FILM NOTES: From GLADIATOR to THE BATMAN PART II & More

A Day of Moviegoing at Regal Cinemas...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 05 Sep 2026 18:55:00 +0000

Gettin' ready to watch Insidious: Out of the Further today!

A Day of Moviegoing at Harkins Theatres...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 18:15:00 +0000

Gettin' ready to watch Finding Emily today!

A Day of Moviegoing at Regal Cinemas...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 29 Aug 2026 19:31:00 +0000

Gettin' ready to watch Mutiny today!

OBSESSION's Breakout Star Will Receive Another Accolade This Fall...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 19:35:00 +0000

The Critics Choice Association Announces Full Slate of Honorees for the 6th Annual Celebración of Cinema & Television (Press Release)

LOS ANGELES – August 24, 2026 – The Critics Choice Association (CCA) announced today the full slate of honorees for the 6th annual Celebración of Cinema & Television, taking place on October 2, 2026, in Beverly Hills. The Celebración honors standout performances and work, both onscreen and offscreen, from the Latino and Hispanic entertainment community.

Honorees for this year’s Celebración of Cinema & Television will include the following:

Emmy Award winner, Special Tony Award recipient, and four-time Tony Award nominee John Leguizamo will be honored with the Career Achievement Award in recognition of his more than four decades of groundbreaking work across film, television, comedy and theater, as well as his recent standout performance in Universal Pictures’ The Odyssey, directed by Christopher Nolan. The film delivered the biggest live-action opening weekend of the year and surpassed $1 billion at the global box office just three weeks after its release. Leguizamo’s remarkable career spans critically-acclaimed dramas, blockbuster franchises, comedy and theater, from his breakout performances in Brian De Palma’s Carlito’s Way and Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet to his work in the Ice Age animated franchise and Bob Trevino Likes It, directed by Tracie Laymon.

Judy Reyes will accept the Trailblazer Award in recognition of her outstanding body of work across film, television and theater. She currently stars in both ABC and Hulu’s High Potential and Scrubs, and is widely known for her standout roles in Devious Maids, Claws and Birth/Rebirth. In High Potential, which became ABC’s top-rated series in its debut season and the network’s most-watched new series in six years, Reyes stars as fan favorite Lt. Selena Soto. Reyes also recently reprised the role fans grew to love her in for nine seasons on Scrubs, with its revival returning for a second season on ABC and Hulu this fall.

The Emmy and SAG Award winner Oscar Nuñez will be recognized with the Vanguard Award for his extraordinary body of work, and most recently for his role in Peacock’s The Paper, where he plays Oscar Martinez, a role he originated on The Office. He returns to the iconic character for a second season of The Paper, premiering on September 9.

Academy Award-nominated producer Rodrigo Teixeira will receive the Producer Award for NEON’s Paper Tiger. Through his company RT Features, Teixeira produced Call Me by Your Name, which earned four Academy Award nominations, and I’m Still Here, which made history as the first Brazilian Portuguese-language film to be nominated for Best Picture and to win the Oscar for Best International Feature. Paper Tiger marks Teixeira’s third collaboration with director James Gray and premiered as a Cannes 2026 selection. Paper Tiger will also serve as the Opening Night selection of the New York Film Festival.

Javier Calvo & Javier Ambrossi (popularly known as “Los Javis”) will be honored with the Director Award for Netflix’s La Bola Negra. The pair behind the Netflix hit Paquita Salas, Rose d’Or Award-winning La Mesías, and HBO’s Veneno, Calvo and Ambrossi won the Best Director prize at the Cannes Film Festival for their sweeping, multigenerational drama inspired by an unfinished work by Federico García Lorca. The film stars Guitarricadelafuente, Miguel Bernardeau, Carlos González, Milo Quifes, Lola Dueñas, Julio Torres, Penélope Cruz and Glenn Close.

Actor and master puppeteer James Ortiz will accept the Innovator Award for Amazon MGM Studios’ interstellar epic Project Hail Mary. Known for his puppet design work on Broadway, including the Tony-nominated The Skin of Our Teeth, Ortiz made history, opposite Academy Award nominee Ryan Gosling, as the puppeteer and voice behind Rocky, bringing the beloved and unlikely companion to life, and becoming eligible for awards consideration for his standout supporting role.

