating: PG

Runtime: 116 minutes


Budget: $125,000,000

Box Office Gross: $608,261,770 (Worldwide -
figure subject to change)


Plot Summary
As a young and poor man with dreams of opening a chocolate shop in a famous city, Willy Wonka is determined to change the world with one delectable bite at a time. However, he discovers that a cartel of
greedy chocolatiers controls
the industry and will stop at
nothing to rid their competitors.


Cast
Timothée Chalamet - Willy Wonka
Gustave Die - Ship's Engineer
Murray McArthur - Ship's Captain
Paul G. Raymond - Map Seller
Bertie Caplan - Shoeshine Boy
Isy Suttie - Fruit & Veg Vendor
Kobna Holdbrook-Smith -
Officer Affable
Matilda Tucker - Young Mother
Tom Davis - Bleacher
Olivia Colman - Mrs.
Scrubbit
Calah Lane - Noodle
Paterson Joseph - Slugworth
Matt Lucas - Prodnose
Matthew Baynton - Fickelgruber
Freya Parker - Miss Bon Bon
Keegan-Michael Key - Chief of Police
Hugh Grant - Oompa-Loompa
Jim Carter - Abacus Crunch
Rakhee Thakrar - Lottie Bell
Natasha Rothwell - Piper Benz
Rich Fulcher - Larry
Chucklesworth
Colin O'Brien - Young Willy Wonka
Sally Hawkins - Willy's Mother
Rowan Atkinson - Father Julius
Ellie White - Gwennie (Mistress of the Keys)
Rufus Jones - Jenkins
Simon Farmaby - Basil (Zoo Security Guard)
Susie Fairfax - Abacus
Crunch's Wife
Macie Blake - Abacus
Crunch's Granddaughter
(4 Years Old)
Charlotte Ritchie - Barbara
Phil Wang - Colin
Bleu Woodward - Waitress
Robyn Rose - Tram Lady 1
Millie O'Donnell - Tram Lady 2
Ben Howard - Oompa Loompa Guard 1
Muzz Khan - Oompa Loompa Guard 2
Ian Bartholomew - Sceptical Old Man
Sophie Winkleman - The
Countess
Lola Shepelev -
Moustached Little Girl
Michael Abubakar - Orange-
Haired Customer
Justin Edwards - Green-
Skinned Customer
Marina Bye - Green-Bearded Customer
Tim Fitzhigham - Sinister Ship's Captain
Jane Bertish - Bardness Von Schmeichelhammer
Dominic Coleman - Donovan
Tracy Ifeachor - Dorothy Smith
Ellie Blake - Abacus Crunch's Granddaughter (8 Years Old)
Alison Pargeter - Wendy Chucklesworth

Crew
Story/Screenplay/Director - Paul King
Based on Characters - Roald Dahl
Screenplay - David Farnaby
Executive Producers - Cate Adams,
Rosie Alison and Michael Siegel
Executive Producer/Unit Production
Manager - Tim Wellspring
Producers - David Heyman,
Alexandra Derbyshire and Luke Kelly
Co-Producer - Bernie Hall
Casting Director - Nina Gold
Military Technical Advisor - Paul Biddiss
Production Designer - Nathan Crowley
Supervising Art Directors - Toby Britton
and Tom Brown
Set Decorator - Lee Sandales
Property Master - Jamie Wilkinson
Costume Designer - Lindy Hemming
Hair & Makeup Designer - Ivana Primorac
Director of Photography - Chung-hoon Chang
"A" Camera/Steadicam Operator - Peter Robertson
Unit Production Manager: Additional Unit -
Steve Harding
Second Unit Director/Director of Photography -
John Sorapure
Choreographer - Christopher Gattelli
Stunt Coordinator - Paul Lowe
Animal Coordinators - Julie Tottman
and James Weller
Special Effects Supervisor - Hayley J. Williams
Visual Effects Supervisor - Graham Page
Visual Effects Producer - Dominic Sidoli
Editor - Mark Everson
Supervising Sound Editor/Sound Designer -
Glenn Freemantle
Supervising Sound Editor - Ben Barker
Production Sound Mixer - John Casali
Re-Recording Mixers - Niv Adiri
and Paul Massey
Foley Mixer - Glen Gathard
Original Songs - Neil Hannon
Music - Joey Talbot
Music Producer - Charlie Rosen
Music Supervisor/Vocal Producer -
James A. Taylor


Review
It took me a few months to finish this review before I could publish it. Despite the turbulence of 2023, the film is still going through a rough patch, with industrial action and the popularity of streaming services like Netflix and Disney+. However, the former affected many movies that came out in the same year and bombed in theatres due to poor marketing and ridiculously high budgets. But there are some exceptions, like Barbie and Oppenheimer. At the end of this year, a few films came out during the holiday season. One of which was WONKA, which is the latest incarnation of Roald Dahl's beloved character.

