Winners of the 94th Academy Awards

And The Oscar Goes To….. (94th Academy Awards Winners)

Now, here are the winners of the 94th Academy Awards.

As I predicted, Dune did win the Oscars for Best Visual Effects, Production Design, Cinematography and Original Score. It didn't win Best Makeup and Hairstyling and Best Costume Design. I'm also disappointed that Raya and the Last Dragon didn't get the Best Animated Feature Film award, but that's my opinion. I was pleased that Hans Zimmer had received his second Oscar for Best Original Score in Dune, the first being The Lion King in 1994.

When watching the ceremony, I was shocked that Will Smith slapped the comedian Chris Rock after the latter made an unsavoury comment about his wife. It's no wonder he didn't get arrested for that, but he did apologise when making his speech after winning the Best Actor award for his performance in King Richard.

Best Visual Effects

Dune - Paul Lambert, Tristan Myles, Brian Connor and Gerd Nefzer

Best Film Editing

Dune - Joe Walker

Best Costume Design

Cruella - Jenny Beaven

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

The Eyes of Tammy Faye - Linda Dowds, Stephanie Ingram and Justin Raleigh

Best Cinematography

Dune - Greig Fraser

Best Production Design

Dune - Production Design: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Zsuzsanna Sipos

Best Sound

Dune - Mac Ruth, Mark Mangini, Theo Green, Doug Hemphill and Ron Bartlett

Best Original Song

"No Time to Die" from No Time to Die - Music and Lyrics by Billie Elish and Finneas O'Connell

Best Original Score

Dune - Hans Zimmer

Best Animated Short Film

The Windshield Wiper - Alberto Mielgo and Leo Sanchez

Best Live-Action Short Film

The Long Goodbye - Aneil Karia and Riz Ahmed

Best Documentary Short Subject

The Queen of Basketball - Ben Proudfoot

Best Documentary Feature

Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) - Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, Joseph Patel, Robert Fyvolent and David Dinerstein

Best International Feature Film

Drive My Car (Japan) in Japanese - Directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi

Best Animated Feature Film

Encanto - Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Yvett Merino and Clark Spencer

Best Adapted Screenplay

CODA - Screenplay by Sian Heder; based on the film La Famille Bélier by Victoria Bedos, Thomas Bidegain, Stanislas Carré de Malberg and Éric Lartigau

Best Original Screenplay

Belfast - Written by Kenneth Branagh

Best Supporting Actress

Ariana DeBose - West Side Story as Anita

Best Supporting Actor

Troy Kotsur - CODA as Frank Rossi

Best Actress

Jessica Chastain - The Eyes of Tammy Faye as Tammy Faye Bakker

Best Actor

Will Smith - King Richard as Richard Williams

Best Director

Jane Campion - The Power of the Dog

Best Picture

CODA - Philippe Rousselet, Fabrice Gianfermi and Patrick Wachsberger

Honorary Awards

Samuel L. Jackson

Elaine May

Liv Ullmann

Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award

Danny Glover

Back to Home

Uncharted Review

Uncharted

Release Date: 17th February 2022 - Australia

Production Companies

Columbia Pictures

Arad Productions

PlayStation Productions

Atlas Entertainment

Distribution

Sony Pictures Releasing Australia

Genre: Action/Adventure

Rating: M

Runtime: 116 minutes

Budget: $120,000,000

Box Office Gross: $401,748,820 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

Experienced treasure hunter Victor "Sully" Sullivan recruits streetwise thief Nathan Drake to help him recover a lost

500-year-old fortune

amassed by explorer Ferdinand Magellan. What begins as a heist becomes a globe-trotting, white-knuckle race to reach the prize before the ruthless Santiago Moncada gets it. If they can decipher the clues and solve one of the world's oldest mysteries, Nate and Sully could find $5 billion in treasure, but only if they learn to work together.

