It is time now to look forward into the next year with the promise of a new beginning. No matter how much of a dumpster fire 2020 was, everything has the possibility to be fresh and new.
And with all of the content that had been pushed into 2021, this year, in Geek culture, has the chance to be greatest year to date.
So 2021….
Marvel Studios
With nothing new coming out in 2020, and not since July 2019 (Spider-Man: Far From Home). Marvel Studios is primed for the biggest year of its history.
On Disney +
I am so excited for WandaVision. It is most likely my number one most anticipated. I don’t know if that is because it is just a few weeks away or if it is because it looks to be a crazy ride. Maybe both. I love the Tom King Vision series which this looks to be based upon somewhat.
Falcon & the Winter Soldier. It is advertised as a 6-hour Marvel movie and that sounds excellent. There are some hints about the story possibly including some deep Marvel cuts including Isaiah Bradley (Google him if you do not know).
The trailer for Loki shown at the Disney Investor call was so epic that it really made me more intrigued by the Trickster God. I have always loved Tom Hiddleston and he looks amazing here. Is he really D.B. Cooper? Mind blown.
Another trailer that looked unbelievable was What If? with Geoffrey Rush voicing The Watcher. I was a fan of the What If? comic back when I was younger and, with the use of the MCU voice cast, this looks to be tremendous. The animation looks beautiful.
Ms. Marvel may be scheduled for 2021 release as well. Toss in the Hawkeye series with Jeremy Renner and Hailee Stanfield. That is an amazing slate for this year, and that is only on Disney +.
Big Screen.
Black Widow is finally going to be out in May. Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringsis one that I have been really excited about since I heard it announced. Eternals is also coming out this year. There is the third movie in the MCU Spider-Man Home trilogy.
But there is more than just the MCU to look forward to in 2021.
The Snyder cut is coming out on HBO Max. Snyder’s Justice League is rumored to be 4-hours long, depending on how it is going to be released. DC should also be offering The Suicide Squad with James Gunn. Rumors include that Black Adam is in that list as well. The gigantic fight between two titans are finally going to be here in Godzilla vs. Kong. I know some are not fans of the idea, but I am looking forward to Ghostbusters: Afterlife with Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard. Neo is back in The Matrix 4. Dune is looking to have won in its struggle for theatrical release instead of just on HBO Max. Robert Downey Jr. is back as Sherlock Holmes in the third film of that trilogy. There is the return to season 3 of the Mandalorian and the first season of The Book of Boba Fett, both in December. James Bond returns finally for the final appearance of Daniel Craig’s Bond in No Time to Die.
Here it is. Here is the list of the Top 30 Movies of 2020. The whole Year in Review has been building to this list.
Some reminders. This is my list. It may or may not, most likely not, match your own list. And that is fine. I expect that. I celebrate that. Feel free to make your own lists and put whatever movie you want at number one. This is my list so please respect that.
Secondly, as I stated in the Worst Movies list, the star ratings I give when I first review the movie are used only to narrow this list down. If one movie had a lower star score than another movie, it does not mean that it will be lower on the list. There is a perfect example at #7 on this list.
Moving along to the top of the list, this year’s number one film was really difficult to determine. There were literally three films that I considered for the number one spot and was not sure which way they would go. Heck, I’ll be curious to see if they remain that way by the time I get to typing them into the post. I have usually had number one determined for awhile. Not this year.
So here we go….
#30. Black is King. Great music movie from Disney + and Beyoncé. It is like a long music video with amazing visuals and costumes.
#29. Sound of Metal. Riz Ahmed brings a amazing performance as a heavy metal drummer who loses his hearing. The scenes with the other deaf people were some of the best of the film.
#28. Hunter Hunter. A solid thriller/horror film with a disturbing and remarkably satisfying end scene. Vengeance at its goriest.
#27. Mank. The black and white filmed story of the creation of Citizen Kane through the POV of Herman J. Mankiewicz. David Fincher does a fantastic job with the Netflix film.
#26. News of the World. Tom Hanks in the Old West reading news from newspapers to the people. Then, everything changes when he finds young girl Helena Zengel abandoned and in trouble.
#25. The Old Guard. Based on the comic of the same name, this Netflix film brings these immortal mercenaries to life, led by Charlize Theron.
#24. Spontaneous. High school kids begin spontaneously combusting. Isn’t high school hard enough? Charlie Plummer and Katherine Langford star.
#23. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. The Borat sequel caused plenty of controversy for plenty of Republicans over the last year. We see you Rudy! By the way, the movie is really funny.
#22 Greenland. Never thought this would be good, but I had such a good time with it. The disaster movie starring Gerard Butler that was more of a character piece than CGI-fest. What? Surprisingly great.