Considered the most popular of all Roald Dahl's stories, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has been the subject of several adaptations over the years (the two most famous are the 1971 Mel Stuart film and the 2005 Tim Burton film). At first, I was sceptical because this prequel may be a cash cow as it would tarnish the legacy of the original 1971 musical with Gene Wilder. Thankfully, it wasn't. I'm glad it's nothing like the interpretation that Tim Burton produced with Johnny Depp as the titular character. While the previous film adaptations by Mel Stuart and Tim Burton have the same story, this one is a tribute to the former with its confectionary qualities, such as a hint of sweetness and energetically choreographed musical numbers.

Paul King is already familiar with audiences for directing the first two Paddington movies and is no stranger to children's fiction when taking some elements of a literary classic. All that is missing is the dark undertones, which makes the classic book and the two previous interpretations so interesting. The set designs and visuals are phenomenal. The songs are irresistibly catchy.

Timothée Chalamet may seem an odd choice to play Willy Wonka, but he was naturally good at this role and had the eagerness to do so. Interestingly, this version of Wonka is a young optimist, whereas the previous incarnations show him as a self-absorbed individual with little regard for the thoughts and feelings of others. I never knew Chalamet could sing and dance, let alone act in an exuberant and colourful motion picture like WONKA. I liked his rendition of "Pure Imagination", which differs from Gene Wilder's version.

The supporting cast consists of comedians who stole the show, while young Calah Lane lends a sincere performance as Noodle. Keegan-Michael Kay is terrific as the chief of police. Paterson Joseph distinguishes himself as a full-on pantomime villain, supplemented by Matt Lucas and Matthew Baynton, who make a delightfully evil trio. Hugh Grant has made a terrific comeback in his latest work in recent years, but playing an Oompa Loompa named Lofty isn't something I expected from him.

While silly and whimsical, WONKA is a sweet-filled cinematic delight that will arouse audiences and crave their tastebuds. When you have a movie that came out in the holiday season, you know it's WONKA. I recommend this film to those who grew up with Gene Wilder's previous incarnation and Roald Dahl's original story.

Star rating: (8/10) Very Good Movie

Saturday, February 3, 2024

In Memory of Carl Weathers (1948-2024)










Carl Weathers (1948-2024)

It is with great sadness that the actor Carl Weathers has died on 1st February 2024. He was 76 years old. The actor was famous for his role as boxer Apollo Creed in the first four "Rocky" films. He also appeared as Colonel Al Dillon in "Predator", Chubbs Peterson in "Happy Gilmore", and his recent part as Greef Karga in the "Star Wars" series "The Mandalorian". Weathers made over 75 films and television appearances in a screen career spanning over 50 years.

Born in New Orleans on 14th January 1948, Weathers was a football linebacker at San Diego State University, where he also studied drama, before joining the Oakland Raiders. Weathers gravitated to Hollywood, inspired by Woody Strode, Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte and Muhammad Ali. After appearing in bit parts in numerous projects in the mid-70s, Weathers rose to stardom in 1976 as the fictional boxer who rivalled Sylvester Stallone's champion, Rocky Balboa. He appeared in the first "Rocky" film before reprising his role for the second, third and fourth films. Weathers' character was the source of inspiration for Jordan's "Creed" film series.

While continuing to star in the "Rocky" franchise, Weathers scored several significant roles in the 1980s, including 1987's "Predator", in which he played Arnold Schwarzenegger's former war buddy turned CIA operative. Weathers also appeared in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", "Force 10 from Navarone", "Action Jackson", and "Hurricane Smith". While Weathers was known for his action roles, he had a knack for comedy too, with a memorable turn as Chubbs in Adam Sandler's 1996 film "Happy Gilmore". He would reprise his character in "Little Nicky" and had a minor voice role in "Eight Crazy Nights". He also played himself in the sitcom "Arrested Development", serving as an acting coach for David Cross' character, Tobias Funke. Weathers was also the voice of Combat Carl in the "Toy Story" series, beginning with the television special "Toy Story of Terror" to the Oscar-winning "Toy Story 4".