Aimee Carrero will be recognized with the Supporting Actress Award – Series for Apple TV’s Your Friends & Neighbors. Carrero captivates in the dark comedy, as part of an ensemble cast that helped earn the series a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Drama Series in its second season. Carrero is well-known for voicing Elena, Disney’s first Latin Princess, in the Elena of Avalor series as well as She-Ra and Adora in She-Ra and The Princesses of Power. Among other films, Carrero co-starred in Searchlight’s hit The Menu opposite Ralph Fiennes.

Brazilian and Chinese American filmmaker Beth de Araújo will receive the Breakthrough Director Award for Sumerian Pictures’ Josephine. De Araújo made history at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival by winning both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award for Josephine, a rare double win. The film stars Channing Tatum, Gemma Chan, and breakout star, Mason Reeves.

Inde Navarrette will receive the Breakthrough Actress Award – Film for her role in Focus Features’ Obsession. Her fearless breakout performance helped propel the film into a box office and cultural phenomenon ($500 million worldwide), and turned Nikki into an instant icon of horror cinema.

Laysla De Oliveira will be honored with the Breakthrough Actress Award – Series for Paramount+’s Lioness. Holding her own alongside Oscar winners Zoe Saldaña and Morgan Freeman, De Oliveira can be seen across all three seasons of the hit Taylor Sheridan espionage thriller built around a female-led ensemble – rising from Marine recruit to Delta Force operator to CIA contractor. She is also known for her roles in In the Tall Grass, Locke & Key, and Guest of Honour.

“To honor this remarkable class of Latino and Hispanic artists is nothing short of a gift, especially during a time that has been difficult for our communities,” said Critics Choice Association Member and Co-Programmer Clayton Davis. “Latino and Hispanic storytellers keep creating from a place of joy and defiance, turning our histories and culture into art that moves the culture forward. Their work builds a larger, more inclusive tent for everyone to be invited to join.”

The Critics Choice Celebración of Cinema & Television will be hosted by Clayton Davis, who also serves as co-programmer and writer, with fellow CCA member Amanda Salas. Javier Infante, Madelyn Hammond and Ella Carlson of Hammond Infante Productions will produce.

Source: Critics Choice Association

OBSESSION Makes Box Office History Yet Again!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 19:53:00 +0000

Congratulations to Curry Barker, Inde Navarrette, Michael Johnston, Megan Lawless, Cooper Tomlinson and Co. as their indie horror hit Obsession crossed the $500 million mark at the global box office this weekend! The movie currently stands at $501.5 million worldwide thanks to countries like China, Germany and the United Kingdom...with a theatrical release in South Korea lurking on the horizon (September 2). Obsession is no longer playing in cinemas here in the U.S.—since you can now buy the film on DVD and Blu-ray, as well as stream it on apps like Peacock.

Obsession is Hollywood's first original movie of the 2020s to reach $500 million globally...surpassing the 2023 Pixar film Elemental (which earned a total of $494.6 million worldwide). Also, Obsession is one of the highest-grossing horror flicks ever!

Half a billion dollars for an indie horror film made on a $750,000 budget. Most impressive.

I'm currently recovering from surgery (gallbladder removal for the non-squeamish reading this) a few days ago, so I can't watch a movie at the theater anytime soon. I guess I can mark today's occasion by viewing Obsession on my DVD copy! Happy Sunday.

A Day of Moviegoing at Regal Cinemas...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 17 Aug 2026 17:01:00 +0000

Gettin' ready to watch The End of Oak Street today!

OBSESSION Wins Two More Awards This Summer...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 20:13:00 +0000

6th Annual Critics Choice Super Awards – List of Nominees and Winners (Press Release)

BEST ACTION MOVIE
THE FURIOUS
Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice
Motor City
The Naked Gun
Normal
The Rip
Sisu: Road to Revenge

BEST ACTOR IN AN ACTION MOVIE
Matt Damon – The Rip
Taron Egerton – Apex
XIE MIAO – THE FURIOUS
Bob Odenkirk – Normal
Alan Ritchson – Motor City
Joe Taslim – The Furious
Jorma Tommila – Sisu: Road to Revenge

BEST ACTRESS IN AN ACTION MOVIE
Pamela Anderson – The Naked Gun
Priyanka Chopra Jonas – The Bluff
Eiza González – Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice
Akari Takaishi – Ghost Killer
CHARLIZE THERON – APEX
Samara Weaving – Over Your Dead Body
Maddie Ziegler – Pretty Lethal

BEST SUPERHERO MOVIE*
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle
Exit 8
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Masters of the Universe
Mortal Kombat II
Supergirl
SUPERMAN

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPERHERO MOVIE*
DAVID CORENSWET – SUPERMAN
Nicholas Galitzine – Masters of the Universe
Edi Gathegi – Superman
Nicholas Hoult – Superman
Kazunari Ninomiya – Exit 8
Pedro Pascal – The Fantastic Four: First Steps

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPERHERO MOVIE*
MILLY ALCOCK – SUPERGIRL
Rachel Brosnahan – Superman
Julia Garner – The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Vanessa Kirby – The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Camila Mendes – Masters of the Universe
Adeline Rudolph – Mortal Kombat II

BEST HORROR MOVIE
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
Backrooms
The Long Walk
OBSESSION
Send Help
Weapons

BEST ACTOR IN A HORROR MOVIE
Josh Brolin – Weapons
Chiwetel Ejiofor – Backrooms
RALPH FIENNES – 28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE
Michael Johnston – Obsession
David Jonsson – The Long Walk
Jack O’Connell – 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
Adam Scott – Hokum

BEST ACTRESS IN A HORROR MOVIE
Alison Brie – Together
Jessie Buckley – The Bride!
Amy Madigan – Weapons
Rachel McAdams – Send Help
INDE NAVARRETTE – OBSESSION
Renate Reinsve – Backrooms

BEST SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY MOVIE
Bugonia
Disclosure Day
Frankenstein
Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die
I Love Boosters
Predator: Badlands
PROJECT HAIL MARY

BEST ACTOR IN A SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY MOVIE
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
RYAN GOSLING – PROJECT HAIL MARY
Matt Johnson – Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie
James Ortiz – Project Hail Mary
Jesse Plemons – Bugonia
Sam Rockwell – Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die

BEST ACTRESS IN A SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY MOVIE
EMILY BLUNT – DISCLOSURE DAY
Oona Chaplin – Avatar: Fire and Ash
Elle Fanning – Predator: Badlands
Sandra Hüller – Project Hail Mary
Keke Palmer – I Love Boosters
Emma Stone – Bugonia

BEST VILLAIN IN A MOVIE
Oona Chaplin – Avatar: Fire and Ash
Nicholas Hoult – Superman
Michael Johnston – Obsession
Jared Leto – Masters of the Universe
AMY MADIGAN – WEAPONS

BEST GOOD BOY IN A HORROR MOVIE
INDY – GOOD BOY

* Superhero categories also include Comic Book and Video Game Inspired movies

Source: Critics Choice Association

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Inde Navarrette's thank-you video for winning Best Actress in a Horror Movie at this year's Critics' Choice Super Awards!#Obsession pic.twitter.com/5zIvTREKSo
— Richard Par (@RichTPar) August 6, 2026

A Day of Moviegoing at AMC Theatres...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 17:45:00 +0000

Gettin' ready to watch Spider-Man: Brand New Day today!

Another Day of Moviegoing at Regal Cinemas...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 17:01:00 +0000

Gettin' ready to watch The Invite today!

A Day of Moviegoing at Regal Cinemas...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 18 Jul 2026 17:51:00 +0000

Gettin' ready to watch The Odyssey today!

A Day of Moviegoing at Regal Cinemas...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 04 Jul 2026 17:55:00 +0000

Gettin' ready to watch Toy Story 5 on America's 250th birthday!

On This Day in 1996: Remembering INDEPENDENCE DAY...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 23:13:00 +0000

30 years ago today, I watched the hit alien-invasion epic Independence Day at the theater. I've spoken about the sci-fi blockbuster—which is my favorite movie of 1996—so many times throughout the years that there's really nothing new to say about the film (but stay on this page, anyway)! Though in the wake of the latest files released by the Pentagon about UFOs encountered by U.S. military pilots over the past few decades, blogging about ID4 today couldn't be more timely. If you want to read previous things that I've said about the Roland Emmerich-directed epic, you can visit this blog update which celebrated the 10-year anniversary of ID4 in 2006.

Did I post an entry commemorating the 10-year anniversary of Independence Day: Resurgence (which was released in theaters nationwide on June 24, 2016) this year, you ask? No, I did not. That movie broke my heart like the Dumb and Dumber sequel, Dumb and Dumber To did in 2014. With that being said, Happy Fourth of July weekend to my fellow Yanks!

It's America's 250th birthday this Saturday... It sure would be nice if we had a different group of people running this country during this momentous occasion. Anyways, back to celebrating how awesome a movie ID4 was!

#OTD 30 years ago, I watched one of the greatest movie speeches ever on the big screen...#ID4 #IndependenceDay pic.twitter.com/Bhz8aobCzs
— Richard Par (@RichTPar) July 2, 2026

Two New Awards for OBSESSION...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 23:53:00 +0000

Hollywood Creative Alliance Announces Winners of the 2026 Astra Midseason Movie Awards (Press Release)

Los Angeles, CA – Tuesday June 30, 2026 – Amazon MGM’s Project Hail Mary was named Best Picture at the 2026 Astra Midseason Movie Awards, leading this year’s winners alongside The Invite, Obsession, and Michael, as the Hollywood Creative Alliance (HCA) celebrated the standout films and performances released during the first half of 2026.

In addition to winning Best Picture, Project Hail Mary took home Best Director for Phil Lord & Chris Miller. The Invite received Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress for Penélope Cruz, while Obsession won Best Actress for Inde Navarrette and Best Horror Feature. Michael also had a strong showing, with Jaafar Jackson taking home Best Actor and Colman Domingo winning Best Supporting Actor.

Other winners included Leviticus for Best Independent Feature, The Furious for Best Stunts, and The Odyssey, which was voted Most Anticipated Film for the second half of 2026.

The complete list of winners and runners-up is below.

2026 Astra Midseason Movie Awards Winners

Best Picture
Winner: Project Hail Mary
Runner-Up: The Invite

Best Actress
Winner: Inde Navarrette – Obsession
Runner-Up: Emily Blunt – Disclosure Day

Best Actor
Winner: Jaafar Jackson – Michael
Runner-Up: Ryan Gosling – Project Hail Mary

Best Supporting Actress
Winner: Penélope Cruz – The Invite
Runner-Up: Sandra Hüller – Project Hail Mary

Best Supporting Actor
Winner: Colman Domingo – Michael
Runner-Up: Edward Norton – The Invite

Best Screenplay
Winner: The Invite – Written by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack
Runner-Up: Obsession – Written by Curry Barker

Best Director
Winner: Phil Lord & Chris Miller – Project Hail Mary
Runner-Up: Curry Barker – Obsession

Best Horror Feature
Winner: Obsession
Runner-Up: Backrooms

Best Independent Feature
Winner: Leviticus
Runner-Up: Tuner

Best Stunts
Winner: The Furious
Runner-Up: Mortal Kombat II

Most Anticipated Film (Second Half of 2026)
Winner: The Odyssey
Runner-Up: Avengers: Doomsday

Source: The Astra Awards

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Another Day of Moviegoing at Regal Cinemas...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 17:09:00 +0000

Gettin' ready to watch Disclosure Day today!

A Day of Moviegoing at Regal Cinemas...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 17:21:00 +0000

Gettin' ready to watch Masters of the Universe today!

A Day of Moviegoing at Regal Cinemas...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 17:31:00 +0000

Gettin' ready to watch the latest installment of Scary Movie today!

A Day of Moviegoing at Harkins Theatres...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 17:21:00 +0000

Gettin' ready to watch the World War II flick Pressure today!

A Day of Moviegoing at Regal Cinemas...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 30 May 2026 17:39:00 +0000

Gettin' ready to watch Backrooms today!

Quick Review: OBSESSION...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 26 May 2026 04:23:00 +0000

So before I ate barbecue for Memorial Day dinner today, I watched the horror movie Obsession at Regal Cinemas. The indie film by director Curry Barker was intense, witty, well-casted and of course gruesomely violent—just like other recent horror hits like Weapons, Barbarian and the Oscar-nominated Sinners.

Speaking of Weapons and the Oscars, Amy Madigan won the Best Supporting Actress trophy for her role as Aunt Gladys at the Academy Awards two months ago... Will Inde Navarrette be nominated for her role as Nikki at the Oscars next year? Maybe. Maybe not.

A Best Actress nomination carries more weight than one for Best Supporting Actress (not to disparage this award), and I'm guessing there will be lots of other amazing actresses who will be up for the former Academy Awards category when the actual Oscar baits get released at the theaters later this year. Other than that, well-done on a great horror flick, Barker, Navarrette, Michael Johnston, Megan Lawless, Cooper Tomlinson and company!

If only the One Wish Willow existed in real life... And I wonder what happened to that one billion dollars one of the characters won? Immediately watch Obsession on the big screen to know what I'm talking about!

Movie Review: THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 24 May 2026 06:59:00 +0000

Earlier today, I went to Regal Cinemas to watch The Mandalorian and Grogu...the first Star Wars film to be theatrically released since The Rise of Skywalker in 2019. Needless to say, The Mandalorian and Grogu was a fun installment that's a nice addition to the mythology created by George Lucas almost 50 years ago!

If you watched the three current seasons of The Mandalorian on Disney+ like I did, you'll understand why director Jon Favreau structured the narrative of The Mandalorian and Grogu the way he did. The film fits nicely with its streaming counterpart—albeit with a higher budget ($165 million) that allowed more alien creatures and action sequences to be shown on the big screen.

One alien creature that stands out is Rotta the Hutt (voiced by Jeremy Allen White of such TV shows as The Bear and Shameless, as well as last year's biopic Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere), the son of Jabba the Hutt and a central character in The Mandalorian and Grogu. The movie's marketing campaign portrayed Rotta as a villainous UFC-type fighter who Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), the Mandalorian himself, battled during his many adventures in the film.

In the actual film though, Rotta merely wants to separate his identity from that of his crime lord father. Rotta succeeds at the end, and will apparently become an integral member of the New Republic who might appear in future Star Wars shows. Another creature is Hugo Durant...a multi-armed food stand owner who's amusingly voiced by the great Martin Scorsese!

Not to be outdone by Rotta, Hugo and the other alien creatures (like the Anzelians, who were first seen in The Rise of Skywalker and Season 3 of The Mandalorian) are such human characters as Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver), the Mandalorian's New Republic handler, and Lord Janu (Jonny Coyne), who's responsible for Rotta's fighting career and was a former Imperial officer who still knows what the remnants of the Empire are up to in the galaxy. The Mandalorian and Grogu doesn't reveal any details about the Empire's secret plans...and rightfully focuses on the titular heroes of the movie instead.

Not only does The Mandalorian and Grogu have cool new alien creatures and action scenes (like a climactic X-Wing air battle), but it also had quiet moments that focused on the father-son relationship between Din Djarin and Grogu. At one point in the movie, Djarin is gravely injured during a skirmish on Nal Hutta (the homeworld of Rotta and the other Hutts), and it's in this sequence where we see how much Grogu cares for his father and how resourceful he's become under the Mandalorian's tutelage. From finding food and shelter for him and Djarin on Nal Hutta, to him using the Force to save another main character from imminent death in the film's climax, Grogu shows that he's not the helpless Jedi Youngling he was when he was rescued from Coruscant during Order 66, the Jedi Purge orchestrated by Darth Sidious in 2005's Revenge of the Sith.

A Season 4 is planned for The Mandalorian, and it's going to be exciting to see how The Mandalorian and Grogu influences the plotline for the next Disney+ adventures by Mando and company! It was The Mandalorian that ushered Star Wars into the post-Skywalker era in late 2019, so it makes sense that this particular film would be quite different from the 11 other live-action Star Wars movies that have been theatrically released since 1977. Just look at the kinetic music score for The Mandalorian and Grogu by 3-time Oscar winner Ludwig Göransson; there is not one single Star Wars theme by legendary composer John Williams in the new movie—only motifs that Göransson introduced in The Mandalorian Disney+ show itself.

Once again, I thoroughly enjoyed The Mandalorian and Grogu! I intend to watch it again on the big screen...and look forward to the next batch of Star Wars theatrical releases such as 2027's Star Wars: Starfighter. I can't wait to see how that Shawn Levy-directed installment contributes to George Lucas' mythology as well! This is the way.

A Day of Moviegoing at Regal Cinemas...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 21 May 2026 18:01:00 +0000

Gettin' ready to watch In the Grey today!

A Day of Moviegoing at Regal Cinemas...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 09 May 2026 17:01:00 +0000

Gettin' ready to watch Mortal Kombat II today!

A Day of Moviegoing at Regal Cinemas...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 02 May 2026 18:55:00 +0000

Gettin' ready to watch Deep Water today!

A Day of Moviegoing at AMC Theatres...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 25 Apr 2026 23:01:00 +0000

Gettin' ready to watch the Michael Jackson biopic Michael this evening!

A Day of Moviegoing at Regal Cinemas...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 19:01:00 +0000

Gettin' ready to watch Lee Cronin's The Mummy today!