#21. Enola Holmes. A Netflix movie with Millie Bobby Brown as the sister of Sherlock Holmes. It is a lot of fun and Brown is exceptionally charming and charismatic as the lead.
#20. Promising Young Woman. Star making performance from Carey Mulligan. Mulligan’s character is severely damaged from her past and looking to make things better by any means necessary.
#19. Run. A great film on Hulu. Sarah Paulson continues to show how wide her range is and Kiera Allen steps up to the challenging role.
#18. Blow the Man Down. From Amazon Prime, there is a fantastic cast of characters highlighting the dark corners of a little town. Margo Martindale is the standout performance.
#17. The Vast of Night. Another surprise from Amazon Prime. The Vast of Night is an old fashioned sci-fi movie about aliens and the conspiracies surrounding them. The mood is especially tight.
#16. His House. A Netflix horror movie dealing with a man and his wife who have escaped from South Sudan to London, and the spirit that may have followed them.
#15. Extraction. Another Netflix film that features Chris Hemsworth as a bad ass hero who takes on a mission that sounds pretty harrowing. This is the best Non-Thor performance for Hemsworth.
#14. Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn. Margot Robbie shows that she is still a great choice to play Harley Quinn. This film was a lot of fun and filled with some fantastic DC female anti-heroes.
#13. Onward. Pixar’s first of two great movies this year. This focuses on Tom Holland and Chris Pratt as brothers trying to use a special magical stick to bring back their deceased father for one day. It is Pixar’s typical heart-warming film.
#12. Palm Springs. The Hulu movie that takes the Groundhog Day trope and twisted it around. Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti have great chemistry in this Rom Com/Sci fi film.
#11. Host. It is just over 60 minutes, but this film on Shudder is one of the best horror films of the year. Dealing with a zoom meeting gone wrong, Host is as anxiety-ridden as any film this year.
#10. Love and Monsters. Dylan O’Brien is in a dystopian future where he is trying to get back to the woman of his dreams. Along the way, he has to fight monsters. This is a ton of fun.
#9. Pooka Lives! This Hulu film was one of the biggest surprises of the year. The horror film of these little pooka creatures being unleashed on the public.
#8. Soul. The second Pixar movie is one of transcendent thought and amazing music. Joe and 22 have a great relationship and create that wonderful feeling and emotion Pixar is so great at.
#7. The Invisible Man. Here is the film that had a lower star score than many of the films on this list, but has found itself higher on the list. It is a tremendous remake of a classic Universal monster.
#6. Black Box. This Amazon Prime film was so great. It was frightening, tense and surprising. It had great performances and some excellent twists.
#5. Wolfwalkers. The top animated movie of the year, it is beautifully created and the story is one of a folklore from Ireland. It is fantasy at its best.
#4. Hamilton. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s stage play was recorded live and put together as a musical movie and Disney gained the rights. Then this past July, instead of holding off until 2021 as they initially had planned, Disney released this on Disney + and revealed the brilliant musical to a wider audience than ever before.
#3. Da 5 Bloods. Spike Lee’s new film, from Netflix, tells the story of a group of Vietnam vets heading back to the country to find a treasure they had hidden. Brilliant performances from Delroy Lindo, Chadwick Boseman and others. Da 5 Bloods was shown in flashbacks, but the current day actors still played them. It was a great chocie.
#2. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. The final, utterly brilliant, performance from Chadwick Boseman is not the only reason to watch Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. It is just the top reason. Viola Davis was also unbeleivable as Ma Rainey herself. This is like a stage paly on film and it has some of the best dialogue in any movies this year. Powerful.
#1. The Trial of the Chicago 7. This was a tough choice as either Da 5 Bloods or Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom could have been number one. However, I wound up with Aaron Sorkin’s Netflix film, which had one of the greatest ensemble casts you will ever find. Amazing dialogue. Suspenseful tone. Brilliant performances. Based on the true story, The Trial of the Chicago 7 is a masterful film.
I have been enjoying the current arc of Amazing Spider-Man, that started in earnest with the return of the Sin Eater (though seeds have been planted for the character of Kindred for some time before that). Today, the Last Remains arc came to a close with an uncomfortable and unnerving issue, Amazing Spider-Man #55.
No spoilers here, but there appeared to be something tragic happen at the end of the story that I really hope is just smoke and mirrors.
The cover of the issue, drawn by Patrick Gleason, is a beautiful piece of art. It is perhaps my favorite cover of the year. It is a black profile of Spidey with his head outline with what looked like white webs. The design is gorgeous and the execution is even better. It is truly a striking cover and it is apparently causing the online price to skyrocket.