Most recently, however, his most high-profile role has been in the Star Wars universe, where he has played Greef Karga in all three current seasons of the Disney+ series "The Mandalorian". It earned him an Emmy Award nomination for his performance in 2021. Aside from starring in his role, Weathers was also a director of two episodes in the show, such as Season 2's "Chapter 12: The Siege" and Season 3's "Chapter 20: The Foundling". He also helmed episodes in television shows like "Law & Order" and "The Last O.G."

Wednesday, January 24, 2024

96th Academy Awards











Broadcast Date: 11th March 2024 - Australia


Hi everyone, it's me, Rad Dingo. I haven't published a film review recently, as I'm still working on each of those that require completion. However, the 2024 nominations for the 96th Academy Awards were announced, with Oppenheimer leading up the categories. Unfortunately, those who saw the movie Barbie will be disappointed that Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig didn't even get nominations for Best Actress and Best Director, while it only scored eight. It is an outrage that these women don't deserve to get snubbed in both categories. Also, I never watched Oppenheimer, but it'd be good if the film did win Best Picture.


Best Visual Effects

The Creator - Jay Cooper, Ian Comley, Andrew Roberts and Neil Corbould
Godzilla Minus One - Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya, Masako Takahashi and Tatsuji Nojima
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 - Stephane Ceretti, Alexis Wajsbrot, Guy Williams and Theo Bialek
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One - Alex Wuttke, Simone Coco, Jeff Sutherland and Neil Corbould
Napoleon - Charley Henley, Luc-Ewen Martin-Fenouillet, Simone Coco and Neil Corbould


Best Film Editing

Anatomy of a Fall - Laurent Sénéchal
The Holdovers - Kevin Tent
Killers of the Flower Moon - Thelma Schoonmaker
Oppenheimer - Jennifer Lame
Poor Things - Yorgos Mavropsaridis


Best Costume Design

Barbie - Jacqueline Durran
Killers of the Flower Moon - Jacqueline West
Napoleon - Janty Yates and Dave Crossman
Oppenheimer - Ellen Mirojnick
Poor Things - Holly Waddington


Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Golda - Karen Hartley Thomas, Suzi Battersby and Ashram Kelly-Blue
Maestro - Kazu Hiro, Kay Georgiou and Lori McCoy-Bell
Oppenheimer - Luisa Abel
Poor Things - Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier and Josh Weston
Society of the Snow - Ana López-Puigcerver, David Martí and Montse Ribé


Best Cinematography

El Conde - Edward Lachman
Killers of the Flower Moon - Rodrigo Prieto
Maestro - Matthew Libatique
Oppenheimer - Hoyte van Hoytema
Poor Things - Robbie Ryan


Best Production Design

Barbie - Production Design: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
Killers of the Flower Moon - Production Design: Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Adam Willis
Napoleon - Production Design: Arthur Max; Set Decoration: Elli Griff
Oppenheimer - Production Design: Ruth De Jong; Set Decoration: Claire Kaufman
Poor Things - Production Design: James Price and Shona Heath; Set Decoration: Zsuzsa Mihalek


Best Sound

The Creator - Ian Voigt, Erik Aadahl, Ethan Van der Ryan, Tom Ozanich and Dean Zupancic
Maestro - Richard King, Steven A. Morrow, Tom Ozanich, Jason Ruder and Dean Zupancic
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One - Chris Munro, James H. Mather, Chris Burdon and Mark Taylor
Oppenheimer - Willie Burton, Richard King, Kevin O'Connell and Gary A. Rizzo
The Zone of Interest - Johnnie Burn and Tarn Willers


Best Original Song

"The Fire Inside" from Flamin' Hot - Music and Lyrics by Diane Warren
"I'm Just Ken" from Barbie - Music and Lyrics by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt
"It Never Went Away" from American Symphony - Music and Lyrics by Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson
"Naatu Naatu" from Killers of the Flower Moon - Music and Lyrics by Scott George
"What Was I Made For?" from Barbie - Music and Lyrics by Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell


Best Original Score

American Fiction - Laura Karpman
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny - John Williams
Killers of the Flower Moon - Robbie Robertson (posthumous nomination)
Oppenheimer - Ludwig Göransson
Poor Things - Jerskin Fendrix


Best Animated Short Film

Letter to a Pig - Tai Kantor and Amit R. Gicelter
Ninety-Five Senses - Jerusha & Jared Hess
Our Uniform - Yegane Moghaddam
Pachyderme - Stéphanie Clément and Marc Rius
War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko - Dave Mullins and Brad Booker


Best Live-Action Short Film

The After - Misan Harriman and Nicky Bentham
Invincible - Vincent René-Lortie and Samuel Caron
Knight of Fortune - Lasse Lyskjaer Noer and Christian Norlyk
Red, White and Blue - Nazrin Choudhury and Sara McFarlane
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar - Wes Anderson and Steven Rales


Best Documentary Short Film

The ABCs of Book Banning - Sheila Nevins and Trish Adlesic
The Barber of Little Rock - John Hoffman and Christine Turner
Island in Between - S. Leo Chiang and Jean Tsien
The Last Repair Shop - Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers
Nai Nai & Wài Pó - Sean Wang and Sam Davis


Best Documentary Feature Film

Bob Wine: The People's President - Moses Bwayo, Christopher Sharp and John Battsek
The Eternal Memory - Maite Alberdi, Juan de Dios & Pablo Larraín and Rocio Jadue
Four Daughters - Kaouther Ben Hania and Nadim Cheikhrouha
To Kill a Tiger - Nisha Pahuja, Cornelia Principe and David Oppenheim
20 Days in Mariupol - Mstyslav Chernov, Michelle Mizner and Raney Aronson-Rath


Best International Feature Film

Io capitano (Italy) - Directed by Matteo Garrone
Perfect Days (Japan) - Directed by Wim Wenders
Society of the Snow (Spain) - Directed by J. A. Bayona
The Teachers' Lounge (Germany) - Directed by Īlker Çatak
The Zone of Interest (United Kingdom) - Directed by Jonathan Glazer


Best Animated Feature Film

The Boy and the Heron - Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki
Elemental - Peter Sohn and Denise Ream
Nimona - Nick Bruno, Troy Quane, Karen Ryan and Julie Zackary
Robot Dreams - Pablo Berger, Ibon Cormenzana, Ignasi Estapé and Sandra Tapia Diaz
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Amy Pascal


Best Adapted Screenplay

American Fiction - Cord Jefferson; based on the novel Erasure by Percival Everett
Barbie - Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach; based on characters created by Ruth Handler
Oppenheimer - Christopher Nolan; based on the biography American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin
Poor Things - Tony McNamara; based on the novel by Alasdair Gray
The Zone of Interest - Jonathan Glazer; based on the novel by Martin Amis


Best Original Screenplay

Anatomy of a Fall - Justine Triet and Arthur Harari
The Holdovers - David Hemingson
Maestro - Bradley Cooper and Josh Singer
May December - Screenplay by Samy Burch; Story by Samy Burch and Alex Mechanik
Past Lives - Celine Song


Best Supporting Actress

Emily Blunt - Oppenheimer as Kitty Oppenheimer
Danielle Brooks - The Color Purple as Sofia
America Ferrera - Barbie as Gloria
Jodie Foster - Nyad as Bonnie Stoll
Da'Vine Joy Randolph - The Holdovers as Mary Lamb


Best Supporting Actor

Sterling K. Brown - American Fiction as Clifford "Cliff" Ellison
Robert DeNiro - Killers of the Flower Moon as William King Hale
Robert Downey Jr. - Oppenheimer as Lewis Strauss
Ryan Gosling - Barbie as Ken
Mark Ruffalo - Poor Things as Duncan Wedderburn


Best Actress

Annette Bening - Nyad as Diane Nyad
Lily Gladstone - Killers of the Flower Moon as Mollie Burkhart
Sandra Hüller - Anatomy of a Fall as Sandra Voyter
Carey Mulligan - Maestro as Felicia Montealegre
Emma Stone - Poor Things as Bella Baxter


Best Actor

Bradley Cooper - Maestro as Leonard Bernstein
Colman Domingo - Rustin as Bayard Rustin
Paul Giamatti - The Holdovers as Paul Hunham
Cillian Murphy - Oppenheimer as J. Robert Oppenheimer
Jeffrey Wright - American Fiction as Thelonius "Monk"