Cast

Tom Holland - Nathan Drake

Mark Wahlberg - Victor Sullivan

Sophia Ali - Chloe Frazer

Antonio Banderas - Santiago Moncada

Tati Gabrielle - Braddock

Steven Waddington - The Scotsman

Pingi Moli - Hugo

Tiernan Jones - Young Nate

Rudy Pankow - Young Sam

Jesus Evita - Guard at Museum

Georgia Goodman - Sister

Bernadette

Diarmid Murtagh - Police Officer

Joseph Balderrama - Carlos

Serena Posadino - Goldie

Alana Boden - Zoe

Jonathan Failla - Unsuspecting Doorman

Anthony Thomas - Luxury Sedan Driver

Peter Seaton-Clark - Auctioneer

Robert Maaser - Guard at Auction

Eskindir Tesfay - Security Guard

Manuel de Blas - Armando Moncada

Carme Capdet - Spanish Nun

Julia Schunevitsch - Club

Bartender #1

Alois Knapps - Club Bartender

#2

Patricia Meeden - Spanish

Woman in Club

Nolan North - Hotel Guest (Cameo)

Matt Barkley - Hotel Bellman

Jimmy Hart - Concepcion Helo

Pilot

Brett Praed - Concepcion Co-Pilot

Carlo Kitzlinger - Trinidad Helo Pilot

Pilou Asbaek - Gage

Crew

Executive Producer/Director - Ruben Fleischer

Screen Story/Screenplay - Rafe Judkins

Screen Story - Jon Hanley Rosenberg

and Mark D. Walker

Screenplay/Executive Producers -

Art Marcum and Matt Holloway

Associate Producer/First Assistant Director -

Brian Reylea

Executive Producers - David Bernad,

Robert J. Bohrmann, Neil Druckmann,

Tom Holland, Asad Qizilbash,

Carter Swan and Evan Wells

Producers - Avi & Ari Arad,

Alex Gartner and Charles Roven

Co-Producer - Elise Callas

German Co-Producers - Christoph Fisser,

Henning Molfenter and Charlie Woebecken

Casting Directors - John Papsidera and

Denise Chaiman

Production Designer - Shepherd Frankel

Concept Artists - Victor James Martinez,

Giorgio Grecu, Thomas Möhring

and Jamie Rawa

Supervising Art Director - David Ingram

Art Directors - Robert Reblin,

Daniel Chour, Michael Fissneider,

Calla Klessig, Florian Müller,

Cornelia Ott, Nenad Pecur,

Sabine Engelberg and Patricia Woerler

Set Decorator - Eli Griff

Costume Designer - Marlene Stewart

Hair & Makeup Designer - Victoria Down

Director of Photography - Chung-hoon Chang

Director of Photography: Second Unit -

Brad Shield

Director of Photography: Spain, Additional

Photography Unit - Eric Steelberg

"B" Camera Operator - Marcus Pohlus

First Assistant Director: Spain, Additional

Photography - Paul Barry

First Assistant Director: Second Unit - Joe Geary

Second Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator -

Scott Rogers

Stunt Coordinators - Stephen Dunlevy,

Ryan Hanna, Kyle Weishaar and Keir Beck

Fight Coordinators - Wayne Dalglish

and Jimmy Chhlu

Special Effects Supervisor - Uli Nefzer

Special Effects Coordinator - Jonny Martin

Visual Effects Supervisor - Chas Jarrett

Visual Effects Supervisor: Sydney Unit -

Chris Godfrey

Digital Effects Supervisors: DNEG - Gregor Lanker

Daniel Elophe and Jolene McCaffrey

Visualisation Supervisor: The Third Floor -

Nicholas Markel

Editors - Chris Lebonzon and Richard Pearson

Additional Editors - John Schaeffer and

Joseph Kirkland

Supervising Sound Editors - Kami Asgar

and Erin Oakley

Sound Designer - Paul N.J. Ottosson

Re-Recording Mixers - Beau Borders,

Kevin O'Connell, Mark Paterson and

Tony Lamberti

Foley Artists - Gary A. Hecker and

Adam DeCoster

Music - Ramin Djawadi

Music Supervisor - Gabe Hilfer

Review

I never actually played the Uncharted games on the PlayStation because, at the time, I only had an Xbox and a Wii. Now I have seen the recent movie adaptation. I'm new to this source material. While Pokémon Detective Pikachu and Sonic the Hedgehog are among the few that have shown respect, I'm unsure how accurate this movie is to the video games, since most adaptations have been unsuccessful. I just learned that UNCHARTED is supposed to be an origin story that begins with the two characters meeting for the first time. While UNCHARTED is mostly a lighthearted globe-trotting adventure, its plot and concept become too clichéd, reducing it to just a typical, safe action-adventure flick.

Director Ruben Fleischer has never tapped into anything like this and was known for officially shepherding the two Zombieland movies and Venom. He drew plenty of inspiration from the games to make UNCHARTED his own Indiana Jones adventure. The action sequences are exciting, but I don't see the video game comparisons that many said were unwanted.