The conflict between Peter and harry continued to play out as all of the other Spider-people are in their place. There was a major hint dropped about what Spidey era of comics this story dates back to which, again, I will not spoil, but it feels as if this is just the beginning to the build to something even bigger. The LGY for the issue is #856, could they be build toward something massive for Spider-Man #900?
The issue is completely tense and nerve-wracking. It leaves off on a terrible cliffhanger too so I am anxious to see the next issue soon.
We are coming to the end of the strangest, most unconventional year of movie viewing that we have ever lived through. With Covid-19 causing all kinds of trouble, something like going to the movie theater seemed pretty insignificant. Yet, it changed the lives of many hard working people.
The way we view our movies may be changed now forever. I do not know if the old ways of going to the movies will ever return, but, no matter what, there will be movies that are stinkers.
Now, I will once again stress that this is my personal list and should not be taken as an insult to any of the people out there who may think of one of these movies as their all-time favorite. Movies are subjective and this is the rule we go by here at EYG. You have every right to disagree with my assessment.
I do not mean to insult any of the creative folks involved in these projects. I can still respect what you do even if the final product does not reach me as a viewer.
Finally, I need to state that the star ratings that I give to the movies are simply a guide to help organize these films. I do not strictly follow a score. Just because something received a 1.5 does not necessarily mean it will be lower on the list than one that received a 1.3. An opinion on films is constantly changing. If I redid this list in a year, it might be totally different.
With the clarifications finished, here is the Top 30 Worst films of 2020.
#30. Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. In a normal year, this would not have made the list, but with the lower number of films, the Will Farrell musical gets added.
#29. Come Play. A real truth of how creatures from a nearby dimension can use cell phones to sneak into our dimension. Always knew those electronic devices were dangerous.
#28. Babysitter: Killer Queen. Total schlock and a waste of a sequel of a Netflix film that I actually liked.
#27. The F**k-It List. This is where this movie actually belongs.
#26. The Craft: Legacy. Another sequel that should have stayed hidden.
#25. Twin Murders: The Silence of the White City. A waste of time from Netflix. Boring and repetitive.
#24. Black Beauty. As soon as I heard the horse with the voice over, I knew this one was not going to jump the hurdle.
#23. Spenser Confidential. I did not realize until well into the film that this was a reboot/remake of the TV show Spenser for Hire. It made me miss that show, and I was never a big fan of it in the first place.
#22. Roald Dahl’s The Witches. Some of the worst CGI of the year with these kids turned into talking mice plot and cartoon-like ideas. Roald Dahl deserved better.
#21. Christmas Chronicle 2. Seeing a trend, this was another sequel that just flopped in comparison to a really decent original. Even Santa Kurt Russell could not save this.
#20. The Rhythm Section. Blake Lively is out for revenge. Turning to the CIA may not have been the best choice.
#19. The Rental. This one has 75% on Rotten Tomatoes. This was just too stupid for me with couples doing stupid things.
#18. The Last Thing He Wanted. A unremarkable, hard to remember Netflix film with Anne Hathaway, Ben Affleck and Willem Dafoe. This had no right to be as bad as it was.
#17. Hillbilly Elegy. Ron Howard’s Oscar bait film has great actors in horrible wigs and a terrible story. Sorry I watched this. It is Krista’s fault.
#16. Bloodshot. Vin Diesel in a comic book adaptation. He had to say more than “I am Groot” in this one.
#15. Underwater. Sci-fi story underwater with Kristin Stewart. She has been doing better work lately. This one reverts back to the old days.
#14. Gretel & Hansel. A retelling of the Hansel & Gretel tale with the witch and the oven. Ugh.
#13. Brahms: The Boy II. Yet another needless sequel. This is worse yet because it took the decent bits about the original and screwed it all up.
#12. Nocturne. One of the Halloween films dropped on Amazon Prime. Not the worst of them… pretty close though.
#11. Into the Dark: Delivered. Pregnant woman chained to the wall. Sounds fun.
#10. The Night Clerk. Poor Tye Sheridan. Kind of a crime drama. More insulting than anything else.
#9. The Lie. Remember how I mentioned that Nocturne wasn’t the worst of the Amazon Prime Halloween films. I now present to you The Lie.
#8. Dolittle. How many more times can I reference the dragon’s anus? This is the last, I promise.
#7. Fantasy Island. There was all kinds of potential to make this into a great horror movie. Unfortunately, we get this.
#6. Shark Season. This year’s shark attack movie. What could go wrong?
#5. The Grudge. The first film of the year for me. Only four others were worse. This is a metaphor for the year 2020.
#4. Last Days of American Crime. 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. There is a silly, futuristic heist.
#3. Coffee & Kareem. Mean-spirited. Unfunny. In a good year for Netflix, this is a black eye.
#2. Artemis Fowl. I had hoped this adaptation of a YA book would be a great start to a new franchise of fun, fantasy storytelling. Oops. At least I could watch it on Disney + and not have to go to the theater.
#1. The Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson. Easily the worst movie of the year. Makes Artemis Fowl look like Avengers Endgame. Not only the worst of the year, this goes into the list of worst of all time. My personal list includes Movie 43, Batman & Robin, Holmes and Watson. This is not even the kind of film like The Room or Birdemic that you know is terrible and you can laugh about later (so bad it’s good). Movie critic Chris Stuckmann had done a video early in the year warning people to not watch this movie. I heard that and thought that I wanted to see exactly what he was talking about. I was wrong. That was a bad choice. I should have listened to Chris.
I had some time tonight and found this on Starz. It had been awhile since I had seen Big Hero 6 so I put it on as I was working on the last list.
What a great film this is.
Hiro (Ryan Potter) and Baymax (Scott Adsit) have one of the best relationships you could ever see in a movie. The connection between them so sweet. Baymax unwaveringly caring for Hiro after the death of his brother is as wonderful as you can get. Baymax helps Hiro work through his anger and leads him past the grief.
And he does it in a movie that is laugh out loud funny.
I remember guessing the identity of the villain when I first saw the film back in theaters, but that does not prevent my love for Big Hero 6. In fact, the look of the villain was just one more aspect of how this remarkably cool animated movie was.
Disney Studios took a little known Marvel property and adapted it into an Oscar-winning animated movie that is for all the family. Plus, there was a fantastic yet unexpected Stan Lee cameo at the post credit scene.
To be fair, the film does very little to develop any other of the characters besides Hiro, Baymax and (somewhat) Fred (T.J. Miller). The rest of Big Hero 6 are regulated to the back burner and team member status. I think that was okay as the story was really the story of Hiro and Baymax more than it was the superhero team Big Hero 6. There is only so much time available to the movie and they used it wisely to cover Hiro and Baymax. I know there is an animated series of Big Hero 6, so I would assume that the others would get their background there.
Baymax was one of the most original and creative characters to make the big screen. His dedication to Hiro as his personal healthcare companion is inspiring and you can’t help but love the huggable robot. His character design is amazing, presenting him as what looks like a big pillow. Baymax endures himself to the audience almost immediately and his using tape to plug holes or seeming like he is drunk when his battery is low just makes us love him more.
Big Hero 6 is absolutely filled with that Disney magic. It is wonderful.
As I was working on the final tabulations of the Top 30 Best and Worst Lists for 2020, I came up with a different idea. On that was perfect for the year of movies from 2020. I decided to rank the movies this year that I actually went and saw in the theater from best to worst.
Rules were simple and the same as my normal top 30 list. This is a list of movies I saw in the theater, not on streaming. This is a list of movies that I saw that were released in 2020. That means that, although I saw 1917 and Just Mercy in the theater in 2020, they were 2019 movies and so did not qualify for this list.
Intriguingly enough, there are several of these films that will be found on both of the Best and Worst Lists (twelve actually), but there are a bunch that would not have made either list. Now, they are here.
It turns out that I have seen 24 movies in the theater this year. Here they are, from worst to best.
#24. The Grudge. The first movie I saw in 2020 and it was one of the worst.
#23. Fantasy Island. I had some hopes for this one. They were just a fantasy.
#22. Dolittle. Robert Downey Jr. trying to find a franchise besides Iron Man. He did not fnd one in the dragon’s anus.
#21. Brahms: The Boy II. No reason for this sequel. Especially one that ruins the passable original.
#20. Gretel & Hansel. I honestly do not remember much about this one. It has a witch.
#19. Underwater. Kristin Stewart in a science fiction monster story underwater.
#18. The Rhythm Section. Blake Lively and a ridiculous revenge plot.
#17. The Turning. I actually did not hate the first part of this film but the ending ruined any good will I had.
#16. The Call of the Wild. Harrison Ford and the CGI dog.
#15. Downhill. A reboot of a Swedish film. A skiing movie with Will Farrell and Julia Louis- Dreyfus.
#14. Tenet. Not really sure what was happening here. Still disappointed though.
#13. The Gentlemen. A British action comedy from Guy Ritchie. Parts of this one were decent while other parts needed work.
#12. Let Him Go. Kevin Costner and Diane Lane are out to get their grandchild back from a crazy Texas family.
#11. The Hunt. The last film I saw in the theaters before the pandemic. It was controversial. And Betty Gilpin was great.
#10. The Way Back. Ben Affleck is a basketball coach with a substance abuse problem. Isn’t that all of them? Affleck does a great job in the role.
#9. Words on Bathroom Walls. A look at the problems of mental illness and the development of the high school teenager.
#8. Bad Boys for Life. I did not like the first two at all. Then, Bad Boys for Life came along and was really great. Who knew?
#7. Sonic the Hedgehog. A really fun ride with Jim Carrey returning to his roots of crazed over the top roles. Sonic looked great (eventually) and this became one of the best video game movies around.
#6. The New Mutants. Waited for what seemed forever for this to be released. When it was released, I liked it. It was not universally loved, but that is okay. I thought it was a decent adaptation.
#5. News of the World. This is the most recent (and likely) the last film I saw in theaters in 2020. Tom Hanks was great and Helena Zengel matched him in this Western.
#4. Promising Young Woman. A revenge story unlike many seen before. And an awesome performance from Carey Mulligan.
#3. Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). Eventually labeled Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey. Harley Quinn is fantabulous here and the Birds of Prey have a fun adventure against Ewan McGregor (though his villain feels one note) as Black Mask.
#2. Onward. The first Pixar movie of the year. An emotional story with Tom Holland and Chris Pratt providing great voice over work. Fathers and sons worldwide can relate.
#1. The Invisible Man. A great rebooting of a classic Universal monster. This is what the Dark Universe should have been about. Elizabeth Moss gives an epic performance as the protagonist of the film, trying to avoid the Invisible Man. Full of tension and anxiety.
And now… The Liz Award, in honor of Elizabeth Taylor. Best Actress
The Liz Award
Previous Winners: Frances McDormand (3 Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri), Viola Davis (Fences), Charlize Theron (Mad Max: Fury Road), Rosemund Pike (Gone Girl), Sandra Bullock (Gravity), Berenice Bejo (The Artist), Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn), Yalitza Aparicio (Roma), Renee Zellweger (Judy)
#12. Diane Lane (Let Him Go).
#11. Margot Robbie (Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn).
#10. Anya Taylor Joy (Emma)
#9. Amy Ryan (Lost Girls)
#8. Millie Bobby Brown (Enola Holmes)
#7. Kathryn Newton (Freaky)
#6. Wunmi Mosaku (His House)
#5. Betty Gilpin (The Hunt)
#4. Sarah Paulson (Run)
#3. Elizabeth Moss (The Invisible Man)
Part of the success of the new version of The Invisible Man was the kick ass performance of Elizabeth Moss in the lead. She had to go through so much to battle her old boyfriend. She was great in one of the best movies we saw in the theater.
#2. Corey Mulligan (Promising Young Women)
Corey Mulligan carries Promising Young Woman with her raw, painful performance as a damaged woman with a desire to make the past pay for the slights against her. She was amazing here.
And the winner….
#1. Viola Davis (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom).
Viola Davis becomes the first actress to win The Liz Award twice, previously taking the award for Fences, another play-like film. Her transformative performance as Ma Rainey is shocking. I had to double look to make sure that this was actually Viola. Her work in this is so amazing that she is able to be as memorable in this role in a movie where Chadwick Boseman gives his final performance. She is unbelievable in the Netflix film.
Best Actor of the year receives The Strangelove, in honor of EYG Hall of Famer Peter Sellers and his remarkable turn as three distinct characters in Dr. Strangelove.
The Strangelove (Best Actor in Movie)
Previous Winners: James McAvoy (Split), Denzel Washington (Fences), Bryan Cranston (Trumbo), Michael Keaton (Birdman), Tom Hanks (Captain Phillips), Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln), Ryan Gosling (Drive), Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody), Joaquin Phoenix (Joker)
Top 12 actors of 2020 are….
#12. The Bad Boys [Will Smith & Martin Lawrence] (Bad Boys for Life)
#11. Charlie Plummer (Words on Bathroom Walls)
#10. Ben Affleck (The Way Back)
#9. Leslie Odom Jr. (Hamilton)
#8. Gary Oldman (Mank)
#7. Sope Dirisu (His House)
#6. Paul Bettany (Uncle Frank)
#5. Tom Hanks (News of the World)
#4. Eddie Redmayne (Trial of the Chicago 7)
#3. Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal)
Riz Ahmed was tremendous in Sound of Metal with his performance as a rock drummer who is loses his hearing and has to deal with his silence.
#2. Delroy Lindo (Da 5 Bloods)
I thought for sure that Delroy Lindo was winning the Strangelove this year after seeing his transcendent performance in Da 5 Bloods. He was so brilliant.
And the winner….
#1. Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom)
This was Chadwick Boseman’s final performance and it was so off the charts. Some of the monologues that he delivers in the movie is awe-inspiring. It was difficult to watch knowing how the end result in real life was going to play out. One has to wonder if Chadwick brought the pain from his real life into this fictional character. It is a tear-inducing watch and he is amazing.
Moving along to the Best Supporting Actor for 2020…
Supporting Actor
Previous Winners:Patrick Stewart (Logan), Michael Shannon (Nocturnal Animals), Sylvester Stallone (Creed), Edward Norton (Birdman), Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club), Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained), Andy Serkis (Rise of the Planet of the Apes), Richard Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?), Robert Downey Jr (Avengers: Endgame)
Again, we have top 12 for this category.
#12. Chris Pine (Wonder Woman 1984)
#11. Peter Macdissi (Uncle Frank)
#10. Jim Carrey (Sonic the Hedgehog)
#9. Bill Murray (On the Rocks)
#8. David Thewlis (I’m Thinking About Ending Things)
#7. Walter Goggins (Words on Bathroom Walls)
#6. Glynn Turman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom)
#5. Hugh Laurie (The Personal History of David Copperfield)
#4. Chadwick Boseman (Da 5 Bloods)
#3. Frank Langella (Trial of the Chicago 7)
Frank Langella provided the great Sorkin film with their racist judge. Some of the things that he does in this movie truly make you hate this guy. His performance is utterly fantastic.
#2. Daveed Diggs (Hamilton)
Daveed Diggs was a huge standout in the play Hamilton, especially as Thomas Jefferson. With the play filmed on Disney +, I got a chance to see this amazing play.
And the winner….
#1. Sasha Baron Cohen (Trial of the Chicago 7)
Sasha Baron Cohen has had a great year and he just knocks this one out of the park. Playing Abby Hoffman, Cohen was one of the standouts in the best cast ensemble of the year.
Beginning the acting awards for the movies, we will still have the issues as mentioned in the director category. There will be a bunch of films that I will not see until 2021 but will be on a bunch of critics final lists. Nothing I can do about that.
Best Supporting Actresses
Previous Winners:Dafne Keene (Logan), Tilda Swinton (Dr. Strange), Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina), Emma Stone (Birdman), Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle), Sally Field (Lincoln), Jennifer Aniston (Horrible Bosses), Emily Blunt (A Quiet Place), Scarlett Johansson (Jojo Rabbit)
I have a list of 12 for the Supporting Actress category.
#12. Alison Brie (Promising Young Woman)
#11. Amada Seyfried (Mank)
#10. Marsha Stephanie Blake (I’m Your Woman)
#9. Allison Janney (Troop Zero)
#8. Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm)
#7. Viola Davis (Troop Zero)
#6. Toni Collette (I’m Thinking About Ending Things)
#5. Tilda Swinton (The Personal History of David Copperfield)
#4. Phylicia Rashaad (Black Box)
#3. Helen Zengel (News of the World)
Helen Zengel was so great in this movie. Honestly, had I seen this performance sooner than I did, Helen may have been in serious consideration for the “I See Kid Actors” Award this season. Instead, she is #3 on supporting actresses.
#2. Candice Bergen (Let Them All Talk)
Candice Bergen was far and away my favorite part of this movie. She had great chemistry with Meryl Streep and Dianne West. Plus, her character is one who really has some darkness in her. She was great.
And the winner….
#1. Margo Martindale (Blow the Man Down)
Margo Martindale was a brilliant part of this Amazon Prime film. Her performance made this one truly pop.
So the new Oscar rules have messed up this award. Pushing the Oscars back a couple of months have meant that the films that are usually the Oscar contenders and thus Best Director contenders can be released through February. Well, in February, that is 2021 for me. I won’t be able to see a bunch of them until 2021.
For example, there have been a lot of word of mouth about Chloe Zhao and her film Nomadland. Lee Isaac Chung’s Minari is another one that has not been released in this area yet. Regina King has been getting buzz over One Night in Miami. Still no….
Still, I had plenty of excellent choices from 2020, of movies that I actually saw. Top ten in fact
Previous Winners: A.G. Inarritu (Birdman), Tim McCarthy (Spotlight), Damien Chazelle (La La Land), Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman), Alfonso Cuarón (Roma), Anthony and Joe Russo (Avengers: Endgame)
#10. Pete Docter & Kemp Powers (Soul)
#9. Sofia Coppola (On the Rocks)
#8. Bridget Savage Cole & Danielle Krudy (Blow the Man Down)
#7. Remi Weeks (His Home)
#6. David Fincher (Mank)
#5. Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman)
#4. Leigh Whannell (The Invisible Man)
#3. Aaron Sorkin (Trial of the Chicago 7)
#2. George C. Wolfe (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom)
and the winner of the All Right, Mr. DeMille, I am Ready for my Close Up Director of the Year is…
#1. Spike Lee (Da 5 Bloods)
Spike Lee’s tremendous story of a group of Vietnam vets returning to Vietnam to go after a treasure they had buried is an amazing accomplishment. The performances were amazing (including a powerhouse performance from Chadwick Boseman) and Delroy Lindo is a leading Oscar candidate. The storytelling of the film is remarkable and Spike Lee deserves a lot of credit.
The second of the films I saw today at Cinemark is the new Western starring Tom Hanks. This film is called News of the World and it places Tom Hanks in a story that we have never seen him in before, unless you count Woody from Toy Story!
Hanks played Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd, a Civil War veteran who travels around the West reading people the news for money. He would emphasize the stories, providing the crowds an entertaining presentation. However, on his way, Captain Kidd came across an overturned wagon and a lynched black man in the tree. He found that the man had been taking a young girl, Johanna (Helena Zengel), who had been kidnapped and raised by the Kiowa people. Johanna did not speak English and seemed like a wild child.
Captain Kidd committed to take Johanna back to her remaining family, an aunt and uncle in Texas. Along the way, the two unlikely compatriots bond over the dangers of the world.
Honestly, the first part of News of the World I found slow and a bit dull. I was starting to worry about the film, but then the story picked up energy and the last hour and twenty minutes or so were extremely compelling and thrilling.
Tom Hanks is always great, but there has to be a big shout out to Helena Zengel, who had a lot of challenges to her performance, in particular the language issues. She was excellent and held her own with her famous co-star. She provided as much emotions with her face and her eyes as she did with her words. It was a seasoned performance from the young lady.
The cinematography of the film is gorgeous, as the land of the west is as much of a character as our two main characters. Director Paul Greengrass gave us amazing visuals to watch as the story progressed.
I did like how straight forward Captain Kidd was with everyone he came in contact with. His honor shined through his actions. This made him an uncommon character in Western movies.
After a slow start, News of the World really picked up and is carried by the performances of Tom Hanks and Helena Zengel. It was one of the best Westerns of the year (I only saw one other… )
With 2020 coming down to a close (thankfully) there are just a few remaining films I will be able to see. So I went out to Cinemark today to see a couple of them. The first film I saw was a film that I have seen on a lot of lists of possible Oscar nominees, Promising Young Woman.
Promising Young Woman starred Carey Mulligan and was directed by Emerald Fennell.
Something happened to Cassie (Carey Mulligan) during her college years that led her to drop out of her collegiate medical program. It had something to do with her friend Nina. From this event, Cassie had struggled to get past her memories. On the weekends, she goes to bars and pretends to be drunk. She waited to be picked up by men trying to have sex with her and she lured them into a trap, confronted them and kept a record of it.
Working at a coffee shop, Cassie was approached by a former classmate of hers, Ryan (Bo Burnham) who wanted to ask her out on a date, but Cassie was to distrustful of men to accept.
Carey Mulligan is exceptional in this role. I love the way the film hints at what happened without coming right out and explaining it to us. We can figure out what happened without it being laid out before us. With the pain in her face, Mulligan brings us along on her way through her life. The film hints at Cassie doing worse things to her victims, though it seemed as if she did not.
You understand the anger and pain that Cassie is facing, but you want her to overcome the anguish. Then, she does something that makes you shocked at her behavior.
Then the third act becomes one of the craziest third acts you are ever going to see. It is surprising and it is uncomfortable. I never saw it coming and I really loved that.
Thrilling. Heart-breaking. Uncomfortable. Promising Young Woman is one of the greta films of the year and certainly may deserve that Oscar nomination it hopes for.
Was flipping through Roku TV last night and I came across Sam Raimi’s classic Spider-Man. This was my favorite super hero movie for quite awhile (until the recent expansion of the MCU). I love Spider-Man and this felt like the most iconic version of the Web-Head.
Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is struggling through his life, trying to make way with his lack of money, classwork and relationships, all the while hoping to continue his alternate life as the Web-Swinger. However, when a lab accident turned mild manners scientist Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina) into the psychotic, metallic armed Doctor Octopus, Peter has to battle him to save the city.
Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock is nearly perfect. The film took the character and gave a bit of a twist to him with the arms being somewhat sentient and mentally suggesting, if not controlling Octavius. It allows Doc Ock to have a moment of clarity at the end of the film which helped the story and resolution (making if different than Raimi’s previous Spider-Man movie).
I don’t know if it is because of how much I like Tom Holland, but Tobey Maguire felt more miscast in the role of Peter Parker than I had ever felt before. Maybe it was the age thing, with Maguire being older than he was playing. He was fine as Peter, but there was just something about him that bugged me with this viewing.
Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson also did not feel as perfect as it did back when I first saw this movie. I mean, she does not ruin anything for me, but she would not be my prime choice for MJ despite her undeniable beauty.
Spider-Man 2 has what is arguably one of the greatest sequences in comic book movie history. The Spidey-Doc Ock train fight is as good as it gets. It perfectly encapsulated everything good about the character of Spider-Man and how he relates to the people of New York. His never say die attitude and his determination to save the people on the train under any circumstances is astounding. Then, the reaction of the people on the train to their savior was iconic. Tears were in my eyes when that kid said, “We won’t tell nobody” about Spidey’s mask being off. So much emotion being shown by the people involved… it is truly one of the best scenes in any super hero movie.
The film is based on the iconic comic book run of “Spider-Man No More” starting in Amazing Spider-Man #50.
We see more of Peter Parker and what makes him tick in this movie. We see the relationship between Peter and Mary Jane, between Peter and his Aunt May (Rosemary Harris) and Peter and Harry (James Franco). Putting Octavius as a scientific inspiration to Peter was smart as well, because it gives them a deeper connection than just hero-villain.
There are all kinds of Sam Raimi flares scattered about the the movie. His flavor is unmistakable and tehre are scenes that are pulled directly out of previous Raimi work. The scene in the operating room where Doc Ock’s tentacles first come to life is a perfect example of Sam Raimi’s style. I am anxious to see how Sam Raimi’s style translates into the MCU with Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.
Of course there is also perhaps the greatest bit of casting in comic book movie history is here as well as J.K. Simmons reprised his role as J. Jonah Jameson, publisher of the Daily Bugle. Simmons steals every scene he is in and is completely tremendous as JJJ. You can’t talk about the original Spider-Man trilogy without mentioning J.K. Simmons.
Spider-Man 2 has the feel of a comic book come to life. The fantasy of the hero swinging through the city, sacrificing for the unknown is powerful. I have heard some criticism that this film does not hold up, but I would disagree whole-heartedly. This is still one of the best Spider-Man movies of all time and it laid the groundwork for what the character could possibly be on the big screen.
I was on Netflix last night and suddenly, there was a new super hero movie with Pedro Pascal. It was called We Can Be Heroes and I had no idea it was coming out and it was written and directed by Robert Rodriguez, the mind behind Spy Kids and Sin City. It also appeared to be a sequel to The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3D. That should give you a good idea of the tone of this filn.
I have never seen The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3D, but I have heard about it, and, maybe it should go on the list.
This focused on the children of the group of heroes known as The Heroics, which included the aforementioned Lavagirl (Taylor Dooley) and Sharkboy (Jeffrey Dashnaw). It also included the retired leader of the Heroics, Marcus Moreno (Pedro Pascal).
The film starts off with Miracle Guy (Boyd Holbrook) and Tech-No (Christian Slater) half-heartedly trying to deal with an unidentified object in space, only to discover that there was an entire armada on its way to earth. The aliens made short work of the Heroics, capturing them all and imprisoning them on their ship.
Missy Moreno (YaYa Gosselin), daughter of Marcus, was taken by the government agency to a location to protect her from the aliens. They take Missy to the rest of the children of the Heroics. However, the other children all have super powers, but Missy does not.
When one of the children, Ojo (Hala Finley) turned out to be prophetic with her drawings, the kids discover that the aliens are preparing to attack the agency. Together, the group escape the facility and try to come up with an idea to rescue their parents.
Teen/child super heroes are always fun. There was a definitely fun tone going on here. It reminded one of Spy Kids because there were some stakes, but the kids were not in any real jeopardy. It had the feel of a Disney Channel show where the kids are generalized characters without a ton of depth to them. The children are charismatic enough and have enough fun powers that you do not need deeply developed characters. They all have their one or so obstacle that they have to overcome to become the best they could be.
Some of the other neat ideas are Noodle (Lyon Daniels) who can stretch, providing some cool visuals, Wild Card (Nathan Blair) who has all the powers but cannot control them, Guppy (Vivien Blair), daughter of Lavagirl and Sharkboy, who can control water and had super shark strength, Wheels (Andy Walken) who is in a wheelchair because his strength in his legs were too strong, Slo-Mo (Dylan Henry Lau) who moved in super slow motion despite being the son of the speedster, A Capella (Lotus Blossom) who can move thigns with her singing voice, Fast-Forward (Akira Akbar) and Rewind (Isaiah Russell-Bailey) who were twin brother and sister who were not fond of each other, and Facemaker (Andrew Diaz) who has a malleable face.
The film is light, funny, breezy. It is not something to dive into deeply. It is a kids movie that you can use to introduce children to the world of superheroes. I had fun watching it. It is like eating cotton candy. Sweet at first, but not much remaining after.
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