Best Director

Justine Triet - Anatomy of a Fall
Martin Scorsese - Killers of the Flower Moon
Christopher Nolan - Oppenheimer
Yorgos Lanthimos - Poor Things
Jonathan Glazer - The Zone of Interest


Best Picture

American Fiction - Ben LeClair, Nikos Karamigios, Cord Jefferson and Jermaine Johnson, producers
Anatomy of a Fall - Marie-Ange Lucian and David Thion, producers
Barbie - David Heyman, Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley and Robbie Brenner, producers
The Holdovers - Mark Johnson, producer
Killers of the Flower Moon - Dan Friedkin, Bradley Thomas, Martin Scorsese and Daniel Lupi, producers
Maestro - Bradley Cooper, Steven Spielberg, Fred Berner, Amy Durning and Kristie Macosko Krieger, producers
Oppenheimer - Emma Thomas, Charles Roven and Christopher Nolan, producers
Past Lives - David Hinojosa, Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler, producers
Poor Things - Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone, producers
The Zone of Interest - James Wilson, producer


Honorary Awards

Angela Bassett
Mel Brooks
Carol Littleton


Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award

Michelle Satter


Make sure you let me know who the winners are. My predictions for the winners of the following categories are

Best Visual Effects - Godzilla Minus One
Best Production Design - Barbie
Best Costume Design - Barbie
Best Cinematography - Oppenheimer
Best Original Song "What Was I Made For?" - Barbie
Best Actor - Cillian Murphy for Oppenheimer
Best Director - Christopher Nolan for Oppenheimer
Best Picture - Oppenheimer





Tuesday, January 9, 2024

In Memory of Glynis Johns (1923-2024)










Glynis Johns (1923-2024)

The British actress Glynis Johns has died at the age of 100 on 4th January 2024. She was best known for her iconic role in "Mary Poppins" as the suffragette mother Winifred Banks. She appeared in dozens of films in a distinguished career spanning over six decades and was also an accomplished stage actress.

Born on 5th October 1924 in Pretoria, South Africa, she was the daughter of the Welsh actor Mervyn Johns. From an early age, she performed on stage and was typecast as a stage dancer from her early teens, eventually breaking into the big screen in "South Riding". She burst onto the scene in the 1940s after playing Anna in the war drama "49th Parallel" and starring in "Miranda" (which made her a star in the UK) and "Third Time Lucky". Later, she starred opposite James Stewart in "No Highway in the Sky" and "The Card" with Alec Guinness. In the United States and elsewhere, Johns took on more and more roles, including two live-action Disney swashbucklers "Rob Roy" and "The Sword and the Rose" with Richard Todd, "The Weak and the Wicked", "Mad About Men" and "The Court Jester". In 1956, she and Hermione Gingold briefly appeared in the all-star vehicle "Around the World in 80 Days" as "sporting ladies" - in other words, prostitutes.

Johns was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 1960 for her role in "The Sundowners". While "Mary Poppins" introduced Julie Andrews as a singing English nanny, Ms. Jones was a wonderfully eccentric and competent singer in the supporting role of the children's mother, Mrs Banks.

On television, she was the star of her sitcom "Glynis" and made numerous appearances in shows, such as "Batman", where she played a henchwoman Lady Penelope Peasoup. Before retiring in the US, her last film roles included "While You Were Sleeping" and "Superstar".

Monday, January 8, 2024

In Memory of David Soul (1943-2024)









David Soul (1943-2024)

British/American actor David Soul has passed away on 4th January 2024. He was 80. He was best known for his role as Detective Hutch in the popular 70s television series "Starsky & Hutch".

Starting his career on stage in the 1960s, Soul broke into television, appearing in shows such as "Star Trek", "All in the Family" and "Here Come the Brides" before landing in a film opposite Clint Eastwood in the movie "Magnum Force", which led to his career-defining role in "Starsky & Hutch" alongside co-star Paul Michael Grazer. He also appeared in "Salem's Lot".

Soul also had a singing career, achieving #1 in 1977 with "Don't Give Up on Us". Throughout the 1980s, he continued to work in American television before moving to London in the 1990s, where he obtained British citizenship and enjoyed a successful stage and screen career. In 2004, he and Graser made a cameo in the remake "Starsky & Hutch", starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson.