Friday, December 29, 2017

[Dream-] Casting the MCU X-Men and Fantastic Four (and Some Villains)

I am aware of and fully comprehend the apprehensions about Disney's acquisition of Fox, but I won't even pretend to be worried. All that matters to me right now is that the film rights to the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and their whole galaxy of villains (really, that's a HUGE part of why everyone should be excited about this) are back in the Marvel stable and in very capable hands (namely Kevin Feige's). We likely won't see them being integrated into the MCU Phases until late 2018 or 2019 because of the necessary deliberations on antitrust matters, but given the strong likelihood of a complete revamp of these properties with all roles being recast*, it's fun to think of who should be cast as our favorite Marvel characters when they finally join the Avengers, Guardians, and Spider-Man in the MCU films. It's very likely that none of these will actually pan out, and their actual casting has given me nothing to complain about so far (I won't lose sleep over Tony Revolori being cast as Flash Thompson, and that character that Ben Kingsley played in Iron Man 3 is NOT The Mandarin), but what the heck. Still, if the powers that be get to read this somehow...I'm glad to be of service.

*Note: I didn't include Deadpool here because 1) Ryan Reynolds IS Deadpool and 2) I have a strong feeling that Disney won't be recasting him (unless Reynolds himself backs out).

THE X-MEN**

**It's perfectly possible that Disney will choose to cast young, with the X-Men starting off as students in Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, but I don't think they will and so I have dreamed up my cast accordingly.

Professor X

Patrick Stewart has been an EXCELLENT Charles Xavier regardless of the quality of the films that he's been in. He and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine are probably the only two actors that I wouldn't mind staying on in their roles. But I see Disney going for an actor who's just a bit younger but still has the gravitas and authority to capably pull off the role of world's strongest telepath and leader to all benevolent mutants. And of course, one who can rock the bald-headed look. Charles Xavier is actually not British (he was born in New York City), but he is Oxford-trained and in keeping with the logic of the Stewart casting, there's just something about the Brits in roles of intelligent authority. Of the British thespians in their 40s and 50s, Ralph Fiennes has the acting chops and the aura to play this powerful character not only in his moments of wise benevolence but also when his dark side (he certainly has one, and it sometimes even goes by the name Onslaught) takes a peek into the world that he holds dear.


Fun but very unlikely alternative: Imagine if Daniel Day-Lewis decided not to retire and signed a multi-picture deal to play ol' Chuck? One can dream.

Magneto

I love Ian McKellen and think the world of him as an actor, but Magneto has always been portrayed as being physically intimidating and not as advanced in age. Magneto is one of the best (many say THE best) villains (or anti-heroes) in all of comics, and that's because of the strength of his convictions and the character's refusal to be simplistically labelled as evil. MCU's actor should be someone who's convincing as an embittered, hardlining activist who would not hesitate to use violence to further his cause for mutantkind but, given the right circumstances, may fight for good in the name of honor and justice. With his physical stature, acting skills, and charisma, it is not at all difficult to see Liam Neeson taking over the role of the master of magnetism. You can totally imagine him as leader of either the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants or the X-Men. And wouldn't it be nice to see him squaring off with Ralph Fiennes some 25 years after Schindler's List?


Cyclops

They've got to give Scott Summers the portrayal that he deserves. Sure, he's stubborn, myopic, and often too serious, but those are some of the characteristics that make him the strong and uncompromising X-Men leader that he has been for so long. Whoever they cast as Logan, their Scott has to be someone who can convincingly put him in his place while being a leader for mutantkind and keeping the X-Men together and the powerful Jean Grey by his side. It's about time that the MCU brought into their fold the only "Chris" who isn't yet. Effortlessly charming in the Star Trek and Wonder Woman movies but also showing his strength as an actor in films like Hell and High Water, Chris Pine would make an excellent Scott Summers. It wouldn't be hard to imagine him being followed by mutants in battle.