One reason I wanted to see the film was Tom Holland. He finished playing Spider-Man in the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe film. While UNCHARTED is one of his attempts to break away from his famous role, Holland performs terrifically as street-smart thief Nathan Drake, who gets embroiled in a treasure hunt. He even has Tom Cruise's Cocktail vibes when he works at a bar during an action scene. Mark Wahlberg did just fine in his role. However, he has good chemistry with Tom Holland, making Sully a father figure to Holland's protagonist. While a great actor, Antonio Banderas had less screen time and played a forgettable villain.

Despite offering nothing new to the action/adventure genre, I find UNCHARTED moderately entertaining. It had a better chance of becoming a decent adaptation than most games, and it is enjoyable. It isn't great, but I recommend it to all audiences once you get past the clichés.

Star rating: (7/10) Good Movie

Back to Home

The Batman Review

The Batman

Release Date: 3rd March 2022 - Australia

Production Companies

Warner Bros. Pictures

DC Entertainment

6th & Idaho Productions

Dylan Clark Productions

Distribution

Universal Pictures Australia

Genre: Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 176 minutes

Budget: $200,000,000

Box Office Gross: $772,319,315 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

After two years of fighting crime, Batman must look

for a sadistic serial killer

known as The Riddler,

who has killed Gotham's

key political figures and

has left behind a trail of cryptic clues. He must expose the corruption that has plagued the city and question his family's involvement with it.

Cast

Robert Pattinson - Bruce Wayne/Batman

Zöe Kravitz - Selina Kyle

Paul Nano - The Riddler

Colin Farrell - Oz/The Penguin

Jeffrey Wright - Lt. James Gordon

John Turturro - Carmine Falcone

Andy Serkis - Alfred Pennyworth

Peter Sarsgaard - District Attorney Gil Colson

Barry Keoghan - Unseen Arkham Prisoner (Cameo)

Jayme Lawson - Bella Reál

Gil Perez-Abraham - Officer Martinez

Peter McDonald - Kenzie

Con O'Neill - Chief Mackenzie Bock

Alex Ferns - Commissioner Pete Savage

Rupert Penry-Jones - Mayor Don Mitchell Jr

Kosha Engler - Mrs. Mitchell

Archie Barnes - Mitchell's Son

Janine Harouni - Carla

Hana Hrzic - Annika

Joseph Walker - Young Riddler

Luke Roberts - Thomas Wayne

Oscar Novak - Young Bruce Wayne

Stella Stocker - Martha Wayne

Sandra Dickinson - Dory

Jack Bennett - Travis

Andre Nightingale - Ritchie

Richard James-Neale - Glen

Lorraine Tai - Cheri

Joseph Balderama - Lead Detective

James Eeles - Another Officer

Angela Yeoh - Forensic

Photographer

Leemore Marrett Jr. - Muscle Cop

Ezra Elliott - Tactical Medic

Charlie Carver - The Twin

Max Carver - The Twin

Mark Killeen - Vinnie

Elliot Warren - Train Gang Leader

Jay Lycurgo - Train Gang Young Member

Crew

Writer/Producer/Director - Matt Reeves

Writer - Peter Craig

Batman Creators - Bob Kane

and Bill Finger

Associate Producer/First

Assistant Director - Toby Hefferman

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager - Simon Emanuel

Executive Producers - Walter Hamada, Michael E. Uslan and Chantal Nong Vo

Producer - Dylan Clark

Casting Directors - Lucy Bevan and Cindy Tolan

Dialogue Coaches - Jill McCullough and Andrew Jack

Production Designer - James Chinlund

Vehicle Concept Artist - Ed Natividad

(Uncredited)

Supervising Art Director -

Grant Armstrong

Supervising Art Director: US -

Maya Shimoguchi

Art Directors: Vehicles - Joseph Hiura and Will Newton

Set Decorator - Lee Sandales

Assistant Set Decorators - Ben Barrington-Groves,

Anita Gupta and Guy Mount

Property Master - Jamie Wilkinson

Standby Props - Sonny Merchant and Charlie Summerville

Costume Designer - Jacqueline Durran

Costume Designer: The Batsuit/Costume Supervisor - David Crossman

Costume Designer/Chief

Concept Artist: The Batsuit - Glyn Dillon

HOD Costume FX - Pierre Bohanna

Costume Cutters - Jennifer Alford, Sarah Humphrey

and Simone Feulmer

Makeup Designer - Naomi Donne

Prosthetics Design: The Penguin & Unseen

Arkham Prisoner - Michael Marino

Makeup Designer: Selina - Pat McGrath

Director of Photography - Greig Fraser

Supervising Location Manager/

COVID Compliance - Mark Somner

Chicago Location Manager - Adam Boor

Unit Production Manager: Second Unit -

James R. McAllister

First Assistant Director: Second Unit -

Tom Edmondson

First Assistant Director: Chicago Unit -

Julian Wall

Second Unit Director/Supervising Stunt

Coordinator - Robert Alonzo

Stunt Coordinators - Steve Griffin,

Samuel Le and Jacob Dewitt

Stunt Coordinator: Chicago Unit -

Rick LeFevour

Fight Co-Coordinator/Trainer - Daniel Arrias

(Uncredited)

Picture Vehicle Supervisor - Alex King

Special Effects Supervisor - Dominic Tuohy

Special Effects Supervisor: Chicago Unit -

Andre Christopoulos

Special Effects Coordinator - Alicia Davies

Visual Effects Supervisor - Dan Lemmon

Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM - Russell Earl

Visual Effects Supervisor: Weta Digital -

Anders Langlands

Visual Effects Supervisor: Chicago Unit -

Mark O. Forker

Additional Visual Effects Supervisor -

Jeremy Burns

Visual Effects Associate Supervisors: ILM -

Malcolm Humphreys and Anthony Smith

Visual Effects Supervising Producer: ILM -

Jill Brooks

Visual Effects Producers - Alex Bicknell and

Bryan Searing

Visual Effects Producer: Weta Digital -

Sophie Cherry

Editors - William Hoy and Tyler Nelson

Supervising Sound Editor - Douglas Murray

Supervising Sound Editor/Re-Recording Mixer -

Will Files

Sound Designers - Lee Gilmore,

Craig Henighan and and Chris Terhune

Sound Recordist - John P. Fasal

Re-Recording Mixer - Andy Nelson

Sound Mixer - Stuart Wilson

Music - Michael Giacchino

Music Supervisor - George Drakoulias

Music Editor - Joe E. Rand

Score Recordists & Mixers - Peter Cobbin

and Kirsty Whalley

Review

Fans are wary of THE BATMAN since it's not canonically part of the DC Extended Universe, which is supposed to star Ben Affleck as the titular caped crusader and produce, co-write, and direct the film. It was a bold reinvention of the title character that has been adapted many times on the silver screen. The movie arrived in theatres by the time it came. Co-writer/director Matt Reeves, a longtime Batman fan, has poured his heart and soul into putting his spin on the Dark Knight with inspiration from a few of David Fincher's films. He's not as masterful as Chris Nolan, who did the character justice in The Dark Knight trilogy. Reeves knows how to push certain limits in this recent cinematic interpretation, making it a noir thriller.

I don't understand why some fans are disappointed with this iteration. Perhaps they expected an adaptation similar to The Dark Knight but with a tonal balance of light and dark. I admire its action sequences, which feel very similar to the combat style in the Arkham games I've been playing. Additionally, it had an engaging storyline with so many twists and turns.

After years of seeing Christian Bale and Ben Affleck's takes on the character, I was uncertain that Robert Pattinson would be an ideal actor to portray Bruce Wayne/Batman. Given that he played a sullen vampire in the Twilight series. I didn't watch his work. However, Pattinson gives his protagonist a vulnerable edge and proves that he's good at it. Few people complained that Batman was too much of a wimp and not strong enough, but they're probably not used to seeing the new version.

Paul Dano did a fantastic job as The Riddler, whereas Jim Carrey's is comical and lighthearted. His take was darker, homicidal, and extremely psychopathic and would probably rival Heath Ledger's Joker as the terrifying arch-foe of Batman. Colin Farrell looks unrecognisable as the Penguin, although the makeup team did an incredible job of making him look like that. Zöe Kravitz was terrific as Catwoman, and this wasn't the first time she played that anti-heroine, reprising her role from The Lego Batman Movie.

On the technical side, Greig Fraiser's cinematography is simply dazzling. Michael Giacchino's score is hauntingly brutal but eerily similar to Danny Elfman's compositions in the first two Batman movies by Tim Burton.

While it isn't as insightful or original as Nolan's films, THE BATMAN is a superbly daring movie that reinvents the Caped Crusader in a bleak crime-thriller/detective drama. It could be the second-best Batman movie, with The Dark Knight still on top. I highly recommend it to Batman and DC fans, and most would want to see it anyway.

Star rating: (10/10) Best Movie Ever

Back to Home

In Memory of William Hurt (1950-2022)

William Hurt (1950-2022)

The Academy Award-winning actor William Hurt passed away on March 13th, 2022, after a battle with prostate cancer, one week shy of his 72nd birthday. He was best known for roles in "Body Heat," "The Big Chill," "Kiss of the Spider Woman," and "Broadcast News," as well as for his portrayal of General Thaddeus Ross in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Hurt made his screen debut in 1980 with "Altered States," playing a psychopathologist, and quickly emerged as one of the decade's foremost leading men. A year later, Hurt starred opposite Kathleen Turner in a steamy noir film by writer/director Lawrence Kasdan, "Body Heat." It changed the lives of the two performers, who have positively ignited on-screen into major-league Hollywood stars. Hurt would have another lead role in "Gorky Park" and was part of an ensemble of a drama about a group of friends reuniting, entitled "The Big Chill," which became a touchstone for the baby boomer generation.

Then came "Kiss of the Spider Woman," for which Hurt won the Best Actor Oscar for portraying a gay window dresser in a repressive South American dictatorship. Following his award win in "Kiss of the Spider Woman," Hurt landed roles that earned him Oscar nominations in movies like "Children of a Lesser God" and "Broadcast News." Playing a speech teacher at a deaf school and a likable, slightly dimwitted newsman had showcased his talents, and the critical and commercial success of these films propelled Hurt into the A-list. However, the actor didn't seem to care about his celebrity status.

William went through a turbulent period in the 1990s, during which he became acclaimed for his portrayal of an arrogant surgeon in "The Doctor." Films such as "Second Chances" and "Until the End of the World" don't have the same immeasurable success Hurt had in the 1980s. Even his attempt at popcorn entertainment with the big-screen adaptation of "Lost in Space" didn't earn enough money to spawn a franchise, despite being a modest hit and Hurt looking bored throughout the movie.

He also appeared in the television mini-series adaptation of "Dune" and in films such as Steven Spielberg's "A.I. Artificial Intelligence" and M. Night Shyamalan's "The Village." William Hurt settled into supporting roles, including scene-stealing performances in "The Good Shepherd," "Into the Wild," and most notably, "A History of Violence." The latter film earned Hurt an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as a sinister mob boss.

Back to Home

In Memory of Douglas Trumbull (1942-2022)

Douglas Trumbull (1942-2022)

Douglas Trumbull, the pioneer behind the VFX for "2001: A Space Odyssey," "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," and "Blade Runner," passed away on February 7th, 2022. He was 79 years old. Trumbull was the son of a mechanical engineer and effects artist, Don Trumbull, who worked on films like "The Wizard of Oz." His dad also worked with his son on "Silent Running," "Close Encounters," and "Star Trek: The Motion Picture." He received two Scientific and Technical Achievement Oscars before passing away in 2004 at age 95.

Trumbull was an airbrush artist and illustrator at Graphic Films in Los Angeles, where he worked on a 1964 New York World's Fair documentary, "To the Moon and Beyond." The film is shot in Cinerama and projected onto the Moon Dome from above. This impressed director Stanley Kubrick, who then hired Trumbull (along with Graphic Films director Con Pederson) to work on the initial designs for "2001" after Pederson gave him Kubrick's number and he cold-called him. Trumbull began with a relatively minor task: creating the animated displays shown on the computer screens throughout the ship in the film. However, as production continued, his responsibilities increased, and he became one of the film's four visual effects supervisors. He had the task of creating what would become his signature creation, the out-of-this-world passage-of-light finale, known as the Star Gate sequence.

After "2001," Trumbull made his directorial debut with an eco-sci-fi film he conceived, entitled "Silent Running," which achieved cult status despite being made on a $1 million budget. By the 1970s, Trumbull had other commitments and declined an offer to provide the visual effects for George Lucas' "Star Wars." At the same time, Steven Spielberg, about 29, began principal photography on his sci-fi movie "Close Encounters." He rewatched Kubrick's "2001" in preparation and found the masterpiece intimidated him more than it inspired him. Spielberg hired Trumbull, then under contract to Paramount Pictures on a loan-out, to contribute the visual effects for "Close Encounters." The film earned Trumbull and his team an Oscar nomination for Best Visual Effects, which they lost to "Star Wars." Trumbull also worked with director Robert Wise in films such as "The Andromeda Strain" and "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (the latter earned Trumbull his second Academy Award nomination). He also received his third Oscar nomination for his groundbreaking visual effects work in Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner."

Douglas's second directorial feature was "Brainstorm," starring Natalie Wood in her final role. The movie was the first to showcase his Showscan process (70mm film photographed at 60 frames per second) in the virtual-reality sequences, but due to the cost, MGM withdrew the idea. In November 1981, during a production break, Wood drowned under unknown circumstances while on a boat trip to Catalina Island. This setback prompted MGM to file an insurance claim, and the film remained unfinished for two years. These experiences led Trumbull to withdraw from the film industry and delve into his passion for developing new technology for cinema and filmmakers. He even created the "Back to the Future" ride at Universal Studios.

Trumbull was brought out of retirement to work under Dan Glass as a visual effects consultant on Terence Malick's "The Tree of Life." He received many accolades and honours in his lifetime, including a Scientific and Engineering Award in 1993 from the Academy for his Showscan Camera System and the Gordon E. Sawyer statuette in 2012 for his career contributions. In my opinion, I believe Trumbull and his team deserved the Oscar for the effects work in "2001," not Stanley Kubrick, who took the award for himself.

Here are the clips showcasing the outstanding visual effects work he provided throughout his career.

Back to Home

In Memory of Ivan Reitman (1946-2022)

Ivan Reitman (1946-2022)

It's with great sadness that comedy producer/director Ivan Reitman peacefully died at his home in California on February 12th, 2022. He was 75 years old. Ivan was responsible for helming such decade-defining comedies as "Animal House" and "Ghostbusters." Born on October 27th, 1946, in Kornarno, Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia), to a Hungarian Jewish family, Ivan was only four when he and his parents escaped communism after World War II and emigrated to Canada shortly after. Early in his life, he earned a Bachelor of Music degree from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, where he has directed several short films.

Then, in 1978, came his big break with the production of the college fraternity send-up "National Lampoon's Animal House," which was an instant success. In 1979, he directed Bill Murray in his first starring role in "Meatballs." A long and fruitful partnership between the actor and the filmmaker was born. Ivan would later direct Murray again in the 1981 war comedy, "Stripes." But his crowning moment of glory came in 1984 when he made the supernatural comedy "Ghostbusters" with Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis (who also co-wrote the film), Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, and Rick Moranis. The film was a tremendous success. It grossed nearly $300 million worldwide, earned two Oscar nominations, and spawned a franchise that includes two sequels (one of which he directed), two television shows, and a reboot.

Reitman also collaborated with action star Arnold Schwarzenegger in comedies like "Twins" with Danny DeVito, "Kindergarten Cop," and "Junior." Other notable movies of his calibre include "Dave" and "Six Days, Seven Nights." Ivan also produced "Beethoven," "Space Jam," "Old School," "Private Parts," "EuroTrip," and his son's Oscar-nominated feature "Up in the Air." After helming "Six Days, Seven Nights," Reitman slowed down as a director with four films: "Evolution," "My Super Ex-Girlfriend," "No Strings Attached," and "Draft Day." He continued producing, with "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" as his final movie, handing over the directing reins to his son, Jason, who is continuing his father's legacy.

Back to Home

94th Academy Awards

94th Academy Awards

Broadcast Date: 28th March 2022 - Australia

Hello, moviegoers. There's a reason I didn't do much critiquing. I was busy working on an animated project and spent three or four hours getting it made for a local art exhibition. Now that I've finished my short animation, I can finally rest in peace and work on my reviews, obituaries and news updates.

 

Unveiled this year are the nominations for the 94th Academy Awards. Here is the list of nominees in over 23 categories, with The Power of the Dog garnering 12 nominations.

Best Visual Effects

Dune - Paul Lambert, Tristan Myles, Brian Connor and Gerd Nefzer

Free Guy - Swen Gillberg, Bryan Grill, Nikos Kalaitzidis and Dan Sudick

No Time to Die - Charlie Noble, Joel Green, Jonathan Fawkner and Chris Corbould

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings - Christopher Townsend, Joe Farrell, Sean Noel Walker and Dan Oliver

Spider-Man: No Way Home - Kelly Port, Chris Waegner, Scott Edelstein and Dan Sudick

Best Film Editing

Don't Look Up - Hank Corwin

Dune - Joe Walker

King Richard - Pamela Martin

The Power of the Dog - Peter Sciberras

tick, tick... BOOM! - Myron Kerstein and Andrew Weisblum

Best Costume Design

Cruella - Jenny Beaven

Cyrano - Massimo Cantini Parrini and Jacqueline Durran

Dune - Jacqueline West and Robert Morgan

Nightmare Alley - Luis Sequeira

West Side Story - Paul Tazewell

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Coming 2 America - Mike Marino, Stacey Morris and Carla Farmer

Cruella - Nadia Stacey, Naomi Donne and Julia Vernon

Dune - Donald Mowat, Love Larson and Eva von Bahr

The Eyes of Tammy Faye - Linda Dowds, Stephanie Ingram and Justin Raleigh

House of Gucci - Göran Lundström, Anna Carin Lock and Frederic Aspiras

Best Cinematography

Dune - Greig Fraser

Nightmare Alley - Dan Laustsen

The Power of the Dog - Ari Wegner

The Tragedy of Macbeth - Bruno Delbonnel

West Side Story - Janusz Kaminski

Best Production Design

Dune - Production Design: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Zsuzsanna Sipos

Nightmare Alley - Production Design: Tamara Deverell; Set Decoration: Shane Vieau

The Power of the Dog - Production Design: Grant Major; Set Decoration: Amber Richards

The Tragedy of Macbeth - Production Design: Stefan Dechant; Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh

West Side Story - Production Design: Adam Stockhausen; Set Decoration: Rena DeAngelo

Best Sound

Belfast - Denise Yarde, Simon Chase, James Mather and Niv Adiri

Dune - Mac Ruth, Mark Mangini, Theo Green, Doug Hemphill and Ron Bartlett

No Time to Die - Simon Hayes, Oliver Tarney, James Harrison, Paul Massey and Mark Taylor

The Power of the Dog - Richard Flynn, Robert Mackenzie and Tara Webb

West Side Story - Tod A. Maitland, Gary Rydstrom, Brian Chumney, Andy Nelson and Shawn Murphy

Best Original Song

"Be Alive" from King Richard - Music and Lyrics by DIXSON and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter

"Dos Oruguitas" from Encanto - Music and Lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda

"Down to Joy" from Belfast - Music and Lyrics by Van Morrison

"No Time to Die" from No Time to Die - Music and Lyrics by Billie Elish and Finneas O'Connell

"Somehow You Do" from Four Good Days - Music and Lyrics by Diane Warren

Best Original Score

Don't Look Up - Nicholas Britell

Dune - Hans Zimmer

Encanto - Germaine Franco

Parallel Mothers - Alberto Iglesias

The Power of the Dog - Jonny Greenwood

Best Animated Short Film

Affairs of the Art - Joanna Quinn and Les Mills

Bestia - Hugo Covarrubius and Tevo Diaz

BoxBallet - Anton Dyakov

Robin Robin - Dan Ojari and Mikey Please

The Windshield Wiper - Alberto Mielgo and Leo Sanchez

Best Live-Action Short Film

Ala Kachuu - Take and Run - Maria Brendle and Nadine Lüchinger

The Dress - Tadeusz Łysiak and Maciej Ślesicki

The Long Goodbye - Aneil Karia and Riz Ahmed

On My Mind - Martin Strange-Hansen and Kim Magnusson

Please Hold - K.D. Dávila and Levin Menekse

Best Documentary Short Subject

Audible - Matthew Ogens and Geoff McLean

Lead Me Home - Pedro Kos and Jon Shenk

The Queen of Basketball - Ben Proudfoot

Three Songs for Benazir - Elizabeth Mirzaei and Gulistan Mirzaei

When We Were Bullies - Jay Rosenblatt

Best Documentary Feature

Ascension - Jessica Kingdon, Kira Simon-Kennedy and Nathan Truesdell

Attica - Stanley Nelson and Traci A. Curry

Flee - Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Monica Hellström, Signe Bryne Sørensen and Charlotte De La Gournerie

Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) - Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, Joseph Patel, Robert Fyvolent and David Dinerstein

Writing with Fire - Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh

Best International Feature Film

Drive My Car (Japan) in Japanese - Directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi

Flee (Denmark) in Danish - Directed by Jonas Poher Rasmussen

The Hand of God (Italy) in Italian - Directed by Paolo Sorrentino

Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom (Bhutan) in Dzongkha - Directed by Pawo Choyning Dorji

The Worst Person in the World (Norway) in Norwegian - Directed by Joachim Trier

Best Animated Feature Film

Encanto - Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Yvett Merino and Clark Spencer

Flee - Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Monica Hellström, Signe Byrge Sørensen and Charlotte De La Gournerie

Luca - Enrico Casarosa and Andrea Warren

The Mitchells vs. the Machines - Mike Rianda, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Kurt Albrecht

Raya and the Last Dragon - Don Hall, Carlos López Estrada, Osnat Shurer and Peter Del Vecho

Best Adapted Screenplay

CODA - Screenplay by Sian Heder; based on the film La Famille Bélier by Victoria Bedos, Thomas Bidegain, Stanislas Carré de Malberg and Éric Lartigau

Drive My Car - Screenplay by Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Takamasa Oe; based on the short story by Haruki Murakami

Dune - Screenplay by Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve and Eric Roth; based on the novel by Frank Herbert

The Lost Daughter - Screenplay by Maggie Gyllenhaal; based on the novel by Elena Ferrante

The Power of the Dog - Screenplay by Jane Campion; based on the novel by Thomas Savage

Best Original Screenplay

Belfast - Written by Kenneth Branagh

Don't Look Up - Screenplay by Adam McKay; Story by Adam McKay and David Sirota

King Richard - Written by Zach Baylin

Licorice Pizza - Written by Paul Thomas Anderson

The Worst Person in the World - Written by Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier

Best Supporting Actress

Jessie Buckley - The Lost Daughter as Leda Caruso

Ariana DeBose - West Side Story as Anita

Judi Dench - Belfast as "Granny"

Kirsten Dunst - The Power of the Dog as Rose Gordon

Aunjanue Ellis - King Richard as Oracene "Brandy" Price

Best Supporting Actor

Ciarán Hinds - Belfast as "Pop"

Troy Kotsur - CODA as Frank Rossi

Jesse Plemons - The Power of the Dog as George Burbank

J. K. Simmons - Being the Ricardos as William Frawley

Kodi Smit-McPhee - The Power of the Dog as Peter Gordon

Best Actress

Jessica Chastain - The Eyes of Tammy Faye as Tammy Faye Bakker

Olivia Colman - The Lost Daughter as Leda Caruso

Penélope Cruz - Parallel Mothers as Janis Martinez Moreno

Nicole Kidman - Being the Ricardos as Lucille Ball

Kristen Stewart - Spencer as Diana, Princess of Wales

Best Actor

Javier Bardem - Being the Ricardos as Desi Arnaz

Benedict Cumberbatch - The Power of the Dog as Phil Burbank

Andrew Garfield - tick, tick... BOOM! as Jonathan Larson

Will Smith - King Richard as Richard Williams

Denzel Washington - The Tragedy of Macbeth as Macbeth

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

Best Picture

Belfast - Laura Berwick, Kenneth Branagh, Becca Kovacik and Tamar Thomas

CODA - Philippe Rousselet, Fabrice Gianfermi and Patrick Wachsberger

Don't Look Up - Adam McKay and Kevin Messick

Drive My Car - Teruhisa Yamamoto

Dune - Mary Parent, Denis Villeneuve and Cale Boyter

King Richard - Tim & Trevor White and Will Smith

Licorice Pizza - Sara Murphy, Adam Somner and Paul Thomas Anderson

Nightmare Alley - Guillermo del Toro, J. Miles Dale and Bradley Cooper

The Power of the Dog - Jane Campion, Tanya Seghatchian, Emile Sherman, Iain Cunning and Roger Frappier

West Side Story - Steven Spielberg and Kristie Macosko Kreiger

Honorary Awards

Samuel L. Jackson

Elaine May

Liv Ullmann

Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award

Danny Glover

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

Best Visual Effects - Dune

Best Production Design - Dune

Best Costume Design - Dune

Best Makeup and Hairstyling - Dune

Best Cinematography - Dune

Best Original Score - Dune

Best Animated Feature - Raya and the Last Dragon

Back to Home