Jean Grey

In my opinion, Famke Janssen rocked it as Jean Grey because she has a strong onscreen presence, but a recast is certainly necessary at this point because of her resurrection in the comics, her being a historical fan favorite, and the Fox movies just not getting her right. Sure, they got her apprehensions about her power, but neither Janssen nor Sophie Turner could quite show us that, just like Scott, Jean is also a leader. And one of the most powerful mutants in the world, with or without the Phoenix force. Considering how Disney has been [reputedly] wanting to cast her in an MCU role for a long time, as have the fans, it would be easy to dismiss an Emily Blunt casting as pure pandering or lazy, uninspired casting. But if you stop to consider how awesome she is as an actress (her performance in 2016's The Girl on the Train was a tour de force and almost got her Oscar-nominated) and how fierce she is as an action heroine (Edge of Tomorrow, Sicario), she would be a spectacular get for Disney as the other half of this power couple.


Angel

Wealthy ladies' man Warren Worthington III has never been portrayed as such in the X-Men movies, but Disney will likely get that right. Whoever is cast as Angel has to be able to pull off the brashness of the privileged, the bright optimism of a winged hero who at one point called himself "The Avenging Angel," and, should the MCU go there (which they likely will, given how irresistible it would be to do Apocalypse the right way), the darkness of the transfigured Archangel. Suave and debonair at one moment and then raging and despairing at another, Sam Claflin showed in Me Before You that he has just the right balance--not to mention the refined good looks--to convincingly and tragically play the avenging Angel.


Iceman

Another one of the original X-Men and still a fan favorite because of his cool, suave demeanor and his Omega-level powers, Iceman has been a fixture of Fox's X-Men movies but has been cast too young and without much strength of character. Bobby Drake will likely be played as being the most easy-going of the original five when the reboot happens, but he will still have to be played by a mature enough actor to show conviction and not seem like mere comic relief. With his natural charm, coolness, and comedic timing, best showcased in 500 Days of Summer and 50/50, Joseph Gordon-Levitt could be just the man to bring Bobby Drake to the vanguard of the team where he rightly belongs. He was reportedly considered by Disney for the role of Ant-Man, so him being cast in the MCU is not at all unlikely.


Beast

Even before he was cast as Hank McCoy/Beast in X-Men: The Last Stand, many fans (including myself) already imagined Kelsey Grammer because of his dignified voice and sardonic wit. If only he were younger; we should have had Grammer's Beast in more films! Still, what his Beast lacked was the athleticism that is a key trait of the comic book character, so it's likely that Disney will be casting someone with a stronger physical presence but still with dignified intellect and wit. I must admit to having had the most difficulty with this casting, but surely Don Draper himself, Jon Hamm, isn't a bad choice? His ardent admirers probably wouldn't want to see him covered in all that blue fur (well, most of them, at least), but Hamm has proven with past performances that he's perfectly capable of shining even through layers of prosthetic.


Storm

In the comics, hailing as she does from a long line of African witch-priestesses and being the Queen of Wakanda, Ororo Munroe has been portrayed as being of powerful physical (and spiritual) presence and regal bearing. While a fine actress, Halle Berry was never able to show any of that. The actress cast as Storm must be convincing as a warrior, mutant leader, and Earth mother. Though her acting chops were recognized (with an Oscar nomination, among others) through a thoroughly different type of character in Moonlight, Naomie Harris has the physique, fierce intelligence (she has a degree in Social and Political Sciences from Cambridge), and warmth of a true mutant goddess. A plus: she and Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther) are just about the same age (he's 40, she's 41), so if Disney decides to take it there, it's a very easy fit.


Rogue

As with many of the X-Men characters, a lot of fans would agree that the definitive onscreen portrayal of the team's southern belle Rogue has been the one in the excellent 90s animated series. Due to no fault of her own, Anna Paquin's portrayal lost everything that made Rogue a true fan favorite. Playing a fiercely loyal and extremely powerful mutant with an awesome but largely uncontrollable power and a tragic past deserves a character actress with true grit, maturity, and skill. Certainly, Disney might go for a true southern belle (Amber Heard might have been an interesting choice had the DCEU not gotten her first), but when it comes to playing accents and characters with spunk, few have proven themselves as gifted as Tatiana Maslany. With her multiple roles in "Orphan Black" alone, she has proven herself to be versatile, endearing, and phenomenally talented. She won't have any trouble at all bringing Rogue to life.


Wolverine

How do you even recast this after Hugh Jackman? I'm totally fine with him staying on in the role, though he's getting a bit too old for it. While Disney has found gems with casting relatively little known actors like Chrises Hemsworth and Evans in key roles, I don't think they'll go down that route with a character played so well by Jackman and who will likely play a central role in bringing the X-Men to the MCU. Of the bankable actors of his age group, few others have shown such skill playing angry and feral, but also vulnerable, as Tom Hardy, who was all of these in The Fighter and The Revenant. He's on many people's dream cast list, and I'm sure that Disney is aware of that. A potentially big obstacle (depending on how the Disney-Fox merger plays out movie-wise): he's been cast as Eddie Brock/Venom in his stand-alone movie. Barring that, they'd be lucky to be able to cast such a popular and talented actor in this critical role.


Emma Frost

In my opinion, January Jones's casting as Emma Frost is one of Fox's most atrocious mistakes. Though a fine actress in the right roles, Jones had none of Frost's lethal coldness, intelligent ferocity, and aristocratic bearing to be expected of a key member (the White Queen) of the exclusive Hellfire Club. For years, I have maintained that Rosamund Pike is the ideal Emma Frost, and if she gets cast as such, I'd still call it perfect. But I've cast her as someone else (more on her down this list), so I had to switch to another gorgeous Brit who has been wowing critics and audiences in recent years with her strong portrayals of fierce, independent women: Rebecca Ferguson. I can easily imagine her only with the blonde hair and trademark white costume but with that haughty stare that has served her both as a villain and as a hero.


Mystique

Rebecca Romijn played Mystique quite competently before Fox decided to mess up her character's story line and miscast with the normally skilled Jennifer Lawrence. Lawrence never got the sexy appeal and, yes, the "mystique" of the character, and even Romijn probably came up short in the second aspect. If the rumors that she has been cast as Death in the MCU films prove false, then the ethereal Eva Green might be a good choice. She can easily build a stronger physique and train for combat sequences that Raven Darkholme would likely be put in, but there's no denying that Green already has the enigmatic appeal that would make her a strong casting coup for this villainous chameleon.


THE FANTASTIC FOUR

Mr. Fantastic

One of the most brilliant minds on the planet, Reed Richards can go toe-to-toe in an intellectual conversation with Tony Stark and Hank Pym and in a world-altering conference with the rest of the Illuminati. Fatherly and heroic but prone to bouts of arrogance because of his astonishing intellect, Reed has to be played by an actor who can lead comics' "first family" in their MCU incarnation and also make a strong impression when he finally, inevitably meets Tony, Doctor Strange, Captain America, etc. Certainly, Clive Owen has the commanding presence and gravitas--and a sense of humor--to pull it off. He'd look good with those white streaks, too.


Invisible Woman

As a matriarch of the Richards family and bearer of powerful cosmic abilities, Sue Richards should be played by someone who can be equal parts warm and steely, one who can command the respect of a room of men who are used to listening only to other men of her husband's stature. While her Oscar-nominated performance in Gone Girl may in fact be used as justification for casting her as Emma Frost as I had initially advocated for, Rosamund Pike's considerable talents and striking beauty would be put to better use as the Invisible Woman (though let's hope she won't be invisible too often!). She'd be a very strong addition to the MCU's growing stable of female powerhouses.


The Thing

Whoever plays Ben Grimm must be physically intimidating yet be able to exude a warm vulnerability. Sure, Negan "The Walking Dead" certainly wasn't warm, but the other past roles of Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who is a natural athlete, have shown that he can be warm and fuzzy, too. Disney better snatch him up before Warner Bros. casts him as Batman if rumors are to be believed.


Human Torch

Chris Evans played Johnny Storm so well because he got the character's cocky, devil-may-care attitude and all-American hero bravado. Disney might want to play him younger, especially if they'd like to see him hanging out and having fun with Spider-Man. With a Golden Globe nomination to prove it, Ansel Elgort's star-making turn in Baby Driver convinced audiences that he can be effortlessly charismatic while being serious about doing the right thing. Sure, Baby isn't as cocky as Johnny, but someone of Elgort's talents can easily turn that up and still give us a true hero worth rooting for.


Doctor Doom

Ah, one of the best villains ever in comics, and yet never gotten right on film! Victor von Doom is a despot, a brilliant mind, and a master sorcerer, with an ego as large as his skill set. Done right, he could easily end up being the MCU's best villain who could be used against not only the Fantastic Four but everyone else. Mads Mikkelsen would have been an awesome choice had he not gotten the Doctor Strange gig already. But if we want someone who can smolder onscreen, play scary and vicious, do Eastern European accents, and know how to play a king, one can hardly do better than think of Viggo Mortensen as the guy. He'd be someone the best of our MCU heroes would be scared of crossing.


Picture sources:
https://cdn1.thr.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/portrait_300x450/2011/02/ralph-fiennes-headshot-2011-a-p.jpg

https://static.parade.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Liam-Neeson-natasha-richardson-ftr1.jpg

http://cdn-img.instyle.com/sites/default/files/styles/684xflex/public/images/2016/09/093016-chris-pine.jpg?itok=SFiJoMR6

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/0b/97/04/0b97041954573aa326a401620c143ae3--celebrity-style-inspiration-long-haircuts.jpg

http://daxushequ.com/data/out/102/img59811586.jpg

https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/images/joseph-gordon-levitt-6.jpg

http://explorestlouis.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/JonHamm_780.jpg

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTUyMDU1MTU2N15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwODkyNzQ3MDE@._V1_UX214_CR0,0,214,317_AL_.jpg

https://cdn.fashionmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/fashion-magazine-november-2016-tatiana-maslany-06-e1475272420794.jpg

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/UMs3Y600wOI/maxresdefault.jpg

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/6c/cc/e7/6ccce72b92b012520f3c9e660c1baa22--rebecca-ferguson-hot-rebecca-ferguson-actress.jpg

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/2OmRqMN4-vM/maxresdefault.jpg

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjA4MzAyOTc5Ml5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwOTQ5NzEzMg@@._V1_UY317_CR13,0,214,317_AL_.jpg

https://cdn1.thr.com/sites/default/files/2015/01/rosamund_pike_lips.jpg

https://media1.popsugar-assets.com/files/thumbor/UHG1QHZ95sYkZP6dabOOLnkCbKI/fit-in/550x550/filters:format_auto-!!-:strip_icc-!!-/2017/01/17/822/n/1922283/a1347dc7587e65f0d50aa9.51701278_edit_img_image_43012264_1484677078/i/Jeffrey-Dean-Morgan-Hilarie-Burton-Extant.jpg

http://www.clickittefaq.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/ansel.jpg

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Thursday, March 02, 2017

89th Academy Awards: Prediction Scores and Thoughts

Well, that was a crazy ceremony. Too bad Warren Beatty's and Faye Dunaway's appearance as a tribute to Bonnie and Clyde was rather marred by the mistake of the Academy's long-time accountants (and the two legends' own befuddlement). Still, the big upset, Moonlight winning over the juggernaut that was La La Land, was just the shocker that an otherwise predictable night needed to end on. The winners were all deserving, as La La Land also would have been, but we live for the surprises (as much as we want our prediction scores to be high). Predictions for the 90th Academy Awards will be up soon, but in the meantime, here are the winners and my prediction scores. Those that I had predicted correctly have asterisks.

Predicted Winners:

PICTURE
MOONLIGHT

Predicted La La Land but had Moonlight as the potential spoiler. La La Land is a bigger technical achievement but I will not begrudge Moonlight, a wonderfully directed and acted film that has more emotional heft, this well deserve Oscar.

DIRECTING
DAMIEN CHAZELLE (LA LA LAND)*

At least he won this one. If at least for the epicness of the film's razzle dazzle, he truly deserves it.

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
CASEY AFFLECK (MANCHESTER BY THE SEA)

Predicted Denzel Washington (Fences) but of course had Affleck at #2. None of the others really had a chance (which is sad for Viggo Mortensen, because he was the most deserving of the win IMO).

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
EMMA STONE (LA LA LAND)

Predicted Isabelle Huppert (Elle), which was rather too hopeful and naive in retrospect. Emma is one of those actresses who just has to wait for the right role but has had an Oscar win written in the stars for her early in her career. She was unstoppable. And was it just me, or was the applause for Isabelle during the ceremony rather lukewarm? Seems like the Academy members aren't as impressed by her resume and status in global cinema as we regular fans of film are.

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
MAHERSHALA ALI (MOONLIGHT)*

Classy guy. Not my personal choice, but a worthy winner nonetheless.

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
VIOLA DAVIS (FENCES)*

Slay! One of the world's greatest living actresses finally has an Oscar. And no, she was NOT in the wrong category. She may have had a long screentime but hers was clearly a supporting character to Denzel's. Dev Patel's Best Supporting Actor nomination was the only true case of category fraud this year.

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
Barry Jenkins, based on the play by Tarell Alvin McCraney (MOONLIGHT)*

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
kenneth Lonergan (MANCHESTER BY THE SEA)

ANIMATED FEATURE
Byron Howard, Rich Moore (ZOOTOPIA)*

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
THE SALESMAN (IRAN)

I had a strong feeling that The Salesman was going to win it after the shitstorm that Trump precipitated in the US, but I hesitated to predict against Toni Erdmann at the last moment.

ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY
Linus Sandgren (LA LA LAND)*

ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN
Coleen Atwood (FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM)

Is this the first Oscar win for any of the films in the Harry Potter universe?

ACHIEVEMENT IN FILM EDITING
John Gilbert (HACKSAW RIDGE)

ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
Alessandro Bertolazzi, Giorgio Gregorini and Christopher Nelson (SUICIDE SQUAD)

Suicide Squad now has one more Oscar than thousands of film classics. But what the heck, I can't say it didn't deserve it. Let the haters hate. I love this branch for not caring what the others think.

ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
Justin Hurwitz (LA LA LAND)*

Samuel L. Jackson really hated the movie, huh? He couldn't even fake enthusiasm when reading Justin's name.

ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)
"City of Stars" (LA LA LAND)*

I still wish Ryan and Emma had performed this. John Legend's rendition was underwhelming.

ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION DESIGN
David Wasco (Production Design); Sandy Reynolds-Wasco (Set Decoration) (LA LA LAND)*

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING
Sylvain Bellemare (ARRIVAL)

Yey Arrival! Glad to have been wrong in this one. That film deserved many more Oscars.

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND MIXING
Kevin O’Connell, Andy Wright, Robert Mackenzie and Peter Grace (HACKSAW RIDGE)

Kinda weird that the musical didn't win it, especially as it was such a behemoth coming in. But it's great that Kevin O'Connell is finally an Oscar winner after over 20 nominations.

ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS
Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R. Jones and Dan Lemmon (THE JUNGLE BOOK)

I just now realized that I had predicted Rogue One instead of this. I don't even know why. Silly me. It was probably always between The Jungle Book and Doctor Strange. Or Kubo. This branch loves CG animals (explains the win for the otherwise shunned The Golden Compass).

TOTAL SCORE: 9/20. Terrible score, but I had fun predicting against the grain like with Huppert over Stone.

Sunday, February 26, 2017

2016 Film-Otaku Awards: Horror Edition

Here are my choices for this year's best in horror:

BEST HORROR FILM
The Witch

The Love Witch
Train to Busan
The Conjuring 2
Under the Shadow
Don't Breathe
The Wailing
10 Cloverfield Lane
Evolution
Seklusyon

BEST HORROR FILM DIRECTOR
David Eggers (The Witch)
Anna Biller (The Love Witch)
Yeon Sang-ho (Train to Busan)
Fede Álvarez (Don't Breathe)
Babak Anvari (Under the Shadow)

BEST HORROR FILM ACTRESS
Vera Farmiga (The Conjuring 2)

Blake Lively (The Shallows)
Anna Taylor-Joy (The Witch)
Mary Elizabeth Winstead (10 Cloverfield Lane)
Rhed Bustamante (Seklusyon)

BEST HORROR FILM ACTOR
Do-won Kwak (The Wailing)

John Goodman (10 Cloverfield Lane)
Ralph Ineson (The Witch)
Stephen Lang (Don't Breathe)
Yoo Gong (Train to Busan)

BEST HORROR FILM SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Kate Dickie (The Witch)

Maria Bello (Lights Out)
Laura Waddell (The Love Witch)
Roxan Duran (Evolution)
Jung Yu-mi (Train to Busan)

BEST HORROR FILM SUPPORTING ACTOR
Harvey Scrimshaw (The Witch)

Jun Kunimura (The Wailing)
Ma Dong-seok (Train to Busan)
Jung-min Hwang (The Wailing)
Neil Ryan Sese (Seklusyon)

BEST HORROR FILM SCREENPLAY
Robert Eggers (The Witch)
Anna Biller (The Love Witch)
Babak Anvari (Under the Shadow)
Josh Campbell, Matthew Stuecken, Damien Chazelle (10 Cloverfield Lane)
Anton C. Santamaria (Seklusyon)

BEST HORROR FILM CINEMATOGRAPHY
Jarin Blaschke (The Witch)

Flavio Martínez Labiano (The Shallows)
M. David Mullen (The Love Witch)
Manuel Dacosse (Evolution)
Neil Bion (Seklusyon)

BEST HORROR FILM SCORE
Anna Biller (The Love Witch)

Mark Korven (The Witch)
Francis de Veyra (Seklusyon)
Marco Beltrami (The Shallows)
Roque Baños (Don't Breathe)

BEST HORROR FILM ART DIRECTION/PRODUCTION DESIGN
The Love Witch

The Witch
Don't Breathe
Under the Shadow
The Conjuring 2

BEST SCARED AS SHIT PERFORMANCE
Jane Levy (Don't Breathe)

Vera Farmiga (The Conjuring 2)
Madison Wolfe (The Conjuring 2)
Kate Siegel (Hush)
Corbin Reid (Blair Witch)

BEST "MONSTER"
Black Phillip (The Witch)

Djinns (Under the Shadow)
The Blind Man (Don't Breathe)
Zombies (Train to Busan)
The creature (Blair Witch)

BEST SCENE/SEQUENCE
Timing the crossing of the train cars (Train to Busan)

Opening scene, body being dragged across the street (Don't Breathe)
Mating ritual on the beach (Evolution)
Elaine's dance of darkness and rainbow (The Love Witch)
Nightmare: Djinn through the crack in the ceiling (Under the Shadow)

Sunday, February 19, 2017

Call Me By Your Name

The film Call Me By Your Name was hailed by critics and audiences in the recent Sundance Film Festival and got a similarly enthusiastic response as it closed the Berlin Film Festival just two days ago. Next year's Oscar favorite? Maybe, if the homosexual nature of the story (it's an intense romance between two men, played by Timothee Chalamet and Armie Hammer) doesn't put off the voters the way it did with Brokeback Mountain and, more recently, Carol. But acting nominations are probably in the bag for Chalamet, Hammer, and maybe even Michael Stuhlbarg, who plays the father of Chalamet's character Elio.
Had to read the book as soon as I learned of the raves coming from Sundance. It is exceptionally beautifully written. The prose of writer André Aciman is staggering. Seems a perfect fit for the aesthetics of Italian director Luca Guadagnino (I Am Love, A Bigger Splash, and the upcoming Suspiria remake). I just can't help but wonder how he'll pull of some scenes, especially a certain one involving a peach...

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Oscar Nominations: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

THE GOOD

Isabelle Huppert, a legend of French cinema, is finally an Oscar nominee!

Mel Gibson, who's an amazing filmmaker, is back in the good graces of the Academy.

20th nomination for Meryl Streep, the "most overrated" actress according to one Donald Trump.

Eight nominations for Arrival!

I failed to predict it but the production design of Passengers is astonishing.

With those two nominations in the Best Original Song category, Emma Stone will very likely sing twice during the Oscar ceremony.

THE BAD

After getting all sorts of pre-Oscar citations, Deadpool couldn't muster even one nomination in at least Makeup and Hairstyling.

Only one nomination (Doctor Strange for Visual Effects) for MCU films this year.

No nominations for Emily Blunt, Amy Adams, and Hugh Grant.

"We Know the Way," the superior song in Moana (IMO), was not nominated.

Not a single nomination, even in the technical categories, for The Witch, still one of 2016's greatest films regardless of genre.

THE UGLY

Only one nomination for the work of art that is Silence.

Your Name was shut out of the Best Animated Feature race after winning among Los Angeles critics and being the best-selling Japanese animated film of all time in the world.

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

89th Academy Awards Nominees

PICTURE
Arrival
Fences
Hacksaw Ridge
Hell or High Water
Hidden Figures
La La Land
Lion
Manchester by the Sea
Moonlight

Score: 9/10. Predicted Silence as the 10th nominee.

DIRECTING
Denis Villeneuve (Arrival)
Mel Gibson (Hacksaw Ridge)
Damien Chazelle (La La Land)
Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea)
Barry Jenkins (Moonlight)

Score: 4/5. Predicted Martin Scorsese (Silence) instead of Mel Gibson (Hacksaw Ridge).

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea)
Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge)
Ryan Gosling (La La Land)
Viggo Mortensen (Captain Fantastic)
Denzel Washington (Fences)

Score: 5/5.

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Isabelle Huppert (Elle)
Ruth Negga (Loving)
Natalie Portman (Jackie)
Emma Stone (La La Land)
Meryl Streep (Florence Foster Jenkins)

Score: 4/5. Predicted Amy Adams (Arrival) instead of Ruth Negga (Loving).

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Mahershala Ali (Moonlight)
Jeff Bridges (Hell or High Water)
Lucas Hedges (Manchester by the Sea)
Dev Patel (Lion)
Michael Shannon (Nocturnal Animals)

Score: 4/5. Predicted Hugh Grant (Florence Foster Jenkins) instead of Michael Shannon (Nocturnal Animals).

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Viola Davis (Fences)
Naomie Harris (Moonlight)
Nicole Kidman (Lion)
Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures)
Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea)

Score: 5/5.

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
Eric Heisserer, based on the short story by Ted Chiang (Arrival)
August Wilson, based on his play (Fences)
Allison Schroeder, Theodore Malfi, based on the book by Margot Lee Shetterly (Hidden Figures)
Luke Davies, based on the book by Saroo Brierley (Lion)
Barry Jenkins, based on the play by Tarell Alvin McCraney (Moonlight)

Score: 4/5. Predicted Silence instead of Hidden Figures.

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
Taylor Sheridan (Hell or High Water)
Damien Chazelle (La La Land)
Yorgos Lanthimos, Efthymis Filippou (The Lobster)
Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea)
Mike Mills (20th Century Women)

Score: 4/5. Predicted Jackie instead of 20th Century Women.

ANIMATED FEATURE
Travis Knight (Kubo and the Two Strings)
Ron Clements, John Musker (Moana)
Claude Barras (My Life as a Zucchini)
Michael Dudok de Wit (The Red Turtle)
Byron Howard, Rich Moore (Zootopia)

Score: 4/5. Predicted Your Name instead of The Red Turtle.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Land of Mine (Denmark)
A Man Called Ove (Sweden)
The Salesman (Iran)
Tanna (Australia)
Toni Erdmann (Germany)

Score: 3/5. Predicted Paradise (Russia) and My Life as a Zucchini (Switzerland) instead of Land of Mine (Denmark) and Tanna (Australia).

ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY
Bradford Young (Arrival)
Linus Sandgren (La La Land)
Greir Fraser (Lion)
James Laxton (Moonlight)
Rodrigo Prieto (Silence)

Score: 4/5. Predicted Jackie instead of Lion.

ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN
Joanna Johnston (Allied)
Colleen Atwood (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them)
Consolata Boyle (Florence Foster Jenkins)
Madeline Fontaine (Jackie)
Mary Zophres (La La Land)

Score: 3/5. Predicted The Handmaiden and Silence instead of Allied and Florence Foster Jenkins.

ACHIEVEMENT IN FILM EDITING
Joe Walker (Arrival)
John Gilbert (Hacksaw Ridge)
Jake Roberts (Hell or High Water)
Tom Cross (La La Land)
Joi McMillon, Nat Sanders (Moonlight)

Score: 4/5. Predicted Silence instead of Hell or High Water.

ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
Eva von Bahr and Love Larson (A Man Called Ove)
Joel Harlow and Richard Alonzo (Star Trek Beyond)
Alessandro Bertolazzi, Giorgio Gregorini, and Christopher Nelson (Suicide Squad)

Score: 1/3. Predicted Deadpool and Florence Foster Jenkins instead of A Man Called Ove and Suicide Squad.

ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
Mica Levi (Jackie)
Justin Hurwitz (La La Land)
Dustin O'Halloran, Hauschka (Lion)
Nicholas Britell (Moonlight)
Thomas Newman (Passengers)

Score: 4/5. Predicted Moana instead of Passengers.

ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)
"Audition: The Fools Who Dream" (La La Land)
"Can't Stop the Feeling" (Trolls)
"City of Stars" (La La Land)
"The Empty Chair" (Jim: The James Foley Story)
"How Far I'll Go" (Moana)

Score: 3/5. Predicted "Runnin'" (Hidden Figures) and "We Know the Way" (Moana) instead of "Can't Stop the Feeling" (Trolls) and "The Empty Chair" (Jim: The James Foley Story).

ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION DESIGN
Patrice Vermette (Production Design); Paul Hotte (Set Decoration) (Arrival)
Stuart Craig (Production Design); Anna Pinnock (Set Decoration) (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them)
Jess Gonchor (Production Design); Nancy Haigh (Set Decoration) (Hail, Caesar!)
David Wasco (Production Design); Sandy Reynolds-Wasco (Set Decoration) (La La Land)
Guy Hendrix Dyas (Production Design); Gene Serdena (Set Decoration) (Passengers)

Score: 2/5. Predicted The Handmaiden, Jackie, and Silence instead of Arrival, Hail, Caesar!, and Passengers.

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING
Sylvain Bellemare (Arrival)
Wylie Stateman and Renée Tondelli (Deepwater Horizon)
Robert Mackenzie and Andy Wright (Hacksaw Ridge)
Ai-Ling Lee and Mildred Iatrou Morgan (La La Land)
Alan Robert Murray and Bob Asman (Sully)

Score: 2/5. Predicted Doctor Strange, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story instead of Arrival, Deepwater Horizon, and Sully.

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND MIXING
Bernard Gariépy Strobl and Claude La Haye (Arrival)
Kevin O'Connell, Andy Wright, Robert Mackenzie, and Peter Grace (Hacksaw Ridge)
Andy Nelson, Ai-Ling Lee, and Steve A. Morrow (La La Land)
David Parker, Christopher Scarabosio, and Stuart Wilson (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story)
Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush, and Mac Ruth (13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi)

Score: 4/5. Predicted Moana instead of 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi.

ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS
Craig Hammack, Jason Snell, Jason Billington and Burt Dalton (Deepwater Horizon)
Stephane Ceretti, Richard Bluff, Vincent Cirelli, and Paul Corbould (Doctor Strange)
Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R. Jones, and Dan Lemmon (The Jungle Book)
Steve Emerson, Oliver Jones, Brian McLean, and Brad Schiff (Kubo and the Two Strings)
John Knoll, Mohen Leo, Hal Hickel, and Neil Corbould (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story)

Score: 3/5. Predicted Arrival and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them instead of Deepwater Horizon and Kubo and the Two Strings.

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Fire at Sea
I Am Not Your Negro
Life, Animated
O.J.: Made in America
13th

DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
"Extremis"
"4.1 Miles"
"Joe's Violin"
"Watani: My Homeland"
"The White Helmets"

SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
"Blind Vaysha"
"Borrowed Time"
"Pear Cider and Cigarettes"
"Pearl"
"Piper"

SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)
"Ennemis Intérieurs"
"La Femme et le TGV"
"Silent Nights"
"Sing"
"Timecode"